Roadtrips

Part of the fun of hitting the Mighty Mighty Bosstones' "Hometown Throwdown" is seeing who they bring along. Even if you don't have tickets to this year's sold-out run at Axis (617-423-NEXT), which continues tonight (December 7) through Sunday, you can still catch a couple of the Bosstones' guests at other gigs around New England. The new local supergroup Sinners & Saints, who're being compared to the new wave of Scandinavian glam-flavored punk rock-and-roll bands (Backyard Babies, Gluecifer, etc.), join an eclectic bill with Hybrasil, the Banjo Spiders, and Pavementy indie-pop dudes Francine at the Middle East (617-864-EAST) in Cambridge on Friday before hooking up with the Bosstones and Jaya the Cat at Axis on Saturday. And before Dropkick Murphys-style Irish pub punks Flogging Molly team up with the Bosstones and Avail for the Throwdown's Sunday all-ages conclusion, they'll join Pittsburgh street-punk sensations Anti-Flag and Boston's own the Explosion at the Palladium (508-797-9696) in Worcester on Friday.

They will, that is, if the Palladium reopens, as expected, following a small fire that forced the evacuation of a Ratdog gig there the Saturday after Thanksgiving. If the Palladium is indeed open on Friday, the scene outside the club should itself make for great entertainment: the old-school crust punks in line for the Anti-Flag show upstairs, the legions of old-school hair-metal kids waiting to check out (Ronnie James) Dio, Doro (Pesch), and Yngwie Malmsteen in the main hall. It'll be like 1985 all over again!

Meanwhile, more recent metal converts will want to make their way to the Worcester Centrum (617-931-2000) on Friday night to check the WAAF-sponsored shindig with Megadeth -- who've been around for a while but play mostly their wimpier '90s material -- with Sevendust and Staind on Friday. On Wednesday, the Centrum hosts pretty fly guys the Offspring, pretty high guys Cypress Hill, and pretty white guys MXPX in a version of the active-rock radio trifecta: punk metal, rap metal, punk pop.

And radio-station Christmases abound this week. Tonight (December 7) is Mix-98's "Mix-mas Divas" show at Avalon (617-423-NEXT) with reunited '80s pop gals the Bangles and Eminem-sampled diva Dido. On Wednesday, Avalon hosts the "Kiss Jingle Ball" with 98 Degrees, Vertical Horizon, Jon Secada, Evan & Jaron, and "special guest host" Lenny Kravitz. And next Thursday, JAM'N brings Funkmaster Flex and Ludacris to the Palace (781-233-7400) in Saugus while hot-jazz revivalists the Squirrel Nut Zippers join folkies Tegen & Sara at the Paradise (617-423-NEXT) in Boston for WXRV's "Holiday Relief Concert" to benefit Toys for Tots.
-- Carly Carioli