When Mission of Burma played their first gig in more than 15 years last Thursday (see "Live and on Record," in Arts), one old hand remarked that there were more video cameras on hand at soundcheck than there had been patrons at some of the band’s gigs back in the ’80s. The reunited trio have already sold out their two scheduled shows this Friday night at Avalon and Saturday night at the Paradise, so they’ve added a Saturday-afternoon all-ages gig at the Paradise (617-423-NEXT) for which tickets were still available at press time. Those appearances are drawing attention from out-of-town fans including Rocket from the Crypt’s John "Speedo" Reis, who arranged for his garage-punk side project the Sultans to be in town this weekend so he could catch Burma. The Sultans are upstairs at the Middle East (617-864-EAST) in Cambridge on Saturday.

Also on Saturday night, the Middle East downstairs plays host to masked surf marauders Los Straitjackets, who with guest vocalist Peter Zaremba of the Fleshtones will perform songs from their uncharacteristically vocal Sing Along with Los Straitjackets (Yep Roc). You can also catch ’em on Sunday at the Met Café (401-272-5876) in Providence.

Even if it weren’t for singer Elena Skye’s hootenanny howl on their ace honky-tonk version of Madonna’s "Like a Prayer," we’d still recommend checking out the Demolition String Band, staples of the NYC country scene and founders of something called the Alphabet City Opry. They’re at Johnny D’s (617-776-2004) in Somerville tonight (Thursday January 17); at Red Square (802-859-8909) in Burlington, Vermont, on Friday; at Club Helsinki (413-528-6308) in Great Barrington on Sunday; and at the Acoustic Café (203-335-3655) in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on Monday.

It will come as a surprise to no one who’s heard the Moldy Peaches that their principal members work in the day-care industry; their anarchic kiddie folk punk tends toward brash and funny, though it could just as easily pass for annoying and infantile. They’re at T.T. the Bear’s Place (617-492-BEAR) in Cambridge on Friday, the Iron Horse Music Hall (413-584-0610) in Northampton on Saturday, and the El-N-Gee (860-437-3800) in New London, Connecticut, next Friday, January 25. Meanwhile, for their latest tour, Galactic, the only jam band who matter, team up with the all-star Bay Area Skratch Piklz–associated turntablist collective Triple Threat DJs. We’re not sure this will piss off Galactic fans, but it could very well confound them, and the metaphor — funky guitar noodling for its own sake meets funky beat-juggler noodling for its own sake — is too precious to pass up. They’re at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel (401-272-5876) in Providence on Friday and the Paradise on Sunday.

Last, but not least, the Tune Inn (203-772-4310) in New Haven goes the way of the dodo this weekend, a few months short of what would have been its 10th anniversary. The Tune folks will close up shop in grand style on Saturday with New Jersey’s infernal punk-rock-and-roll band the Swingin’ Neckbreakers and the US debut of Stoogey Portugal-via-London punks the Parkinsons, who’ve already inspired near-riots in the UK.

Issue Date: January 17 - 24, 2002
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