Reveille at Locobazooka 1998

This year's Locobazooka line-up This year's Locobazooka Music and Arts Festival takes place at Green Hill Park, Worcester, and features music on three stages. Tickets are $25 at the gate, $20 prior to the show. Call (617) 423-6398. Afterwards, there's a post-Bazooka party, featuring Mugsy, Chillum, Psychotic Larry, Choke Puppy, and Downchild at Sir Morgan's Cove, 89 Green Street, Worcester. Call 753-2188 . LOCO STAGE 10:15 a.m.: Wide Iris. This Eastern Mass.--based group have a good sense of sarcasm, humor, and pop sensibilities as displayed on Phlat-out Guilty (Shocker). 10:45 a.m.: NE Hostility. This Worcester-based power metal outfit has become one of the city's tightest acts and recently delivered Wormtown Grooveworks to the world. 11:15 a.m.: Neon Jesus. Boston industrial rockers whose first CD is Martian Blues and Jovian Sonatas (FM). 11:45 a.m.: 7th Rail Crew. See "Static Crew," this page. 12:30 p.m.: Reveille. These young metal mavericks from Harvard (the town) kicked off the season playing the Summer Meltdown. They've ended it by getting a contract with Elektra. 1:30 p.m.: Kid Rock. "Straight outta Detroit Rock City," this self-billed "Pimp of the Nation" is grabbing serious airtime with "I am the Bullgod" from Devil Without a Cause (Lava), one of the year's top CDs. 3 p.m.: Godsmack. Last year, they opened the show. This year, they have the number-one song on WAAF ("Whatever"), a major-label deal with Universal Records (who have reissued their debut CD), and a prime spot at Locobazooka. 5 p.m.: Candlebox. Madonna's label's entry in the hard-rock sweepstakes return with Happy Pills (Maverick). "It's Alright" sits at #12 on the WAAF charts. BAZOOKA STAGE 10 a.m.: Red Mercury. These North Brookfield-based hard rockers are powered by 13-year-old guitarist Marshall Smith and have just released their first CD, The Next One (Quester). 10:30 a.m.: Strawberry Bazzare. The Lowell-based group's hook-filled New Day Dawning is included on compilations on Naked Ear and Moonlight Records. 11 a.m.: MoG. Viotar creator Bob Schlink's band took home the Best National Act award at 1996's LA Music Awards, charted in Denmark and Italy, and recently released Bizarre Medical Experiments (Velocity). 11:30 a.m.: Cheerleadr. Another Boston band poised for success. Batten Down the Hatches (Pep Rally) makes good on its promise to follow musical heroes from Sonic Youth and the Pixies to Fugazi and Led Zeppelin. Noon: Gloritone. This Arizona-based group could steal the show with their high-energy pop songs off Cup Runneth Over (RCA). "Halfway" is receiving major airplay. 1 p.m.: Caroline's Spine. Monsoon's (Hollywood) "Sullivan," the tale of five brothers who died in World War II, has been on the WAAF playlist for most of 1998. 2:15 p.m.: Powerman 5000. Fans are awaiting the follow-up to the Boston heavies' DreamWorks SKG reissue Mega!! Kung Fu Radio. "Organized" is currently rocking the airwaves. 3:50 p.m.: Brother Cane. "Machete" from the Birmingham, Alabama band's Wishpool (Virgin America) has sliced its way onto commercial radio playlists. MEZZO STAGE 10:45 a.m.: Sideshow. New Hampshire rockers make their area debut at `Bazooka. 11:05 a.m.: Five Year Sentence. High-energy group from Oxford are ready to hit the streets with their self-produced CD. 11:25 a.m.: Short Fuse. Central Massachusetts old-school metalloids will include tracks from their sold-out Dazed and Confused demo on their debut CD, Fused Shut, due out later this year. 11:45 a.m.: Tria. South Boston rockers who normally play the hits of the day integrated with originals. 12:05 p.m.: Boy's Attic. These local guys have quickly become a top draw with old-school rock originals you can sing along with. 12:25 p.m.: Forty Days Rain. Massachusetts metalcore maniacs have worked the East Coast harder than a hurricane in support of their Temptation of Our Own Desire (East Coast Empire). 12:45 p.m.: Black Autumn. This Reading-based band are receiving local radio airplay with "Rage." Guitarist Corey Tourigny earned raves with This Guitar Possessed (Zigmo). 1:05 p.m.: Downchild. These local party people's Nobody Understands You and the World is Wrong CD tilted toward mid-'90s rock, but their stage show is drenched in funkiness. 1:25 p.m.: Forced Fed Shovelhead. After a half-year hiatus, Worcester's hardcore superstars returned earlier this summer to take over where they left off. 2:15 p.m.: Kilgore. Rhode Island loud rockers formerly known as Kilgore Smudge spent part of their summer touring with the OzzFest. Expect to hear tracks from A Search for Reason (WEA). -- BG