It’s the first Friday of the month, which means one-man band Big Jon Short provides an evening of blues at The Porch Southern Fare & Juke Joint at River’s Edge. Armed with foot percussion, a National Reso-phonic Guitar and Lowebow cigar-box reso-hillharp, Short’s high-energy performances tap into the heart of the songs, regional styles, and folklore of the blues and its importance to American music.

Free admission, but a dinner reservation is required.