Local

After months of preparation and recording, Deviant’s much anticipated CD release party is finally here. 35″ Mudder, Mr. Plow and American Head Charge are joining the all-ages celebration Saturday night. Cover is $6.

Check out the live action and grab Deviant’s new disc hot off the presses for $10 at People’s Bar and Grill from 4 to 9 p.m.

Regional

In case you need a good excuse to drive to Iowa City besides hitting the bars, Iowa natives House of Large Sizes will be playing at Gabe’s this Friday.

The veteran hard rockers, who just released a live album, will also appear in Ames on Feb. 19, with opener Manplanet at People’s Bar and Grill.

Veteran soft rockers, the Cowboy Junkies, will appear at the Hoyt Sherman Theater Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. in celebration of their recently-released, “Rarities, B-Sides and Slow, Sad Waltzes.”

Tickets are currently available through Ticketmaster and the Hoyt Sherman box office for $23.50.

National

Chris Cornell begins a 23-city tour this Friday in Portland, Ore.

Members of Eleven will be joining Cornell on the road in addition to musicians that appeared on his solo debut, “Euphoria Morning.”

Cornell will be stopping mostly at coastal cities but will perform in the Midwest on Feb. 14 in Kansas City, Mo. at the Uptown Theater.

He’ll also be in St. Louis at the American Theater on Feb. 15, followed the next day by a stop in Columbia, Mo. at the Blue Note.

John Scofield is also about to embark on a national tour. He made it through Iowa last year with a stop at the Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines but unfortunately won’t be anywhere in the Midwest for his upcoming tour.

The funk/jazz guitarist/composer’s tour is in support of his upcoming release, “Bump” which is due out March 14 on Verve Records.

“Bump” is the follow up to his 1998 CD, “A Go Go,” which was a collaboration with Medeski, Martin and Wood.

Scofield invited bassist Chris Wood of Medeski, Martin and Wood back to appear on the new album in addition to some new recruits, including acoustic bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Kenny Wollesen of Sex Mob, keyboard sampler Mark De Gli Antoni of Soul Coughing and drummer Eric Kalb and percussionist Johnny Durkin of Deep Banana Blackout.

The CD also includes digital photographs and a behind-the-scenes peak at the Bump recording sessions.

Later this month, Elliott Smith will be setting off on a short U.S. journey to promote his yet-to-be-titled release on DreamWorks Records, scheduled to hit stores this May.

The tour begins Feb. 20 in Washington, D.C. and will conclude March 1 in San Francisco.

Although he won’t be stopping through Iowa, you can get your Smith fix with his recently released single, “Happiness.”