Rockland — The Strand Theatre, 345 Main St., will welcome spring with an exciting series of live concerts throughout April and early May. Artists from across the country perform the very best in folk, bluegrass, roots rock and pop music.

Americana/roots-rock musician Alejandro Escovedo returns to the Strand with his band The Sensitive Boys to open with the series Wednesday, April 4, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. The legendary Texas-based singer/songwriter is a resolute voice that weathers the emotional terrain of life, its celebrations and despairs, landmines and blindsides, upheavals and beckoning distractions.

Strand fans know the Carolina Chocolate Drops, returning Thursday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25. With their 2010 Best Traditional Folk Album Grammy for “Genuine Negro Jig,” they have proved that the old-time, fiddle and banjo-based music they had so scrupulously researched and passionately performed could be a living, breathing, ever-evolving sound.

Two Maine music favorites will take the Strand stage Saturday, April 20, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22. David Mallett shares the bill with his sons Luke and Will and the Mallett Brothers Band. Singer/songwriter David Mallett, is one of America’s true original troubadours and has performed in clubs, concert halls and festivals across the country and around the world. The Mallett Brothers Band is an alt-country/rock band from Portland that draws from an array of influences including rock ‘n’ roll, folk, blues, bluegrass, neo-traditional and classic country and even punk.

Since skyrocketing to stardom as the winner of the 2009 season of “American Idol,” Kris Allen, performing Friday, April 26, at 7:30 p.m. ($20) has enjoyed five singles on the Billboard charts. His self-titled debut album featured his hit single "Live Like We're Dying," which has a combined digital sales of more than 1.7 million. Since the release of his album, he has toured with Keith Urban, Maroon 5, Barenaked Ladies and Lifehouse, as well as headlining his own club tour.

The Steep Canyon Rangers, 2013 Grammy Award-winners of Best Bluegrass Album for “Nobody Knows You,” will perform Saturday, May 4, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 in advance and will be $25 day of show. Steep Canyon Rangers bring Bluegrass to music lovers across the United States and across the globe with smooth vocals, smart songwriting, ferocious instrumentals and jaw-dropping harmony. While headlining festivals like MerleFest and Bonnaroo alongside Steve Martin, the Rangers also continue to perform as a quintet on stages such as Telluride, RockyGrass and “A Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keillor. Recent television appearances by Steve Martin with Steep Canyon Rangers include “Late Night With David Letterman,” “The Colbert Report” and “Austin City Limits.”

All shows are general admission and tickets are on sale now. Media sponsorship of the 2013 spring live concert series is provided by Maine Magazine. For tickets and more information, visit rocklandstrand.com or call 594-0070, ext. 3.

Courier Publications’ A&E Editor Dagney C. Ernest can be reached at (207) 594-4401, ext. 115 or dernest@courierpublicationsllc.com.

Carolina Chocolate Drops