Photo courtesy Jefferson Center

Sweet Honey in the Rock

Photo courtesy of Rhonda Vincent

Rhonda Vincent

THURSDAY-SATURDAY

Nothin' Fancy Bluegrass Festival

With Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, Nothin' Fancy, Steep Canyon Rangers, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out and more

It's the ninth go-round for Nothin' Fancy's hometown festival, and the band continues to bring in top-flight acts. Rhonda Vincent's talent is no secret to bluegrass fans. Steep Canyon Rangers just added gigs with comedian/writer/banjo man Steve Martin to its resume. Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out have three IBMA nominations, including one for best male vocalist.

Details: 1 p.m. Thursday. 12:30 p.m. Friday. 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Glen Maury Park, Buena Vista. $25 advance, $30 gate Thursday and Friday; $30 advance, $35 gate Saturday; $70 advance, $85 gate all three days. (800) 555-8845, nothinfancybluegrass.com, nemr.net/~rhondav, steepcanyon.com.

FRIDAY

Sweet Honey in the Rock

Jefferson Center begins its latest Star City Performance Series with this a cappella sextet. Sweet Honey's voices create lush atmospheric backgrounds for positive, empowering lyrics. This Washington, D.C., act has been around for more than 35 years, and while members have come and gone, the quality remains high, and the repertoire remains deep and diverse.

Details: 8 p.m. Jefferson Center, Roanoke. $35, $25, half-price for students (Henry Street Festival attendees: Mention the fest and get 25 percent off). 345-2550, jeffcenter.org, sweethoney.com.

TODAY

Shannon Whitworth Band

With Cruz Contreras

Brevard, N.C.'s Whitworth has a pure, pretty mountain voice and a pack of good tunes -- plus, she is in no way difficult to watch. Contreras used to be band leader for his then-wife, bluegrass/jazz chanteuse Robinella. They've split up, and Contreras is showing a stone-country voice to go along with his multi-instrumental skills. Hear a podcast with Contreras at blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch.

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

Ronny Cox

Flip around the television, and you're likely to come across a movie that features Cox. But his true love is singing and playing folk music. Check out Wednesday's Extra section to read more, and hear a podcast at blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch.

Details: 6 p.m. Roanoke Public Library. Free. 853-1057, ronnycox.com.

Grass Monkey

Check out some good-time music from a band that labels itself "jambilly folk rock."

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

FRIDAY

Hopehop

With Boogieburg

Attitudes has booked lots of big acts for this fall, but fortunately, it hasn't forgotten about an excellent band in its own backyard. Go catch Hopehop.

Details: 10 p.m. Attitudes Bar & Cafe, Blacksburg. $7. 552-7001, attitudesbar.com, myspace.com/hopehopmusic, boogieburg.com.

The Young Sinclairs

Roanoke-based Kindercore Records artists The Young Sinclairs have been rooting around in '60s- and '70s-era psychedelic music, and are putting their own stamp on it.

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

The Chapmans

Get a fat dose of high-quality roots/bluegrass music from a family band that sure knows how to pick.

Details: 10 p.m. The Blues BBQ Co., Roanoke. Free. bluesbbqco.com, chap-tv.com.

Rose & The Rebels

Longtime Roanoke rocker chick Jane Gabrielle hits the Pot with her latest act.

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

Denise Jordan Finley

Performances on Finley's latest CD, "Hauntress," might just break your heart, in a good way.

Details: 8 p.m. Third Street Coffeehouse, Roanoke. Free (they'll pass the hat). 309-4707, marian.mcconnell@gmail.com, denisejordanfinley.com.

Third Stream Giants

This Fredericksburg act will funk you up and soul you out.

Details: 10 p.m. Awful Arthur's, Towers Shopping Center, Roanoke. $5. myspace.com/awfularthurs, thirdstreamgiants.com.

Little Rodger & The Cheap Thrills

Good players, good singing, authentic blues sounds.

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

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

Villanova

This Columbia, S.C., acts merges funk, hip-hop and rock, and makes it sound hot.

Details: 10 p.m. Friday. Awful Arthur's, Blacksburg. myspace.com/awfularthur39sblacksburg. 10 p.m. Saturday. Awful Arthur's, Towers Shopping Center, Roanoke. $5. myspace.com/awfularthurs, villanovaband.net.

SATURDAY

Henry Street Heritage Festival

With Adrian Crutchfield, Zulu Watu, Kit Kelso's Bulldog Jazz, Black Out Entertainment, Kelly Gravely, Groovuhtational Pull and more

Former Roanoker Crutchfield is in Charlotte, N.C., these days, and he's worked with artists such as Anthony Hamilton, Fantasia Barrino and Young Jeezy. Hear rap, jazz, soul and more from this variety of acts.

Details: 10 a.m. Elmwood Park, Roanoke. $6 before 4 p.m.; $8 after 4 p.m.; $2 children ages 6-12. harrisonmuseum.com/henrystreet.html, myspace.com/adriancrutchfield.

Colin Hay

Who can it be now? The former frontman for 1980s pop sensation Men At Work. Read more about Hay in Friday's Extra section, and go to blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch to hear a podcast with Hay, including tunes from his new record, "American Sunshine."

Details: 8 p.m. Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Roanoke. $30. myspace.com/kirkavenuemusic, colinhay.com.

Madrone

J.D. Sutphin and the boys join forces with Queen Anne's Revenge Tattoo shop for a night of rock music and tat-related freebies. Hear new songs the band is recording with up-and-coming producer Scott Spelbring. Proceeds go to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

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

Electric Woodshed

This Blacksburg act plays powerful rock covers and originals.

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

SUNDAY

Benefit Concert

With Scott Perry Trio, The Materia Project, Always Morning, Madrone, Mighty Soul Empire, Damn Straight, The Craig County Boys

John DeWeese of Shawsville has a rare autoimmune disease. A bunch of musical friends are getting together to help him out.

Details: 4 p.m. Shawsville Middle School Football Field, Shawsville. $5 suggested donation. ohpapa.com, myspace.com/themateriaproject.

Le Hotclub de Biglick

Gypsy jazz purveyors always make dinner and drinks better.

Details: 6:30 p.m. Rockfish Food & Wine, Roanoke. $5. 904-5454, rockfishfood.com, lehotclub.com.

Casey and the Moonshine Band

Check out some hard country.

Details: 9 p.m. Fork in the City, Roanoke. Free. 345-3675, forkinthecity.com, myspace.com/caseythemoonshineband.

TUESDAY

Steel Wheel Duo

Trent Wagler and Jay Lapp, the Steel Wheel Duo, are bicycling through Virginia this month and next -- with guitar, mandolin and banjo in tow -- playing a roots/Americana mix.

Details: 8 p.m. Fork in the City. Free. 345-3675, forkinthecity.com, trentwagler.com.

Two Fresh

With DJ Rahbee

The party is starting early in Blacksburg this week. This hip-hop/electronic act has been touring lately with the Disco Biscuits.

Details: 8 p.m. Attitudes Bar & Cafe, Blacksburg. $8; 18 and older. 552-7001, attitudesbar.com, inticketing.com, myspace.com/twofreshbeats.

WEDNESDAY

Savoy

With Spark Arrester

What is this, electro week in Blacksburg? If you've recovered from Two Fresh, another wild one awaits, replete with wild light show from Roanoke-based AOS.

Details: 9 p.m. Awful Arthur's, Blacksburg. $10. myspace.com/awfularthur39sblacksburg, myspace.com/savoyband, boogieburg.com.