When you’re married to one of the world’s most recognizable movie stars, you’ve got to have a pretty healthy ego. That would certainly explain the pairing of KEITH URBAN AND CARRIE UNDERWOOD. Sure, Urban’s been a high-profile country music luminary for most of this decade, but “American Idol” winner Underwood’s career has been on fire since her saucy hit single “Before He Cheats” made her a bona fide superstar—anyone who follows her onstage had better be pretty damn comfortable in his skintight jeans. The pair performs two shows this week, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 24 and Friday, April 25 at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. Tickets are $49.50 and $75. 404-240-6400. www.gwinnettcenter.com.

What better way to recognize Atlanta’s signature beer—and Earth Day—than with a weekend festival? That’s right, man, it’s time for the SWEETWATER 420 FEST, which pours into Candler Park Saturday, April 19 and Sunday, April 20. Drink in the sounds of Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Outformation, Erica Newell with Dubconscious, the Last Waltz Ensemble, Entropy, Captain Soularcat, Uncle Joe’s Medicine Show, Sun Toucher, Mama’s Love, Kingrat and Steve Coffey & the Rockin’ Pontoons. Oh, and there’s beer, too. Admission is free; a wristband for ages 21 and up is $5. For more information, tap into www.sweetwater420fest.com.

She may not quite be “The Best Damn Thing,” as the title of her 2007 CD boasts, but punky pop princess AVRIL LAVIGNE can be fun—in a catchy, 23-going-on-16 kind of way. Whether you’re a fan of punchy manifestos like “Girlfriend,” the Alanis Morissette-isms of “Complicated” or mushy power ballads like “Keep Holding On,” her Friday night concert at Philips Arena (April 18) has what you’re looking for—and lots of cute pop-rock snarls, to boot. 7 p.m. 
404-249-6400. www.philipsarena.com.

Sometimes making a charitable contribution can be as easy as having a good time. Take the inaugural SHIMON PRESENTS: FOR-A-CAUSE, which features music from Ike Stubblefield, Grant Green Jr., Jeff Coffin, Jeff Sipe, Oteil Burbridge and Atlanta’s own Bishop Don, as well as a silent auction, snacks and beer from Sweetwater and Terrapin breweries. All proceeds benefit the Georgia chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17 in the King Room at the Avatar Events building in Midtown. Tickets are $30. www.shimonpresents.com.

If you’re part of the college-age glasses-and-Birkenstocks brigade, you’re faced with a terrible dilemma tomorrow night (Monday, April 14). Do you go see whispery, hirsute singer-songwriter IRON & WINE (with opener Califone) at Variety Playhouse, or adventurous indie-rockers SPOON (with the Walkmen and White Rabbits) at Center Stage? The answer, most likely, is neither, since both shows are sold out—although there’s always scalpers and ticket-brokering Web sites.

www.variety-playhouse.com. 
www.centerstage-atlanta.com.

While modern dance troupes like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater expose audiences to different cultures, few promise to bridge the gap between the formal world of “The Nutcracker” and hip-hop like the Atlanta Ballet’s BIG.

This unusual collaboration with OutKast’s Antwan “Big Boi” Patton” promises a unique fusion of ballet moves and music from a number of Atlanta-based artists including Janelle Monáe, Sleepy Brown, Scar and the group Konkrete. Tickets are $25-$125. April 10-13 at the Fox Theatre. 404-817-8700. www.atlantaballet.com.

He’s the American Gangster who turned a “Hard-Knock Life” into an empire; she’s the queen of inner turmoil on R&B/hip-hop albums like last year’s “Growing Pains” and the 2001 classic “No More Drama.”

MARY J. BLIGE & JAY-Z: HEART OF THE CITY brings the two superstars, with more than 70 million record sales between them, to Philips Arena on Tuesday, April 8. Hey, it’s gotta be a better pairing than Jay-Z’s outing with R. Kelly awhile back. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $49.75, $89.75, $150.75 and $300. 404-249-6400. www.philipsarena.com.

Remember when it was no big deal to catch Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, maybe playing with Soul Miner’s Daughter or Billy Pilgrim at intimate local venues? Man, how times have changed. Nowadays you’ve got to shell out big bucks to see SUGARLAND on some big-ticket tour, and probably get stuck in some arena’s nosebleed section. Not this week: For two nights only—tonight, Thursday, April 3 and tomorrow, Friday, April 4—the hit country music duo kicks off its latest tour in the comfy environs of the Fox Theatre. Tickets are $35-$45. 404-817-8700. www.foxtheatre.org.

Fresh off her turn in the highly touted ABC TV-movie “Raisin in the Sun,” four-time Tony Award-winner AUDRA MCDONALD takes the stage tonight. The singer and actress (“Private Practice”) is a dynamic performer, drawing from show tunes, standards and composers like Randy Newman, Neil Young and even John Mayer. 5 p.m. tonight at the Ferst Center for the Arts. Tickets are $40 and $50. 404-894-9600. www.ferstcenter.gatech.edu.

And are you between the ages of 7 and 17? Then get thee to the interactive CAMP JAM READY-SET-ROCK TOUR. The event includes a music clinic with Derek St. Holmes (former vocalist for Ted Nugent), a “Guitar Hero III” competition and a best rock solo contest. 11 a.m. today at Sam Ash Music in Marietta; noon March 20 at Guitar Center in Lawrenceville; and 3 p.m. March 30 at Guitar Center in Atlanta. 1-800-513-0930. www.campjam.com.