Oliver Gant isn't even in kindergarten yet, but he sure does have friends in high places. Young Oliver has been battling sacrococcygeal teratoma for the past year, so the local music and arts communities have been pitching in with a series of benefit shows to help out his family. The latest is "Racing the Cure," featuring an upper-echelon slice of the regional music scene playing multiple venues in downtown Raleigh on March 23. This might be the only time you'll ever see the Avett Brothers in a club around here where they're not headlining.

Tickets are $25 and allow entrance to all three clubs. They go on sale at noon today (Wednesday) at etix.com.

Kings
8:15-8:45 -- Jack the Radio
9-9:40pm -- Schooner
10-10:40 -- Filthybird
11-11:40 -- The Old Ceremony
midnight-12:25am -- Avett Brothers
12:30am -- Ivan Rosebud & JYU

Tir Na Nog
8:15-8:45pm -- Hooking Up
9-9:45 -- Hammer No More the Fingers
10-10:45 -- Whatever Brains
11-11:45 -- Lonnie Walker
midnight -- Annuals

Pour House
8:15-8:45pm -- Gross Ghost
9-9:45 -- Spider Bags
10-10:45 -- Patty Hurst Shifter
11-11:45 -- Birds of Avalon
midnight -- The Love Language

A year ago, NCSU grad Mark Saad and Chris Smith started Kinder Soles, a socially conscious flip-flop foot wear business; a portion of the proceeds from each flip flop sold is donated to Soles4Souls, a non-profit that provides gently used shoes to people domestically and internationally.

Surviving a year, during a recession?! That's a reason to celebrate. So tomorrow (Thursday, May 26), from 6 to 9 p.m., Kinder Soles is throwing a party at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh.

Sarah Hogan, 26, of Raleigh ran to the women's title and Nick Liversedge, 27, of Greensboro was the overall winner at the third annual St. Patty's Run Green 8K road race held Saturday at Moore Square in downtown Raleigh.

Hopscotch won't just go on by night, but also by day. Click through for an interview with one of the bands playing a free day party on Saturday -- a member of this year's Great Eight class, as a matter of fact.

Friday night was one of those nights when it feels like a privilege to live around these parts. In one club on downtown Raleigh's Blount Street, you had the second annual Raleigh Undercover tribute-act festival going on; and just a few doors down, you had two of the best bands in this or any other town.

As to the latter, that was Megafaun and Rosebuds, who were both in fantastic form. Rosebuds were playing their first hometown show since an overseas tour that included dates in China, and the work has tightened them up to well-oiled-machine status. And Megafaun was as wonderful as always, showing an admirable willingness to jack with their own songs to see where it takes 'em. "The Fade," transposed from jingle-jangle pure-pop to a steady rolling groove that loped along, was particularly cool.

Meanwhile, Raleigh Undercover was likewise a ton of fun, with George Harrison (by Tomahawks), Velvet Underground (The Old Ceremony) and David Bowie among those covered Friday night. Bright Young Things' rendition of glam-period Bowie was truly spectacular, perfectly conjured down to the last detail. I felt bad for The Old Ceremony, having to follow that, but they acquitted themselves well. Both shows were packed, with great energy up and down the street, and not just because all the smokers had to stand outside to get their nicotine fix (yay for the new no-smoking law!).

Lucky you, this is happening again Saturday night at both clubs -- the final night of Raleigh Undercover, plus another Rosebuds/Megafaun show (with Hammer No More the Fingers also sweetening the bill). The latter is sold out, but it might be possible to charm your way in if you hang around and show a little patience. Besides, Raleigh Undercover is only five bucks, which means you've got a perfect backup plan in place.

So head on down. It's worth braving the cold.

Like a lot of bands, I Was Totally Destroying It doubles as an occasional tribute band. But IWTDI's tribute-band alter ego is loads cooler than most. They call themselves I Was Totally Destroying U2, and they've got their target subject down perfectly -- especially frontman John Booker's conjuring of Bono's histrionics.

"I put on that stupid leather jacket and the shades, and it helps get the character going," Booker says. "I have a blast with it, and the whole thing is a lot of fun. It also helps fund I Was Totally Destroying It, which we need. We just had a crazy tour. A window got smashed out in the van."

The next I Was Totally Destroying U2 show is scheduled for Jan. 2 at Raleigh's Tir Na Nog. In the meantime, you really should catch IWTDI's original-band incarnation because the group's new album is fantastic. A fine place would be tonight at Duke Coffeehouse, as part of Durham's Troika Music Festival. See the story in Friday's paper; and for some audiovisual content, check their bit from the 2008 edition of Eight Great Local Acts or their recent Studio B performance.

ADDENDUM (3/10/10): Brazilian spot for Vivo phones.

Want to learn how to brew your own beer? You can learn tonight from 7-9pm at Tir na nOg, which is hosting a class for beginners called Homebrewing Made Simple. Co-sponsored by American Brewmaster, the class will cover basic homebrewing equipment, ingredients and recipes for various styles of beer.

Naturally, you'll need to taste those different styles, so samples will be provided. Attendees will also receive a binder filled with lots of useful info and discount coupons to the shop and pub.

Tickets are $25, and are available at Tir na nOg or American Brewmaster.

If you didn't know, I agreed to judge the 2009 Critter Cook-off at the N.C. Museum of Natural Science's annual Bugfest. The festivities are Saturday, Sept. 12. The cook-off is two days earlier. They just named the chefs who will be cooking up critters for me to taste.

There's a saying that goes: If I'm too loud for you, you're too old for me. Which is fair enough, as far as I'm concerned. Bands are free to crank it up as loud as they want, all the way to 11 and beyond. And if gets too loud for me and the earplugs I wear to try and save what's left of my hearing, I can always just leave.

But that's while the band is playing, which brings me to another pet peeve (latest in a series). Why do so many clubs insist on blaring recorded music between bands so loud as to make conversation almost impossible? Is it really necessary to force everyone in the room to shout to be heard when there isn't even a band onstage? Is that enhancing anybody's evening?

As much as I love the Local Beer/Local Band series at Raleigh's Tir Na Nog, that club has to be one of the worst offenders. Thursday night, I literally gave myself a sore throat trying to talk to a friend I hadn't seen in a while. And when I asked a waitress about turning the volume down a touch, she shrugged and said no. Which left me no recourse but to continue shouting, and to pass the word.

Which I've now done. Thanks, I feel better already.

When last seen on a local stage, the mighty Valient Thorr was covering the songs of Funkadelic at Raleigh Undercover -- which was tremendous, sure, but no substitute for the Thorr crew just being themselves. Fortunately, we'll get a taste this weekend.

In a late addition to the club's schedule, Valient Thorr will play Raleigh's Tir Na Nog Sunday night before heading out on a tour that will take the group down to Texas for South By Southwest. And who knows what wonders may await there?

ADDENDUM (2/24/09): Current TV feature.