Seemingly on their way to an At the Drive-In–style breakout, Seattle rockists Murder City Devils followed ATDI’s lead and split into two camps. MCD bassist Derek Fudesco took off to form Pretty Girls Make Graves; the rest of the band recruited Northwest avant-metal warhorse Mike Kunka (Enemymine, Godheadsilo) and formed Dead Low Tide. The only evidence yet extant, a couple of MP3s floating around the Web, suggests that DLT have hung on to most of the Devils’ dark and larcenous style points and added — well, duh — a walloping, ominous low end. See for yourself on Sunday at the Met Café (401-272-5876) in Providence and on Monday at the Middle East (617-864-EAST) in Cambridge; for the latter show, they’re joined by Quintaine Americana and, marking the release of their debut disc, The Sky Is Falling (Bridge Nine), Sinners and Saints. Another high-octane Boston punk outfit, Fast Actin’ Fuses, celebrate the release of their debut disc, Sayonara (Rodent Popsicle), with gigs tonight (Thursday June 6) at the Middle East with C60, Lamont, Tommy and the Terrors, and the Sleazies and on Saturday at the Green Room (401-351-7665) in Providence with the Sleazies and Random Roadmother.

The Fucking Champs continue to do for ’80s black metal what Trans Am are doing for ’80s electro. The Champs’ latest, V (Drag City), mines the classics — in this case, Death Angel, Venom, and Celtic Frost — for a (mostly) instrumental re-creation of the era when metal was long, hard, rigorous, thematically complex, technically demanding, and ultimately boring as all hell. Just like ’90s post-rock! The Fucking Champs hit the Met on Tuesday and the Middle East on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the commercially viable side of ’80s metal has made its own comeback; following in the footsteps of Poison’s successful summer-shed outings, Jersey prom-metal dudes Tesla head up a package including sabbaticalized Crüe singer Vince Neil, a Sebastian Bach–less Skid Row, and chainsaw-wielding rednecks Jackyl. They’re all at Avalon (617-931-2000) on Wednesday and at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (603-929-4100) in New Hampshire next Friday, June 14.

One-man bands, anyone? Just off a tour with Jon Spencer, New Orleans organ spazz Mr. Quintron (see "Off the Record," in Arts) and his matchless puppeteer partner Ms. Pussycat hit the Milky Way (617-524-3740) in Jamaica Plain on Friday and the Dirt Palace (401-453-6811) in Providence on Saturday. A keyboardist of a different color, Ben Folds brings his piano to the Calvin Theatre (413-584-0610) in Northampton on Friday; to Avalon (617-423-NEXT) in Boston on Saturday; to the State Theater (207-780-8265) in Portland on Monday; and to Toad’s Place (203-624-8623) in New Haven on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, country superstar Alan Jackson tops a bill with Martina McBride, Keith Urban, and Cyndi Thompson on Saturday at the Tweeter Center (617-931-2000) in Mansfield. Incubus play the Cumberland Civic Center (207-775-3458) in Portland on Tuesday. And Natalie Merchant plays the Maine Center for the Arts (207-581-1755) in Orono on Tuesday.

Issue Date: June 6 - 13, 2002
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