Local

“Saturday night’s all right for fightin’,” so Elton John’s song goes, but at the M-Shop it’s an even better night for hearing some high energy blues and roots rock. The Erick Hovey Band makes his shop debut at 9 p.m. for a mere $3.

Regional

Peter Mayer’s favorite season is bringing a new album along with the changing leaf colors. “Million Year Mind” is the first project he and his wife financed independently.

“We have created our own label, Blue Boat, and are very happy to now own all of my recordings,” he said in a press release.

The 11-song album will be complimented with a fall tour.

Mayer played at the Octagon last fall with local musician BeJae Fleming and he returns to Ames to perform with her again, this time at the Moon Cookie Cafe, located at the Unitarian Church on Hyland Avenue. The concert is scheduled for Oct. 30.

National

One of the founding Pumpkins has just been smashed. Smashing Pumpkins bassist D’arcy Wretzky announced her departure from the band she’s been playing with since 1989, according to MTV News.

With or without Wretzky, the Smashing Pumpkins will rock on. Virgin Records will release their hopefully more “Adore-able” new album on Feb. 15 of next year, a press release said.

In other Pumpkins news, Billy Corgan and James Iha are teaming up with a star-studded cast of musicians for the Bridge School Benefit Concert.

Neil Young, the concert’s founder, will unite returning acts Pearl Jam and Crosby, Stills & Nash, in addition to the two Pumpkins. First timers for the annual benefit include Sheryl Crow, Green Day, Lucinda Williams and Brian Wilson, according to MTV News.

The traditionally all-acoustic event has in the past included such wacky performances as Sonic Youth and Ministry each performing unplugged and the Pumpkins rocking with Marilyn Manson and Twiggy Ramirez.

The concert will be held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in San Fransisco on Oct. 30 and 31. For more information head to www.shoreline-amd.com.

Depeche Mode’s videos of the ’80s and ’90s will soon be available to those with high-tech home entertainment system. The two-hour DVD collection, “Depeche Mode — The Videos 86-98,” is set for release Oct. 5, according to a Warner Reprise press release.

The VHS version was released last year and is still available for those of us who are DVD-deprived.