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• What would Lincoln listen to?

Tonight is set for the return of Live Karaoke Band to Cowboy Monkey, which was a longstanding Thursday last winter before the venue closed for revamping. LKB moved to the Highdive but is now back to the more intimate atmosphere of the Monkey. For the uninitiated, LKB is just what the name says. You’ve got two members of the Brat Pack and one from X-Krush right there backing you onstage. This isn’t your older brother’s karaoke. You pick from a list of more than 300 songs spanning the last half-century and sing it with a real band. Yes, the lyrics are provided, as are strands of beads for your time. Cover for the evening is five bucks, and the band encourages you to get there early to sign up for a spot. The show will kick off at 10 p.m. Check out http://ivekaraokeband.com for a song list and more info.

A special musical event is scheduled for the Virginia Theatre this Friday. Granny’s Porch: Lincoln and His Music: Melodies that Moved the Man and the Nation will feature several local artists playing old-timey music that harkens back to the era of Lincoln, the heyday of the Grand Ole Opry and pure-as-snow family entertainment. Acts scheduled include: Jordan Kaye of the Prairie Dogs; the Bow-Dacious String Band; Boneyard Creek Cloggers; Oberon, the Possum King; The 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Band; Deborah Hyland; Tom and Matt Turino, and hosts Gary O’Brien and Marlys Scarbrough. Amidst the music, there will also be tales of life in the 19th century. Tickets for reserved seating are available now at the Virginia box office at $15 ($10 for students, and $5 for children). The fun starts at 7:30 p.m. Top hats and period clothing optional but encouraged (by me).

Over at Cowboy Monkey, you can catch a show featuring two touring acts from Memphis sandwiched between two great locals. Brother/sister duo Hathaways, with a recently released EP under their belts and a plan to head to South America to tour in 2009, will kick off the show with their smart harmonies and catchy guitar/charango interplay. Grace Askew is set to play a solo set in the second position, bringing her sensible pop songs with a soul influence. Check out http://myspace.com/gaskew for more info. Up third is a full-band set from Jamie Randolph and the Bloodsuckers, packing a bit more of a folk edge with the rock. I’m hoping that the girl singing harmonies on the recording is along for the trip because there is some nice interplay there. Look up http://myspace.com/jamiesolo to hear for yourself. Last up is a headlining set from, following some almost nailed down acts, the ever popular and powerful TBA, who are certainly to blow you away with their rock prowess.

So Long Forgotten is back this week with a show at the Canopy Club alongside another popular DIY touring act with much MySpace love, Colour Revolt. The Oxford, Miss., band (on Fat Possum Records) will be wrapping up a tour of the East Coast and Canada here in Urbana before heading home. The songs at http://myspace.com/colourrevolt are solid and catchy, and Paste Magazine and Daytrotter have taken notice, so I’d say it’s worth hitting up the Canopy on Sunday at 8 p.m. and dropping the 10 bucks. The cover will also get you sets from So Long Forgotten (extremely tight local band with a massive touring record) and Decatur’s Greenwood.

Next Wednesday, Campustown will be dominated by all sorts of ridiculous rock, as Vvvvv will play the Canopy Club. The former falsetto-packed cover band is now a falsetto-packed original band and will be playing with Golden Quality at 9 p.m. with a low cover.

Over at Boltini Lounge, DJ LEGTWO (Larry Gates/Curb Service) will continue his weekly residency spinning old soul and funk, along with the best of new indie hip-hop — no R&B, as previously printed here by a columnist who can never remember what the hell is actually supposed to fit into any of those categories. Either way, it’s frustrating for me to be DJing ’90s music at Soma at the same time since I can’t catch the awesome sets Larry lays down starting at 9 p.m.

Mike Ingram can be reached at forgottenwords@gmail.com or by checking out one of his many decade-specific residencies as DJ mingram.