Roadtrips

It's that time of year when all those student-activities committees start looking to blow what's left of their budgets, and we all know what that means -- more rock. MTV's answer to the piano man himself, Ben Folds Five (go here for our interview) are at the Keaney Gym on the campus of the University of Rhode Island (401-874-5298) for a one-off gig on April 25. Recently suggested by the wise-acres at the Onion as the ultimate weapon against international terrorism, funk's head of state (not to mention the all-time favorite of student-activities committees nationwide), George Clinton, rounds up the P-Funk All-Stars for a command performance at Wheaton College (331-2211) in Norton on April 22. Meanwhile, the second-most-favorite band of student-activities committees nationwide -- that would be De La Soul -- find themselves without a college to play, so they're at Lupo's Heartbreak in Hotel (401-272-5876) in Providence on April 25.

Most major sneaker companies are dropping their sports-superstar spokespersons and looking instead to the world of entertainment. Thus, Converse (which was way ahead of the game in sponsoring the Bosstones about eight years ago) is in business with Puff Daddy, and Puma gets its logo on ads for more ska-punk madness in the form of the tour by Unwritten Law, Spring Heeled Jack, and the Blue Meanies. You can check it out at the Met Café (401-861-2142) in Providence on April 24 and at the Paradise (617-562-8800) in Boston on April 25.

English folkie dude Adrian Legg is at the Berklee Performance Center (747-2261) in Boston on April 24 and at the Iron Horse (413-584-0610) in Northampton on April 27. Our favorite roots-rockabilly band, the Racketeers, are all over the place: at the Lucky Dog Music Hall (508-363-1888) in Worcester on April 22; then on to a rare afternoon all-ages gig at T.T. the Bear's Place (617-492-BEAR) in Cambridge on April 24 along with the red-haired, Wanda Jackson-esque 'billy gal Kim Lenz and Her Jaguars; and finally on to Lupo's on April 30 to open for a band they are intimately familiar with, the Amazing Crowns.

Finally, bands who presumably couldn't get themselves into next week's monstrous New England Metal and Hardcore Festival but are in the area anyway: Vision of Disorder are at the Met Café on April 23; and Oleander, who are sort of a California equivalent to Godsmack's heavy-band-come-out-of-nowhere story (and similarly familiar to WAAF listeners, and on the same label . . . hmmmm), are at the Commercial Street Café (508-797-4550) in Worcester on April 26 supporting their new February Son.
-- CC