Twin Cities Jazz Festival: Expansive and free, this year's fest features a homeboy headliner: acclaimed jazz-soul-hip-hop stylist Jose James, returning Friday to present his tribute to Mr. Lean on Me, Bill Withers. Saturday's headliner is award-winning jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon. More than 300 acts, including saxophonist/singer Grace Kelly and stalwart reedman James Carter, will participate in one of the musical jewels of the Twin Cities summer. (Thu.-Sat., Mears Park and other spots in downtown St. Paul. Free, twincitiesjazzfestival.com.)
Bryant-Lake Bowl Pride Block Party: One of the longest-running pride parties in town is in "panic" mode this year. Twin Cities rock hero Tina Schlieske of Tina & the B-Sides fame is bringing her riotous new punk band Genital Panic to town just for the occasion, joined by buzzing electro-throb trio Static Panic, who went over in a big way opening for Chromeo at First Ave last month. Glam-metal vet Venus DeMars and All the Pretty Horses also perform, along with Dykes Do Drag and MC Foxy Tann. (6-10:30 p.m. Fri., Bryant Av. & Lake St., all ages, free, concession proceeds benefit OutFront Minnesota.)
Summer Skolstice: The inaugural music fest at the Vikings stadium continues with an all-female lineup on Friday — bluesy-rockin' "Ex's and Oh's" hitmaker Elle King, seldom-seen soul siren Joss Stone and percussion dynamo Sheila E. — and a funky program Saturday featuring Southern soul man St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Prince protegee Judith Hill and the Minneapolis Funk All-Stars. (7 p.m. Fri.-Sat., TCO Stadium, Eagan, $45-$100)
Shawn Mendes: After a run of sold-out shows in his native Canada, the 20-year-old pop star brings his third international headline tour to the States. For nearly five years now, the earnest strummer with the quivering voice has been a steady presence on Top 40 radio with "Stitches," "In My Blood" and the current "If I Can't Have You," the breezy, falsetto-spiked plea that's one of the summer's hottest singles. Opening is another Canadian pop star, Alessia Cara, winner of the 2018 Grammy for best new artist and the voice of the hits "Stay" and "Scars to Your Beautiful." (7:30 p.m. Fri., Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, $66.50 and up, ticketmaster.com) Jon Bream
Carrie Underwood: More than 14 years after she won on "American Idol," fans are still blown away by the country queen's powerhouse voice, giving her mid-song ovations during her current in-the-round tour. Her set lists are filled with big hits including "Before He Cheats" and "Blown Away" as well as a huge helping from last year's "Cry Pretty" album and a salute to the great women of country music, with an assist from opening acts Runaway June ("Buy My Own Drinks") and Maddie & Tae ("Girl in a Country Song"). (7 p.m. Fri., Target Center, Mpls., $49.50 - $99.50.)
Wand: A metal show at the Cedar? Sure, why not, especially if it's one with the more psychedelic, arty-hippie leanings of this wigged-out Los Angeles quintet, equal parts Queens of the Stone Age, Blue Cheer and Clinic. The prolific young crew just released its fifth album in as many years, "Laughing Matter." (8 p.m. Fri., Cedar Cultural Center, Mpls., all ages, $13-$15.)
Brothers Osborne: While this duo has collected a few Country Music Association Awards, John and T.J. Osborne are hardly mainstream Nashville stuff. John plays hot (and versatile) licks on guitar, and T.J. sings with a Waylon-evoking baritone on left-field tunes like the woozy "Weed, Whiskey and Willie" and the muscular "Drank Like Hank." But the Bro Oz have managed to get radio traction with the blues-rock "Stay a Little Longer" and the guitar-flexing "It Ain't My Fault." (7:30 p.m. Fri., Vetter Stone Amphitheater, Mankato, $34-$75)
Pride in Concert: The 'L' in TLC has been missing since the 1992 death of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, but her bandmates Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas finally returned to singing "Waterfalls," "No Scrubs" and their other classics sans Lopes in 2015. They make a great fit this year for the main TC Pride party, which will also feature the Vigilantease Collective, Sweet Siren and RuPaul "Drag Race" alum Monet X Change. (6 p.m. Sat., Loring Park, Mpls., $20, tcpride.org.)
Nancy Harms: The beguiling New York jazz vocalist originally from Clara City, Minn., will reprise her Duke Ellington program, drawing from her splendid 2016 album "Ellington at Night," which demonstrated her ability to be yearning, coy, sexy, playful, knowing and irresistible. (7:30 p.m. Sat., Crooners, Fridley, $25)
Hugh Jackman: The star of "The Greatest Showman" is a true song-and-dance man, performing favorites from Broadway, the movies and the Peter Allen songbook in an evening billed as "The Man. The Music. The Show." After earning rave reviews in Europe, the Aussie leading man brings his theatrical presentation to North American arenas, with St. Paul being the fourth stop. (7 p.m. Sat., Xcel Energy Center, $46.50 and up)
Keb Mo: A week ago, the Minnesota Zoo regular dropped his most personal, enterprising and outspoken album, "Oklahoma." The veteran Grammy-winning Americana musicmaker has no connection to that state, other than the title song fueled by Andy Leftwich's fiddle and Robert Randolph's wonderful, warped pedal steel guitar. Rosanne Cash and Taj Mahal also contribute, as Mo tackles such topics as immigration, mental health and female leadership. (7:30 p.m. Sun., Minnesota Zoo, $47.50-$60)
Bazzi: The smooth-voiced, 21-year-old Michigan pop singer has come a long way since opening for Camila Cabello here a year and a half ago, racking up the radio hit "Beautiful" with her and the even bigger single "Happier" with Marshmello. We can't vouch for the sound quality at this kickoff to the MOA's summer concert series, but the price is right. (5 p.m. Mon., Mall of America, 60 E. Broadway, Bloomington, free.)
Pentatonix: Last year's "PTX Presents: Top Pop Vol 1" marked the Grammy-winning a cappella group's first album with new bass singer Matt Sallee. The quintet didn't miss a beat, triumphing with a treatment of Camila Cabello's "Havana," Kesha's always powerful "Praying" and a medley of "Despacito" and "Shape of You." Takes on hot hits by Charlie Puth and Bruno Mars may sound dated, but pitch-perfect PTX always brings an infectious freshness with its dramatically staged concerts. "Fight Song" hitmaker Rachel Platten opens. (7:30 p.m. Tue., Xcel Energy Center, $35 and up)
Built to Spill: Doug Martsch and his Boise, Idaho-reared guitar army are marking the 20th anniversary of their best album, "Keep It Like a Secret," on tour this summer. Songs like "The Plan," "Carry the Zero" and the ode to classic-rock radio "You Were Right" remain live staples, but it is indeed an album worth hearing in its entirety. Local scorchers Porcupine and Brazil's Orua open. (7:30 p.m. Wed., First Avenue, $30.)
Dylan LeBlanc: A sideman to Lucinda Williams at age 21, and still just 29, the Muscle Shoals-reared Southern rocker will earn more comparisons to fellow Alabamian Jason Isbell with his new album for ATO Records, "Renegade," full of personal drama and vivid storytelling under the production of Isbell cohort Dave Cobb. (8 p.m. Wed., Turf Club, St. Paul, $13-$15.)
David Hazeltine: The veteran Milwaukee-reared jazz pianist released an impressively understated disc last fall, "The Time Is Now," featuring bassist Ron Carter and drummer Al Foster. He returns to the Twin Cities to play with his associate of 40-some years, bassist Billy Peterson, with whom he cut a commendable duo album, "Next Door," in 2016. (7 p.m. Tue.-Wed., Crooners, $20)
Alabama: The most successful band in country music history is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Disbanded in 2004 but reunited three years ago, Randy Owen and the boys continue to treat fans to "Mountain Music," "Dixieland Delight" and other favorites from the 1980s and '90s. Also appearing is veteran country fiddler Charlie Daniels, who has been telling us "The South's Gonna Do It Again" for 40-some years. (7 p.m. Wed. Target Center, Mpls., $38-$132.50, axs.com)
John Scofield: Last year, to commemorate his 66th birthday, the jazzy guitar star put together a new group for his album "Combo 66." He composed 12 pieces and enlisted musicians in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Scofield is touring with those players — pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Bill Stewart. (7 & 9 p.m. Wed., Dakota, Mpls., $30-$45)
Bela Fleck & the Flecktones: Even though the banjo virtuoso and his buddies have recorded only one album since original member Howard Levy (harmonica, keyboards) rejoined in 2010, this on-again-off-again ensemble pushes on with its seamless melding of jazz, funk, classical, world music and progressive bluegrass. "Rocket Science," their 2011 release, was heady jam-band stuff, and it will be a treat to hear Levy again with Fleck and the Wooten brothers rhythm section. (7:30 p.m Wed., Minnesota Zoo, $47.50-$60)
Lisa Fischer: After a four-night run in New York's famed Blue note club and a jaunt to Saskatoon, the vocalist extraordinaire returns to Minneapolis with her simpatico trio, Grand Baton, to deliver wonderfully imaginative, organic readings of hits by Led Zeppelin, Robert Palmer, Luther Vandross and the Rolling Stones, with whom she toured for 25 years as a backup singer. Oh, don't forget her stunning Grammy-winning hit "How Can I Ease the Pain." Always highly recommended (7 & 9:30 p.m. Thu., Dakota, $35-$65)
