RAMONES, 7:30 tonight, Riviera Theatre, 4746 N. Racine.
Through the high points and low points of their long recordingcareer, the godfathers of punk have never been anything less than anear-shattering live act, and that's what kept them afloat in the faceof commercial indifference these last two and a half decades. (Withthe exception of bassist C.J., who replaced current band songwriterDee Dee, the Ramones' lineup is the same as in '78.) Now, with thesort of tuneful, loud, fast rock that they pioneered enjoyingunprecedented success, they're touring in support of an album called"Adios, Amigos" and saying that they're finally pulling the plug.Even if it's all a scam, it's hard to think of a reason for skippingthis show. Tickets are $18.50 plus Ticketmaster service charges;call (312) 559-1212.
SPEARHEAD, midnight tonight, Metro, 3730 N. Clark.
With their massive grooves and uplifting spirit, Michael Frantiand his big band of San Francisco funketeers recall vintageParliament-Funkadelic updated with hints of '90s alternative rock andhip-hop. Brooklyn Funk Essentials open. Cover is $10; call (312)549-3604.
THEREMIN: AN ELECTRIC ODYSSEY, 7:45 p.m. Saturday, School of theArt Institute Film Center, Columbus Drive at Jackson Boulevard.
Rock trivia fans know that the theremin is the magicalinstrument that powered the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" and LedZeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." More recently, inventive Chicagoanssuch as Sabalon Glitz and the Coctails have started using the vintagesynthesizers, which are played by waving your hands over twoantennas. Steve Martin's documentary is said to do for inventor LeonTheremin what Terry Zwigoff's "Crumb" did for the undergroundcartoonist. Tickets are $5, $3 for Film Center members, and $2 forstudents. Call (312) 443-3733 for more information.
UFO, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, the VicTheatre, 3145 N. Sheffield.
Who'd have thought the veteran metalmongers had this big anaudience after all these years? Only a handful of tickets remain forMonday; the other shows sold out instantly. Serious metalheads holdUFO as one of the founders of the genre: It emerged in the early '70sas part of a handful of groups that merged blues-rock withpsychedelia. (The name came from London's famous psychedelic rockclub.) This reunion features the key players (including singer PhilMogg and guitarist Michael Schenker), but modern metal fans may besurprised at the level of rock-star slickness, something that'smissing in these days of black-clad headbangers. Tickets are $20 atthe Vic box office; call (312) 472-0449.
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