Roadtrips

edited by Matt Ashare

There's a whole lotta heaviness on its way through New England. The mighty, hard-hitting Helmet support their new Aftertaste (Interscope) by opening for a band who got a Grammy nomination this year, Korn, at the Central Maine Civic Center in Lewiston (call 423-NEXT for tickets) on March 27. Or you can catch Helmet headlining their own show on March 31 at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (401-272-5876) in Providence with openers Grand Mal and Shed. Memphis hardcore metalheads Another Society hook up with the like-minded Muchacha and western Massachusetts thrashers Staind on March 27 at the Middle East (864-EAST) in Cambridge and on March 29 at Pearl Street (413-584-7771) in Northampton.

In a lighter, more humorous vein, Stars Wars-loving jokesters Nerf Herder team up with the illing force of Bloodhound Gang for a tour that hits the Living Room (401-521-5200) in Providence on March 29, the Middle East on March 31, and Pearl Street on April 1. Lutefisk, a punk-rocking outfit with a new disc titled Burn in Hell Fuckers (Bong Load Custom) that features a ripping cover of Bikini Kill's "Rebel Girl" and plenty of great bad jokes, open for the Breeders on March 28 at Pearl Street, after which Steve Westfield and the Slow Band play a 9 p.m. show; Lutefisk then appear on March 29 at the Paradise (562-8800) in Boston, with Brendan Benson going on first. And neo-hippy rockers Big Head Todd and the Monsters are on the road with opener Nil Lara. Look for that tour to hit Avalon in Boston (call 931-2000 for tickets) on March 29 and Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel on April 4.