Thursday, The LSD Enigma trips out at Ralph’s with Death to New England; Dan Mills joins the Great Whiskey Rebellion at Tammany Hall; and The Tokyo Tramps open for The Flock at the Lucky Dog.

Friday, Goatwhore joins Suffocation and Scalpel at The Palladium; Super Power, Colin and the Cancer, Cheech and Get Laid join forces at The Raven; Billy Cameron sings at Greendale’s; Shane Hall, Dusty Cobb and Humanwine join Dave Magario for his CD release show at The Q; The Resurrection Sorrow joins Mercury Wings as part of Jagfest at London Billiards, along with Run for the Hills, an Iron Maiden tribute; Justice Hill headlines the Lucky Dog; The Ten Foot Polecats splits the bill with Smokestack and the Foothill Fury at The Dive Bar; Playin’ Dead’s laying down at Tammany Hall; Driving Rain splashes the Blue Plate; Keep Me Conscious and The Coming Weak take the Ralph’s stage; Jason James rips it up at Beatnik’s; The Throttles open up at Vincent’s; Carol O’Shaugnessy and Tom Lamark team up at Nick’s; the Hard Drive Band hits the Blue Plate; and Soulstice throws a beach party at the Gardner Ale House.

Saturday, The Great Whiskey Rebellion headlines The Grind at Clark; Hard Number Nine has a CD release show at Tammany Hall; Leaving Eden rocks The Fifth Amendment; Birch Hill Dam returns to London Billiards; Ryan Flaherty performs at the Sahara Restaurant; Critical Condition does covers at Oxford Tavern; Auntie Trainwreck is back at the Wheelock Inn; Wicked Whiskey rumbles with the Throttles and Psychobilly Cadillac at Ralph’s; Jug o’ Punch stirs it up at the Celtic Tavern; Silverbacks bring blues, rock and soul to Nick’s; The Cosby Sweaters return to the Galway Bay; the Barnstormers stomp at Vincent’s; and the Last Call Band hits Irish Times.
The Matt Schwachman Band takes care of the weekend nights at Sakura Tokyo.
Sunday, Jason James returns to Nick’s.

Other events:

The annual Flora in Winter opens Thursday at the Worcester Art Museum.

On Saturday, Sturbridge Village hosts Fire and Ice Day, where you can learn about the ice harvesting industry. Also, the Harlem Wizards take on the Grafton All-Stars at Grafton High School.

Club notes, Thursday, Jan. 14

Thursday, Bill McCarthy hosts what he’s calling Open Mic World at TJ O’Brien’s; Osious Nine Millz and TGA presents Black light Fridays at Centro las Americas on Sycamore Street; Speaker for the Dead and the Mad Cowboy join Shane Hall at the Raven; Summoning Hate, Goreality and more do metal night at Ralph’s; Ashlands Attic is at Tammany Hall; the Birch Evergreen Band is at the Halfway Café in Marlboro; and Troy, Jeremy, Duncan and Brooks return to the Dive.

Friday, SmartBomb joins Mountain Man, Bear Trap, No Shit and Pit Fall at the Crescent Café (with an early show starting at 5:30 p.m.); Vallon, Malice, Scare Don’t Fear and more do an all-ages show at the QVCC; Lisa and Brett Brumby from She’s Busy sing at Greendale’s; Ayla will take part in a concert with The James Montgomery Blues Band, The Johnny Winter Band, Brad Whitford, Johnny A., Barry Goudreau and The Uptown Horns in the Guitar Legends of Rock‘N Blues at Mechanics Hall; Rose Colored Glasses return to the Kaz Bar, playing classic rock covers; We Met Aliens joins To the Wolves, Levity and At Sincerities End at London Billiards; Slitstitch joins the stage with The Pathetics, The Automatons, The Egos and the Evil Streaks at Ralph’s; The John Austin Band does the blues at City Lights; Johnny Press is out at the Pump House in Southbridge; The Hornitz joins Sophistafunk at Beatnik’s; The Stop is with The Brew at Tammany Hall; Johnny Carlevale and the Rolling Pins rock it at Vincent’s; the Tool tribute Schism headlines the Lucky Dog.

Saturday, Musclecah leads a benefit in memory of Cassie Poulin at Break-Away Billiards; Jazzed Up is in the all new Union Station Cotton Club; Epinero does a night of hip-hop at the House of Worship on Cambridge Street; Bill McCarthy’s singing at Junior’s Pizza; Red Pony joins the lineup in a Concert for Charity at the DoubleTree in Milford; Scalpel is with The Nile and many more at The Palladium; Ken Macy sings at the Spruce Street Tavern in Clinton; The Turkeys head out for a shoot with Hello Ninja at the Lucky Dog; No Alibi’s back rocking Greendale’s; Patty Keough and the Boys headline Ralph’s; Lesions joins a show with nine other bands, on two stages, at Mill Street Brews; Revolver shoots at Irish Times; MASS STAND UP 2 hits Tammany Hall with performances by E The Real, Spit Supreme, Cocaine Robots, Black Ownaz..with special guests Paul Mighty, Skivi B, and Gutta; Panache is out at Chopsticks in Leominster; Auntie Trainwreck’s playing hits at JJ’s; the Mighty Bad Habits open for Joe Louis Walker at the Bull Run in Shirley; and the Last Call Band is packing the Wheelock Inn in Millbury.

Sunday, The Delta Generators are playing a show put on by Blues Worcester at Mechanics Hall. For $15, you also get an all you can eat barbecue buffet, and tickets for the show are $16. The Generators will be showcasing some new tunes to be on their upcoming disc. The buffet is available at 5 p.m. and the show is at 6 p.m.

Catch Second Chance Fund for Animal Welfare President Jan Beckwith's new radio program "About Animals," Fridays, Jan. 15 and 29 and beyond from 12:30-1 p.m. on WCUW 91.3 FM.

Jan addresses a different topic each week, such as the benefits of spay/neuter, Trap Neuter Return programs, and lots more.

And she'll respond to your emails asking questions about your pet cats and dogs, suggestions for future shows, and general comments. Email Jan at WCUW@WCUW.org.

If your radio doesn't pick up WCUW, listen live online at WCUW 91.3 FM.

As Jan readily admits, "Of course I doesn't know everything there is to know about animals, but I have had some experience working with animals, their people, veterinarians, animal control and people doing rescue. So I hope to make the shows interesting."

James Keyes from the Numbskulls releases a solo disc, Ruminations

Thursday, Troy, Jeremy, Brooks and Duncan are at the Dive Bar; Barbara Kessler sings at Christ Episcopal Church in Rochdale; and Jet Black Stare headlines Tammany Hall.

Friday, James Keyes celebrates the release of his CD Ruminations with a show at Nick’s – his band features Morgan Freeman on bass and Greg Sullivan on drums – opening acts are Steve Cummings, The Boston and Maine String Band and Jason James; Lietrim’s hosts a benefit for the Second Chance Animal Shelter – for a $2 cover, you get $1 beers and $2 mixed drinks; Sean Fullerton sings at Greendale’s; Cacophonous Death, Engraved, The Bathory Silence, Nemecide, Axiom, Dissension and ORCumentary split the stage at London Billiards; Bret Talbert sings at Applebee’s in Sturbridge; Scarlett Fade opens for Intermission at Tammany Hall; Grammy nominated singer Trey Songz is at the Hanover Theatre; Steve Connolly puts on Spirit of the King Elvis show at Mechanics Hall; Mack the Knife and BLOWW is at Ralph’s; Coopers Escape debuts at Irish Times; Old School’s rocking Beatnik’s; the Smokehouse Lightning Blues Band had better be on fire with a name like that at Gilrein’s; and Huck’s settling in to Vincent’s.

Saturday, Born of Ash releases Age of End with a show at the Palladium; Probable Cause plays a playoff party at JJ’s in Northboro; Hat On, Drinking Wine is back at Nick’s; Fourth Gear rocks Chooch’s; Whalebone Farmhouse harmonizes at Beatnik’s; celebrate bassist Hugh Allen’s birthday with the Matt Schwachman Band at Boston Billiards; The Flock is at the 5th Amendment; Bill McCarthy sings at the Whistle Stop; Go Gadget Go does covers at Greendale’s; Jabooda’s jamming at Mill Street Brews; The Rails veer off the road to Emerald Isle; Usual Suspects racks ‘em up at Break-Away Billiards; Angry Johnny and the Killbillies headline Ralph’s; Ed Melikian’s back at Sahara; Night Works bluesify’s Gilrein’s; and the Andy Kaplan Duo debuts at Vincent’s.

Sunday, Creegan’s Pub has a hopping night of karaoke every week.
On Tuesdays, 3 G’s Sports Bar hosts a weekly comedy open mic night.

Other events:
On Saturday, at 10 a.m. Worcester State College hosts a forum that includes some of the biggest names in Major League Baseball: Mike Easler, J.P. Ricciardi, Rich Gedman, Brandon Smith and Kyle Evans. It’s $50 for the clinic, but parents can come for free with their kids.

On Sunday at 2:30, Dr. Gonzo on Main Street is hosting a crock pot and/or finger food challenge at his Emporium.
The Worcester Bridal Show takes over the DCU Center Saturday and Sunday.

Club notes, Dec. 31, 2009

Paul Dagnello of Huck, photo by Duncan Arsenault

Tonight, it’s champagne, confetti, champagne and rock ‘n’ roll with The Grift and the Weight of Gravity at the Cannery; new cover band Mood Disorder rocks City Lights; The Dive’s hopping with Troy and Duncan; Huck’s back at Ralphs this year, along with Castine; Lietrim’s has a modified open bar for $25; Black River Sound jams at Jillian’s; Fuzion does pop tunes at Sakura Tokyo with new lead singer Dan Gorman; Mourning the Dead is part of Dirtnap Entertainment’s metal bash at London Billiard’s; Sam James is singing at the Lucky Dog; Guns of Navarone are at Beatnik’s; Jubilee Gardens hits the Sahara Restaurant; Auntie Trainwreck ties one on at the Kaz Bar; Mack the Knife’s in Hotel Vernon’s Shiproom; and doors open at 2 p.m. today at Dr. Gonzo’s condiments on Main Street for Knights of the New Year Colander party – it’s potluck, though plenty of dips and cheeses are provided. Oh, and wear a colander on your head. If you know Dr. Gonzo, you won’t even question this. And of course it’s First Night Worcester – you can find anything and everything you need to know on firstnightworcester.org.

Friday, Bill McCarthy leads a “hair of the dog party” at the Old Post Office Pub; The Grindhouse Takeover headlines Tammany Hall, joining the Dave Rivers Group; The Sift’s got Ralph’s; The Doctors Fox makes its debut at Vincent’s;

Saturday, Sasquatch, Growlers and the Polecats join forces at the Lucky Dog Music Hall; the Racky Thomas Band returns to Gilrein’s; Five Hole rocks JJ’s; Glenn Stewart leads South Station at Ralph’s; The Roosters reunite at Greendale’s; Jason James is ripping it up at Irish Times; Whalebone Farmhouse does its eclectic mix at Vincent’s; and Silhouette of a Small Town headlines Mill Street Brews.

And Sunday, Ryan Cabrera is at Tammany Hall.

Club notes, Thursday, Dec. 17

Thursday, there’s an opening reception for Home for the Holidays at Salisbury Mansion; Mike Lynch blows the harp at Squire White’s; The Dive Bar’s got its holiday party going on; and the Drunken Uncles perform live on WICN 90.5 FM at 8 p.m., putting a spin on classic Christmas classics.

Friday, Gabe Rollins heads his own supergroup for “its my birthday and I’ll rock the hell out if I want to” to celebrate his birthday at the Lucky Dog Music; Britney’s Spear joins Short Ride and others at the Raven; Driving Rain splashes the Hotel Vernon; Ript tears up Irish Times; performances of A Christmas Carol start at the Hanover Theatre and continue through the following Wednesday; also Friday, it’s the Dirtnap Entertainment Holiday Spectacular with God’s Green Earth, This Burning World, Widow Sunday, Fallen Shall Rise, Name in Vein and Rite of Passage at London Billiards; BYO Blues is at Greendale’s; 8 Amp Fuse fires up the Blue Plate; Mass Elite opens for White Chocolate at the Cannery; Bacchus King releases a CD, joined by The Series and Bonfire Bandit at Ralph’s; The Stream Rollers Band is led by Jack Kelly at Gilrein’s; SPF4 debuts at Beatnik’s;

Saturday, The Leicester Town Band performs in the afternoon at Tower Hill Botanic Garden; Skullfunked headlines Tammany Hall; Bad Dog’s up before 16 stitches at The Raven’ Buggs Moran and the Silver Weasels pay tribute to Gary O with a show at JJ’s; Sunlea opens for Mocha Java at Beatnik’s; Full Tilt’s ahead at Creegan’s; Clamdigger returns to the Galway; the Matt Shwachman Band debuts at the Lucky Dog Music Hall; BLOWW (which stands for Boston League of Women’s Wrestling) is joined by Route 44 and Whitey at Ralph’s; Auntie Trainwreck rolls in to the Wheelock Inn; Loose Salute’s back at Vincent’s; Five Hole rocks Jillian’s; and Old School goes back to the classic covers at Greendale’s.

Sunday, the All Saints Choirs performs at the Worcester Art Museum. Jim Perry’s jam session focuses on drums at Greendale’s with Drummerpalooza; Tammany Hall hosts a battle of the bands.

Event Notes, Thursday, Dec. 10

Thursday, Isador’s in Oxford hosts a food event in celebration of Terra Madre, a network of sustainable food communities; Cowboy Matt’s having a listening party to celebrate his new CD, Viva Psychedelia, at The Q; speaker John O’Toole is at the Worcester Hibernian Center; Inhale Mary joins Horse at the Palladium; David Wax Museum is at Nick’s; Addison Station opens for Brothers McCann at Tammany Hall; they’re showing the movie MASH at the Shrewsbury Public Library; and Nuncrackers continues through the weekend at the Calliope Theater.

Friday, The Weight of Gravity is at the Wheelock Inn; chamber folk trio The Accident That Led Me to the World is at the Harvard Café; the Tom Yates Group is at the Bull Run; From Sky to Sea headlines the QVCC with Coalmine Canary and the Sharpest; Summoning Hate rocks Ralph’s; Monique and Fingers, Subculture Stereo and Lonewolf James split the bill at The Raven; Ken Tracy Jr. sings at Dinny’s on Lincoln Street with the debut of the Regal Beagles; Umelt opens for Uncle Billy’s Smokehouse at Tammany Hall; Pantera tribute Trendkill leads the Dimebag Darrell memorial show at the Lucky Dog Music Hall; the Speakeasy Combo is back at Nick’s; the Coyotes howl at Greendale’s; Graveheart joins the Soul Remnants at Ralph’s; Hat On, Drinking Wine debuts at Beatnik’s; Hot Sauce spices up Squire White’s; Lori Brooks leads her band at Mill Street Brews; Stone Lily’s rocking the Cannery; Fingercuff does covers at City Lights; Jason James tears up the Blue Plate; Organ Eyes jams at Vincent’s; and Stone Soup celebrates its third anniversary with a big party at the Woo Church with performances by Salsa Storm, Mack the Knife, DJ Juami and Lucelia DeJesus.

Saturday, Powerline opens for Counter Attack, the Zeppelin tribute doing its annual reunion show at the Lucky Dog Music Hall; Whalebone Farmhouse returns to Vincent’s; Bret Talbert does his final show of the season at Tavern on the Common; The Cosby Sweaters do an all ages show at Junior’s; Mike O’Connell returns to the area, playing the Galway Bay; Herra Terra, Sleep Alive and Ghost Ocean share the bill at Ralph’s; Composted decomposes at the QVCC; meet a 14th century knight at Higgins Armory; Clark takes on Nichols in basketball at Clark’s gym; the Master Singers of Worcester sings at the Boar’s Head Festival at Wesley United Methodist Church; Chris Reddy sings at the Nines while Bret Talbert is out at the Tavern on the Common; Patty Keough’s doing her originals at The Q; benefit Hearts for Heat in Princeton at Norco Sportsman’s Club for a contra dance; Bill McCarthy’s bringing his acoustic to the Old Post Office Pub; the Breakfast jams with Oak Street at Tammany Hall; 7 Minute Stagger is with Rite of Passage and Lesions at The Raven; No Alibi’s back packing Greendale’s; Mike Crandall’s bluesing up Gilrein’s; The Ed Melikian Ensemble is back at the Sahara; and there is a benefit for Debbie Audette's family at the Canal Sports Pub. Debbie is struggling with terminal cancer and not expected to make it through Christmas.

Doctor Robert’s returning to Sakura Tokyo both Friday and Saturday night.
Santa’s at the Hebert Candy Mansion Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

Other events: The Gifts of the Magi is being performed at the Statton Players Theatre in Fitchburg throughout the weekend.
Cirque du Soleil continues at the DCU Center through Sunday.