Band in Boston 1 & 2
There’s been an inexplicable explosion of Boston bands — good ones, even — getting signed to major labels of late, and the result from metalcore-titans-turned-grunge-pop-auteurs Cave In are among the first, and the most eagerly awaited, of the bunch. Cave In’s RCA debut Antenna — the precision-calibrated follow-up to their underground space-prog opus Jupiter — arrives on March 18; four days later, on March 22, they’ll show up at Avalon with long-time pals Piebald, whose quirk-strewn indie pop may be the next to make the jump to the big leagues. That’s at 15 Lansdowne Street; it’s a 6 p.m., all-ages show, and tickets are $14. Call (617) 423-NEXT. Meanwhile, Boston punks the Explosion have signed to Virgin, but before they get around to the business of recording the major-label follow-up to their fantastic Jade Tree debut, Flash Flash Flash, they’ll issue a disc on their own Tarantula Records imprint. Recorded with Matt Squire at New Alliance Studios in the Fenway and mixed by Paul Kolderie at the new Camp Street Studios in Cambridge, this EP should be out soon. For now, the Explosion are jumping on board with the buzzed-about hardcore band AFI for a tour that’ll hit Avalon on Saturday May 9. It’s a 6:30 p.m. show, and tickets are $15.25; call (617) 423-NEXT.
Band in Boston 3
Last year, a loud three-piece heavy-metal band from Connecticut called Throne made an early exit from the Rumble. Things have only gone through the roof from there. Not long after, the group opened for New Found Glory and Boxcar Racer at Avalon. Then two songs from their three-song New Army demo began getting heavy airplay on Boston radio. And last week, the guitarist from MTV posterboys Good Charlotte wore a Throne shirt on TRL — and afterward, favorably comparing the Throne kids with Silverchair and Helmet, told MTV.com that Good Charlotte would like to sign Throne and produce an album by them. Your next chance to see what the fuss about comes when Throne headline Axis, 13 Lansdowne Street, on Saturday April 26. It’s a 6 p.m., all-ages show, and tickets are $12; call (617) 423-NEXT.
Trunk show
Was the garage-rock revival of ’02 a flash in the pan? We’ll get some indication on April Fools’ Day, when V2 issues the White Stripes’ Elephant, another slab of the heavy blues from the candy-striped Detroit duo — this time around featuring a Burt Bacharach cover and what sounds like (but isn’t, they insist) an actual bass line. Meg and Jack will be at the Orpheum, 1 Hamilton Place, on Sunday April 20. Tickets go on sale this Friday at noon; call (617) 931-2000.
Rent control
Just what former New Kid Joey McIntyre needs in his life: more drama. Taking a break from his underwhelming solo career, Joe Mac does another star turn, this time in tick, tick . . . BOOM!, a three-actor musical adapted from a solo show written and performed by the late Jonathan Larson a few years before he wrote the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning box-office smash Rent. Premiered Off Broadway in 2001, this new production finds a young composer waiting tables, trying to write the " great American musical, " and fretting about turning 30 while his girlfriend pressures him to get married and his best friend makes it rich on Madison Avenue. In other words: a portrait of the artist as he’s about to write Rent. tick, tick . . . BOOM! opens at the Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont Street in the Theater District, on May 27 and runs through June 8. Tickets are $25 to $60; call (617) 931-2787.
