Club Notes, April 23, 2009

Tonight, Thursday, Tammany Hall is hosting the Pulse's Worcester Music Awards; Duncan Arsenault's always got something cooking at The Dive; and Go Gadget Go opens for the mighty Flock at the Lucky Dog Music Hall.

Friday, Rose Colored Glasses rocks the Kaz Bar on Route 20; Therefore I Am joins Transit and Canada's Confide upstairs at the Palladium; Jim Devlin sings at the Irish Times; Hat On Drinking Wine (which has a new album out available for download at www.myspace.com/hatondrinking) does Assumption College's version of Relay for Life; Bill McCarthy strums his acoustic at Greendale's; Katrin sings at Block 5; The Change Up's on the bill at Ralph's; Zack Borer and the Dave Rivers Group share the bill at the Lucky Dog Music Hall; the legendary AC/DC tribute Touch2Much is back in black at The Raven; The Demisers, The Wandas, Traphiq and New Pilot make it an awesome night of pop at Mill Street Brews; The Weight of Gravity's landing at Spiritual Haze; and Skullfunked and Uncle Billy's Smokehouse open for Ernie and the Automatics at Tammany Hall.

Saturday, Cathy's Clown heads out to Watertown to play the popular Boston Swing Dance series at the St. James Armenian Church; World in Arms joins the lineup, which includes Back of Tha Neck and Few And Proud, at the all-ages venue QVCC; Dan Burke's leading the Orange Ocean at The Dive Bar; Hallelujah The Hills joins Hey Now Morris Fader, The Wandas and Werewolves at Ralph's; the Cassevettes return to the Dive Bar; Torbin Harding's down at The Q; Leaving Eden rocks The Raven; No Alibi returns to one of its favorite spots – Greendale's; MojoSonic's filling The Rose Garden; The Jennifer Lee Band is always warmly welcomed at the Whistle Stop; Clamdigger's slipping on its rubber boots at The Nines; Jason James is ripping it up at The Galway Bay; Andy Cummings sings cover tunes at Vincent's.

Other events:

Hymn to Earth – Photography by Ron Rosenstock is on display at Alternatives Unlimited through May 31. Garden in the Woods in Framingham opened for the season last week.
On Thursday, modern, jazz and ballet students put on a Spring Dance Concert at Holy Cross's Fenwick Theatre at 7 p.m.

On Friday, Assumption College is putting on a performance of the Fantasticks at the Hanover Theatre; there's a fund raiser with local comedians at Hotel Vernon.

On Saturday from 2-4 p.m. there's an author signing and reading at Booklovers' Gourmet in Webster with Michael Presutti, whose new book is Last Words, in which a bio-terror virus lets loose on the world. Humans and animals are infected, and the world is filled with terror and madness. Apparently this collection of short stories will “haunt you long after you've finished it,” so if you enjoy being tormented by such things, it's the perfect read. Also Saturday, in honor of Autism Awareness Month, children's author Christopher Tremblay talks about and signs copies of “Beyond the Dragon,” an autism awareness sports book for kids, at Barnes and Noble in Worcester from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Also, has it been three years already? The Wine Vine on Highland Street (right near the Sole) is celebrating its three year anniversary with an event on Saturday evening from 5-8 p.m. The festivities include a grand wine tasting and food pairing with a visit from Chef Chris Palios. Palios is from Sofia's Tuscan Grille and will be demonstrating how to make food exciting every day with his new line of locally made and hand-crafted spices (which are available exclusively at the Wine Vine). Crystal Brook Farms owner, Ann, too will be on hand. This master cheese maker will be talking about her specialty goat cheese line. Also, special offers, a free rose and baguette to the first 50 customers, as well as prizes and gift baskets.

The Wine Vine, which is also sponsoring the Pet Rock Festival (buy any bottle with an animal theme and 5% goes to Pet Rock) is also sponsoring a wine dinner with the Sole Proprietor on May 4 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. in the Wine Vine's Tasting Loft. Tickets are $59, and feature a six course dinner with Dominic Mercuria, the “wine guy.” Dinner includes cheese, antipasto, shrimp, clams casino, salmon, flan and much more, each course paired with the perfect bottle. Visit http://www.winevine.org/.

Club Notes (and more) Thursday, April 16

Pictured: All That Remains, part of the Metal and Hardcore Fest at The Palladium this weekend.

On Thursday, the Matt Shwachman Band does the Third Thursdays series at the Worcester Art Museum; Wrighteous L joins the Hornitz and Soul Sex at Tammany Hall; Ralph's metal night contains Ravage, Armory and Zero Point; and a band called Bill is shooting scenes for its movie, opening for the Flock at the Lucky Dog.

On Friday, Lisa and Brett are singing tunes at Brian's in Northboro; Sean Ryan from Uncle Billy's Smokehouse is singing at Greendale's; Strange Design is a Phish tribute playing Tammany Hall – Strange Design recreates Phish shows in their entirety; The Joshua Tree pays tribute to U2 at Speakers Nightclub; Copperhead does modern country at The Cannery; Nowhereman Band is a new Beatles tribute playing PJ's; Leaving Eden rocks Jillian's; Goofyfoot's jamming TJ O'Brien's; Peter, Paul and Mary harmonize at the Hanover Theatre; get the Last Laugh at Irish Times; Necktie Party, The Cold Beat and more fill the bill at Ralph's; Tom Yates's group plays the Colonial Inn in Concord; Ken Macy sings at Block 5; Houndstone rocks JJ's in Northboro; Bill McCarthy's singing acoustic tunes at Al Fresco in Holden; Orrin Slips and Dani Reed open for the tour kickoff show by Shane Hall at Spiritual Haze; it's a reggae hip hop jam with Wrighteous L at the Lucky Dog; Lisa Wilson and Brett Brumby are out at Brian's in Northboro (which, by the way, has a great - and large - menu); Muck and the Mires are out at TT the Bears for their record release – the band is just back from London, and this is just about the closest they're going to get to Worcester for a while; there's a battle of the bands featuring Metro-west acts at the Westboro YMCA; and the 11th annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival kicks off at The Palladium, continuing throughout the weekend. Check their site for this one, but included on this jam packed bill are White Chapel, Rose Funeral, Toxic Holocaust, Aggressive Dogs, All That Remains, The Haunted, Lamb of God, Book of Black Earth and Napalm Death.

Saturday, Paul Rishell and Annie Raines are at the Bull Run in Shirley; Sonic Garden is apparently the ultimate Grateful Dead tribute, playing at the Lucky Dog, jamming after the DCU show as the actual Grateful Dead with Warren Haynes is at the DCU Center; Old School returns to Greendale's; Herra Terra headlines Ralph's; Gilmour's Breakfast pays tribute to Floyd at JJ's; Five Hole does covers at PJ's in West Boylston; and Cathy's Clown opens for the legendary Herman's Hermits and the Young Rascals at The Hanover Theatre.

Next Wednesday, Dope Sick Love, The Stop and more play a free show at the Lucky Dog;
Other events:

Winged Things, which is a show by Thomas Radcliffe, is on display at Booklovers' Gourmet in Webster through the end of the month. The Biennial 2009 opened at ARTSWorcester and will continue through May 29. This juried show features the best in painting, photography, works on paper, sculpture and mixed media in the area.

On Friday, the Worcester Pride Committee hosts a Casino Night at Castellana's Restaurant; and WCCA's 8th Annual Art Attack-Film, Music and Art Festival called “Art in Miniature” takes place at their studio on Main Street from 6-8 p.m. The event features video clips from the 100second Film Festival, miniature art works on display from Janeen Paul, James Washington, and Dana Wolfson, and short song and miniature forms performed by Pico Canto (piano and guitar).

On Saturday, Salsa Storm's hosting a club party at their studio at 7 p.m. with live music by Curubande Orchestra.

Saturday and Sunday, Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston hosts the annual African Violet Show.

The Tony-award winning Broadway play Doubt opens at Foothills Theatre this weekend.

And next Wednesday, April 22, Edwards' Emporium at 201-205 Main Street in Webster hosts the second annual Earth Day Expo from 5-8 p.m. This huge event includes exhibits, giveaways, food and lots more. And it's free.