High school English teacher by day, roots rocker by night, Erik Brandt brings both skill sets to Mother Fool's on Saturday, Feb. 17. The literate, folksy and wry St. Paul singer/songwriter and his Brandt owns an accordion and he isn't afraid to use it. He also comes on and off the keyboards and busts a big acoustic rhythm guitar. UHQ drummer Noah Riemer, also a guitarist and solid songwriter in his own right, opens for the Hillbillies Saturday. But stick around for his drum work. His beats bring out the Michael Stipe in Brandt's vocals. Brandt's music benefits from his close personal ties to the members of his quartet, much like his night life feeds from his day life. "Working with kids, there's never a boring day teaching in the inner city," he says, "and I draw from that energy to create many of my songs."