By Charlene Arsenault

• There's talent out in the small towns: That's one of the messages organizers are trying to show with this Sunday's all-ages show at the Knights of Columbus in Auburn. With a mixed genre set, it includes It Was the Best of Times from Carolina, R.I., a female-fronted Indie rock act. Mercy Fades plays metal hardcore. Megafauna plays indie rock led by a melodic piano and synth, mixed with catchy guitar and rifts. Lifedown, from Putnam, Conn., does it up metal-style, a la Pantera and Alice in Chains. As for With Eyes Closed, drummer Kyle Morin says they're “sometimes heavy, sometimes melodic and sometimes punk-ish.”

The show starts at 6 p.m. and runs until 11 p.m., and it's $5 at the door. There will also be a bar available for a 21-plus ID.

• Flat-picking for free: Phip Wheelock has been playing the guitar for more than 30 years, and he's the master of the finger-picking style. This well-known musician does workshops for The Boston Bluegrass Union and also plays with a variety of local bands. This Saturday, May 3, he's leading a workshop at 2 p.m. at Mockingbird Music in Berlin. All levels are welcome. Visit www.mockingbirdmusic.com.

• A new Down Under presentation: On months that include five weekends, and that includes May, PACC in Webster is hosting “band night.” This Saturday, it's Sudden Urge, The B&E Band, Time is Tight and Deck ‘O Squares. The PACC, which is on Harris Street, also hosts a full band open mic every third Saturday of the month. Call 508-943-9716 for details.

• The place to be: Thursday, May 1, is Worcester Magazine's Turtle Boy Music Awards night, taking over Green Street (and beyond) with more than 25 bands in nine venues. Starting at 6:30 p.m., catch many of the winners of this year's awards at The Dive Bar, The Lucky Dog, Creegan's, The Tara Pub, Block 5, Bocado, The Hotel Vernon, Nick's and The Grey Hound Pub. Sponsored by Ernie Boch Jr.'s Music Drives Us, a compilation CD will be for sale in some of the venues featuring many of these winning acts. Look out for T-shirts and picks, too, as well as drink and food specials along the street.

• Club notes: On Friday, Entrain headlines Tammany; Fergus returns to The Fiddler's Green; Little Big Wheel headlines The Hotel Vernon; Jason James is tearing it up at The Blue Plate in Holden; On Saturday, The Curtain Society and The Rectangle Club are at The Lucky Dog Music Hall; Bill McCarthy's back singing at The Blackstone Tap; Grand Evolution rocks Boston Billiards; Jorge Luis Grullon / El Canon de la Bachata plays at CafÇ Fantastique; The Cosby Sweaters strum through hits of the '80s at The Galway Bay; and Can't Kill Katie and Hoodrat team up at The Vernon. Friday and Saturday night, Ralph's hosts the 30th anniversary of Wormtown, with lots of the bands that started it all (read the story on page 15).

We want to hear about it. All of it. The horrors. The stories. The music news. E-mail Charlene at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 508-749-3166, ext. 245. Add cookiewomag to your buddy list, too, to chat live during the workday.