Critics’ picks: The 14 best things to do and see in the Twin Cities this week

“One foot still in the gutter,” piano man Adam Weiner said to describe his locally beloved Philadelphia boogie-rock band’s latest pair of projects, the live album “Connie Live” and the film-fest-circulated documentary “Art Dealers.” Each is based on LCC’s roots in small dive bars and how they’ve carried that seedy energy to grander venues; that helps explain why the band long ago found a home away from home at First Ave. Not to mention all the love the Current has given the group’s singles over the years, including “Boozophilia,” “Private Lives” and 2023’s ultra-soulful “Are You Gonna Run?” Swiss-rooted band Sweat and Minnesota-to-Nashville rocker Fimone open. (8 p.m. Thu., First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $25-$30, axs.com)

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

One of the Midwest’s biggest hip-hop stars of the 21st century, the Chicago rapper blew up and made drill-rap a hot commodity at age 17 with his breakout hit “Love Sosa” and the subsequent album “Finally Rich.” Rolling Stone recently put the latter at No. 32 on its list of the 200 best hip-hop albums. A decade in, the South Sider remains an influencer and a popular draw. After postponing over the summer, he’s back on tour touting his fifth record, “Almighty So 2,” a self-produced collection featuring the likes of Sexxy Red and Quavo for guests. Lil Gnar and the Glo Boyz open. (8 p.m. Sat., the Armory, 600 S. 5th St., Mpls., $56-$66, ticketmaster.com)

C.R.

The child actress-turned-R&B-diva is back. With this year’s TikTok-fueled sensual slow jam “Nasty,” she has scored her first big hit in 10 years. After splitting from RCA Records and then self-releasing projects, the Pasadena-based artist bounced back this year with appearances at Coachella and NPR Tiny Desk concerts before dropping the LP “Quantum Baby.” “Getting No Sleep” shows attitude, “When I Get You Alone” seduces and “Nasty” asks for someone to “match my freak.” No wonder she’s calling this her Match My Freak World Tour. Raveena opens. (8 p.m. Thu., Fillmore Minneapolis, 525 N. 5th St., Mpls., ages 15 and up, $57 and up, ticketmaster.com)

JON BREAM

After moving to Los Angeles to make it big in the music biz, Twin Cities expats Cameron Kinghorn (ex-Nooky Jones, Black Market Brass) and Joe Paris Christensen (PHO) found different results on their hazy electro-funk duo’s full-length debut, “There It Goes.” Whimsical and whirring songs like “West Coast Country” and “Bag. Full. Of. Cash.” muse on being young and broke but having fun and finding inspiration out West, all over a cool combo of early Prince synth-pop sounds and Tame Impala-style sunbaked grooves. The album actually is now gaining them some fame, coming out on Peanut Butter Wolf’s label Stones Throw and landing them European dates opening for Ginger Root. Old pal Lady Midnight opens their release party here. (8 p.m. Mon., Green Room, 2923 Girard Av. S., Mpls., $17-$22, greenroommn.com)

C.R.

The vivacious piano woman from Sag Harbor, N.Y., wears many hats: author, podcaster, radio host, recording artist and prodigious purveyor of stride piano. Her “Jazz Inspired” interview program has been on the air for 24 years, currently syndicated and heard on SiriusXM and on KBEM-FM on Mondays. Her guests have been a who’s who of the arts, including Tony Bennett, Robert Redford, Julie Andrews, Chevy Chase, Renee Fleming and Frank Gehry. Carmichael also has featured such Minnesota-rooted musicians as Connie Evingson, Maria Schneider and Mary Louise Knutson. On tour with bassist Neal Miner and guitarist Andy Brown, the well-traveled Carmichael will bring a mix of stride and swing to the Twin Cities before she entertains again on the Queen Mary 2. (7:30 p.m. Sat., the O’Shaughnessy, St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Av., St. Paul, $5-$33, etix.com)

J.B.

Music director Thomas Søndergård and the orchestra will be joined on Thursday and Friday by a California-bred violinist who’s creating quite a buzz, 28-year-old Randall Goosby. He’ll be the soloist for one of the great works for his instrument, the feast of passion and delight that is Felix Mendelssohn’s E-minor Concerto. It will be bookended by Unsuk Chin’s “Frontispiece” and Arnold Schoenberg’s orchestration of Johannes Brahms’ G-minor Quartet for Piano and Strings. Saturday’s “Symphony in 60″ concert omits the Mendelssohn. (11 a.m. Thu., 8 p.m. Fri., 7 p.m. Sat., Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $15-$111, 612-371-5656 or minnesotaorchestra.org)

ROB HUBBARD

How humanity is confronting climate change is the focus of composer Geoffrey Hudson’s very involving and often quite beautiful “eco-oratorio,” “A Passion for the Planet.” Drawing from texts poetic, scientific and sacred, the hourlong 2019 work traces an arc from gratitude to fear to hope. For its Twin Cities premiere, Matthew Mehaffey will conduct two choirs, two vocal soloists (soprano Jennifer Olson and baritone Bradley Greenwald) and a 12-piece instrumental ensemble. (7:30 p.m. Sat., Roseville Lutheran Church, 1215 W. Roselawn Av., Roseville; 3 p.m. Sun., Westwood Lutheran Church, 9001 S. Cedar Lake Road, St. Louis Park, $10-$35, oratorio.org)

R.H.

“Beauty is one of the shackles put on women to define femininity,” said Minnesota theater leader Austene Van. “But we take the beauty shop and turn it into a place of women’s empowerment.” Van was talking about “Steel Magnolias,” Robert Harling’s play about a group of women who forge strong bonds in a home beauty parlor as they endure the trials and setbacks of life. Van acted in a pre-pandemic production of “Magnolias” on the McGuire Proscenium Stage at the Guthrie. Now she’s staging it on the thrust stage of Yellow Tree Theatre, the company she has led for eight years. Her firecracker cast includes Laura Esping, Jane Froiland and Tolu Ekisola. Ends Dec. 22. (7:30 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 2 & 7:30 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., Yellow Tree Theatre, 320 5th Av. SE., Osseo, $42-$45, 763-493-8733 or yellowtreetheatre.com)

ROHAN PRESTON

Between dates at St. Paul’s Ordway Center and the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, the Broadway tour of “Les Misérables” has had more engagements in the Twin Cities than in any other American metropolis. The beloved musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and ‎Alain Boublil is returning for a 16th time as the barricades once again join like docking spaceships while students join the fight for justice, love and redemption in revolutionary France. (Nov. 19-Dec. 1: 7:30 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 2 & 7:30 p.m. Sat., 1 & 6:30 p.m. Sun., Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $40-$179, hennepinarts.org)

R.P.

Interdisciplinary artist Andrea Bagdon’s solo exhibition explores femininity and contemporary takes on the domestic using time-based media and traditional oil paintings. Leaning into psychoanalytic theory, the work seeks to reveal the fragile nature of boundaries and the self. Bagdon’s show is at Q.arma Underground, a new gallery space in the basement of Q.arma Building. Ends Nov. 23. (1-5 p.m. Sat. & Sun., 1224 NE. Quincy St., Mpls., free, qarmabuilding.com)

ALICIA ELER

Artist Stanley Whitney’s 50-year career retrospective debuts at the Walker Art Center. Spanning Whitney’s lifelong engagement with abstraction, the show includes early works from the 1970s and 1980s plus his current large-scale paintings. The poetically titled show explores the artist’s wide range of influences, including music, poetry, American quilts and the history of architecture. Nov. 14-March 16. (10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed., Fri.-Sun., 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thu., 725 Vineland Place, Mpls., $2-$18, free for ages 18 and under, and members and citizens of Tribal Nations, 612-375-7600 or walkerart.org)

A.E.

James Sewell Ballet reprises its collaboration with chamber choir MPLS (imPulse) as it performs its 2023 adaptation of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” called “Unfashioned Creature.” With choreography by Penelope Freeh and an original score by Timothy C. Takach, three dancers portray the creature in this version, with the choir acting as a Greek chorus. The performance takes place at Westminster Presbyterian Church, where Eve Schulte, JSB’s executive director, is an artist in residence for the 2024-25 season. The evening is part of the Westminster Performing Arts Series. Besides “Unfashioned Creature,” the concert will be rounded out by other short selections by JSB and MPLS (imPulse), plus a postshow discussion with Takach. (7 p.m. Fri., Westminster Hall, 1200 Marquette Av. S., Mpls., $15-$50, 612-332-3421 or westminstermpls.org/WPAS)

Sheila Regan

This festival might be small, but filmgoers can experience a large dose of cultural history in six screened films. “The Electric Indian,” a documentary by filmmaker Leya Hale, recounts the life of Warroad, Minn., native and renowned Ojibwe hockey player Henry Boucha. “The Jingle Dress” chronicles a family that moves from a northern Minnesota reservation to Minneapolis seeking answers about the death of an uncle. The event also will feature pre-show talks with filmmakers, post-show discussions and a social mixer. (Sun., 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Marcus West End Cinema, 1625 West End Blvd., St. Louis Park, free but registration required, twincitiesfilmfest.org/mnmicro-film-festival)

COLLEEN COLES

An arts and crafts event with more than 500 makers from 30 states. Because it’s the season of giving, this event offers the perfect moment to find something special for a friend or loved one that you can’t find at your local big-box store. There are also home decor items to give your house a little updating for the holidays. Guests can register for an hourly gift certificate drawing. (11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thu.-Fri.; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun., $10, children under 10 free, Canterbury Park, 1100 Canterbury Road, Shakopee, hpifestivals.com)

MELISSA WALKER