SATURDAY
Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale
Buddy Miller has been called "probably the best country singer in the world" by Steve Earle. He's had a slot in Emmylou Harris' backing band, one of the great musical finishing schools of the past few decades. He's joined on this show by revered singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale. Longtime friends Miller and Lauderdale, who have spent much of their careers as sidemen and once played together in the Creekdippers, joined forces last year for an album of duets titled "Buddy and Jim."
8:30 p.m. March 2. $25; $22.50 in advance. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-524-7354.
Jake Shimabukuro
Guitar Player magazine has called Shimabukuro "the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele." When he pronounces ukulele, it's a beautiful murmur floating on a tropical breeze: ooo-koo-lay-lay. The more common pronunciation lands on the ear with a comical thud: you-kuh-lay-lee. His instrument gets a bad rap, but Shimabukuro's remarkable musicianship is enough to make the ukulele cool again. He's on the road in support of his latest album, "Grand Ukulele," which was produced by Alan Parsons.
It includes takes on Sting's "Fields of Gold" and Adele's "Rolling in the Deep."
8 p.m. March 2. $33. Ferst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech, 349 Ferst Drive N.W., Atlanta. 404-894-9600.
Randy Houser
Houser, one of the co-writers of the unforgettable "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," first hit the upper reaches of the country charts on his own with "Boots On" in 2009. In 2012, he reached the Top 10 again with "How Country Feels," the title track from his third album.
9:30 p.m. March 2. $15-$100. Wild Bill's, 2075 Market St., Duluth. 678-473-1000, www.wildbillsatlanta.com .
TUESDAY
Eels
Mark Oliver Everett — known as E — is the primary architect of Eels. He writes and records songs that range from quirky goofs ("I Like Birds") to strange and frightening but cathartic ("Going to Your Funeral"). The latter is from the 1998 album "Electro-Shock Blues," recorded after the suicide of E's sister and the cancer diagnosis of his mother. Despite the hovering dark clouds, it has an otherworldly beauty and is probably his best work. His latest album, "Wonderful, Glorious," has been lauded for its positivity and uplifting themes. In the past, those words were rare in discussions of Everett's work.
8 p.m. March 5. $27.50; $25 in advance. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-524-7354.
WEDNESDAY
Alt-J
This British quartet scored big with its debut album, "An Awesome Wave." It won the prestigious Mercury Prize and the band was nominated for three Brit Awards, the U.K.'s Grammys. The band manages to blend a daunting array of musical styles into a spiky and distinctive sound. You'll hear bits of pop, hip-hop, beat-driven electronics, indie rock, folk, new wave and more in the mix.
8 p.m. March 6. $15 in advance. The Masquerade, 695 North Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-577-8178.
Coheed and Cambria
When Carlos Sanchez lets loose with his high-pitched croon — a warmer, sweeter version of Rush front man Geddy Lee — things get pretty epic. Epic is what Coheed and Cambria does best, with a grandeur inspired by music of an earlier time. Anyone with a soft spot for Iron Maiden or Led Zeppelin should find something familiar in the band's catalog. There's even a touch of Pink Floyd there, but they temper the complexity and recycled spaciness with a hefty dose of punk's earthiness. With Between the Buried and Me, Russian Circles.
7 p.m. March 6. $29.50. Tabernacle, 152 Luckie St. N.W., Atlanta. 404-659-9022.
THURSDAY
The Gaslight Anthem
Like a post-punk take on Bruce Springsteen, these fellow New Jersey boys do no-frills rock 'n' roll with a distinctive style and modern flair. Rock with no hyphenation needed.
7 p.m. March 7. $25 in advance. The Masquerade, 695 North Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-577-8178.
Sara Watkins
Former Nickel Creek fiddler Watkins is a bluegrass-influenced player with little regard for genre pigeonholes. Since that trio went on hiatus in 2007, she's released two solo albums, the first produced by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones. She's worked with a diverse range of artists, including the Decemberists, John Mayer, Needtobreathe and Garrison Keillor.
8 p.m. March 7. $25; $20 in advance. Eddie Owen Presents at the Red Clay Theatre, 3116 Main St., Duluth. 404-478-2749.
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