Courtesy photo

Darrell Scott

Courtesy photo

Jamie McLean

FRIDAY

Fourth Annual Mountain Music Benefit Concert

With Darrell Scott

Scott is the kind of artist who can make a player jealous. He's written big country music hits (among them, the Dixie Chicks' "Long Time Gone"). He plays guitar brilliantly and piano beautifully, and can get great sounds out of plenty more instruments. He can sing with soul aplenty, too. And really, this guy needs no backing band to keep an audience entranced. Turns out, though, his good nature transcends your envy. Ticket sales for his show at the Mountain Music Benefit Concert will go to Community Opportunities, a Blacksburg organization that helps people with disabilities.

Go to this story at roanoke.com/entertainment or to blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch for a podcast with Scott.

Details: 8 p.m. The Lyric Theatre, Blacksburg. Adults $16 advance, $20 door; students $12, $15; ages 5 and younger free. 951-4771, thelyric.com, www.livewhereyouplay.net.com/darrellscott.php, darrellscott.com.

FRIDAY

Jamie McLean

With The Materia Project

McLean, formerly lead guitarist with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, has been on his own for a while now, and Roanoke is lucky that he stops here frequently. Recently, he's played gigs with Kevin Bacon (this reporter, having once met McLean, is now only one degree of separation from Bacon; you can do your own recalibrations now), Blues Traveler and former Spin Doctors singer Chris Barron. McLean is working on "Completely," the follow up to his fine debut CD, "American Heartache," so keep your ears open for many new tunes from a guy who can play some smoking guitar and sing a lick, too. Bonus: He always travels with a consistently hot backing band.

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

SUNDAY

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

With Blues & Lasers

Potter's last two records, "Nothing But the Water" and "This Is Somewhere," have helped her create a huge buzz. In recent shows at FloydFest and Jefferson Center, she and her band showed that they deserve the buzz, and then some. Now, Potter has teamed up with renowned producer T Bone Burnett for an upcoming album, and it will be a shame if it doesn't push her to the top of the pop music heap. Opening act Blues & Lasers, an experimental rock thing, features two of Potter's Nocturnals, guitarists Scott Tournet and Benny Yurco.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Jefferson Center, Roanoke. $20, general admission. 345-2550, jeffcenter.org, gracepotter.com, bluesandlasers.com.

TONIGHT

Erin McCarley

With Butterfly Boucher, K.S. Rhoads

McCarley, whose songs have been on television ("Grey's Anatomy") and movies ("He's Just Not That Into You") has a sexy voice and some good music. Go to Tuesday's Extra section or to roanoke.com/entertainment to read more and hear a podcast with her.

Details: 8 p.m. Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Roanoke. $12 advance; $15 door. kirkavenuemusic.com, erinmccarley.com, butterflyboucher.com, myspace.com/ksrhoads.

Jamiel Allen's Groove Diggers

Alliens keyboardist/singer Jamiel Allen's side project features good reggae music driven by "King" George Penn and bassist Jake Dempsey.

Details: 9 p.m. The Blues BBQ Co., Roanoke. Free. 344-5683, bluesbbqco.com, myspace.com/jamielrallen.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY

Billy Wallace and the Virginia Blues

It's a valleys twofer from former The Wading Girl frontman Wallace.

Details: 7 p.m. Thursday. Gillie's Vegetarian Cuisine, Blacksburg. Free. 961-2703, myspace.com/gilliesmusic. 8:30 p.m. Friday. Bazaar Consignments, 675 Brandon Ave., Roanoke. $3. myspace.com/billywallaceva.

FRIDAY

Wink Keziah & Delux Motel

Kirk Avenue Music Hall throws a welcome-to-town party for 101.5 FM The Music Place, with hot dogs and beer before the show. Both venue and radio station are collecting canned food for Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank. Then, get a big, hot dose of steel guitar-driven stone country music.

Details: 8 p.m. Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Roanoke. Free. kirkavenuemusic.com, winkkeziah.com.

Groova Scape

Groova is back to funk you up.

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

Sounds of Seattle Tour

With Ten (Pearl Jam), Badmotorfinger (Soundgarden), Facelift (Alice in Chains), and Hunger Strike (Temple of The Dog)

Here's something to make a grunge fan feel old -- a pack of tribute bands is carrying the flannel-shirted flame, two decades down the road.

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

Relacksachian

As if Adam Beason (Half Moon, Lazy Man Dub Band) wasn't busy enough, he brings this acoustic side project to the Fork.

Details: 9 p.m. Fork in the Alley, Roanoke. Free. 982-3675, forkinthealley.com.

Urban Essence

Here are three names -- Bernard Hairston (bass), Steve Finch (guitar), Keith Thomas (keys) -- any one of which should inspire you to go hear some quality live music.

Details: 9 p.m. Gameday Bar & Grill, Rocky Mount. $5. 483-0475, facebook.com/pages/Urban-Essence/91080235796.

Kurt Crandall

Richmond-based Crandall can blow a mean blues harp, and his band is equally talented and tasteful.

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

SATURDAY

Bryan Lee

Lee, aka "The Braille Blues Daddy" plays killer guitar and sings with passion. Go to Lee's MySpace.com page to hear his hurricane lament, "Katrina Was Her Name."

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

Folk Soul Revival

FloydFest and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion vets bring their take on Appalachian music to Awful's Towers.

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

Griffin House

In between dates opening for the Cranberries reunion tour, talented singer/songwriter House hits Roanoke.

Details: 8 p.m. Fork in the City, Roanoke. Free. 345-36675, forkinthecity.com, myspace.com/griffinhouse.

Split-Rail Eco Fair

With Windfall, Mike Mitchell, Alliens, Luke and the Celtic Troubadours, Grace Note and more

Plenty of good music for this event, a dedication ceremony for the new Floyd Community Market.

Details: 10 a.m. Floyd Community Market, across from Floyd Country Store. Free. 797-3746, info@sustainfloyd.org, windfallweb.com, mikemitchellmusic.com.

Alliens

With HopeHop

Alliens head across the street from the new community market to headline a show with jam-rap act HopeHop.

Details: 8 p.m. Sun Music Hall, Floyd. $8. 745-7883, sunmusichall.com, alliensmusic.com, myspace.com/hopehopmusic.

Half Hellion

With Dark Ruin, The Ziggurat

Hard-hitting metal madness at the Pot.

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

MONDAY

EOTO

String Cheese Incident members Jason Hann and Michael Travis combine for this all-improvisation electronica band. Folks who heard EOTO at FloydFest last summer can testify -- it's wild.

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

WEDNESDAY

Blue 5 Jam with Hoppie Vaughan

Enough of sitting around listening to bands. Grab your guitar or sticks and go jam on some blues.

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