Courtesy photos

Larry Keel and Natural Bridge

Asylum Street Spankers

FRIDAY

Larry Keel & Natural Bridge

Hear top-flight chops, interesting songs and good vocals from a bluegrass band that is not unfamiliar with warp speed.

Details: 9 p.m. Friday. 202 Market, 202 Market Square, downtown Roanoke. $12. 589-0546, 202market.net, larrykeel.com.

SATURDAY

Asylum Street Spankers

Blacksburg's newest music venue --The Lantern -- starts its schedule with one of root music's most interesting and hilarious bands. The Spankers deliver old-school music with punk-rock attitude, but with great musicianship and vocal harmonies. It's like stepping back in time, but with more cussing.

The Lantern's schedule through September includes plenty of local, regional and national acts who share a strong independent ethos.

Details: 10:15 p.m. Saturday. The Lantern, 211-B Draper Road, Blacksburg. $22. 951-1019, myspace.com/thelanternblacksburg, asylumstreetspankers.com.

THURSDAY

Free! Scott Perry Front Porch Swing Trio

Shuffle it up with a group that includes fine mandolin picker Tom Ohmsen.

Details: 8 tonight. Blue 5 Restaurant, 312 Second St., downtown Roanoke. Free. 904-5338, blue5restaurant.com. ohpapa.com.

Free! Rootstone Jug Band At Emerging Artists opening reception

On the walls, you'll see Joe Kelley's exhibit, "A Natural History of Imaginary Birds and Real Bats." Your ears will receive a good dose of retro-Appalachian music.

Details: 6 tonight. Roanoke City Public Library, 706 S. Jefferson St., downtown Roanoke. Free; all ages. 853-1057, myspace.com/emergingartists roanoke, rootstone.net.

FRIDAY

Free! Galen Kipar Project

Asheville, N.C.-based Kipar cites Paul Simon, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens and Joni Mitchell as influences. His own music is cool and atmospheric.

Details: 9 p.m. Friday. Blue 5 Restaurant, 312 Second St., downtown Roanoke. Free. 904-5338, blue5restaurant.com, galenkipar.com.

SATURDAY

Medeski, Martin & Wood

If you know this band, then you know they're all about the improvisation. But here's something different -- MMW has written brand new songs, which it will debut at Jefferson Center. After a short tour, the band will take the fleshed-out songs and record them as part of a three-disc collection called The Radiolarian Series. Look for our interview with bass player Chris Wood in Friday Extra.

Details: 9 p.m. Saturday. Jefferson Center's Shaftman Hall, 541 Luck Ave., Roanoke. $25.50. 345-2550, jeffcenter.org, mmw.net.

The Roanoke Hard Rock Festival II (With Doom Syndicate, Madrone, Steeltame, Aggressor State, Fallon and more)

This is Roanoke, with the volume turned to 11. Some of the hardest-hitting music in the valleys will be pouring off the Elmwood Park stage in an event that is scheduled to last until 11 p.m. And if you start to get worn down, no worries -- food vendors will be on site, according to an event organizer, Kevin Logan of the band Fallon.

Details: 1 p.m. Saturday. Elmwood Park, downtown Roanoke. $5. myspace.com/theroanokehardrockfestival.

Sedalia Blues Festival (With Jimmy Thackery, the Rev. Billy C. Wirtz and the James River Blues Society contest)

Nighthawks co-founder Thackery has scorched up a lot of guitar fretboards over the years. Wirtz, a barrelhouse and boogie-woogie piano player, really is a reverend -- via mail-order diploma.

Details: 1 p.m. Saturday, Sedalia Center, 1108 Sedalia School Road, Big Island. $12 in advance; $15 at the show. (434) 299-5080, sedaliacenter.org, myspace.com/sedaliacenter.

SUNDAY

Blue Ridge Blues Society Contest

Bands, soloists and duo acts compete for a chance to compete at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. The blues society will also have a silent auction.

Details: 4 p.m. Sunday. Blue 5 Restaurant, 312 Second St., downtown Roanoke. The blues society requests donations. 904-5338, blue5restaurant.com, blueridgeblues.org.

TUESDAY

Free! Acoustic Endeavors

If you can find room in Blues BBQ's small confines, flatfoot away that belly full of 'que.

Details: 7 p.m. Tuesday. Blues BBQ Co., 107 Market St., downtown Roanoke. Free. 344-5683, bluesbbqco.com, acousticendeavors.com.

WEDNESDAY

The Fox Hunt

This Harper's Ferry band has a style that'll remind you of such acts as Old Crow Medicine Show, the Avett Brothers, even early Steve Earle.

Details: 9 p.m. Wednesday. The Coffee Pot, 2902 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke. 774-8256, myspace.com/lefoxhunt