Heavy Dates

WORCESTER

Heavy dates

On Thursday, the Ugly Americans and Wrathbone Key rock the Lucky Dog Music, you can dig the "Superfly Phaddy Fat" of Psychedelic Breakfast at the Tammany Club, and find out the scoop on Virgins with Asthma at the Java Hut. Zyrah's Orange's Body added a pop tinge to the growing number of jam band releases. On Thursday, they're at Liquid; on Friday, they open for the Ominous Seapods at the Tammany Club. Also on Friday, Valerie and Walter Crockett once again to gather the Oxymorons (including Duke Levine) for their smoke-free Honky Tonk Party at Gilrein's, Ellyn Fleming, who managed to release two CDs filled with acoustic originals (Naked & Alone) last year, returns to Mulligan's, guitarist Dave Capelle plays his last show with Seven Hill Psychos before joining Dr. Bewkenheimer; they're joined by Controlled Aggression, Wunderlick, and Angry Hill at Ralph's, and Mr. Lincoln share center stage with Treehouse Union at the Above Club. On Saturday, it's a round-the-clock fund-raiser for AIDS Project Worcester featuring Rebound, Sector Nine Eight, State of Corruption, Vibrotica, Cosmo, 707, APW, Shake De Planet, Badboxx, Typhoon Ferri, Pure Fiction, Johnny Wishbone, and EGO at the Alley, and Hunter Orange Overdose, Devour, Curb Feeler, and Shoot the Dancing Bear blast the Lucky Dog, Jah Spirit and Krakow present a night of great vibes at the Tammany Club. On Sunday, the Worcester Artist Group presents a variety show featuring the Handles, Insurrection Landscapers, Terminator L, and Beth Tub. On Wednesday, Pimp Daddy Jones and Segue headliner the Headbanger's Ball at the Lucky Dog.

-- Brian Goslow

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE

Looks as if somebody's marketing director had decided that snowboarders break down into two distinct categories: skatepunks and hippies. So there are now two distinct editions of the Sno-Core Tour, both of which make their way here this week. Industro-goth-metal conscripts Fear Factory headline the metal edition, with teeny-deathmetal gals Kittie, Slaves on Dope, Boy Hits Car, and the awful Union Underground. That show hits the Palladium, (508) 797-9696, in Worcester this Friday and Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, (401) 272-5876, in Providence next Friday (February 16). For the hippie leg of the tour, the New Orleans groove act Galactic -- fronted by storied Louisiana soulman Theryl "Houseman" De'Clouet, who also has a solo disc out on Rounder -- join Les Claypool's Frog Brigade, in which the former Primus bassist indulges his Zappa-hippie-wanker side as opposed to his Zappa-funk-metal side, and the self-explanatory Drums and Tuba, who play dance music. The hippies are at the State Theatre, (207) 775-3331, in Portland on Sunday, the Burlington (Vermont) Memorial Auditorium, (802) 864-6044, on Monday, and Avalon, (617) 423-6398, in Boston on Valentine's Day.

Still flying the flag for indie-rock nautical themes, Shipping News have a second disc, Very soon, and in pleasant company (Touch and Go), which they completed here in town -- with help from Victory at Sea's Christina Files -- as the Tall Ships sailed into Boston Harbor last summer. They're back -- the News, that is, not the ships -- with former Gastr del Sol dude David Grubbs (see "Off the Record," in Arts, for reviews of their new albums) at the Middle East, (617) 864-3278, in Cambridge on Saturday and AS220, (401) 831-9327, in Providence on Monday.

If you're gonna go see an old pro skater play punk rock, you may as well go seem him rock the skate park. Such is our recommendation for checking out Duane Peters -- the skateboarder turned U.S. Bombs frontman -- with his street-punk side project the Hunns. You can catch 'em on Valentine's Day at the Middle East with the Dimestore Halos and Forced Reality, or you can do what you ought to do -- head out to Mass Skate, (413)534-1000, in Westfield next Saturday (February 17) to see the Hunns, and take your skinny board.

-- Carly Carioli