The storied Chapel Hill band Superchunk will play at the Cat's Cradle, 300 E. Main St., Carrboro, tonight. The band just last week released a new EP, 'Here's to Shutting Up!' Hammer No More the Fingers will open. Showtime is 9:30 p.m. and admission is $12.

TODAY-SATURDAY

Mamadou Diabate will perform Thursday as part of 'Sounds of Globalism,' a free world music festival this week at UNC. The festival will be at the FedEx Global Education Center, at the corner of Pittsboro and McCauley streets, on Thursday, and in Gerrard Hall on Cameron Avenue Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Each day of the festival explores folk music from a different region of the globe, featuring performances and discussions by student and professional artists. Performances begin most nights at 6:30. The festival concludes Saturday with a community jam session from 6 to 8 p.m. at Gerrard Hall. All events are free and open to the public. For schedules and more, see www.global.unc.edu.

FRIDAY

The Ackland Art Museum will hold a reception for New Currents in Contemporary Art, its annual exhibition of works by graduating students in UNC's master of fine arts program. The reception be from 6 to 8 p.m. A gallery talk with the exhibition artists is scheduled for May 8 at 6:45 p.m. The show will remain up until May 10 and is free and open to the public.

SATURDAY

The John Scofield Piety Street Band, featuring Jon Cleary, George Porter Jr. and Ricky Fataar, will play at The ArtsCenter, 300-G E. Main St., Carrboro at 8:30 p.m. The show is part of The ArtsCenter's 6th annual American Roots Series. Admission is $39 for the general public, $37 for ArtsCenter Friends. 929-2787, www.artscenterlive.org.