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Chuck Brown | File December 2008

A Washington-area TV station is reporting that Chuck Brown, the “Godfather of Go-Go” music, has died at age 75.

Here at The Roanoke Times, we have fond memories of Brown. One of his children, Nekos, played football at Virginia Tech, and Brown performed in Roanoke on occasion. The last time he was here was Dec. 2008 at Jefferson Center. We wrote a story and recorded our interview with him for a podcast.

Brown was as gracious a musical pioneer as you would want to meet. And he could groove that dirty D.C. shuffle.

Read more about Brown in The Washington Post.

Critter Fuqua and Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show. Fuqua has returned to the band, which is scheduled to play Salem Civic Center on Aug. 17 | File photo

After a little break that included the loss of one member and the return of another, Old Crow Medicine Show is getting back on the road. Among the stops — Salem Civic Center, on Aug. 17.

The Lumineers will open the for Old Crow.

After Old Crow’s performance at last year’s FloydFest, the band announced it was taking a break. During that time, singer/guitarist Willie Watson left the band. Critter Fuqua, who with Ketch Secor founded the act, returned after a battle with alcoholism. Hear Fuqua talk about it on this podcast, recorded before he and Secor played Floyd Country Store and before the band announced those lineup changes.

The band last played Salem Civic Center in November 2009. Read our review.

Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17. $35 limited floor, open seating and reserved on sale beginning June 1 at the Salem Civic Center Box Office, www.ticketmaster.com and 800-745-3000.

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds | Courtesy of All Eyes Media

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds played its collective backside off last year at Awful Arthur’s Towers, as though it didn’t matter that the crowd was sparse. It was a heck of a show, and the band returns to the venue, now named Growler’s American Grill, for a show on Thursday. If you dig funk, rock and soul with deep grooves, hip horn lines and powerful vocals, you’d be foolish to miss this one. Read more, get show details.

On this podcast, we talk with lead singer Arleigh “Sister Sparrow” Kincheloe about the musical atmosphere in which she and her harmonica-playing brother, Jackson, grew up, and other fun topics. We stream music from the band’s CD, “Pound of Dirt” –”Another Ride,” “Bulldozer,” “Dirt” “Hollow Bones” and “Lasso.” “Dirt,” maybe the funniest track on a seriously funky disc, “conveys the attitude and the grittiness of the live show … it’s a very high-energy situation, and we hope you enjoy it,” she said.

Festival in the Park is doing lots of new things this year, and one of the coolest is scheduled for its concluding day, May 28.

Music that day will feature the Rock the Valley Jam, a Roanoke region all star lineup of musicians playing a 4 p.m. main stage set. And you, the audience, will have a say. The idea, which sprang from the mind of Festival’s jack-of-all-excellence, Skip Brown, is so good that The Roanoke Times is sponsoring it.

Do you have a favorite musician that you want to see and hear on Monday? For free? Click here to vote.

WILLIE NELSON

“Heroes” (Legacy)

The second cut on Willie Nelson’s new album is the jaunty country-gospel of “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die,” with Snoop Dogg, Kris Kristofferson and Jamey Johnson. It’s a fun little number that, of course, slyly alludes to Willie’s well-known affection for weed, and, like most of the rest of “Heroes,” due out May 15, it shows the 79-year-old legend can still hit the mark when he wants to. Read more »

Ryan Montbleau | Photo courtesy Ryan Laurey

Ryan Montbleau Band finally made it to Roanoke. Two years after the band suffered a last-minute cancellation in town, it arrived at Martin’s Downtown Bar &  Grill on Thursday night.

Stylistically, it’s a mixed bag with singer/songwriter Montbleau — from Boston-style folk to deep New Orleans funk and genres in between. What stays consistent throughout are  Montbleu’s rangy, soulful tenor and his band’s absolute dedication to the songs themselves, even though it’s clear from hearing it last night that this band could just go off on about any song.

On this two-song playlist, the band performs “Burning and Hiding” from Montbleu’s soon-to-be-released CD, “For Higher,” and “Grain of Sand,” the rare folk/jazz jam.

facebook.com/karaclarkmusic

Nashville gonzo-Americana (aka alt-country/rock) singer/songwriter Kara Clark came to the Coffee Pot on Wednesday to do an acoustic show — a precursor to a full-band show she has scheduled for May 26 at the Pot. Along for the ride was her guitarist, Matt Shively of Franklin County, and her husband, Eerie Von of Danzig and Samwain Samhain.

We sat down on the Pot’s barely lit porch and talked about how two people from distant ends of the musical spectrum met up and got hitched. And we talked about other stuff, too. It was pretty fun. Sorry the video is dark, but there was little available light, and I didn’t want to beam my little cell video light into their faces. Kind of makes things seem spookier, anyway.

shanepruittband.com

Shane Pruitt is a blistering blues/rock guitar man from Spartanburg, S.C., area. The FloydFest and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion performer has recently been a sideman with Duane Trucks’ (Derek Trucks’ younger brother) band Flannel Church, Marshall Tucker Band and others. But he still tours around plenty with his Shane Pruitt Band, featuring B2 man Lil’ Jimmy Peterman and drummer Bill Fletcher.

Pruitt sings well enough to get by, as does Peterman, but their solo breaks are the key to this band. When one is burning, the other is comping it just right. To me, that’s just as good as a hot vocal. Here, the band closes its night at Martin’s Downtown with a cover of Freddie King’s “Big Legged Woman.”

PolyChrome at Schooners, opening for Mother's Finest on May 3.

Roanoke pop-rock band PolyChrome played Schooner’s on May 3, opening for the mighty Mother’s Finest. This act, which combines popular cover tunes with its own nice originals, was a good warmup for that night’s funk-rock action.

Here, the band plays new songs from its upcoming CD, “Wild and Woolly” — “Scream,” followed by the title track.

See frontman Sean Bera and bassist Perry Mabry in their PolyChrome Duo configuration tonight at Brambleton Deli. See the full band on Friday at Billy’s Barn.

Silo Effect (pictured) and The Shack Band play Martin's Downtown on Wednesday | siloeffect.com

FRIDAY
Sean Parker
Former Roanoker Parker returns from his more recent home, Virginia Beach, for sets at the Schoon.
Details: 7 p.m. Schooners, Roanoke. Free. 563-4956

Annabelle’s Curse Live @ Sun Music Hall
Friday, May 11 at 9:00pm
Location: Sun Music Hall – facebook.com/events/439911832702233/

FRIDAY-SATURDAY
Marc Baskind
solo at the Hotel Roanoke Pine Room this weekend, Fri and Sat, May 11 and 12, 9-1
marcbaskind.com

SATURDAY

Saturday, May 12
Breaktime gets Rocked with 7 Mile Ford
at 9:30pm – Sunday, May 13 at 1:30am at Breaktime Billiards Roanoke
facebook.com/events/255775601188482/

Sat May 12th @ 7pm  Rodrigo Sarlo at Gillie’s

Saturday, May 12
DJ Al-D’s Saturday Spincycle
facebook.com/events/346317198763458/
at 9:30pm at Awful Arthur’s Downtown

May 12 Elmer Coles Trio 9:30
Penny Deux, at the Patrick Henry. 400-8082, www.firstandsixth.com

MONDAY

Monday May 14 – 7Horse
Martin’s
facebook.com/7Horse

Monday, May 14th
Blue Ridge Blues Society meeting and Blues jam
Schooner’s. Meeting starts at 7, Jam starts around 8. It’s free too.

TUESDAY

Tuesday May 15 – Ben Trout Band
Martin’s

WEDNESDAY
Silo Effect
With The Shack Band
Richmond in the house. The Silo Effect spins spooky electronic-rock jams.
Details: 9:30 p.m. Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill, Roanoke. $5. 985-6278, martinsdowntown.com, siloeffect.com, theshackband.com