On the town

101 (or so) nights in the club scene

by Carly Carioli

If you haven't yet braved the smoky sub-basement environs of Boston's club scene, get yourself a pack of Camels and a couple T tokens, plaster a well-worn cynically amused grin on your face, and join us avowed club rats in the search for the ever-elusive $2 Rolling Rock. As always, there's plenty to look forward to in the first couple months of the year. Here's a sampling:

If you believe the hype, then Tricky's show at Avalon on January 14 (along with the return of Jeru the Damaja) is a must-see Brit-hop electro-dance extravaganza. The Swans say farewell at the Somerville Theater with slow-rock openers Low on January 25. And at Mama Kin, rockabilly-metal hellcat the Reverend Horton Heat melts the Music Hall on February 8 with the NY Loose. The Cardigans bring their fuzzy Scandinavian pop to the Paradise for two nights, February 2 and 3, with a better local band, Papas Fritas. And the Ramones live on (sort of) when Marky Ramone and his new band, the Intruders, play Axis on January 22.

Rap-hardcore fusionists Shootyz Groove ride the 311 wave into the Middle East for an all-ages throwdown on January 9; the next night Quintaine Americana, who have a single coming out on artist Frank Kozik's Man's Ruin label, join fellow local heavies Michael Mancini upstairs at the Mid East, while local S&M performance troupe Women of Sodom do their thing in the downstairs room. Three days later, local hardcore faves Tree and Honkeyball welcome Handsome (the NYHC supergroup featuring ex-members of Quicksand and Helmet) to town. The next two nights, in what promises to be one of the winter's highlights, the awesome, fear-inspiring Jesus Lizard play two shows rescheduled from late last year. Pavement hit the downstair on February 10 and 11. And the pomo food-lovin' girls from Japan's Cibo Matto return on February 13.

T.T. the Bear's Place is planning to bring alt-country hero and Sweet Relief tributee Vic Chestnut in mid February; and Robyn Hitchcock is scheduled to return to the club for a couple of nights in mid March. There's also a pair of exciting loud-rock bands on major labels: Skeleton Key and ditch croaker (think an angrier Sebadoh) on January 7, and another chance to see the new Come on January 18.

Monday nights are always a good bet at the Green Street Grill, where the dinner's both good and cheap, and the music's as intimate as it gets (look for Jen Trynin and Merrie Amsterberg on January 6; ex-Dream Syndicate guy Steve Wynn on January 20; and Morphine's Mark Sandman, along with Jimmy Ryan and Larry Dersh, as the Pale Brothers, on February 3). And a new underground-music showcase booked by scenester Billy Ruane debuts on Sundays throughout the New Year.

For goth/industrial, check out "Ceremony," the newly inaugurated poetry/art/live-music night that quickly outgrew the Paradise Café and moves to new digs at the Middle East Downstairs every Monday night beginning January 6; the organizers also bring industrialists Mentallo & the Fixer to the Rat on January 3. And there's always the urbane darkness of Man Ray, where as their answering machine says, there's always a strict dress code, so "when in doubt wear black."

For roots, Johnny D's in Somerville has Barrence Whitfield breaking in his new band on January 10; Chicago blues guy Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater on January 18; new old-school country sensations BR5-49 the next night; and New Orleans-based Charmaine Neville (yes, of those Nevilles) on February 14. The House of Blues brings Chicago blues guys John Primer and Junior Wells to town on January 3 and 17, respectively; local guy and Ronnie Earl sideman Bruce Katz plays out January 22; and Buddy Miles, who played drums on Hendrix's Band of Gypsys, stops by February 7. Club Passim has an impressive line-up on January 2, a benefit for radio station 91.9, with ex-Story girl Jennifer Kimball, Dennis Brennan, Catie Curtis, and others; go back the next night and check out metalhead-turned-folkie Hewitt Huntwork; and, on January 11, buzzed-about folk-rockers the Push Stars play.

R&B/jazz legend LaVern Baker kicks off another year at Scullers on January 3 and 4; Louie Bellson, the only white guy ever to belong to Duke Ellington's band, swings through on January 11 and 12; Carol Sloane and Clark Terry join up for a fun bill January 17 and 18; hot-shit youngblood trumpeter Roy Hargrove plays January 24 and 25; and Branford Marsalis brings a trio on January 30 and 31. Other highlights: ex-Weather Report guy Joe Zawinul on February 18 and 19 and salsa-jazz with Poncho Sanchez February 20 through 22.

The Regattabar also has a bunch of must-sees, with the Jackie McLean Sextet January 16 through 18; Eddie Palmieri Octet January 24 and 25; Chick Corea and Gary Burton doing their piano-and-vibes duets January 30 through February 2; a look at the pre-eminent drummer in jazz with the Elvin Jones Jazz Machine February 6 through 9; and one of the guys Stan Getz was talking about when he said, "There's only three pianists left: Tommy, Hank, and Kenny," when the Tommy Flanagan Trio hits town February 14 through 16.