Back to listings   The Big Ticket Flesh Vehicle with Agent Zarkov See story. Thursday, Jan. 16, 10 p.m. Pilot Light. $5. 18+. Dikki Du and the Zydeco Crew Frontier-pushing zydeco. Friday, Jan. 17, 8 p.m. Laurel Theater. $9/$10, $8 students and seniors, $5 kids 6-12. Flashback Soul, r&b, Motown, rock, Latin and swing. Friday, Jan. 17, 5:30 p.m. KMA Alive After Five. $6, $2.50 UT students, 17 and under free. Gran Torino Local funk/r&b outfit bids its goodbyes. Friday, Jan. 17, 9 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 18, 6and 9 p.m. Blue Cats. $10. Bruce Greene with Don Pedi and Loy McWhirter Old-time fiddle-playing with lap dulcimer and vocalist. Saturday, Jan. 18, 8 p.m. Laurel Theater. $9/$10, $8 students and seniors, $5 kids 6-12. Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Guest clarinetist Richard Stoltzman plays Beethoven. Thursday and Friday, Jan. 23 and 24, 8 p.m. Tennessee Theatre. $16.50-49.50. (291-3310)

Derek Trucks Band Labeling someone a prodigy makes his or her accomplishments seem like they came easily. Derek Trucks, who has been out on the road playing music since he was 9, is a prodigy. But you can tell that his skills weren't easily won and spring more from hours upon hours with his guitar, rather than some ethereal hand. Perhaps Trucks' true gift is a willingness to put in the long hours. Regardless, he has accomplished quite a bit despite his tender years; he is now in his early 20s. His name is something of a legend in the blues rock world, and he has pretty much defined his own niche of sound, which is equal parts rock, blues, jazz, and world. Guest like Ruben Blades and the Grammy-winning Susan Tedeschi (who is also Mrs. Trucks) contribute their talents to Joyful Noise, Trucks' most recent disc. And one listen to the man himself makes you realize that hard work is not without its rewards. (Adrienne Martini) DEREK TRUCKS BAND WITH TONY FURTADO * THURSDAY, JAN. 16 * 8 P.M. * BLUE CATS * $12/$15 * 544-4300 Robinella & the CC String Band Since Robinella & the CC String Band became the property of Columbia records last year, opportunities to catch the band have become few and far between. Once upon a time, it was possible to see the little bluegrass/jazz/country/swing band on any evening that ends in "y." Between regular appearances at a smoky pub on Northshore, a swanky jazz club on Kingston Pike and a warehouse taproom in the Old City, Robinella & the CC String Band paid their respective dues throughout Knoxville since the mid-'90s. Tomorrow night Robinella and husband Cruz find themselves as the opening act for some bluegrass phenomenon named Ralph Stanley. And given Robinella's legion of swing dancing fans, I wouldn't want to be this "Ralph Stanley" and follow up Knoxville's most diverse export to date. (Clint Casey) DOWNTOWN HOEDOWN WITH RALPH STANLEY AND THE CLINCH MOUNTAIN BOYS, ROBINELLA & THE CC STRINGBAND, AND NASHVILLE BLUEGRASS BAND * FRIDAY, JAN. 17 * 7 P.M. * TENNESSEE THEATRE * $33 * 656-4444 The Dismemberment Plan When this Washington, D.C., band formed back in 1993, they were just one of many earnest, angry post-hardcore bands in that very puritan scene. In other words, there was no reason to expect greatness from them. Today, they are so much more than a good genre band. Since their 1995 debut, the humorously-titled !, the group has been moving further and further from its roots, making music that is personal and compelling. Metro Pulse contributor Matthew Everett named Change one of 2001's best albums, calling it "a brilliant conflation of pop and dance music, somewhere between the Flaming Lips and Stereolab, and just as good as either one." Frontman Travis Morrison has been praised for his hypnotic lyrics. This will be one of those nights when you thank the higher beings (or Jason and Leigh) for giving Knoxville the Pilot Light. (Joe Tarr) THE DISMEMBERMENT PLAN * FRIDAY, JAN. 17 * 10 P.M. * THE PILOT LIGHT * $8 The Eskimos With their fuzzed-up, warbly, electronically enhanced voices, random track-opening blips, and penchant for silly kiddie-TV falsettos, The Eskimos might earn comparisons to a lot of modern alternative acts. Grandaddy, Blur and Super Furry Animals come to my mind, but I'm sure your own prejudices will conjure other, equally valid associations. While the vocal lines of The Eskimos' CD Something Must Be Transmitted Somehow could benefit from a bit more melody here and there, the singing and instrumentation do meld well, creating mesmerizing loops that could suck you in for days. The Eskimos and The Fairburn Royals open for electric disco rockers VHS or Beta. (Tamar Wilner) VHS OR BETA WITH THE ESKIMOS AND THE FAIRBURN ROYALS * SATURDAY, JAN. 18 * 10 P.M. * THE PILOT LIGHT * $6