Critics’ picks: The 12 best things to do and see in the Twin Cities this week

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. Sat. Treasure Island Casino Amphitheater, 5734 Sturgeon Lake Rd., Red Wing. $39-$175, ticketmaster.com)

JON BREAM

There’s enough demand for this exuberant, punk-spirited Cajun band on the southern end of the Mississippi River that it rarely makes it this far north. Don’t miss this chance if you fancy yourself a fan of Louisiana roots music — or any music that can dually make you sweat and swoon. Led by brothers Andre and Louis Michot, the Lafayette-based sextet counts Jack White and Arcade Fire as fans and has won two Grammys, including one last year for “Live: Orpheum Theater NOLA,” a collaboration with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. The multinational youth ensemble Ethno USA on the Road opens. (7:30 p.m. Wed., Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Av. S., Mpls. $20, thecedar.org)

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

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 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)

J.B.

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. Fri., First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls. $22, axs.com)

C.R.

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. Sun. Varsity Theater, 1308 SE. 4th St., Mpls. $75-$217, ticketmaster.com)

C.R.

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)

ROB HUBBARD

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. 612-371-5656, minnesotaorchestra.org)

R.H.

Minnesota baking champion Rose McGee is famous for her sweet potato comfort pies. But McGee also is a gifted storyteller, with her narratives bearing the warmth and welcome of, yes, good food. She crafted “Kumbayah” in 1996, decades before June 19th became a holiday. The play centers on two people discovering the message about Abraham Lincoln’s drafting of the Emancipation Proclamation. “Kumbayah” has had a raft of performers over the decades, with many gaining fame as artists or public servants, including St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter III and state Sen. Bobby Joe Champion. This year’s special edition “Kumbayah” is told by a 26-member cast that includes singers J.B. Brown and Jamela Pettiford alongside dancer Suzette Gilreath. McGee co-directs with daughter Roslyn Harmon, the mayor of Golden Valley. (2 p.m. Fri., the O’Shaughnessy auditorium, 2004 Randolph Av., St. Paul. Free but registration required. mnhum.org)

ROHAN PRESTON

After previously presenting performances in Idaho, Montana and Massachusetts, and touring to other places around the country, Nervous Theatre makes its Twin Cities debut with a dance-theater piece directed by Connor Berkompas. The work explores what it means to be together. The cast includes the talented Kenzi Allen, who has been making impressive work with the Moving Company, as well as Doma Dance’s artistic director Alexandra Bodnarchuk and Marcela Michelle, known for her work with the trans-led interdisciplinary performance group Lightning Rod. (7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat., Southern Theater, 1420 S. Washington Av., Mpls. $35, southerntheater.org)

SHEILA REGAN

Catalan art dealer and cultural advocate Joan Prats, known for his work with modern Spanish art, is the focal point of this show. Works by Cubist painter Pablo Picasso, Surrealist master Salvador Dalí, postwar abstract artist Antoni Tàpies are just three of the artists to catch. (11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends July 26. Douglas Flanders & Associates, 5025 France Av. S., Mpls. Free. 612-920-3497 or flandersart.com)

ALICIA ELER

Artist Miko Simmons’ immersive and interactive art exhibition includes projections, paintings, sound and light that communicate the experience of Black joy. Based in the Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul, Simmons’ work is inspired by his ancestors, liberation, survival through systemic injustices and transcendence. (1-5 p.m. Tues.-Fri., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. Ends Dec. 13. Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery, 1256 Penn Av. N., 4th floor, Mpls. Free. maahmg.org)

A.E.

End Pride month with rooftop fun under the sun at this party. Dance to tunes spun by DJ Shiek against the backdrop of the Minneapolis skyline. The 21+ event, celebrating the LGBTQ community and its allies, features handcrafted cocktails and rooftop vibes that are second to none. (Noon-3 p.m. Sat. $40. Hewing Hotel, 300 N. Washington Av., Mpls. hewinghotel.com)

MELISSA WALKER