Music 3: George Jones at Hemmens, modern country in Aurora

The old country

If you like your country music traditional, but never conventional, there's no beating George Jones, who's back on tour at the comparatively intimate Hemmens Cultural Center. He's sure to play hits from "White Lightning" to "The Grand Tour" to "He Stopped Loving Her Today," and he still sings like nobody else.

"An Evening With George Jones" takes place at 8 p.m. today, Friday, Sept. 4, at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. Tickets range from $45 to $55, available by calling (847) 931-5900 or visiting hemmens.org.

The newer country

While no slouch on his own merits, Randy Travis is a little more modern and, yes, a little more conventional than Jones, but by adding a few rock licks to his country music he's tapped into a larger audience, and he too is one of the country all-timers.

Randy Travis plays at 8 p.m. today, Friday, Sept. 4, at the Paramount Theater, 8 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. Tickets range from $48.50 to $65, available by calling (630) 896-6666 or visiting paramountaurora.com.

Do call it a comeback

Former teen sensation Britney Spears is back on tour trying to revive her career after motherhood and a deluge of bad publicity in the tabloids. Tickets still max out at more than $500 with fees, so it's not as if she's not confident she can draw a crowd.

Britney Spears plays at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont. Tickets range from $39.50 to $495, available by calling (800) 745-3000 or visiting ticketmaster.com, or avoid fees at the box office.