Thursday, July 7
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)