Roadtrips

Sure, he had Floyd to blame, but yet another Wu-Tang Clan member, GZA (a/k/a Genius), failed to show up for a Boston-area gig last week. There's a potential silver lining in store this Saturday (Spetember 25), however: Method Man, the Wu's charismatic anchor, and certainly the one Wu (besides Ol' Dirty) you wouldn't want to miss live, headlines a massive bill at Lowell's Tsongas Arena (401-331-2211). Meth's about to drop a collaborative disc with long-time blunt brother Redman. At Saturday's "Northeastern Superflow Fest" he's flying solo along with a bunch of Boston's finest underground MCs -- recently resurrected legend Ed O.G., Krumb Snatcha, Seven L & Esoteric, the Skitzofreniks (an all-star collaboration between Esoteric and Virtuoso), Porn Theatre Ushers (who have a 12-inch out on the label imprint of the local record shop Biscuithead), Alias with DJ Fakts-1, and about eight more. Not 'cause they hate ya, Naughty By Nature are at the Palladium (800-477-6849) in Worcester that same night, touring behind yet another chart-topping anthem, "Jamboree." That's exactly what to expect at the Palladium, where the Naughty ones are joined by local lid flippers Akrobatic and Kreators, whose "Foreign Lands" has been percolating through the underground. And direct from the Roots, modern-day human beatbox virtuoso Rahzel is on a jaunt with turntablist virtuosos the X-Ecutioners that brings both to the Middle East (617-864-EAST) in Cambridge on September 29 and to Pearl Street (413-584-0610) in Northampton on September 30.

Last year's singer-songwriterly benefit album for Respond, Inc. -- an organization helping battered women -- continues to pay dividends with a pair of related concerts, celebrating the organization's 25th anniversary, that feature performers from the disc. On September 23, Mary Lou Lord, Jennifer Kimball, and Jess Klein offer up an evening at the Iron Horse (413-584-0610) in Northampton. The following night, Lord, Kimball, and Patty Larkin take the stage at the Somerville Theatre (401-331-2211). A cappella vets the Bobs join folkie vet Bruce Cockburn for the live taping of the nationally syndicated radio show E-Town at the Somerville Theatre on September 23; the Bobs go it alone at the Iron Horse on September 27. Seventy-nine-year-old former Beatles guru and Indian classical-music icon Ravi Shankar is at the Calvin Theatre (413-586-8686) in Northampton on September 29. From the godparents-of-alterna-country file, Lucinda Williams and the Bottle Rockets are at the Calvin on September 30. Williams is also at the State Theatre in Portland, Maine (401-331-2211), on October 1; she won't make it to Boston until November 16, when she appears with Richard Thompson at the Orpheum Theatre (401-331-2211).
-- Carly Carioli