Acoustic Guitar

The Big Hurt Hometown -- Kent Island and Baltimore Current members --Billy Martin, vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica; Will Sutton, guitar; Tim Johnson, bass; Jamie Kelley, drums; Matt Costello, percussion; Frank Kanady, turntables; Bob Akins, guitar and bass Founded in --2004 Style --A mix of rock, reggae, acid jazz, drum and bass and Go-Go Influenced by --311, Sublime, Soul Coughing, Incubus, Bob Marley Notable --The band's first album, Lessons,...

She's quirky. A real free spirit. Plays a mean guitar. Even has two nose-piercings. And if you're game, she'll entertain your kids this weekend. Really. She may not be Barney, but kids' performer Laurie Berkner has become one of the hottest commodities on the kids-music market these days. Berkner will present her wild and unique brand of entertainment for the young set (up to age 10) Saturday in Eldersburg and Sunday in Pikesville. Performing well-crafted songs - catchy, humorous lyrics and inventive guitar-playing - Berkner offers a 45-50 minute show of pure and simple fun. No flash, no costumes and no props.

Hometown -- Baltimore Current members --Burke Sampson, electric guitar; Nick Sjostrom, electric bass; E.J. Shaul-Thompson, drums; Caleb Stine, acoustic guitar and vocals; Andy Stack, upright bass; Jenn Wasner, vocals. Founded in --2005 Style --indie folk rock Influenced by --Hank Williams Sr., Townes Van Zandt, the Carter family, Graham Parsons Notable --The group recently recorded a pair of songs for a short EP called Come Back Home. One is "Flame in My Heart," a George Jones cover, and the other is an original.

Hometown: Baltimore Current members: Martin O'Malley, vocals, acoustic guitar, songwriter; Jared Denhard, harp, highland pipe, trombone; Jamie Wilson, drums; Ralph Reinoldi, guitar; Jim Eagan, fiddle; Sean McCominskey, button accordion; Pete Miller, bass. Founded in: 1988 Style: Traditional and contemporary Irish music Influenced by: Shane MacGowan Notable: It's the mayor's band. Quotable: Jared Denhard on being in the mayor's band: "People often assume that we must work for the city."

The catastrophes hit West Coast indie rockers Rogue Wave one after the other. Former member Evan Farrell died after a house fire, multi-instrumentalist Pat Spurgeon battled kidney failure and the rigors of dialysis, and front man Zach Rogue separated two discs in his neck, leaving him bedridden for months. In the face of it all, Rogue Wave responded with "Permalight," its fourth and most upbeat album yet. Even the darker songs -- of which there are a few -- have a sense of urgency and enthusiasm that makes them sound ever so uplifting.

Nowadays, any aspiring musician can grab an acoustic guitar, plop in front of a computer, hit record and upload a performance - cover, original or something unidentifiable - to the Internet. That's what Kina Grannis did as a student at the University of Southern California. The main difference between her and the thousands of other artists hoping to get on was Grannis' video won a Doritos contest that led to her "Message From Your Heart" clip being played during a Super Bowl ad. After such a massive introduction, Grannis, who plays Baltimore Soundstage on Friday, signed with Interscope Records, essentially putting use for her social science degree on hold.

Matthew Santos exists in two pop worlds. For Top 40 listeners, Santos is the hookman on Lupe Fiasco's 2007 hit "Superstar. " The other is a grayish folk area, which showcases the soft-and-loud dynamics of the Minneapolis singer-songwriter. He has the ability to thrive in both: "Superstar" is charming for one reason and it's not Lupe Fiasco. On "Burning Up," Santos' latest single, he takes a driving beat and a pounding acoustic guitar and kneeds it into something affirming and urgent.

When:Thursday, Oct. 4, 8 p.m.Where: Shriver Hall, the Johns Hopkins Universityckets: $17.50Call: 481-6000When Suzanne Vega wrote "Tom's Diner," almost four years ago, what she had in mind was something low-key and atmospheric, "a sort of Truffaut, 'Don't Shoot the Piano Player' feel," she says. "Like a 1962 black-and-white French film score, with an out-of-tune piano tinkling away in a corner."That's what I was thinking. But I don't play piano, so that's why there's no piano in the actual recording of it."

Orioles fans, you can probably relate to this. I was sent a link to an excellent video summing up what it has been like to be an Orioles fan over the past 13 years, and it comes in the form of an acoustic parody of "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails. In the video, which can be found on FoxSports.com , a guy named Bernie busts out the acoustic guitar and belts out lines such as "A crushing losing streak goes on and on, it never ends" and "Any kind of hope will be gone after spring.