Courtesy of Mark Mann

CORRECTION: The Dirty Truth with Houston Scott plays on Saturday at Schooner's, Roanoke. The date was incorrect in Thursday's Inside Out and in an earlier online version. The corrected version is below.

SATURDAY

Flo Rida

Oh, how we wanted to interview Tramar "Flo Rida" Dillard, who hits Radford University on Saturday.

The questions are legion, and they include: When you say jump and they say "how high?" how high do you usually tell them to jump? Or, have you ever seen someone's booty just completely fall off from dancing to that tune? For Halloween, would you consider dressing as Dead or Alive's Pete Burns, whose "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" is at the heart of your own club-banging "Right Round"?

What percentage of Apple Bottom jeans-clad humans can drop it low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low? (Pants that tight are by nature restrictive.) Who is the genius who designed your logo, with its Florida/letter "F" combination? And who is more fun to work with, Wyclef Jean or Nelly Furtado?

And we'd have more serious questions, too: What did you learn about patience during those struggling years in Los Angeles? How sweet was it to build your fame back home in Miami, with Poe Boy Entertainment, after all those years on the underground circuit? What did you learn about life in Carol City, Miami, Fla., where you grew up? And from your visit to Kenya?

But the man whose nickname is the name of a state as well as a state of groove was riding the flow in Europe and wasn't able to call us until Wednesday. That was too late for our deadlines, but look for the interview in audio form at blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch.

Details: 8 p.m. Radford University's Dedmon Center, Radford. $25; $20 with Radford ID. (540) 831-5420, 831-5463, radford.edu/rspace/concerts.html, officialflo.com.

THURSDAY

Charlie Parr

With Red Clay River, Black Twig Pickers

Duluth, Minn.'s Charlie Parr is a fingerpicking machine with plenty of soul in his voice. His blues work includes lyrics about the downtrodden, the bizarre and other real-life stuff. Openers Red Clay River and Black Twig pickers represent the valleys well, and you can be pretty sure of some inter-band jamming.

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

Cowboy Junkies

With Lee Harvey Osmond

This indie favorite is still quiet, but getting louder, singer Margo Timmins told our Amy Matzke-Fawcett recently. Read more at roanoke.com/wb/xp-221139.

Details: 8 p.m. The Lyric, Blacksburg. Sold out. thelyric.com/live, latentrecordings.com/cowboyjunkies.

Chickenwings and Gravy

Good, old-school blues with guitar and harmonica. Rich Rittenhouse is a marvel on the mouth harp.

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

FRIDAY

Richie McDonald

With Trailer Choir

Former Lone Star singer McDonald and "Rockin' The Beer Gut" singers Trailer Choir hit the stage at the Women's Health Beauty Life Expo. Listen to a podcast with Trailer Choir's mono-monikered female singer, Crystal, at blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch.

Details: 6 p.m. Salem Civic Center. $5. healthbeautylifeexpo.com, richiemcdonald.com, trailerchoir.com.

HopeHop

New River jam scene vets combine with "EZ" Eddie McClain, a flowing lyricist, to create something excellent.

Details: 9 p.m. Champs Sports Bar & Cafe, Blacksburg. $6; 18 and older. myspace.com/hopehopmusic, champssportsbar.com.

The Kind

This group's original guitarist, Tom Snediker, is back with the band, and he can wail on those Dead jams.

Details: 10 p.m. Awful Arthur's, Blacksburg. Free for women; $3 for men. 443-9109, myspace.com/awfularthur39sblacksburg, thekind.org.

Little Rodger and the Cheap Thrills

Hot blues from great local players.

Details: 10 p.m. Awful Arthur's, downtown Roanoke. $3. 344-2997, myspace.com/awfularthursdowntown, littlerodger.com.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

The Monsters

Quirky and generally incorrect original music can be lots of fun, and these guys do it well, at times crossing Frank Zappa with Talking Heads. "Candy" and "Tiny Jars" alone make these shows worth your time.

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

SATURDAY

The Dirty Truth with Houston Scott

With Chris Connor and Friends

Anybody from Clifton Forge remember Houston "L'il Scoop" Scott? He's still blowing on that harmonica, and you can see him on Friday, jamming with his Richmond blues friends The Dirty Truth. Check out a podcast with Scott at blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch.

Details: 8 p.m. Schooner's, Roanoke. $5. 563-4956, myspace.com/schooners_bar, myspace.com/thedirtytruthband, myspace.com/houstonsolution.

James McMurtry

One of the best songwriters around -- that is not hyperbole. His latest, "Live In Europe" (Lightning Rod) proves it. "Hurricane Party" and "Ruby and Carlos" are true gems.

Details: 9 p.m. Attitudes Bar & Cafe, Blacksburg. $12 advance; $14 door; 18 and older, inticketing.com, attitudesbar.com, jamesmcmurtry.com.

Oxytone

It's the CD release party for this Roanoke band's debut, "Soul Fighter," a record full of guitar tone-farming, sharp and hot six-string leads, tight ensemble work and quality vocals.

Details: 9:30 p.m. Awful Arthur's, Salem. $5. 387-1004, myspace.com/awfularthurssalem, reverbnation.com/oxytone.

The Pawn Shoplifters

Hard-rocking Americana/alternative band from Norfolk is a great choice for the Awful's Towers White Trash Party. Check out the band's MySpace.com page, where such tunes as "Shameless Agitated Blues" will rock and sock you.

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

Nerak Roth Patterson

Good old Chicago-meets-Mississippi blues and blues/rock from Patterson, an Ohio cat, a sometime sideman to Guy Davis. Trivia: Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson plays flute on Patterson's "Truckin' Man's Blues." Trippy.

Details: 9:30 p.m. Blue 5 Restaurant, Roanoke. Free. 904-5338, blue5restaurant.com, myspace.com/nerakrothpattersonband.

Roktoberfest

With Pat McGee, Natural Ingredients, Always Morning and The Shack Band

This three-frat charity music show helps out the Music Resource Center, Charlottesville, a youth risk-prevention center that centers on music. Looks like a good lineup.

Details: 2:30 p.m. Top of the Stairs, Blacksburg. $10 advance; $12 door. (540) 798-7137, (703) 999-5515, doughtym@vt.edu, wej@vt.edu.

The Royal Greens

The Greens deliver garage-inflected, Southern rock with gritty vocals.

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

SUNDAY

Ott

With Boogieburg's Spark Arrester

United Kingdom act brings the electronic dance vibes, with plenty of psychedelia thrown in. Roanoke-based AOS Lighting will be in the house, too.

Details: 9 p.m. Attitudes Bar & Cafe, Blacksburg. $10 advance; $14 door. attitudesbar.com, myspace.com/ottsonicuk.

Jim Keaveny

A Texas songer-songwriter with a voice reminiscent of Bob Dylan's comes through Blues.

Details: 8 p.m. The Blues BBQ Co., Roanoke. Free. 344-5683, bluesbbqco.com, myspace.com/jimkeaveny.

MONDAY

Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band

It's been too long, but these FloydFest 2008 show-stealers are back in our midst, and the Big Damn Band brings a big, crazy show. More to come in print and online later.

Details: 9 p.m. Attitudes Bar & Cafe, Blacksburg. $8 advance; $10 door; 18 and older. inticketing.com, attitudesbar.com, bigdamnband.com.

TUESDAY

Scythian

Celtic/Americana rockers come back to Big Lick.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Roanoke. $15. kirkavenuemusic.com, scythianmusic.com.

Pnuma Trio

With Spark Arrester

Former Roanoker Ben Hazlegrove and his wild experimental pals in Pnuma Trio have made the valleys a regular stop among their many travels.

Details: 8 p.m. Awful Arthur's, Blacksburg. $10 advance; $12 door; 18 and older. 961-1488, myspace.com/awfularthur39sblacksburg, pnumatrio.com.

Acoustic Lounge

With Matt Mason, Johnny Stevens and John "JD" Sutphin

Guest host Mark Perry (Heevahava) brings you Madrone's (and WROV's) JD Sutphin and more. Stick around for the single-song signup and jamming.

Details: 8 p.m. Studio Roanoke. $5. 343-3054, studioroanoke.org, myspace.com/mathewmason.