The Big Gigs: 10 top concerts to see in the Twin Cities this week

The folk, bluegrass and jam-band camping festival has a potent mix for its annual three-day affair in Eau Claire, Wis. Headliners are Sam Bush Band on Thursday, Greensky Bluegrass on Friday and Warren Haynes Band featuring the guitar slinger of Gov’t Mule and Allman Brothers fame on Saturday. With more than 25 artists, the lineup is deep and diverse with the likes of alt-country star Margo Price, ace picker Molly Tuttle, poetic indie-rock strummers Hurray for the Riff Raff and the soulful St. Paul & the Broken Bones as well as Minnesota’s own Charlie Parr, Molly Brandt and Pert Near Sandstone. (Thu.-Sat. Pines Music Park, 5024 Crescent Av., Eau Claire, Wis. $139 and up, blueoxmusicfestival.com)

Following a residency in their hometown of Las Vegas to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their “Hot Fuss” debut album last year, Brandon Flowers and the boys are playing a one-off underplay in St. Paul amidst a string of festivals, including venerable Summerfest in Milwaukee. At the Palace Theatre in St. Paul, it’s a private show in essence for Wells Fargo credit cardholders. But we wanted to let you know that the “Mr. Brightside” hitmakers will be coming to town in case you have a friend who scored tickets with their Wells Fargo plastic. (8 p.m. Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7th Pl., St. Paul, sold out)

After leaving San Antonio and briefly stopping in Austin — where he decided the good weather, women and weed were too plentiful to get anything done — the 20-year-old ruffian who would later write “Copperhead Road,” “The Devil’s Right Hand” and “Galway Girl” landed in Nashville and officially began his career as one of Music City’s most notorious and revered songwriters. He’s marking that occasion with his Fifty Years of Songs and Stories Tour, a solo acoustic excursion featuring a deep trove of tunes played in chronological order. And chairs, too! (7:30 p.m. Uptown Theater, 2900 Hennepin Av., Mpls., $64-$106, ticketmaster.com)

Also: Rebranded with a new moniker, Hoofbeat Country Fest, formerly known as Country Fest since 1987, features headliners Riley Green on Thursday, red hot Lainey Wilson on Friday and old pros Brooks & Dunn on Saturday along with Gretchen Wilson, Ella Langley, Tyler Hubbard, Chris Young and others (Thu.-Sat. Chippewa Valley Music Fest, Cadott, Wis., $75 and up); Lakes Jam 2025 mixes country and rock with headliners Daughtry on Thursday, Riley Green on Friday and Gary Allan on Saturday and more (Thu.-Sat. Brainerd International Raceway, $189 and up); Dr. Mambo’s Combo, the all-star Minneapolis funk-rock institution that has been playing Bunkers every Sunday since 1987, makes a rare outdoor appearance at the much-appreciated Lowertown Sounds series, with openers Purple Funk Metropolis (6-10 p.m. Mears Park, free); Liverpool’s synth-pop pioneers O.M.D. are still going strong and making new music 39 years after landing the megahit “If You Leave” via the “Pretty in Pink” soundtrack (8:30 p.m. First Avenue, $43); superstar jazz bassist Stanley Clarke wraps up his two-night stand in Minneapolis with his new jazz fusion ensemble N 4ever (6:30 & 9 p.m. the Dakota, $41.95 and up); the ever-popular Twin Cities horn-happy Belfast Cowboys led by Terry Walsh return to the Belvedere tent for an evening of Van Morrison tunes (7:30 p.m. Crooners, $37.80 and up).

Now a multicity affair after another party recently in San Francisco, the all-female hip-hop bash has taken on new relevance amid the current political climate. This weekend, it’s also taking on a Pride rallying cry and showcasing gender nonconforming talent. Ringleader DJ Keezy, who started the event in 2016, is bringing back her core group, including her regular collaborator BdotCroc, rapper-turned-state-legislator Maria Isa and longtime Lizzo cohort Sophia Eris. Other participants include Xina, DJ Zora, Jupiter, TNA and Micamaryjane. (9 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls. $22, axs.com)

Also: Dakota regular Stanley Jordan, the two-hand guitar tapping expert, teams with veteran guitarist and educator Mimi Fox (7 p.m. the Dakota, $41.95 and up); L.A. alt-pop singer Banks is touring behind her fifth album, “Off with Her Head,” which includes “I Hate Your Ex-Girlfriend” featuring Doechii (8 p.m. Fillmore, $54 and up); summer jammers the Big Wu and bluesy boppers Davina & the Vagabonds top off another installment the Minnesota Zoo’s Wild Nights series, which includes access to the animal sites (6-10 p.m., $30-$40); the Palmer’s Pride Party will feature hard-rock faves All the Pretty Horses, Surly Grrly, the Mary Jam and Spit Takes on the patio (6:45 p.m., Palmer’s Bar, $15).

This annual two-day, four-stage fest in Minneapolis’ Loring Park has something for everyone. The entertainment areas speak to the LGBTQ celebration: the Stonewall Stage, the Rainbow Stage, Club Loring and the Power to the People Stage. More than four dozen entertainers are scheduled including Rosie Bottoms, DJ Shiek, Cindy Lawson, School of Rock, the Black Diamond Revue and Drag Duels. (10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Loring Park, Loring Greenway, Mpls., free)

Forty-some years into his career, MTV relic Weird Al is undertaking his Bigger & Weirder Tour. It will be the musical parody king’s biggest grossing tour with his biggest band (eight members). It’s so big that he’s coming to Minnesota twice, first to Red Wing and later to Waite Park in September. And he’ll do 20 costume changes while offering more than 30 fun-filled numbers. The underappreciated accordionist promises his new medley, “Polkamania,” as well as such old favorites as “Fat” and “Smells Like Nirvana,” proving that some people are forever in touch with their 11-year-old selves. (8 p.m. Treasure Island Casino Amphitheater, 5734 Sturgeon Lake Rd., Red Wing. $39-$175, ticketmaster.com)

Also: Early-’90s Dallas alt-rock darlings Tripping Daisy, whose frontman Tim DeLaughter went on to form the Polyphonic Spree, have reunited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their album “I Am an Elastic Firecracker” (8:30 p.m. Turf Club, $29); ever suave Minnesota-reared crooner Andrew Walesch returns to town with his All-Star Orchestra (7 p.m. Dakota, $35-$45); Duo Corda features Twin Cities musicians Jacqueline Ultan on cello and Pavel Jany on guitar interpreting a wide range of music from Astor Piazzolla to Antonio Carlos Jobim (6 p.m. Dunsmore Room at Crooners, $32.31 and up); jazz pianist Bryan Nichols is back with namesake all-star quartet at Berlin (7:30 p.m., $10).

The ever-confounding Smashing Pumpkins frontman is out with a new band revisiting two lesser-known albums and one mega-popular record by his old band: the two sprawling early-’00s “Machina” concept albums as well as “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” marking the latter’s 30th anniversary. His little-known new crew includes a young, new guitar wiz named Kiki Wong. If nothing else, it could be fun seeing the Chicago alt-rock vet in a smaller venue again. (7 p.m. Varsity Theater, 1308 SE. 4th St., Mpls. $75-$217, ticketmaster.com)

Also: Saxophonist Jay Beckenstein leads Spyro Gyra, the jazz fusion classics that he cofounded in 1974 (6 & 8 p.m. the Dakota, $30-$45); Twin Cities Sings, a bunch of music theater vets led by James Rocco, tackle songs of love and freedom (5 p.m. Crooners, $37.89 and up); Vermont folkie Sam Amidon, who is married to British folktronica singer Beth Orton, is touring behind his earnest 2025 effort “Salt River” (7:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, $25-$45); nonagenarian piano man Cornbread Harris is holding court again at his Church of Cornbread afternoon show (5-7 p.m. Palmer’s Bar, free); the last installment of singer/pianist Nona Invie’s Sunday residency at Berlin will also feature Aby Wolf and DJ Dan Ryan (7 p.m., $15).

The orchestra has made an annual tradition of greeting July with a week’s worth of free outdoor concerts in the metro and beyond. This year, Jason Seber will conduct music by film composer John Williams, as well as works by Johannes Brahms, Georges Bizet, Ludwig van Beethoven and a fair amount of patriotic fare. (7:30 p.m. Mon., Lakefront Park Bandshell, 505 First St., Hudson, Wis.; 7:30 p.m. Tue., Excelsior Commons Pavilion, 135 Lake St., Excelsior; 8:30 p.m. July 2, Hilde Performance Center, 3500 Plymouth Blvd., Plymouth; 7:30 p.m. July 5, Winona Lake Park Bandshell, 113 W. Lake Park Drive, Winona, free, minnesotaorchestra.org)

On this year’s sophomore album, “Rammana,” Thai-born, Canadian-based, Juno-winning percussionist creates a compelling mix of funk, jazz, Afrobeat, traditional Thai sounds and exotic instrumentation that plays like an exciting soundtrack waiting for the right tension-filled thriller. There are all kinds of instruments from a bamboo cowbell to a rammana, a Thai hand drum. The highlight: “Si Chomphu” with its intoxicating breakbeats and soaring jazz-fusion guitar. (7 p.m. the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $35.77 and up, dakotacooks.com)

This annual classical music festival on the Iron Range goes from the intimate to the expansive — hosting some first-rate chamber music concerts, Gavriel Heine leading the festival orchestra in symphonic fare and concluding with an opera, Mozart’s marvelous comedy “The Marriage of Figaro.” In a fitting nod to the area’s Slavic heritage, opening night features one of the world’s great masters of the cimbalom (an Eastern European relative of the hammer dulcimer), Ivan Curtean. There are also children’s concerts, a concerto contest and evenings of arias and spirituals. (Tue.-July 14; venues in Aurora, Gilbert, Virginia, Hibbing, Tower, Ely, Buhl and Hoyt Lakes. $5-$60, northernlightsmusic.org)

Also: Two reputable drummers who play with Marc Ribot and Bill Orcutt, respectively, Ches Smith and Chris Corsano are on tour in a cool new trio also featuring trumpeter Nate Wooley (8 p.m. Icehouse, $20-$27).

A black metal band from upstate New York with a killer name, Profanatica lands in town with Tennessee thrashers Knoll (8 p.m. Turf Club, $25).

Classical music critic Rob Hubbard contributed to this column.