Roadtrips

A heady mix of pristine breeding, prep-school exclusivity, creepy Children of the Damned-style boyish camaraderie, and garage rock in the grand tradition of Nuggets-like Stones ripoffs, Jonathan Fire*Eater are at once poster boys for the abdication of privilege and an annoying reminder that the rich tend to get richer. It was with the latter idea in mind, as well as their mediocre (if stylistically convincing), million-dollar DreamWorks debut, Wolf Songs for Lambs, that we chuckled upon hearing how fragile frontfop Stewart Lupton fell victim to a relatively harmless pair of muggers in the East Village this past September. "Two assailants jumped the pale, sinewy singer, keeping him in a chokehold for some time," reports their management. No mention of how much cash the banditos made off with, though apparently the cretins absconded with young Stewart's voice, which caused his ensemble to cancel two subsequent New England appearances. The band, always better live than on record, will make up those two shows November 19 at the Iron Horse (413-584-0610), in Northampton, and the following day at the Middle East (617-864-EAST), in Cambridge.

The Call (401-274-8584), in Providence, reaps a little benefit from the House of Blues' fifth-anniversary celebration this week -- Big Jack Johnson and the Oilers, filling in for R.L. Burnside (who canceled to be with his wife while she has surgery), are at the Call on November 14 and at the House of Blues on the 17th. And en route to the Cambridge club on November 16, the Fabulous Thunderbirds hit the Call on the 15th, then continue on to the Iron Horse on the 17th.

Former P-Funk/Talking Heads keys-pounder Bernie Worrell and his Woo Warriors (who played the Middle East last Tuesday) are at the Iron Horse tonight (November 13). Meanwhile former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke takes the Slash route to solo semi-obscurity at the Strand (401-272-0444), in Providence, also tonight the 13th, and at Aerosmith's Mama Kin (617-536-2100), in Boston, on the 20th.

The mostly instrumental double-bass trio Dianogah, who recorded their new As Seen from Above (Ohio Gold) at Stevie Albini's house and were last enjoyed in these parts opening for June of '44, are at the Middle East on November 16 with the Apples in Stereo and the newest addition to the Elephant 6 roster, Beulah. On the 17th they headline the Met Café (401-861-2142), in Providence, with Bermuda and Rebuilt Hangar Theory.

-- CC