The Rooster's Wife brings talent with a local connection, and talent from far away this Saturday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m. as Polecat Creek returns.

Kari Sickenberger will have her parents from Seven Lakes in the audience, while Laurelyn Dossett will bring a following from Greensboro.

On Saturday afternoon, Polecat Creek will lead a harmony singing workshop. All levels are welcome for lunch and the workshop. Call (910) 585-1614 to register.

Polecat Creek started small, much like the Piedmont North Carolina stream that bears its name. In the mid 1990s, Kari Sickenberger and Laurelyn Dossett, both natives of the South, were living in the Greensboro area. Through some mutual friends, they ended up in a book club together. A guitar standing in the corner of Kari's apartment led to an evening of harmony singing - Carter Family songs and some early Gillian Welch. They haven't stopped singing since. The two started writing their own songs and eventually formed the roots duo known as Polecat Creek.

Winners of the neo-traditional contest at the 2006 Appalachian String Band Festival, Polecat Creek has featured many fine musicians over the years. The most recent addition, fiddler Natalya Weinstein, joined after coming south to Asheville and moving in next door to Sickenberger. She adds her heartbreaking fiddle to current Polecat Creek shows.

David Jacobs-Strain, who hails from Oregon, will open the evening. He brings his special brand of the blues to the gallery at Poplar Knight Spot for the first time.

He found his first musical home in the Delta blues. This young roots musician channels age-old wisdom and heartache with such energy and passion that you can't help but feel good, even about feeling bad. You also wonder how one man with one acoustic guitar can rival the sonic density of a jam band.

"I really like getting a big acoustic guitar sound - not loud but with a lot of depth and space. It's all about having the flexibility to convey all different kinds of emotion," he says.

In his mid-20s, Jacobs-Strain is already a veteran of the national club and festival circuit. In 2008 he was chosen by Boz Scaggs to be the opener for his tour. He has also shared the stage with T-Bone Burnett, Bob Weir, Los Lobos, Lucinda Williams, Taj Mahal, Etta James, Dave Mason, and the Blind Boys of Alabama. His festival credits include the Strawberry Music Festival, MerleFest, the Lugano Blues to Bop Festival in Switzerland, the Newport Folk Festival, the Telluride Blues Fest, the Vancouver Folk Festival and the Montreal Jazz Festival.

Admission is $12 in advance, and $15 at the door with cash or check. Tickets are available online at theroosterswife.org .

Poplar Knight Spot is totally accessible with parking adjacent to the building at 114 Knight St. in downtown Aberdeen. Tickets may be purchased online through the website, or at the door with cash or check. Children under 12 are always free at the Rooster's Wife events, furthering the mission of building community through the arts.

For more information and the complete schedule,visit www.theroosterswife.org or call (910) 944-7502 for more information.