Roadtrips

edited by Matt Ashare

After signing to the über-major Dreamworks label and playing a stint on the Ozzfest, prodigal kids Powerman 5000 are back in New England as headliners. They'll be at the Living Room (401-521-5200) in Providence on August 4. Then in Boston they're playing Avalon (617-262-2424) with Coal Chamber and Sevendust on August 6. More of the heavy-metal funk is on the way via Sugar Ray, who'll have DJ in tow when they bring the West Coast punk-lite of Smashmouth and a brilliant space-goth band, Plexi, to Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (401-272-5876) in Providence on August 1. They'll also be at the Middle East (864-EAST) in Cambridge the following night.

Jam freaks will no doubt wanna flock to see the Charlie Hunter Quartet on August 1 at the Middle East, with the Slip and Moon Boot Lover's Peter Prince opening up. If you just need to follow Charlie around, he'll also be at the Met Café (401-861-2142) in Providence the following night with Vic Foley's Southern Fried Swang Thang. For a different kind of jam, we recommend checking out the fat-assed '70s boogie metal of Gov't Mule, who'll be at Mama Kin (617-536-2100) in Boston on August 2 and the Iron Horse (413-584-0610) in Northampton on August 4.

For those of you still following the DC scene, Dischord's the Warmers are bringing around the Monorchid and fellow capitol-ists Crom-Tech, with Beltaine joining them July 31 at the Met Café, and the Shyness Clinic along the next night at the Middle East.

Meanwhile, former Mule singer/guitarist turned roots troubadour P.W. Long brings his guitar and a band including former Jesus Lizard drummer Mac McNeilly to the Met Café on a bill with T-Shirt and Fly Seville on August 6, then travels to the Middle East for a gig with Noisy LeGrande and the Banjo Spiders on August 7.

And if you can get there from here, an unlikely comeback tour is underway by thrash-era delinquents S.O.D., the stormtroopers of death themselves, who will be speaking English and headlining an all-day hardcore extravaganza at Lupo's on August 2.