Sunday provides another reason to justify a few early brews when Pawtucket emcee Chachi takes the stage with a crew of local all-stars known as the Trenton Street Rockers, comprised of various members of the Agents, ZOX, Fungus Amungus, and Soul Shot.
“Partygoers should expect a blend of fresh, homegrown hip-hop,” Charlie “Chachi” Carvalho said. “We bring an energetic stage show, and the band reps different genres including reggae, jazz, and alt-rock. Combine these styles with some thought-provoking lyrics and you get a healthy plate of food for thought that’ll make you dance a little bit.”
The show will serve as a warm-up for Chachi, who will make an appearance the following day on BET’s 106 & Park (Monday at 6 pm), competing live on-air with other rhymers, with callers casting votes to decide the winner.
Longtime Waterfront Fest vets Roomful of Blues will keep the afternoon crowd loose before the anticipated return of the Big Nazo Band, a pack of trippy, life-size foam puppets simultaneously playing ’60s psychedelia and twisted blues while keeping your kids on their toes. It’s like Sid and Marty Krofft and the Star Wars cantina meets GWAR (on mushrooms). And that should be a pretty good precursor to the hellbent mayhem provided by local rockabilly kingpins Sasquatch & the Sick-A-Billys, as the magnetic Dave Caetano and his motley crew will assuredly cook up plenty of Elvis-on-crack moments while nimbly tearing through cuts from 2005’s Burning Miles of Sin as well as last year’s thoroughly raucous Storming the Gates.
For updates on the action, call 401.861.9007 or go to myspace.com/hotclubwaterfrontfestival.
Off the couch
Attention all former Aqua Net-loving metalheads: mark Friday, September 5, on the calendar because the Newport Blues Café (of all places) hosts reunited ’80s hair metal cover band TOUCH (!), who are booked statewide through the end of ’08. Call 401.841.5510. And howsabout a mention for another veteran Rhody rock bunch — BACKLASH, who ably cover ’80s cheese-metal as well as ’90s alt-rock numbers from Godsmack, White Zombie, and STP. They’ll visit the Blackstone in Pawtucket (401.726.2181) on Friday and JR’s Bourbon Street Rock House (401.463.3080) on Saturday, September 6. East Bay newcomers GAMBLIN’ HANDS have been a safe bet on the live circuit; the grungy, garage-stoner trio opens for JEFF BYRD and THE FEW on Friday at the Living Room (401.521.5200). Gamblin’ Hands will also take part in a battle of the bands at Club Tantric (401.273.1070) on North Main Street on Saturday. Their debut, Palmer River Water, is due out by year’s end. Also on Saturday, Jerky’s hosts a benefit show for the M.A.C. AIDS Fund starring Fall River’s PISTOL SHOT GYPSY, along with Providence thrash-rock bands THIS IS US and FURLONG; Boston’s WOLF VS. BEAR opens the goodwill debauchery. The show is 18-plus and admission is $8 at the door; call 401.621.2244.
