Sing praises! Outdoor festivals

Courtesy Vibe 100-FM

Doug E. Fresh

Courtesy Vibe 100-FM

Angie Stone

Courtesy thescottmiller.com

Scott Miller

Courtesy Ed Schwartz

The Sauerkraut Band

First, the weather. Kevin Myatt, the Roanoke Times copy editor/meteorological guru says while there might be the slightest chance of a Saturday afternoon shower, an all-day washout is not in the forecast. And sure enough, Wednesday's National Weather Service forecast agrees. It predicts "partly sunny" skies with a high of about 77.

Two weekends back, storms soaked three outdoor festivals in the valleys. So it's nice to hope the forecast for this weekend is correct, because once again, three outdoor festivals — the Henry Street Heritage Festival, The Wine Trail of Botetourt County Summer Concert Series and Martin's Oktoberfest — are on deck.

Find the breakdowns on Page 7

Henry Street Heritage Festival

With Doug. E. Fresh, Angie Stone, The Dazz Band, Plunky & Oneness

Doug E. Fresh is the original human beatbox and originator of "the Dougie" dance. His first act, the Get Fresh Crew, included a rapper who would become famous as Slick Rick. Get Fresh Crew's "The Show" and "La Di Da Di" are etched in hip-hop history. Later the Fresh track "I-ight" kicked off with "heeeeeey-O! i-ight!" before Fresh — "the last survivor/the hip-hop MacGyver" — made an ode to the booty and other subjects.

Angie Stone, who grew up singing in a South Carolina Baptist church, is a rap pioneer, too, having been a part of Sequence, an act signed to the old Sugar Hill Records (not the bluegrass label) in the early 1980s. She went on to write songs with and sing backup for Richmond's own D'Angelo before getting into a solo career that produced two gold records, "Black Diamond" and "Mahogany Soul." Maybe you only know Stone from VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club," but the woman can sing.

The Dazz Band made marks in the 1980s with the incredibly funky "Let It Whip" and the robot-disco, bass-thumping "Joystick."

J. Plunky Branch, a saxophonist, songwriter and producer, brings his funky jazz act, Plunky & Oneness. In his early career, Branch played avant-garde jazz with the likes of Pharaoh Sanders (with whom he played flute) and Hamiett Bluiett.

Also on the bill — afternoon shows including Elmer Coles Funktet, former Roanoke Sammy "Poochie" Staples with Next Level Band, Gospel Inspirations and the annual Roanoke's Got Talent competition. The latter will feature comedy, dancing and poetry along with rappers and singers.

Details: Noon (see showtimes at blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch). Elmwood Park, Roanoke. $10 before 5 p.m., $15 after 5 p.m.; $5 before 5 p.m., $10 after 5 p.m. for ages 7-20; free all day to ages 6 and younger. harrisonmuseum.com, vibe100.com, twitter.com/RealDougEFresh, angiestonemusic.com

The Wine Trail of Botetourt County Summer Concert Series

With Scott Miller, My Radio, Groova Scape

Scott Miller, a Shenandoah Valley native who made his name while living in Knoxville, Tenn., recently returned to live in his native valley. He is one of Americana music's strongest songwriters, and he keeps people laughing between songs, too. Miller's band, The Commonwealth, rocks hard, but it rarely makes the trip with Miller to Roanoke, so this will include more bashing than the usual Miller show around here. A good reference point is the band's live album, "Reconstruction."

Roanoke pop-rock band My Radio got some national attention when its "Yeah Yeah Yeah" made movie and TV soundtracks. The band's upcoming CD is scheduled for a Nov. 27 release, and an East Coast tour will follow, according to the band's Tumblr.com page.

Another Roanoke act, Groova Scape, is fueled by Brittany Sparks' powerful vocals and Henry Lazenby's cutting, blues-inflected guitar work.

Details: 3 p.m. Daleville Town Center Music Pavilion, Daleville. $20 advance; $25 gate; $18 to designated drivers; free to children 12 and younger. botetourtwinetrail.com/concert.html, thescottmiller.com, myradioband.com, reverbnation.com/groovascape

Martin's Oktoberfest

With The Sauerkraut Band, The Materia Project, Funk Punch, Shorefire, Ben Trout Band

Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill has such a jump on Oktoberfest that it's doing it in September. Talk about planning ahead. This one even features The Sauerkraut Band, a New River Valley act revered for its lederhosen and oompaliciousness.

The Sauerkraut Band will play outside on Martin's temporarily expanded sidewalk, as you chug beers and sup on sausages. Indoors, the action will lean more toward American rock, featuring a kegful of Big Lick bands.

Details: 3 p.m. Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, Roanoke. Free. 985-6278, martinsdowntown.com, sauerkrautband.com, reverbnation.com/themateriaproject, funkpunch.org

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