Rock picks

Local super-fan Cy Rawls' battle against a brain tumor has been a terrible experience for him. And yet the situation has yielded a small silver lining -- it's been genuinely moving to see the local music community rally to his cause and mobilize support (see cyrawls.blogspot.com for the latest and greatest updates). It's also made for some awesome benefit shows, and one of the most awesome of the season happens tonight at Carrboro's Cat's Cradle. Superchunk, Rosebuds and Birds of Avalon will play. So go, support and look for Rawls. He was at the Aug. 17 Polvo benefit show and hopes to make it to this one, too.

If it's Labor Day weekend, that can only mean it's time for Prog Day, an annual festival in which fans and bands gather to rekindle the flame for old-school progressive rock. This year's model is the 14th annual shindig, and it kicks off tonight with Speechless and Kinetic Element at Chapel Hill's Local 506. Ain Soph, Abigail's Ghost, Secret Oyster and Mirthrandir are among the acts playing during the weekend at Storybook Farm. Check progday.com for details.

Furthermore: Colbie Caillat headlines Saturday's Carolina Hope Festival at Cary's Booth Amphitheatre (see page 10); Kingsbury Manx is back in action Sunday at Chapel Hill's Caffe Driade; and the very fine roots-rock singer/songwriter Matthew Ryan plays Thursday at Raleigh's Pour House.