CL previews upcoming concerts (Oct. 20-26) 

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 20

DELLA MAE Sure, an all-female bluegrass band may be an anomaly, but what matters is being genuine. Barely a year together, the Boston-based combo sounds like a group of veterans because individually, the women are either classically trained or award-winning performers, or both, and they've made the rounds playing with long-established musicians. The quintet composes acoustic and traditional bluegrass with storytelling lyrics and is a worthy addition to bluegrass lands. With Detour. $5, The Evening Muse, www.theeveningmuse.com (Samir Shukla)

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB The trio's latest, Beat the Devil's Tattoo, runs the gamut of its muse — poignant acoustic balladry, roosty Americana, and guitars-soaked, bring-on-the-feedback rockers. Now with a new drummer in tow, BRMC is on the road to further etch its signature touch into the world of guitar rock. Opening for the Stone Temple Pilots. $47.35-$79.50, Roadrunner Mobile Amphitheatre, www.livenation.com (Shukla)

GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS Potter and her band have impressed just about everyone they've performed in front of. Last year, at Bonnaroo, they joined moe. on stage and won the hearts of many a jam band fan. Potter's got the beauty to make you look, but the voice to make your jaw drop — plenty of soul and power and she just makes it look so damn fun. $15, Visulite Theatre, www.visulite.com (Jeff Hahne)

THURSDAY, OCT. 21

BLUES TRAVELER John Popper's still got it, and this show is free. What more do you need to know? Blues Traveler are hardly spring chickens to the music game but they've continued to tour through adversity for decades and audiences still come out in droves to see the Grammy award-winning band jam out blues and rock hits. Steve Palmer Band opens up. Free, Whisky River, 1065.com or PavilionatEpiCentre.com (Mike McCray)

FRIDAY, OCT. 22

MICHAEL HOLLAND Holland, here without his newish Occoneechee Band, and who, along with his brother Mark, fronted the band Jennyanykind, is a subtle live performer. His nuanced twang and guitar phrasings sometimes take a little while to snake their way into your head. But once there, it sticks: the spark and rattle and hiss of primitive rough-hewn folk (think Harry Smith's Anthology) underscored by lots of non-linear, almost dub-like guitar work. Recommended. With Former Squirrel Nut Zipper Katherine Whelan and others. $8, The Evening Muse, www.theeveningmuse.com (Timothy C. Davis)

JUNIOR ASTRONOMERS Celebrate the birthdays of Terrence and Phillip from the Charlotte quintet Junior Astronomers with a night full of music. Along with some regional music, the indie, emotion-driven rock of Junior Astronomers will be joined by the experimental style of Harvard. Get a preview of Junior Astronomers via a free four-song EP available online at the band's bandcamp.com site. Free. With Resister, Hammer No More the Fingers and Death On Two Wheels. 9 p.m. Tremont Music Hall. www.tremontmusichall.com (Hahne)

SATURDAY, OCT. 23

ANDREW W.K. Ryan Schreiber of Pitchfork once gave W.K.'s record "I Get Wet" a point-six, further calling the man's entire oeuvre "blistering tard-rock." A lot of things have happened since then: W.K. has become a motivational speaker (no kiddin'), he's been dropped by a satchel of record labels, and even been accused of having been a corporate construction all along. As for yours truly, I always thought of the man as something akin to a joke that seemed to be on everyone's lips but with a punchline impossible to parse. Whatever it was — and is — is probably immaterial at this point. To his credit, the "music" has decidedly not stood the test of time, which somehow seems to give the whole affair a little more humanity. Amos' Southend (Davis)

MACHETE MUSIC TOUR Many would argue the reggaeton era in music has passed but for a generation that come of age during its height, it still holds a special place for them. The biggest names in Reggaeton and Latin urban music descend on the Queen City with a roster as stacked as they come. Ivy Queen, Tego Calderon and more will grace the stage. I wish I spoke Spanish. $35-$85, Bojangles' Coliseum, www.bojanglescoliseum.com (McCray)

HARDCORE LOUNGE The Johnson Brothers, Wes (vocals) and Chris (keyboards, vocals) are continuing the tradition. They're third generation performers to be precise, following the steps of the famed Johnson Family Singers. After nearly a decade of performing, Hardcore Lounge is celebrating the release of Dance of My Life. The multi-hued genre hopper can be pegged as jazz, lounge and pop, but that's only a start. . Charlotte music stalwarts Marlon Young, Marco Heeter and Mary Massie Allegrucci round out the crew. With Tara Busch and Jay Coop. $5, Snug Harbor, www.snugrock.com (Shukla)

TUESDAY, OCT. 26

DIET COKEHEADS Catchy names are always a good draw, but this group doesn't seem to be paying homage to the popular carbonated drink. One look at its blogspot, lovingly titled the "dietcrackheads," tells you this female punk band enjoys living on the edge. Their psychedelic, funk-tinged rock has a strange yet likeable appeal, and before you know it, you find yourself lulled into a trance of sorts. Slightly puzzling? Yes, but interesting enough that you'll want to hear more. With Grids and Holy Hand. $3-$5, Lunchbox Records, www.lunchboxrecords.com (Debra Renee Seth)