Tony Trischks - Banjo master at Wilbert's.

When Will Hodgkinson set out to write the perfect song, he enlisted the help of a number of famous songwriters, ranging from the late Arthur Lee to Ray Davies and documented his travels and interviews nicely in Song Man: A Melodic Adventure, or My Single-Minded Approach to Songwriting. One of the lesser-known people Hodgkinson references is Wisconsin-born singer-songwriter Willy Porter. The guy started putting out albums in 1990 but has had an erratic track record since then. And yet, his most recent album, 2006's Available Light, is a terrific recording that hearkens back to his debut, 1990's The Trees Have Soul. Porter's delicate guitar playing and warm voice buttress his simple folk melodies in a manner that recalls the work of acoustic guitar virtuoso Leo Kottke. He plays at 8 p.m. at the Beachland Tavern (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124). Tickets: $12.50 advance, $15 day of show. - Jeff Niesel

Friday, April 25

Tony Trischka Bluegrass Spectacular

Tony Trischka is one of the kings of fusion banjo, one of the first to take the instrument out of its traditional bluegrass ghetto and expand its possibilities. He arrived on the scene in the early '70s when bluegrass was attracting young players from the rock scene who brought new energy and stylings to create a modern version dubbed "newgrass." The best-known proponent of multi-generic banjo, Bela Fleck, was a student of Trischka's and has credited Trischka with inspiring him to push the boundaries of the instrument. Trischka has collaborated with a list of top players too long to relate; his latest release, Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular, pairs him in duets with many of these, including Fleck, his original inspiration Earl Scruggs, and Alison Brown. On the road, he'll face off with young Noam Pikelny, who made his name as the last banjoist in jam band Leftover Salmon just before their breakup. Guitarist/vocalist Michael Davis and stand-up bassist Skip Ward will join them at Wilbert's (812 Huron Rd. E., 216.902.4663) at 9 p.m. Tickets: $12. - Anastasia Pantsios

Asleep at the Wheel/Commander Cody

Oddball bands Asleep at the Wheel and Commander Cody (and His Lost Planet Airmen) sprang from the same ground, forming in the late '60s and finding audiences in the hippie-psychedelic venues of the era that were open to retro, rootsy sounds that reeked of "getting back to the land." In fact, both bands moved west to the Bay area in the late '60s (AatW from West Virginia, CC from Ann Arbor) and then to Texas in the mid '70s, and often worked together. Asleep at the Wheel, fronted by Ray Benson, offered a revival of the jazzy, danceable country/Western swing sound, while George Frayne's Commander Cody mixed rockabilly and R&B into honky-tonk country. While Commander Cody had a huge hit in 1972 with "Hot Rod Lincoln" and disbanded by the mid '70s, with Frayne carrying on the name, Asleep at the Wheel has continued to plug away for nearly 40 years, carrying the banner of Western swing through thick and thin. The two bands share the stage again for the first time in 20 years when they're at the Kent Stage (175 E. Main St., Kent, 330.677.5005) at 8 p.m. Tickets: $30 advance, $35 day of show. - AP

Sunday, April 27

Northern State

I can't say I totally agree with Public Enemy's Chuck D, who's called the three rappers in Northern State the most promising female MCs since Salt N Pepa. But even if their microphone skills are somewhat suspect, Spero, Sprout and Hesta Prynn know how to throw a proper house party. After all, that's how the Long Island group started. Some eight years ago, they decided to form a rap trio while partying at Prynn's pad. The rest is rap history, as their EP Hip Hop You Haven't Heard generated plenty of buzz. Their new album, Can I Keep This Pen?, was produced by Beastie Boy Adrock and includes the soon-to-be-classics "Better Already" and "Iluvitwhenya," which have both appeared on the hit-making TV show Grey's Anatomy. DRI and Hot Cha Cha open at 9 p.m. at the Grog Shop (2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216.321.5588). Tickets: $10. - JN

Monday, April 28

Cave Singers

Featuring guitarist Derek Fudesco (formerly of Pretty Girls Make Graves and the Murder City Devils), the Cave Singers depart from the raging garage-rock approach of Fudesco's previous bands (for whom he played bass) and settle into a much quieter groove. In fact, the songs on the band's debut, Invitation Songs, have been appropriately likened to a "Prohibition-era Appalachian wake." They certainly have that vibe, as tunes such as "Dancing on Our Graves," which sounds like a traditional spiritual number updated for the indie rock set, suggest. Unsparing Sea and 70 Lewis open at 9 p.m. at the Grog Shop (2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216.321.5588). Tickets: $8. - JN

Wednesday, April 30

Dead Meadow

For the last 10 years, Dead Meadow has been one of indie rock's true anachronisms. In singer-guitarist Jason Simon, the band has a veritable guitar hero. Much like the Brian Jonestown Massacre, Dead Meadow makes a clear connection between classic rock's psychedelic past and the present. Its latest album, Old Growth, was even partially recorded at Sunset Sound, the place where Zeppelin cut many of the tracks on Led Zeppelin IV. Songs such as the dreary "I'm Gone" and "What Needs Must Be" have a real lysergic flavor to them, helped no doubt by the distorted guitars and lackadaisical vocals. Mannequin Men and Hell's Information open at 9 p.m. at the Beachland Ballroom (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124). Tickets: $10. - JN

Eisley

Still touring behind last year's Combinations, co-ed indie rockers Eisley are a dream-pop band often mislabeled as emo. The Texas-based group, which includes siblings singer-guitarist Sherri DuPree-Gilbert, singer-bassist Stacy DuPree, guitarist Chauntelle DuPree, bassist Garron DuPree and drummer Weston DuPree, sounds more like a throwback to the album-oriented female-led rock bands of the '70s and '80s. The band has just completed an acoustic US tour as well as an opening stint for Brit rock band Coldplay. This time Eisley will be headlining and playing plugged in. The Myriad, Vedera and the Envy Corps open at 6 p.m. at the Grog Shop (2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216.321.5588). Tickets: $12. - JN