Heavy Dates

by John O'Neill and Carly Carioli

WORCESTER: There's a lot of excitement here in the home office because this Friday, May 29, marks the return of Allston mental-midgets Random Road Mother. They like to sing songs about drinking and jail time, two time-honored topics of great rock and roll. They open up the evening at Sir Morgan's Cove so get there early. Friday also kicks off the first of three nights at the Espresso Bar billed as Punkstock '98. The Casualties, Actionmen, Terribles, Violent Society and M.D.'s open the festivities. Elsewhere, Andy Cummings and members of the Charley Dee Blues Band join forces to form the Bridge. They'll be airing out their new sound at the Java Hut. Gilrein's gives guitar whiz Troy Gonyea a much-deserved weekend slot. Ol' Troy is gonna be a Big Shot one of these days, so go now while you still have the chance. On Saturday, Punkstock '98 rolls on with Beantown not-quite-legends the Unseen topping the bill while Sunday, May 31, features Punk Rock Hall of Famers D.O.A., who've been doing the loud-fast thing for twenty years. It just doesn't seem right that any band with a guy named Shithead should be pushing middle age. Speaking of shitheads, Marcy Playground bring their alterna-whining to the Palladium this Tuesday, June 2, when they share the bill with Everclear and America's latest sensation Fastball. Wormtown's favorite dog-faced-drummer band, Paco, headline a gig at Sir Morgan's Cove on Thursday, June 4, while former Kink ax slinger Dave Davies does two intimate sets at the Sit 'N Bull Pub.

-- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE: The punk-rock pride and joy of Richmond, Virginia, come calling this week as Avail make the rounds in support of their latest, Over the James (Lookout!). With just the right measure of West Coast overdrive pop and East Coast anthemic muscle, it's their best since '94's Dixie. And according to an e-mail we got from Frank Kozik's Man's Ruin label, some of these guys have a Sabbathy side project called Alabama Thunder Pussy that will be putting out an album in late June. So give 'em the devil horns when they come to the Middle East, (617) 864-3278, in Cambridge, on June 1 and the Met Café (401) 861-2142, in Providence, on June 2, both shows with fellow Richmonders Ann Beretta, who are apparently loved by everyone in these parts who's seen them.

-- Carly Carioli