If there’s anyone in the ’80s whose career singlehandedly foreshadowed the current indie-punk dichotomy of singer-songwriter-identified dudes like Dashboard Confessional versus the cracked-lens pop hardcore of the Get Up Kids, it’s former Replacement Paul Westerberg. His career falls into two distinct periods — the wild, drunken, but well-crafted songs of the early Mats balanced against the increasingly middle-of-the-road power pop of the later Mats and his major-label solo career. So it’s fitting that Westerberg’s return to indie recording should be a split-personality affair. Stereo (Vagrant) is a stripped-down, lo-fi, warts-and-all pop release, but there’s also a raw-and-rocking " Mono " bonus disc credited to Westerberg’s Grandpaboy alter ego. Who’ll show up on tour? Just one man and his guitar will arrive at the Somerville Theatre (617-625-4088) on Friday and at Pearl Street (423-584-0610) in Northampton on Saturday.

The Disney-engineered teen-pop rage was fun while it lasted — wasn’t it? — but the mouse ears are beginning to show a few wrinkles. Latest bummer: Radio Disney’s summer tour has been downgraded from an outdoor shed gig to an indoor club affair. The Swedish disco quartet A*Teens (latest album swaps Abba songs for Alice Cooper, with no noticeable dropoff in catchiness), dog-letter-outers Baha Men, and Making the Band finalists LMNT (that’s right: they’re the guys who weren’t good enough to be in O-Town) are at Avalon (617-423-NEXT) in Boston on Saturday and at Meadowbrook Farm Musical Arts Center (603-293-4700) in Gilford, New Hampshire, on Sunday.

Advance rumor that the genius pairing of Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth on one stage would be dubbed the " Sans Halen " tour turned out to be merely hopeful, as did rumors that they were bringing along the original Sam & Dave for the opening act (hold your e-mail: yes, we’re aware Dave Prater’s dead). Catch the new Sam and Dave tonight at Meadows Music (203-265-1501) in Hartford; Sunday at Champlain Valley Expo (802-878-5545) in Essex Junction, Vermont; Tuesday at Meadowbrook Farm; and Wednesday at the Tweeter Center (617-931-2000) in Mansfield.

Wayne Newton is at the Calvin Theatre (413-584-0610) in Northampton on Tuesday. The Temptations are at the South Shore Music Circus (781-383-1400) in Cohasset on Friday, the Cape Cod Melody Tent (508-775-9100) in Hyannis on Saturday, and North Shore Music Theatre (978-232-7200) in Beverly on Sunday. Buddy Guy and Shemekia Copeland are at Toad’s Place (203-562-5589) in New Haven on Tuesday, at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (603-929-4100) in New Hampshire on Wednesday, at the South Shore Music Circus next Thursday, August 29, and at the Cape Cod Melody Tent next Friday, August 30.

Issue Date: August 22 - 29, 2002
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