Journey and Def Leppard: Neither band has had a hit song since the mid-1990s. Yet these 1980s blockbuster big-hair bands have combined forces to land at a baseball stadium near you this summer. Fenway, Wrigley, Petco, Coors, Comerica, Busch, AT&T and Target Field are on the itinerary. Singer Arnel Pineda — and HBO's "The Sopranos" — have given the revamped Journey new life. (By the by, drummer Steve Smith is back.) Def Leppard soldiers on with its longtime lineup. The still great Cheap Trick leads off. (6 p.m. Fri. Target Field, Mpls. $34.50-$174.50, ticketmaster.com)
Bebel Gilberto: The veteran Brazilian singer is leaning toward a mesmerizing minimalism these days. The daughter of Brazilian music heroes João Gilberto and Miúcha, she splits her time between Rio de Janeiro and New York City, where she was born. Her style incorporates the bossa nova of her heritage as well as popular music. Let's hope she does her version of Radiohead's "Creep." It's a special. (7 & 9 p.m. Sun. Dakota Jazz Club, Mpls., $35-$60, dakotacooks.com)
Johnny Rey & the Reaction: A fixture at Minneapolis' legendary Longhorn Bar in the late-'70s, the former Flamingo (Flamin' Ohs) guitarist and punk scene pioneer and his band have been enjoying an inspired revival that continues with their new album, "This Modern Age," which they're celebrating with Little Man and the Carnegies. (7:30 p.m. Fri., Hook & Ladder Theater, 3010 Minnehaha Av. S., Mpls., $8-$12.)
Outlaw Country Tribute: Hear classics by Willie, Waylon, Merle, etc., sung by local all-stars including Sherwin Linton, Nate Dungan of Trailer Trash, Javier Trejo and members of the White Iron Band and Big Wu. (8 p.m. Fri., First Avenue, $15-$20)
Rufus Wainwright: After his elaborate collaboration with the Minnesota Orchestra in December, the cult-loved balladeer and pop craftsmen is stripping down but probably still dressing up in his usual fancy attire for a solo gig at the zoo with his sister Lucy Wainwright Roche opening. (7:30 Sat., Minnesota Zoo amphitheater, $40.)
Erasure: Heroes in both the synth-pop world and LGBT community, singer Andy Bell and his Depeche Mode-co-founding partner Vince Clarke are back in full force with their late-'80s duo. They channeled the dramatic but buoyant sounds of their best-known hits "Chains of Love" and "A Little Respect" on last year's well-received comeback album, "World Be Gone," and then issued a classical reworking of those songs newly dubbed "World Beyond." Now they're earning raves on their first major North American tour in a half-decade. DJ Jake Rudh kicks off the night. (7:30 p.m. Sun., State Theatre, 805 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $35-$89, Ticketmaster.com.)
Lowland Lakers: The Minneapolis indie-folk trio with alternating singers sharpens its hallowed-sounding harmonies and bright-eyed songwriting on new album "Lost in the Move," offering warm echoes of other ambient strummers such as Field Report and Iron & Wine. Gaelynn Lea opens the release party. (7 p.m. Sun., Turf Club, $10.)
The Melvins & Jon Spencer: The cult-loved freakazoid rockers of the Great Northwest are eschewing their usual Grumpy's appearance to return to First Ave with ex-Butthole Surfers bassist Jeff Pinkus in tow and another main-room vet, Jon Spencer, for an opener. Spencer is leaving his Blues Explosion in New York and touring behind his first solo album, "Spencer Sings the Hits!" (8:30 p.m. Sun., First Avenue, $20.)
Femi Kuti: Slated to soon play beside Beyoncé and Jay-Z at a Nelson Mandela 100th birthday celebration in South Africa, the sax-blowing Nigerian son of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti and his sprawling, fiery band the Positive Force are out supporting a hopeful new album, "One People One World." They return to Minnesota's great world-beat music hub between big gigs at Central Park's SummerStage in New York and the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. (7:30 p.m. Tue, Cedar Cultural Center, $50-$55.)
Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite: Nineties hippie-soul rocker Ben Harper and 74-year-old blues-harp vet Charlie Musselwhite of Paul Butterfield Blues Band fame earned such a rave reception for their 2013 collaboration "Get Up!" — including a Grammy for best blues album — they paired up again for another fun collection, "No Mercy in This Land." The duo is mostly playing the new tunes on their current tour, with Harper's wiry steel-guitar work strong enough to keep up with Musselwhite's well-known harmonica power. (8 p.m. Wed., Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7th Place, St. Paul, $50-$75, eTix.com.)
Playboi Carti: Having his spring gig at the Armory with Big Sean get cancelled may have been a good thing for this 21-year-old A$AP Mob-affiliated Georgia rapper, who's blowing up on his own after last year's mega-hit "Magnolia" and his fun Nicki Minaj collaboration "Poke It Out." He just dropped his second album, "Die Lit." (9 p.m. Thu., First Avenue, $35.)
