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

1. Kim Petras: After shining in the spotlight and earning a Grammy with Sam Smith for their hit collaboration "Unholy," the German-born dance-pop singer is stepping out on her own supporting her first major-release album, "Feed the Beast." The record's fun but also sometimes fiery, message-filled tracks alternately recall Robyn and Katy Perry with hip-hop influences thrown in, too. A steadfast LGBTQ rights advocate since she went public with her gender-affirming surgery at age 16, she's also playing tunes from her tellingly titled earlier EP, "Slut Pop," and her newly unearthed LP "Problematique." (8 p.m. the Armory, 500 S. 6th St., Mpls., $47-$57, ticketmaster.com)

2. Stephen Sanchez: The new 20-year-old retro-pop heartthrob sounds like the son of Roy Orbison and Patsy Cline. His songs "Until I Found You," already a wedding favorite, and "Be More" have landed on both Top 40 radio and hip outlets like 89.3 the Current. After performing at the Fine Line in February, Sanchez returns with a promise to play his entire debut album, "Angel Face," his cinematic concept LP about a love triangle starring a nightclub singer named Troubadour Sanchez. Stephen Day opens. Read a Star Tribune interview with Sanchez. (7:30 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $30-$35, axs.com)

3. Cantus: Amid a cultural re-examination of gender identity, this low-voiced ensemble of eight opens its season with "Brave," a program of music addressing what it means to be male in an often-inflexible world. The repertoire ranges from songs by Fanny Mendelssohn and Edvard Grieg to new pieces by American composer Griffin Candey. It's also available via streaming through Sunday. (11 a.m. Thu. Meetinghouse Church, 6200 Colonial Way, Edina; 7:30 p.m. Sat. Sundin Music Hall, 1531 Hewitt Av., St. Paul; 3 p.m. Sun. Trinity Lutheran Church, 115 4th St. N., Stillwater, $5-$36, cantussings.org)

4. St. Paul Chamber Orchestra: Anthony McGill's main job is principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic, but he also presents horizon-expanding recitals like the excellent Schubert Club concert he offered in St. Paul last year. He'll join the SPCO for classical-era clarinet concertos by Mozart and his Parisian contemporary Joseph Bologne. (8 p.m. Thu. Kracum Performance Hall, 1 N. College St., Northfield; 11 a.m. Fri. and 7 p.m. Sat. Ordway Concert Hall, 345 Washington St., St. Paul; 2 p.m. Sun. Benson Great Hall, Bethel University, 3900 Bethel Drive, Arden Hills, free-$55, thespco.org)

Also: Toronzo Cannon, the bus-driving bluesman from Chicago, heads to St. Paul (7 p.m. KJ's Hideaway, $35); Jordan Johnston is a promising young local R&B performer with a love for the Janet Jackson flava of the Minneapolis Sound (7 p.m. Minnesota Music Cafe, $10); well-traveled Twin Cities singer/saxophonist Maurice Jacox keeps bringing the soul with the We Still R, the late Willie Walker's band (8 p.m. Crooners, $20-$30); Los Angeles Americana scene fixture Mike Viola, who has produced albums for Andrew Bird and Ondara, is out playing his own songs (7:30 p.m. 7th St. Entry, $25).

5. Brandy Clark: Since her 2013 debut "12 Stories," she has been hailed as one of Nashville's best songwriters. She bolsters her reputation once again on her self-titled, fourth full length, one of the top albums of 2023. Produced by pal and fellow singer/songwriter from the Pacific Northwest Brandi Carlile, "Brandy Clark" is a collection of downtempo, deeply felt reflections on heartbreak, addiction and hard times. Less twangy with more pop polish, these songs sound about as country as Carlile does. On the album's high points, Clark is joined by exquisite guitarist Derek Trucks on "Ain't Enough Rocks" a haunting tale of abuse and murder, and vocalist Carlile on "Dear Insecurity," a piano ballad in which the singer views self-doubt as a recurring character in her life. Carlile's Milwaukee-reared bandmates Sista Strings open. (8 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Av. S., Mpls., $30, thecedar.org)

6. Rod Wave: The Florida soul-trap rapper/singer has scored three consecutive No. 1 albums, including this fall's "Nostalgia." With gospel undertones, Wave wears his heart on his sleeve on his chill, tuneful jams, which have endeared him to young women. He's vulnerable, sharing his feelings about his heart aching and breaking. Wave has yet to cross over to the pop charts in a big way, but "Fight the Feeling," "Call Your Friends" and "Boyz Don't Cry" — all from his new album — landed in the Top 10 on Billboard's rap list, where earlier hits "Cold December" and "Heart on Ice" also resided. Opening are Ari Lennox, Toosii and Eelmatic. (8 p.m. Xcel Energy Center, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, $44 and up, ticketmaster.com)

Also: Minnesota music mainstay Martin Zellar is playing a two-nighter at Minneapolis' Parkway Theater with two of his Gear Daddies bandmates and son Wilson Zellar to tout his first album in 11 years, "Head West" (7:30 p.m., $29-$59, sold-out Sat.); Canadian country singer Colter Wall, whose songs have been heard on TV's "Yellowstone," continues in his Waylon Jennings-meets-Johnny Cash vibe on this year's "Little Songs" (8 p.m. Fillmore Minneapolis, $85 and up); compelling piano man Bruce Hornsby, who has fulfilled the promise of his 1987 Grammy for best new artist, celebrates his 25th anniversary and 23rd album, " 'Flicted" ($79.50-$202); Iceland pop jazz thrush Laufey is building a buzz on the strength of her breezy Brazilian-flavored single "From the Start" (8 p.m. Fitzgerald Theater, $25 and up); Pennsylvanian goth-metalheads Motionless in White lead a heavy bill with Knocked Loose (6:30 p.m. the Armory, all ages, $43-$68); known for her work with the Decemberists and Sufjan Stevens, experimental folk/chamber-rock singer Shara Nova is back out as My Brightest Diamond (8 p.m. Icehouse, $28-$38); uplifting and unpredictable Minneapolis piano rocker Mark Mallman is back in action with Stranger Gallery (8 p.m. Hook & Ladder Theater, $15-$20).

7. Champagne Confetti: A large, genre-jumping electronic chamber-pop group that's very hard to peg, this new group should be easy to sell just based on the all-star cast of Twin Cities musicians in it: Aby Wolf and Eric Mayson lead on vocals and arrangements with other collaborators including Cameron Kinghorn (King Pari), Jacob Mullis (Fort Wilson Riot) and Ashley Gold, plus instrumentalists such as cellist Michelle Kinney, bassist Ted Olsen, drummer Joey Van Phillips and a half-dozen additional reputable names. They're performing again to celebrate their self-titled debut album, made with help from a Minnesota Arts Board grant and reminiscent of Björk, Joanna Newsom and/or FKA Twigs. Prepare for your ears to be dazzled. (8 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Av. S., Mpls., all ages, $25-$30, thecedar.org)

8. Lil Uzi Vert: Following a string of high-profile features in the Migos hit "Bad and Boujee," Travis Scott's "Watch" and more, the high-wired Philadelphia rapper landed his own Billboard Top 10 hit last year with "Just Wanna Rock" and he is racking up more streams and radio play now with his Nicki Minaj-accompanied single "Endless Fashion." He's kicking off his Pink Tape Tour in Minneapolis after a five-year lull from touring, and after twice being a no-show locally at the Soundset festival. He owes us. (8 p.m., the Armory, 500 S. 6th St., Mpls., all ages, $129, ticketmaster.com)

9. Joji: Your familiarity with this viral skit-maker-turned-comedian-turned-singer probably depends on how much time you spend on YouTube and TikTok, where his fame is big enough to now find him touring arenas. The real-life George Kusunoki Miller became a teen YouTube star after moving to America from Japan and creating the wacky series "The Filthy Frank Show." He has since issued three albums of more serious, mellow electro-soul and digi-rap music, which falls somewhere between Bon Iver and Billie Eilish sonically but is nowhere near as compelling as those artists. He's touring with DJ Kenny Beats. (7:30 p.m. Target Center, 600 1st Av. N., Mpls., $45-$145, axs.com)

Also: Fourteen years after uploading the No. 1 Billboard hit "Fireflies" from his parents' basement in Owatonna, Adam Young is maintaining a cultish following as Owl City and is back out touting a new album of dreamy, breezy electro-pop, titled "Coco Moon" (7:30 p.m. Uptown Theater, resale only); the fancy picking, highly entertaining Old Crow Medicine Show returns behind this year's "Jubilee," which features guests Mavis Staples, Sierra Farrell and former OCMS singer Willie Watson (8 p.m. Palace Theatre, $39.50-$75); a couple of guitar stars — tapping pioneer jazz man Stanley Jordan and Texas soul/blues woman Jackie Venson — share a commendable bill (7 p.m. the Dakota, $35-$40); stormy, intense Twin Cities band Dead History, featuring ex-members of Picturesque and Story of the Sea, take on the third week at East Lake Street's well-received new rock hub (7 p.m., $15).

On her first full length, "I Hope You Can Forgive Me," former Minneapolitan Madison McFerrin proves to be magnetic, experimental, hard-to-classify vocalist, which is not surprising from Bobby McFerrin's daughter (8 p.m. 7th Street Entry, $18-$20); Texas' norteño pop ensemble Grupo Frontera arrives in town fresh off topping the Billboard Hot Latin chart with their Fuerza Regida collaboration "Bebé Dame" (7 p.m. Orpheum Theatre, $65-$145); Canadian singer/songwriter Michelle Willis is touring behind her Laurel Canyon-evoking 2022 album "Just One Voice," which features duets with Michael McDonald and Becca Stevens (7 p.m. Crooners, $40-$50).

Chicago's experimental, saxophone-led instrumental trio Twin Talk is pairing up with kindred Twin Cities all-star band Alpha Consumer for the Monday jazz series at Icehouse (8 p.m., $12); the sweet new tribute single "Loretta Lynn Blues," from an album due next year, is a great reminder of how much fun is generated by downhome pickers the Roe Family Singers every Monday at the 33 1 Club (8 p.m., free).

Craig Taborn, the acclaimed jazz pianist who grew up in Golden Valley, is touring behind his new trio album, "hEARoes" (8 p.m. Icehouse, $30-$40); Richmond, Va., jazz fusion ensemble Butcher Brown, probably best known for its cover of "Rip It Up" as the 2020 "Monday Night Football" theme, is touring behind this year's Concord Jazz release "Solar Music" (7 p.m. the Dakota, $35-$45); Texas-trained alt-twanger Mary Cutrufello is continuing the Tuesday happy-hour gigs at the White Squirrel Bar without partner Trevor McSpadden (6 p.m., free).

10. Fantastic Negrito: His 2022 album "White Jesus Black Problems" explored his family's history, specifically something seven generations ago: the illegal union in 1750s Virginia of an African-American man who was a slave and a white Scottish woman who was an indentured servant. Musically, the album is often aggressive, thoroughly modern blues seasoned with Princely funk. Negrito not only made a film to accompany the album but this year, the three-time Grammy winner rerecorded the music as an acoustic project under the title "Grandfather Courage." He'll present the film and an acoustic version of the music plus engage in a Q&A session. (7 p.m. the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $40-$45, dakotacooks.com)

Also: A favorite of the Austin, Texas, scene for a decade, Sabrina Ellis' rowdy glam-punk band A Giant Dog has deservingly moved up to Merge Records with its latest album, "Bite" (8 p.m. Icehouse, $17).

Classical music critic Rob Hubbard contributed to this column.