Thursday, Nov. 3
1. Dark Star Orchestra: After celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead's classic "Europe '72" live album with a tour of Europe this fall, the great Dead tribute band returns to the States to celebrate its own 25th anniversary. Frontman Jeff Mattson is a fitting heir to the Jerry Garcia role. Can't wait to see what he and DSO have planned for the first night of their U.S. tour in the comfy confines of Minneapolis' 52-year-old rock palace. (8 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $29.50-$35, axs.com)
Also: Rootsy and bluesy singer/songwriter Chicago Farmer, aka small-town Illinois native Cody Diekhoff, pairs up with Eau Claire folkie Hemma (7:30 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, $12-$17); well-traveled Twin Cities guitar stars Tim Sparks and Phil Heywood share the stage (6:30 p.m. Crooners, $20-$30); stormy Twin Cities indie-rock stalwart Kid Dakota kicks off a November residency with fellow scene fixture Dosh (8 p.m. Aster Cafe, $12); acoustic blues/twang vets the Front Porch Swingin' Liquor Pigs still have their weekly early evening gig at the similarly well-worn Palmer's Bar (7-10 p.m., free).
Friday, Nov. 4
2. Smashing Pumpkins & Jane's Addiction: These two bands that straddled the alt-rock and metal worlds 30 years ago are full-fledged classic rock nostalgia acts now. Billy Corgan's three-quarters-original Pumpkins lineup has a new three-LP rock opera coming in April, but the group's mostly sticking to oldies on this tour. Jane's is limping into the show with frontman Perry Farrell coming back from an injury and guitarist Dave Navarro out altogether because of "long COVID," but there's still excitement for the "Been Caught Stealing" hitmakers' first local gig in a decade. Arty glam-metal singer Poppy opens. (6:30 p.m. Xcel Energy Center, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, $35-$146, ticketmaster.com)
3. Tank and the Bangas: A Grammy nominee for best new artist in 2020, this colorful collective comes across like a modern-day Parliament Funkadelic with hip-hop and New Orleans flava. Led by the joyful force known as Tarriona "Tank" Ball, this NPR-endorsed NOLA crew recently dropped its third album, "Red Balloon," featuring "No ID," a breezy lite-funk tune about going deeper in a relationship and "Anxiety," an edgy hip-hop jam for our uncertain times. Tank and the Bangas headline the Music 4 Shelter benefit for Simpson Housing Services, a Minneapolis nonprofit that has been helping the homeless for 40 years. Also appearing are Purple Funk Metropolis and Soul Beautiful. (6 p.m. Fillmore Minneapolis, 525 N. 5th St, Mpls., $65, universe.com)
4. The Spektral Quartet: This intrepidly innovative, Grammy-nominated string quartet is, alas, calling it quits. But not before presenting an immersive 360-degree mixture of concert and art installation, "Engima," featuring the ambient music of Iceland's fascinating Anna Thorvaldsdottir and the surreal visuals of her countryman, Sigurour Guojonsson. The program also features music of Renaissance composer Tomas Luis de Victoria, Eliza Brown and Claude Debussy. (7 & 9 p.m., also Sat., Bell Museum Planetarium, 2088 W. Larpenteur Ave., St. Paul, $33.50, walkerart.org.)
5. Dan Israel: On his rollicking new album, "Seriously," the workhorse St. Louis Park folk-rocker benefits from the addition of Suburbs/Phones/Curtiss A guitar vet Steve Brantseg as a sideman as well as a discernible upswing in his personal life. While the seething, news-weary title track is one of his most Dylanesque tracks yet, the more hopeful tunes such as the seriously sweet and infectious "How Do I?" and "The Hang of It" sound more like another Dylan (Jakob). St. Dominic's Trio opens the release party. (7:30 p.m. Hook & Ladder Mission Room, 2010 Minnehaha Av. S., Mpls., $10-$15, thehookmpls.com)
Also: Cult-loved Austin, Texas, indie-folk band Okkervil River's frontman Will Sheff is touring for his first solo album, "Nothing Special," with kindred local troubadour Ben Weaver opening (8 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, $20-$25); celeb-gossip star and New York singer/songwriter Fletcher has hit the road after generating a little buzz and controversy with her kiss-off song for an ex-girlfriend, "Becky's So Hot" (8 p.m. First Ave, $32); Brad Arnold returns with 3 Doors Down behind the power of "Kryptonite," the early '00s alt-rock classic (8 p.m. Treasure Island Casino, $59-$99); longtime Twin Cities soul man Maurice Jacox leads the We Still R Band (8 p.m. Minnesota Music Cafe, $15).
Saturday, Nov. 5
6. Keith Urban: Fresh from pickin' his banjo on Sunday's live tribute to Loretta Lynn, the New Zealand-born, Aussie country star wraps up the U.S. leg of his Speed of Now World Tour in the Twin Cities. The concert is more of a celebration of Nicole Kidman's husband's entire career than of his most recent album, 2020's "The Speed of Now Part 1." Country music's most exciting live guitarist has already moved on to his next project, releasing three singles, including "Wild Hearts," from a forthcoming album. Opening are "More Hearts Than Mine" hitmaker Ingrid Andress and Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line who has dropped a single, the bro-country love song "5 Foot 9," from his debut solo album due in January. (7 p.m. Xcel Energy Center, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, $25.50-$135.50, ticketmaster.com)
7. Pentatonix: The a cappella champs pretty much took the year off, with Kirstin Maldonado having a baby, Matt Sallee getting married, and Scott Hoying and Mitch Grassi working on solo projects. But Pentatonix is back for a special performance for the annual benefit for the Bloomington-based PACER Center, which helps children with disabilities and combats bullying. Besides doing a familiar repertoire of things like the Daft Punk medley, Pentatonix might give a taste of some holiday music, with the group's Christmas tour starting in two weeks. (8 p.m. Minneapolis Convention Center, $75 and up, pacer.org)
8. Ukrainian Village Band: After playing countless fundraisers and serving as proud Twin Cities ambassadors since the war in Ukraine broke out in February, this locally based Eastern European party band is closing out the year with a well-deserved party to celebrate its 15th anniversary. The sextet's waltz/polka-flavored music is intended for weddings and other happy occasions, but it still feels good even when things are still bad. Dancing is encouraged. (8 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Av. S., Mpls., all ages, $15-$20, thecedar.org)
Also: Jinjer, which brings Ukrainian music of a decidedly metallic flavor, rocks Minneapolis, with P.O.D. and others (6 p.m. the Fillmore, $37 and up); it'll feel like Mardi Gras in November when New Orleans-inspired bands Mama's Digdown Brass Band and the Southside Aces pair up (8 p.m. Parkway Theater, $25); songwriterly rockers John Swardson, BEV and Lakewood Cemetery are all at Palmer's Bar (8 p.m., $15); another fine local triple bill features punk/garage-rock vets the 99ers, Silverteens and Cindy Lawson (8 p.m. Hook & Ladder Mission Room, $10-$15); next door finds psychedelic Minneapolis rockers Muun Bato with post-punks Products (9 p.m. Hook & Ladder Theater, $10-$15); veteran Twin Cities crooner Arne Fogel celebrates the great Tin Pan Alley lyricist Johnny Mercer (4:30 p.m. Crooners, $20-$30).
Sunday, Nov. 6
9. Tegan and Sara: After maturing from their indie-folk roots into more sophisticated pop craftswomen and impactful songwriters on recent albums, the Canadian twin sisters of "Walking With a Ghost" and "Closer" fame revert to a more raw, youthful and angsty sound on their latest record, "Crybaby." It sounds like they're having a blast in such defiant, wise-acre electro-pop tracks as "I Can't Grow Up" and "Smoking Weed Alone," a soundtrack of sorts to their memoir-turned-TV-series "High School." It'll be similarly fun to have them back in the Mainroom. Kentucky songwriter Tomberlin opens. (8 p.m. First Avenue, $50, axs.com)
Also: Experimental guitar master Marc Ribot, who has played with the likes of Tom Waits and Elvis Costello, returns to the listener-friendly Cedar Cultural Center (7:30 p.m., $28-$32); two other renowned six-string players team up — Louisiana blues/swamp-rock vet Sonny Landreth and pedal-steel ace Cindy Cashdollar (7 p.m. the Dakota, $40-$50); a fourth-generation member of Hank Williams' musical clan, Coleman Williams plays with his punky twang-rock group IV & the Strange Band (7:30 p.m. Hook & Ladder, $20); Casting Crowns, the Grammy- and Dove-winning Christian rock ensemble whose members are usually at their respective churches on Sunday, find themselves in Minneapolis on Sunday, supporting their 2022 release, "Healer" (7 p.m. Target Center, $29-$154); rising Canadian singer Jessie Reyez, who opened for Lizzo last year at Treasure Island Casino, is celebrating her brand-new sophomore album, "Yessie" (6:30 p.m. the Fillmore, $35 and up);
Monday, Nov. 7
10. Bartees Strange: He is a bit strange, yeah, but this Washington, D.C.-based Oklahoman has an inarguably elegant voice and evocative writing style that make him one of rock's most exciting new tunesmiths. His second album for the storied 4AD label, "Farm to Table," sounds equal parts Jackson Browne and Bad Brains. He also earned raves off his recent gigs with the National and Phoebe Bridgers as well as at many summer festivals. The Pom Pom Squad and They Hate Change open. (7:15 p.m. Turf Club, 1601 University Av. W., St. Paul, $18, axs.com.)
Also: After stints in the Highwomen (with Brandi Carlile and Maren Morris) and in her husband Jason Isbell's band, Americana music fixture Amanda Shires is touring again with her own group, promoting the blazing, rockier new album "Take It Like a Man" (8 p.m. Amsterdam Bar & Hall, $25); anthemic Toronto noise-rock duo Death From Above 1979 finally makes it to town for a gig postponed last March (8 p.m. Fine Line, $26.50).
Tuesday, Nov. 8
Paisley Park-endorsed singer Omar Apollo has been making some noise on TikTok this fall with "Evergreen" (7 p.m. Palace Theatre, $36-$46).
Wednesday, Nov. 9
Flor de Toloache, the forward-sounding, all-female mariachi band from New York City, has worked with John Legend and Miguel, in route to a Latin Grammy (7 p.m. the Dakota, $35-$45).
