Joel Burleson from the Virginia-based band Ki:Theory used to sing opera. Now he writes pop songs.

His are delicate indie pop songs littered with righteous beats and a touch of sweet dance jams.

He tours with two other musicians, Ash Bruce on drums and Jon Schaaf on guitar.

Ki:Theory shares a bill at Mesa Theater and Club on Friday, May 9, with the band South from London, The Silver State from Brooklyn and Johnny Lloyd Rollins from Texas.

Ki:Theory use to be a heavy rock group but when the original band broke up, Burleson took the name and went another direction with the music — toward samples and music experimentation. He writes the music, records it and produces it all in his studio.

“I’ve always loved music, even as a kid,” Burleson said. “My mom use to paint a lot and listen to records and I would hang out and listen to records.”

He’s been playing the guitar since he was 12, he said, but never learned music theory or how to read notes, he plays everything by ear and writes all his songs using an acoustic guitar.

“I guess my production style is remixing my own mixes,” Burleson said.

Right now, he’s interested in doing remixes for other musicians and so far he’s worked with Queens of the Stone Age, UNKLE, Maps and DJ Sasha, he said.

Two bands he’d like to do remixes for are Radiohead and Portishead and an up and coming band called MGMT.

Some of Ki:Theory’s music has been on TV shows, four songs have played during lab scenes on “CSI.”

Burleson’s last tour was eight months ago as a solo acoustic performer. With the band, he’s out performing music off his EP “Brittle Branches.”

• The headlining band at the Mesa Theater show, South, is on tour to support its newly released album “You Are Here.”

Billboard called the track “She’s Half Crazy” off the new album, “pure art rock, except for the guitars which twist between Western twang and reggae rhythm.”

South is “ready to take on the world,” the review said.

•

E-mail Samantha Stiles at sstiles@gjds.com.

What: South, Ki:Theory, Silver State and Johnny Lloyd Rollins.
When: 9 p.m. Friday, May 9. Doors open at 8 p.m.
Where: Mesa Theater and Club, 538 Main St.
Tickets: $10. 
Info: mesatheaer.com, 241-1717.
MySpace pages: www.myspace.com/southofficial, www.myspace.com/kitheory, www.myspace.com/thesilverstate, www.myspace.com/johnnylloydrollins.