Heavy Dates

Heavy Dates

It always seems that the really good shows happen to take place in clumps of less than 72 hours, and this weekend in Wormtown is no exception. We'll start with our favorite bunch of sickos, Angry Johnny and the Killbillies, who are riding a wave of success these days what with college-radio airplay and tours across the Midwest, South, and Northeast. Almost toured Canada too, except for that hazy night in jail nobody remembered to tell customs about till it was too late. They return to the Land of the Worm with an opening slot at the Above Club. Headlining are the Drive-By Truckers, who hauled-ass all the way from Athens, GA, to lay down their unique country-fried observations. Elsewhere, the delightfully sophomoric Random Road Mother are back at Ralph's. The Mother have also made some headway since they last darkened our door, earning an invite to this year's NEMO Conference. That should horrify the alterna-nerds. DC's Polyplush Cats open the show. At the Sit N' Bull, it's the re-commissioned Barrence Whitfield and the Savages. Though this incarnation of the band doesn't feature either of the two classic line-ups, it's still worth it just to see the legendary B-Man shake and agitate. Ow! Ow! Ow! Also about town, rockabilly revivalists the Racketeers (who head out next week for their second tour of England) join Jason James and the Bay State Houserockers and Big Lick at the Commercial Street Cafe, and the OutCats hit the Blue Plate in Holden. One of the more interesting bands we've heard in a while are the Bamboo Steamers who play the Above Club this Saturday. If the Flying Burrito Brothers played surf, they'd probably want to sound like this. It's actually a terrific combo somewhere along the line of getting chocolate in your peanut butter. The always gear Fearless Leaders open the night. Tree finally make it into town after a couple false alarms. They headline the Lucky Dog along with sets from Jujitsu and Second Class Citizen. Commercial Street answers that with a bill featuring Stuck Mojo, Nothingface, and Eastcide. Slattery's Front Room offers the Racky Thomas Band, whose latest disc, Last of the Big Spenders, was a '98 fave, and roots-demigod Dennis Brennan plays Gilrein's. Little Big Wheel go acoustic at Dinny's next Tuesday, March 16, and Little Red and the Riders continue their Wednesday-night swing residency at Gilrein's.

-- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE

Decade-plus career longevity is still a rarity in hip-hop; though the genre has proven its commercial salability as an album-moving medium, it's still driven primarily by fast-break singles, which often means that the half-life of any given stylistic innovation is only slightly longer than the running time on a 12-inch. The list of those who've managed to beat hip-hop's planned-obsolescence curse is pretty slim -- an incomplete short list would include KRS-One, L.L. Cool J, and Salt-n-Pepa. One of the benefits of such elder statesmanship (or stateswomanship, in the case of the last group) is that you get to play in places, like Boston, that are generally scared shitless of hip-hop. Which is what the groundbreaking duo will do on March 18 at Avalon, (617) 262-2424, in support of their most recent effort, Brand New (Red Ant), which finds them, against all odds, still at the top of their game. They're also at Pearl Street, (413) 584-0610, in Northampton, on March 17; local neo-R&B act the Lyte Funky Ones open both shows.

Boston's former favorite son, Lou Barlow, who now calls La-La land home, makes his first prodigal return to these parts when Sebadoh swing through in support of what amounts to their major-label debut, The Sebadoh (Sire/Sub Pop). They're at Pearl Street on March 13, the Roxy, (617) 338-7699, on March 16, and the Met Café, (401) 861-2142, in Providence, on March 17. Barlow's sister's band, Hospital, open all three shows along with Playtopia.

Insurgent country outlaw Steve Earle makes a guest appearance on Simple Gearle, the debut album by his sister, Stacey Earle, returning the favor she done him by showing on his 1991 album The Hard Way. After slogging time as a Nashville songsmith-for-hire, Stacey's struck out on her own with husband/guitarist Mark Stuart and a batch of winning tunes just on the folk side of country. She's in the area opening up for folk funnygal Christine Lavin at Sanders Theatre, (617) 496-2222, in Cambridge, on March 12; she'll also open for Brooks Williams at the Iron Horse, (413) 584-0610, in Northampton, on March 13.

Irish traditionalists Nomos are at the Somerville Theatre, (617) 876-4275, on March 12 and the Common Fence Point Community Hall, (401) 683-5085, in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, on March 13. Junior guitar phenom Jonny Lang and Chris Whitley are at the Orpheum, (617) 931-2000, on March 13 and at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, (401) 272-5876, in Providence, on March 15. Those who think Tortoise are, y'know, just a little too rock can catch a couple of members doing some straight-up avant-jazz as the Chicago Underground Duo and Brokeback on March 12 at the Century Lounge, (401) 751-2255, in Providence, and on March 14 at the Middle East, (617) 864-3278, in Cambridge.

-- Carly Carioli