The Big Gigs: 10 best concerts to see in the Twin Cities this week

1. Judas Priest: After belatedly making it into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022 — with a beautiful speech by frontman Rob Halford on being “the gay guy in the band” and ultimately one of metal’s best-fit singers — the British steelmakers are blazing through another tour, touting yet another mighty album, “Invincible Shield.” Guitarist Glenn Tipton and bassist Ian Hill are also still around from the heyday era, from which they still pull heavily in concert. As if Priest could ever take a stage without “Breaking the Law” or “Living After Midnight.” Swedish bangers Sabaton open. (7:30 p.m. the Armory, 500 S. 6th St., Mpls., $67-$77, ticketmaster.com)

2. Robyn Hitchcock: Almost four decades since he became a poster boy for college radio and MTV’s “120 Minutes” with cult hits like “Balloon Man” and “Madonna of the Wasps,” the London punk-turned-folk-rocker also of Soft Boys acclaim has remained a road warrior and a constant delight to his fans. His banter-filled, deep-discography-digging acoustic shows are a good fit in the Twin Cities’ greatest listening room as Hitchcock moves past a family tragedy in 2023 with help from veteran comedian Eugene Mirman, who’s serving as opener. (7:30 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Av. S., Mpls., $35-$40, thecedar.org)

3. Minnesota Orchestra: Russian-American pianist Kirill Gerstein has delivered some electrifying performances on past Twin Cities visits. In recent years, he’s been on a quest to play all of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos with the Minnesota Orchestra, and he’ll be joined by its new music director, Thomas Søndergård, for the composer’s First. There also will be some of that Richard Strauss that Søndergård and the orchestra play so well together, in this case “Also Sprach Zarathustra.” Raising the curtain is a piece by Chinese composer Qigang Chen. (11 a.m. Thu., 8 p.m. Fri. Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $45-$111, minnesotaorchestra.org)

Also: Retired but widely admired Iowa singer/songwriter Greg Brown, founder of Red House Records, promises to sing a few songs at an appearance to celebrate his new book “Ring Around the Moon: A Songbook,” a collection of writings, drawings, photographs, lyrics and sheet music, with a foreword by Seth Avett (6 p.m. Electric Fetus, free); Los Angeles’ goth/glam hard-rockers Black Veil Brides are back on tour with three openers (5:30 p.m. the Fillmore, all ages, $55); masked surf-rockers Los Straitjackets are celebrating their 30th anniversary (8 p.m. Turf Club, $25); in a return to outdoors at Crooners, Stanley Kipper and the New Primitives salute Bob Marley (8 p.m. Belvedere tent at Crooners, $25-$35).

4. Ber: After heavily charming big Mainroom audiences at First Ave’s Best New Bands and the Current’s anniversary showcases this past winter, the St. Paul-based indie-pop craftswoman from northern Minnesota is taking on her biggest hometown headlining show to date. She followed up last year’s upbeat breakout EP, “Halfway” — featuring the cheeky and ultra-catchy viral hits “Boys Who Kiss You in Their Car” and “Superspreader” — with a balladic single that’s a real heart-tugger, “Room for You,” suggesting there’s a lot more growing and exploring yet to come for one of Minnesota’s brightest young music stars. Rafaella opens. (8 p.m. Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., resale tickets only, axs.com)

5. Charlie Parr: Adding to his long list of admirers-turned-producers, Minnesota’s greatest acoustic song picker of the modern era found another fine collaborator in Tucker Martine, who worked with the Decemberists and Sufjan Stevens before producing Parr’s loosely magical new one, “Little Sun.” Piano, drums, harmonica and other lively instrumentation bring new layers to songs like “Portland Avenue” and “Bear Head Lake” without losing Parr’s rustic feel or the authenticity befitting a record whose title subtly pays homage to late Twin Cities blues legend Tony Glover. Rootsy folk duo Mama’s Broke, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, open along with Oregonian Marisa Anderson, who played on Parr’s record. (7 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $25-$30, axs.com)

Also: Last seen opening for Bonnie Raitt, award-winning slide guitarist Roy Rogers will demonstrate why he’s so well regarded in the blues-rock world (7 p.m. the Dakota, $35-$40); Retro Fizz explores the songs of Burt Bacharach with special guests Chan Poling, Prudence Johnson, Becky Schlegel, Cindy Lawson and Arne Fogel (7 p.m. Crooners, $25-$35); indie-pop strummer Bobby Kabaya’s youthful groove act Miloe tops an all-ages Radio K showcase with Heart to Gold, Christy Costello and She’s Green (7 pm. Varsity Theater, $30); an electronic dance music trio from Montreal known for wearing metallic tiger helmets, Black Tiger Sex Machine is hosting a two-night mini-fest of sorts with different openers each night and a new anime show on Night 1 (9 p.m., also Sat., the Armory, $45 or $89/two-day); burgeoning Minneapolis jazz drummer L.A. Buckner and his funky band Big Homie top KFAI’s 46th anniversary bash with Shrimp Olympics and America y los Sentimientos (7 p.m. Hook & Ladder Theater, free); Grammy-winning trumpeter Jake Baldwin blows into Berlin nightclub with his namesake quartet (8 p.m., $15); the Current’s sorely missed rock-star host Mary Lucia hosts the Hell Yeah! Rock & Roll Dance Party (8 p.m. Turf Club, $12-$15).

6. Kenny Chesney: More than 30 years after putting out his first album, country’s king of stadium concerts is bound again for the Vikings’ colosseum, with a new album, “Born,” a fast rising, Hardy-penned single “Take Her Home” (which chronicles a romance from a barroom meeting to having a baby) and a pickup truck full of opening acts. Zac Brown Band, a stadium headliner in its own right, brings “Chicken Fried” and a barroom-meets-jam band attitude. Georgia newcomer Megan Moroney delivered one of mainstream country’s top albums of 2023 with “Lucky” and the hit “Tennessee Orange.” And Uncle Kracker returns to reprise his 2004 Chesney collab, “When the Sun Goes Down.” (6 p.m. U.S. Bank Stadium, 401 Chicago Av. S., Mpls., $85-$700, ticketmaster.com)

7. Daniel Lanois: After several gigs in his native Canada, sonic adventurer Lanois kicks off the U.S. leg of his trio tour in the Twin Cities. He’s best known as a Grammy-winning producer of U2, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young and others. A guitarist noted for moody, atmospheric instrumentals, he released his latest album, “Player, Piano,” in 2022, featuring tunes that, like his guitar pieces, could be soundtracks for movies. Indeed, he’s composed soundtracks for “Sling Blade,” “Red Dead Redemption II” and other films. Accompanied by drummer Jermaine Holmes and bassist Jim Wilson, Lanois promises that “the original instrument, that being the voice, is alive and well in this trio configuration.” (8 p.m. Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins, $48-$58, hopkinsartcenter.com)

8. Minnesota Opera: The season closes with one of the most popular of operas, “La Boheme,” Giacomo Puccini’s sweet, sad, funny and gloriously tuneful tale of life and love among Paris’ poverty-stricken creative class in the 19th century. The company is offering nine performances in 16 days, with job shares for the three lead roles. Overseeing the staging is a Greek director of increasing renown, Rodula Gaitanou. New principal conductor Christopher Franklin is in the pit. (7:30 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., through May 19, Ordway Music Theater, 345 Washington St., St. Paul, $29-$285, mnopera.org)

9. Lynne Arriale: The veteran Milwaukee-bred jazz pianist, who is a music professor at the University of North Florida, delivered her 17th album as a leader, “Being Human,” in March. Dedicating the project to inspiring humanists like climate activist Greta Thunberg and poet Amanda Gorman, Arriale gets soulful on “Faith,” exuberant on “Joy,” funky on “Soul” and unrestrained on “Curiosity.” As she did on the record, the pianist will work in a trio format, with New York drummer Adam Nussbaum and local bass ace Chris Bates. (7:30, also 6:30 Sun. Metronome Brewery, 289 5th St. E, St. Paul, $50, metronomebrewery.com)

Also: Rocker-turned-twanger Aaron Lewis is back performing with his grungy 2000s-era band Staind of “It’s Been Awhile” fame, topping off the 93X Twin Cities Takeover concert also featuring I Prevail, Asking Alexander and Dayseeker (6:30 p.m. Xcel Energy Center, $35-$85); (8 p.m. First Avenue, $38); First Ave’s bar staff is stocking up for Southern Minnesotan Americana vets the Gear Daddies’ almost-annual return to the Mainroom (8 p.m., $38); elegant R&B/hip-hop singer Lady Midnight is celebrating the release of her dancefloor-centric new album, “Pursuit & the Elusive” (8 p.m. Turf Club, $23); former Pines troubadour David Huckfelt is playing a special early-evening gig down in the Turf Club’s basement bar (6:30 p.m. Clown Lounge, $25); the innovative 75-member rock ‘n’ roll choir Kith + Kin, led by Her Crooked Heart’s Rachel Ries, is pairing up with local songwriting great Humbird for its seventh season finale, benefitting Raíces Sagradas (4 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, $25); versatile drummer Nate Smith, who has worked with Pat Metheny, Brittany Howard and Norah Jones, brings his love of jazz, hip-hop and R&B to Minneapolis with guests Kiefer & Carrtoons (6:30 & 9 p.m. the Dakota, $35-$40); a fun lineup of local tribute bands are playing all afternoon for the Celebrating with Purpose bash benefiting the Food Group, including Heartless, Trompe le Monde, Rude Girl and the McEnramones (1 p.m. Grumpy’s Bar Northeast, cash donations requested).

California’s vintage rockabilly stalwarts Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys are back in town to help kick off the new Under the Canopy outdoor concert season with local openers Kinda Fonda Wanda (6 p.m. Hook & Ladder, $18-$28); one of the Twin Cities’ most beloved singer/songwriters Haley kicks off her May/Be/Sundays residency in North Loop’s intimate new listening room with Diane (7 p.m. Berlin, $10); salsa big-band Charanga Tropical is hosting a matinee dance show in honor of Cinco de Mayo (5 p.m. Icehouse, $15); soulful organist and former Snarky Puppy member Cory Henry’s Fitzgerald Theater show hwas been canceled.

Jim Messina, a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer with Buffalo Springfield and later a member of Poco and Loggins & Messina, brings his rich catalog of country-rock and ‘70s pop (6:30 & 8:30 p.m. the Dakota, $40-$65); Scottish rock band Teenage Fanclub, whose 1991 album “Bandwagonesque” remains a favorite among power-pop record lovers, is on its first U.S. tour in five years (8 p.m. Fine Line, $33-$53); Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna alum Jorma Kaukonen returns (7:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, $44-$59); former British “X Factor” champ James Arthur is Stateside touting his new album, “Bitter Sweet Love” (7 p.m. Fillmore, $53.50 and up).

Philadelphia punk vets Mannequin Pussy are touring for their new John Congleton-produced album, “I Got Heaven,” with Soul Glo opening (8 p.m. Fine Line, $23).

10. Belle and Sebastian: After bouncing around from Rock the Garden to the Minnesota Zoo for local stops over the past decade — and accidentally abandoning their drummer in North Dakota on their way to a Palace Theatre gig in 2017 — Stuart Murdoch and his cultishly adored lilt-pop band were overdue to light up the checkered First Ave dancefloor. The elegant, buoyant, literary and whimsical Scottish indie vets are touring with two well-received companion albums, “Late Developers” and “A Bit of Previous,” but they’ve been pulling from all over their 12-album discography on tour this year. Oregonian acoustic picker Haley Heynderickx opens. (8 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $45, axs.com)

Also: 1970s cosmic cowboy Michael Martin Murphey — remembered for “Geronimo’s Cadillac,” “Wildfire,” “Carolina in the Pines” and “What’s Forever For” — has shown a taste for bluegrass in his later career (7 p.m. the Dakota, $40-$45); there’s a rare-of-late gig by all-star local jazz trio Fat Kid Wednesdays, featuring saxophonist Michael Lewis, drummer JT Bates and bassist Adam Linz (8 p.m. Icehouse, $30-$35); new age-y experimental composers Mizu and Ohyung, the latter of whom scored the new A24 movie “Problemista,” pair up at the Cedar Cultural Center (7:30 p.m., $25); big-haired ‘80s U.K. rock bands the Alarm and Gene Loves Jezebel are on tour together for a Gen X nostalgia double-fix with Jake Rudh DJ-ing (6:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, $39-$59); Council is a new collaboration featuring Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto, who has appeared with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and versatile Portland, Ore.-based singer/songwriter Gabriel Kahane (7:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, $33).

Classical music critic Rob Hubbard contributed to this column.