Thursday, Aug. 17
1. St. Paul & the Broken Bones: Ain't no party like a St. Paul party. Powerhouse soul-man and showman Paul Janeway and his large, funky, Alabama-based ensemble have been dazzling local crowds for a decade with their retro, Stax-stacked sounds. Their new album, "Angels in Science Fiction," is a love letter of sorts to Janeway's new daughter and tries a little more tenderness and neo-soul slow-jamming. Their appearance in the well-received Sparkyard Sound outdoor concert series is a warm-up gig to a full tour behind the new LP. Bluesy Chicago singer Elizabeth Moen and local R&B belter Jaedyn James open. (6 p.m. Bauhaus Brew Labs, 1315 Tyler St. NE, Mpls., $45-$135, etix.com)
2. Daryl Hall and Todd Rundgren: These Rock & Roll Hall of Famers from Philadelphia love to collaborate. Rundgren produced Hall & Oates back in the day ("War Babies" in 1974). And these two vets began touring together last year when they rocked the State Theatre. Hall offers material from his solo albums plus a few H&O favorites. Rundgren delves into his solo catalog as well as some R&B classics. And they encore together, collaborating on each other's tunes as well as a Philly soul classic. (7 p.m. Mystic Lake Casino showroom, 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd. NW, Prior Lake, $90 and up, ticketmaster.com)
3. The Jayhawks: For the second time in three summers, Minnesota's alt-twang-cum-folk-rock band is meeting up for a special outdoor show at Minneapolis' most scenic outdoor venue, one sponsored by a dentistry office in the neighborhood. Brings new meaning to the lyric, "Smile when you're down and out." Frontman Gary Louris and his crew of "Blue" and "Waiting for the Sun" fame have been steadily gigging since the pandemic ended with lots of welcome recent fare included in their setlists. (7:30 p.m. Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W. Lake Harriet Pkwy., Mpls., free.)
4. A Musical Field Guide to Minnesota Wildflowers: Twin Cities composer Jonathan Posthuma has created a work for winds that will be premiered at three local concerts featuring a variety of combinations of two woodwind trios, Texas' Plumeria Winds and Minnesota's Reed⁵. On display at each concert will be KT Thompson's watercolor paintings inspired by the piece. The Friday concert also features new works by Samantha Hogan, Elizabeth King and Jared Steven Coffin. (7 p.m. Studio Z, 275 E. 4th St., St. Paul, also 7 p.m. Fri. Zion Lutheran Church, 1697 Lafond Av., St. Paul, 11 a.m. Sun. White Bear Center for the Arts, 4971 Long Av., White Bear Lake, free-$20, https://www.facebook.com/events/252792167579440/)
Also: Part-time Jayhawk Kraig Johnson won't make that Minneapolis gig because his now-full-time-again band Run Westy Run is headlining the Lowertown Sounds series in St. Paul with Doug Collins & the Receptionists (6-9:30 p.m. Mears Park, free); Dallas alt-country darlings the Old 97's of "Barrier Reef" fame are celebrating their 30th anniversary on tour this year (8 p.m. Fine Line, $25-$45); it's "New Wave Night" in the zoo's Wild Nights series, bringing back Twin Cities-reared electro-pop pioneers Information Society of "What's on Your Mind" fame, plus the tribute band Mallrats, DJ Jake Rudh and more (6-10 p.m., Minnesota Zoo, $30-$40).
Friday, Aug. 18
The Doobie Brothers are back in Minnesota for a third consecutive year in a different venue, but this time without singer-guitarist Tom Johnston, who is sidelined after back surgery (8 p.m. Ledge Amphitheater, Waite Park, $59.50 and up); Adi Yeshaya Big Band, led by its namesake Twin Cities pianist, composer and arranger extraordinaire, will have a 30-year reunion and feature vocalist Jennifer Grimm (7:30 p.m. Crooners, $25-$35); Twin Cities all-world bassist Billy Peterson showcases another next generation Peterson, his piano-playing son, Will Oliver (6:30 p.m. Dunsmore Room at Crooners, $25-$35); Los Angeles' rhythmically punchy and high-wired indie-pop band Local Natives return to the Mainroom (9 p.m. First Avenue, $35); family R&B band Nunnabove perform for the Star Tribune's Music & Movies series before a screening of the live-action "Mulan" (7:30 p.m. Lake Harriet Bandshell, free); Munson-Hicks Party Supplies features Semisonic's John Munson singing Dylan Hicks' artful, novella-like songs, with openers Aby Wolf and Faith Boblett (7 p.m. the Dakota, $25-$30); local Celtic rock institution Boiled in Lead is playing a special outdoor summer gig with klezmer-led act Bella's Bartok (6-10 p.m, Palmer's Bar, $25).
Saturday, Aug. 19
5. Jason Aldean: Cancel culture seems to backfire when it comes to country music. After CMT dropped Jason Aldean's controversial pro-gun video for "Try That in a Small Town," fans rallied behind him and consumed the song so many times that it not only shot to No. 1 on country charts but also on the pop list. For one week, Aldean was hotter than Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen. The "My Kinda Party" hitmaker now has two-dozen No. 1 Nashville songs, dating back to "Why" in 2005. With special guests Mitchell Tenpenny, Corey Kent and Dee Jay Silver. (7 p.m. Treasure Island Casino amphitheater, 5734 Sturgeon Lake Rd., Welch, $45 and up, ticketmaster.com)
6. Sylvan Esso: After performing at Lollapalooza and Hinterland last weekend in Midwest cities cool enough to host big music festivals, the North Carolina-based electro-pop duo with Wisconsin ties is circling back our way for their largest local headlining show to date. Ex-Mountain Man singer Amelia Meath and her loopy producer, bandmate and husband Nick Sanborn sound happily wed to sonic experimentation and madcap beats on last year's album, "No Rules, Sandy," adding some wild, new touches to their ultra-charming live shows. Fellow N.C. musician Indigo Suiza opens. (8 p.m. the Armory, 500 S. 6th St., Mpls., all ages, $40-$148, ticketmaster.com)