Heavy Dates

Heavy Dates

The Pathetics hit week number two of their "No Sleep Till Lincoln Street!" CD release tour of Wormtown. They hit the Above Club this Friday night. However, the big news on this bill is Boston's Johnny Black Trio (you may remember Johnny from his days with Kenne Highland in the legendary Johnny and the Jumper Cables). The JB3 debut disc is being received with such fervor that Beantown clubs are calling them for shows! Which just goes to show that hooks, big drums, and buzzing guitars never go out of style. Also playing are Thinner, who are finally out of studio hibernation and ready to reclaim their title from the Pathetics as Wormtown's drinkingest band. Don't miss this one! It'll be the equivalent of a basement frat party. Across town Rawhead Rex celebrate the release of their newest CD, Rebirth, at the Lucky Dog Music Hall. An opening set comes from the Japanese Core Band. Yes, they're really from Japan, they do play hardcore and speak very little English. So the name was probably a marketing necessity. Elsewhere, Troy Gonyea and the Premiers swing at Gilrein's, and Gutwrench play Cafe Abba. On Saturday, the Commercial Street Cafe does double-duty. First up, an early afternoon ska fest with Kicked in the Head, Sticker, Shoeless Joe, and the Goonies. As night sets in, the stage gets a little heavier with sets from God Stands Still, Red Shag, One Way Down, Second Class Citizen, and Todd's Hobby. Up at Slattery's, it's the return of blues great Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson and the Magic Rockers. An opening set is turned in by Charley Dee. On Sunday, the Lucky Dog continues to extol the virtues of that musical hangover commonly referred to as the seventies, with disco tribute Boogie Fever. But this week there's a special opening set from JoyDrop, Canada's answer to Garbage (Tara Sloan does resemble Shirley Manson, only without that no-chin-doughy-Scottish-look face), who are currently touring to support their debut disc Metasexual (Tommy Boy). It's a pretty decent disc, too, so we should mention Tony Rabalao and Tom Payne, who while never being able to fill a gown like Tara, write good songs.

-- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE

He may be the biggest star in Las Vegas, but we detect a bit of fear and (self) loathing in Wayne Newton's latest bio. "People may leave one of my shows disliking Wayne Newton," he says, "but they've never walked out saying, `He didn't give us our money's worth.' " Yikes. The guy's speaking ill of himself -- in the third person! Perhaps he'll make up for it by patting himself on the back in the first person when he plays the Lowell Auditorium, (978) 454-2299, on March 27.

Otherwise March 27 belongs to hip-hop: the "Hard Knock Life" tour featuring Jay-Z, DMX, and Method Man finds its way to the FleetCenter, (617) 931-2000, and in Worcester that night the Roots bring a little organic soul to the Palladium, 797-9696, with Common opening. Act now or hold your tongues; the next time the Roots come through New England, it'll be on the opening end of a tour by the Dave Matthews Band and Santana at Foxboro Stadium, (617) 931-2000, on May 29.

The Elephant 6 collective strikes again this week this time as the Olivia Tremor Control drop their second disc, Black Foliage: Animation Music by the Olivia Tremor Control (Flydaddy), which sounds impeccably like a lost '60s heir to Pet Sounds or Sgt. Pepper. They'll support it with gigs at Pearl Street, (413) 584-0610, in Northampton, on April Fool's Day and at the Middle East, (617) 864-3278, on April 2, both with fellow Elephants Elf Power.

In lieu of Los Lobos, Cesar Rosas is out supporting his first official solo disc, Soul Disguise (Ryko), at the Met Café, (401) 861-2142, in Providence, on March 27 and at the House of Blues, (617) 491-2583, in Cambridge, on March 28. A couple of his bandmates -- David Hidalgo and Louie Pérez -- are headed this way in the Latin Playboys, who'll be at the Paradise, (617) 562-8800, in Boston, next month on April 16.

-- Carly Carioli