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

Signed by Dap Kings leader Bosco Mann to Daptone Records, this San Diego retro soul trio stepped into the limelight a couple of years ago with appearances on several TV talk shows and NPR’s “Tiny Desk” concert series, as well as opening for Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats at Surly Festival Field in Minneapolis. Last fall’s sophomore album “Got a Story to Tell” is a smoothly soulful collection of originals with nods to vintage Motown and Philly soul, with touches of Latin soul. Josh Lane’s elastic tenor vocals are irresistible for lovers of throwback R&B, best showcased on the breezy groover “Live for You,” which the Current has been spinning. (7 p.m. Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7th Place, St. Paul, $47.06 and up, axs.com)

Also: A warm-up of sorts to this weekend’s Roots, Rock & Deep Blues Fest, the TC Gumbo Jam will feature New Orleans-style grooves with Eddie Christmas, Nicholas David, Demitrious Rallis and more (8 p.m., Zen Arcade at Hook & Ladder, $17); local song pickers Molly Maher, Molly Dean and the Scarlett Goodbye are playing a special patio gig outside Icehouse (6:30 p.m., $20).

For the first time, Paisley Park is selling one-night tickets during its annual Celebration. In saluting all things 1985, the concert lineup includes the Family, Morris Day & the Time and Jesse Johnson. The Prince-produced Family, featuring vocalists St. Paul Peterson and Susannah Melvoin, played only one concert (at First Avenue, of course) in 1985 before breaking up, but they’ll reunite for “Mutiny,” “High Fashion” and “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Day is back at Celebration with “Cool,” “The Walk” and other favorites while Johnson, an underappreciated guitar monster, dips into his solo catalog (“Crazay,” “Be Your Man”) and perhaps a Time tune. Day told the Star Tribune that there’s a possibility of Johnson sitting in with the Time. Also appearing are newcomers Jada Nikole and Johnny Venus. (7 p.m. Fri., Paisley Park, 7801 Audubon Road, Chanhassen, $109.75, paisleypark.com, no on-site parking available)

The “Honey” hitmaker doesn’t sound so sweet anymore. With her new single about cattle mutilation leading the way, “Bovine Excision,” 28-year-old Los Angeles native Samia Najimy Finnerty has found a way to cut to the bone lyrically while still keeping a soft and poetic tone on her third album, “Bloodless.” The record was largely recorded in Minneapolis with Hippo Campus’ Jake Luppen and his cohort Caleb Wright as co-producers. That work led to the singer moving to the Twin Cities over the winter. So she’s wrapping the first leg of her tour with what’s now a hometown gig featuring her close friend Raffaella as an opener with Ava Levy. Look for an interview with Samia online Thursday. (6:45 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $26, all ages, axs.com)

Also: The second annual Breakaway Festival is packed with EDM acts including Tiesto, John Summit, Alison Wonderland and Cassian outside the pro soccer stadium (3-10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Allianz Field $134 and up); Shaw’s Music & SummerSlam Tent Party features PopBang on Friday and Self-Titled on Saturday with pro wrestling at 2 p.m. Sunday (6:30 p.m. Shaw’s, $5 for music, $15 for wrestling); Chicago’s Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials, 2024 inductees in the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, are back with their bottleneck boogie (7 p.m. the Dakota, $35.77 and up); some of the regular players from Lee’s Liquor Lounge’s heyday are teaming up for a tribute of sorts to the bar and its late owner Louie Sirian, including Anchorhead, the Vibro Champs, El Drifte and Lazy Ike (8:30 p.m. Uptown VFW, $15-$20); young local punk revivalists Vial take on the Under the Canopy outdoor series with Rat Bath (7 p.m. Hook & Ladder, $22-$27); San Diego’s emo-y thrashers Pierce the Veil are promising songs from all five of their albums on their current I Can’t Hear You Tour, also featuring Sleeping With Sirens (7 p.m. the Armory, resale tickets only).

The biggest brewery in Minneapolis has put together one of the best free, one-day live music lineups of summer for its birthday bash. Enduring dance-rock heroes the Suburbs will top off the party with a 6:15 p.m. set time after spiritedly celebrating their late co-leader Beej Chaney at First Ave in April. Before them comes another high-grooving local unit, Solid Gold, which is prepping a long-awaited new album, along with Gramma’s Boyfriend, singer/songwriter Haley’s freak-funny punk unit featuring the Suburbs’ Jeremy Ylvisaker on guitar. Unstable Shapes and the Dalmatian Club are worthy newcomers to open. DJ Jake Rudh will spin late. (2-9 p.m. Surly Brewing, 520 Malcolm Av. SE., Mpls., free, surlybrewing.com)

For the first time since the COVID pandemic, one of Minneapolis’ coolest little music fests is back to its block party format, stretched out on five stages between the Hook & Ladder and Arbeiter Brewing Co. Late fest founder Chris Johnson will be honored with appearances by Mississippi-based artists he championed, including Cedric and Kent Burnside, Lightnin’ Malcolm and the Rising Stars Fife & Drum Band. Other regular visitors the Peterson Brothers, Left Lane Cruiser and the Flood Brothers will join local blues and roots acts such as Cornbread Harris, Corey Medina & Brothers, the Foxgloves, Buffalo Weavers and Mike Munson. An art show, market and food trucks will be thrown in, too. (2-11 p.m. Sat., Hook & Ladder, 3010 Minnehaha Av. S., Mpls., $40-$60, thehookmpls.com)

This local group specializes in what could be called small-scale epics, works for choir, chamber orchestra and vocal soloists that don’t necessarily fill a stage with musicians but fill your heart with a sense of profound majesty. Its interpretations of J.S. Bach’s music have caught the attention of the world’s largest Bachfest, held in the composer’s longtime home base of Leipzig, Germany. They’ll perform at Bach’s old church in June, but not before a pair of bon voyage concerts. (7 p.m. Sat., Normandale Lutheran Church, 6100 Normandale Road, Edina; 4 p.m. Sun., Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church, 5011 31st Av. S., Mpls., $10-$35, exultate.org)

Last summer at the Ledge Amphitheater, the Hollywood cowboy was more talkative than usual, previewing his highly commendable new album “Brighter Days” and reprising his classics including “A Thousand Miles from Nowhere” “Guitars, Cadillacs” and “Fast as You.” Opening again are the Mavericks, America’s greatest dance band for boomers that presses on as lead singer Raul Malo battles cancer but still has a bravura voice. (7 p.m. Mayo Health System Event Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Mankato, $53-$380, ticketmaster.com)

Also: A top Tokyo rock band imported to the States via the Fueled by Ramen label, One OK Rock is returning to the U.S. Midwest with Stand Atlantic (8 p.m. the Armory, $75); British rock band Panchiko, which famously got famous in 2020 off a little-heard record that came out 20 years earlier, is touring for an actual new album, “Ginkgo” (7:30 p.m. First Ave, $33); fun, artful Nashville-via-NYC indie-rocker Annie DiRusso has gigged with Haim and Beabadoobee and is now out headlining shows for her debut album, “Super Pedestrian” (8 p.m. Fine Line, $20); St. Paul’s White Squirrel Bar is celebrating its fourth anniversary with a daylong rotation featuring Cole Diamond, Molly Maher, Quietchild, K.E.V.I.N. and more (2-10 p.m., free).

After recent tours playing second fiddle in her Grammy-winning duo with Robert Plant, the bluegrass queen will step to the front with her own band of superb pickers. They have a new album, “Arcadia,” their first in 14 years and the first with new guitarist/vocalist Russell Moore, though longtime guitarist/mandolinist/singer Dan Tyminski didn’t exit until after making the record. On tour, the angelic-voiced Krauss and company (all of them sing) have been performing more than 30 numbers, including bluegrass favorites, her country hits “Whiskey Lullaby” and “When You Say Nothing at All,” as well as covers by Willie Nelson, the Foundations and Chick Corea. Willie Watson opens. (7:30 p.m. Sun., Ledge Amphitheater, Waite Park, Minn., $65 and up, ticketmaster.com; 7:30 p.m. Tue., Vetter Stone Amphitheater, Mankato, $62 and up, ticketmaster.com and 7 p.m. June 11, Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth, $56.75 and up, etix.com)

Also: Ohio’s wistful and harmonious folk-rock band Caamp, which has garnered big adult-alternative radio hits like “By and By” and “Officer of Love,” offers a sweet, summery vibe that should suit their local tour stop this time around with Blind Pilot (5 p.m. Surly Brewing Festival Field, resale only); Dark Dark Dark and Anonymous Choir leader Nona Invie’s June residency continues with a keyboard-themed lineup also featuring Nat Harvie and Molly Raben (7 p.m. Berlin, $16).

With their debut album “Silent Alarm” still sounding strong 20 years later, moody British rockers Bloc Party are back with fellow whirrers Blonde Redhead (7 p.m. the Fillmore, resale only).

Judy Collins, the doyenne of folk music who is still touring at age 86, returns to share “Both Sides, Now” and “Send in the Clowns” as well as new originals from 2022’s “Spellbound” (7 p.m. Tue.-Wed. the Dakota, $85-$125).

Another of our picks for “top 10 younger acts to see in concert this summer” along with Thee Sacred Souls, Los Angeles’ lyrically biting indie-rock buzzer Sabrina Teitelbaum made strong impressions locally in 2023 at both her 7th St. Entry coming-out gig and opening date with Liz Phair, each punctuated by her fantasy song about poisoning a sex abuser, “Salad.” She is back touting an even stronger second album, “If You Asked for a Picture,” which adds a tinge of shoegazer/dream-pop to her wonderfully messy ‘90s rock sound and offers more personal lyricism. Nashville’s visual rocker Meg Elsier opens. (8 p.m. Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $25, axs.com)

One of the Twin Cities music scene’s top rising jazz composers and bandleaders, the bassist boldly steps over into both classical and pop/R&B music realms on his latest album for the musicians-run Shifting Paradigm label, “Violette.” The eight melodic and elegant tracks grew out of Olsen’s 2021 McKnight Composer Fellowship with the American Composers Forum, which led to formation of the Violette Ensemble with members of the Minnesota Orchestra and singers Aby Wolf and Eric Mayson, all heard on the record. Mayson also opens this LP release party. (7:30 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Av. S., Mpls., $24-$29, thecedar.org)

Also: A busy night for touring rock shows also finds California’s hippie-soul favorite Ben Harper back out with his Innocent Criminals playing a retrospective-style show (7:30 p.m. Palace Theatre, $60-$80); now in their third decade of touring, British rockers the Kooks have a new album, “Never/Know” (7 p.m. Varsity Theater, $63); an odd but fun twofer finds what’s left of ‘80s metal band Faster Pussycat paired with Eddie Spaghetti’s grunge-twangy Supersuckers (7 p.m. Hook & Ladder, $34).

Classical music critic Rob Hubbard contributed to this column.