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

1. Madeleine Peyroux and Bettye LaVette: These two engrossing song stylists of different generations are teaming up for two nights. After making her mark as an interpreter of songs by Billie Holiday, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan and others, Peyroux released her first album of all self-penned material last year, the fetchingly eclectic “Let’s Walk.” Highlights are the dreamy “Blues for Heaven” and the understated but profound “How I Wish,” which ponders race, violence and the murder of George Floyd. Veteran LaVette, who has enjoyed a well-deserved late career renaissance for the past 20 years, opened for the Rolling Stones last year at Chicago’s Soldier Field but her ability to reimagine the most familiar tunes is best experienced in a smaller venue. (7:30 p.m. Thu. and Fri., Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Av. S., Mpls., $79-$119, theparkwaytheater.com)

2. Kali Malone: On her widely praised new album, “All Life Long,” Colorado-born, Sweden-based composer Malone has created a soundscape for reflection and inspiration that’s often almost medieval in its simplicity. It’s also mesmerizing in a manner reminiscent of Arvo Pärt, but with its own unique sense of adventure. For this Liquid Music presentation, she’ll be playing Northrop Auditorium’s (both sonically and physically) room-filling organ while performing music from the album with Paris-based guitarist Stephen O’Malley and choral and brass ensembles from the University of Minnesota. (7 p.m. Northrop Auditorium, 84 Church St. S.E., Mpls., $15-$39, northrop.umn.edu)

Also: The electric alternative to his acoustic band Trampled by Turtles, Dave Simonett’s Dead Man Winter plays its first show in a minute with new songs in tow off last year’s TBT collaborative EP, “Always Now” (7:30 p.m. First Avenue, $35-$40); Grammy-winning “Never I Want to be That Girl” hitmaker Carly Pearce is releasing a deluxe version of last year’s “Hummingbird” album, adding five new country songs (8 p.m. Treasure Island Casino, $39-$69); Poppy, the popular YouTuber, mixes metal and synth-pop on her latest, “Negative Spaces” (8 p.m. Fillmore, $56 and up); guitar tapping guru Stanley Jordan is back at the Dakota once again (7 p.m., $30-$40); local alt-country/Americana singers Haley E. Rydell, Becky Kapell, Hemma and Dusty Heart team up (8 p.m. Turf Club, $12); Wisconsin-reared Yazmin & Beat Rodeo wed their Latin sounds with the Havana Quartet and Minneapolis vocal royalty Prudence Johnson (7:30 p.m. Crooners, $35.66 and up); acclaimed London jazz saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, who has added flute to his repertoire of instruments, lands at Walker Art Center (7:30 p.m., $25 and up).

3. 7th St. Entry’s 45th anniversary: First Avenue’s smaller junior club is taking a break from its regularly scheduled incubatory programming to welcome back some of its MVPs from past eras over three nights. Night One is already sold-out with Soul Asylum and two other loud, fast bands who ruled in the Entry’s first decade, the Mighty Mofos and Arcwelder. Saturday’s lineup revisits the indie-rap scene that boomed there in the ‘00s with P.O.S. and Makr An Eris, plus younger go-getters Killusonline. Sunday sees one of this past decade’s best breakout rock acts, Kiss the Tiger, with the Bad Bad Hats offshoot band Megasound and Eric Mayson. (8 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 7 p.m. Sun., 7th St. Entry, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $15-$25, axs.com)

Also: Country historian, collector and top-flight singer Marty Stuart leads his aptly named the Fabulous Superlatives featuring guitarist Kenny Vaughan (8 p.m. Hopkins Center for the Arts, $61-$71); Sardinian polymath Paolo Angeli will play an 18-string instrument of his own invention combining elements of guitar, cello and drums (8 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, $25-$30); Adi Yeshaya, renowned Twin Cities composer/arranger/pianist who has worked with Whitney Houston, NBC’s “The Voice” and others, conducts his terrific Jazz Orchestra, featuring showy vocalist Jennifer Grimm and 12 stellar musicians (7:30 p.m. Crooners, $30-$40); Jazz88-FM’s folk/roots music show “Good Acoustics” hosts a songwriters series with Dan Newton, Molly Brandt and Paul Fonfara (7:30 p.m. MetroNome Brewing, $15).

4. Los Lobos and Los Lonely Boys: They each had a big radio hit — “La Bamba” for East L.A.’s Lobos, “Heaven” for West Texas’ Lonely Boys — but they also both built up their reputation through spirited, genre-blending live shows. The two proud, familial Mexican American rock units are meeting up again on their never-ending road excursions for another co-headlining trek dubbed the Brotherhood Tour. This follows several other recent Minnesota gigs by Los Lobos that proved the great borderland-music blenders are still digging deep and raising roofs well into their fifth decade as a band. (7:30 p.m. Treasure Island Casino Showroom, 5734 Sturgeon Lake Rd., Welch, $62-$91, ticketmaster.com)

5. Rochester Thaw: Want to see many of the best current rock acts in Minnesota all in one day and in one walkable downtown corridor? Here you go. The top names among the festival’s six host venues and 30 performances include Kiss the Tiger, Laamar, Molly Brandt, Colin Bracewell, Maygen & the Birdwatcher, Faith Boblett, Pullstring and one worthy Wisconsin addition, the People Brothers Band. Lots of up-and-comers are mixed in, too, such as Rochester’s own reggae players Push & Turn, the Immaculate Beings, Toilet Rats, Saltydog and Kat & the Hurricane. If you don’t like one, you can move on to the next very easily. (2 p.m.-midnight, check-in at the Chateau Theatre, 15 1st St. SW, Rochester, $65-$75, mytownmymusic.com)

6. Black Market Brass & Obi Original: A long-simmering Afrobeat scene in the Twin Cities music scene boils over this weekend with a collaboration between two of the maniacally funky genre’s best local purveyors. Previously an all-instrumental ensemble made up of ex-members of Sonny Knight’s Lakers and Black Diet, the horns-driven BMB crew recently teamed up with younger, Nigerian-born vocalist and bandleader Obi Original (Obiora Obikwelu) at Pachyderm Studios. The result is the first of two 7-inch singles, “Battle Ready,” which sounds as incendiary and hyper-charged as the title suggests. They’re pairing up again for a release party with young jazz-funk group Room3 opening. (8:30 p.m. Turf Club, 1601 University Av. W., Mpls., $17, axs.com)

Also: Provocative, polarizing Kid Rock brings his mix of rock, rap and country, including “All Summer Long” and “American Bad Ass,” to Minneapolis, with country star Chris Janson opening (7:30 p.m. Target Center, $25 and up); smoky voiced singer/songwriter Shannon McNally, who impressed last year opening for Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs in St. Paul, is back again, promoting her new EP “Trouble” (8:30 p.m. the Hook and Ladder, $18-$24); country star Russell Dickerson, the “Love You Like I Used To” hitmaker, is trumpeting his new single, “Happen To Me” (8 p.m. Fillmore, $45 and up); terrific Grammy-winning jazz pianist Bill Charlap returns with his trio, featuring bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington (6:30 & 8:30 p.m. the Dakota, $25-$40); a collaborator with FKA Twigs and acolyte of Phillip Glass, experimental pianist Kelly Moran makes her Minneapolis debut co-presented by the Liquid Music Series (8 p.m. Berlin, $30); after tours with Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Mt. Joy, sunny Florida synth-pop band Flipturn has gotten popular enough to sell out the Palace Theatre (7:30 p.m., $35-$50); known for his “This Never Happened” shows discouraging phone usage, Colorado’s deep house DJ Lane 8 is touring clubs before another hometown Red Rocks show (8 p.m. the Armory, $46); Boiled in Lead, the Twin Cities' enduring Celtic crew, celebrates its 42nd anniversary (8 p.m. Parkway Theater, $25-$30); Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez, who has appeared in “Into the Heights,” “Wicked” and “Hamilton,” offers a mix of show tunes and pop covers (7:30 p.m. the O’Shaughnessy, $5-$39); get the hairspray for the farewell tour of Lynch Mob, the ‘90s metal band remembered for “Tangled in the Web” and still fronted by George Lynch (8 p.m. Medina Entertainment Center, $34-$58).

7. The Jerusalem Quartet: This might be a good time for Shostakovich. The 20th-century Soviet composer lived in times full of fear, oppression and conflict, and his music conveyed his environment eloquently. If you want to delve deeply into both his heart and his genius, this renowned Israeli foursome will perform all 15 of his string quartets over the course of five concerts presented by the Schubert Club’s Music in the Park Series. (4 p.m. Sun., 7:30 p.m. Mon., 7:30 p.m. Mar. 26, 7:30 p.m. Apr. 25, and 4 p.m. Apr. 27; St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ, 2129 Commonwealth Av., St. Paul; $23-$33; 651-292-3268 or schubert.org)

Also: Having long ago come out from under her famed songwriter father John’s shadow, Lilly Hyatt has hit the road again full-steam behind a raw and riling new twang-rock album, “Forever” (8 p.m. Turf Club, $15); Marshall Crenshaw of “Someday, Someway” fame is back with his jangly power pop (7 p.m. Parkway Theater, $30-$50); Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar, esteemed slide guitarists who have been mostly behind the scenes with the likes of John Hiatt and Bob Dylan, step forward (7 p.m. the Dakota, $50-$60); Armenian New Age-y jazz/classical pianist Tigran Hamasyan presents his “Bird of a Thousand Voices” show (8 p.m. Fine Line, $35); the fourth annual Jazz-Age Rumpus will feature the Southside Aces, Maud Hixson & Her Town Talkers and Tony Balluff’s 4AM Orchestra (3 p.m. Hook & Ladder, $25).

8. BEATrio: The ever-adventurous, ever-virtuosic banjo master Béla Fleck is always game to work with all kinds of musicians. In the new BEATrio, the 19-time Grammy winner teams with Colombian harpist Edmar Castañeda, who has worked with Hiromi and Paquito D’Rivera, and Mexican percussionist Antonio Sánchez, a five-time Grammy winner known for his work with Pat Metheny. BEATrio came together last fall at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City playing original material, some written collaboratively. The always rewarding Fleck likes to perform without a net. The new ensemble’s debut album will drop on May 16. (6:30 & 8:30 p.m. Mon. and Tue., the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $45-$65, dakotacooks.com)

9. Burton Cummings: Even though he and Randy Bachman recently prevailed in protracted legal wrangling to be able to use the name the Guess Who once again, the band’s heyday lead singer is on the road under his own name on the 60th Anniversary Tour. The Canadian powerhouse, who has a theater named after him in his hometown of Winnipeg, is revisiting all those Guess Who ‘60s and ’70s classics like “These Eyes” and “No Sugar Tonight” as well as his 1976 solo smash “Stand Tall” and something from last year’s album “A Few Good Moments.” (8 p.m. Medina Entertainment Center, 500 Hwy 55, Medina, $62-$329, etix.com)

Also: Fresh off another Grammy nomination, former Minneapolis singer/harpist Kim Wilson is still leading the groovy blues group he started 50 years ago with ex-bandmate Jimmie Vaughan, the Fabulous Thunderbirds (7:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, $49-$69); Joe Boyd, legendary music producer who worked with Fairport Convention, Maria Muldaur, Toots & the Maytals and many others, talks about his 2024 book “And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain: A Journey Through Global Music” (7:30 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, $20-$25); Skating Polly is pairing up in town again with local chums Gully Boys for a special all-ages punk-rock show (7:30 p.m. Pilllar Forum, $20); HiFi Hair & Records ringleader Jon Clifford is celebrating his 60th birthday with performances by the Nobs and the Cockroaches (7 p.m. Hook & Ladder, $15).

Veteran jazz men Bob James, a Grammy-winning keyboardist whose early records have been sampled by several hip-hop artists, teams with Dave Koz, a saxophonist remembered for his many smooth jazz gigs at the Minnesota Zoo, are touring in support of their new album, “Just Us” (7:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, $79-$99); maybe the funniest and bluntest songwriter in the musical Wainwright family, Martha Wainwright is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her self-titled debut album (7 p.m. Hook & Ladder, $22-$28); cosmic California rocker Donovan Frankenreiter is offering a much-welcome chance to “Get Outta Your Mind,” the title of his latest record (8 p.m. Turf Club, $25); the Blue Tuesday supper-club series at Berlin with the Omar Abdulkarim Quartet continues with a tribute to Roy Hargrove (7 p.m., $158 with dinner).

10. The War and Treaty: On their brand new album “Plus One,” the husband-and-wife duo of Michael and Tanya Trotter have seasoned their R&B/gospel/blues/Americana with more country elements, including banjo and fiddle. Don’t know if country radio will respond to these Nashville residents who frequent country music award shows and other made-for-TV events like the Kennedy Center Honors and Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade. I do know that they are one of the most enthralling live acts, especially when the Trotters sing face to face and get lost in song, seemingly oblivious to the audience. The War and Treaty’s State Fair performance was one of the best concerts of 2024. They kick off their tour in Minneapolis. (8 p.m. Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls. $30-$55, first-avenue.com)

Also: Click those ruby slippers once again as the Twin Cities' own Jennifer Grimm does her gem of a Judy Garland show (5:30 p.m. Crooners, free); Scotland’s Red Hot Chili Pipers bring their bagpipes to Burnsville for some Celtic treatments of rock classics (7:30 p.m. Ames Center,, $45-$65); Belfast Cowboys leader Terry Walsh and fellow Dylanophile Dan Israel are teaming up for their Infidels tribute show (7 p.m. the Dakota, $20-$25).

Classical music critic Rob Hubbard contributed to this column.