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

1. Vince Gill: After spending nine years touring with the Eagles, the Country Music Hall of Famer has returned to his solo career. He’s celebrating his 50th year as a performer, doing lengthy concerts featuring hits, deep tracks and new, unreleased tunes. Just don’t expect any Eagles songs. Do expect some heavenly vocals, guitar fireworks and that inimitable Gill humor. (7:30 p.m. Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $100 and up, ticketmaster.com)

2. George Clinton: At the 83, the godfather of funk is still bringing his Just for the Funk of It Final Tour to Minneapolis once again. The colorful Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s current incarnation of the ever-changing Parliament-Funkadelic features children of former members of the Mothership. But it’s not about nepotism, it’s about bringing the funk and those irresistible jams “Flashlight,” “Atomic Dog” and ““Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker).” (8 p.m. Uptown Theater, 2900 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $68.50 and up, ticketmaster.com)

3. Charles McPherson: The 85-year-old San Diego alto saxophone master has had a long and distinguished career. He was a key sideman to Charles Mingus for many years, and he has recorded 25 albums under his own name. The latest, 2024’s “Reverence,” is a hard-swinging salute to McPherson’s mentor, jazz pianist Barry Harris, recorded live at Smoke, the New York City jazz club. In addition to offering several originals, McPherson delivers long and memorable readings of two standards, the late-night soulful “Come Rain or Come Shine” and the gracefully embracing “Old Folks.” (7 p.m. the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $63.58 and up, dakotacooks.com)

Also: The weather may not suggest it’s time for the Beach Boys outside but Mike Love and company always bring “Good Vibrations” (7 p.m. Canterbury Park, $59 and up); hard-growling U.K. metal vets Napalm Death, whose core lineup has stayed cemented since the ’90s, are on a freakishly noisy co-headlining tour with Seattle area acid punks the Melvins and support from ex-Poison Idea leader Jerry A’s Hard Ons (7 p.m. First Avenue, $35); Jack White’s favorite local openers Citric Dummies are kicking off a tour with Cleveland’s Yambag (7:30 p.m. 7th St. Entry, $15); veteran Twin Cities piano man Dale Alexander offers a jazzy happy-hour treat (4:30 p.m. Berlin, free).

4. Coco Jones: The singer/actor was part of the Disney universe in the ‘10s, appearing in TV’s “So Random,” “Good Luck Charlie” and notably “Let It Shine.” She’s now starring as an influencer in Peacock’s “Bel-Air,” the reimagining of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” All along, Jones has been releasing music, most notably “ICU,” for which she won a Grammy for best R&B performance in 2024. Last month, she dropped her overdue full-length “Why Not More,” a commendable collection of contemporary R&B whose highlights include the impassioned hit “Here We Go (Uh Oh)” and “AEOMG” which samples Luther Vandross’ “Never Too Much.” (8 p.m. Fillmore, 525 N. 5th St., Mpls., $40 and up, ticketmaster.com)

5. Caterwaul: This fourth annual, four-day noisemakers’ fest is proof positive weird things can still thrive in the music biz. It’s adding a third Minneapolis venue to its mix instead of the usual two, with more than 40 bands spread among them. Genres range from sludgy metal to experimental electro-punk and basically anything loud and on the fringe. Friday’s opening night at Mortimer’s gives way to a daylong marathon outside the 331 Club and late sets at Zhora Darling on Saturday, followed by two more long days at the 331 on Sunday and Monday. Highlights among the local and many out-of-town acts on the bill include Uniform, Deaf Club, Pissed Jeans, Young Widows, Kowloon Walled City, Mugger, Buildings, Gaythiest and In Lieu. See what we mean about “weird.” (7:30 p.m. Fri.-10 p.m. Mon., various locations, $35-$50/day or $140/three-day, caterwaul.org)

Also: The National’s singer Matt Berninger is on his first full solo tour in support of his second LP, “Get Sunk,” whose barbed single “Bonnet of Pins” has gained a lot of buzz (8 p.m. First Avenue, $40); Norwegian DJ/producer Kygo, best remembered for “It Ain’t Me” with Selena Gomez, lands at Grand Casino Hinckley amphitheater of all places, courtesy of the promoters of EDM’s Breakaway fest (8 p.m., $84.46 and up); kindred and clever Twin Cities folk-rock singers Anni XO and Kiernan are back home for a tour finale that’s doubling as an EP release party for each of them, with openers Creeping Charlie and Yellow Ostrich (8 p.m. 7th St. Entry, $16); Georgia’s great prog-metal unit Baroness is on tour with the Infinity Ring (8:30 p.m. Turf Club, $25); St. Paul Chamber Orchestra cellist Richard Belcher leads a program that features his orchestral arrangement of Leoš Janáček’s first string quartet, nicknamed “The Kreutzer Sonata” (11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Fri., Wooddale Church, Eden Prairie; 7 p.m. Sat., St. Paul’s United Church of Christ; 3 p.m. Sun., St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi; $16-$36).

6. Yola: Six years and two albums since her Dan Auerbach-produced breakout LP “Walk Through Fire,” British singer/songwriter Yolanda Quartey has evolved from a familiar-sounding retro-soul powerhouse á la Amy Winehouse to a more innovative, playful and hard-grooving R&B/rock of the Brittany Howard and TV on the Radio variety. She’s fresh off a big showing at New Orleans’ Jazz Fest and back on tour promoting a new EP, “My Way,” recorded with the same Los Angeles studio team as Lizzo’s recent work and fueled by a joyful sense of empowerment. Eau Claire, Wis., scene music alum Noor Shami opens with her new act, Clovers Daughter. (8 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $40, axs.com)

7. JPEGMAFIA: Nine years since busting out of the Baltimore scene with his hard-to-peg breakout album “Black Ben Carson,” experimental and freeform rapper Barrington Hendricks remains as hard to peg as ever. His latest effort, “We Live in a Society,” is a surprisingly accessible and danceable EP made with Australian electronic music star Flume. However, it follows last year’s more abrasive and subversively grinding album, “I Lay Down My Life for You.” Chances are we see these different sides and more as he returns for his first Twin Cities show in three years. (7 p.m. the Fillmore, 525 N. 5th St., Mpls., $51, 18 & older, ticketmaster.com)

8. Minnesota Philharmonic: The Twin Cities’ foremost LGBTQ orchestra will complete a season of music by underrepresented composers with a work by 20th-century American Margaret Bonds. Most widely known for her song collaborations with poet Langston Hughes, Bonds was the first African American female composer programmed by many a major orchestra. Here, conductor Brian Edward Dowdy and the Philharmonic will perform her “Montgomery Variations” on a program that also features a premiere by Liza Sobel Crane and Aaron Copland’s “El Salón México.” A livestream of the concert is also available. (7:30 p.m. the O’Shaughnessy, St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Av., St. Paul, $5-$32.75, mnphil.org)

Also: The annual Harmony Family Campout & Music Festival gets its granola groove on with Useful Jenkins, Feed the Dog, Adam Gruel & the Space Burritos, Buffalo Galaxy, Stringdingers, Bigfoot Country and others (Fri.-Sat. Harmony Park, Lake Geneva, $125); the fifth annual Bob Dylan Birthday Bash features an all-star Minnesota lineup of Erik Koskinen, Dan Israel, Gini Dodds, Curtis A, Terry Walsh, Lamaar and other acolytes (8 p.m. Turf Club, $20); also a fifth annual tradition in the outdoor Under the Canopy series, the Reggae Summer Splash beckons warm weather and good vibes with local mainstays the International Reggae All-Stars and Innocent (7 p.m. the Hook & Ladder, $22-$28).

9. Wiz Khalifa: After big gigs headlining Soundset and the State Fair grandstand pre-COVID, this First Ave date by the resilient Pittsburgh rap star of “Black and Yellow” fame feels like an intimate affair. He just dropped a new album, “Kush & Orange Juice 2,” which revisits the weedy and wonky sound of its cult-loved 2010 predecessor. He’s playing smaller venues on this so-called Taylor Gang the World Tour, named after his longtime crew/label. Then he’s going big again this summer on the Good Vibes Only 2 Tour; not scheduled to roll here. (8 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $65, axs.com)

Also: North Carolina’s campy but groovy retro-twang rockers Southern Culture on the Skids are back in town nicely paired with local rockabilly aces Kinda Fonda Wanda (8 p.m. Fine Line, $25); American Indian rockers from around the Upper Midwest are lining up for the Echoes of Resistance festival, benefitting the Rock the Rez music camp, including Black Belt Eagle Scout, Bazille, Laura Hugo, James Harvin and Dylan Daniels (6 p.m. Hook & Ladder Theater, $20); globe-trotting Twin Cities guitar ace Tim Sparks promises new tunes he’s written with Tom Lieberman and Ben Abramson, both of whom will join him (7 p.m. the Dakota, $20-$30); Twin Cities tribute king Mick Sterling plays his own tunes for a change with Mick Sterling & the Stud Brothers (7 p.m. Crooners, $35-$45); saxophone innovator Nelson Devereaux continues his monthlong residency at Berlin jazz club with Milwaukee’s Caley Conway and a cast of local jazz stalwarts (7-10 p.m., $20).

Palmer’s Bar is hosting a brass band barbecue party on its patio for Memorial Day with the Brass Messengers, the West Bank Social Club, Brasszilla and more, plus a special set by Cornbread Harris (2:30-10 p.m., $15); the Roe Family Singers are taking the night off from their usual Monday night gig at the 331 Club to make room for the final day of the Caterwaul fest, where New York duo Uniform, Deaf Club, Elephant Rifle and the Spit Takes are among the scheduled noisemakers (2-9 p.m.).

The Klezmatics, the Grammy winning klezmer group from New York City, are celebrating their 40th anniversary and crowd-funding to record another album of socially conscious Yiddish culture music (7 p.m. the Dakota, $47.10 and up); garage-rock hounds Nato Coles & the Blue Diamond Band are teaming up with Austin, Texas, rockers the Gentlemen Rogues (7 p.m. Cloudland Theater, $12-$15).

10. Our Heart Will Go On: It’s the final big show before the Woman’s Club shuts down because of financial challenges after 118 years. A lineup of local luminaries will take to the stage including Mary Jane Alm, Connie Evingson, Patty Peterson, Ginger Commodore, Maria Jette, Rachel Holder, Lori Dokken, Aimee Lee, Charmin Michelle, Jennifer Grimm, Michael Monroe, Richard Kriehn, Geoff Jones and Boyd Lee, with emcee Linda Kelsey. The concert benefits the nonprofits Involve MN and Project DIVA International. (7 p.m. Woman’s Club of Minneapolis, 410 Oak Grove St., Mpls., $45 and up, womansclub.org)

Also: Two of the ’00s top-selling hard-rock bands, Breaking Benjamin and Staind of “The Diary of Jane” and “It’s Been Awhile” fame, respectively, are co-headlining arenas on the so-called Awaken the Fallen Tour (5:45 p.m. Target Center, $26-$125); the unstoppable queen of cabaret, Marilyn Maye, is back for another May visit at age 97 with favorite NYC pianist Tedd Firth (7 p.m. Wed.-Thu., 8 p.m. May 30, Crooners, $71.58 and up); Spain’s Antonio Rey, whose 2024 album “Historias de un Flamenco" won the Latin Grammy for best flamenco album, will be joined by Twin Cities-raised flamenco guitarist Juanito Pascual (7 p.m. the Dakota, $35.77 and up).

Classical music critic Rob Hubbard contributed to this column.