Contemporary soul man Anthony Hamilton plays Chastain Park Amphitheatre on Sunday, Aug. 12. Photo: Raymond Hagans

FRIDAY
Carnival Of Madness with Evanescence
Evanescence, which is primarily a vehicle for the work of frontwoman Amy Lee, added a little feminine touch to the alternative metal genre when it debuted in 2003. After one more album and a hiatus, Evanescence returned in 2011 with a self-titled album that debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart, proving there was still an audience for Lee’s goth-tinged rock balladry. The show also includes the carefully crafted rock of Chicago-based trio Chevelle — two siblings and their brother-in-law — which lands somewhere between Incubus and Tool. It’s melodic metal from the dark side. Halestorm, New Medicine and Cavo complete the bill of dark-and-stormy rock.
5 p.m. Aug. 10. $30-$75; $20 lawn. Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, 2002 Lakewood Ave. S.E., Atlanta. 404-443-5090.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY
Archers Of Loaf
Noisy North Carolina indie-rock merchants Archers of Loaf drifted apart after the 1998 album “White Trash Heroes.” They never officially called it quits, but the band members moved on to other projects, including frontman Eric Bachman’s Crooked Fingers. In early 2011, the quartet reunited for a surprise show. That lead to a full-scale tour to accompany the reissue of all four of the band’s albums.
9 p.m. Aug. 10-11. $20. The EARL, 488 Flat Shoals Ave. S.E., Atlanta. 404-522-3950.

FRIDAY
Merle Haggard
“I love everything he’s ever done, “ Emmylou Harris told me in an interview a few years ago, “but I will say that ‘Kern River’ is probably my favorite song of his.” She recorded the Haggard classic on her 2008 album, “All I Intended to Be.” She’s just one of many artists who have covered the man’s music. The revered 71-year-old troubadour (at left, photo: Myriam Santos)  has written a whole load of powerful tunes during his 40-year career, including “The Bottle Let Me Down” (which Harris also recorded), “The Fightin’ Side of Me,” “Okie From Muskogee,” “Mama Tried,” “Sing Me Back Home” and “If We Make It Through December.”
8 p.m. Aug. 10. $49.50. Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-876-5859.

SATURDAY
Roxie Watson
Though it sounds like a solo artist, Roxie Watson is actually a five-piece Atlanta-Decatur outfit that blends old-school string band music and multi-part harmonies with a touch of rock ’n roll fire. The rock part makes sense when you learn where some of these players have been. Sonia Tetlow, who is playing banjo here, played bass for Cowboy Mouth, among others, and guitarist Linda Bolley has been the drummer for Michelle Malone and the Susi French Connection.
8 p.m. Aug. 11. $18; $15 in advance. Eddie Owen Presents at the Red Clay Theatre, 3116 Main St., Duluth. 404-478-2749.

SATURDAY
Kiss 104.1 Flashback Festival: Jeffrey Osborne, Faith Evans, Morris Day, SOS Band
Osborne was in LTD (“[Every Time I Turn Around] Back in Love Again”) through most of the ’70s, but left for a solo career in 1980. Between 1982 and 1987, he had eight Top 40 hits of his own. Charismatic dandy Day leads the ever-funky and swinging the Time. If you lived through the ’80s, you know how hard it is to resist the foot-tapping charms of “Jungle Love” and “The Bird.” You’ll also get to hear Evans’ gospel-tinged powerhouse voice and the Atlanta-born SOS Band, best known for the 1980 Top 5 hit “Take Your Time (Do It Right).”
6 p.m. Aug. 11. $25-$60. Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, 2002 Lakewood Ave. S.E., Atlanta. 404-443-5000.

SATURDAY
Keb Mo, Aaron Neville
Modern blues man Keb’ Mo’ is still touring behind his 2011 album “The Reflection,” which includes collaborations with India Arie, Vince Gill and Dave Koz. He’s joined by the heavenly voice of Neville, which gives everything it touches a sweet, spiritual gleam.
8 p.m. Aug. 11. $49.50. Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-876-5859.

Il Divo brings a blend of classical and pop music to Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on Sunday, Aug. 12. Photo: Mr. Doi / Il Divo International Tours 2012

SUNDAY
Il Divo
The poperatic vocal group created by Simon Cowell joins the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for an evening that blends classical and pop music. The quartet is touring behind its fifth album, “Wicked Game,” which covers lots of stylistic ground, from a re-working of Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” titled “Dov’è l’Amore” to Roy Orbison’s “Crying.”
8 p.m. Aug. 12. $40-$125. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, 2200 Encore Parkway, Alpharetta. 404-733-5010.

SUNDAY
Anthony Hamilton
North Carolinian Hamilton does vintage Southern soul better than just about any other contemporary vocalist. Play the man’s music in the depths of the Arctic, and you’ll be transported right back to the South. You’ll soon feel the need to whip up a mess of greens, get out a fan to banish the sultry air and sip a glass of sweet tea. His latest album, the late 2011 release “Back to Love,” is another slice of soulful sensuality.
8 p.m. Aug. 12. $49.50-$59.50; $34.50 lawn. Chastain Park Amphitheatre, 4469 Stella Drive, Atlanta. 404-233-2227.

SUNDAY
Sebadoh
The lo-fi indie rockers grew out of fiery ’80s alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr. Sebadoh also spawned frontman Lou Barlow’s Folk Implosion, which scored a surprise Top 40 hit in 1996 with “Natural One.”
7 p.m. Aug. 12. $20. The EARL, 488 Flat Shoals Ave. S.E., Atlanta. 404-522-3950.

Shane Harrison, sharrison@ajc.com