Boston rock trio Guster are back on the road this month, giving

you what you wish for at their dynamic live shows. Their third album,

Lost and Gone Forever, was released in September.

Guster tour dates:

Jan. 18; San Diego, Calif.; Cane's

Jan. 19; San Juan Capistrano, Calif.; Coach House

Jan. 20; Palo Alto, Calif.; Edge

Jan. 21; Sacramento, Calif.; Crest Theatre

Jan. 22; Petaluma, Calif.; Mystic Theatre

Jan. 26; Buffalo, N.Y.; Tralfamadore Café

Jan. 27; Syracuse, N.Y.; Styleen's

Jan. 28; Worcester, Mass.; Palladium

Jan. 29; Boston, Mass.; Metcalf Hall

Feb. 1; State College, Pa.; Crowbar

Feb. 2; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Graffiti Showcase

Feb. 3; Towson, Md.; Recher Theatre

Feb. 4; Hartford, Conn.; Webster Theatre

Feb. 5; Utica, N.Y.; Stanley Performing Arts Center

Feb. 6; Washington, D.C.; American University

Feb. 9; Carrboro, N.C.; Cat's Cradle

Feb. 10; Athens, Ga.; Georgia Theatre

Feb. 11; Salem, Va.; Roanoke College

Feb. 12; Columbia, S.C.; Gallery 701

Feb. 14; Orlando, Fla.; Sapphire Supper Club

Feb. 16; New Orleans, La.; House of Blues

Feb. 17; Houston, Texas; Satellite Lounge

Feb. 18; Austin, Texas; La Zona Rosa

Feb. 19; Dallas, Texas; Gypsy Tea Room

San Francisco power-poppers Stroke 9 are meandering across the

country for the next few months with Boston rockers Vertical Horizon.

Stroke 9's debut album, Nasty Little Thoughts, hit stores in July.

Stroke 9 tour dates:

Jan. 14; Denver, Colo.; KTCL Radio Show

Jan. 19; Seattle, Wash.; Show Box

Jan. 20; Portland, Ore.; Crystal Ballroom

Jan. 21; Sacramento, Calif.; Crest Theatre

Jan. 22; San Francisco, Calif.; Fillmore

Jan. 24; San Diego, Calif.; Cane's

Jan. 25; West Hollywood, Calif.; Troubadour

Jan. 26; Santa Ana, Calif.; Galaxy Theatre

Jan. 27; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Cajun House

Jan. 31; Fayetteville, Ark.; Dave's on Dickson

Feb. 1; Jackson, Miss.; Hal & Mal's

Feb. 2; Memphis, Tenn.; Newby's

Feb. 3; New Orleans, La.; House of Blues

Feb. 5; Fern Park, Fla.; Station

Feb. 6; St. Petersburg, Fla.; State Theatre

Feb. 7; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Fubar

Feb. 8; Jacksonville, Fla.; 618

Feb. 10; Tallahassee, Fla.; Moon

Feb. 11; Athens, Ga.; 40 Watt Club

Feb. 12; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; House of Blues

Feb. 13; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Memorial Hall

Feb. 15; Greenville, N.C.; Attic

Feb. 16; Charlotte, N.C.; Tremont Music Hall

Feb. 18; Towson, Md.; Recher Theatre

Feb. 19; Philadelphia, Pa.; Theatre of Living Arts

Feb. 21; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Graffiti Showcase

Feb. 24; Milwaukee, Wis.; Marquette University

Feb. 25; Indianapolis, Ind.; Clowes Memorial Hall

Mar. 1; Notre Dame, Ind.; Stepan Center

Mar. 2; Cincinnati, Ohio; Bogart's

Mar. 3; Nashville, Tenn.; 328 Performance Hall

April 1; Houston, Texas; Earth Day Festival (no Vertical Horizon)

If you believe that "pop has freed us," you'll be thrilled to find sprightly

Boston pop-rockers Papas Fritas back on the road, playing a few

East Coast dates this week with the help of new recruits Chris Colthart

(guitar) and Donna Coppola (keyboards/percussion). Fans of the Fried

Potatoes can look forward to a more extensive tour in March to mark the

release of the band's third album, Buildings and Grounds (March

6).

Papas Fritas tour dates:

Jan. 14; New York, N.Y.; Knitting Factory (with Ladybug Transistor, Team USA)

June 15; New York, N.Y.; Jewish Museum

Ubiquitous avant-garde experimentalist composer and singer/songwriter

Jim O'Rourke (say that ten times fast) is playing a few U.S.

dates before heading off to Paris (to play with Sonic Youth) and

Japan. His Halfway to a Threeway EP, released Dec. 7, features his

most conventional pop to date.

Jim O'Rourke tour dates:

Jan 14; New York, N.Y.; Tonic

Jan 19; New York, N.Y.; Knitting Factory

Mar 4; Minneapolis, Minn.; TBA

Mar 9–11; Chicago, Ill.; MCA