The Big Gigs: 10 best concerts in the Twin Cities this week

Thursday, March 14

After returning from hiatus last year with the ambitious album "Shell Game," Chris Koza's elegant folk-rock band Rogue Valley is setting up in an elegant room (7 p.m. the Dakota, $20-$25); Indigenous Guatemalan singer/songwriter Sara Curruchich has been a well-known singer around Central America for a decade (7:30 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, $23-$28); Judy Niemack, a veteran New York jazz singer who has taught at colleges in Brussels and Berlin, explores love with pianist John DiMartino (6:30 p.m. Dunsmore Room at Crooners, $25-$35); 33 years after dropping his debut, Milwaukee Americana singer/guitarist Willy Porter is back with 2023′s "The Ravin" (8 p.m. Icehouse, $25-$35); collegiate Twin Cities pop-rocker Colin Bracewell plays one of his biggest hometown gigs to date with Chutes, Creeping Charlie and Pit Stop (8 p.m. Fine Line, $15); the Black Widows' "Greatest Show Ever" residency series continues with a garage-rocky lineup featuring Tiny Daggers and the Unnamed (7:30 p.m. Hook & Ladder Mission Room, $10-$15).

Friday, March 15

1. Olivia Rodrigo: On her second tour, it's time for the 21-year-old burgeoning superstar to answer the question she poses in "Teenage Dream": "When am I gonna stop being great for my age and just start being good?" "Guts," her sophomore album that closes with "Teenage Dream," proved that she's great at any age, the perfect pop-punk combo of angst, attitude and raw emotion. Unlike her debut tour in 2022, the Grammy winner has more elaborate production this time, including dancers and a crescent moon on which she flies over the adoring crowd. Arrive on time for opener Chappell Roan, the over-the-top pop star from Missouri who, like Rodrigo, works with producer Dan Nigro. (7:30 p.m. Xcel Energy Center, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, resale only, ticketmaster.com)

2. Hurray for the Riff Raff: Fans of Waxahatchee, Big Thief and any other lyrically driven folk-rock act of the day should finally take note of Alynda Segarra and their New Orleans-based ensemble. Their new record, "The Past Is Still Alive," sets the high-water mark of a nine-album discography and stands as one of the year's best LPs so far. Produced by Bon Iver affiliate Brad Cook, it's laced with character-driven songs about train-hopping gutter punks, a beaten trans woman and other people struggling to find America's so-called freedom. Chicago experimenter Nnamdi opens. (9 p.m. Amsterdam Bar & Hall, 6 W. 6th St., St. Paul, $21-$26, axs.com)

3. Arlo Parks: After an unplugged promo gig and opening date with Clairo, this ultra-charming and über-personal British poet-turned-singer is finally set for her first full-scale headlining date in town since her captivating 2021 coming-out gig at 7th St. Entry. The soothingly voiced Londoner – still a mere 23 – was a prime candidate for a sophomore slump after her debut album, "Collapsed in Sunbeams," won her the Mercury Prize and multiple Grammy and Brit Awards nominations. But last year's follow-up, "My Soft Machine" added a fuller, darker and more sonically frayed sound to her jazzy bedroom pop to great effect. (7 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., all ages, $30, axs.com)

4. The Songs of Grant Hart: On what would've been his 63rd birthday, the co-leader of the globally celebrated Twin Cities punk band Hüsker Dü is being celebrated by many of the younger music makers he worked with or influenced later in his adventurous career before dying of cancer in 2017. They include Dylan Ritchie and Mike Wisti and their respective bands, Teenage Strangler and Rank Strangers, both of which recorded with Hart. Also: Ryan Smith of the Melismatics and Soul Asylum, Brian Herb and the Outstanding Achievements in the Field of Excellence, False Agave and Girlses Moms. (7:30 p.m. Cloudland Theater, 3533 E. Lake St., $12-$15, cloudlandtheater.com)

5. Mark Mallman Sings the Goth Songbook: Round up your blackest clothes and your saddest friends as the Twin Cities' ever-clever piano rocker and his band take a spin through eyeliner-smeared '80s and '90s alternative classics from the Cure, Sisters of Mercy, Cocteau Twins and many more. Guests will include Lydia Liza, Cloud Cult's Shannon Frid and Pony of the Melismatics, plus Jake Rudh couldn't resist DJ-ing this one. Mallman has also issued a new dark-synth single, "SeenSing My Own Ghost," tied to the show. (7:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Av. S., Mpls., $20-$25, theparkwaytheater.com)

6. Grouplove and Bully: In the 12 years since their excitedly infectious tune "Tongue Tied" went to No. 1 on Billboard's alternative chart riding exposure in an iPod commercial and "Glee" episode - talk about signs of the time - peppy L.A. rockers Grouplove have remained popular with young fans on streaming sites and at festivals. They are out touting their latest album, "I Want It All Right Now," whose heavier and more frayed sound makes their choice of opening acts a great fit. Led by Minnesota native Alicia Bognanno, Bully earned its strongest reviews yet with last year's First Ave gig and the coinciding Sub Pop LP, "Lucky for You." (8 p.m. Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7th Place, St. Paul, $40-$55, axs.com)

Also: Mia x Ally, that is violinist Mia Asano and bagpiper Ally Crowley-Duncan, have created a viral buzz with their covers of Metallica, Dropkick Murphys and, of course, Charlie Daniels Band (7 p.m. the Dakota, $40-$55); fresh off tour dates with his pals in Cracker, rogue Illinois rocker Ike Reilly is flashing his Irish eyes in town ahead of St. Patty's Day (8:30 p.m. Turf Club, $25-$30); Blackberry Smoke, the versatile Atlanta Southern rockers, are promoting their eighth album, the Dave Cobb-produced "Be Right Here," with sonic nods to Marshall Tucker Band and the Black Crowes (8:30 p.m. Medina Entertainment Center, $41-$72); local Pink Floyd tribute band Momentary Lapse of Floyd is pairing up once again with Twin Cities Ballet for an ambitious weekend-long staging of "The Wall" (7:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., Fitzgerald Theater, $38-$53); top-flight Twin Cities jazz guitarist Zacc Harris brings his group to the new North Loop club Berlin (7 p.m., $20); mountains loom as the inspiration for Cantus' latest program, which features songs of Hungary's Zoltán Kodály, Estonia's Veljo Tormis and China's Chen Yi, among others (7:30 p.m. Fri. Westminster Hall; 3 p.m. Sun. Trinity Lutheran Church, 11 a.m. Tue. Meetinghouse Church $5-$45).

Saturday, March 16

7. Marty Stuart: On last year's "Altitude," the country music historian and Hall of Famer and His Fabulous Superlatives fly high like the Byrds taking off from Bakersfield. A Byrds-meets-Buck Owens vibe permeates this spirited, jingly, jangly country-rock collection, punctuated by Kenny Vaughan's nifty guitar. Stuart gets tender at times, too, notably on the redemptive "The Angels Came Down." A road trip is warranted for this always rewarding, Grammy-winning progressive traditionalist. (7:30 p.m. Mayo Civic Center, 30 Civic Center Drive, Rochester, $46-$76, ticketmaster.com)

8. Ladies R&B Kickback Concert: That's a curious moniker for a throwback R&B show featuring a parade of stars who were big in the '90s and '00s. Our homies Next remind us they climbed to No. 1 with "Too Close" and scored with "Wifey" and "Butta Love." Ginuwine, the singer-turned-actor and 2023 "Masked Singer" participant, rides "Pony" and "Differences." Also scheduled to appear are H-Town, remembered for "Knockin' Da Boots"; Case of "Missing You" fame; Bobby V of "Slow Down" renown; Pleasure P, known for "Boyfriend #2″; Shai, harmonizers on "If I Ever Fall in Love," and J Holiday, the "Bed" hitmaker. (8 p.m. Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Av., Mpls., $70-$200, ticketmaster.com)

Also: Two highly hyped 2000s-era British rock bands that have settled into cultish followings, the Kooks and the Vaccines, have paired up for their first U.S. tours in several years (8 p.m. the Fillmore, $59); ending an even longer stateside hiatus, Welsh rockers Mclusky made a big impression with their Steve Albini-produced debut "Mclusky Do Dallas," but are only now back on their first U.S. trek in 19 years (8:30 p.m. First Avenue, $25); Avant Joik, the experimental Nordic trio, will be joined by Sami visual artist Matti Aikio (8 p.m. Walker Art Center, $15 and up); soulful local Southern rockers the Mae Simpson Band are blowing into the Dakota (7 p.m., $30-$35); the U2 tribute band Rattle and Hum is taking over Kieran's Irish Pub for two nights (9 p.m., also Sun., free); Iron Range rock stars Rich Mattson & the Northstars are back in town playing with Tiny Daggers (9 p.m. Palmer's Bar, $15); St. Paul piano man Dan Chouinard leads the Oscar Song Sing-Along with guest Arne Fogel and hopefully they've brushed up on their Billie Eilish (5 p.m. Dunsmore Room at Crooners, $20-$30).

Sunday, March 17

9. VocalEssence: You're never going to meet anyone quite like Melanie DeMore. The Oakland-based "vocal activist" believes in the power of singing as a source of healing, peace, comfort and hope, leading choirs and audiences in some uniquely soul-cleansing music. She's the special guest for the 2024 incarnation of VocalEssence's "Witness" concert, an annual celebration of Black musicians and other history makers. Be prepared for some stick pounding and the urge to lend your voice to the mix. (4 p.m. Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $15-$50, vocalessence.org)

Also: The Brian Boru Pipe Band will be marching all across town for St. Patrick's Day, with free stops including Emmett's Public House (1:30 p.m.), Morrissey's Irish Pub (4 p.m.) and two at Shamrock's (noon and 7:30 p.m.); ready for any occasion, Trailer Trash plans a Lucky Charmed Country for St. Patty's Day (4 p.m. Crooners, $20-$30); at its monthly Icehouse gig, the Twin Cities Flamenco Collective will be joined by guest vocalist Vicente Griego from Albuquerque and new dancer La Gracia (5 p.m., $20-$25); the Who aren't Irish, but the local tribute band Who Are They? know how to throw a good party anyway (7 p.m. the Dakota, $15-$25); Icelandic electro-rock musician Daoi Freyr won fame via Eurovision during the pandemic (8 p.m. Fine Line, $25).

Monday, March 18

After filling in for Tom DeLonge in Blink-182 over two albums, Matt Skiba is back fronting the Chicago-based emo-punk band he rode in on, Alkaline Trio, with a new record "Blood, Hair and Eyeballs" (8:30 p.m. the Fillmore, $48); Larry Goldings, a first-call organist (specializing in bass sounds) who has recorded with James Taylor, Madeleine Peyroux and John Scofield, leads his jazz trio featuring guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart (7 p.m. the Dakota, $30-$40).

Tuesday, March 19

France-born, New Orleans-based chanteuse Cyrille Aimee, who was a jazzy breath of fresh air in her Dakota debut in 2020, returns to downtown Minneapolis supporting her week-old album, "A Fleur de Peau" (7 p.m., $35-$40); 331 Club regular Pop Wagner, the veteran cowboy folk singer, celebrates the release of two albums — the new "Rowdy Folk Songs" and a reissue of a1983 cassette with Angus Foster on bass and Butch Thompson on clarinet (6 p.m. 331 Club, free).

Wednesday, March 20

10. JJ Grey & Mofro: The swampy Florida funkster is an all-purpose soul man. On last month's "Olustee," his first album in nine years, Grey adds a horn section, backup singers, reeds, strings, and winds as he offers originals with echoes of Van Morrison, the Black Crowes, Sly Stone, Delbert McClinton and even Bob Dylan in his gospel-rock days. Grey also delivers a piano-propelled, horn-punctuated Southern soul reading of fellow Floridian John Anderson's "Seminole Wind." Opening is Judith Hill, a soulful force who always gets extra emotional performing in the Twin Cities where she spent time as Prince's protégé. Her album, "Letters from a Black Widow," arrives on April 26. (7:30 p.m. Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7th Pl., St. Paul, $39.50-$80, axs.com)

Also: Music scions Jenni Muldaur, daughter of Maria and Geoff Muldaur, and Teddy Thompson, son of Linda and Richard Thompson, explore the great country duets of George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, and Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton (7 p.m. the Dakota, $45-$50); goth rocker Chelsea Wolfe is touting her just-released seventh album, "She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She," produced by TV on the Radio cofounder Dave Sitek (8 p.m. Varsity Theater, $27.50 and up); saxophonist Chris Thomson leads his Twin Cities quartet with jazz gurus Kavyesh Kaviraj, Jeff Bailey and Abinnet Berhanu (7 p.m. Berlin, free).

Classical music critic Rob Hubbard contributed to this column.