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

1. Minnesota Orchestra: The first time Thomas Søndergård conducted the Minnesota Orchestra, the featured soloist was Argentine pianist Ingrid Fliter, the first woman to win the Gilmore Artist Award (kind of like the MacArthur “Genius Grant” for pianists). She played a Mozart concerto then and will reunite with Søndergård and the orchestra for another (his 17th). And this orchestra has done some magnificent things with Dmitri Shostakovich symphonies this century, so a performance of No. 11, nicknamed “The Year 1905,” is very promising, as is a powerful piece by Karim Al-Zand. (11 a.m. Thu. and 8 p.m. Fri., Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $15-$111, minnesotaorchestra.org)

Also: Festival de las Calaveras organizers are presenting a special post-Cinco de Mayo concert with conjunto-tinged Texas rock band Piñata Protest and others (7 p.m. Hook & Ladder Theater, $15-$20); Ghost-Note, Dallas’ jazzy funk group led by Snarky Puppy members Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth, is back at the Dakota (6:30 and 9 p.m., $47.50 and up); loopy drum and keyboard guru Dosh teams up with local jazz stalwarts Anthony Cox and Chris Thomson (7:30 p.m. Berlin, $10); Mexican singer/songwriter Kevin Kaarl has a sizable following on YouTube and Spotify (7 p.m. Fillmore, $62 and up).

2. Lucius: In the last few years, in addition to harmonizing with Brandi Carlile, Ringo Starr and others, Lucius frontwomen Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig have started finding life partners, building families, growing gardens and getting dogs in Los Angeles. On their just-released eponymous fourth album, the quartet — including drummer/producer Dan Molad and guitarist Peter Lalish — return to intriguing, resourceful indie-pop, including the luscious “Mad Love,” the minimalist “Impressions” and reflective “At the End of the Day” with help from guests Madison Cunningham and the War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel. (8 p.m. Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7th Pl., St. Paul, $42 and up, axs.com)

3. Allison Russell: Last seen opening for Hozier at Xcel Energy Center last August, the Grammy-winning, genre-agnostic Canadian has picked First Avenue for her first Twin Cities headline appearance. Yes, she’s a Prince fan. Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman of Prince & the Revolution played on Russell‘s new album, “The Returner.” An effective connector, the singer/clarinetist/banjoist dropped a new single with Annie Lennox and has collaborated with Brandi Carlile, Joni Mitchell and Mavis Staples, among her many heroes. After a triumphant run as Persephone on Broadway in “Hadestown” this past winter, the dynamic, probing Russell has returned to the road to promote “The Returner.” (7:30 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $25 and up, axs.com)

4. The Magnetic Fields: “69 Love Songs” was a monumentally ambitious 1999 work by Stephin Merritt in which he composed 69 tunes about love in a wide variety of musical styles, including country, ballads, jazz, blues, folk and synth pop. Being an omnivore, Merritt discussed heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual relationships. The Magnetic Fields will recreate the 172-minute triple album in its entirety but spread over two nights. (8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul, $49.50 and up, axs.com)

5. Alison Moyet: The ’80s British pop star is equally remembered for the dramatic but fun synth-pop hits “All Cried Out” and “Invisible” as well as for her time in Yaz with Depeche Mode/Erasure co-founder Vince Clarke, whose dance favorites included “Don’t Go” and “Situation.” At 61, she is back in the States for the first time in eight years, touting a new full-length, “Key,” which features reworkings of her old material as well as two new tunes. She’s playing a long “evening with” show, so no opener. (8:30 p.m. Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $47.50-$70, axs.com)

Also: “Bottoms Up” country-rock hitmaker Brantley Gilbert‘s Tattoos Tour kicks off the season at the Ledge Amphitheater in Waite Park (7 p.m., $50 and up); the Hook & Ladder is throwing its first installment in a new, multi-stage electronic-dance music series called Doinks n’ Dubstep in conjunction with its adjoining cannabis lounge Zen Arcade, featuring Oklahoma DJ/producer Champagne Drip, Pogman, a silent disco and more (8 p.m., $46); Florida jazz saxophonist Patrick Lamb takes a break from his tour with Gino Vannelli to make his Twin Cities debut with local friends including Ricky Peterson, St. Paul Peterson and Joey Finger (5:30 p.m. Belvedere tent at Crooners, $54.50 and up); RetroFizz does its annual salute to the music of Burt Bacharach with the help of a parade of singers including Maud Hixson, Curtiss A, Julius Collins, Kendra Glenn, Becky Schlegel and Nate Dungan (7:30 p.m. Crooners, $37.89 and up); Sara Bischoff’s enchanting, neo-twang-shoegaze band Under Violet is back in action with Val Son (8 p.m. Cloudland Theater, $12-$15); after gigging heavily with Soul Asylum and UltraBomb of late, Ryan Smith returns to his old family band the Melismatics with pal Benjamin Cartel (8 p.m. Icehouse, $15-$22); Chicago’s Ana Everling Quartet will combine Romanian folklore with modern classical influences at jazz club Berlin (7-10 p.m., $20), where Jazz88 jockey Danny Sigelman is DJ-ing later (10:30 p.m., free).

6. Gang of Four: After their Minneapolis coming-out at Jay’s Longhorn Bar in 1979, the chaotically grooving and bitingly sociopolitical punk pioneers from Leeds, England, went on to influence R.E.M., the Chili Peppers, LCD Soundsystem, etc. Singer Jon King and drummer Hugo Burnham are keeping the band going strong with help from a couple of younger all-star fans, Indiana’s Pharmacists bandleader Ted Leo on guitar and Belly’s Gail Greenwood on bass. They’re calling it GoF’s last outing and playing the first album in full, 1979’s “Entertainment!” It’s turned into a tribute to bassist Dave Allen, too, who died last month, following guitarist Andy Gill‘s passing in 2020. (8 p.m. Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $30, axs.com)

7. Lambrini Girls: If you want to check in on your punk-rock pulse, you really should check out this young and doubly riotous — as in: funny and fuming — U.K. group. Bandleaders Phoebe Lunny and Lilly Macieira met while working together at a bar in Brighton and have maintained a boozy and bawdy edge, even as they’ve become rising stars lauded by Sleater-Kinney and Iggy Pop. They’re working their way across America toward the big Punk Rock Bowling festival in Las Vegas after issuing their full-length debut, “Who Let the Dogs Out,” whose single “No Homo” continues their string of anti-homophobia anthems. (8:30 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $20, axs.com)

8. The Turtle Island Quartet: Schubert Club Mix closes its season with a group that perfectly captures the quintessence of that series’ offbeat and adventurous focus. Perhaps “offbeat” isn’t the right word, because this string quartet can swing like no other group that fits loosely under the “classical” umbrella. For 40 years, the two-time Grammy winners have been mixing string quartet repertoire with jazz, folk, rock, world music and a plethora of other styles. In Minneapolis, they’ll perform music by Rhiannon Giddens, Terence Blanchard, Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate and the quartet’s founding violinist, David Balakrishnan. (7:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Av. S., Mpls., $33, schubert.org)

9. Sharon Van Etten: The latest Twin Cities tour date by the coolly dramatic New Jersey rocker is officially billed as “Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory,” and for good reason. Her seventh album of the same name really is a band effort, heavily reliant on artful production and roller-coaster-y, Yo La Tengo-ish arrangements around the usual rife emotions in her songwriting. The band includes bassist Devra Hoff (Nels Cline, Xiu Xiu) and Here We Go Magic keyboardist Teeny Lieberson. Should be a slow-burning show. (7:30 p.m. Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7th Place, St. Paul, $36-$41, axs.com)

Also: Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Booker T. Jones revives his classics “Green Onions,” “Time Is Tight” and “Born Under a Bad Sign” (8 p.m. Hopkins Center for the Arts, $55-$65); the Twin Cities’ great channeler of ’90s Britrock bands like the Verve and Oasis, Two Harbors is celebrating the release of its first record in 11 years, “Can’t Shake This Dream,” with openers Another Heaven and the Mood Swings (8 p.m. 7th St. Entry, $15); Rhymesayers hip-hop vet Brother Ali continues the rollout for his new album produced by Ant, “Satisfied Soul,” with a show in his former hometown also featuring DJ Abilities (8 p.m. Icehouse, $32); Southern-rocky greats Eleganza! is meeting up with one of their Southern pals, Taylor Hollingsworth, who was part of Conor Oberst’s Mystic Valley Band (8 p.m. Cloudland Theater, $12-$15); fun country pickers Doug Collins & the Receptionists are playing a couple afternoon sets at White Squirrel Bar (1-4 p.m., free).

Celebrating its 55th year, the irrepressible Ray Benson steers eight-time Grammy-winning Asleep at the Wheel back to the Dakota for two nights of delightful Western swing (7 p.m. Sun.-Mon., $70-$85); Erin Schwab and Jay Fuchs have been doing Mother’s Day cabaret show for more than two decades and this year they will be joined by Schwab’s daughter, Sophie Todaro, for a repertoire that covers everything from Stevie Nicks to Stevie Wonder (5 p.m. Crooners, $37.89 and up); Minnesota entertainer Anthony Shore is back in the building to perform his Elvis Presley tribute (7 p.m. Parkway Theater, $30 and up); fresh off his 98th birthday party, jazz and blues pianist Cornbread Harris is back for his weekly “Church of Cornbread” gig (5-7 p.m. Palmer’s Bar, free).

As always, a slow Monday night makes a great excuse to take in the weekly Roe Family Singers old-school folk and bluegrass hootenanny-style shows at the 331 Club (8 p.m., free), where Erik Brandt & the Urban Hillbilly Quartet are also playing this week (6 p.m.).

10. Katy Perry: It’s hard out there for Katy Perry. There was the backlash in April for being on the all-female crew of that Blue Origin rocket flight. This was after her 2024 album, “143,” pretty much bombed, failing to land a hit song. Now comes her Lifetimes Tour, which was criticized when it opened last month in Mexico City for production values not worthy of a global pop superstar. But Perry, the vibrant voice of “Teenage Dream” and “Roar,” is known as a trouper. Will the former “American Idol” judge have the wherewithal to retool things as the tour arrives in the States this week, with Minneapolis as the fifth stop? Opening is Rebecca Black, the voice of the 2011 viral hit “Friday,” who has a new album, “Salvation.” (7 p.m. Target Center, 600 1st Av. N., Mpls., $75 and up, axs.com)

Also: Laurel Canyon songwriting ace Karla Bonoff returns to dust off her best known pieces, including “Someone To Lay Down Beside Me,” “All My Life” and “Lose Again,” as well as her own 1982 hit “Personally” (7:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, $35-$60); Los Angeles hybrid artist Sasami has played everywhere from the Austin Psych Fest to England’s Rough Trade Records stores of late promoting her blend of Britney Spears-style pop, Prince funk and heavy metal (8 p.m. Turf Club, $20); stylish Los Angeles indie-pop band Saint Motel is back in frontman AJ Jackson’s home state with dramatic crooner rockers Brigitte Calls Me Baby opening (8 p.m. Palace Theatre, $35-$65).

Low-key but charming raconteur Peter Asher, the British pop singer-turned-American producer, brings his nostalgia-stirring stories of the Beatles, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor and others back to the Dakota (7 p.m. Wed.-Thu., $58.43 and up).

Classical music critic Rob Hubbard contributed to this column.