Thursday, Feb. 9
1. Parker McCollum: The Texas twanger is building momentum. Not only has he reached No. 1 on the country charts with "Pretty Heart" and "To Be Loved by You," but he drew an astounding 73,000 people (paid tickets) to RodeoHouston last spring. After playing last year at the Ledge amphitheater outside St. Cloud and dropping the single "Handle on You" (best line: "I tell myself I should quit but I don't listen to drunks"), McCollum has graduated to a bigger venue in the Twin Cities. Corey Kent and Catie Offerman open. (7:30 p.m. the Armory, 500 S. 6th St., Mpls., $67 and up, ticketmaster.com)
2. Amy LaVere: The Memphis-based singer-songwriter has been traveling in Americana circles for more than 25 years, playing with the likes of Luther Dickinson and Valerie June. Her fifth and latest studio album, 2020's "Painting Blue," is an aptly titled dark, melancholy collection. There is social commentary, including the original "No Battle Hymn" about contemporary crises, as well as a dramatic cover of Elvis Costello's antiwar "Shipbuilding." LaVere also gets personal, addressing depression ("Painting Blue on Everything") and explaining why she didn't have children ("No Room for Baby"). The Roe Family Singers open. (8 p.m. Hook and Ladder Theater, 3010 Minnehaha Av. S., Mpls, $22-$27, thehookmpls.com)
3. The Charlatans U.K. and Ride: These two hazy, swirly British '90s rock bands are touring America together for the first time marking the 30th anniversary of their sophomore and debut albums, respectively. The Charlatans' "Between 10th and 11th" was the jammier, dancier follow-up to their breakthrough hit single "The Only One I Know." Ride's "Nowhere" helped mold the shoegaze genre with such reverberating gems as "Vapour Trail." Each record will be played in full with other tunes, too. With Jake Rudh also DJ-ing. (7 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $35-$40, axs.com)
Also: Serbia-born blues singer/guitarist Ana Popovic concludes her two-night stand, previewing her new album, "Power" (7 p.m. the Dakota, $35-$45); Nicholas David, the St. Paul soul man who America discovered on NBC's "The Voice," explores the nuances of love (7:30 p.m. Crooners, $30-$40); Dan Navarro of Lowen & Navarro fame is playing out in Otsego (8 p.m. Pour Wine Bar, $25).
Friday, Feb. 10
4. St. Paul Chamber Orchestra: In 2015, pianist Jonathan Biss and the SPCO commissioned five composers to each write a piano concerto, using one of Beethoven's five for inspiration. Four have been premiered alongside their Beethoven progenitors, with Biss as soloist. After pandemic delays, the project reaches completion with the U.S. premiere of Australian composer Brett Dean's "Gneixendorfer Musik — Eine Winterreise," accompanied by Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto. Conducting is Francesco Lecce-Chong. (8 p.m., also Sat. , Ordway Concert Hall, 345 Washington St., St. Paul; 2 p.m. Sun. Ted Mann Concert Hall, 2128 4th St. S., Mpls., free-$50, thespco.org.)
5. Robin Kyle & Valet: What a smart way to showcase the gorgeous and inspired new solo album by the frontman of 2000s-era Twin Cities indie-rock group Valet. He's putting the old band back together for a twofer show. You might even call it a trifecta counting the cool location in the old Hamm's Brewery complex. The brooding but hopeful Ireland native's LP "The Rubicon Is a Red River" boasts more of an Americana and folk tinge than his hum-rocking Valet work, with a strong support cast including drummer JT Bates, violinist Carrie Rodriguez and brother Ben Kyle of Romantica. It still boasts the same elegant warmth and poetic delivery, though. (7 p.m. 11 Wells Distillery, 704 Minnehaha Av. E., St. Paul, free, 11wells.com)
6. Love 2 The 9s: It's a Princely title for a program of Purple love songs delivered in an acoustic setting by Twin Cities vocal mainstay Julius Collins, who has thrilled in clubs (Greazy Meal, Dr. Mambo's Combo) and playhouses ("Jelly's Last Jam," "Hot Chocolate"), and former NPG keyboardist Tommy Barbarella. The evening includes a tour of Paisley Park and a three-course dinner by People's Organic, who were the Purple One's personal chefs. (6 p.m. Paisley Park, 7801 Audubon Rd., Chanhassen, $150-$225, paisleypark.com)
Also: Oregonian dark-twang singer Jake Smith aka White Buffalo is a favorite music provider to the TV series "Sons of Anarchy" (8 p.m. Varsity Theater, $25); Anita Baker isn't coming to the Twin Cites on her 2023 comeback tour so three of Minnesota's finest vocalists — Ginger Commodore, Aimee K. Bryant and Kendra Glenn — are presenting "Rapture," a tribute to Baker (7 p.m. the Dakota, $35-$40); the Northern Bluegrass Throwdown offers an interstate pickathon with Wisconsin's Chicken Wire Empire and local mainstays the High 48s (8 p.m. Parkway Theater; $20); Suburbs bandleader Chan Poling heads to the southern 'burbs with his jazzy revisionist trio the New Standards (7:30 p.m. Ames Center, $43-$53); Summit Avenue piano man Steven C presents "Love on the Hill" with different guests on Friday (singer Kathryn Budzien) and Saturday (singer-songwriter Jeff Arundel) at a revived vintage nightspot (7 p.m. Commodore, $20); if any Twin Cities singer can do justice to Whitney Houston's repertoire, it's the underappreciated powerhouse Kathleen Johnson (8 p.m. Crooners, $30-$40).