Saturday

Cephas & Wiggins

Part of Kimoyo: From Africa to Appalachia

If ever a music migrated here from Africa, it was the blues. Cephas & Wiggins play it Piedmont-style, and they don't mess around. But there will be plenty more happening on the Jefferson Center stage that night. African kora player Mamadou Diabate, the Celtibillies, African drumming and dance ensemble the Rhythm Project, and plenty more are on the bill. If we're lucky, Diabate will jam some with Cephas & Wiggins.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Jefferson Center, 541 Luck Ave., Roanoke. $25; $15 for children and students. jeffcenter.org, cephasandwiggins.net.

Tonight

Q&A with McCoy Tyner

The McCoy Tyner Trio and Savion Glover show is sold out, but you still have a chance to hear from Tyner. He'll be taking questions in Jefferson Center's recital hall before the show.

Details: Q&A from 6 to 6:30 tonight. 345-2550, jeffcenter.org, mccoytyner.com.

Heart of Virginia Open Mic

A new joint is looking to build a coffeehouse music scene. Blacksburg-based Americana guy Tommy Edwards is hosting its weekly open mike.

Details: 6 tonight. High Point Coffee and Tea, Brambleton Plaza, 4210 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke. Free. 400-6049, myspace.com/highpointcoffeeandtea, myspace.com/tommyedwards.

Friday

Sol Creech Band

You will not be able to stop your rumpus from shaking as the SCB slings the soul, reggae and post-Piedmont blues. Read a review of the band's new CD at blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch.

Details: 10 p.m. Friday. Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, 413 First St. S.W., Roanoke. Free. 985-6278, martinsdowntown.com, solcreechband.com.

Jesse Ray Carter Trio

Carter is a ramblin' man. If he's not whipping it up in New York City, the John Hammond acolyte is doing it in Roanoke. He describes his Roanoke band as a "power trio of fast country tunes and heavy boogie."

Details: 9 p.m. Friday. The Blues BBQ Co., 107 Market St. S.E., downtown Roanoke. Free. 344-5683, myspace.com/bluesbbqco, myspace.com/jesseraycarter.

Paleface

With David Shultz and the Skyline, and the Mumbles

As usual, 202 is slinging the hip. Paleface's bio is fascinating from the first paragraph. He says that Daniel Johnston taught him to write songs (let's hope he didn't teach him to be an airplane passenger). Paleface roomed with Beck on New York's Lower East Side in 1990. A few years and bad record deals later, he nearly died with liver troubles. He's better now, and hanging out with the Avett Brothers -- he helped them record "Four Thieves Gone" -- among other great acts. Opening act Shultz and his band bring the beautiful, haunting folk-rock. The Mumbles combine jazz and psychedelia in a keyboard and drum format.

Details: 9 p.m. Friday. 202 Market, 202 Market Square, downtown Roanoke. $5. 343-6644, 202market.net, palefaceonline.com, myspace.com/davidshultz, myspace.com/kburnstein

James Leva and Purgatory Mountain

Old-time and bluegrass sounds with original tunes that turned Tim O'Brien into a fan.

Details: 9:30 p.m. Friday. Gillie's Restaurant, 153 College Ave., Blacksburg. $12. gilliesmusic@gmail.com, jamesleva.com

Sabotage Manual

With Affliction Kid, Altaire and Spuknof

Sabotage Manual and Spuknof are more on the experimental side of post-punk songwriting. Affliction Kid is like metal before metal got all cheesy with the hair products and funny pants. Check out AK here: blogs.roanoke.com/musiccast/a/affliction_kid.html

Details: 10 p.m. Friday. Champs, 111 N. Main St., Blacksburg. $5. sabotagemanual.com, myspace.com/afflictionkidonline, myspace.com/spuknof

Saturday

Billie Sutton and Roadhouse, featuring Brittany Sparks

Sparks can belt out the blues like nobody's business. And she's only going to get better.

Details: 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Blue 5 Restaurant, 312 Second St., Roanoke. $5. 904-5338, blue5restaurant.com, myspace.com/roadhousebandmusic.

Eco Jam '08

Healing Harvest Forest Foundation Benefit Concert

Ridgewind Band, AARPunk and Single Tree String Band are playing to raise money for awareness of environmentally friendly forestry.

Details: 7 p.m. Saturday. Sun Music Hall, 302 S. Locust St., Floyd. $10. (540) 745-7883, wintersuninc.net.

3 Minute Lovin'

The band name is about the old 45 rpm singles and the music you could hear on them -- songs that generally lasted about three minutes. Then again, maybe it's about something else, what do I know? Hear guitarist Dan Dunlap, playing some Eric Clapton licks: roanoke.com/multimedia/wb/148141.

Details: 10 p.m. Saturday. The Cellar, 302 N. Main St., Blacksburg. Free. 953-0651, the-cellar.com, myspace.com/3minutelovin.

Emily Brass Band

Sax player/vocalist Brass, former frontwoman of Foundation Stone, is rolling along with her solo career. Accompanying her on what she calls her "hippie-hop" journey are some of the valleys' best players, including keyboardist James Pace and the Seed's drummer, Brent Hoskins. Should be grooving.

Details: 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Awful Arthur's, Towers Shopping Center, 2229 Colonial Ave., Roanoke. $5. 777-0007, myspace.com/awfularthurs, emilybrass.com.

Sunday

Stations

With Lee Street Riots and Switchblade Suckerpunch

Get your street punk, your lo-fi crunch and your rockabilly all in one festering, Sunday night heap. Details: 9 p.m. Sunday. Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, 413 First St. S.W., Roanoke. Free. 21 and older. 985-6278, martinsdowntown.com, myspace.com/stations99, myspace.com/leestreet4piece, myspace.com/switchbladesuckerpunch

Wednesday

Dark Star Orchestra

Dark Star doesn't consider itself a Grateful Dead cover band, but instead a band that uses Dead tunes to launch experimentation. Many critics agree. The Washington Post called it "a cover band for people who don't like cover bands." Dark Star has played more than 1,500 shows in 10 years, and this time out, if features keyboardist Rob Barraco, who has played with Phil Lesh and Friends and Chris Robinson's New Earth Mud, among others. Bonus: Dan Healy, who mixed the Dead on tour from 1968 to 1994, will be twisting the knobs for this one.

Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday. Jefferson Center, 541 Luck Ave., Roanoke. $27.25. 345-2550, jeffcenter.org, darkstarorchestra.net.