RANDY TRAVIS
8 p.m., Timberwood Amphitheater. $29.99-$49.99

I'd like to propose that Randy Travis has not only one of the greatest voices in country music, but one of the greatest voices in recent music. It's one part rocking-chair Appalachia, one part Tuvan throat singing. A bit froggy, a bit brassy, but always rounded; it's far from typical but worthy of endless repeat. Look no further than his biggest single, "Forever and Ever Amen," and the recent "Faith in You" for the Lefty Frizzell cum Kurt Wagner (of Lambchop) tone. It helps, as well, that Travis has stuck with his traditionalist country sound, not keying into the auto-tuned "pop with a twang" sound that's taken the place of dobros and snare brushes in recent years. All in all, he's one of country music's most beloved defenders, and this is your chance to catch him serenade and strut.

Having spent years fronting thrash and doom metal acts in Louisiana, Dax Riggs has come into his own, spearheading the successful, garage duo of Deadboy and the Elephantmen while nurturing his own solo career, a swampy amalgamation of Jack White, Beck and Nick Cave, for lack of better touchstones. While Deadboy is no longer, Dax's still on the road with his glammed-up, psych-swollen take on roots-rock, singing about the devil, cigarettes and graveyards. Time will tell whether this crossroads will be Dax's final destination or if it's just another stop in his long, weird drive through disparate genres. His newest album, "Say Goodnight to the World," is set to be released next Tuesday on Fat Possum Records. Badhand opens.

Nashville has a tradition of separating the singer from the songwriting. Whether you want to point to George Jones moaning about having to record "He Stopped Loving Her Today" until it became his signature hit or the army of songwriters behind Kenny Chesney's musical juggernaut, the fact is country music, new and old, has been built on made-to-order material. But Eric Church, a singer/songwriter and country music hit-maker who will make a stop on Friday at the Riverfest Amphitheatre with Luke Bryan, sees a new generation of Nashville talent coming along. Songs like "Two Pink Lines," a funny yet bracing song about a pregnancy test, and "Lightning," about a man facing the electric chair, have helped Church build up a small but fierce fan base. He claims that when he signed with Capitol that he was able to set his own terms, one of those being to not worry about what songs are going to be hits. "Before you didn't see kids in college wearing country T-shirts," says Church, "but today you see them wearing shirts with country artists. That is a change." Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for the 6:30 p.m. show. Luke Bryan, Randy Houser and Whiskey Myers (who play the afterparty at Revolution, as well) provide support.

CURREN$Y
8 p.m., The Village. $15 adv., $20 d.o.s.

According to our estimates, Curren$y released upwards of a gajillion mixtapes before he dropped his first proper, studio album last month: "Pilot Talk," one of the best rap albums of the year. (Pitchfork Media agreed this morning, giving it their "Best New Music" tag, a gold standard in the blogosphere.) After spending his 20s jumping around his native New Orleans' biggest rap labels (No Limit and Young Money/Cash Money), landing on the cover of XXL Magazine solely on the strength of his mixtapes, and releasing two instant slack-rap classics in "Elevator Musik" and "Breakfast," the rapper's now putting his work out properly with the help of diamond-studded rap label, Roc-A-Fella. His is a relatively mellow sound, not made for bedrooms or dance floors, but for tracing plumes of weed smoke through everyday monotony and, in a way, showing the familiar in a new light. When he talks about his "inkpen sneezin' " or "downloading an updated NBA roster" over a bossa-nova sample, it's like an indie-rap "Curb Your Enthusiasm." While a lot of rappers seem to pop and then quickly fade from the spotlight, Curren$y has years and years of proved staying power behind him and enough chill "What? Me worry?" charisma to make us think he'll be around for a while. He's supported by a whole pack of emcees, including progressive rapper XV, the buzzy Kevin Jack and locals E-Dubb, Joe Average, 4x4 Crew and Flame.

SWEET EAGLE/THE SEE/THE WICKED GOOD
9:30 p.m., Sticky Fingerz. $6.

Sweet Eagle. Live sightings of the still-new supergroup are a rarity around town. The group's young, but a consistent mind-blower, already churning out future classics like the loud-quiet-loud "Die with the Radio On." The See should be no stranger to anyone in town. They're workhogs, constantly gigging and spreading their infectious indie-rock fight songs to anyone who can holler along. (We understand they're debuting a handful of new tracks for this show, as well.) If any local outfit deserves its own Guitar Hero song-pack, it's them. Finally, The Wicked Good, aside from being one of the best named bands in town, is a riff-heavy, bar-rocking four-piece, made up of long-time Pulaski County chiefs of loud garage — David Slade (American Princes, Magic Hassle), Corey Bacon (Smoke Up Johnny), Jon Rice (Smoke Up Johnny) and Micah Fitzhugh (Moving Front). In spite of only having played as many shows as I can count on my two thumbs, the band already has its own (really nice) T-shirt and a strong buzz.

Long story short, if you're a tenderfoot to the noise around town, consider this a must-see crash course in the local soundtrack.

PRONOIA: THE FULL SPECTRUM HUMAN
10 a.m., Byrd's Adventure Center, Ozark. $65.

The weekend festivals in Northwest Arkansas show no sign of slowing down, do they? This weekend brings the second year of Pronoia, described by organizers as "litter-free, synergistic, synchronistic weekend of great music focused on community, sustainability, art, spirituality and education." With trails ready to be hiked and, water levels and weather pending, plenty of floating and kayaking available around Mulberry Mountain, it's a ready-made trip for the woodsy. Oh, and the festival is packed with tons of music, too. Gift of Gab, one half of hip-hop greats Blackalicious, headlines alongside jam outfit Spoonfed Tribe and the psych-glitch electronica of Heyoka. Arkansas acts abound as well, with boogie-woogie folkies Damn Bullets, the brass-laced funk jam of 1 Oz. Jig, instrumentalists Echo Canyon and a slew of DJs including Cool Shoes regulars Wolf-E-Wolf and Shawn Lee. Get more information on the three-day festival at www.myspace.com/pronoiafest.

• Whiskey Myers

FRIDAY 7/30

July's installment of Cool Shoes brings DJs Shawn Lee, Risky Biz and Deeter to Downtown Music Hall, 10 p.m., $5 regular, $8 under 21.

Vino's brings in Chicago-based, '80s-pop-infused punkers The Moves; local psychobillies Josh the Devil and the Sinners provide support, 7 p.m., $8.

Ryan Couron shuffles his spurs down to Benton for a show at Denton's Trotline, 9 p.m.

Pulse Night Club offers up a local DJ showcase with sets by DJs Michael Shane, Joe Holmes, Cameron Holifield, Platinumb and more, 8 p.m.

After Eric Church wraps up at the Riverfest Amphitheatre, Revolution handles the after-party duties with Whiskey Myers taking stage at 9 p.m., $5.

The Afterthought trades in jazz for party rock as Tragikly White takes over the club, 9 p.m., $7.

SATURDAY 7/31

George's Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville celebrates the Grateful Dead's late mastermind with their annual Jerry Garcia Birthday Bash, featuring music by long-lived northwest Arkansas jam band Mountain of Venus, 8 p.m., $8.

The Arkansas Queen takes to the river to the tunes of reggae and hip-hop with the "All White Affair" boat cruise, 10 p.m., $25.

For the club kids, Discovery brings in Michael Shane to the disco, Stephen to the lobby and Maya Montana and Whitney Paige to the theater, 10 p.m., $10.

Little Rock cover band Typhoid Mary brings its femme-fronted act to Sticky Fingerz, 9 p.m., $5.

Dirty-mouthed, New York City-based Lucky Bitch headlines White Water Tavern; garage rockers Magic Hassle and songwriter Adam Faucett provide support, 10 p.m., $5.

• Jim Mize

Sticky Fingerz rustles up a couple of country-rock acts with Willie Stradlin (one part Willie Nelson, one part Izzy Stradlin) and the Cody Ives Band, 9 p.m., $5.

Bluegrass act Faril Simpson and the Lollie Bottom Boys adds a little storytelling to its pickin' and grinnin' at Conway's Faulkner County Library, 7 p.m., free.

100.3 The Edge brings a night of post-grunge rockers to Juanita's with St. Louis' Cavo; extreme skiing icon Matt Reardon's band, Black Sunshine; nu-metal five-piece Brookroyal, and Miami's Atom Smash, 9 p.m. $15.

Fogerty fans, heads up: Creedence Again, the premiere Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band, choogles down to Hot Springs for a show at Oaklawn, 7:30 p.m., $15.