The big gigs: 10 concerts to see in the Twin Cities this week
Concert highlights for July 7-13 include Rod Stewart, Japanese Breakfast, Shawn Mendes, the Black Crowes, and the War and Treaty.
1. 12 Angry Women: While Theater Latte Da is staging the play "Twelve Angry Men" at the Ritz Theater, their staff came up with a companion piece for a nightclub. They've enlisted 12 of the finest female voices in the Twin Cities — including Kate Beahen, Anna Hashizume, Rajané Katurah and Alexcia Thompson — to sing songs of protest, power and passion. (8 p.m. also Fri. & Sat., Crooners, 6161 Hwy 65 NE, Fridley, $40 and up, croonersmn.com)
Also: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame organist Booker T. Jones revisits his work with Booker T & the MGs, Sam & Dave and other soul men (7 & 9 p.m. Dakota, $40-$60); it's '00s-era, Warped Tour-brand ska-rock twofer Less Than Jake and Bowling for Soup with surfy openers the Aquabats (6 p.m. First Avenue, $40-$45); San Francisco's experimental indie-rockers Deerhoof pair up with Lunch Duchess (8 p.m. Fine Line, $15-$30); "Sister Christian" hitmakers Night Ranger rock again (7 p.m. Summerfield Amphitheater, St. Michael, $40); Charlie Parr joins pal Mikkel Beckman for the Acoustic Thursdays happy-hour series' ninth anniversary (5 p.m. the Dubliner, free);
Friday, July 8
2. Rod Stewart: In an interview with Forbes this year, Sir Rod declared that this would be his last North American tour to survey his wide range of hits from "Maggie May" to "Young Turks." He's not retiring at age 77, but in the future he wants to tour with a big band and swing with the Great American Songbook. Fellow Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Cheap Trick, who impressed once again last year at Lakefront Music Fest in Prior Lake, will get the evening rocking with "Surrender," "Dream Police" and "I Want You To Want Me." (7:30 p.m. Xcel Energy Center, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St Paul, $45.50-$665, ticketmaster.com)
3. The Cult: Tours by the '80s-'90s British rockers of "Love Removal Machine" and "Fire Woman" fame have been few and far between in the 21st century, but lead howler Ian Astbury and guitar demon Billy Duffy just finished their first new album in eight years and are hitting the road before its fall release. Set lists are heavy on the old stuff, also including "She Sells Sanctuary" and "Lil' Devil." Fans will also find plenty of classic reverberation to love from roaring openers the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Zola Jesus. (7:30 p.m. Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7th Place, St. Paul, $50-$100, axs.com)
4. University of Minnesota Summer Orchestra: Four doctoral students in conducting get an opportunity to show off their skills with this orchestra of U musicians and other local players who don't like to take the summer off. On the podium will be Jingqi Zhu, Hisham Bravo Groover, Andrew Kim and David Carrillo Siliezar, leading performances of the full-orchestra version of Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring," and works by Mexican composers Jose Pablo Moncayo and Arturo Marquez. (7:30 p.m. Ted Mann Concert Hall, 2128 4th St. S., Mpls,; free; cla.umn.edu/music)
Also: Whether you consider Sammy Hagar the pride of Cabo Wabo, the Red Rocker or the voice of Van Halen 2.0, he will rock you. With Collective Soul and Uncle Kracker (6 p.m. Lakefront Music Fest, Prior Lake, $60); high-energy country hitmaker Sam Hunt of "Body Like a Back Road" and "Breaking Up Was Easy in the '90s" fame teams up with rising country star Ryan Hurd, who impressed duetting with his wife Maren Morris on "Chasing After You" (7 p.m. Treasure Island Casino Amphitheater, Welch, Minn., $41.50-$119); Boston rock quartet Guster, favorites in the Twin Cities since their 2009 hit "Satellite," kick off a new series of outdoor shows at one of Minneapolis' best and most scenic breweries (7 p.m., Utepils, $30-$100); Los Angeles rockers Airborne Toxic Event of "Sometime Around Midnight" fame return (8 p.m. First Ave, $25-$30); Wisconsin alt-twangers Them Coulee Boys return with rootsy local pickers Barbaro (9 p.m. Turf Club, $12-$15); L.A.'s Dustbowl Revival brings its vintage-styled jazzy, eclectic Americana with social commentary to Minneapolis (7 p.m. Dakota, $35-$45); Tex-Mex rocker Rosie Flores, a favorite at the Minnesota State Fair, heads up a road-trip-worthy lineup of vintage rockabilly and twang with Jack Knife & the Sharps and Trevor McSpadden at the Upper Midwest's coolest classic ballroom (7 p.m. Silverdome Ballroom, Neillsville, Wis., $20); veteran Twin Cities songstress Mary Jane Alm salutes the warbling twang of Emmylou Harris (8 p.m. Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, $44).
Saturday, July 9
5. Shawn Mendes: The Canadian heartthrob has been busy during the pandemic. He released his fourth studio album, "Wonder," in December 2020 along with a concert film and Netflix documentary, dropped a smash single "Monster" with Justin Bieber and — you probably heard — broke up with Camila Cabello in November 2021. He's since issued three new singles that haven't appeared on any albums. The 23-year-old pop star is only two weeks into his world tour, on which he's been offering two dozen songs nightly. Dermot Kennedy opens. (7 p.m. Xcel Energy Center, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, $45.50-$467, ticketmaster.com)
6. Trampled by Turtles: While their Twin Cities-based Festival Palomino never quite took off, Minnesota's bluegrassy Americana stalwarts have made their almost-annual harborside gig in the city that birthed them into a popular pilgrimage for fans from around the state and country. The acoustic sextet has been steadily touring since last summer but also found time to hit the studio last fall, with none other than honorary Duluthian Jeff Tweedy of Wilco serving as producer. Hopefully we'll hear a track or two from the October record, "Alpenglow." Minneapolis roots-rock heroes the Jayhawks will open along with Duluth's Emma Jeanne Rothwell, winner of an artists grant set up by Trampled. (6 p.m. Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth, all ages, $40, axs.com)
Also: Powerhouse Cuban-American pianist Nachito Herrera, one of Minnesota's great musical treasures, pounds the 88s outside as part of the Sounds of Summer series along with Michael Cain Trio (3 p.m. Water Works at Mills Ruins Park, free); Alabama, which brought an evening of Dixieland delight to Mystic Lake Amphitheater last summer, has been tapped to replace cancer-stricken Toby Keith, with Ned LeDoux and Randy Houser (6 p.m. Lakefront Music Fest, Prior Lake, sold out); Kip Moore, who made noise in Nashville a decade ago with "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck" and "Beer Money," brings his arena country to an amphitheater (7 p.m. Ledge Amphitheater, Waite Park, $39-$79); funky, quirky Los Angeles groovers Chicano Batman stop in town on their way to the Winnipeg Folk Fest (8:30 p.m. First Ave, $20-$22); members of the Blind Shake and Soviettes teamed up to record a new album as Green/Blue, playing with Scrunchies (7 p.m., Palmer's Bar patio, $15); local rock show-women Annie & the Bang Bang and Cindy Lawson join forces for a courtyard show (7 p.m. Icehouse, $12-$15); Vets Fest 2022 once again features the Pat McLaughlin Band as well as the Jorgensens and Bambi Alexandra (noon Richard Walton Park, Oakdale, free); there's no live music, but music lovers will flock to the Minnesota Record Show's 30th anniversary installment (11 a.m.-5 p.m., Surly Brewery, $2).
Sunday, July 10
7. The War and Treaty: The Michigan-reared, Nashville-based husband-and-wife duo of Michael Trotter and Tanya Blount-Trotter are two powerhouse singers who have taken their gospel-trained voices to Americana. They blend elements of folk, soul, country and gospel with uplifting messages. The War and Treaty rejoice on the soothingly soulful "Jubilee" on their 2020 album "Hearts Town," and they soared on a bluegrassy take on U2's "Pride (In the Name of Love)" at the 2021 ACM Awards with Dierks Bentley. (8 p.m. Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $25-$50, axs.com)
8. Dusty's Daze: Northeast Minneapolis' greatest vintage watering hole since the Nye's neutering is taking its live music outside in a big way with this one-day, 11-band marathon. Fun, punky rockers Run Westy Run, Monica LaPlante and Low Rats, twangers Becky Kapell and Michael Gay, the Batson brothers' high-revving King Kustom & the Cruisers and others perform on the outdoor stage starting at noon, followed by a set from the all-star Riffin' Trio inside at 9 p.m. (noon, Dusty's Bar, 1319 Marshall St. NE, Mpls., free, all-ages, $5 drink wristband, facebook.com/dustysne).
Also: Tex-Mex rocker Rosie Flores follows up her Silverdome gig in Wisconsin with a welcome club appearance in St. Paul (7 p.m. Turf Club, $18-$20); veteran Phoenix folk-punks AJJ are promoting their latest, "Good Luck Everybody," with opener Open Mike Eagle (7 p.m. Varsity, $22 and up); Twin Cities chanteuse Maud Hixson, clarinetist/arranger Tony Balluff and company salute French Cafe society (4:30 p.m. Crooners, $25-$35); don't forget Minneapolis R&B legend Cornbread Harris' weekly lazy-afternoon gig (5 p.m., Palmer's Bar, free).
Monday, July 11
9. The Black Crowes: After not speaking to each other for five years, brothers Chris and Rich Robinson seem to have finally found a remedy for their long-standing feuds and have been consistently touring for a year now with a mostly new lineup of their Atlanta-reared throwback-rock band. They're sticking to the oldies on tour, playing their 1990 debut album "Shake Your Money Maker" in its entirety followed by other '90s cuts. This will be their first Twin Cities date since 2013. (8 p.m. Mystic Lake Casino Amphitheater, 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd. NW, Prior Lake, $49-$109, ticketmaster.com)
10. Japanese Breakfast & the Linda Lindas: Only because "Crying in H Mart" author Michelle Zauner and her ultra-charming art-pop band Japanese Breakfast have already been around on tour once for their literally brilliant, Grammy-nominated 2021 album "Jubilee," there's as much excitement for their opening band this time around. The Linda Lindas shot to viral fame last year with a live clip from the Los Angeles Public Library of them performing the anti-bro punk anthem "Racist, Sexist Boy," and now the girls — ages 11 to 17! — are signed to Epitaph Records and on tour while school is out. Should be a blast twice over. (8 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $50, axs.com)
Tuesday, July 12
Fresh off a hot gig at Willie's 4th of July Picnic and a new tribute album to another Texas giant, "Jerry Jeff," alt-twang heroes Steve Earle & the Dukes will take advantage of an intimate, air-conditioned club gig (7 p.m. the Dakota, $90-$120); Irish folk-punk madman Frank Turner and his band the Sleeping Souls stop by on their daunting "50 States in 50 Days" excursion, hitting Minneapolis straight after a matinee gig in Sioux Falls (7 p.m. the Fillmore, $37-$67).
Wednesday, July 13
The gifted wordsmith Mary Chapin Carpenter is touring behind her deeply thoughtful, stand-out 19th studio album "The Dirt and the Stars" (7:30 p.m. Pantages Theatre, $53.50-$79); the French sisters known as Les Nubians, best remembered for their 1999 single "Makeda," reemerge (7 & 9 p.m. Dakota, $30-$45); influential guitar hero Adrian Belew, who played with Bowie, Zappa and King Crimson, plays a long "evening with" show touting his 25th solo album, "Elevator" (8 p.m. Fitzgerald Theater, $40); the local Queen tribute band Crown Jewels plays the Riding the Rails series (6 p.m., downtown Shakopee, free).
Rob Hubbard contributed to this column.
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