Grab a red magic marker and scribble this on your refrigerator door: "Raising the Roof 6, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, at the Sunrise Theater -- tickets are $20 and are available at the Country Bookshop, the Wine Cellar, Java Bean Plantation, Nature's Own, the Given Memorial Library, and at the box office before the show."

And you might slap an asterisk next to that sentence just to remind yourself to pick up your tickets early. In the past, Raising the Roof has been a sellout.

And it's little wonder when you consider the talent that's graced the Sunrise stage for the annual fundraiser: Craig Fuller of Pure Prairie League and Little Feat fame; Jimmy Jones who penned and sang "Handy Man"; the Randy Hughes Band; Danny and June Infantino; Bland Simpson of the Red Clay Ramblers; Tampa Blue and friends; the Inner-Faith Chorale; The Bufmeyers; Pure Prairie League (the entire band); and a slew of other talented folk.

This year's Raising the Roof will include an entirely new lineup of local talent.

Patrick Fuller is a student at The O'Neal School. Twice during the last year I caught his performance at the Rams Head in Annapolis, Md. He sat in with his father's band, Pure Prairie League, and played lead guitar on a tune or two, including the classic "Amie." I swear to you, the kid's got it -- a natural knack for kicking back on the electric and playing his heart out. And he's fearless! You'll want to catch this up-and-comer so you can say you were there way back when.

If you haven't heard the McKenzie Brothers, you're in for a sweet treat. These guys are a hoot. And they've been playing the Sandhills and all points on the compass for years, so they have a large following. If you need a good laugh and you want to hear some great music, the McKenzies are your boys.

The Java Mules are a five-piece Old Time String Band with an eclectic flare and a strong Appalachian influence. Their songs range from creative renditions of 1920s fiddle tunes and traditional old time songs, to country blues, and even original songs with the flavor of the old mountain life.

They play in a variety of venues, from churches to theaters to bars. The band comes with an array of instruments and three vocalists to accommodate the lively variety of tunes. Dancing, stompin', and hollerin' are always encouraged!

The Joyner Marie Young have also been banging it out for years. In the 1970s, Danny Young and Bill Joyner hooked up in the Greenville area where they were performing as solo acts or with other bands.

A few years later, they added female vocalist Marie Grimsley and, as they say, the rest is history. In one of various arrangements, the band produced a CD and one of the songs, "Live the Blues" went to number one for four weeks on King Curtis' Beach Club. Later they appeared at the Cammys, the beach music equivalent of the Grammys. They have a new CD, "Full Circle."

Baxter Clement is a local boy who's been hanging around the music all his life. He studied guitar with Danny Infantino, picked up a music degree at Vanderbilt and formed a rock band in New York. Baxter is back home now, playing in the area and teaching guitar in his new studio on Broad Street. He knows his stuff.

The four members of the Close Chorders quartet auditioned before the members of Sandhills Harmony Chorus on April 6.

They passed the audition process and performed in public for the first time at the Dogwood Festival in Fayetteville on April 28, and they've been performing ever since. Sue Myers is tenor. Kay Stone sings lead. Sue Joseph sings baritone, and Joan Smith is bass. All are members of a new Sweet Adelines chapter.

And (gulp!) there's rumor that a dog that plays the piano and sings might show up. So get your tickets.

Stephen Smith can be reached at travisses@hotmail.com.