Heavy Dates

WORCESTER: Friday, July 31, marks the start of a three-day tour for Dick Odgren and Emil Haddad. Worcester's most popular jazz combo, which makes them just north of overlooked, hit Peppercorns on Friday, head west to the Cherry Valley line for a gig at O'Flaherty's Piano Pub Saturday, then wind it up at the Castle Restaurant Sunday for a mid-afternoon show. Also on Friday, Curran's Anchor Lounge holds a Leukemia Fund benefit. Junk Sculpture, Face, and Strange Brew lend a hand for your $5 donation. Special 79 headline the festivities at the Espresso Bar. Horsewater, the Monitors, and Argyle Socks also play. Saturday, August 1, brings Chongfest '98 at Chooch's in North Brookfield. A bit of a haul, sure, but well worth it. Junk Sculpture continue their tour of the towns, along with the Lee Totten Band, the Pathetics, Sticker, Special 79, Woodgrain Theory, the Fearless Leaders, and Tremble. It starts at 4 p.m. and will set you back a mere six clams. At the Espresso Bar it's the CD-release party for 7th Rail Crew. They'll be backed by Indesit, Hollowpoint, and Forced Fed Shovelhead, who are back and celebrating the release of their new 50/50 blend T-shirt. Ralph's hosts the Hound Dogs and Heroines Summer Music Festival with Permafrost, Bourbon Princess, Make Lisa Rich, Big Gladys, Willies, Solid Mirage, and Garage Dogs. Doors open at 7 p.m. Make sure to stop down at the Space on Sunday to wave bye-bye to Cable, who head for Splitsville after this show. Drowning Man and Isis round out the action. -- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE: In the middling-but-mildly-entertaining wing of industro-metal, Gravity Kills and Pitchshifter -- the former Nine Inch Nails clone done good, the latter an underground break-neck electro-thrash outfit who emerged watered down after signing a major label deal -- hit Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, (401) 272-5876, in Providence, on August 5 and Pearl Street, (413) 584-0610, in Northampton, on August 8. Delving further into the metal cauldron, Cannibal Corpse -- so gory they were singled out for Congressional outrage, but otherwise harmless -- hit the Living Room, (401) 521-5200, in Providence, on August 3 with Vital Remains and Angel Corpse.

Lupo's and the Met Cafe unite to celebrate their fifth anniversary on July 31 with a blowout featuring Gruvis Malt, Formula (the artists formerly known as Fat Bag), Freak Show, Pappy Chullo, the L.U.V.'s, the Mr. Rogers Project, and android new-wavers Servotron.

And in the "you mean they're not dead yet?" file, Quiet Riot stage an all-original members reunion at someplace called the Station, (401) 823-4660, in West Warwick, Rhode Island, on August 5 and are joined by equally desperate Warrant and Slaughter at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, (603) 929-4100, in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, on August 6.

-- Carly Carioli