Weekend notes, April 30, 2010

Friday, Preacher Roe’s headlining Ralph’s Diner; Hat On, Drinking Wine makes its Beatnik’s debut; Jim Porcella and his daughter Renee play at AJ Tomaiolo’s in Northboro; Go’s with Sasquatch and the Sickabillys and Castine at the Lucky Dog Music Hall; James Keyes splits the night with singer songwriter Ian Adams and the Boston and Maine String Band at the Hotel Vernon.

Saturday, The Flock plays a benefit for the Leicester Firefighters at the Rod and Gun Club in Leicester; at 2 p.m. Vinny T’s patio is opening with an extravaganza that includes a pizza eating contest and music by Dana Lewis; at 5:30 p.m. the Q Arts Corporation is holding a big fundraiser banquet with performances by The Little A Poetry Group, and The Dirty Gerund, including features by established poets James Caroline and Corrina Bain, at the QVCC; the Ten Foot Polecats has their CD release show for “I Get Blamed For Everything I Do” at The Dive Bar; and Cocktails for the Cure: Third Annual Cancer Research Fundraiser is at Maynard Rod and Gun Club, Maynard, and features AM Gold hits from the Mountain Daredevils. And also on on Saturday, you can help clean up Crow Hill with the Greater Worcester Land Trust as part of one of its Earth Day events.

Event notes, Friday, April 23

Friday, Shane Hall and the TickleBomb Orchestra help open for the Dave Rivers Group and Shotgun Blues at the Lucky Dog Music Hall; Counter Attack’s rocking out Zeppelin at the Lucky Dog; Oneal Armstrong does instrumental blues at The Dive; from Prince Edward Island, the Sky Family is back doing Christian rock at the Mill Church Café in Millbury; Uncle Billy's Smokehouse, Sunlea and Sky Blue Mind are at the Cannery at 12 Crane in Southbridge; Jim Perry’s singing solo at Brian’s out in Linwood; The Scales rock Beatnik’s; This Burning World and Carnival of Souls are at the Raven.

Saturday, Terry Brennan sings at the Fiddler’s Green; Herd of Cats does jazz at the Rockland Congregational Church; Bill Staines sings at the Green Rooster Coffeehouse, Fennario returns to Tammany Hall; Linda Dagnello sings at Nick’s; Bill McCarthy’s out at the Whistle Stop in Oxford; the Brennan Brothers harmonize at the Fiddler’s Green; and monsters of rock Touch 2 Much and Counter Attack blast the Lucky Dog Music Hall.

Also, the Palladium is home to the annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. On Friday, it’s Mastodon, Between The Buried and Me, Baroness, Valiant Thor, Cro Mags, Doomriders, Earth Crisis, Death Threat, Death Before Dishonor, COA, American Me, Thick As Blood, Forfeit, XTheWarX, Nachtmystium, Architect UK, Grave Maker, Rose Funeral, After The Burial, Conducting From The Grave, Howl and more perform, beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday brings Cannibal Corpse, Amon Amarth, Job for a Cowboy, Whitechapel, Skeleton Witch, Eluveitie, 1349, Impending Doom, Lecherous, Nocturne, Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza, Chelsea Grin, Abacabb, Arsonists Get All The Girls, Malefice, Swashbuckle, Cattle Decapitation, Acaro, Holy Grail, Disembodied, Cruel Hand, Reign Supreme, The Mongoloids, xTyrantX, Foundation, Soul Control, Alpha and Omega, Burning Empires, Mother of Mercy, Gaza, Across The Sun, Monsters perform, beginning at noon.

Sunday, Brett and Lisa are the featured act at the blues jam at Dunny’s Tavern – the old Frank’s Pub in Brookfield; the Delta Generators are out at the British Beer Company for a “Bloody Brunch” in Framingham; for blues even closer to home Jeff Pitchell and Texas Flood do the blues barbecue at Mechanics Hall.
Other events:

On Friday, Poet-author Jeff Cannon reads selected poems from his recently published book," Eros: Faces of Love" at Borders in Shrewsbury. Special Dessert for the event. Enjoy the open-mic as well with other wonderful musician-song-writers and poets with host Patrick McCarthy. There’s a “porketta dinner” at the VFW in Uxbridge. Music Worcester presents the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Benjamin Zander, Conductor, with Gwyneth Wentink, harp at Mechanics Hall.

Saturday, there’s a fishing derby at Upton Town Beach; and the African Violet show returns to Tower Hill Botanic Garden. The Pet Fest returns to Becker College in Leicester.

Oliver takes the stage throughout the weekend at the Hanover Theatre.

Sunday, it’s the next installment of PechaKucha at the Razzo Hall at Clark University.

And don’t forget – there’s a plethora of Earth Day events. Check in with your town for local groups and jump in and help out. If you don’t jump in to anything organized, at the least clean up your yard and bring a bottle back to the recycling center.

Pictured: The Drunken Uncles, too busy to remain sober

Friday, it’s the Loft 266 grand opening weekend – Loft 266 is at 266 Park Ave. (Sam James plays Friday, the Drunken Uncles are there on Saturday, and Brooks Milgate plays the keys on Sunday). Back to Friday - Crumb opens for the Charles River Music Whores at the Lucky Dog Music Hall; Drunken Uncles start out at Jillian’s early evening and then head over to Allgo’s; Nate Wilson and Johnny Trama are joined by Duncan Arsenault at the Dive Bar; Cobra Kai headlines the Raven; Antje Duvekot is with Ben Pegg at the Bull Run in Shirley; Fourth Gear rocks the Blue Plate in Holden; Mack the Knife, The Terribles and more do a When Pigs Fly and Think About Meat Show at the Hotel Vernon; Kayla Daly, Joe Carcia, Eye Witness, Mike and Greg of Castine and Kid Colossal all play for the Down Syndrome Awareness Show at Tammany Hall; Finntroll is with Moonsorrow , Swallow the Sun and Survivors Zero at The Palladium; Shawn Dennis and Raised Glory is at the Christian Coffeehouse at the Mill Church Café in Millbury; British Blast Sound invades Wesley United Methodist Church; Chris Reddy is out at the Gardner Ale House; Kung Fu Grip chops it up at Mint; Old School does the classics at Beatnik’s; the Ellingtstones throw out the blues at Gilrein’s; and Bill McCarthy sings at Greendale’s.

Saturday, Hey Now Morris Fader headlines Ralph’s; Polluted Remains and Atomic Stereo open for the Mishits at the Lucky Dog; There’s a Team Siart Benefit with Black Helicopter, Huck, Young Leaves, Pillowman, Hey Now Morris Fader, Blanketeer, Shirtz and Skin, Angry Johnny and The Killbillies at Ralph’s; Lesions and She Nasty are among the lineup at The Raven; Obsessions returns to 3-G’s; Richard James and the Hornitz buzz at Beatnik’s; the Dirty Mac Blues Band tears it up at Gilrein’s; Bret Talbert sings at Creegan’s; Shakey Steve blows the harp with the Blue Cats, howling at the Oxford Tavern;

Flock of Assholes hits Sakura Tokyo all weekend.
Sunday.

Next Wednesday, SevereZero is at Ralph’s.

Other events:

Tonight, the Elm Street Congregational Church in Southbridge offers spaghetti and meatballs takeout dinners. Also, the Merely Players put on their one act play festival at Assumption College from 7-9 p.m. The movie Nine is showing at Holy Cross’s theatre, for free. And wear your mystery mask to the “Poe’s Masked Ball” at the Worcester Public Library.

Saturday, the Worcester Contra Dance is back at the Wesley United Methodist Church.
On Sunday, the third Annual College Poetry Competition & Award Ceremony takes place at 2 p.m. at the Worcester Public Library.
Burncoat Middle School is putting on “Annie” all weekend.

There’s a new exhibit of pet paintings by Crazy Dog Lady at the Fitchburg Art Museum.

Wormtown Rocks! opened at the Worcester Art Museum yesterday and continues for the next couple of months.

Wormtown Rocks opens at WAM April 8

Worcester has always been known for its lively music scene and its ability to nurture artists of all genres. This photo competition and exhibition - Wormtown Rocks – to be held at the Worcester Art Museum, will be a dynamic and unique snapshot of the music scene of the Worcester area, highlighting both photographic as well as musical talents of the city. In partnership with ARTSWorcester, the Worcester Art Museum solicited photographs for the juried exhibition that will be shown in the Higgins Education Wing from April 8 to May 14, 2010.

The juried exhibition is being held in conjunction with Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present, a photography exhibition on display at the Worcester Art Museum from March 7 to May 30, 2010.

Wormtown Rocks jurors:

David Acton
Curator of Prints, Drawings, & Photography at the Worcester Art Museum

Jim Collins
Photographer, Worcester Telegram and Gazette

Brian Goslow
Managing Editor, Artscope Magazine

Charlene Arsenault
Regional Editor/Reporter CentralMassNews.com, former A&E editor Worcester Magazine, Founding Partner Pet Rock Festival

Friday, Christian band Cross Purpose is at the Mill Church Café in Millbury; Ed and Dave sing at Greendale’s; The Pity Whores, Sadplant, Social Suicide, Opening Night, Midnight Saints, Flatout Jones and Blue Light District are at London Billiards; Go Gadget Go opens for Cyldz Play at the Lucky Dog; Coretta Sellers sings at Gardner Ale House; Jason James is back at the Blue Plate; The Pathetics rock Mill Street Brews; Sons of Heram do the blues at Gilrein’s; The Egos are joined by the Evil Streaks and Evil Bill at Ralph’s; Jim Heffernan, Jon Short and Duncan Arsenault funk out at the Dive; the mighty Cheryl Wheeler sings at the Bull Run; there’s an open mic at the VFW in Millbury; the Delta Generators are back out at Dante’s; and Huck’s doing Vincent’s.

Saturday, The Almost Giant Yes Funk Soul Jazz Get Down Party taking over the Dive Bar; Mindrift plays a comeback gig at the Cannery; Mel Smith, from The Fools, brings his band to the Bull Run; Paul Geremia’s in the front room at WCUW; Hard Number 9 opens for Whiskey Rebellion;

Other Events:
"New Again" is presently at ARTSWorcester. “New Again” is an exhibition of works by ARTSWorcester members who have been inspired to re-appropriate natural, recycled, and found materials into new works of art.

Friday, Mike Coleman is the featured act at Frank Foley’s Comedy Safari at the Fifth Amendment.