Courtesy photo

FRIDAY

Suzy Bogguss

In the early and mid-1990s, Suzy Bogguss was a full-on country music star, with such hits as "Drive South," "Outbound Plane" and "Letting Go." These days, she's still a hardworking pro -- she's been on "A Prairie Home Companion" tour with Garrison Keillor and will be in Europe later this spring with Gretchen Peters and Matraca Berg. Bogguss is still putting out quality music, too. Her latest, "Sweet Danger," is a collaboration with jazz keyboardist/producer Jason Miles. The jazz influence is notable but not too heavy on such cuts as "The Bus Ride" and "Everything."

Details: 8 p.m. Friday. Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Roanoke. $30. 745-6643, dlpconcerts.com, myspace.com/kirkavenuemusic, suzybogguss.com.

SATURDAY & TUESDAY

The Kandinsky Trio

Catch two shows from a classical group with a strong willingness to experiment. On Saturday, the trio wraps up its Roanoke College series with guests on viola, trumpet and trombone -- the encore will include some 1970s funk-style music. On Tuesday, it's the Kandinsky Beat Down, at Virginia Tech -- composers including John D'Earth wrote pieces for the Kandinsky Trio, a human beatboxer (Shodekeh) and some virtuoso players and singers including Cyrus Pace, John Adler and dancers Boogaloo Crew will accompany. If nothing else, this should be insanely interesting.

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday at Roanoke College's Olin Theater. $20; $12. 375-2333. 8 and 9:30 p.m. Tuesday at Virginia Tech's Studio Theatre at Squires. $5; $3 for students. www.roanoke.edu/kandinsky.

TONIGHT

MJ Bishop

Old-school country and folk from Seattle-based Bishop, who's traveling around, doing her thing solo. Roanokers, look for her Saturday at The Water Heater.

Details: 7 tonight. Gillie's Vegetarian Cuisine, Blacksburg. Free; donations accepted. 961-2703, myspace.com/gilliesmusic, myspace.com/mjbishopband.

FRIDAY

Joey DeFrancesco Trio

World-class jazz music from DeFrancesco, a transcendent B-3-style organist. Read more about him at music.roanoke.com.

Details: 8 p.m. Friday. Jefferson Center, Roanoke. $26; $22; $16; students half-price. 345-2550, jeffcenter.org, joeydefrancesco.com.

Alliens

Reggae-based world, funk and jazz music from some tight musicians.

Details: 9 p.m. Friday. Sun Music Hall, Floyd. $7. 745-7883, thesunmusichall.com, myspace.com/alliensmusic.

Ben Arthur

Harrisonburg native Arthur is a well-traveled singer/songwriter whom you may have heard on random TV shows and NPR programs. He's performing at WVTF-FM as part of the station's monthly art gallery open house.

Details: 5 p.m. Friday. WVTF-FM, Roanoke. Free. wvtf.org, benarthur.com.

Palominos

With The Royal Greens

Get a double shot of roots-rock goodness from these bands.

Details: 10 p.m. Friday. Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, Roanoke. Free. 985-6278, martinsdowntown.com, myspace.com/palominos, myspace.com/theroyalgreens.

Acoustic Endeavors

Fine and mellow bluegrass from some Roanoke pickers.

Details: 9 p.m. Friday. The Blues BBQ Co., Roanoke. Free. 344-5683, bluesbbqco.com, acousticendeavors.com.

Basshound

Funky, funky, funky. This Baltimore act has been playing monthly shows at The Lantern, in part developing the material for a soon-to-be-released record.

Details: 9:30 p.m. Friday. The Lantern, Blacksburg. $6; 18 and older. thelanternblacksburg.com, myspace.com/basshound.

Frank Dieter

Dieter, a former Roanoker now in Fredericksburg, has a deep catalog of folk, blues, adult contemporary and New Age fingerstyle acoustic guitar music. As always, an open microphone session precedes the show. Hear some of his music at folkalley.com/openmic/artist.php?id=47.

Details: 8 p.m. Friday. Third Street Coffeehouse, Roanoke. Free; donations accepted. 309-4707, marian.mcconnell@gmail.com.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY

The Distryct

Basic, Southern-fried groove rock from Bluefield, W.Va.

Details: 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The Coffee Pot, Roanoke. Free. 774-8256, myspace.com/coffeepotroadhouseinc, myspace.com/thedistryct4.

SATURDAY

Star City Beach Music Festival

With The Embers, The Tymes and The Tams

You love beach music, right? If that's true, where else would you be on Saturday? Here's hoping it doesn't rain.

Details: 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Elmwood Park, Roanoke (backup location: Roanoke Civic Center Special Events Center). $20; free for ages 12 and younger. 342-2640, starcitybeachmusicfest.org.

Sol Creech Band

It's been too long, Sol Creech. But he's back with his rhythm section -- drummer "King" George Penn and bassist Jake Dempsey -- and plenty of guests including members of Alliens, Half Moon and Emily Brass Band for a pre-Gemini Fest party. It's really very "pre," because Gemini Fest isn't until mid-June.

Details: 10 p.m. Saturday. Awful Arthur's, Towers Shopping Center, Roanoke. $5. 777-0007, myspace.com/awfularthurs, sol-roots.com.

Grandin Village Earth Day Celebration

With David Simpkins, La La Land and Bleecker Street

Groove easy to some folk and roots acts, and remember to use the garbage cans!

Details: 4 p.m. Saturday. Courtyard by Roanoke Natural Foods Co-Op, Grandin Village. 387-2782, grandininstitute.org.

Grass Monkey

Hear loose, fun and cool-sounding roots, folk and bluegrass music from a pretty new band in a really new nightspot -- Red Clay Restaurant, formerly the Mix One6.

Details: 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Red Clay Restaurant, Roanoke. 344-4494, redclayrestaurant.net, myspace.com/vagrassmonkey.

Frantic Recovery

With Thresher

Get your face rocked off. Frantic Recovery delivers smart, heartfelt lyrics with its rock, while Thresher might just bust out the walls.

Details: 9 p.m. Saturday. Market Street Pub, Roanoke. $5. 982-6618, myspace.com/marketstpub, myspace.com/franticrecovery, myspace.com/thresherband.

The Danny Morris Band

This onetime Nighthawks guitarist moves from the blues to surf music, ska, 1950s-era rock and more.

Details: 9 p.m. Saturday. Blue 5 Restaurant, Roanoke. Free. 904-5338, blue5restaurant.com, dannymorrisband.com.

SUNDAY

The Waymores: Don Henry, Sally Barris and Tom Kimmel

These three are among Nashville's finest songwriters. Hear their alt-country tunes, Bluebird Cafe style. Read more about this act at music.roanoke.com.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Roanoke. $15. myspace.com/kirkavenuemusic, myspace.com/thewaymores.

Benefit for Todd St. Clair

With Ademption, Gasoline Alley, Shot Tower, Steam Shovel, Cynical, CommonGround, Vintage Reign, Juice, and Fuzzy Logic

St. Clair, singer for Gasoline Alley, Shot Tower and many others, has a benign brain tumor and is in radiation therapy. Fortunately, he has insurance, so all proceeds from this benefit go to the University of Virginia neuro-oncology department, in Charlottesville. St. Clair says "they have taken very good care of me over the past four years."

Details: 2 p.m. Sunday. Turn One Sports Bar, Wytheville. $15 donation; or $10 to first 50 people. (276) 228-8876, myspace.com/turnonesportsbar.

MONDAY

Greg Koons

The indie folk singer/songwriter uses his world-weary voice on such original songs as "L.A. Looks Prettier on TV."

Details: 8 p.m. Monday. The Water Heater, Roanoke. $5. theh2oheater.com, myspace.com/gregkoons.

WEDNESDAY

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum

With The Bastards of Fate

Experimental rockers Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, from Oakland, Calif., have some fascinating and dark tunes at their MySpace.com page. Don't let the word "experimental" fool you. This band can melt your ears. Roanoke's own Bastards of Fate make it a sweet double bill.

Details: 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Lantern, Blacksburg. $10 in advance; $13 at show. myspace.com/sleepytimegorillamuseum, myspace.com/thebastardsoffate.

Hoppie Vaughan

It's an open microphone fiesta, with great soul and blues man Vaughan.

Details: 9 p.m. Wednesday. Blue 5 Restaurant, downtown Roanoke. Free. 904-5338, blue5restaurant.com, hoppievaughan.com.