MUSIC
Brooks & Dunn
After splitting up in 2010, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn discovered that those solo careers didn't quite work out as hoped. Seldom does for country duos, Wynonna Judd notwithstanding. So B&D, who were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2019, have reunited for a tour but no new album. Their last recording effort was 2019's aptly titled "Reboot," which featured remakes of their hits with guests like Luke Combs and Kacey Musgraves. It's time to reprise some of their 20 No. 1 hits — including "Brand New Man," "My Maria," "Neon Moon" and "Boot Scootin' Boogie" — simply as a veteran duo. Wear your dancin' boots and show up early for openers Scotty McCreery, the former "American Idol" winner who has a handful of Nashville No. 1 hits of his own, and newcomer Megan Moroney. (7 p.m. Sat., Xcel Energy Center, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, $25 and up, ticketmaster.com)
JON BREAM
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
At last, heads will roll again in the Twin Cities. Wondrous frontwoman Karen O and her art-pop digi-punk band of "Maps" and "Cheated Hearts" fame haven't been to town since 2013; and they haven't played anywhere else besides First Avenue since bursting out of the then-thriving New York indie-rock scene in 2003. In their other sporadic tour dates this year, they're pulling as heavily from last year's mellow excursion "Cool It Down" as they are from their 20-year-old debut, "Fever to Tell." Bonus fun with Seattle synth-pop master Perfume Genius opening. (8 p.m. Sat., the Armory, 500 S. 6th St., Mpls., all ages, $65, ticketmaster.com)
CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
Ray Brown Jr.
He is jazz royalty. His father was famous jazz bassist Ray Brown, who played with Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson, among others. His mother was Ella Fitzgerald, arguably the most famous of jazz vocalists. As a singer, Brown Jr. sounds nothing like his mother. (Actually, he was adopted; his birth mother was Ella's half-sister.) Whether he's singing standards, blues or contemporary material, he evokes an appealing molasses-voiced Michael McDonald. Brown will be accompanied by an all-star Twin Cities ensemble of drummer Kevin Washington, bassist Matt McIntyre, saxophonist Sophia Kickhofel and pianist Kavyesh Kaviraj. (5 & 8 p.m. Sun., Crooners, 6161 Hwy. 65, Fridley, $40-$50, croonersloungemn.com)
J.B.
Jaedyn James
Already gaining traction as one of Minnesota's most alluring and intense young soul/R&B singers, the Minneapolis native takes a bold step on her new album, "Loving You So Hard." She found a new producer and collaborator in fellow Twin Cities buzzmaker Ehn Jey, aka Nick Jordan, who's also opening these two release shows. They forged a cool, retro-'70s, Chaka Khan-do vibe around James' tender but tearing voice and heart-on-her-sleeveless dress love songs, as evidenced by the first single "Here in Your Love." Bring a tissue and a sweat towel. (6:30 & 9 p.m. Sat., the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, $20-$30, dakotacooks.com)
C.R.
Accordo
It's been 15 years since the principal string players of the Minnesota Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra decided to form their own chamber group, and the chemistry that Accordo has honed always makes for marvelous music making. The group welcomes one of America's most prominent oboe soloists, Katherine Needleman of the Baltimore Symphony, to premiere an Oboe Quartet of her own and another by Mozart. Then a String Sextet by Johannes Brahms caps the season. (7:30 p.m. Mon., Westminster Hall, Nicollet Mall and Alice Rainville Place, Mpls.; 7:30 p.m. Tue., Icehouse, 2528 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls.; $23-$33; 651-292-3268 or Schubert.org)
ROB HUBBARD
DANCE
'Between Water & Cloud'
Take in dance and fresh air in downtown Minneapolis at this performance by the Phoenix Chinese Dance Academy, co-presented by Asian Media Access. Inspired by Wang Wei's poem, dancers will perform above the surface of an inch of water, surrounded by Peavey Plaza's idyllic water fountains. Merging aquatic ballet with Chinese classical dance forms such as water sleeves and cloud symbol dance movements, the performance also will feature visual arts elements with special effects thrown in for good measure. (8 p.m. Thu., rain day Fri., Peavey Plaza, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., free, phoenixchinesedance.org)
SHEILA REGAN
New Works 4 Weeks fest
Red Eye Theater will feature experimental works as it moves to the "Isolated Acts" portion of its monthlong New Works 4 Weeks festival. First up is Zola Dee and Emily Michaels King sharing a bill. In Dee's "On Freeing Fire," directed by Vanessa Brooke Agnes, the writer/performer delves into folk tales, then gets into the future for a work about a Black body getting free. King, who brings dance, innovative layering of exploratory quandary and structure together, presents "Chicken Wing," a confessional piece that uses movement and direct address to explore self-expression. (7 p.m. Thu., Fri., Sat., Red Eye Theater, 2213 Snelling Av. S., Mpls., $15-$50, redeyetheater.org)
S.R.
THEATER
Electroluminescent puppetry
Talk about cool. New Orleans-based Lightwire Theater uses household and recycled products like skateboard wheels, PVC pipes and duct tape to create neon puppet sculptures for their theatrical stories. The company was founded by dancers Ian Carney and Corbin Popp, who met in the Broadway company of Twyla Tharp's "Movin' Out." Their electroluminescent shows include an update of the classic Aesop's fable "The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen," and it's one of the many offerings in the 2023 Flint Hills Family Festival in and around Ordway Center and Rice Park in St. Paul. The festival also includes music, dance and interactive family fun (10 a.m. & 2 p.m. Sat., Ordway Music Theater, 345 Washington St., St. Paul. $5. 651-222-4222, ordway.org/festival)
ROHAN PRESTON
'Million Dollar Quartet'
"Hound Dog," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Great Balls of Fire" and "Blue Suede Shoes." There'll be a whole lot of shaking goin' on at the Old Log Theatre as actors bring rockers Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins alive in "Million Dollar Quartet." The Tony-winning musical, staged by Christine O'Grady with musical direction by Kyle Baker, centers on a storied jam session at Memphis' Sun Records on Dec. 4, 1956. The cast includes Armando Ronconi (Presley), Elijah Leer (Lewis), Eric Sargent (Cash) and Mitchell Dallman (Perkins). (1 p.m. Thu., 7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. June 2-Feb. 14, 2024. Old Log Theatre, 5185 Meadville St., Excelsior. $30-$40. 952-474-5951, oldlog.com)
R.P.
FAMILY
Party in the Park
The Orono Rotary Club facilitates the fun for this community celebration. Red Dot Garage is the live music headliner for the evening. The event also features food trucks with sweet and salty festival favorites and family activities to keep everyone engaged. (5-11 p.m. Sat., free, Veterans Memorial Park, 5050 Independence St., Maple Plain, mapleplain.com)
MELISSA WALKER
