Tim Eriksen's hardcore Americana sound is a tightrope walk balancing tradition and innovation, and he's walked that walk accurately enough that he's shared stages with both Doc Watson and Kurt Cobain, and recorded with both Ralph Stanley and Jack White. He combines hair-raising vocals with fiddle, banjo, guitar, and bajo sexto, alternating stripped-down story songs with quirky originals. Tim cut his teeth playing hardcore punk at New York's notorious CBGB and getting a degree in South Indian classical music (veena and voice), all the while honing his "northern roots" Americana style and mining local library archives, junk sales, and obscure field recordings for gems of old American song. He was a member of the seminal folk- noise band Cordelia's Dad and appeared on the "Cold Mountain" soundtrack. A Tim Eriksen set may draw on the power of New England murder ballads, stark shape- note tunes, love songs, and/or Irish and southern Appalachian sounds. The Downriver Detroit downhome band Bill Bynum & Co. opens tonight's concert.