Ben Folds, whose collaboration record with Nick Hornby, Lonely Avenue, is set for a September 28 Nonesuch release, performs tonight in Kansas City, Missouri's City Market as part of KRBZ's annual Buzz Under the Stars concert series. Additional performers include the Silversun Pickups, Against Me!, and Devo. On Saturday, Folds takes part in Churchill Downs' HullabaLOU Music Festival in Louisville, Kentucky, performing a late afternoon set on the Budweiser Stage.
 
Folds will be speaking with Tom and Alex of Australia's Triple J radio station on Monday morning's popular Breakfast program. Fans in Australia can tune in shortly after 7 AM on Monday; for folks tuning in online around the world at abc.net.au, that's Sunday night at 10 PM GMT and 5 PM EST.

---

David Robertson leads the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in the Australian premiere performances of John Adams's Doctor Atomic Symphony at the Sydney Opera House all week and through the weekend. Robertson led the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra in the first recording of the piece, released on Nonesuch last year and available in the Nonesuch Store. Also on the Syndey program are Chopin's Second Piano Concerto and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5.

---

Fresh off their Tuesday performance on The Tonight Show, The Black Keys kick off their extensive North American tour with a show tonight at the CMAC Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua, New York, as special guests of the Flaming Lips. On Saturday, the band returns to their home state of Ohio for a show at Cleveland's Nautica Pavilion, with support from Dan Auerbach's frequent collaborator and fellow Ohio native Jessica Lea Mayfield. Following Monday's appearance in Washington, DC, the band plays three sold-out New York City shows, including two at Central Park's SummerStage, next week. Time Out New York has named the three New York shows the Top Live Show of the week.
 
---
 
Shawn Colvin performs Saturday at the Copper Pavilion in Copper Mountain, Colorado, as part of Copper Mountain's weekly Saturday Concert Series.
 
---

Marlboro Music's summer concert season, which began last weekend, under the artistic direction of Richard Goode and Mitsuko Uchida, continues this Saturday and Sunday. The Barre-Montpelier Times Argus says the performances "reflect the best of what is happening in America’s classical music world ... Marlboro’s performances are not only an opportunity to hear tomorrow’s classical music stars, they’re a great musical experience." For ticket information, visit marlboromusic.org.

---

Gidon Kremer continues to perform at the 2010 Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in Kuhmo, Finland, where he has been since Wednesday. On Friday, Kremer's chamber ensemble, Kremerata Baltica, performs twice: a morning appearance at the Kuhmo Church followed by a late performance at the Kuhmo Arts Centre. On Saturday morning, Kremer performs at the Kontio School, with Khatia Buniatishvili on piano and Giedre Dirvanauskaite on cello, followed by two later performances by Kremerata Baltica at the Kuhmo Arts Centre.
 
---

The Low Anthem, which kicked off its summer tour last weekend, continues its string of shows along the East Coast this weekend with four performances in three days. First up are three shows in Virginia: tonight at the Jefferson Theatre in Charlottesville, with Anaïs Mitchell & the Honey Dew Drops opening, then two sets on Saturday as part of the annual FloydFest in Floyd, with an afternoon show at the Workshop Porch followed by a later set at the Hill Holler stage. On Sunday, The Low Anthem travels up to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for a show at the Abbey Bar at Appalachian Brewing Company. The band will follow up with performances in New York, New Jersey, and Vermont next week.
 
---

As noted earlier today in the Nonesuch Journal, Audra McDonald performs in the Aspen Music Festival Season Benefit in Aspen, Colorado, on Saturday, with a performance in the Harris Concert Hall followed by an intimate dinner on stage at the Benedict Music Tent.

---
 
Continuing her tour through the Midwest, Natalie Merchant travels to Wisconsin tonight, performing at Milwaukee's Riverside Theater. On Saturday, she appears at the O'Shaughnessy in Minneapolis, in a performance presented by the theater's Women of Substance Series. Merchant will continue her Leave Your Sleep tour with a sold-out show in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Monday.
 
---

The Pat Metheny Group brings its European tour to a close with three final shows this weekend. Following its Thursday show in Italy, the group remains in the country to perform at the Piazza San Marco in Venice tonight. They travel to the French Riviera on Saturday to participate in the Nice Jazz Festival, performing on the Jardin Stage. On Sunday, the group continues southwest to Porta Ferrada, Spain, to close out the tour with an appearance at the Festival International de la Porta Ferrada. Pat Metheny will return to the States for an additional round of performances of music from his latest Nonesuch release, Orchestrion, in October.
 
---

Youssou N'Dour makes two festival appearances in France this weekend. Tonight, he takes part in Mèze's Festival de Thau, performing at Sur le Port, and on Sunday, he closes out the Festival de Cornouaille in Quimper, performing at the Espace Gradlon.

---
 
Punch Brothers continue their summer tour with consecutive shows at the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska, tonight and Saturday. Next week, the group meets up with Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers once again for a show in Madison, Wisconin.

---
 
Rokia Traoré appears Sunday in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, helping to bring the 10th annual Festival of World Cultures to a close with a free performance on the Newtownsmith Main Stage.