THURSDAY DEC 12
Bad Boys Jam: 9 p.m. Brothers Lounge.
Bee String Band/Greg Braun: 8 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern.
Tab Benoit/Sol Driven Train: Louisiana-born blues guitarist Tab Benoit started up "Voice of the Wetlands," a charity focusing on coastal preservation, back in 2003. Thing is, that moniker is also apropos for Benoit. With the grit of the delta blues in his guitar work and the thick atmosphere of his vocals, Benoit's commitment to the South's legacy of all things Cajun is quite strong. And it's all very exciting to listen to on the muggy days of summer. All we've got up here in Cleveland are bitter winters, so Benoit's blues will have to contend with that. Shouldn't be a problem. Pick up a copy of 1992's Nice and Warm or 2011's Medicine for perspectives on his early and late career points, respectively. 8 p.m., $20-$30. Beachland Ballroom. (Eric Sandy)
Burning River Ramblers/Scarlet & the Harlots/Boomslang: 8:30 p.m., $5. Grog Shop.
Sammy DeLeon/Jackie Warren Latin Jazz Sextet: 8 p.m., $10. Nighttown.
Gates/Worship This!/A Work of Fiction/Wolf Creek (in the Locker Room): 7:30 p.m., $6 ADV, $8 DOS. Mahall's 20 Lanes.
Chris Hatton (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge.
Jam Night with Tower City Blues: 8:30 p.m. Grillers Pub.
Alan Madej/99 Spirits/Bwak Dwagon: 9 p.m., $5. Mahall's 20 Lanes.
Whitey Morgan & the 78s/Church of the Lazy Bastards/C.J. Gunn & the Exceptions: 8:30 p.m., $10. Beachland Tavern.
New Soft Shoe: 8 p.m., free. Happy Dog.
Taproot/A Liar's Eyes/Cathercist: 6:30 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Agora Ballroom.
Justin Timberlake: 8 p.m., $45-$175. Quicken Loans Arena.
FRIDAY DEC 13
Artists for Akron Benefit featuring Shivering Timbers/Ahi-nama/Dave Hammer's Power Supply/Hayden Calling: 8 p.m., $10. Musica.
Big Dummy Xe La Residency (in the Locker Room): 9 p.m., free. Mahall's 20 Lanes.
Cumulus Entertainment presents Winter Warm Up 2013: $25 ADV, $30 DOS. The Agora Theatre.
Art Garfunkel: 7:30 p.m., $65. Hanna Theatre.
Holiday Hip-hop Showcase with Bschors/Joey Long & Kjay/Thy Mule/Matt Campy/Circleside/Big Squeeze/Jloudz/Superjones/Saint Dank/Dude Sufi/Brandon Mims: 8 p.m., $6-$8. The Kent Stage.
Hoots and Hellmouth/Holy Ghost Tent Revival/The Luckey Ones: 8:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Beachland Tavern.
Jimmy Jack: 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge.
Jen and Liz B-Day Bash & Show with Cracked Cup/Mr. California/DJ Jackson the Cat: 9 p.m., free. Now That's Class.
Mellowhigh featuring Hodgy Beats/Domo Genesis and Left Brain/Dope Kulture/Analog Phantom/Mortar Team: It's fair to say that any project tied to the Odd Future family is worth a listen. But, then again, it's also fair to say that any Saturday afternoon is made more enjoyable by a few hits of LSD. The thing is, the guys from Mellowhigh and, ostensibly, Odd Future, twist and wrangle contemporary hip-hop in really weird ways. Sometimes, it's extraordinary ("Yonkers," for instance). Elsewhere, the OFWGKTA imprint leaves a sloppy and awkward trip ("Rella," really). Mellowhigh — rappers Domo Genesis and Hodgy Beats and producer Left Brain — leans more toward the former, thankfully, but falls short of blowing minds. The group's debut album, nary a month old now, is a strong collection of tunes. That much is true. But where the music and rhymes and beats could go deeper, they routinely don't. Anyway, "Yu" is a solid single, and "Roofless" has that distinct Odd Future weirdness. 9 p.m., $13 ADV, $15 DOS. Grog Shop. (Sandy)
Miss Alexandra Huntingdon/Pinch and Squeal/Scarlet and the Harlots: 9 p.m., $5. Happy Dog.
Mustang Sally: 9 p.m., $10. Thirsty Cowboy.
New Wave Rave: 9 p.m. Mahall's 20 Lanes.
Ohio City Singers Holiday Cabaret/Roxxymoron: 8 p.m., $15. Akron Civic Theatre.
Smokin' Fez Monkeys/Max's Farm: 8 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern.
The Spark Plugz: 8:30 p.m. Peppermill Pub and Grill.
Super Diamond: 8:30 p.m., $17 ADV, $20 DOS. House of Blues.
The Websters: 9:30 p.m. Brothers Lounge.
SATURDAY
DEC 14Wesley Bright & the Highlites Christmas Show/The Mighty Soul Tornadoes: 9:30 p.m., $7. Musica.
The Commonwealth/Oldboy/Gomez Addams: 10:30 p.m. Grog Shop.
Disco Inferno: 9:30 p.m. Brothers Lounge.
Exploding Lies/Filmstrip/Aircraft: 9 p.m., $5. Happy Dog.
Alan Greene Band: 8:30 p.m. Peppermill Pub and Grill.
Chris Isaak: 8 p.m., $68-$90. The Kent Stage.
Katty Whomp Us/The Lenny Gray Jazz Trio: 8 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern.
