Roadtrips
This week is all about the undead . . . and the punk bands who love
'em. Observe, my fair Van Helsings, the trash/spook/goth-punk (dis)harmonic
convergence lining up late next week: in the span of three days, the Damned,
the Cramps, and the Misfits are playing in New England . . . in
1998! Here's the true-blue horror-rock casualty's dream roadtrip of the decade.
The Cramps are at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (401-272-5876) on March 18, in
the middle of a leg with Tiki-surf luminaries the Bomboras and fave sons
(not to mention the only major-label band on the tour) the Amazing Royal
Crowns. Then the major-label Danzig-less Misfits are at Lupo's on
March 20 with Orange 9mm and Marky Ramone's (yes, of those
Ramones) new band, the Intruders. On March 21 the 'fits are at the
Palladium (508-797-9696) in Worcester with the Intruders again and Tree.
And the Damned -- with Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible intact -- arrive
at the Middle East (617-864-EAST) in Cambridge on March 21. Just to prove that the
last word on this stuff wasn't written 20 years ago, the world's greatest
rock-and-roll party band, Rocket from the Crypt (who acknowledge
generous debts to all of the above), are at the Middle East on March 20 with
the Get Up Kids, and at the Met Café (401-861-2142) in Providence
with Mother Jefferson and the Sinners Club on March 21.
Blanks '77, a dress-the-part, sound-the-part '90s gutter-punk outfit,
haven't yet figured out that statements like "I Wanna Be a Punk" and "I Don't
Wanna Be like Everyone Else" form a nice oxymoron, especially when they're
delivered at punk shows. A nice fan's tribute nonetheless -- think of 'em as a
cover band who do originals -- they're at the Middle East on March 16 and the
Met Café on March 18. And look out for Shotgun Willie, 'cause the Outlaw
himself, Mr. Willie Nelson, is out at Lupo's with the venerable
roadhouse warhorse Billy Joe Shaver. Meanwhile Joan Baez, who's
become mentor to a whole new generation of folkies like Dar Williams and
Richard Shindell, is at Lupo's on Tuesday the 17th, at Smith College
(413-586-7282) in Northampton on the 20th, and at Harvard University's Sanders
Theatre (617-496-2222) on the 23rd. And Portishead are just a trip, hop, and
jump away on Saturday, when they'll be at the Palladium in Worcester.
--C.C.
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