Heavy Dates

by John O'Neill and Carly Carioli

WORCESTER: March Madness takes form in music this weekend, beginning this Friday, March 6, with Beantown surf/space rock oddities the Strangemen who hit the Espresso Bar with the equally weird Paddy's Pig. 7-10 Split and Kicked in the Head round out this blast. At one point during the early/mid-'80s, Barrence Whitfield and the Savages were probably the hardest-hitting rock-and-roll combo in the entire world. Times have changed and so has Barrence. These days, he's in a blues phase as front banana for the Movers, who take it to ya at the Sit 'N Bull Pub. Axman Duke Robillard has done it all throughout his career, from stints with the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Roomful of Blues to appearing on Dylan's recent Grammy biggie Time Out of Mind. He's in town tonight at Gilrein's in support of his new platter Dangerous Place (Pointblank/Virgin). On Saturday, the Palladium cranks up with a superduper show with ska's newest sensations Reel Big Fish and the Pilfers (featuring ex-Toaster Coolie Ranx). The real guys to watch are the Mr. T Experience, who, after a decade-plus of grinding away in obscurity, are ready for the Big Time with the release of their brilliant album Revenge Is Sweet, and So Are You. But is the world ready for them? Also on Saturday, Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore (a guy who was alternative when it actually meant something) visits the Space for what should be a night of, uh, alternative sound experiments. Head of the Maja, Stricken for Catherine, Mark Polini's Toolbox, and Bob Jordan add to the festivities. At the Green Rooster Coffeehouse Jon Svetkey leads his pop-friendly Loomers through their paces. Pamela Means also appears. On Sunday, Rounder Records roots artists the Blazers pass through town with a gig at the Plantation Club. If you dig Los Lobos, these guys are their neighbors, both geographically and musically. Finally, Round Two of the Tammany Club's Battle of the Bands gets underway on Wednesday, March 11, with 7th Direction facing-off against Just for Sundae and RC Fat Cats, and the Plantation Club continues open-mic night with Mike Ladd.

-- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE: In the hinterlands, the 1998 "Sno-Core Tour" brings Primus (now probably most famous as the guys who do the South Park theme song), weaselcore punks Blink-182, and hip-hop's Tha Alkaholiks to brand-spankin'-new Tsongas Arena (617-931-2000), in Lowell, on March 6. We recommend getting there early to see the Aquabats, a skapunk-spypop band with the best costumes east of Rocket from the Crypt and north of Mexican wrestling. And singer/songwriter Shawn Colvin, Mary Lou Lord's more famous (for now) old pal, plays a solo acoustic gig at the Capitol Center (603-225-1111), in Concord, New Hampshire, on March 8, then another at Chapin Theatre, in South Hadley (800-843-8425), on March 12.

The Elephant 6 collective comes calling this week when Neutral Milk Hotel, Elf Power, and the Magic Tapes hit the Middle East (617-864-3278), in Cambridge, on Sunday, March 8 and the Call (401-751-2255), in Providence, on March 9.

And in the recent tradition of long-forgotten guitar-heroes capitalizing on next-generation underground reverence (? and the Mysterians, Link Wray), surf/instrumental pioneers the Ventures -- or at least what's left of them -- are returning from Japanese exile with a US tour that brings them to the Iron Horse (413-584-0610), in Northampton, on March 11 and the Middle East on March 12.

-- Carly Carioli