Critics’ picks: The 15 best things to do and see in the Twin Cities this week

With his 2018 farewell tour in the rearview mirror, the great American singer/songwriter has unexpectedly hit the road again for his Quiet Celebration Tour to recognize his underappreciated 2023 album, “Seven Psalms.” Despite suffering from near total hearing loss in one ear, Simon, 83, is performing “Seven Psalms” in its entirety, with a little help from Edie Brickell, his singer/songwriter wife who appears on the album. Then after an intermission, you can call it greatest hits, though Simon might not play the tunes you want to hear. (7 p.m. Sun., Tue. & Wed. Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $170-$1,100, ticketmaster.com)

JON BREAM

Being another opening night on a major stadium tour, it’s hard to know what to expect of the biggest hip-hop/R&B concert the Twin Cities has seen since Beyoncé and Jay-Z played the same football field in 2018. If Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance — with his tourmate and “All the Stars” collaborator in tow — was any indicator, Minnesota fans are in for a dazzling visual production and fast and furious tear through his now-bountiful playlist of hits and hard-hitting album tracks. The Los Angeles rap kingpin has been consistently great in previous local performances. SZA is more of an unknown but highly anticipated quotient, as St. Louis’ electro-soulful R&B innovator skipped us on her tour for 2022’s enchanting “SOS” album. (7 p.m. Sat., U.S. Bank Stadium, 401 Chicago Av. S., Mpls., limited-view $209 and resale seats remain, ticketmaster.com)

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

Formerly signed to a Christian label, Marley Munroe has blossomed into a psychedelic soul-jazz singer as Lady Blackbird. Her 2021 album “Black Acid Soul” showcases her instincts as a stylist, interpreting songs by Bill Evans, the James Gang and Nina Simone. Lady Blackbird soars with newfound freedom and vulnerability on 2024’s collection of originals, “Slang Spirituals,” coming across with the fiery, gospel-infused intensity of Simone and the visual flamboyance of Grace Jones. (7 p.m. Tue., the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $35-$45, dakotacooks.com)

J.B.

Since Prince’s death on April 21, 2016, there have been various events in subsequent Aprils in the Twin Cities to honor him. Michael Bland, a drummer with Prince & the New Power Generation, has assembled a band of former Paisley Park associates and friends for 2gether — A Tribute to Prince. Other musicians include Purple sidemen Dr. Fink, Tommy Barbarella and Levi Seacer Jr., Homer O’Dell and Rick Kinchen of Mint Condition, as well as G Sharp, Jay Bee and Ashley Commodore. (8 p.m. Sat., Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins, $40-$50, hopkinsartscenter.com)

J.B.

Kentucky’s misty-mountainous rock guru Jim James and his road-tested band are known for putting on epic live performances but have amassed a grab bag of erratic albums in their quarter-century together. They seemed to be going for a more cohesive and sophisticated approach with their latest record, “is,” working with an outside producer for a change, Pearl Jam and Springsteen collaborator Brendan O’Brien. The results are still mixed, but several of its tracks are eligible to become new showpieces at the shows. Aussie rocker Grace Cummings opens. (7 p.m. Sun., the Armory, 500 S. 6th St., Mpls., all ages, $48-$71, ticketmaster.com)

C.R.

This young Englishwoman has blazed a path for the saxophone in the classical music world, hitting the top of the classical charts in her native country and hosting her own weekly show on BBC Radio 3, “This Classical Life.” Those who caught her with the Minnesota Orchestra on New Year’s Eve of 2019 can attest to her skills and charm. She’ll bring multiple saxes along when she and pianist Thomas Weaver close the Schubert Club’s International Artist Series with two recitals, each spanning centuries and styles from Renaissance to jazz. (7:30 p.m. Wed., 2 p.m. Thu., Ordway Concert Hall, 345 Washington St., St. Paul, $28-$75, students and children free, 651-292-3268 or schubert.org)

ROB HUBBARD

While this new music quartet’s home venue, Studio Z, is no more, the group returns to St. Paul’s Lowertown neighborhood this week to perform at Nautilus Music-Theater before traveling downriver to its new home in Red Wing. The concert program is called “What We Keep” and asks audiences to contemplate what they consider dear, necessary and valuable. Aiding in the quest are works by California-based composers Pamela Z and Mark Applebaum and Turkey’s Füsun Köksal. (7:30 p.m. Tue. and Thu., Nautilus Music-Theater, 308 Prince St., St. Paul; 2 p.m. Sat., Anderson Center, 163 Tower View Drive, Red Wing, $15-$20; www.zeitgeistnewmusic.org)

R.H.

What do you get when you graph the hero’s journeys in “The Odyssey” and “Alice in Wonderland” onto two spunky Indigenous siblings who’re trying to escape their family’s history of boarding school trauma? A comedy with dashes of magical realism in which a man turns into a cyclops and a seemingly loving siren mother bites the heads off her kids, all to the soundtrack of Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon.” A week after getting back from the Kennedy Center premiere of “The Other Children of the Sun,” which she wrote and directed, theater founder Rhiana Yazzie started rehearsals for another new play that she also wrote and directs. “The Nut, the Hermit, the Monk and the Crow” uses humor and puppetry to address historic traumas. The comedy concludes the 15th season of New Native Theatre. “I started writing this play during the pandemic when I was invited to do something for the young people in the Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program,” Yazzie said. “I asked, ‘What does the self-help movement look like from a Native perspective?’ When I write, I often look at poignant subjects through a lens of comedy and big visuals.” The cast is studded with young talent and the creative team includes shadow puppet designer Erica Warren. Ends May 4. (7:30 p.m. Wed.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., Gremlin Theatre, 550 Vandalia St., St. Paul, $35 or pay-as-you-can at brownpapertickets.com)

ROHAN PRESTON

Before blowing up on the national comedy circuit, Segura was a semiregular at Acme Comedy Co. He recorded his 2010 album, “Thrilled,” at the club and toured Asia with Acme owner Louis Lee in an adventure that was documented for the 2017 film “I Need You to Kill.” The Cincinnati native has graduated to much bigger venues but don’t be surprised if he pops by the club that helped put him on the map. (7:30 p.m. Fri., Xcel Energy Center, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, $51-$122, ticketmaster.com)

NEAL JUSTIN

On stage, Morril plays the kind of self-absorbed dude you wouldn’t want to bring home to meet Mom — unless she’s got a pretty dark sense of humor. In real life, the comedian possesses enough warmth to have dated Taylor Tomlinson for two years and earn praise from his stand-up peers. His last stand-up special, Prime Video’s “You’ve Changed,” will give you a pretty good idea of whether his edgy approach is right for you. (7 p.m. Fri., Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $44-$62, ticketmaster.com)

N.J.

The blue-collar comedy king might have given up cigars and tequila, but he hasn’t lost his ability to delight fans on both sides of the political aisle. He was at the top of his game during a 2022 set at Treasure Island Casino, where he concluded the show by announcing that he was retiring at the end of that year. Thank goodness he changed his mind. (7 p.m. Sat. and Sun., Treasure Island Casino, 5734 Sturgeon Lake Road, Red Wing, $85, ticasino.com)

N.J.

The Minneapolis Institute of Art and Public Functionary close out their five-week series “Public Functionary x Meet at Mia: ‘Giants,‘” with one last evening of programming. It includes performances and DJ sets, a feature act by BLAQ Dance Collective, custom portrait-making by Godfree Spain, a food truck and unofficial exhibition tours from artist Leslie Barlow and musician Yonci Jameson. (5-9 p.m. Thu. only, Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 3rd Av. S., free, new.artsmia.org or 612-870-3000)

ALICIA ELER

Soviet Realism lands in Minneapolis through 15 huge paintings that focus on the working class. People portrayed in these works, all made between the 1950s and 1980s, include farmers, loggers, workers and even an artist’s wife. At this time, there were no private collections. The art market was state-owned and state-run. Ends Sept. 21. (10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun., 5500 Stevens Av. S., Mpls., $5-$14, free for TMORA members, tmora.org or 612-821-9045)

A.E.

American Ballet Theatre is not only holding two performances at Northrop of its long-running classic “Giselle” with a live orchestra, but it’s also tapping the Twin Cities for extra dancers. Starting at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, ABT will be hosting auditions to round its epic cast of adult and student performers with the chosen ones performing two days later. Before Friday’s performance, ABT artistic director Susan Jaffe will be in conversation with Minnesota Dance Theatre school director Lauren Post (a former ABT dancer). Then on Saturday, ABT ballet teacher Susan Jones will teach a technique class. After the matinee Saturday, stick around for Northrop’s “Encore Gala” and mingle with the dancers. As for the performances, each show features different lead dancers. Friday marks Gillian Murphy’s final Twin Cities performance as Giselle, while Chloe Misseldine makes her debut Saturday. (7:30 p.m. Fri., 2 p.m. Sat., Northrop, 84 SE. Church St., Mpls. $30-$92, 612-624-2345, northrop.umn.edu)

SHEILA REGAN

The city hosts a weeklong lineup of activities for citizens to help protect the environment. Festivities begin with Green Up Eagan, a community cleanup event where volunteers help spiff up the city’s parks and natural spaces. There’s also an Earth Week celebration featuring educational booths and food. Kids can make suncatchers, take selfies in a veggie-themed booth and enjoy an Earth-inspired snack. Other drop-in events include an invasive plant pull, Arbor Day celebration and bird workshop. (Events at various locations and times Sat.-April 25. cityofeagan.com)

MELISSA WALKER