Drone Not Drones: Who could've guessed that the 28-hour experimental/improv drone music fest would — like the music itself — continue nonstop for seven years running, and raise $15,000 for Doctors Without Borders along the way? This year's lineup includes American Contemporary Music Ensemble's artistic director Clarice Jensen, Baltimore-based sitar innovator Ami Dang, Norse music duo Saariselka, New York sound collagist Lea Bertucci and such local mainstays as Alan Sparhawk, Paul Metzger and International Novelty Gamelan. (7 p.m. Fri.-11 p.m. Sat., Cedar Cultural Center, Mpls., $20-$30, schedule and webcast at dronenotdrones.com)
Lydia Liza & Big Cats: Just a few months after releasing a rocky and personal solo album, the former Bomba de Luz wunderkind is dropping "Oh Boy," a more experimental and ambient LP with trippy hip-hop producer Spencer "Big Cats" Wirth-Davis. Dwynell Roland and K. Raydio open the release party. (9 p.m. Fri., 7th St. Entry, Mpls., $12-$15)
Lil' Ed and the Imperials: Long before rappers adopted "Lil" monikers, Lil' Ed Williams was playing the blues in Chicago. No one does the bottle-neck boogie like Lil' Ed, who has been backed by the same Imperials for about 30 years. (7 p.m. Fri., Dakota, Mpls., $25-$35)
Poliça: Rebounding from a nearly yearlong hiatus, Channy Leaneagh and her darkly grooving electro-rock band will play an intimate hometown in-store set to mark Friday's release of their new album, "When We Stay Alive." (8 p.m. Fri., Electric Fetus, Mpls., passes via electricfetus.com)
Warren Zevon tribute: The "Werewolves of London" hitmaker is one of the more worthy/unsung tribute subjects, and he's getting an overdue one here from devotees Mick Sterling, James Loney, Peter Guertin and a full band. (7:30 p.m. Fri., Hook & Ladder, Mpls., $20-$25)
Nachito Herrera and Karen Briggs: When Cuban American piano master Herrera put together his all-star group Universals a few years ago, he turned to Briggs, a violinist who spent more than a dozen years touring with Yanni. She's also played with Wu Tang Clan, Diana Ross and En Vogue as well as many jazz musicians. So she'll bring the versatility and the fire in a duo with Herrera, a percussive powerhouse with a genre-bending musical vocabulary. (7 & 9 p.m. Sat., Dakota, $20-$35)
The Last Waltz with Big Pink: For the 15th annual tribute, an all-star Minnesota cast revisits the Band's legendary farewell concert/movie "The Last Waltz" directed by Martin Scorsese. The songs come in order so get there early if you want to hear classics by Dr. John, Paul Butterfield and Muddy Waters. Early arrivals will be treated to the Van Morrison-loving Belfast Cowboys, starring the Van-tastic Terry Walsh. (7 p.m. Sat., Cabooze, Mpls., $15-$20)
Temples: Imagine Tame Impala with more of a non-electronic classic '60s psychedelic-rock tone and you get a hint of this psychedelic British rock trio's charm as well as its commercial limitations. Its third album, "Hot Motion," is an underrated whir of falsetto-laden melodies and hazy jams. (9 p.m. Sat., 7th St. Entry, sold out)
Armin van Buuren: The other "Van" man that has worked with David Lee Roth, the Dutch trance DJ's remix of Van Halen's "Jump" with Diamond Dave's help last year showed how campy and commercial he can sometimes be. He remains a favorite at dance festivals around the globe, though, and is hitting a dozen U.S. cities on tour behind the double-album "Balance," featuring one disc of hopelessly fluffy pop tracks — Ne-Yo is the biggest-name vocalist — and another of more classic EDM rousers. (9 p.m. Sat., Armory, Mpls., $45-$150, ticketmaster.com)
Better Not [Bleep] This Up: After spreading his progressive musical and charitable ideas over a month of Wednesday gigs at the Turf Club last winter, local pot-stirrer Andrew Broder of Cloak Ox and Fog notoriety is combining his efforts into one big and wild night to benefit "local environmental and racial justice efforts." The show marks poppy rock experimenters Hippo Campus' first hometown gig in a year and local acid-soul singer Velvet Negroni's first main-room gig since releasing his new 4AD album. Also on the bill are hip-hop mavens Dizzy Fae and Ness Nite, Iranian-rooted Minneapolis vocalist Aida Shahghasemi, American Indian drum-circle troupe Iron Boy and the old Marijuana Deathsquads crew. (7 p.m. Sat., First Avenue, Mpls., $20-$25, first-avenue.com)
Michael Kiwanuka: After his icy 2016 song "Cold Little Heart" gained him new followers as the TV theme to HBO's "Big Little Lies," the British singer/songwriter went and made the best album of his career, which first took off in 2012 with the more sweetly strummed hit "Home Again." The new record, simply titled "Kiwanuka," was produced by Danger Mouse and adds a more psychedelic groove and hazy ambience to his already mystical soul-rock sound, equal parts Bill Withers and Love's Arthur Lee. He's touring with a full band and buzzing Utah teen folk-rocker Sammy Brue as his opener. (8 p.m. Mon., Palace Theatre, St. Paul, $23-$40, eTix.com)
Erik Koskinen: As dazzling a guitarist as he is an evocative storytelling songwriter, the Upper Peninsula-rooted alt-twangy rocker and his ace band are following the lead of fellow roots music heroes Charlie Parr and the Cactus Blossoms' with a residency every Monday in February at St. Paul's favorite club. Local strummer Luke LeBlanc opens the first week. (8:30 p.m. Mon., Turf Club, $10-$12.)
King Princess: Whether viewed as a compelling indie-pop musicmaker or a queer goddess, this Harry Styles-endorsed newcomer is pretty irresistible. Having grown up in her dad's New York studio, Mikaela Straus, 21, is a pop savant, crafting melancholy yet emotion-packed tunes with killer lyrics like "you taste like danger but I feel so safe in your arms." Her album "Cheap Queen" was one of the best of 2019, and her sexy stage show promises to free your mind and your body. With Kilo Kish and Puffy. (7 p.m. Tue., Palace, all ages, $35-$50)
Voxspex: University of Minnesota vocal teacher/keyboardist Lara Bolton, who usually travels in classical circles, is pairing opera singers offering arias with soul-jazz arrangements. The performances will feature the Instrument of Hope, a trumpet made with bullet casings that was inspired by a mas shooting at a Florida high school. Read a story about the horn in Sunday's Star Tribune. (6:30 & 9 p.m. Wed.-Thu., Icehouse, Mpls., $20-$25)
Juliana Hatfield: The Boston indie-rocker who bounced from the Blake Babies to solo MTV fame with "My Sister" in 1995 has been prolific and unpredictable in recent years, teaming with Paul Westerberg for the I Don't Cares and then issuing fun tribute albums to Olivia Newton-John and the Police. She also has a new original LP, ironically titled "Weird" but the most normal and classic-sounding of the bunch. Opening band Sunshine Boys features ex-Blake Baby Freda Love Smith. (8 p.m. Wed., Turf Club, $20.)
Nascar Aloe: The cartoony-looking, bratty-sounding North Carolina rapper has a screw-it-all attitude and rabid online following that's punky and youthful enough to have just earned him a record deal with famed Los Angeles punk/emo label Epitaph Records. (7 p.m. Wed., 7th St. Entry, $13-$15.)
Trippie Redd: The wiry Ohio rapper, who's still only 20, racked up over a billion streams with his breakout 2017 debut album "Life's a Trip," with the Travis Scott-featuring viral hit "Dark Knight Dummo." He's returning to the Twin Cities burbs for the second year in a row touting last year's album "!" and a new mixtape, "A Love Letter to You 4," which includes the single "Death" with DaBaby. BlocBoy JB and Kodie Shane open the show. (8 p.m. Thu., Myth, Maplewood, all ages, $42)
