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• Denison Witmer’s crazy rider requests revealed

Lovers of all musical styles or even rock fans looking for something new are in for a treat tonight; the Iron Post in downtown Urbana is playing host for a set from renowned accordionist Morris Ardoin. The Ardoin family is often hailed as the first family in Creole and Zydeco music, largely based on the legend of patriarch accordionist Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin, Morris’s father. Morris has carved out his own legend, though, and he ventures out of the New Orleans area once a year to take his Creole/Zydeco stylings right to the people in their own cities. Thursday, Dec. 4, he will be joined at the Iron Post by local Creole enthusiast Dennis Stroughmatt (the two have shared the stage many times) on the fiddle, Jennifer Stroughmatt on guitar and percussion and Robert Krumm on guitar. It will certainly be a night of real New Orleans music centered around one of that region’s favorite sons. The show starts at 7 p.m., and you can expect a cover of three or five bucks.

Here's where the problem comes along. There are some other great options tonight. If you're feeling frisky and not quite so broke with gas prices finally looking normal (and you didn't trample anyone to death to spend a bunch of money on Black Friday—a day with a name that makes more sense than some realize), you could feasibly hit something else up after the early show at the Post. Here's what I'd suggest:

It doesn’t happen often, so take note of the solo set from Headlights’ lady Erin Fein tonight at the Courtyard Café. Fein is set to open for Denison Witmer, along with local act Sunset Stallion (apparently one of Witmer’s rider requests is to be surrounded by ridiculously attractive lady singers) starting at about 8 p.m. and carrying a cover of only $3 for students ($5 for the rest). This stripped-down show will hopefully mean less sound headaches for show-goers who, you know, actually want to hear everything happening onstage — crazy? Maybe, but I don’t think so — and the chance to hear Erin Fein in a solo set singing songs that maybe haven’t yet (or never will) make it to the Headlights’ live set is something that should always be a priority. Hey, look, you can talk about the Courtyard Café without insultingly talking about other venues!

But no, it gets tougher. Those aren’t your only choices. The Embassy Tavern (also in downtown Urbana) is hosting a night of jazz from one of the area’s most talented bands, Jazz Sandwich (8 p.m., $TBA), and Zorba’s jazz night is being filled by the Craig Russo Group (Latin influence) (9:30 p.m., $3). And JoBu continues to seem more like a local band with another show at the Canopy Club (with Groovatron) (9 p.m., $6).

Getting onto Friday — Mike ’n Molly’s will be hosting a night put together by Nic Dillon of Casados, entitled White Elephant Song Exchange. The night has a slight holiday theme, including the suggestion for show-goers to wear terrible/ugly holiday sweaters. Casados will play, along with Elsinore frontman Ryan Groff, Bloomington-area songwriter Peter Adriel and Indianapolis act Lovely Houses. Lovely Houses is a welcome addition to the bill, not having played Champaign in over a year, and bringing along honest writing, rockin’ dreads and a solid voice in a one-man-with-a-full-band-name situation. 9 p.m. start and a $7 cover await you.

Casados stay busy playing the next night at Courtyard Café with the double-team supreme of David Bazan (witty singer/songwriter from Pedro the Lion and Headphones) and moody indie rockers Starflyer 59. Another $3/$5 situation, so bring your student ID. The show is at 9 p.m.

Feeling more like a marathon show for a good cause? Well, Saturday brings one of those as well. Cowboy Monkey is set to host a show benefiting local radio station WRFU 104.5FM. Starting at 6 p.m., a slew of local acts will roll out short sets to support the community station situated in downtown Urbana. RFU (Radio Free Urbana) is looking to raise money to help purchase a new (and permanent) tower for broadcasting. Check out radiofreeurbana.org for more information on the station and its programming. As for the show, you can catch acts like New Ruins, Krukid, Eleni Moraites, Golden Quality, Common Loon, the Duke of Uke, Turinos and many more. The $4 cover gets you in and out all night long in case you’re show-hopping elsewhere.

Writers in the Round doesn’t really have any sort of regularity or backing these days, but occasionally some silly singer/songwriters think it would be a good idea to sit onstage together and play some songs in a round format. When no one shows up, the songwriters all vow that they’ve learned their lesson, but they have not. And so, on Sunday, an assemblage of such musicians will step onto the Iron Post’s stage at 7 p.m. Angie Heaton (Parasol Records’ main in-store lady), Eleni Moraites and the Delta Kings’Cody Sokolski are on tap, along with this writer, who will once again step into the uncomfortable situation of pretending to be a real original musician. Four bucks lets you see what unfolds.