There’s a concert going on at the barn-red home of two of the area’s most passionately driven promoters of good music: Marty Boratin and Susan Tanner. This time around they’re bringing Canadian alt-country songstress Carolyn Mark (who you may know from her work with Neko Case in the Corn Sisters). Smart, funny and sincere, Mark’s music is at once bluegrass-folksy and torch song-classy. Plus, Roger Bryan (of Old Sweethearts fame) will be opening. The show starts at 8pm on Friday (Oct. 12), and feel free to bring a dish to share around 6pm at this BYOB event. Well-behaved dogs and children are welcome. Call 812-4671 for more details.

Bing & the Bingtones are coming to Buffalo! Former native Buffalonian “Bing” Richard Collora and his band mates have re-energized the Big Brass sounds of yesterday, and come to Club Infinity on Saturday (Oct. 12). The occasion is a fundraising concert to benefit the Joe Lang Foundation, which is raising money to revamp the Eggertsville Community Youth Center Gymnasium. The concert, called “A Night For Putting Kids First,” is in honor of the late Joe Lang, favorite bartender at Coles and Bings, friend to the community and Little League coach extraordinaire. Opening the show are the O’Connell & Company Cabaret Singers starting around 8pm, and the closing party will feature the Reflex 80s Pop Show.

Niagara University’s Fall 2007 Live Music Series will feature the Fluttr Effect and the Wynne Band this Friday (Oct. 12). Fluttr Effect (pictured) started in 2002 with Troy Kidwell on guitar and vocals, Jason Marchionna on drums, Vessela Stoyanova on MIDI marimba, and Valerie Thompson on electric cello. Their music has been described as haunting and unrelenting rock. The Wynne Band recently won the 2007 International Online Battle of the Bands competition from Zbands with their guitar wizardry and world-beat drums, fusing rock, jazz, blues, Latin and African. Wynne combines the talents and influences of Corey Kertzie, Peter Vogt, Jamie Holka, Chuck DeRose, and Jim Wynne, all natives of WNY. The show is from 8-11pm in the “Under the Taps” Club in the Lower Level Gallagher Center.

Over the last couple of decades, PJ Barbalato has hugged more than a million people—a conservative estimate. Serving as the doorman at Nietzsche’s, PJ has greeted more happy music fans than anyone else in town. Starting at 2pm this Sunday (Oct. 14) at Nietzsche’s, a long list of local music luminaries will be adding their names to the bill at a benefit for PJ, who is battling cancer. The Allen Street Jazz Band, the Thirds, the Pine Dogs, John & Mary, Outer Circle Orchestra, Ann Philippone, the Great Train Robbery, the Fibs, the Tails, Miss Vicky, and the Steam Donkeys will all turn out. Another twist will occur the night before, on Saturday (Oct. 13) also at Nietzsche’s, when an historically accurate version of the Steam Donkeys (pictured above, in 1997) throw a 40th Birthday Bash for then-drummer Joe Kross (second from left). That party starts at 10pm.

French-Canadian singer/songwriter Geneviève Castrée, otherwise known as Woelv, will perform at Rust Belt Books on Sunday (Oct. 14), starting at 8pm. A French-speaker originally from Québec, Geneviève was inspired as a teenager by notorious British bands like Subhuman and Crass. In her own (translated) words: “I would write songs about obscene things, and I was the singer because I couldn’t play guitar fast enough.” Over the years she’s gotten more directed and measured, singing songs about foreign policy and general complacency. Her drawings and comics have been published in Drawn & Quarterly and her visual art is the subject of a show currently running at a gallery in Tokyo. Joining Woelv at the show are local performers Jax Deluca and Al Larsen.

When Drive By Truckers caused a splash among fans and critics alike with their brand of updated southern rock, much attention was paid to the songwriting of newcomer Jason Isbell. So powerful was his writing that many fans perceived songs such as “Outfit” and “Danko/Manuel” as being the centerpieces of the albums from which they came. Because Isbell was only allotted one or two songs per album, it’s no surprise that he had stockpiled enough songs for a potential solo album. After recording his debut, Sirens Of The Ditch, Isbell parted ways with the Truckers to concentrate on his own project. His debut is a remarkable blend of rock, power-pop and folk. It’s a truly stunning record that holds much promise for the future. Jason Isbell performs at Mohawk Place on Wednesday, (Oct. 17) at 8pm. Opening are the Whigs and the Old Sweethearts.