Heavy Dates

by John O'Neill and Carly Carioli

WORCESTER: The weekend kicks off this Friday, June 5, with a little bit of doom and gloom courtesy of metal-mavens Vital Remains, who hit the Espresso Bar along with Dehumanized, Eternal Suffering, and Seven Day Curse (the last three band names also qualify as descriptive for my day job). Meanwhile, on the sunny side of the street, it's the return of Ray Mason and his band who celebrate the release of their great new CD, Old Souls Day, at the Above Club. Clutch Grabwell return from the Cape to the Plantation Club with their undefeated fighting record in tact, so if you know what's good for you don't give them any lip and keep your hands off the mic. Thurston Moore returns to town this Saturday, June 6, when he leads the rest of his noisy boys and girl of Sonic Youth at the Palladium. Guitar great Tom Verlaine also takes the experimental route with Jimmy Ripp in an opening set and Sean Lennon also joins the bill. The Space goes hard and fast yet again with the hardcore action of Gameface, 10 Yard Fight, Tank, and Spacecopter. On Sunday, former Bad Brains frontman HR brings his band to Sir Morgan's Cove. As if that weren't enough, Enemy Squad, a band featuring members of P-Funk, are also on the roster for the evening. Special 79 and Junk Sculpture open. On Wednesday, you can not only continue to get down with the swing sounds of J.B. and the Activators, but learn how to do it like your folks did. There are free dance lessons before the gig, so get to Gilrein's early and swing, daddy, swing!

-- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE: Out beating the pavement in support of his cool new organ/funk album A Go Go (Blue Note), John Scofield comes to the Iron Horse, (413) 584-0610, in Northampton, June 4 and the Middle East, (617) 864-3278, in Cambridge, June 5. No, he won't have Medeski Martin and Wood with him from the album, but he will have similarly heavy hitters Larry Goldings on organ and Bill Stewart on drums (aside from working heavy jazz gigs, both have been with JBs man Maceo Parker), and bassist Steve Logan. And look for a Scofield/MM&W tour in the fall.

With the promoters of the annual Escoheag Cajun & Bluegrass festival on hiatus and a rhythm & roots fest taking its place in September, the Second Annual Strawberry Park "Blast from the Bayou" Cajun/Zydeco Music Festival, (888) 794-7944, in Preston, Connecticut, has the run of the summer months. It kicks off June 5 with Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, Roy Carrier and the Night Rockers, and Magnolia. June 6 there's Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas, "Zydeco Sweetheart" Rosie Ledet, and Balfa Toujours, plus encores by Carrier and Magnolia. Riley, Toujours, Ledet, and Magnolia stick around for the conclusion on June 7, which adds New Orleans squeeze-boxer Boozoo Chavis and his Magic Sounds. Rhode Islanders can also catch Boozoo on May 6 at the Met Café, (401) 861-2142, in Providence, and zydeco sweetheart Ledet stops by the Iron Horse on her way to the festival to play a gig on June 5.

-- Carly Carioli