Heavy Dates

by John O'Neill and Carly Carioli

WORCESTER: It's a great big, fat rock-and-roll weekend in Wormtown starting with a visit from Cable, who visit the Space Friday, October 17, along with Moses, Gertha, and Beltaine. The Espresso Bar hosts a gold-plated, 100-percent-guaranteed-not-to-disappoint pogo festival when the awesome Beezwax buzz (sorry) into town to play with the just as awesome Gas Food Lodging, Dimwitt, and Heroine Boy. Saturday, October 18, finds Plainfolk playing a free show at Cafe Fantastique, also known as Rotman's Furniture. Bobby Snow turned in his 10-gallon hat when he left Cactus, but you can catch his new-old band the F.O.G. (the last two initials stand for Old Guys, we're still working on the first) when they play Dinny's along with the Fearless Leaders and Free Radicals.

Forty years ago a young lady at a dance requested a stroll-type number from the band. Not knowing one, the guitarist, Link Wray, created "Rumble," which was banned from the radio for being "too suggestive" (an impressive feat indeed when you consider it was an instrumental). The King of Raunch Guitar (he developed distortion by cutting holes in his speakers with knives and pens) and the most underrated influence in rock history returns from Europe for an all-too-infrequent tour. You may bow down before him as he spanks the plank Sunday, October 19, at the Iron Horse, in Northampton. Let ol' Link show you yet another reason why the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is an absolute joke. Come down from this weekend's rock-action with a Sunday-night ambient set from the Shipping News (underground bigshots from Rodan and June of '44 are in the group) at the Space. Guerrero and Hurl also play.

-- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE: If you were looking for clues to Sub Pop's direction a couple of years ago, you could've done worse than take a peek at the Friends of Dean Martinez, who foreshadowed the label's current rootsy bent with lean, Morricone-ish instrumental-scapes. They're back with another album, Retrograde, which backs slightly off the reverb and lets in everything from Henry Mancini to Brian Wilson. They're at the Call (401-274-8584), in Providence, with V Majestic on October 21; then they tap into T.T. the Bear's Place (617-492-2327) on October 23 with Dirt Red and Seks Bomba. The cult of the Modern Lovers hits the road when Jonathan Richman plays the Met Café (401-861-2142), in Providence, on the 17th and Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (401-272-5876), in Providence, on the 18th before returning to the Boston area for a Somerville Theatre (617-931-2000) show on the 23rd.

Wrestling matches we'd like to see: femme neurotic Fiona Apple, who's not coming to Boston but plays the Strand (401-272-0444), in Providence, on the 17th, versus crunchy vegan death-metalers Earth Crisis, who aren't coming to Boston but play the Living Room (401-521-5200), in Providence, on the 18th. And afterward we'd like to buy them both a big steak dinner . . . The closest (former) hometown heroes Powerman 5000 will come on their current jaunt with Primus is the Strand on the 19th. They'll also be at the Central Maine Civic Center in Lewiston (617-423-6398) on the 24th, if you're up for the drive.

-- Carly Carioli