10 concerts to see in the Twin Cities this week

Thursday October 13
1. Tribute to David Bowie: Todd Rundgren, a wizard and bona fide Rock Hall of Famer, is no stranger to touring with other stars’ gear. He took part in a Beatles tribute (with Denny Laine) and appeared with the Cars (actually the New Cars) and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. Now Rundgren is headlining a Bowie tribute tour with guitarist Adrian Belew, who played with Bowie in 1978 and 1990. Also featured are Fishbone’s Angelo Moore, Spacehog’s Royston Langdon and guitarist Scrote. Expect two dozen Bowie favorites as well as deep cuts. (8 p.m. Mystic Lake Casino, 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd NW, Prior Lake, $29-$69, ticketmaster.com)
2. Big Fat Love John Prine Tribute: A tribute show that stretches back 13 years, this celebration of the Singing Mailman and his treasure trove of songs obviously took on a deeper meaning following Prine’s death to COVID in 2020. It still involves a lot of goofy big fun, though. The Twin Citizens who have to deliver his songs include Davina Sowers, Mother Banjo, Trevor McSpadden, Ben Cook-Feltz, the Beavers, Jaspar Lepak and more. (6:30 p.m. Hook & Ladder Theater, 3010 Minnehaha Ave. S., Mpls., $10-$15, thehookmpls.com)
Also: Stylish and dramatic indie rock band from Twin Cities valley of thieves, fronted by Chris Koza with members of Lissie’s current band, reunited and revisiting one of their four seasonal albums (7:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, $22-$30); James Loney’s feisty, southern-inspired big band Lolo’s ghost has a new weekly residency gig at one of Minneapolis’s best old watering holes (7 p.m. Schooner Tavern, free); madcap, psychedelic, Georgian indie-rock show band From Montreal returns to town with a new album, “Freeway Lucifer” (8:30 p.m. Fine Line, $23-$37).
Friday October 14
3. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: The hyper-prolific cult band from Australia is releasing three albums this month. “Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava” has already arrived, with songs nearly as long as the title LP. The seven tracks span a combined 63 minutes and embrace a typical King Gizzard kitchen sink – reggae, afropop, funk, Latin jazz, progressive jazz, and more. Surprisingly, these extended jams never get boring, thanks to frontman Stu Mackenzie’s shrewd editing. (8:00 p.m. Palace Theater, 17 W. 7th Pl., St. Paul, $37, axs.com)
4. They could be giants: What was supposed to be a 30th anniversary spectacle from New York’s eccentric folk rockers, John Flansburgh and John Lindell’s 2020 MTV-backed album “Flood” turned into a Gen X nostalgia affair of two nights and a promotion for a new album after COVID delays. The new one is called “Book” and comes with a 144-page hardcover book. The focus is still on “Flood,” however, with the songs “Birdhouse in Your Soul” and “Istanbul ((Not Constantinople).” (8 p.m. First Avenue, sold out; also 8 p.m. Sat. Fitzgerald Theater, 10 W. Exchange St., St. Paul, $35-$45, axs.com)
5. The Waco Brothers: Chicago-based British indie/alternative rock hero Jon Langford was the talk of the town for two decades with this rooted, rowdy, rambunctious side band, which rose to national fame through tumultuous closing parties a la South by Southwest Music Conference of Texas. They’re having fun again this year playing festivals, including Strictly Hardly Bluegrass and now an all-too-rare club date in another Midwestern city. (8 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Av. S., Mpls., $15-$20, thecedar.org)
6. Jagged Edge & Ginuwine: What a fun pairing for ’90s R&B fans. Atlanta’s Jagged Edge guys, who made their mark with Jermaine Dupri-produced hits like “Let’s Get Married” and “Where the Party At,” are promoting from an aptly named new album, “All Original Parts”. The Swing Mob alum Ginuwine of “Pony” and “Differences” has been more of a TV guy lately, including a stint on “Big Brother Celebrity.” (8 p.m. Orpheum Theater, 910 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls., $59-$129, ticketmaster.com)
Also: After a breathtaking performance of “OK Computer”, the indie-rock sidemen of Twin Cities in the tribute band to Radiohead Gucci Little Pig and some of their friends are now tackling the album “In Rainbows” (8 p.m., Parkway Theatre, $15-$30); experimental and jazzy local rockers 26! Bats host a vinyl release party with alien book club (8 p.m. cooler, $12-$15); an original 2/5th line-up of the legendary Cleveland punk band dead boys of “Sonic Reducer” fame hit town with the Fret Rattles and Suzi Moon (8:30 p.m. Uptown VFW, $27-$32); despite a few surprisingly boring and silly previous appearances around town, the dance-pop DJ duo the Chain smokers are still on tour and sell a lot of tickets (8 p.m. the Armory, sold-out).
Saturday October 15
7. King Princess: Since opening Kacey Musgraves in January at the Xcel Energy Center, this New York indie rocker has released her second feature, “Hold On Baby.” She gets help from acclaimed producers Mark Ronson and Aaron Dessner and the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins on “Let Us Die.” But this LP is all King Princess, emotionally anxious but musically more confident. Driven by an indie-rock aesthetic with pop instincts, the 23-year-old tells of her attempts to free herself from a long-term relationship. She will cement her relationship with her Twin Cities fan base with her third St. Paul appearance since 2020. (7:30 p.m. Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7e Pl., St. Paul, $35 to $60, axs.com)
8. The Together in Hope Choir: When it comes to helping displaced people, the go-to organization has long been the Nobel Peace Prize-winning UN High Commissioner for Refugees. To facilitate his work, Twin Citizens Celia Ellingson and Gary Aamodt collected a variety of writings on the immigration experience and commissioned renowned Norwegian choral composer Kim Andre Arnesen to set them to music. The result is “The Stranger”, a 70-minute work that will receive its American premiere this weekend, thanks to a choir of 54 voices. (7:30 p.m., also 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Ordway Concert Hall, 345 Washington St., St. Paul, $42, Ordway.org.)
Also: Cuban-American Piano Powerhouse Nachito Herrera teams with violinist Karen Briggs, who toured with Yanni for many years, for an exciting evening of jazz and classical with an abundance of improvisation (7 p.m. the Dakota, $45-$60); Toronto indie rockers Alvvays have returned from a five-year lull with a beautifully humming and vibrant third album, “Blue Rev”, and are on tour with well-suited openings slow pulp (8 p.m. First Avenue, $25-$30); Minnesota Raised Boy/Girl Bluegrassy Folk Duo Lowest pair are back (8 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, $15-$20); all-female Clash tribute band naughty girl plays at Brit’s Pub (8 p.m., free); vintage cruise is a Twin Cities tribute to the yacht rock of Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins and James Ingram, hosted by Wayne Anthony (7 p.m. Crooners, $25-$35); Bluegrass troupe based in the St. Croix Valley Barley Jacks partner with Blue Hazard (7 p.m. Hook & Ladder, $16-$26); folk gatherers of old Europe machine hill have a cozy afternoon concert (3 p.m. Sociable Cider Werks, free); James Walsh brings Gypsy return to Fridley for classic Twin Cities prog-rock (8 p.m. Crooners, $35); Twin Cities folk-rock trio Turn Turn Turn down the river to Red Wing with Annie and the Bang Bang (7 p.m. Sheldon Theater, $17-$31)
Sunday October 16
9. Anat Cohen: “Quartetinho”, the latest exploration of Brazilian sounds from renowned Israeli-born, Brooklyn-based jazz clarinetist “Quartetinho”, features three members of her Tentet – pianist/accordionist Vitor Goncalves from Brazil, bassist/guitarist at seven strings Tal Mashiach from Israel, and vibraphonist/percussionist James Shipp from New York. “Quartetinho” (Brazilian for “little quartet”) has the intimate and eloquent lyricism of chamber jazz seasoned with ethnic sounds. (7 p.m. the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $40-$50, dakotacooks.com)
Also: Vocal group of acoustic guitar master Billy McLaughlin SimpleGifts pays homage to Neil Young’s two “Harvest” albums for fall (7 p.m., Parkway Theatre, $25-$45); The Twin Cities keyboard scientist William Duncan salute Billy Preston (7 p.m. Crooners, $20-$30); local punks butter boys‘October Residency continues with Desires and Full Catholic (9 p.m. Mortimer’s, $8); Los Angeles Warped Tour Veterans the bronx are in town again with the cats (8 p.m. University Theater, $27-$64).
Monday, October 17
10. Metric: Longtime favorites in the Twin Cities who presented a memorable headliner at Rock the Garden in 2013, singer Emily Haines and her Toronto rock band “Breathing Underwater” and “Help I’m Alive” are back on the so-called Doomscroller Tour, named after a sprawling 10-minute track on their wild new album, “Formentera”. Their electronic grooves and visual production should be extra-vibrant at Live Nation’s local Fillmore hi-fi store. (7 p.m. The Fillmore, 525 N. 5th St., Mpls., $37, ticketmaster.com)
Also: Grunge Era Stars L7 of “Pretend We’re Dead” have risen to fame since reforming in the mid-2010s and are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their album “Bricks Are Heavy” with the Texas band Fea, which is on Joan Jett’s label (8 p.m., First Avenue, $30-$35); Producer of Green Day and Weezer mouth walker promotes his new album, “Butch Walker…As Glenn” (7:30 p.m. Varsity Theater, $25); California Strummer Dan Layus of the hit band “Boston” Augustana is on tour with a new solo piano collection (8 p.m. Turf Club, $25-$30).
Tuesday, October 18
Cult wife/husband, British electro-pop duo St. LUCIA is back in America with a new album, “Utopia” (8 p.m. Varsity Theater, $30-$47.50); it’s the return of Acoustic alchemy, the British Veteran Smooth Jazz Ensemble (7 and 9 p.m., The Dakota, $25-$40); twin cities soul singer-songwriter Brooke Elizabeth hosts a Thursday residence concert with friends all month long (9 p.m. Aster Cafe, $10).
Wednesday, October 19
Australian indie rockers spacey jane arrive in the US with their second album, “Here Comes Everybody” (8 p.m. Fine Line, $20-$35)
Classical music writer Rob Hubbard contributed to this column.