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

1. LA LOM: Coming soon to your favorite hipster boutique or coffee-shop sound system: This trio doubly known as the Los Angeles League of Musicians offers a cool blend of retro-but-innovative instrumental jams in the vein of Khruangbin, but with a different blend of influences. Their sounds range from Cumbia Sonidera and Son Cubano to Bakersfield twang and ‘60s soul ballads. They’ve toured before with the Twin Cities’ own Cory Wong and are opening some of Vampire Weekend’s summer dates. Local groover Yohannes Tona opens. (8 p.m. Icehouse, 2528 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., $20-$30, icehousempls.com)

2. Deerhoof: Still weird and wonderful after 30 years of crafting quirky, free-form art-rock, the San Francisco ensemble has racked up a wide range of fans that hints at its mad-cap ingenuity, including Radiohead and Questlove. The band changed things up again in a fun way with last year’s excellent album “Miracle-Level,” the group’s 19th LP but first sung entirely in singer/bassist Satomi Matsuzaki’s native Japanese language. Lots of locals raved about the Turf Club date last summer when the band first came around to tout the record. Local post-punk blasters Products Band open with Oyster World (8 p.m. Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $25-$35, axs.com)

Also: “Romeo’s Tune” hitmaker Steve Forbert, dubbed “the next Dylan” like so many others in the 1970s, is supporting his 23rd album, 2022′s “Moving Through America” (7:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, $25-$40); the Twin Cities own 18-piece ACME Jazz Company is committed to a big band concept, with arrangements by saxophonist Bob Parsons and vocals by Arne Fogel (7:30 p.m. Crooners, $25-$35); St. Louis bluesman Mike Zito is promoting his new Joe Bonamassa-co-produced album, “Life Is Hard” (7:30 p.m. Hook & Ladder, $35); next door is the final installment of Black Widows’ “Greatest Show Ever” variety-show residency with an open-mic component (7:30 p.m. Hook & Ladder Mission Room, $10-$15); funky smooth-jazz keyboardist Brian Culbertson, whose pandemic jam sessions led to a trilogy of albums, brings his Trilogy Tour to town (7:30 p.m. Pantages Theatre, $44-$94); roaring psyche-rock trio Superheater is hosting a tape-release party with DIIE (6:30 p.m., Cloudland Theater, all ages, $12-$15); acoustic blues revelers the Front Porch Swingin’ Liquor Pigs keep up their standing gig every other Thursday (7-10 p.m. Palmer’s Bar, free).

3. Minnesota Orchestra: Yuja Wang is one of the hottest pianists on the planet right now. Her 2023 collaboration with conductor/composer Teddy Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra, “The American Project,” recently won Wang her first Grammy (after four previous nominations), and she and Abrams will reunite for this weekend’s Minnesota Orchestra concerts. It’s built around music of two Sergeis: She solos on Prokofiev’s First Piano Concerto and he conducts Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony, as well as a work by contemporary American composer Caroline Shaw. (8 p.m. Fri. and 7 p.m. Sat. Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $60-$120, minnesotaorchestra.org)

4. The Belfast Cowboys: Formed for a Van Morrison tribute on St. Patrick’s Day at the 400 Bar way back in 2002, this horn-laced Twin Cities rock ‘n’ roll big band isn’t just a local institution, it’s about to go international. Terry Walsh and his lads are headed to their namesake city in Northern Ireland for their first-ever performance there. They’re hosting this “Belfast Bon Voyage” party as a sendoff. In keeping with the members’ noble work in the offshoot band St. Dominic’s Trio — which raises money every Tuesday night at the Driftwood Char-Bar for Foothold Twin Cities — their gig over there is a fundraiser for the Women’s Aid Federation of Northern Ireland. So consider this one a fundraiser to help cover their travel expenses. (7:30 p.m. the Hook & Ladder, 3010 Minnehaha Av. S., Mpls., $20, thehookmpls.com)

Also: Prolific Brazilian jazz guitarist Diego Figueiredo has released 28 albums, including last year’s “My World” (7:30 p.m. Crooners, $30-$40); jazz guitar savant Stanley Jordan plays one last solo gig before heading out in his new Grateful Dead tribute band (7 p.m. the Dakota, $30-$40); Gen-X alterna-musicologist Jake Rudh celebrates the 23rd anniversary of his Transmission dance parties (9 p.m. First Ave, $20-$25); tinges of Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes echo through British Columbia-reared folk-rock trio Loving (9 p.m. Turf Club, $20); Triganol is a new Twin Cities jazz trio with the notable lineup of Anthony Cox, Douglas Ewart and Davu Seru, with guest vocalist Sarah M. Greer (8 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, $23-$28); BluLuna is a new jazz quartet spearheaded by ace Twin Cities guitarist Dean Magraw and pianist Rick Carlson (6:30 p.m. Crooners , $20-$30); backed by a string quartet, Five for Fighting will explore old favorites “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” and “The Riddle” as well as the brand new “OK” (8 p.m. Uptown Theater, $64.50-$300); groovy Twin Cities indie-pop quintet Early Eyes just dropped a new tune to follow up its 2022 debut LP for Epitaph Records (8:30 p.m. Fine Line, $18-$22).

5. Pam Tillis: Like Lorrie Morgan, her duet partner for two albums in the ‘10s, Tillis is a country-music scion who had a string of hits back in the day. For Tillis, daughter of Country Music Hall of Famer Mel Tillis, it was a 1990s run of “Maybe It Was Memphis,” “Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)” and “All the Good Ones Are Gone.” The Grammy winner’s latest, 2020′s “Looking for a Feeling,” has a smoky soulfullness mixed with an understated twang. Highlights: a honky-tonk treatment of Gillian Welch’s “Dark Turn of Mind” and the pedal steel guitar-kissed heartbreaker “The Scheme of Things.” (7 p.m. the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $65-$75, dakotacooks.com)

6. Bailen: This sibling indie-pop trio from New York City has earned strong support from the likes of Amos Lee, X Ambassadors and Waxahatchee/Bon Iver collaborator Brad Cook, the latter of whom produced their second album for Fantasy Records, “Tired Hearts.” With Julia Bailen out front leading the must-be-family harmonies alongside brothers Daniel and David, they offer up ultra-catchy, groovy but sophisticated pop reminiscent of Lucious and Haim. The album includes a bittersweet ode to playing Minnesota in winter in one of its standout tunes, “Here We Are Again.” California singer/songwriter Bel, aka Isabel Whelan, opens. (9 p.m. Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $25-$40, axs.com)

Also: Voices Unveiled is a group headed by Iranian composer/musician Ehsan Matoori and featuring vocalists Maliheh Moradi and Mina Deris, with lyrics translated on a screen behind the performers (7:30 p.m. Ordway, $32-$107); Milwaukee punk vet Dan Kubinski sings songs by his old band Die Kreuzen in the Crosses, topping a seven-band bill also featuring Critic Dummies and Moxen (6 p.m. Eagles Club #34 Minneapolis, $30); the best of Mick Sterling’s many Twin Cities tribute shows is Feeling Alright: The Music of Joe Cocker (7:30 p.m. Crooners, $30-$40); Twin Cities drummer/bandleader Abinnet Berhanu’s Ahndenet features his intoxicating blend of Ethiopian traditions and modern jazz (8 p.m. Icehouse, $25-$35).

7. The New Standards: The popular Twin Cities jazzy lounge trio is starting a new tradition. Chan Poling, John Munson and Steve Roehm offer their annual Holiday Show in early December and then there’s their “Preeners” shows, as in pre-New Year’s Eve two-nighter at the Dakota. Now the New Standards want to commence a spring tradition on Easter Sunday. The group, known for its imaginative interpretations of hits by Britney Spears, the Replacements and others, hasn’t come up with a catchy name yet, though we’d suggest Egg-istential with the New Standards. (4 and 7 p.m. the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $35-$45, dakotacooks.com)

Also: Singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, known for “I Kissed a Girl” and “Supermodel” from the 1995 soundtrack to “Clueless,” returns (7 p.m. Hook & Ladder, $25).

8. Peter Frampton: In 2019, the 1970s rock hero and underappreciated guitarist announced that he’d been diagnosed with inclusion body myositis, a degenerative muscular disease that prompted him to launch a farewell tour that was cut short by the pandemic. Despite the prognosis, Frampton is feeling OK and has come alive again on his Never Ever Say Never Tour of North America. A first-time nominee this year for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy winner will revisit “Show Me the Way” and “Do You Feel Like We Do” as well as classics associated with other artists. (7 p.m. State Theatre, 805 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $65-$125, ticketmaster.com

9. Anna Lapwood: At age 28, this English organist might be the world’s foremost ambassador for her instrument, with 690,000 followers for midnight recitals on TikTok that feature humor, amazing musicianship and a wild mix of repertoire. Expect that at two concerts, the first a free “Introduction to the Organ” geared toward kids, the second featuring music by everyone from J.S. Bach to Florence Price to film composer Hans Zimmer. A livestream of the latter will be available through April 7. (6 p.m. Mon. and 7 p.m. Tue. Northrop, 84 SE. Church St., Mpls., free-$30, northrop.umn.edu)

Also: Minneapolis guitar guru Jeremy Ylvisaker of the Suburbs and Alpha Consumer is curating the Monday jazz/improv series at Icehouse in April starting with a wild mix that includes Vapo Rub, Gabriel Rodreick, Anna Dolde and more (8 p.m., $20).

Versatile jazz guitarist John Scofield, a master of improvisation, will be joined by drummer Bill Stewart and bassist Vicente Archer (6:30 & 8:30 p.m. the Dakota, $30-$50); Quebec singer Myriam Gendron, who, on her debut album, set Dorothy Parker poems to music, lands in Minneapolis (7:30 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, $25-$30).

10. Erik Koskinen: It’s been a minute since we’ve seen one of Minnesota’s finest songwriters perform in the metro area, but he’ll end that with a weekly April residency at the Icehouse. Koskinen has been holed up in tiny Cleveland in southern Minnesota recording his new album, “Down Street/Love Avenue.” He did it pandemic style by cutting his parts in his home studio, sending tapes to musician friends, who added their parts. Mike Lewis lends some melancholy saxophone on “The Two of Us” and “Across the Midnight Scene.” The highlights are the Dylanesque shuffle “I Got You (To Get Me Through)” and the story song with a surprise ending “Bonner County” about a desperate woman who becomes a marijuana mule because she needs money for her dying Mother and starving kid. Koskinen will have a different guest each week; Martha Scanlan joins him to kick off the residency. (8 p.m., also April 10,17 and 24 Icehouse, 2528 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., $25-$35, icehousempls.com),

Also: On last year’s “Cup of Sugar,” Nashville bluegrass picker supreme Tim O’Brien sings about a bear, a fish, a grave digger and Walter Cronkite (7 p.m. the Dakota, $35-$45); Chicago woodwinds/drums improvisors Emily Beisel and Bill Harris pair up with locals Mystery House (7 p.m. Cloudland Theater, $12).

Classical music critic Rob Hubbard contributed to this column.