Roadtrips

With all the hubbub about threats of domestic terrorism, and the FBI on the lookout for some Osama Bin Laden-connected dude whose last known address was Boston, we've been considering spending our New Year's Eve somewhere safely outside the city limits.

Maine is probably your best bet -- even if there really are bomb smugglers pouring over the border from Canada, they're all headed into Vermont. Portland's newly signed major-label hopefuls Rustic Overtones -- on the eve not only of a new millennium but, they hope, of breakthrough stardom à la Boston's Guster -- play a hometown gig on December 31 at the State Theatre (207-775-3331), with proceeds to benefit the band's foundation for music education in the schools.

If a trip to the woods doesn't sound like a good idea given the distinct possibility of nationwide power outages, you can always head west to Northampton, where Dar Williams does First Night duties with family folk-rockers the Nields at the Calvin Theatre (413-586-8686). Williams then heads to Cambridge, where she retires her neo-folkie supergroup trio Cry Cry Cry (with Richard Shindell and Lucy Kaplansky) in a sold-out farewell gig at Sanders Theatre (617-876-4275) on January 2. Or you can head south to Rhode Island on New Year's Eve to catch punkabilly cats the Amazing Crowns, whose sophomore disc, Royal, is due on Social Distortion's Time Bomb label in February. They're at the Ocean Mist (401-782-3740) in Matunuck on December 31, along with Jungle Dog and Racketball. Also on New Year's Eve, New England garage faves the Itchies tear things up at the Green Room (401-351-7665) in Providence. At West Warwick's hair-metal wildlife preserve, the Station (401-823-4660), '80s funk-metal icon Corey Glover shows up without the rest of Living Colour for what we assume will be a Living Colour cover set in everything but name. There's something that appeals to us about the idea of spending (or, rather, wasting) the final night of the century in the company of a hard-rock cover band -- sort of the ultimate "so what?" statement -- and you can do just that at Jarrod's Place (508-222-8878) in Attleboro, where the house band for the evening is none other than "#1 AC/DC party band" Dirty Deeds. Admission is, of course, dirt cheap.

If perchance the Antichrist decides not to bless us with a millennial appearance, you can make do by checking out some of his spawn: ska sinners Mephiskapheles, at the Lucky Dog Music Hall (508-363-1888) in Worcester on January 1, or Livingston Taylor at the Iron Horse (413-584-0610) in Northampton on January 2. If all else fails, check out a man certifiably haunted by demons -- schizophrenic cult hero Wesley Willis, who plays the Lucky Dog on January 6.
-- Carly Carioli