Heavy Dates

WORCESTER:Straight from their gig at last Sunday's Locobazooka, Downchild keep the momentum rolling with a headlining gig this Friday, September 25, at Ralph's. Also making the scene are Boston's Caged Heat and Worcester-by-Boston's outstanding popsters the Ape Hangers. The Space do that ska-influenced sound with Metro Stylee, the Locals, Knuckle Sandwich, and the Damn Personals. Meanwhile, the Espresso Bar counters with Big Lick (who have a new CD, The Hills Are Alive); Split and Sticker also check in on this eclectic bill. On Saturday, former Roomful of Blues front-guy and current Sugar Ray Norcia Band front-guy, Sugar Ray Norcia, makes a return trip to Gilrein's. Local hero Troy Gonyea will assume ax responsibilities for the evening. Eastcide rock like the crazy muthas they are at the Espresso Bar. Seven Hill Psychos may just qualify as the hardest-working band in the area, at least for this month. They lead the list at Sir Morgan's Cove. Junk Sculpture and State of Corruption also play. All the way from Tacoma, Washington, the pacific northwest's number-one delegates of rock-action, Girl Trouble, make their first area appearance in five long years when they hit the carpet at Dinny's in support of their new album Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays (Wig Out!). Also on the bill are the Crybabies, Das Fearless Leaders (formerly the Fearless Leaders), and the Blue Moon Band. Also on Sunday, Forty Days Rain, Dead Eyes Under, Endless, and Fallen do a little head-stomping at the Espresso Bar. Finally, Slattery's gives you the best of both worlds with a pre-game tailgate party featuring Jason James and the Bay State Houserockers followed by Monday Night Football. The H-Rockers also play half-time.

-- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE: Further proof that white appropriation of hip-hop often leads its practitioners to flights of vaudvillean fancy comes from Everlast, that guy from House of Pain, whose latest album, Whitey Ford Sings the Blues (Tommy Boy), begins with a song called "The White Boy Is Back." Did he ever leave? Find out when Everlast checks into Axis, (617) 262-2437, in Boston, on the 26th (note the 6 p.m. start time) and the Call, (401) 751-2255, in Rhode Island on the 27th.

Juliana Hatfield will make it to Boston next month, but if you just can't wait she's at Pearl Street tonight (September 24), in Northampton, (413) 584-0610, behind Bed (Zöe/Mercury), the most savage and immediate album she's yet turned out. You could say the same thing about Frank Black's latest incarnation -- he's fronting a really raw, loose, hungry rock-and-roll band (i.e., minus the cut-and-paste Pixies thing, and without all the evasiveness of his previous solo outings) whose line-up includes local guitar god Rich Gilbert. They're at the Met Café, (401) 861-2142, in Providence, on the 29th.

If we had our druthers, we'd attempt to link everyone else in this column to him in six steps or less -- but alas, deadline beckons (feel free to play along at home). Yep, cult-hack film icon Kevin Bacon and his brother are back doing . . . well, something, as the Bacon Brothers, at the Iron Horse, (413) 584-0610, in Northampton, on the 25th. And in other news of the arcane, it's not often that we get an honest-to-goodness rodeo north of the Mason-Dixon line, but the regional finals of the IPRA World Championship Rodeo are running September 25 through 27 and October 2 through 4 at the Shriners Auditorium, (800) 50-RODEO, in Wilmington, Massachusetts. You get bull riding, steer wrestling, roping, barrel racing, live country music in the round-up room, and the 1998 Miss Rodeo USA. Round 'em up.

-- Carly Carioli