Music notes: Local Americana band Old Shoe plays Durty Nellie's

Blending styles

Chicago roots/Americana band Old Shoe makes original music by blending disparate styles like bluegrass, rock and jazz. Old Shoe has played numerous local venues and festivals throughout the Midwest, and its 2013 album “Family” was named one of the best of the year by WXRT's “Local Anesthetic” program. The band will perform in the suburbs this weekend.

9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at Durty Nellie's, 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. (Family Groove Company opens.) $12. Go to durtynellies.com.

Playin' the blues

Jimmy Nick has been turning heads in Chicago clubs with his blues-guitar work since he was a teenager. Now Nick and his band, Don't Tell Mama, are bringing their high-energy blues-rock attack to the suburbs with shows in Crystal Lake and Lombard.

Jimmy Nick & Don't Tell Mama perform at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake, and 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at Brauerhouse, 1000 N. Rohlwing Road, Lombard. Tickets are $20 at Raue Center and $7 at Brauerhouse. Go to rauecenter.org or brauerhouse.com.

Pop bliss

The Vulgar Boatmen is an odd band because it's really two bands — a recording unit based in Florida and a touring unit based in Indiana. The leaders of the two factions, Robert Ray in Florida and Dale Lawrence in Indiana, composed a series of infectious, blissful, guitar-oriented pop songs that filled two full-length records, “You And Your Sister” and “Please Panic,” in the early 1990s and a third, “Opposite Sex,” that never saw proper release in the U.S. Lawrence continues to tour with his group, which performs in the city this weekend.

9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at Schuba's Tavern, 3159 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. $12. Go to lh-st.com.

Other concerts

Geneva School District's Faculty Benefit Recital and Reception: 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at Geneva United Methodist Church, 211 Hamilton St., Geneva. After the performance, a reception offers an array of treats. Admission is $5 per person or $15 per family. All proceeds benefit the Geneva Music Boosters Scholarship Fund. For information, visit genevamusicboosters.org.

“The Elvis Tribute Artist Spectacular”: 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. Elvis Presley tribute artists including Shawn Klush, Cody Ray Slaughter and Ryan Pelton perform. $29.50-$49.50. hemmens.org.

Kashmir with “A Led Zeppelin Experience”: 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. Rock; Led Zeppelin tribute band. $29-$39. (630) 962-7000 or oshows.com.

February Sky: 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 102 S. Second St., Geneva. Folk, original songs, traditional ballads and Celtic tunes. Free. (630) 232-2350 or genevaparks.org.

Jimmy Nick: 8:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. R&B, rock. $15-$20. rauecenter.org.

Kory Quinn Band and Donnie Biggins: 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at FitzGerald's, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn. Americana, folk and more. $8. fitzgeraldsnightclub.com.

Tom Holland & The Shuffle Kings: 9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at Harlem Avenue Lounge, 3701 S. Harlem, Berwyn. Blues. $6. (708) 484-3610 or harlemavenuelounge.com.

Wedding Banned: 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at Austin's Fuel Room, 481 Peterson Road, Libertyville. Rock. $8. (847) 549-1972 or fuelroom.com.

The John Avila Duo: 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at The Vino Cellar, 141 W. St. Charles Road, Lombard. Classic jazz, jazz/rock, blues and more. (630) 317-7301 or thevinocellar.com.

Steve Richards with “The Elvis Presley Story”: 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln Ave., Skokie. Steve Richards takes the audience on Elvis Presley's rock 'n' roll journey from Sun Records to Las Vegas. $22. (847) 677-7761 or skokietheatre.org.

Hi Infidelity: 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at Bannerman's Sports Grill, 858 S. Route 59, Bartlett. bannermanssportsgrill.com.

Chicago Cossacks: 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Wheaton Public Library, 225 N. Cross St., Wheaton. The Chicago Cossacks, in traditional costumes and instruments, perform Russian, Ukrainian, and Russian Gypsy traditional songs and dances. Free. Get tickets at the library's checkout desk or call (630) 868-7510 or see wheatonlibrary.org.

Jazz Consortium Big Band with the Barrington High School Jazz Ensemble: 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at Durty Nellie's, 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. Jazz. $5-$10. durtynellies.com.

Chicago Harp Quartet: 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at Fermilab's Art Gallery, Wilson Hall, at Kirk Road and Pine Street, Batavia. Classical, miscellaneous. $17. (630) 840-2787 or fnal.gov.

Pianist Mark Valenti: Noon Tuesday, Jan. 13, at Aurora University's Crimi Auditorium, 407 S. Calumet Ave., Aurora. Registration is required for this free event at auartsandideas.com.

Drumming Circle: 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, at Tau Center, 26W171 Roosevelt Road, Wheaton, No drumming experience is necessary. Call ahead if you do not have an instrument and one will be provided for you. Freewill offering accepted at the door. taucenter.org.

• Information is provided by entertainment venues. Check with venue before purchasing tickets. For more concert listings visit dailyherald.com/calendar.