Soulfly, downthesun, Northside Kings
Northern Lights, Thursday

When asked about their newest album, Soulfly 3, Soulfly’s singer, lyricist, main songwriter and guitarist Max Cavalera said, “There’s definitely something powerful about the number three. It’s probably one of the reasons why I didn’t even want a title for the album and decided to just call it Soulfly 3. Plus I’ve always been a big fan of band’s third records. When Metallica did Master of Puppets and Black Sabbath with Masters of Reality, those third records were awesome. I hope Soulfly can do the same.” It’s with this third album that the band hope they’ve reached “the level of maturity that we were looking for with the last two records,” according to Cavalera. The third album sees the band branching out sonically, and reflects their newfound symmetry and solidarity. They just recently welcomed back original drummer Roy Mayorga (who exited after Soulfly’s first album), and the new record finds them sticking more to the core quartet instead of the invited guests of albums past. Soulfly will be joined by downthesun and Northside Kings. (Oct. 3, 16 and older, 7:30 PM, $16 advance, $18 door, 371-0012)

Roger McGuinn, John Sebastian
The Egg, Friday

You know Roger McGuinn best as the guy whose voice and 12-string guitar were the centerpiece of the Byrds—one of the most influential (and best) American bands of the ’60s. The McGuinn you may not know is the folkie who made the scene with Chad Mitchell and Judy Collins in those days before the Beatles arrived (and changed everything). Last year, McGuinn teamed up with an army of folk legends—Collins, Odetta, Tommy Makem, Pete Seeger—on Treasures From the Folk Den, a Grammy-nominated album of traditional songs. This is the McGuinn who’ll be sharing the bill with John Sebastian tomorrow night at the Egg—but don’t be surprised if he plays a few of those Byrds favorites. As for Sebastian, the former Lovin’ Spoonful frontman has been dividing his time between gigs with his jug band (the J-Band) and solo appearances like this. (Oct. 4, 8 PM, $24, $21, 273-0038)

Suspect Device
Miss Mary’s Art Space, Friday

“Some great fucking politico pop-punk,” or so says a piggy-mouth scribe at Punk Planet. Boston’s Suspect Device, who will headline a four-band punk bill at Miss Mary’s tomorrow night, have made quite an impression with their Clash-style punk. Their disc (from punk label PigPile) Boston Massacre is a nifty, hard-yet-melodic effort chock full of loud guitars and class conciousness. Singer Jason Bennett has an impassioned, tuneful yell. Also on the bill are Third 2 None, Random Road Mother, and the Flight. Pack ’em in and crank it up at Miss Mary’s, and help the bands give new meaning to the term “intimate.” (Oct. 4, 7 PM, $6, 439-0041)

Young Dubliners
Jillians, Sunday

Formed in the early ’90s, the Young Dubliners quickly established themselves as a jammier alternative to the punk-sounding Irish bands of the day. Emphasizing a Celtic lilt, the Dubs—their own shorthand nickname—feature mandolin and fiddle, and incorporate traditional song styles into their mix. Of late, people have taken notice. Actor Gabriel Byrne hired the band to a write a theme song for a TV project, and the band spent much of 2001 playing before the crowned heads of Europe as opening act for Jethro Tull. They even participated in the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. It won’t be as cold as Utah on Sunday afternoon, we hope—the band will perform on Jillians’ deck, the weather gods permitting. Also on the bill: the Schmooze, at 2 PM. (Oct. 6, 5 PM, no cover, 432-1997)

Low, Mark Eitzel
Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, Mass., Monday

Anybody out there feel that you’ve been a bit too optimistic lately? Waiting for the other shoe to drop, and looking for the perfect soundtrack for the impending collapse? Here it is: the gloomiest double bill in recent memory—though, as glass-half-empty types, we say that with great anticipation. Low have been proclaimed the slowest of the slowcore bands, and their creeping, gorgeous, somber, somehow glacial music (they are from Duluth, after all), does more with negative space than most abstract sculptors. And opener Mark Eitzel (ex-American Music Club) is a veritable troubadour of trauma: His ability to string heartbreak along captivating melodic lines has earned him comparisons to great songwriters of old, the sort covered on his most recent album, Music for Courage and Confidence: Bill Withers, Glen Campbell, Billie Holiday and Boy George—yes, Boy George—all receive a proper, mournful Eitzelizing. (Oct. 7, 8:30 PM, $10, 800-THE-TICK)

The Damned

The Damned
Valentine’s, Tuesday

Though most folks would first name other bands (the Sex Pistols, the Clash) as early British punk dieties, the Damned can lay claim to a number of important firsts: the first punk single released in the U.K., “New Rose,” and the first punk album released there, Damned Damned Damned. If you need more convincing of the band’s centrality to the history of Brit punk, get this: The Damned were actually fired as supporting act on the Pistols cancellation- riddled first tour—after only one gig. Getting fired by the Sex Pistols is pretty punk. They were also, according to their press material, the first punks to reunite. Though there have been lots of lineup changes over the years (not to mention lawsuits), the version of the Damned coming to Valentine’s on Tuesday has vocalist Dave Vanian and guitarist Captain Sensible, both original members and the songwriting core of the band after original guitarist Brian James’ 1979 departure. The litigious Rat Scabies will not be in attendance, sadly, but Monty Oxy Moron will—which is nice. Also on the bill, Tiger Army and Tsunami Bomb.(Oct. 8, 8 PM, $13 advance, $15 door, 432-6572)

also noted

Will Downing Tonight (Thursday) at the Troy Arts Center, Impulse/Response hosts an unusual lineup (quelle surprise) of avant garde tuba, played by Tom Heasley, and solo violin by Gunda Gottschalk (8 PM, $5, 273-0552). . . . Thursday is the first night of a two-night Tribute to Janis Joplin at the Hilton Center for the Performing Arts. It features vocalist Heidi Weinman and Big Brother & the Holding Company’s original guitarist, Sam Andrew (8 PM, $13-$15, 453-1048). . . . Tomorrow (Friday), Northern Lights will be visited by the Ghost of Hair Metal Past in the form of Winger; also on the bill are the East Coast Engines, the Velmas and the drop-dead gorgeous Erotics (7:30 PM, $18, 371-0012). . . . Folk legend Eleanor McEvoy stops in at the Van Dyck on Saturday [see Clubs box, page 46]. . . . Also on Saturday, stylistically diverse jazz vocalist Rene Marie visits Great Barrington’s Club Helsinki ($28, 413-528-6308). . . . The Egg hosts the jazzy R&B of Will Downing on Sunday as part of its American Roots & Branches series (7 PM, $28, 473-1845). . . .Caffe Lena welcomes Annika Bentley, who has drawn comparisons to both Catpower and P.J. Harvey, on Sunday (7 PM, $10, 583-0022). . . . Renowned jazzman Ken Peplowski and his trio will play two sets Sunday at PolishFest, held at Blessed Virgin Mary Czestochowa Church in Latham (2 PM, 4PM, $15, 453-2258). . . . Aggro-rockers CKY hit Northern Lights on Sunday with Leisure and All American Rejects (7:30 PM, $10, 371-0012). . . . L.A. singer-songwriter Adam Marsland does his thing at the Larkin on Monday (463-5225). . . . Ryan Adams brings his melancholy take on alternative country to the Calvin Theatre on Monday [see Night & Day, page 41]. . . . In Albany Monday, Valentine’s presents well-respected singer-songwriter Michael Fracasso (8 PM, $7, 432-6572). . . . On Wednesday, bigtime folkies Jay Ungar and Molly Mason host a whole bunch of musicians for a live broadcast of Dancing on the Air at the WAMC Performing Arts Studio ($5, 800-323-9262)

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