Critics’ picks: The 13 best things to do and see in the Twin Cities this week

Remember the Weeknd’s rivetingly mysterious and theatrical Super Bowl halftime show in 2021? The Canadian superstar will strive for new heights with his After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour, relaunched in May after cancellations as an arena tour five years ago and then two postponements before coming to fruition. So much drama. And drama is what fans expect from the Grammy-boycotting singer born Abel Tesfaye as he brings his always high-concept performances to football stadiums, embracing tunes from his entire career, with an emphasis on this year’s “Hurry Up Tomorrow” album. Opening are Playboi Carti and Mike Dean. (7 p.m. Sat., U.S. Bank Stadium, 401 Chicago Av. S., Mpls., $80-$1,200, ticketmaster.com)

JON BREAM

Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and now it’s JT as the parade of illustrious singer/songwriters continues in Minnesota. At 77, Taylor is a few years younger than his fellow Rock & Roll Hall of Famers but, unlike those greats, he hasn’t offered much new music in this century, just two albums of original material. But he’s got enough classics like “Fire and Rain” and “Sweet Baby James” and definitive covers like “How Sweet It Is” and “Up on the Roof” to fill a heartwarming two hours. Opening is Tiny Habits, a young folk trio whose members met in a dorm at Berklee College of Music. (7:30 p.m. Tue., Xcel Energy Center, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, $115-$725, ticketmaster.com)

J.B.

A Crosby, Stills & Nash-like trio made up of three mavens of modern acoustic roots music with 31 Grammy nominations among them, Nickel Creek’s Sara Watkins, Texas star Sarah Jarosz and Boston-based “Prairie Home” regular Aoife O’Donovan earned a rave response for their first album in 2018 but went seven years before finally releasing a follow-up. Titled “Wild and Clear and Blue,” it’s a real stunner, with spine-touching harmonies, raw and pure string work and evocative songwriting laced with childhood memories and, yep, a little feminism. Old Crow Medicine Show alum Mason Via opens. (8 p.m. Sat., Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul, $36-$71, axs.com)

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

Two words Minnesotans love to hear every summer, “free” and “outdoors,” are strong selling points for Lowertown Sounds, but so is the fact that the nine-week series in St. Paul’s picturesque downtown park consistently spotlights some of the Twin Cities music scene’s best talent. First up this year is an old favorite of both the scene and the series, the Flamin’ Oh’s, the Bowie/Kinks-tinged rock unit led by Robert Wilkinson with heart and soul since the late ‘70s. They’ll be joined by a series newcomer, punchy rocker Faith Boblett, and roots picker Lonesome Dan Kase. (6-10 p.m. Thu., Mears Park, E. 5th and Sibley streets, St. Paul, free, all ages, lowertownsounds.com)

C.R.

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. Wed., Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $25, axs.com)

C.R.

Before saying “See you in September,” Thomas Søndergård closes his second season as the orchestra’s music director by returning to a favorite focus: works by 20th-century Russian composers. Winner of the 2021 International Chopin Piano Competition Bruce Liu will be the soloist for Sergei Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto before the season concludes with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s farewell to the orchestral form, his Symphonic Dances. A piece by the always intriguing contemporary American composer Carlos Simon opens the concerts. (11 a.m. Thu., 8 p.m. Fri., 7 p.m. Sat.; Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $36-$111, 612-371-5656 or minnesotaorchestra.org)

ROB HUBBARD

Hungary’s Gábor Takács-Nagy is a conductor who knows how to bring out the best in this excellent ensemble, and it’s become an annual tradition for him to visit each June and close the SPCO’s season, a role cemented when he was named one of the orchestra’s artistic partners. He’ll conduct works by American composer Geoffrey Gordon, Maurice Ravel, Béla Bartók and cap the season with Mozart’s “Prague” Symphony. (11 a.m. Fri., 7 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., Ordway Concert Hall, 345 Washington St., St. Paul, $16-$68, students and children admitted free, 651-291-1144 or thespco.org)

R.H.

This landmark queer love story by Diana Son about the trauma that shatters the first intimate moment between two Asian American women won an Obie and GLAAD Media awards when it premiered in 1998. Son updated the story last year and Theater Mu is using that script for its production that features the return of former artistic director Lily Tung Crystal in the supporting roles of Mrs. Winsley and the Nurse. The lead roles of Sara and Callie are played respectively by New York-based actor Kelsey Angel Baehrens, who starred in Mu’s co-production of “Blended (Harmony)” in spring 2024 at the History Theatre, and Emjoy Gavino, who is making her Mu debut after being in “The Mousetrap” and “A Christmas Carol” at the Guthrie Theater. Katie Bradley directs. (7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends June 29. Gremlin Theatre, 550 Vandalia St., St. Paul. $45 or pay-as-you-can. theatermu.org)

ROHAN PRESTON

Squint and the title reads like “trail of sex,” whatever that is. Playwright John Heimbuch plumbed court documents, newspaper clippings and the writings of sultry screen star Mae West for this show that orbits themes such as queerness and obscenity. The play springs from an incident around the Broadway production of West’s three-act show “Sex,” which she wrote under the pseudonym Jane Mast and starred in and which launched her career. New York’s finest raided the theater where West was performing “Sex,” a play about a prostitute, in February 1927. She was fined and sentenced to 10 days in jail. In this Walking Shadow Theatre production, Emily A. Grodzik plays West under the direction of Allison Vincent. (7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends June 22. Crane Theater, 2303 NE. Kennedy St., #120, Mpls. $0-$70. walkingshadow.org)

R.P.

For Volume 1, Ethnic Dance Theatre’s “The Land of 10,000 Ethnicities” focuses on central Europe. The performance features music by Mila Vocal Ensemble and Ethnic Dance Theatre Folk Orchestra. Folk dances from the region include Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia in a celebration of cultural traditions. (7:30 p.m. Fri.; 2 & 7:30 p.m. Sat. E.M Pearson Theatre, Concordia University, 312 N. Hamline Av., St. Paul. $17-$37, ethnicdancetheatre.org)

SHEILA REGAN

On Raspberry Island in St. Paul, 16 colorful, large-scale papier-mâché creations roam. There’s a bunny-lizard hybrid and a giant toad with long legs, butterfly wings and very sharp teeth. These creatures, known as alebrijes — a Mexican folk art that combines multiple animals into one being — are an outdoor art project by the Minnesota Latino Museum, and range from 4 to 16 feet tall. There’s a community celebration on June 14, noon-5 p.m. Ends Oct. 26. (Open sunrise to 11 p.m., Mon.-Sun., Raspberry Island, St. Paul, free, mnlatinomuseum.org)

ALICIA ELER

The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Arts on E. Hennepin Avenue, founded in 1969, focuses on teaching realistic drawing and painting. An exhibition of work by seven instructors from the program demonstrates what the school focuses on: academic training and a French Impressionist influence. Ends June 30. (7 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. & Sun., Holland Arts East Gallery, 639 22nd Av. NE., Mpls., free, hollandartsnempls.com)

A.E.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness Minnesota presents a day focused on wellness with interactive workshops and performances. Activities include a mental health scavenger hunt, mobile metal-casting, rock-stacking and forest-bathing. (10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat. Free, advance registration requested. Caponi Art Park, 1220 Diffley Road, Eagan. namimn.org)

MELISSA WALKER