Courtesy photo

Tonight and Friday

The Galen Kipar Project

Get an experimental (yet accessible) folk two-fer from Asheville, N.C.-based Kipar. Locals joining him on stage in Roanoke and Blacksburg will include Camellia Delk, aka the hardest working keyboardist/violinist in the valleys.

Details: 9 tonight. Blue 5 Restaurant, 312 Second St., downtown Roanoke. Free. 904-5338, blue5restaurant.com, myspace.com/galenkiparproject. 9:30 p.m. Friday. Gillie's, 153 College Ave., Blacksburg. $5. 961-270.

Tonight and Friday

Free! Cobalt Media

Don't be afraid. It will only seem like your head might explode when confronted with the hard-rock mayhem of this group. But surely your noggin will remain firmly connected to your neck, the better for you to sling it back and forth in time. And hey -- another two-fer!

Details: 9 tonight. All Sports Cafe, 131 E. Main St., Salem. Free. 774-8256, myspace.com/g8smusic. 9:30 p.m. Friday. Coffee Pot, 2902 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke. Free. 774-8256, myspace.com/ coffeepotroad houseinc.

Friday and Saturday

Ballyhoo

A third musical two-fer. How about that? To an ichthyologist, ballyhoo is a baitfish found off the East Coast. In Aberdeen, Md., however, Ballyhoo is a reggae band with a hard-rock edge. More related trivia: The band calls its tour van "The Green Room."

Details: 10 p.m. Friday. Awful Arthur's, 213 Draper Road S.W., Blacksburg. 443-9109, myspace.com/awfularthur39sblacksburg, myspace.com/ballyhoo. 10 p.m. Saturday. Awful Arthur's, 2229 Colonial Ave., Towers Shopping Center, Roanoke. 777-0007, myspace.com/awfularthurs.

Friday

Concert for a Clean Valley

Featuring Mike Mitchell and Floyd County

When it comes to sawing a fiddle, Mitchell is a master. His latest project is a regional all-star group of sorts -- it includes members of Acoustic Endeavors and Blue Moonshine. Event organizers are trying to raise money for educational programs at the Clean Valley Council.

Details: 5:30 p.m. Friday, AmRhein Wine Cellars, 9243 Patterson Drive, Bent Mountain. $25 admission also gets you two glasses of mead from Blacksnake Meadery or wine from AmRhein. $10 for designated drivers and those age 21 and younger. Free for 10 and younger. 314-3192, starcityharbinger.com/?p=231, myspace.com/mmitchellmusic.

Black Twig Pickers with Charlie Parr

This week's Country Store dance features local old-time faves the Black Twigs, with a major bonus. Parr is a Minnesota-based fingerpicker who can lay it down really fast for as long as you please. You wonder how his thumb doesn't just fly off as he whacks those alternating-bass grooves.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday. Floyd Country Store, 206 S. Locust St., Floyd. $3. (540) 745-4563, floydcountrystore.com, myspace.com/blacktwigs, myspace.com/charlieparr.

Free! Sol Creech Band

The vibes are always good when Creech is around. With his crack rhythm section -- "King" George Penn on drums, and Jake Dempsey on bass -- behind him, he can move you from a greasy Delta groove to some deep reggae.

Details: 10 p.m. Friday. Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, 413 First St., Roanoke. Free. 985-6278, martinsdowntown.com, solcreechband.com.

Saturday

Free! Barefoot West, with Corey Hunley

This versatile Roanoke outfit goes acoustic for your java-drinking pleasure. Hunley is among Roanoke's finest guitarists, but no showboat -- unless he's goofing with you.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday. High Point Coffee, 4210 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke. Free. 353-2345, highpointcoffeeandtea.com, myspace.com/barefootwest.

Trevor MacDonald Band

Trippy rock with doses of wah-wah-infused guitar and shards of political and social commentary.

Details: 10 p.m. Saturday. Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, 413 First St., Roanoke. Free. 985-6278. martinsdowntown.com, myspace.com/trevormacdonald.

Music for Mental Health

With Jordan Rivers and the Rotgut Revival, Ben Hurt Band, Tommy Edwards Band

A fine lineup joins Edwards, who keeps hustling to raise money for his Heart of Virginia Foundation -- and in turn creates better awareness of mental health issues.

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday. Coffee Pot, 2902 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke. $5. 774-8256, myspace.com/coffeepotroadhouseinc, theheartofva.org.

The Aardvarks

Folk and rock classics from the 1960s and '70s, with some originals.

Details: 7 p.m. Saturday. Bedford Academy for the Arts at the Bower Center, 305 N. Bridge St., Bedford. $5; 20 percent discount for groups of at least 20. 586-4235, randolphwalker.com.

Sunday

The Imperials

Ah, dichotomies! These multiple award-winning band members look like 30-something street toughs who have mellowed. They sound like an act that's right at home on the Bill Gaither show -- rich four-part harmonies complete with mandatory dive-bombing bass vocals. The group's resume includes four Grammy awards, 17 Doves and membership in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. The band started in the mid-'60s, so I'm guessing these are not the original members.

Details: 10 a.m. Sunday. Evangel Foursquare Church, 2360 Hardy Road, Vinton. theimperials.com.

Tuesday

Free! The Wading Girl

With Adam Lee and the Dead Horse Sound Company

Members of the Wading Girl are known for working at coffee shops when they're not on the road with their rock-folk mix. On this night, they'll be serving up their music instead of java.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. High Point Coffee, 4210 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke. Free. 353-2345, myspace.com/highpointcoffeeandtea, myspace.com/thewadinggirl, myspace.com/adamleeaz.