Canaan Music Festival I always hear people saying that the Charlotte area needs more music festivals. Well, it’s too not too far of a drive to Camp Canaan in Rock Hill. The inaugural two-day Canaan Music Festival kicks off on Friday evening, but it’s Saturday’s lineup that should draw more interest — folk singer/songwriter Jill Andrews, Charlotte folk-rockers and recent Columbia Records signees Matrimony and the acoustic roots ensemble Songs of Water round out a day surrounded by zip lines, kayaking and camping. $10-$23. Camp Canaan, Rock Hill.

SUGARLAND For a band that consistently tops the country charts, the slick duo Sugarland sure is doing a good impression of a pop/rock act - and lately it's with mixed results. Aside from Jennifer Nettles' sultry Southern drawl, little remains of the emotive, rootsy balladry that first made she and guitarist Kristian Bush darlings of the modern country scene. Last year's release, The Incredible Machine, left even die-hard fans scratching their heads with its heavy-handed arena rock anthems. But the pairing of Nettle's powerhouse, soul-drenched vocals with new danceable rhythms shines where it's intended - on a big, bright stage full of big-screen razzle-dazzle. $25-$80. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.

YOUNG THE GIANT/APACHE RELAY Frontman Sameer Gadhia tries to inject passion into his mid-range nice guy vocals, and Jacob Tilley takes a stab at atmosphere with chiming delayed guitars, but Young the Giant's sunny SoCal-flavored pop-rock is more warmed over than genuinely warm. Young the Giant shoot for the plaintive plain speaking of Soft Swells and the retro-tinged yearning of The Last Shadow Puppets, but lack the dark undercurrents and sheer hookiness of both bands. This is well-played and produced corporate indie rock, recalling Kings of Leon-lite at best, the vague gaseousness of Coldplay at worst. Openers Apache Relay, with their brand of '70s-influenced Americana rock, are far more credible. $24.50. The Fillmore Charlotte.

MELVINS Blasting their way through the musical trends of the past 30 years, Melvins' mutation of punk and metal, an unwieldy tank cruising and oozing sludge, still packs a wallop. Sure, they can be accused of repetition, but the lads, and their fans, don't give a shit, thank you very much. The core duo, guitar abuser and vocalist Buzz Osborne and primal drummer Dale Crover, have wrought mayhem on countless recordings and singles, and have also worked individually with several experimental outfits. Melvins' recent EP, The Bulls & the Bees, is available for free (the carmaker Scion bankrolled the recording) and a new album is in the works for release this summer. The unrelenting noisemakers Unsane will open. $15-$18. Amos' Southend.

JESSE RUBEN Jesse Ruben has a way of looking straight into your soul and putting emotions into words, which has served him well in building a fan base which tends to credit him with saving their lives. A graduate of Boston’s Berklee College of Music, Ruben is out supporting his second record, The Ones That Matter, an album on which he pours out his heart and soul (and will bring you to tears right along with him), maintaining a sound reminiscent of James Taylor and Paul Simon. $10-$12. Evening Muse. (Alison Angel)

VAN HALEN Am I the only one who caught the band's 2007 reunion show in Charlotte? Sure seems that way. Either way, fans are going nuts for the latest tour - perhaps it's due to a new album, A Different Kind of Truth. David Lee Roth is back at the helm and the quartet rounds out with Van Halen's Eddie and Alex and Eddie's son, Wolfgang. They'll be bringing back all the non-Hagar hits complete with over-the-top guitar solos and plenty of DLR cheese. No word if brown M&Ms are allowed. Kool and the Gang opens. $38.45 and up. 7:30 p.m. Time Warner Cable Arena.

TRAMPLED BY TURTLES Authenticity's a slippery concept. One person can hear it in these up-and-coming Duluth headliners, while another turns away from yet another generic Avetts/Mumford knockoff picking at the bleached bones of roots music with "authentic" instrumentation. To their credit, and despite the ridiculous band name, Turtles do kick up significant dust, in part by virtue of their chops but mostly because they pen a decent tune. With William Elliot Whitmore. $18-$33. Neighborhood Theatre.

ACROSS TUNDRAS There's a criminal abundance of heavy or aggressive bands that claim country influence, yet never seem to transcend cartoonish rockabilly tropes. We all love the Man in Black, natch, but do we really need uncreative musicians slapping on Cash shirts and mirror shades and stomping around like that ludicrous, distended wolf from Looney Tunes? Among all these wasted efforts, it's an absolute relief to hear a band like Across Tundras. Sage, the latest LP from this Nashville trio, exists in a delicious and mean middle ground between heavy stoner rock and menacing outlaw country. I mean, Jesus, it's like Kyuss meets Earth meets Waylon Jennings. Fuck the dude ranch; this brutal, mythologized version of the American West is as serious as it comes. With Lullwater, Nihm. $6-$9. The Milestone.

Bachaco Much like the big-bottomed ant that shares its name, all it takes is one (sound)bite of Bachaco's cumbia-dancehall-reggae fusion to get your entire body shaking. The Miami-based band, with members hailing from Venezuela, Colombia, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the U.S., plays high-energy, feel-good music that's become emblematic of the Latin alternative scene in South Florida (think Locos por Juana and Xperimento). But it's not all fun and games; in songs like "El Inmigrante," they tackle tough social issues, like the plight of the undocumented immigrant whose kids grow up without him. Don't worry about the language barrier, there's plenty of English peppered into the songs to keep your bearings. With Ultima Nota. $8 in advance. The Evening Muse.

DAVE DESMELIK I thought guys like this were a dying breed. Plain-spoken and earnest, Dave Desmelik delivers his high country, coffee-house Americana in a road-weary voice suggesting hard won acceptance and serenity. Introspective lyrics are married to plaintive harmonica and a breezy acoustic guitar shuffle, but there's a hint of bitter almond in the air. Though his self-effacing delivery can veer dangerously close to Andy and Mayberry, it sits atop a mother lode of raw emotion. Like a campfire storyteller who weighs each word carefully, Desmelik has mastered the art of writing simple songs that resonate long after the guitar is packed away. Free. Common Market.