Heavy Dates

by John O'Neill and Matt Ashare

WORCESTER: Lee Totten put out a heck of a CD in 1996 that was (put thumb and finger approximately a half-inch away from each other) this close to perfect. He's back with his second effort, Could Have Been King (Ninibudu), which closes that half-inch gap. Loaded with solid songwriting, big pop hooks, and (unlike the last album) balls, Could Have Been King should make Totten a contender for bigger things. He celebrates tonight, Friday, June 26, at the Plantation Club with Clutch Grabwell. Over at the Espresso Bar it's those hard-hitting lads from Eastcide, who, if hardcore/metal were baseball, would probably bat clean-up. They're joined by Stealth, Six Cents, and Indesit. The East Coast Audio Enterprises machine continues to roll through the streets of Wormtown and out into the burbs. On Saturday, it's a label showcase, featuring Chillum, the Pathetics, Seven Hill Psychos, Junk Sculpture, Gangsta Bitch Barbie, Woodgrain Theory, and Lament. It all goes down at Grafton Crossing for a measly six bucks. Start time is 4 p.m. Also on Saturday, Boys Attic, nice guys who've made some pretty good headway into the club circuit with absolutely no press, headline Sir Morgan's Cove. Get there early 'cause there are openers Shiner, a band whose demo tape we really like. On Monday, June 29, the Space offers a must-see bill featuring the debut of Garrison. Also on the bill are Halobox, still soon-to-be-big, and Boston's Six Going On Seven, a band who are on their way to breaking with the release of their fab self-titled CD on NYC's Some Records. And if all that weren't enough Elliot headline the festivities. And, finally, you can catch a repeat performance of Garrison and Halobox, who finally release that single on Life Records we've been yapping about for months, on Thursday, July 2, at Sir Morgan's Cove.

-- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE: The juice guys at Nantucket Nectars inaugurate a new festival down at the Cape on June 27 and 28, with shows both days at the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School Athletic Fields, and the Tom Nevers Naval Base on Nantucket (call 800-8-NECTAR for info on both shows). On the 27th, the line-up on the Vineyard includes ex-Story gal Jonatha Brooke, Bruce Cockburn, Patty Larkin, and Livingston Taylor; meanwhile Don Byron, CPR featuring David Crosby, and Bo Diddley do Nantucket. On the 28th the stars switch islands; special guests and local openers will be on hand at both venues each day, including former Grateful Dead dude Bob Weir at Martha's Vineyard. If you can't make it down the shore, David Crosby plays a WBOS "Heat Wave" party on July 2 at the New England Aquarium, (617) 973-5206. (Crosby's previously scheduled Lupo's appearance on the 2nd has been canceled.) And Weir turns up again on July 1 at Great Woods, (617) 423-6398, in Mansfield, where he's one of the main attractions of the "Further Festival," the annual convergence that's supposed to replace Dead shows at big outdoor summer venues now that Jerry's gone. Besides Weir's Other Ones, the fest also has Rusted Root, Hot Tuna, Bruce Hornsby, and some other cats.

-- Matt Ashare