GANG A BONG: Cypress Hill, whose outspoken support of hemp legalization has made them a popular political target, roars onto the TCC Arena stage on Friday, March 1, with opening acts 311 and the Pharcyde in tow. With their most recent album, III: Temples of Boom--more than a year in the making--Cypress Hill is out to prove they have more goin' on than the weed thing. In fact, there are only two tracks on Temples of Boom that refer to their aromatic muse. Choosing to show rather than tell this time out, the group elevates the music and artistic development of hip-hop by pursuing a bold exploration of sound and rhythm with acoustic bass lines, sitar and minimal piano--it's psychedelic with an edge. Lyrically, they maintain their street credibility with violent themes of everyday life in a savage urban environment, looking forward to a day when kids can play outside without fear of winding up in the crossfire of some mental midget. Frontman B-Real has been quoted as saying he'd like to see Cypress Hill become the Grateful Dead of hip-hop. Cypress Park may seem light years away from San Francisco in '68, but you never know. If the music remains top priority, there could soon be a Ben & Jerry's B-Real Urban Almond Crunch in a grocery store near you. L.A. based quintet 311 brings their own adrenaline rush to the party with a blazing mix of rock-rap-reggae-funk à la Red Hot Chili Peppers, sans the maudlin ballads. The band celebrates the release of their self-titled third album, an energetic assault full of tight rhythms, searing guitar and fresh melodies executed with equal measures of skill and enthusiasm. Show time is 8 p.m. Friday, March 1, at the TCC Arena, 260 S. Church Ave. Tickets are $20.50 in advance from Dillard's and the TCC box office, $22.50 day of show. Also at the TCC Arena this week is White Zombie, the band that owes its resurrection to none other than Beavis & Butt Head. Geffen was inches away from dropping them until their video got the B&B critique on MTV, and now they're playing arenas. Go figure. Korn and Filter kick off the insanity on Tuesday, March 5. Rock on. Advance tickets are $22.50, available at Dillard's, Zia Records and the TCC box office; or charge by phone at (800) 638-4253. Tickets will be $24.50 day of show. Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St., presents confrontational country punk with The Geraldine Fibbers on Friday, March 1. Bobby Gentry's kid sister's gone bad, selling her body on the streets of L.A. Dog & Pony Show and Lutefisk open with a Friends of Rainer performance by Stefan George at 8:30 p.m. in the lobby. Tickets are $5. Guitarist Joe Meyers returns to the Tucson Center for Performing Arts, 408 S. Sixth Ave., on Tuesday, March 5, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5. Call 791-2263 for reservations and information. LAST NOTES: Tucson Friends Of Traditional Music presents activist Peggy Seeger in concert at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at the Southwest Center for Music, 2175 N. Sixth Ave. Advance tickets are $10, $8 for TFTM members, from Antigone Books and Bentley's; or charge by phone at 623-1688. They'll cost $12 day of show. Hold onto your hats, the Kentucky Headhunters take over The Outback, 296 N. Stone Ave., on Monday, March 4. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 day of show. Doors open at 6 o'clock for 9 p.m. show time. Call 622-4700 for information. Meanwhile, Monday madness rages on with D.R.I. at Club Paragon, 144 W. Lester St. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 day of show. Doors open at 7 p.m. Call 622-5560 for more information. Erica Wheeler, winner of the 1995 Rocky Mountain Folks National singer-songwriter competition, performs at the Southwest Center for Music on Wednesday, March 6. Local artist Martie van der Voort opens the show at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $8, with a $1 discount for TFTM, TKMA and KXCI members. They'll cost $2 more at the door. Call 884-1220 for information. --Jennifer Murphy

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