Blondie and Garbage: The Rage and Rapture Tour features two of the coolest female-fronted rock bands of all time. Blondie's Debbie Harry is a bona fide icon, a Rock Hall of Famer who mixed femininity, power and new-wave hooks into an enduring force. Garbage's Shirley Manson, a generation younger than Harry, is a force, too, who can go from a whisper to a scream. Both bands are still making new music that matters: Garbage's "Strange Little Birds" in '16 and Blondie's "Pollinator" in '17. (7 p.m. Fri., Mystic Showroom, Prior Lake, $65-$99, ticketmaster.com)
Lumberjack Days: The days of REO Speedwagon and Lynyrd Skynyrd playing Stillwater's big riverfront festival are long over. Instead, new organizers have turned to a free lineup that's entirely from Minnesota and the 21st century. The music begins Friday with Elton John-endorsed singer/songwriter Haley (nee Haley Bonar), rowdy blues-rocker Crankshaft, ex-Hüsker Dü bassist Greg Norton's new band Porcupine and Stillwater's own sibling act the Shackletons. Saturday features R&B/soul showman Har Mar Superstar, cult-loved folkie Mason Jennings, Ruben, the Sunken Lands and Blue Hazard. Sunday offers retro-twang guitar ace and song man Erik Koskinen with the Lowland Lakers and Candy Shop. (4-11 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 2-6 p.m. Sun., downtown Stillwater, free, lumberjackdays.com.)
Lowertown Blues Festival: Using relatively the same layout and spirit as the beloved Twin Cities Jazz Festival — including the fact that it's free — St. Paul's fourth annual bluesathon features "Pick Up the Pieces" hitmakers the Average White Band along with the Prince tribute band Chase & Ovation and co-organizer Mick Sterling's band on its Mears Park main stage Friday, while Paul Metsa and Sonny Earl, Ken Valdez, Inside Straight Band and more will perform in surrounding venues. Saturday's outdoor lineup is topped off by Bay Area vets Tommy Castro & the Painkillers with local mainstays Shannon Curfman, Reneé Austin and the Jimmys, plus more around Lowertown. (4:30 p.m. Fri., Noon Sat., Mears Park, 221 5th St. E., St. Paul, LowertownBluesFestival.com.)
New Standards: Between their Minnesota Orchestra gigs and elaborate, guest-filled Christmas concerts, here's an increasingly rare chance to catch Minnesota all-stars Chan Poling, John Munson and Steve Roehm and their lovingly reinvented cover songs in the intimate cabaret-style setting for which they were intended. (7 and 9 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Dakota, $30-$40, dakotacooks.com.)
Jerry Jeff Walker: Now something of a regular at the Minnesota Zoo, the veteran cosmic cowboy from Austin, Texas, spins some good yarns in conversation and in song, such as "L.A. Freeway," "London Homesick Blues" and "Mr. Bojangles." (7:30 p.m. Fri. Minnesota Zoo, $46-$58.50.)
J. Cole: The PG-13-sexy North Carolina rapper has been working his way up the local concert ladder from Myth nightclub in 2013 to the Soundset festival in 2015. He had to postpone his arena debut in St. Paul by one day and delay several other shows this week due to "transportation issues at the Canadian border." He opened the 57-city 4 Your Eyez Only Tour two weeks ago in Phoenix dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit and stuck largely to last year's album of the same name, as well as songs from 2015's personal opus "Forest Hill Drive." Bas, J.I.D. and Ari Lennox open. (8 p.m. Sat., Xcel Energy Center, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, $30-$267, Ticketmaster.com.)
Ghostface Killah: The Wu Tang-Clan's greatest MC is reportedly taking over from RZA and spearheading a new album by the whole group along with a sequel to his celebrated sophomore solo album, 2000's "Supreme Clientele." In the meantime, he's playing some festival and club dates on his own, a good chance to hear tracks from throughout his now-storied career. This one features an opening set by one of the Twin Cities' most killah rappers, Carnage the Executioner, plus Raw Dog. (9 p.m. Fri., Cabooze, 917 Cedar Av. S., Mpls., $20-$25, ticketfly.com
The 99ers: These youthful middle-aged Twin Cities rockers with alternating male/female singers have a blast tearing up timeless Ramones, Buzzcock and X influences on their sixth album, "Pop Punk Girl," which they're celebrating with co-leader Emily Bee's Clash tribute band, Rude Girl, plus Ripper and the Silverteens. (9 p.m. Sat., 7th Street Entry, $5.)
Bash 17: Because wearing black in the hot sun and blowing out your eardrums fits some people's definition of summer fun, the great team behind the legendary Amphetamine Reptile label and our Grumpy's watering holes have lined up another delightfully odd lineup that includes Seattle vets Mudhoney and the Melvins along with art-punk pioneer Lydia Lunch, reunited Austin noisemakers Cherubs, Atlanta scene faves Whores and local guitar wizards the Blind Shake. Read an interview with the Melvins' Buzz Osborne about the event at startribune.com/music. (1-11 p.m. Sat., Grumpy's Bar, 1111 Washington Av. S., Mpls., $48.)
Warped Tour: There aren't a lot of big names on the 23rd annual lineup for this roaming, day-long music and extreme-sports caravan, but there's the usual action-packed, high-octane, ADD-ready mix. The 50-some bands on the schedule range from thrashers Gwar, Valient Thorr, Hatebreed, Hawthorne Heights, CKY and local faves After the Burial to skate-punk mainstays Anti-Flag and Sick of It All to poppier rockers Save Farris and American Authors, the latter fronted by Minnetonka native Zac Barnett. Parents can now get in free with their kids and stay in cooled, adults-only tents via the "reverse daycare" program. (Noon Sun., Canterbury Park, Shakopee, $38, vanswarpedtour.com.)
Steve Miller Band and Peter Frampton: These two guitar geeks were radio staples of the 1970s — Miller with a series of hopelessly catchy hits including "Rock'n Me" and "The Joker" and live-album king Frampton with "Show Me the Way" and "Do You Feel Like We Do." (7 p.m. Sun. Treasure Island Casino amphitheater, $29-$89.)
Peter Asher and Albert Lee: These two Brits who have long lived in the States will share stories — and music — of their illustrious careers, Asher as a Beatles' insider, British Invasion recording star and hit producer and Lee as guitarist with Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton and Bill Wyman, among others. (7 p.m. Mon. Dakota, $35-$45)
Roger Waters: After playing "The Wall" and "Dark Side of the Moon" in their entirety on his prior solo treks, the Pink Floyd co-leader is essentially playing a little bit of everything on this latest outing, dubbed the Us & Them Tour and split up into two sets. Songs from "Wish You Were Here," "Animals," "Meddle" and even Syd Barrett-era albums have made the set lists along with a few cuts from Waters' first rock album in 25 years, "Is This the Life We Really Want?" Warning: The shows have been consistently political, but reviews have also been repeatedly favorable. (8 p.m. Wed., Xcel Energy Center, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., $85-$250, ticketmaster.com.)
Earth, Wind & Fire and Chic: Even though EWF is down to three heyday members, the Rock Hall of Famers still bring the spirit, soul and festive atmosphere with such classics as "Serpentine Fire," "Boogie Wonderland" and "That's the Way of the World." Disco mainstays Chic of "Le Freak" fame should get the party started with its main man Nile Rodgers, who just got inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame. (7:30 p.m. Thu. Xcel Energy Center, $39.50- $175.)
Social Distortion: After countless First Avenue appearances going back to the early-'80s, Mike Ness and his enduring Southern Cali punk band move over to the First Ave-run on a summer tour ahead of a RiotFest appearance, where they're playing their entire "White Light, White Heat, White Trash" album. Retro-twang singer and Ness protégé Jade Jackson opens. (8 p.m. Wed., Palace Theatre, $36-$51.)
Amadou and Mariam: Mali's Grammy-nominated husband-and-wife desert-blues duo have become a favorite at the Cedar, and count U2 and Damon Albarn as fans. Minnesota's favorite Congolese guitar hero Siama opens. (8 p.m. Thu., Cedar Cultural Center, $45.)
