When 25-year-old Ben Rice opened his mouth to sing, I did not expect to hear the voice of an old soul, belted out in the honey-haggard tone of one who has been singing for a career, but that's exactly what happened. Combine with quick-picking on the guitar (sometimes on a cigar-box guitar), throw in some resonators, and you get roots-rock-blues-Americana for the new generation. Ben Rice and the Illamatics were the Cascade Blues Association's representatives at the 2014 International Blues Challenge in Memphi, where they placed as one of the top nine finalists out of 250 acts from around the world. "I was there, and he is phenomenal," says Dee Marino, blues liaison for Maurice the Fish Records, in an email. MTFR is sponsoring the show, and if you know Tacoma music, you know these guys are some of the main veins feeding the cause, and therefore know their stuff. Enjoy.

BEN RICE AND THE ILLAMATICS, 9 p.m., Stonegate Pizza and Rum Bar, 5419 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, $7, 253.473.2255