Courtesy of The Monsters

Courtesy of Niki Barr Band

SATURDAY

The Monsters

With El Camino Fantastico

The good news is that Roanoke's favorite historical roadhouse is back to bringing a steady stream of live music. The better news is that The Monsters, a hyper-quirky garage act from Roanoke, has some really cool tunes. If the band is as good and fun live as it is on its MySpace.com MP3s, this could be the best show of the week.

Details: 9 p.m. Coffee Pot, Roanoke. $3. 774-8256, myspace.com/coffeepotroadhouseinc, myspace.com/themonsters2009.

SATURDAY

Niki Barr Band

With Triscale

This hard rock/power pop act from Baltimore is as powerful and talented as anything you can hear at a Roanoke Civic Center metal extravaganza. Opening act Triscale, from Roanoke, has a good funk/rock vibe.

Details: 8 p.m. Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Roanoke. $10. myspace.com/kirkavenue, myspace.com/nikibarr, triscaleband.com.

TODAY

The Deb Callahan Band

Start your weekend with some funky blues and soul from big-voiced Deb Callahan, who can pick a lick, too.

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

FRIDAY

Guitar Shorty

With The Fat Daddy Band

David "Guitar Shorty" Kearney is a powerful guitarist, strong singer and an enthusiastic showman. Go to blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch to hear a 2006 podcast with Kearney, produced before he performed at the old Taste of The Blue Ridge Blues and Jazz Festival.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Olin Recital Hall, Roanoke College, Salem. $15 general admission. 375-2333, www.roanoke.edu/tickets, guitarshorty.org, thefatdaddyband.net.

Abbey Road Live

If you've enjoyed "1964: The Tribute," but wish you could hear a tribute band hit some later-era Beatles' music, this is your night. Abbey Road has been known to perform start-to-finish versions of Fab Four records such as "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "Abbey Road," natch.

Details: 8 p.m. Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Roanoke. $15. myspace.com/kirkavenuemusic, abbeyroadlive.com.

Angry Youth

With The Knotts, Piss Ant, R.K.C., Douche Newton

If you can't work out your frustrations at this show, you should be on homicide watch.

Details: 9 p.m. Coffee Pot, Roanoke. $5. 774-8256, myspace.com/coffeepotroadhouseinc, myspace.com/douchenewtonband.

The Stereofidelics

This alt-jam duo from Asheville, N.C., often sounds like three or four people.

Details: 9:30 p.m. Gillie's Vegetarian Restaurant, Blacksburg. Free. 961-2703, myspace.com/gilliesmusic, myspace.com/thestereofidelics.

James Pace's B-3 Band

Pace is a mighty hot keyboard player. Catch him, his guitar-slinging brother Cyrus, and other excellent jazzers knock out some grooving soul-jazz.

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

The Pop Rivets

Check out some high-quality, local, original pop-rock music with good vocals and tight musicianship.

Details: 9 p.m. Brambleton Deli, Roanoke. Free. 774-4554, myspace.com/thepoprivets.

Bebop Hoedown

Hearing bassist Sonny Campbell sing "Outside Dog" is probably worth the price of admission. Wait, it's a free show. Even better!

Details: 10 p.m. Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, Roanoke. Free. 985-6278, martinsdowntown.com, bebophoedown.com.

The Royal Greens

Looks like Rocky Mount finally has a consistent spot for some good live, local music. The Greens southern garage soul is worth checking out.

Details: 9 p.m. Gameday Bar & Grill, Rocky Mount. Free. (540) 483-0475, myspace.com/theroyalgreens.

Clinton Collins & the Creekboys

Collins, a Princeton, W. Va., singer/songwriter, has a really good voice, some tight songs and a talented bluegrass-leaning band.

Details: 7 p.m. Third Street Coffeehouse, Roanoke. Free. 309-4707, marian.mcconnell@gmail.com, clintoncollins.com.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

Melodime

This Washington, D.C., act brings shimmering acoustic pop with strong, resonant vocals. Maybe you've heard the band's "Sweet Contentment" in episodes of Fox TV's "So You Think You Can Dance."

Details: 10 p.m. Friday. Awful Arthur's, Salem. $5. myspace.com/awfularthurssalem. 10 p.m. Saturday. Awful Arthur's, Towers Shopping Center, Roanoke. $5. myspace.com/awfularthurs, myspace.com/mymelodime.

Lazy Man Dub Band

Get irie all up in the Forks. Rhythm section Chris McCorkle (bass) and "Drummie" Wayne Shorter lay down a sweet cushion for Adam Beason's guitar and singing.

Details: 9:30 p.m. Friday. Fork in the City, Roanoke. Free. forkinthecity.com. 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Fork in the Alley, Roanoke. Free. forkinthealley.com, myspace.com/lazymandubband.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

Pink Moon Festival

With Sol Creech Band, Alliens, High Street, The Kind, Relacksachian, The Homewreckers

Road trip alert: Good bands, pretty country. Sounds like a weekend plan.

Details: 2 p.m. Friday. Noon Saturday. Noon Sunday. Rock Camp, W. Va. Suggested donations of $15 for one day or $25 for the weekend. myspace.com/pinkmoonfestival.

SATURDAY

Barefoot West

Kyle Forry and the boys are putting the finishing touches on a new record, but due to copyright costs, its kicking cover of "Frankie and Albert" won't be included. Oh well -- holler for it at the show.

Details: 9 p.m. Gameday Bar & Grill, Rocky Mount. $5. (540) 483-0475, myspace.com/barefootwest.

Ben Phelps Project

Funk, soul, reggae and rock are all right in this Hampton Roads band's wheel house.

Details: 10 p.m. Attitudes Bar and Cafe, Blacksburg. $5 online; $7 at the door; 18 and older. attitudesbar.com, inticketing.com, benphelpsproject.com.

Fuzzy Logic

Roanoke Valley diehards sling pop, rock and country music favorites.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Pomegranate, Troutville. Free. 966-6052, pomegranateva.com, gotfuzz.net.

Lisa Taylor & Friends

The multitalented Taylor, based in the Washington, D.C., area, won my heart with her song "I Love Lincoln." Yes, it's a love song to Abraham Lincoln. "Was Mary Todd really there for you?" she wonders.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Bedford Public Library, Bedford. $10 suggested donation. 586-8911, friendsofbedfordlibrary.org, myspace.com/lisataylorsongs.

SUNDAY

Larnell Starkey & The Spiritual Seven

This gospel-soul act from Franklin County is a commonwealth-sanctioned Virginia Family Heritage Group.

Details: 6 p.m. The Pilgrim Baptist Church, 1415 8th Street N.W., Roanoke. Free (donations accepted). 586-0333, darrecords.org.

The Waymores: Tom Kimmel, Don Henry and Sally Barris

Acclaimed Nashville-based songwriters (Henry has a Grammy; each has written for at least a couple of major artists) do a workshop, "Fresh Takes On Songwriting," and an in-the-round concert. The Southwest Virginia Songwriters Association is presenting the events.

Details: 2 p.m. workshop and 7:30 p.m. concert. 12 E. Campbell Ave., Roanoke. $15 donation for concert; $20 donation for workshop ($15 for songwriters association members). 384-7770, 309-2918, svsasongs.com, myspace.com/thewaymores.

The Kase Project

With Bits and Pieces

Chill on Sunday at the Fork with a couple of funky Lynchburg bands.

Details: 4 p.m. Fork in the City. Free. 345-3675, forkinthecity.com, thekaseproject.com.

Blue Ridge PBS KidsFest

With Einstein's Monkey

Brings kids ages 6-12 top see Elmo, Curious George, Mr. McFeely, Clifford, Word Girl, Princess Presto, Buddy the T-Rex from Dinosaur Train and more popular characters. Then rock out with local kid-music rockers Einstein's Monkey.

Details: 1 p.m. Salem Civic Center, Salem. Free. wbra.org, einsteinsmonkey.com.

TUESDAY

Five Times August

Singer/songwriter Brad Skistimas straps on his acoustic guitar for a set of tunes that will surely include work from his record "The Independent," heard on MTV's "Laguna Beach" and other shows.

Details: 9 p.m. Bonnie Plaza, Radford University. Free. (540) 454-5699, radford.edu/rspace, fivetimesaugust.com.

WEDNESDAY

Geoff Achison

Aussie guitar-slinger Achison typically fronts a power trio when he comes to Roanoke, but hearing him play solo, as he will on Wednesday, is a revelation. The guy is a monster.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Roanoke. $10. myspace.com/kirkavenuemusic, geoffachison.com.