Heavy Dates

Like most blues artists before him, Big Jack Johnson has spent time (roughly 40 years) paying his dues. Though he's recorded at Sun Studios in '64 and played alongside Sonny Boy Williamson, Jimmy Reed, and Carl Perkins, Johnson has just recently made himself known Stateside. The W.C. Handy winner brings his outfit, the Oilers, to the Sit 'N Bull this Friday supporting his new disc, All the Way Back (MC). The Step Kings have been ripping up the New York scene and touring the States with their jagged take on pre-millennium, post-hardcore head stompin'. Their sophomore release, Let's Get It On!, is now out, and the boys are looking to cash in where their debut EP, Seven Easy Steps, left off. The Kings also have fantastic merch, so make sure to grab yourself a shirt when they open for Sam Black Church at the Lucky Dog. Over at the Plantation Club, Trailer Park, a band tailor-made for ale swigging, small talking, and dance-floor grinding, appear. Two of our Boston faves, the Shods (who shoulda won the Rumble, and who do a smokin' version of "All Kindsa Girls") and the Ducky Boys (now featuring Wormtown native and ex-Westie James "don't call me Jamie" Lynch on guitar) host the inaugural gig for Upstairs at the Palladium (Palladium Jr.? L'il Pal?), the room known way back when Worcester was the "Paris of the '80s" as Clubland. Saturday finally (hopefully) brings the MAFIO Summer Music Fest to Cristophoro Columbo Park. Though they've been lying low for most of the summer (though undoubtedly still up to no good), Downchild should be chomping at the bit to let the funk fly. They headline the Lucky Dog on Saturday, with opening sets from Jujitsu and Johnny Wishbone. We love Dan Hart, and we make no bones about it. As far as acoustic songwriter stuff goes, Dan always keeps us listening. He plays the Moonshadow Cafe.

-- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE

With a new disc, To Venus and Back (Atlantic), due at the end of September and the video for "Bliss" set to debut this week, Tori Amos shows up as the better half of a tour with post-grunge queen Alanis Morissette at the Tweeter Center (931-2000) in Mansfield this Tuesday, August 31. Atlantic is also jumping into the MP3 fray by releasing "Bliss" as an electronic download for purchase, and the label is trumpeting it as "the first time that a major-label artist has made a downloadable single commercially available across-the-board throughout the Internet retail community," for what that's worth. Simultaneous with "Bliss" Atlantic is delivering a second single, "1000 Oceans," to radio and to retail as an old-fashioned compact disc. ("Bliss" is scheduled to be released conventionally as well, for the Web-challenged among us). Also at the Tweeter: the alterna-frat-pop boys club featuring the Goo Goo Dolls, Sugar Ray, and Fastball on August 27.

The Palladium (508-797-9696) in Worcester opens its balcony up to regular business this week, which means a bunch of bands who don't have the drawing power to fill the whole joint will still get a shot at a mid-state all-ages gig. On the 27th, local punks the Ducky Boys duke it out with the Shods; next Thursday, September 2, Norwegian black-metal scions Dimmu Borgir get all spooky and crap with Samael and Monstrosity. Keep an eye peeled for further Palladium Jr. (or, as they're calling it, Upstairs at the Palladium) shows by the Amazing Crowns (September 11) and Southern Culture on the Skids (September 16).

Earlier this month, Big Daddy's Courtyard (401-277-9977) in Providence hosted embattled hip-hop floozie Foxy Brown; on August 27 the club brings the prophetic Nas in for his only area appearance. Frederick "Toots" Hibbert and the Maytals ("Do the Reggay" [sic], 1968) hit the back-to-school crowd at the House of Blues (491-BLUE) in Cambridge on August 30 and Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (401-272-5876) in Providence on September 1. And at Providence's Met Café (401-861-2142) on August 29, former Thee Hydrogen Terrors dude John Von Ryan fronts the twisted drum-bass-harp outfit Olneyville Sound System, who come off as a cross between Dub Narcotic Sound System's faux dub and the Oblivians' cantankerous garage blooze, or some Albini/Spencer attempt at soul.

-- Carly Carioli