Roadtrips

Not a rocket from the crypt, not a rocket from the tombs, but a rocket from the Parthenon is what's in store for attendees of DJ Vinny's latest garage-punk theme extravaganza -- this one dubbed "Bash of the Titans," or "a Roman orgy of '60s garage bands and wyld performances." So you know right off which era of rock and roll is favored by Florida's manic Hate Bombs and California's the Invisible Men -- the latter of whom, including members of the Bomboras, do indeed dress like Claude Rains in The Invisible Man. Togas are encouraged and, as usual, go-go babes are promised -- as are shopping-cart chariot races and a Gladiator-style battle or two. That's next Thursday, October 2, at Lilli's (617-591-1661) in Somerville. Both bands, without quite so many trappings, are at the Green Room (401-351-7665) in Providence the following night.

While we're on the subject of costumes: no Halloween would be complete without a rundown of Misfits cover bands. On Saturday, the Misfists are the appetizer for a motörpunk bill featuring R.C. Crimewave (whose singer has been carried on stage in a coffin in previous years), Crack Torch, and the Swamp Witch Revival at the Linwood Grill (617-267-8644) in Boston. And we're reasonably certain that the band billed as the 13 Crimson Ghosts -- an addendum to a great horror/psychobilly bill at the Middle East (617-864-EAST) in Cambridge on Halloween night with 13 Ghosts, the Photon Torpedos, and a British outfit called Thee Hangmen -- are something Misfits-ish. Meanwhile, the Boston band Asciento are promising the Cure's Pornography in its entirety at the Sky Bar (617-623-5223) in Somerville on Saturday.

We're still not sure how Euro-deathmetal faves Vader get away with their name without being sued back to the stone age by Lucasfilm, but the Polish group continue to hell-hammer away in the name of the dark lord. Their imperial majesties headline the "Death Across America" tour, with Dying Fetus, Cephalic Carnage, and Deeds of the Flesh, at the Palladium (508-797-9696) in Worcester on Friday. With the Invisibl Skratch Piklz out of the way, amazing turntable exhibitionists the X-ecutioners are in the pole position; tonight (October 26) they're at the Middle East with Souls of Mischief. And with Phish out of the way (at least for the time being), who's gonna take up the hippie-jam slack? Some say the String Cheese Incident; follow 'em around for a test drive on Saturday at the Orpheum Theatre (617-931-2000) in Boston, on Sunday at the Calvin Theatre (413-586-8686) in Northampton, and on Halloween at the State Theatre (207-775-3331) in Portland. The swing revival is out of the picture, but the Squirrel Nut Zippers are back with gigs at the Roxy (617-931-2000) in Boston on Friday and at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (401-272-5876) in Providence on Saturday.

Superdrag had a minor hit, "Sucked Out," during their association with Elektra, but they were one of the legions of straightforward loud rocking pop bands who were just a little too good for teenage-driven rock radio. They're back with what might be one the year's best sleeper hits, In the Valley of the Stars (Arena Rock Recordings), a punkishly catchy disc that could almost be a cross between Foo Fighters and the Smoking Popes. On Friday they're at the Skybox (413-577-4759) in Amherst with American Hi-Fi, on Saturday they're at the Paradise (617-423-NEXT) in Boston with the Gravel Pit, and on Sunday they're at Skinny (207-871-8983) in Portland.
-- Carly Carioli