Courtesy photos

The Rev. Billy C. Wirtz

Delta Moon

Madrone

CORRECTION: The Swift Technique show on Saturday night at Awful Arthur's, Towers, is $5. The cover charge was incorrect in print and in an early online version.

SHOW POSTPONED: The Blue Highway concert scheduled for Friday has been postponed due to expected poor weather. A makeup date has not been scheduled.

SATURDAY

The Rev. Billy C. Wirtz

For a fun show, all you need is the Rev. Wirtz and a piano. I've said this since the first time I heard him perform, a few years back at the Sedalia Blues Festival, and it's still true. Wirtz, who describes himself as "the Victor Borge of the blues," can lay down some smoking piano grooves, and both his stories and lyrics are funny. Expect holiday songs done in Wirtz's inimitable and sometimes bawdy style. Go to this story at roanoke.com/entertainment, or to blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch to stream one of Wirtz's radio programs.

Details: 8 p.m. Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Roanoke. $15. kirkavenuemusic.com, kirkavenue@gmail.com, myspace.com/rbcw.

FRIDAY

Delta Moon

Hear bone-deep, twin slide-guitar riffs from Tom Gray and Mark Johnson, frontmen for one of Atlanta's most respected blues acts. Gray, who sings scratchy but mellow, won the American Roots Music Association's blues songwriter of the year award last year. Drummer Darren Stanley and bassist Franher Joseph lay down slabs of groove behind the slidemen.

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

MONDAY

A Merry Metal Christmas

With A.M. Avenue, Madrone, Love Begotten, Cute As A Button, Aneirin, Lewis Vs. Clark

Bands from as far away as Texas and Oklahoma are heading for Roanoke to play this hard-rock extravaganza.

Details: 5 p.m. Penn Forest Worship Center, 3735 Chaparral Drive, Roanoke. $5. myspace.com/johnpencemusic, myspace.com/amavenue, myspace.com/madrone.

TONIGHT

Spider + Octopus

This Pensacola, Fla., duo of multi-instrumentalists calls itself "freak folk." It's a little more mellow than all that, but not at all blase.

Details: 7 p.m. Gillie's Vegetarian Cuisine, Blacksburg. Free (donations to band accepted). 961-2703, myspace.com/gilliesmusic, myspace.com/spideroctopus.

Barefoot West

Kyle Forry, Corey Hunley and the boys can groove it, funk-style or reggae.

Details: 9 p.m. Allsports Cafe, Salem. Free. 389-4647, allsportscafeinc.com, myspace.com/barefootwest.

The Homewreckers

Shakers Restaurant is on the live-music train these days, and The Homewreckers can sling some good barroom jams.

Details: 8:30 p.m. Shakers Restaurant, 1909 Valley View Blvd N.W., Roanoke. Free. 366-4783.

FRIDAY

Blue Highway

Help this high-flying bluegrass band celebrate its 15th year of making music. Read more about the band in Tuesday's Extra section or via blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch, where you'll find a podcast with the band's Tim Stafford.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Jefferson Center, Roanoke. $20 advance; $25 day of show; $70 VIP (includes special reception, meet and greet). 345-2550, jeffcenter.org, bluehighwayband.com.

Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band

A few lineup changes over the past couple of years have not stopped the Booty Band from doing what it does -- getting you on the good foot.

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

The House Floor

With I Am The Speed Of Light

Get a double-shot of quality, local, indie rock music. The House Floor sometimes calls to mind a post-punk-style Jeff Buckley. I Am The Speed of Light can make you feel like chilling, then immediately kick you in a soft spot.

Details: 9:30 p.m. Gillie's Vegetarian Cuisine, Blacksburg. Free (donations to band accepted). (540) 961-2703, myspace.com/gilliesmusic, myspace.com/thehousefloor, myspace.com/iamthespeedoflight.

The Worx

It's always a party when this stellar cover band hits a stage.

Details: 10 p.m. Awful Arthur's, Blacksburg. $10; 21 and older. (540) 443-9109, myspace.com/awfularthur39sblacksburg, theworxband.com.

Electric Chameleon

You won't find as many original acts that work as often as Electric Chameleon yet still keep bringing in the crowds. Credit that success to well-crafted, well-played pop-rock with a strong groove and quality vocals.

Details: 10 p.m. Corned Beef & Co., Roanoke. $5. 342-3354, cornedbeefandco.com, myspace.com/electricchameleon.

Grass Monkey

This bluegrass/roots band knows how to have a good time. Catch the act in one of downtown Roanoke's newest restaurants.

Details: 10 p.m. Meze World Cafe, 315 Market St., Roanoke. Free. 206-3164, myspace.com/vagrassmonkey.

Hoppie Vaughan and the Ministers of Soul

The grooves will be deep. The playing will be tasty. You'll get a load of blues, soul and R&B goodness.

Details: 7:45 p.m. Pomegranate, Troutville. Free. 966-6052, pomegranateva.com, hoppievaughan.com.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

Swift Technique

Philadelphia-based funk/jazz/hip-hop act brings hot musicianship and really does pull all the aforementioned musical elements together.

Details: 10 p.m. Friday. Awful Arthur's, Salem. $5. 387-1004, myspace.com/awfularthurssalem. 10 p.m. Saturday. Awful Arthur's, Towers Shopping Center, Roanoke. $5. 777-0007, myspace.com/awfularthurs, myspace.com/swifttechnique.

SATURDAY

Matt Walsh

Hot blues, growling lyrics and authentic playing from Walsh, a Statesville, N.C., cat with a tall head of hair. Matt Hill, a young bluesman who can smoke up either bass or guitar, will be along for the show.

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

The Monsters

These guys are making some of the quirkiest, most original music in Roanoke.

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

Love and Theft

Pregame the Stagg Bowl with this up-and-coming country music trio.

Details: 9:30 a.m. Salem Stadium parking lot, Salem. Free. 375-3004, salemciviccenter.com, myspace.com/loveandtheftmusic.

Half Moon

Three-piece funk, soul and world music from one of Roanoke's favorite bands.

Details: 10 p.m. Fork in the Alley, Roanoke. Free. 982-3675, forkinthealley.com, myspace.com/thehalfmoonband.

Dirty Hands

This disc jockey prefers to work with old-school rap and hip-hop music while tossing in soul, funk and reggae.

Details: 10:30 p.m. Metro! Roanoke. Free. 345-6645, metroroanoke.com, djdirtyhands.com.

Robotic Jive

Superhold's Kelly Scott and Dave McDonald duo it up at SoRo.

Details: 9 p.m. SoRo Chill & Grille, Roanoke. Free. 982-7676, sorogrille.com.

SUNDAY

Yule B Jammin'

With Groova Scape

Two jamming bands from the valleys are getting together this Sunday and Dec. 27 to play music and gather edibles for Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank. As The Kind, which plays the Dec. 27 show, says: "There's an abundant need to keep the area food banks stocked during these economic hard times."

Details: 8 p.m. Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, Roanoke. Free (bring a canned food item to donate). 985-6278, martinsdowntown.com, myspace.com/thegroova, myspace.com/kindva.

TUESDAY

Crobar Cane

Original Southern rock tunes from a band that can lay down a seriously thick groove.

Details: 9:30 p.m. Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, Roanoke. Free. 985-6278, martinsdowntown.com, crobarcane.com.

WEDNESDAY

James Pace Jazz Trio

Keyboardist Pace always has some of Roanoke's best jazzers with him on the tiny stage at Blues. This date is always worth catching.

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

Charlie Hamill and Friends

If you judge a man by his friends, then Hamill's doing all right -- Jason Hill (The Pop Rivets) and Ben Trout (Symbol) are among them.

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