THIS WEEKEND IN THE CLUBS: Who’s playing where this weekend in Athens, featuring a song from Vinyl Strangers.

The Last Waltz Ensemble
9 p.m., The Melting Point
Atlanta’s The Last Waltz Ensemble (above), named after the Martin Scorsese film, plays the music of Bob Dylan and The Band. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the band will perform two sets beginning at 9 p.m. - Trisha Klein

Courtesan, Ifwhen, Strezo
8:30 p.m., Flicker Theatre and Bar
Local band Courtesan uses droning electric guitars to create psychedelic ambient music. Created by a founding member of the post-shoegaze band All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors, Ifwhen sounds like a shoegaze track and electronic track being played at the same time. It often sounds out of sync, but it’s always interesting. Atlanta indie rock band Strezo will also play. - Trisha Klein

Rollin’ Home, Live Well
10 p.m., Tasty World
Rock out with an evening of Southern fried music. Rollin’ Home plays good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll, Southern style. Bethlehem’s Live Well plays acoustic, contemporary country inspired by Waylon Jennings, Uncle Tupelo and the Drive-By Truckers. - Trisha Klein

Friday
• 40 Watt: Don Chambers, Producto.
• Allen’s: Brian Burke & Tom Ryan.
• Caledonia: A.Armada, All the Saints, Pride Parade.
• Farm 255: Josh Taylor Band.
• Flicker: Courtesan, Ifwhen, Strezo.
• Georgia Theatre: The Sensational Sounds of Motown.
• Go Bar: Sphinxie, Tunabunny.
• Melting Point: The Last Waltz Ensemble.
• Mercury Lounge: Baby’s Blue Swingset.
• Rye Bar: Idiot Slowdown, Rockinwood.
• Tasty World: Live Well, Rollin’ Home.
• Wild Wing Cafe: The Unmentionables.

Saturday
• 40 Watt: Still Small Voice and the Joyful Noise.
• Allen’s: Carla LeFever & the Rays, Contraband, The Flamethrowers.
• Caledonia: Entertainment, Fishboy, Spring Tigers, Wedge.
• Downtown: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the corner of Clayton and Pulaski: DJ Kurt Wood, Ken Will Morton, Divided Like A Saint’s, Summer Hymns, Paper Tanks.
• Farm 255: Vinyl Strangers, Mikal Evans.
• Flicker: Gutshot and Thirsty.
• Georgia Theatre: Elijah, Free Lunch.
• Go Bar: Broken Bits, John Barrett’s Bass Drum of Death, Last American Hero, Red Legs.
• Melting Point: The Splitz.
• Nuci’s Space: Coffin Bound, The Pool Boys, Pride Parade.
• Rye Bar: Joker.
• Wild Wing Cafe: Audio Cage.

• 40 Watt: Thunderchief, Parasite Shows, Polemic, Dusty Lightswitch, Cortez Garza, Scruff McGruff.
• Caledonia: The Cubs, Goodbye Donovan, The Vulpines.
• Farm 255: Jenny Jumpstart, Nana Grizol, Witches.
• Little Kings: Dave Howard.
• Melting Point: The Owen Hughes Trio.
• No Where Bar: Jazzchronic.
• Tasty World: Daffodil, Who the Hell Is Rogelio Gutierrez?

Abbey Road Live! opened up the Ashford Manor Concerts on the Lawn series on Monday. Banner-Herald copy editor Ann Marie Miani was on hand with her camera for the event. Check out her photo gallery.

A writer from the Times Colonist in Victoria (on canada.com) has compiled the “Top 10 contributions R.E.M. made to music.” It’s rather flattering: “At the controls of this masterplan was R.E.M., a then-unknown band from Athens, Ga. The ‘R.E.M. Model,’ as it became known, was so brilliant, it inspired a generation of bands that went on to become stars themselves.”

• Nine Inch Nails will perform at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth at 7 p.m. Aug. 13. Tickets go on sale Friday 5.9 at 5 p.m. $39.50 - $56.50.
• 2008 Pop-Tarts Presents American Idols Live! Tour will be held at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth at 7 p.m. Aug. 18. Tickets go on sale May 17 at 10 a.m. $39.50 - $68.50.
• The Steve Miller Band with Joe Cocker will perform at at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park in Alpharetta at 8 p.m. May 26. $9.71-$75.
• Alicia Keys with Ne-Yo and Jordin Sparks will perform at Philips Arena in Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. May 28. $39.50-$125.
• Tim McGraw and Jason Aldean will perform at the Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. June 11. $29.75-$59.75.
• R.E.M. will perfom at the Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta at 6:30 p.m. June 21. $35-75.
• Poison will perform at the Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta at 7 p.m. July 27. $20-45.
• George Michael will perform at Philips Arena in Atlanta at 8 p.m. July 31. $47-152.
• Rod Stewart will perform at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park in Alpharetta at 8 p.m. Aug. 27. $60-$150.
- Beth Jones

J. Roddy Walston and The Business, Jackpot City, The Help
10 p.m., Tasty World
J. Roddy Walston and The Business play, as Bob Seger put it, “old time rock ‘n’ roll/ That kind of music just soothes the soul.” Kelly Noonan, Mamie Fike and Kathy Kirbo’s harmonizing vocals make Jackpot City’s “rockin’ pop music” stand out. Local band The Help plays foot-tapping rock. - Trisha Klein

• 40 Watt: Commander Chameleon, Critical Replay, Kris Langley.
• Caledonia: Algebra of Need, Divided Like a Saint’s.
• Melting Point: The Breeze Kings.
• Tasty World: The Help, J. Roddy Walston & the Business, Jackpot City.
• Washington Street Tavern: Uncle Daddy & the Time Machine Revival.

The National Post (Canada) has an interview with R.E.M.’s Peter Buck. Usually Mr. Buck gives some in-depth answers in his interviews. This is mostly short and pithy, i.e.: “Some people watch (”American Idol”), but kids nowadays are pretty smart. That horrible boy band sh-t and pop Idol crap is, I don’t know, some people listen to it. I’m lucky I guess - my kids don’t.”

The Daily Vanguard (student newspaper at Portland State University) posted an interview with Dark Meat’s Ben Clack today. Good interview. One of Clack’s lines: “Crazy shit happens all the time, we’re pretty wild.” Dark Meat is on tour all month and playing in Portland tonight.