Music notes: Arcada hosts guitar wizard Robert Cray

Blues master

Robert Cray, a guitar wizard and recent inductee into the Blues Hall of Fame, will make a stop this weekend in the suburbs. Cray began playing the blues in the late 1970s, but he hit it big with his 1986 record, “Strong Persuader,” which brought him huge acclaim from both the blues and pop/rock sides of the aisle. He's continued making his own records since, and he's also been a frequent collaborator, working with such luminaries as Eric Clapton and the late John Lee Hooker.

8 p.m. Friday, June 1, at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. $39 to $69. Go to oshows.com.

Instrumental interlude

Sonny Landreth, the Louisiana-born slide-guitar maestro, has just released his new album — an instrumental titled “Elemental Journey.” The record features musical explorations of recent events in the Gulf region he calls home, events like Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. Landreth will perform for two nights in the Western suburbs, and he'll be joined Saturday by Sammy Llanas, former singer-songwriter for the BoDeans.

9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 1 and 2, at Fitzgerald's, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn. $25 each show. Go to fitzgeraldsnightclub.com.

Another 'Riot'

The official start to summer is just around the corner, so why would anyone start thinking about fall? Because that's when Riot Fest, the annual celebration of punk rock, hits Chicago. And because this year's lineup includes Alkaline Trio from McHenry, Elvis Costello, Iggy and the Stooges, The Descendents and many more. And because this year, for the first time ever, much of the event will take place outdoors in Humboldt Park. And finally, because tickets to this September festival are bound to go quickly. Don't get left behind.

Riot Fest takes place September 14-16 at the Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, and at Humboldt Park, located at the corner of Division Street and California Avenue. For a full lineup and ticket info, go to riotfest.org.