Concert

Rap radio's reigning king Drake will bring his "Club Paradise" tour to Verizon Center on May 25, it was announced today. J. Cole, Waka Flocka Flame, Meek Mill, French Montana and 2 Chainz will join the Young Money rapper. For many fans, a headlining Drake show is enough incentive to grab a ticket, especially coming off the critical and commercial success of his last album, "Take Care. " But this line-up includes some of hip-hop's most promising rappers, giving this edition of "Club Paradise" the potential to be one of the best concerts of the year.

The Heavenly Handbells of Trinity Lutheran Church, North Bethesda, will join the JoyBells of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church for a combined handbell concert on Sunday, June 3 at 6 p.m. at 7607 Sandy Spring Road. Many of the concert selections were performed at the Area III Festival of the Handbell Ringers of America in Ocean City in March. A freewill offering will be taken and a reception follows the concert. Call 301-725-1666.

A Pikesville church is planning a concert fundraiser for earthquake-ravaged Haiti Saturday. Wisconsin singer-songwriter L.J. Booth will headline the show at New Hope Community Church, with local Doug Alan Wilcox opening. Doors will open at 7 p.m. Saturday for a wine and cheese reception; the concert follows at 8. The show is part of the Stone Songs concert series at New Hope's historic Stone Chapel, located at 18 Stone Chapel Lane off Reisterstown Road in Pikesville. Tickets are $20; all proceeds will benefit the work in Haiti of World Relief, the Baltimore-based relief and development agency of the National Association of Evangelicals.

Members of the 1960s band The Runabouts will once again rock in their hometown on Saturday, May 19, at the Havre de Grace Community Center. All members from the final lineup of The Runabouts will perform: Jim Skrivanek, Joe Pascuzzi, Don Laye, Lew Rothlisberger, Dennis Trimble, Mike Lynch, Ed Kelly and Tom Vincenti. The Runabouts, Then and Now 2012, will also feature guest appearances by musicians from other popular bands of the era including The Monterays, The Rogues, Soul Expedition, Congressional Rock, Orange Wedge, The Cautions, Dr. Soul and the Interns, State of Mind, The Epics, Jamtrax and others.

Beers at large-scale concert venues aren't cheap. Depending on the place, a cold one can run you close to $10. We compared the cost and size of a Budweiser draft at three local music spots. Here is what we found: Merriweather Post Pavilion: A 24-ounce draft Bud will run you $8 at the wooded amphitheater. It's a quarter more than 1st Mariner Arena, but it's also the only even price on our list. The other concession stands will give you back a quarter or two. 1st Mariner Arena: Old arena, contemporary prices: Here, a 24-ounce draft Budweiser costs $7.75, which is about the same as Merriweather.

Members of the 1960s band The Runabouts will once again rock in their hometown on Saturday, May 19, at the Havre de Grace Community Center. All members from the final lineup of The Runabouts will perform: Jim Skrivanek, Joe Pascuzzi, Don Laye, Lew Rothlisberger, Dennis Trimble, Mike Lynch, Ed Kelly and Tom Vincenti. The Runabouts, Then and Now 2012, will also feature guest appearances by musicians from other popular bands of the era including The Monterays, The Rogues, Soul Expedition, Congressional Rock, Orange Wedge, The Cautions, Dr. Soul and the Interns, State of Mind, The Epics, Jamtrax and others.

Wednesday's U2 concert at M&T Bank Stadium is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Drivers should expect heavy downtown traffic during the two hours before and after the show, said city transit spokeswoman Kathy Chopper. Officials are encouraging concertgoers to take light rail or other public transportation to the venue, Chopper said. Those who plan to drive may pre-purchase an on-site parking pass at the stadium ticket office for $35. Drivers who do not have pre-purchased parking passes will not be allowed to park in stadium lots and will have to use nearby downtown parking garages.

Religion notices 'Let the Earth Be Glad' - A concert tour of sacred music of the Carpathian Mountains, Thu., Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m., St. Gregory of Nyssa Church, 12420 Old Gunpowder Road Spur, Beltsville. Performed by The seminary choir of The Blessed Paul Gojdich Seminary, Presov, Slovakia. Selections from the Divine Liturgy, with Eucharistic, Marian, Lenten, Paschal and Christmas hymns; Church Slavonic with Prostopinije chant; and choral arrangements. Open to public.

Justin Bieber might have postponed a performance this past Sunday because of illness, but the teen sensation is still set to play the Maryland State Fair this weekend, organizers said. Concert promoter Paul Manna, who booked Bieber to perform Sunday at the Timonium fairgrounds, said he's not too worried about a Bieber cancellation. "If this were the day before our show, I would be a lot more concerned than I am now," Manna said. "It's a bit concerning, but I can't control these things.

Jimmy Buffett's concert Saturday night at Jiffy Lube Live has been postponed over concern about Hurricane Irene, which is already making its presence felt on the Eastern Shore. The band Journey has also postponed its Sunday night concert at the same venue because of the hurricane's threat. The 9:30 Club in Washington has also moved a concert and birthday party for godfather of go-go Chuck Brown to Sunday night. The three are just the latest live music events affected by the hurricane.

Summer camps Glen Mar United Methodist Church will hold one-week summer camp sessions June 18 through July 27 at the church, 4701 New Cut Road. Sessions are for those who will be 4 years old by June 1 through children now in fifth grade. Registration and information: 410-465-4995, ext. 212, or go to glenmarumc.org. Around town Blood pressure screenings Stop in from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays at the Ellicott City Senior Center for free blood pressure readings by a registered nurse.

Our Savior Lutheran Church, 13611 Laurel Bowie Road, will present "A Little Night Music," a mini concert of handbells, strings, men's quartet and vocalists, on Sunday, May 6 at 7 p.m. A free-will offering will be taken to support the pastors' discretionary fund and to help obtain a diabetic service dog for a public school music teacher. For information, call 301-776-7670.

People have wristbands to declare their affiliation and support of different groups or causes -- think "Livestrong", the yellow wristband campaign by cyclist Lance Armstrong that raises cancer awareness. But if you wear a new wristband designed by Baltimore's MissionTix, what affiliation are you declaring? I'll tell you: Your right to par-tay in da' club. The new wristband is a wearable and re-usable "ticket" for concerts that you want to attend. Users can just buy new tickets and their wristband gets "re-charged.

Spring concerts The choirs of Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church are in concert at 8 p.m. Friday, May 4, and 3 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at 611 Baltimore-Annapolis Blvd. in Severna Park. Child care is available from 7:45 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Friday and 2:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Saturday. Concerts are free, but a ticket is required. Go to woodschurch.org, print tickets and bring them to the concert or come to the church office. Tickets will be available until the supply runs out. Bible study Greater Crofton Reformed Orthodox Presbyterian Church holds a weekly study class focusing on 2 Corinthians at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Cross Roads School House, 1358 Millersville Road, Millersville.

Finally, a no-brainer. Kicking of Merriweather Post Pavilion's season, the Sweetlife Food and Music Festival boasts an eclectic, solid lineup of established acts and rising talents. In chronological order, here are the five acts I suggest finding time for on Saturday: Action Bronson (12:25 p.m., Treehouse) Before heading over to the main stage for Fun., check out a few songs from this Albanian-American star-in-waiting. If you like raps about high-end food, left-field pop references and other atypical topics for hip-hop, Action Bronson will make your day. His latest mixtape, "Blue Chips,"  is an intoxicatingly fresh listen.

A traveling EDM festival might have seemed like a far-fetched notion, but Live Nation's IDentity is returning this year, with a show planned at Jiffy Lube Live again. The festival, which last year attracted big-timer Kaskade, back when when he didn't headline arenas, and Hercules and Love Affair, consists of genre stars - this year it's Wolfgang Gartner, Nero, and Paul Van Dyk, among others - taking turns at the turntables for several hours before an arena crowd. Kaskade, presumably, was busy with his own arena tour . Live Nation did not disclose last year's attendance numbers with Billboard, which ran the press release . Nice detail: "IDENTITY's sponsors include Rockstar Energy Drink, Emazing Lights, Slurpee, TIGI Bedhead, and Lifestyle Condoms.

Paul Wilbur, a Messianic praise and worship musician, performs in concert Sunday, April 15 at 11 a.m. at The Tabernacle Church, 11601 South Laurel Drive. For information, call the church at 301-490-3838.

Joe and Elana Byrd chose the snug back room of 49 West Coffeehouse and Cafe to hold last weekend's tribute concert to Jim Lester, a longtime Annapolis musician who enjoyed playing there. Lester died April 27 in Hingham, Mass., from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) at age 82. The warm ambience and intimate listening space were ideal for the concert, which featured Lester's musician friends Robert Redd on piano, John Jenson on trombone and Brooks Tegler on drums, along with vocalist Sue Matthews and guest trumpeter Dick Glass.

Celebrate the spirit as "Dancing Hearts" presents "Classical Rocks," Sunday, April 22 at 7 p.m. at Resurrection Church, 3315 Greencastle Road, in Burtonsville. Enjoy works such as Aaron Copland's evocative Duo, Scott Joplin's irresistible Rags and the soulful tango music of Astor Piazzolla. The program features flutist Karen Johnson, pianist Carlos-Cesar Rodriguez and percussionist John Kilkenny. Concert is part of the Living Arts Concert Series. A reception follows the concert.

For some people, the concert news of the day has already run, and no one's gonna top it. They'll read these names below and say, Are any of these guys VAN HALEN ??? Do they wear shiny leather pants and vaguely Middle Eastern scarves and a pinstripe vest and also a belt buckle bigger than Mitt Romney's head? Are they responsible for “RUNNING WITH THE DEVIIIIIIL!!”? Ok, no. For everyone else, here's the other concert news of the day: To raise money for the experimental music festival High Zero, Matmos's Drew Daniel, Dan Deacon and Schwarz will play DJ sets at the H&H Building's 5th Dimension April 27. Leprechaun Catering and  John Berndt's Multiphonic Choir will also perform.