Musicians lend causes their support.

• Position: TIME OUT

Byline: Scott MCLENNAN

COLUMN: SCOTT MCLENNAN

All kinds of music for all kinds of good causes this week.

Friends and fans of hard-rock guitar player Lee Vachon are gathering Saturday at The Lucky Dog Music Hall, 89 Green St., Worcester, to raise money to purchase the ailing Vachon a wheelchair that can provide him with greater mobility.

Pakachoag Community Music School in Auburn lined up top-shelf entertainment for its annual cabaret fundraiser happening tomorrow and Saturday to benefit various programs at the school.

And Concerts 4 Charity has an hard 'n' heavy event Saturday at Quinsigamond Village Community Center, 16 Greenwood St., Worcester, that will bring some funds to its Stage TV project.

Bass player Joe Black and Vachon formed the band Ball 'N' Chain back in the '80s, twisting up the sounds of New York Dolls-style glam with the bluesy raunch of early Aerosmith. The band recorded two albums and toured the country, but, as Black put it, the market for his band's sound collapsed around 1990.

"We went our separate ways when the grunge thing came in," said Black, noting that Vachon played with a soulful style all his own. "I brought him back in 2000. I figured The Stones were back, Aerosmith was back. Ball 'N' Chain should get back together."

In 2002, the reconvened band started work on a third album, and that is when Vachon began suffering health problems, including an aneurysm and strokes. The band was dealt another blow when drummer Dale Latulippe died in the Station nightclub fire.

Black said he intends to somehow complete the recordings started with Vachon and Latulippe.

But the immediate goal is helping Vachon gain some mobility with the assistance of a custom wheelchair, which can run in excess of $6,000. Fan Gail Soares organized the event and corralled The Progressions with Shakey Steve, The Problem With Society, The Bak Trak, The Furies, Underlying Truth and Bad Habit. The show and other fundraising activities start at 5:30 Saturday at The Dog.

The Pakachoag School put together a program of music by Gershwin, Bernstein and Weill for its 19th annual cabaret fundraiser. And to delve into that rich musical library, the school enlisted the talents of singers Monica Hatch and Richard Monroe and piano player Kallin Johnson

"Over the years, we've gotten better at what we do," said Pakachoag's executive director Sarah Smongeski. "We teach our students what it takes to create god art and try to give them an understanding of how...