By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia Group

Clint Black

Clint Black

Friday, Nov. 18, 2011

The country crooner with the most electric smile is heading back to Eastern Iowa. We loved him in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids in the ’90s and in Cedar Falls, Monticello and Moline in the past decade. He’s written, recorded and released more than 100 songs and sold a whopping 20 million albums, leaving behind a happy trail of hits and awards. His 1989 triple-platinum album “Killing Time” helped lead the charge of neotraditionalists on the country music scene. He has so many hits he has to have two “greatest hits” collections, featuring such chart-toppers as “Put Yourself in My Shoes,” “One Emotion” and a couple of duets with his actress-wife, Lisa Hartman Black. He shines so brightly, no wonder he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He can light up our corner of the world any time.

Clint Black: 8 p.m. Friday (11/18/11), Riverside Casino Event Center, 3184 Highway 22, Riverside; $40 and $45; http://tickets.riversidecasinoandresort.com

Greg Brown

Greg Brown

Friday, Nov. 18, 2011

He comes home often and is welcomed with open arms each time. Greg Brown — with roots running deep in Iowa City and even deeper in his beloved “Hacklebarney” corner in rural Van Buren County — will bring his musical sophistication wrapped in a prickly, poetic patchwork to the Englert on Friday. He defines the Iowa Sound through the rootsy folk ways that earned him a regular gig on “A Prairie Home Companion,” Grammy nominations and rave reviews in Rolling Stone magazine. No doubt his 24th album, the recently released “Freak Flag,” will fuel his Iowa City concert. In addition to his nine original tunes, it also showcases music by his equally stellar family: wife Iris Dement and daughter Pieta Brown. Long may he wave.

Greg Brown: Friday (11/18/11), Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City; $25, (319) 688-2653 or www.englert.org

Kenny Loggins

Kenny Loggins

Today, Nov. 17, 2011

This is it — your chance to see the “Footloose” singer cut loose in concert. Of course, the award-winning singer/songwriter has even more music under his fingers than Kevin Bacon and Kenny Wormald have under their feet. Like “Your Mama Don’t Dance,” “Danny’s Song” and “The House at Pooh Corner” with Jim Messina in the ’70s; a solo Grammy in 1980 for “This is It”; and the theme songs to “Caddyshack” I and II and “Top Gun.” He’s kept right on pumping out hit albums through 2003’s “It’s About Time,” toured with Messina in 2005 and 2009, and continues to reach out to all ages, including the “Sesame Street” set. Tonight’s concert, however, will run way past their bedtime.

Kenny Loggins: 8 p.m. Thursday (11/17/11), Mississippi Moon Bar, Diamond Jo Casino, 301 Bell St., Dubuque; $30 to $65; 21 and older; (563) 690-4758, www.diamondjo.com