The Big Gigs for week of 9/7

HIP-HOP Maybe he just wants to party, or he's out to prove he can still throw down as well as all the younger rappers copping his act. Either way, Slug no doubt had something special in mind when he booked Atmosphere's overdue hometown outdoor show on the very day of his 40th birthday. He and the band -- Ant on the decks, Nate Collis on guitar and Erick Anderson on keyboards -- did not get to play their usual closing slot at Soundset in May because of tornado and lightning warnings. Organizers are making extra room to accommodate a larger crowd, which will literally spill out into the street. The big gig kicks off their final stretch of tour dates behind last year's album "The Family Sign," on which the "God Loves Ugly" antihero seemed to find that beautiful things can come with middle age. Fellow indie-rap elder statesman I Self Devine opens. (6:30 p.m. Fri., Cabooze Plaza. All ages. Sold out.) Chris Riemenschneider

Although he'll be opening the rest of Atmosphere's fall tour, cult-revered Twin Town rapper Carnage -- aka Carnage the Executioner, for those who don't already know how well he slays 'em onstage -- is hosting the Cabooze gig's unofficial after-party just a block away to tout the release of another wild album, "Respect the Name." Tunes such as "Different/Dope Muth..." and the title track (produced by Medium Zach and featuring Carnage's Ill Chemistry mate Desdamona) demonstrate why he's a favorite among other rappers, while a couple of other tracks show off the beatboxing skills that fans eat up. The real-life Terrell Woods, who has one of the greatest rise-above stories of any rapper around, will be backed by an all-star live band for the show, which also features the Unknown Prophets, Meta, Wize Guyz and DJ X-Caliber. (10 p.m. Fri., Triple Rock. $8-$10.) Riemenschneider

POP/ROCKAgainst many odds, Stone Temple Pilots' reunion has stuck. The Southern Californian alt-rockers are back on the road, marking the 20th anniversary of their smash debut, "Core," which still gets a lot of rock-radio play today via the singles "Plush," "Sex Type Thing" and "Wicked Garden." They're playing some of the album alongside other hits and songs from their eponymous 2010 record. Too bad tickets aren't a little nearer to 1992 prices. Crash Kings open. (8 p.m. Fri., Myth. $52.50.) Riemenschneider

The last hurrah in Mears Park's bountiful summer music programming, Concrete and Grass Festival has a trimmed-down lineup that still pairs up many eclectic styles. Electro-looping instrumental wiz Dosh headlines Friday, preceded by blues/R&B standard bearers Willie Walker & the Butanes and Mississippi Peace (5-10 p.m.). Saturday, Gary Louris steps away from the Jayhawks for his first big solo gig in town in several years, preceded by jazz chanteuse Alicia Wiley's all-star band All Eyes, members of Minnesota Opera and the Cooper Street Brass Quintet (4-10 p.m.). All shows are free and all-ages. (221 E. 5th St., St. Paul, www.concreteandgrass.com.) Riemenschneider

For being one of the most prominent acts in town, Doomtree sure hasn't performed here much of late -- only once since last winter's Blowout gigs. The hip-hop collective finally returns to headline Summit Brewery's Backyard Bash, a parking-lot beer fest also featuring breakout indie-pop trio Now, Now, ambient rockers Halloween, Alaska, the eclectic folk-rock of Caroline Smith & the Good Night Sleeps and ex-Alarmist singer Eric Lovold's new band the Heartbeats. (11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. Summit Brewery, 910 Montreal Circle, St. Paul. 21 & older. $14-$20.) Riemenschneider

Adding buoyancy to what undoubtedly will be an already bouncy Ultimate X Girls contest -- doubly dubbed the "Premature Election Party" -- 93X is bringing in a national-level band to headline, Chicagoan alt-metal trio Chevelle. Local heavy hitters Throw the Fight open. (8 p.m. Fri., First Avenue. $26.50-$36.50.) Riemenschneider

Joan Osborne may be best known for the quirky, God-imagining 1995 hit "One of Us." But if you saw her singing with the Funk Brothers in the movie "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" or heard her new album "Bring It on Home," you know that this Kentucky-reared woman has a way with blues and R&B. On her third (and best) album of vintage blues and soul covers, she sounds sassy, smokey and deliciously soulful. She can handle the nuances of the slow, smoldering "Broken Wing," the shouting fervor of the roadhouse boogie of "Roll Like a Big Wheel" and the down and dirty blues of "Shake Your Hips." (7 p.m. Thu.-next Fri. Dakota, $40-$45.) Jon Bream

Sleater-Kinney's former singer/guitarist has turned up the volume and the social commentary again with her namesake Corin Tucker Band. Their new album, "Kill My Blues" (out Sept. 18), eschews the more personal tone of her 2010 solo album for more of what her fans know and love, but with a little less roar and a little more groove. They kick off their tour in Minneapolis. (9 p.m. Thu., 7th Street Entry. $12.) Riemenschneider

COUNTRYFlorida-reared Easton Corbin sounded pretty traditional on his 2010 debut album "A Little More Country Than That," which sent two singles -- the title track and "Roll With It" -- to No. 1 on the Nashville charts. The George Strait sound-alike is set to drop his second album, "All Over the Road," on Sept. 18. So we'll likely get a preview, including the single "Lovin' You Is Fun," a dance hall two-stepper. (9 p.m. Fri., Mill City Nights, $30-$32.) Bream

FOLKNobody does blues-folk stream-of-consciousness melancholy better than Chris Smither, and his latest CD, "Hundred Dollar Valentine," is another thorn in his crown. The album is his first all-original effort in a 40-plus-year career, but it's hardly unfamiliar, especially when Smither reaches back to reprise his 1971 gem "I Feel the Same," which Bonnie Raitt first made famous. Initially a shy guy with no stage presence, Smither has turned into a great live performer known for self-deprecating stories, droll wit and excellent pacing, and he was always a pretty unique acoustic blues voice and savvy fingerpickin' guitarist. Jeff Ray & Hurricane Harold open. (8 p.m. Fri., Cedar Cultural Center, $20-$22.) Tom Surowicz

JAZZA frequent visitor to the Twin Cities, Wisconsin-based pianist, singer and songwriter Ben Sidran has a special program on tap for his latest stop: "Jews, Music and the American Dream" (which is also the subtitle of Sidran's latest book, "There Was a Fire"). From Gershwin and Berlin to Diamond and Dylan, there's enough material to mine for a month's worth of shows. And since Sidran's last CD was 2009's "Dylan Different," the homeboy from Hibbing is sure to be duly covered -- in a jazz way, of course. (7 p.m. Sun., Dakota Jazz Club, $30.) Surowicz

Funky electric bassist Marcus Miller is back with a new CD, "Renaissance," that again straddles the jazz/ R&B / smooth-jazz fence, as the two-time Grammy winner and collaborator with Miles Davis and Luther Vandross has done so often in his prolific career. It's high-grade contemporary jazz, or modern fusion, unlikely to please purists but often striking and frequently radio-friendly. The brand-new release features diverse guest stars -- including Ruben Blades, a street-rappin' Dr. John (on a tres hip remake of Janelle Monae's "Tightrope") and acclaimed young singer Gretchen Parlato -- and diverse cover tunes, notably Ivan Lins' Brazilian wedding song "Setembro," War's "Slipping Into Darkness" and the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There," which works well as a bass solo. Some hot young horn players get a chance to blow (Sean Jones, Alex Han, Maurice Brown), and there are enough virtuosic Fender bass licks for a month of clinics. Miller even plays lovely bass clarinet on "Goree." A big mixed bag? Sure, but with highlights, strong grooves and very stylish filler, as you'd expect from Miller. (7 p.m. Tue.-Wed., Dakota Jazz Club, $30-$40.) Surowicz

WORLDA mainstay of the band Väsen, Olov Johansson should be familiar to Twin Cities global-roots fans as the "first world champion" of the nyckelharpa, that odd yet entrancing traditional keyed fiddle of Sweden. Lately, he's been part of a sublime duet with Scottish harpist Catriona McKay, touring in support of a spirited and lovely album with a funny name, "Foogy." (7:30 p.m. Sun., Cedar Cultural Center, $18-$20.) Surowicz

Since Antibalas released its last album in 2007, the 14-year-old Brooklyn Afrobeat crew became the house band for the Broadway musical "Fela!" and signed with Daptone Records, the hip home of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. "Antibalas," released last month, is another Afrobeat explosion that emphasizes songs, not just grooves, that become extended dance numbers. Credit producer Gabriel Roth (aka Bosco Mann of the Dap-Kings) for shaping this record; he actually was a member of Antibalas for its first three albums (this is their fifth). Malamanya opens. (8:30 p.m. Tue., First Avenue, $18-$20.) Bream

CLASSICALRose Ensemble launches its 17th season with a community event for all ages. The ensemble will perform selections from America's history, including hymns and traditional folk music, along with highlights from its Hawaiian program. There will also be an opportunity to try the antique instruments, a kids' competition to see how high and low the voice can go, and group hula lessons. Guest Dan Chouinard performs on piano and accordion. (3:30 p.m. Sun., Central Lutheran Church, 333 S. 12th St., Mpls. Free.) William Randall Beard