LADYHAWK: They kick up plenty of dust and noise.

In the late '80s, Tommy Ramone, a founding member of New York punks the Ramones, met a singer named Claudia Tienan and formed a rock/jam band called Uncle Monk. At the time, Ramone started buying banjos and mandolins and incorporating them into the mix. Eventually, the duo dropped electronic instruments altogether to embrace an old-time/bluegrass sound. "We kind of developed a unique, original sound," says Ramone via phone from his Catskills studio. "We took the classic instruments from the past and created very modern music." And yet, Ramone maintains the band's not all that different from his punk past. "Underneath it all, the framework is very similar," he explains. "My aesthetics and ideas are at the base of both of them. And both are homegrown. You pick up an instrument and express yourself without being a virtuoso." While Uncle Monk doesn't play any old Ramones tunes, Ramone says his fans don't come expecting to hear them. Rather, they come knowing that he's the last living rep from one of punk's most notorious acts. "It's a very strange situation," he says of being the last Ramone standing. "It's so sad and unusual. To me, they're still around. They're always in my thoughts. I think of them as being around." JP and the Chatfield Boys open at 9 p.m. at the Beachland Tavern (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124). Tickets: $10. - Jeff Niesel

Ladyhawk

Formed in 2004 near Vancouver, British Columbia, the four guys who comprise Ladyhawk have set about creating lumbering, bottom-heavy indie rock of the Dinosaur Jr. sort. They debuted in 2006 with an excellent self-titled record, following that up last year with a solid stop-gap EP. Recording in an abandoned farmhouse over two weeks, their latest album, Shots, finds the quartet continuing down their Crazy Horse-worn path, kicking up plenty of appropriate dust and noise. Consider Ladyhawk a sort of jam band for folks who probably think they're above that sort of thing. There is nothing especially complicated about the twin-guitar attack of "(I'll Be Your) Ashtray" or the nearly funky "Fear." But these backwoods dudes have a way with catchy melodies, even if their jammier tendencies finally get the best of them over the 10-plus minutes of "Ghost Blues." Combining super-catchy tunes with loud, jammy rock allows Ladyhawk to soar once again. Neva Dinova, a Saddle Creek band with a new album out, opens along with Jakeway at 9 p.m. at the Beachland Tavern (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124). Tickets: $10 advance, $12 day of show. - Chris Drabick

Cleveland Jazz Orchestra

Although Frank Zappa's music was not jazz (what was it?), lacking the improvisational element that is a cornerstone of that music (Zappa was famously precise and controlling about his music), many jazz fans love it for its adventurous complexity and its sweeping scope. So it's not a stretch for the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra to present The Jazz Unit Plays the Grand Wazoo - The Music of Frank Zappa. Many of the area's most outstanding jazz musicians will participate in this program of Zappa music, transcribed and arranged by CJO bassist Dave Morgan. There will be two performances at 8 p.m. today and tomorrow the Bop Stop (2920 Detroit Ave.), which only seats 120, so if you want tickets - if there are any left - call 216.521.2540 now. They're $30. - Anastasia Pantsios

Saturday May 3

Held semi-annually since 1998, Infernofest has reunited legions of 1960s-vintage Ohio regional garage rockers. The event is named after the Inferno, the Mansfield YMCA in its hip alter ego as a teen music venue. On the Infernofest '08 bill are all the original members of the Columbus-based Dantes, who had a regional hit, "Can't Get Enough of Your Love." The 2008 lineup for Lodi's Es-Shades finally reunites Cathy (Cat) Rood Fissell with the group and also features Cleveland's own garage guitar demigod Tom Fallon. Also performing are Wooster-based Blue Steel; the Columbus group Owen B (a later incarnation of the Wildlife); and Shindig, a new band starring Infernofest veteran Mike Brumm. The fest begins at 6 p.m. at Liederkranz Hall (1212 Silver Ln., Mansfield). More info at infernofest.org and 419.281.3782. Tickets: $17, with proceeds benefiting Hospice of North Central Ohio. - Michael David Toth

Eddy Clearwater

Produced by up-and-coming blues guitarist Ronnie Baker Brooks, West Side Strut, the latest offering from Chicago bluesman Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater, has a more contemporary sound than the rest of his catalogue. The opening track, "A Good Leavin' Alone," finds Clearwater practically snorting his vocals out and delivering some smoking guitar riffs that venture into garage-rock territory. The Mississippi-born Clearwater has such a wide repertoire - he started playing with gospel groups in Chicago churches in the '50s - you can expect him to indulge in a bit of everything at this show, which starts at 9 p.m. at Wilbert's (812 Huron Rd. E., 216.902.4663). Tickets: $12. - JN

Tuesday May 6

In some drug-addled amalgam of Animal Collective and the Vanishing Voice, the Texans that make up Indian Jewelry summon a psych vibe, but not one filled with sunshine. There's a meaner, filthy edge to the music that separates it from their acoustic, love preaching brethren. And given the outward appearance of group members, you can assume they're all most likely fans of John Sinclair. Indian Jewelry is slated to entrance listeners with ephemera from the '60s and beyond at the Beachland Tavern (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124). The show begins at 9 p.m. with Freedom opening. Tickets: $7. - Dave Cantor

Wednedsay May 7

When Allison Moorer became Steve Earle's sixth wife in 2005, they formed a musical partnership worthy of comparison to Johnny Cash and June Carter. Earle added rock 'n' roll kick to country back in the mid-'80s even before Garth and Kenny came along. His music wasn't Nashville-friendly to begin with and his drug-fueled behavior made him a pariah even as critics extolled his powerful albums. After cleaning up in the mid-'90s, he embarked on a productive period that included rock, folk and country-oriented albums, as well as poems, short stories and a play. Last year's Washington Square Serenade reflects his new home in New York City and features a duet with Moorer, who has a critically acclaimed career of her own. Seventeen years younger than Earle, she launched her recording career in the late '90s bringing an emotional complexity and psychological depth to country music not often heard in the post-Shania-and-Faith era. Her new album of covers, Mockingbird, isn't her strongest work; fans will miss her insightful songs. But it's a pleasure to hear her apply her sinuous voice to anything. Moorer opens for Earle (and likely shares the stage with him for some songs) at Playhouse Square's Ohio Theatre at 8 p.m. Tickets: $10 and $30. Call 216.241.6000. - AP