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

1. The Hold Steady: “We believe in one band.” So read the headline when the Hold Steady made the cover of the then-still-biblical Village Voice in May 2005 upon the release of its religiously rife and spiritedly riffed second album, “Separation Sunday,” solidifying its status as New York’s favorite bar band. A reminder that frontman Craig Finn and two of his bandmates moved to NYC from the Twin Cities, they’re celebrating the record’s 20th anniversary here with a special four-night stand in three different venues, including a soundcheck Q&A Saturday and storyteller-style show Sunday. Fans from all over have scooped up tickets, but assorted resale and premium options remain. (8 p.m. Thu., 7th St. Entry; 8 p.m. Fri. & Sat., First Avenue; 5 p.m. Sun., Fine Line, Mpls., first-avenue.com)

2. Munson Fest: John Munson, the mustachioed bassist/singer with Semisonic and the New Standards, suffered a stroke on Feb. 23. While the 58-year-old has been recuperating, friends of one of the most likable and liked Minnesota musicians are playing a benefit concert for him. The lineup sounds like the blueprint for a New Standards holiday show with Chan Poling and Steve Roehm of the New Standards, Aby Wolf, Dylan Hicks, Matt Wilson and His Orchestra, Dusts of Suns and other local players. Munson plans to attend to express his gratitude for all the support he’s received. “I might sing a song,” he said. The hopeful musician promises the New Standards will perform June 19 at the free annual Lowertown Sounds series in St. Paul’s Mears Park. “It’s going to happen,” he said. “We don’t know exactly what.” (7:30 p.m. Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul, $33.40 and up, axs.com)

3. Cornbread Harris: The dean of Minneapolis piano players, the father of Grammy-winning Jimmy Jam, the merry, spirited force where jazz meets blues, Cornbread is celebrating his 98th birthday. And he’s still going strong, as evidenced by his weekly Sunday evening gigs at Palmer’s Bar. But this is the annual birthday bash so Cornbread and his band will return to the Hook for another round of “Deeper Blues,” “Cornbread Song” and “Put the World Back Together.” (7-11 p.m. the Hook and Ladder Theater, 3010 Minnehaha Ave., Mpls., $19.51-$29.81, thehookmpls.com)

4. Davóne Tines and the Truth: Having been named Musical America’s 2022 Vocalist of the Year, this bass-baritone is exhibiting his adventurous spirit this season as an affiliated artist both with the San Francisco-based early music orchestra Philharmonia Baroque and at America’s capital of imaginative new music presentations, the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He and his group will premiere “Ritual” — a collection of pieces that mix gospel, soul, chant and original compositions — in the Minneapolis Institute of Art corridor that leads to the exhibit “Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys.” The music is free, but the exhibit requires separate admission. (7:30 p.m., 2400 3rd Av. S., Mpls., free, liquidmusic.org)

Also: Kneebody, the Brooklyn jazz quartet that touches on free bop, jazz rock fusion, hip-hop and indie rock, is promoting its new full-length “Reach” (6:30 & 9 p.m. Berlin, $20-$25); San Francisco indie rockers Deerhoof, who have played at Minneapolis clubs for nearly three decades, celebrate their week-old album “Noble and Godlike in Ruin” in an art museum (7:30 p.m. Walker Art Center, $15 and up); veteran folk/blues singer Chris Smither, remembered for writing “Love You Like a Man” that Bonnie Raitt made famous, is on tour supporting his 20th studio album “All about the Bones” (7:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, $35-$45); Atlanta country singer Lily Rose, known for the viral favorite “Villain,” lands at the Fine Line (7 p.m., $27); cute, poppy Los Angeles rockers the Wreck have coyly issued just half of their new album for Republic Records but aren’t charging half-price for tickets (6:30 p.m. First Avenue, all ages, $31); So Cal ska punk mainstays Save Ferris are back (8 p.m. Turf Club, $25 and up).

5. Balint Karosi: The Bach Society of Minnesota has invited this Hungarian organist to town for a recital, where he’ll demonstrate the skills and interpretive depth that helped him win multiple organ competitions, including the 2008 International Bach Competition in Leipzig, Germany. Now based in Philadelphia after having founded baroque music ensembles and festivals in Boston and New York City, Karosi will show off his way with Bach on a program that also includes music by the Renaissance era’s Francisco Correa de Arauxo, baroque composer Nicolas de Grigny, German romantic Robert Schumann and Karosi himself. (7 p.m. House of Hope Presbyterian Church, 797 Summit Av., St. Paul, $5-$30, bachsocietymn.org)

Also: Philly indie-rock hero Alec Ounsworth is back with his old band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah performing their brilliantly off-kilter eponymous debut album in full to mark its 20th anniversary (8:30 p.m. Amsterdam Bar & Hall, $27); dance-inducing Minnesotans Charanga Tropical kick off Cinco de Mayo weekend — and Crooners series in the Belvedere tent — with boleros, danzones and Latin jazz (8 p.m., $25-$35 ); buzzing, prolific Americana songwriter Molly Brandt is touting another new album, “Interwoven,” with Aby Wolf opening (8 p.m. Icehouse, $18-$25).

6. Champian Fulton Trio: The Oklahoma-reared, New York City-based pianist/singer is the daughter of a jazz trumpeter who ran the Clark Terry Institute for Jazz Studies in Iowa. With 18 albums as a leader, she is as impressive as a sophisticated pianist as she is a nuanced vocalist, who is adept at scatting with words, not the more conventional instrumental sounds. For her appearance with bassist Hidehiko Tanaka and drummer Fukushi Tainaka, Fulton will play a salute to the great pianist Oscar Peterson. (7 p.m. Crooners, 6161 Hwy 65, Fridley, $35-$45, eventbrite.com)

Also: Stella Cole, the young Tik Tok-launched jazz chanteuse, can get a little Broadway brassy but she does an alluring soulful stroll take on “Walking in the Sunshine” on her self-titled debut album (7& 9 p.m. the Dakota, $35.77 and up); Rachel Reis’ 75-member Kith & Kin Chorus is collaborating with Lamaar and making up new arrangements of Maggie Rogers and Feist songs for their two-show season finale (4 & 8 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, all ages, $25-$30); opening weekend for the Hook & Ladder’s popular Under the Canopy outdoor concert series continues with a perennial favorite literally from the neighborhood, funky NOLA-style jazzists Davina & the Vagabonds (7 p.m., $33); the big patio at Palmer’s Bar officially opens with a night of tribute bands, including Chelsea Drugstore, Kraftjerk, Longview and In the City (7 p.m., $15); prolific Japanese singer/songwriter/guitarist Ichiko Aoba arrives behind her new album “Luminescent Creatures” (8 p.m. Fitzgerald Theater, $37.50 and up); Grammy-winning piano man Jon Batiste will host an event for his author wife Suleika Jaouad and her “The Book of Alchemy” (5 p.m. Pantages Theatre, $80 and up).

7. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: After healing up from personal tragedy and leaning into emotional solo ventures over the past decade, Australia’s divine but devilish goth-punk balladeer is apparently ready to rock again. Cave and his old band make their long-awaited Twin Cities return behind last year’s acclaimed record, “Wild God,” a brazenly poetic and sometimes alarmingly elegant collection with a heavy reliance on violinist Warren Ellis, who’s done a lot of film scoring work with the frontman (latest was last year’s Amy Winehouse biopic “Back to Black”). This will be their biggest Minnesota show since the fourth Lollapalooza tour in 1994. No opener. (8 p.m. the Armory, 500 S. 6th St., Mpls., $84-$135, ticketmaster.com)

Also: The veteran Grammy-winning San Francisco bluesman Elvin Bishop is back to remind us that he’s a whole lot more than his 1976 pop hit “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” (7 & 9 p.m. the Dakota, $30-$50); omnipresent local sax wiz Nelson Devereaux is curating Sundays at Berlin in May starting with performance by his duo Subtle Frequencies and Milwaukee’s sonic collagist Klassik (7 p.m., $21).

8. Lucy Dacus: Coming off the almost-mainstream success of the indie-rock supergroup Boygenius with Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker — the latter plays First Ave next week — Dacus picked a good time to churn out one of her sweetest and most hopeful albums to date. “Forever Is a Feeling” was largely inspired by her budding romantic relationship with Baker, and thus veers more toward serene Mitski territory than her previous album’s angstier tones. The Virginia rocker is settling in for two nights in a scene that got in early on her greatness seeing her open for Courtney Barnett and Car Seat Headrest. Muna’s Katie Gavin opens both shows with Jasmine.4.T. (7:15 p.m. Mon. & Tue., Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7th Place, St. Paul, $50-$70, axs.com)

Also: Well-traveled activist Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn settles in for two nights, touting his latest “O Sun O Moon” (7:30 p.m. Mon. & Tue. Parkway Theater, $45-$65); it’ll be a good, old-fashion song pull with alt-twangers Clare Doyle and Luke Cullen at Icehouse (8 p.m., $12-$18).

9. Sturgill Simpson: Leave it to the versatile Kentucky twanger to overcome the historically worst music venue in the Twin Cities (Roy Wilkins Auditorium) and deliver one of the very best concerts of 2024. He conquered the sonic pitfalls thanks to smart audio engineers, a wide-ranging repertoire, a top-notch band, his forceful and passionate voice, and the wherewithal to perform for three terrific hours. You never know what covers he’ll play — tunes by Prince, Procol Harum, Neil Diamond, Eddie Murphy, William Bell, Lefty Frizzell have shown up this year. Plus, Simpson has his own diverse catalog of twangers, rockers and bluegrassers. He returns to the Armory, another old building that had a marvelous makeover, especially acoustically. (8 p.m. Tue.-Wed., Armory, 500 S. 6th St., Mpls., $85 and up, ticketmaster.com)

Also: British R&B trio Flo is putting a modern U.K. spin on the great TLC and has been saluted with BET and Soul Train awards (7 p.m. the Fillmore, all ages, $45).

10. Amyl & the Sniffers: One of the few acts at this month’s Coachella festival to employ angst and loud guitars, the Australian punk group has been a favorite with thrill-seeking Twin Cities rock fans since their post-pandemic Fine Line gig. Singer Amy Taylor is a grade-A, glam but bawdy frontperson who’s part Karen O and Wendy O. Williams. Her band’s latest album, “Cartoon Darkness,” adds a little melody and politics to their grungy, grinding sound. Philadelphia punk Sheer Mag open after recently signing with Jack White’s Third Man Records. (7 p.m. Palace Theatre, 10 W. 7th Place, St. Paul, $40-$55, axs.com)

Also: “Brick” hitmaker Ben Folds is performing solo on piano down in Rochester (7:30 p.m. Mayo Civic Center, $45-$180); metallic Florida punk band Magnolia Park is newly signed to Epitaph Records and part of this summer’s Warped Tour revival (6:30 p.m. Fine Line, all ages, $27).

Classical music critic Rob Hubbard contributed to this column.