Heavy Dates

As the swing revival cools down from full-fledged phenomena to its resting place as '90s enigma, bands like the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and the Royal Crown Daddy Revue will become hazy memories; the Squirrel Nut Zippers can return to their rightful status as a pre-war porch band, and Bellevue Cadillac can get back to business as a premiere blues act and stop pouting about how the whole insipid movement left them high and dry. After all, they were one of the best before all the foolishness began, and they'll be standing tall long after Brian Setzer looks up Slim Jim Phantom and Earl What's-His-Face for the inevitable Stray Cats' "Rock This Town like '83 Reunion Tour." The Caddys play the Firehouse Cafe this Friday night. If it's an overpriced road trip you want, point the car toward Woonsocket and Chan's. For twenty-four bucks you can see Leon Redbone sing the Mr. Belvedere theme and, hopefully, that catchy "stain-lifter" number. Or you can let Rhode Island's finest come to you in the form of Young Neal and the Vipers, who return to rock the Plantation Club. Saturday Cristoforo Columbo Park (known to most of Worcester as East Park) catches absolute hell in the form of the MAFIO Summer Music Fest. For a donation of a non-perishable food item, you can see 22 acts as well as the possibility of your First Amendment rights challenged and/or trampled with the city's "No Durty Wurd Clause." As, among others, Billy Pain, Mingo, Eastcide, Seventh Rail Crew, Upsidedown Cross, and Gangsta Bitch Barbie are on tap, there is certainly potential for two less-than-savory words: "shutdown" and "lawsuit." Elsewhere, there will be swears-aplenty. Commercial Street has porn-rockers Stocklan and the heavy-hitting Shed, while the Lucky Dog counters with the utterly tasteless Freeballin'. Monday at the Lucky Dog begins the Country Western Night experiment. Line-dancing lessons are at 7 p.m., followed by a set or two from Instant Replay. Wednesday has a bunch of great jazz music, all of it free. Rich Falco leads Ten String Swing at the Firehouse, the Java Hut features the Thompson Kneeland Trio, Joe Brindisi plays Caesar's Bistro, and it's Kaye Kelly at Golden's Steakhouse. Meanwhile back at the Lucky Dog, it's a second new feature, '80s Hair Band Nite, which is what we mistakenly thought we stumbled into a couple weeks back at the Spit Shine gig. Anyhoo, you can get the best of Mötley Crüe short of the Tommy/Pam tape with Live Wire.

-- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE

We heard a lot from Billy Corgan last year about his contributions to the last Hole album, but he's been somewhat less effusive in trumpeting his guest spot on the latest disc by '80s cheez-metal wanks Enuff Z'nuff, Paraphernalia (Spitfire). That was, uh, enuff to get the band their own VH1 special, and they're back on the road with tour that brings 'em to the Station, (401) 823-4660, in West Warwick, Rhode Island, on August 19. Admission's free before 10 p.m., but of course then you'd have to sit through the bands who are opening for Enuff Z'nuff.

And as if that weren't enough, Dokken are back on the attack at the Station on August 22. They've got a Very Best Of (which isn't very at all) out on Rhino, as well as a new studio disc out on VH1's favorite record label, CMC. We've also always kinda wondered whether the pseudo-Christian punk label Tooth & Nail took their moniker from the Dokken song of that name. This Tuesday, the 24th, you can take that question to the Middle East, (617) 864-3278, in Cambridge, which hosts Tooth & Nail's summer tour with Stavesacre, Puller, Wookie, Dennison Marrs, and Traindodge.

In Providence, Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, (401) 272-5876, and the Met Café, (401) 861-2142, host an all-day reggae bash when the "Teva Spirit of Unity Tour" makes a stop featuring Steel Pulse, Third World, Maxi Priest, and a bunch of others. In case you missed home-grown techno-metal phenoms Powerman 5000 during their sold-out Avalon gig last week, you can catch 'em again opening for Sevendust at Lupo's on Thursday the 26th. The Tweeter Center, (617) 931-2000, in Mansfield, hosts the Allman Brothers and Lucinda Williams on Friday the 20th; the Cranberries and Collective Soul on the 21st; Jeff Beck and Jonny Lang on the 23rd; and Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, and Shawn Colvin on the 26th. And "Queen of the Blues" Koko Taylor headlines the 14th Portsmouth (New Hampshire) Blues Festival, (603) 433-7168, or visit www.bluesbank.org -- which also features Bill Morrissey and Big Jack Johnson -- along the banks of the Piscataqua this Saturday, August 21.

-- Carly Carioli