Heavy Dates

by Joe Longone and Carly Carioli

WORCESTER: This Friday, August 8, catch the future stars of rock when Shed and Nothingface join 7th Rail Crew and Staind at the Espresso Bar, Sir Morgan's Cove jams with Native Rage, Tri-Sik-El, Duke Man Tea, and MINDfield, For Julia, Too Much Saturn, and Regina take Marley's stage, and Mango Blues bring Latin spice to the New England Science Center's Jazz at Sunset series. This Saturday, August 9, one of the world's great guitarists, Glenn Phillips, and his band make an appearance at Gilrein's, Clutch Grabwell are always loads of fun when they play at the Plantation Club, Controlled Aggression, Gangster Bitch Barbie, XXL, and Knob rock the Cove, and Paddy's Pig, Fajugaly, the Javatones, and 7/10 Split rock the Espresso Bar. This Sunday, August 10, well-know local jazz players Tony D'Aveni and Bevan Manson join for two free shows on Castle Restaurant's patio, and Barrot and Fragment perform at the Espresso Bar. This Wednesday, August 13, starts with a free lunchtime show featuring the Caribbean sounds of Sol Y Canto at Mechanics Hall, Glenn Phillips returns to give a free concert with Worcester's Free Radicals at the Green Hill Park Amphitheatre, and the Green Rooster Coffeehouse presents a show at Institute Park featuring Joe Fusco, Paul Della Valle, Peter Clemente, Valerie and Walter Crockett, Don White, and the Harmonics. Next Thursday, August 14, rockabilly legend Ronnie Dawson returns to the Plantation Club, Warhorse, Commonwealth, Level, and Awakening Stick get together at the Cove, and She's Busy sing up a storm at the Tammany Club. Next Friday, August 15, Hate Machine, N.E. Hostility, Shadows Fall, and Commonwealth bring on the noise at the Espresso Bar, Omaha, Iris, and Stricken for Catherine bring strange sounds to the Space, 7/10 Split, Shagstown Shysters, and the Mad Funkateers are spotlighted at Marley's, and Ed Saindon and Swing perform a WICN benefit concert at the New England Science Center's Jazz at Sunset series.

-- Joe Longone

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE: Most days, skateboarding in the multi-tiered cement canyon that's Boston's City Hall Plaza will get you weird looks by the suits of the Financial District at best, and a citation by the cops at worst. But for 48 hours this weekend, August 8 and 9, all bets are off as the second leg of the Triple Crown of Skateboarding sets up shop in the mayor's back yard. It's the first pro-skate event in Beantown history, with competition beginning at 9 a.m. and a free concert each day at 4:30 p.m. On Saturday it's Bosstones-style ska core from Less Than Jake, and Matthew Sweet's kid brothers (well, not really, but they sound like it) Radish. On Sunday, it's more ska-core with former Taang! signees (now on TVT) Buck-O-Nine and a band to be named later. For info you gotta call long-distance, (760) 722-7777, extension 192.

New England-to-California transplant and founding Throwing Muser Kristin Hersh turned down the Lilith Fair ("It's like the Phyllis Schlafly tour . . . it's wrong and it's wimpy," she told us last week). But she's hitting the road with another explosive singer/songwriter, Melissa Ferrick. Rest assured there will be nothing wimpy about their shows at the Paradise Rock Club (617-562-8800), in Boston, on August 8, and at the Call (401-421-7241), in Providence, on August 9.

The almighty punk-rock party band Rocket from the Crypt are doing a quickie hit-and-run tour of the East Coast, with only a half-dozen shows (three of which are in Philadelphia, semi-home of the opening act, a buncha post-hardcore kids masquerading quite convincingly as a R&B/soul revue who call themselves the Delta 72). There's one New England date -- the Middle East (617-864-3278), in Cambridge, on August 13 -- and it'll probably be the highest-energy show on this side of the Rage Against the Machine/Wu-Tang Clan/Atari Teenage Riot bill. Buy your tickets accordingly.

-- Carly Carioli