The big gigs: 10 concerts to see in the Twin Cities this week

St. Patrick's Day parties: Punky pub-rock vets the Tim Malloys head up the Great Irish Sleepover, which — gulp! — continues through Saturday (7 p.m.-midnight, Kip's Irish Pub, Minneapolis Marriot West, 9960 Wayzata Blvd.). U2 tribute band Rattle and Hum tops the Kieran's Pub party with the Brian Boru Pipe Band and more (3-11 p.m., 85 6^th St. N., Mpls.). The Dubliner has a full day of more traditional Irish fare, including Two Broke Blokes and Gus the Bard (10 a.m.-midnight, 2162 University Av. W., St. Paul, free). Morrissey's welcomes Erin Rogue, the Serfs and more (1-9 p.m., 913 W. Lake St., Mpls.). Celtic band Irish Diplomacy plays every Thursday at Finnegan's (6 p.m., 817 5^th Av. S., Mpls., free). Another fun brewery bash takes place in St. Paul with An Luan and McNordiques (5 p.m., Waldmann Brewery, 445 Smith Av. N.).

Vänskä conducts Mahler: Gustav Mahler's Ninth Symphony may be the quintessential piece of art ever created about dying. Not death, but dying. Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra are preparing to record a work that conductors concur is among a handful of history's greatest symphonies. But not before three performances next week that stand alongside January's Sibelius Festival as the destination concerts of Vänskä's final season as music director. The 90-minute Ninth is the lone work on the program. (11 a.m. March 17, 8 p.m. March 18-19, Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $30-$104, 612-371-5656 or minnesotaorchestra.org)

Also: "Heat Waves" hitmakers Glass Animals (7:30 p.m. Armory,$55-$60); Special EFX All-Stars featuring jazz guitarist Chieli Minucci (7 & 9 p.m. Dakota, $20-$40); New Standards vibraphonist Steve Roehm's Neighborhood Trio (6:30 p.m., Crooners, $15); Martin Devaney (8 p.m., White Squirrel Bar, free); Coma Twins with Nato Coles (10:30 p.m., Palmer's Bar, $10); the Scarlett Goodbye With Dan Murphy and Jeff Arundel (8 p.m., Aster Cafe, ); Naked Giants (8 p.m., 7th St. Entry, $15); Dimitri Rollis and New Primitives (8:30 p.m., Hook & Ladder, $8-$12).

Clairo: Fresh off selling out Radio City Music Hall, Claire "Clairo" Cottrill has become bedroom-pop's biggest act not named "Billie" ever since going YouTube-viral from the Boston suburbs at age 18 with her dour ditty "Pretty Girl" and the subsequent hit "Sofia." Now 23, she polished up nicely on her Jack Antonoff-produced second album "Sling," and has England's own home-generated star Arlo Parks as a must-see opener on tour. (8 p.m., the Fillmore, 525 N. 5^th St., Mpls., $70-plus resale tickets only, fillmoreminneapolis.com)

Sparks: Last seen in town in 2015 with younger disciples Franz Ferdinand as backers, electronic-rock pioneers Ron and Russell Mael's late-career revival continues to roll via two new movies: Edgar Wright's ultra-charming, Sundance-endorsed documentary about their peculiar five-decade career, "The Sparks Brothers," plus the Adam Driver-led Cannes-winning musical "Annette," which they scored. Their cultish fans are downright giddy about this rare tour that kicked off last week in San Francisco. (8 p.m., Fitzgerald Theatre, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul, $40, axs.com)

Also: Ike Reilly returns from Libertyville, Ill., touting his new LP "Because the Angels" (8:30 p.m. Turf Club, $22-$25); the New Standards jazzy interpretations of pop hits (7 & 9 p.m., also Sat. the Dakota, $30-$40); Randy Newman Songbook with Prudence Johnson and Dan Chouinard (6:30 p.m. Crooners, $25); friends of late Minnesota punk hero Grant Hart play a birthday tribute to him (8:30 p.m., 7th St. Entry, $15) while Hart's one-time collaborators Godspeed You! Black Emperor are next door (8 p.m., First Ave, $34); Flobots (9 p.m.,, Turf Club, $23);

Kronos Quartet: They've been late-night TV guests. They serenaded Big Bird on "Sesame Street." Now this adventurous San Francisco-based ensemble returns for a two-night stand at the Fitz, starting Saturday with "New Global Voices," featuring contemporary works from around the world. Then on Sunday it's "Old Friends," with music by modern composers including Terry Riley, Philip Glass, Afropop star Angelique Kidjo and Bryce Dessner of the National. (7:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun., Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul, $28-$48, first-avenue.com)

Also: Indie-rock vets Guided by Voices play a big "evening with" set in a smaller room (7:30 p.m., Fine Line, $40); Tallest Man on Earth (8 p.m. Palace Theatre, $40-$45); David Wilcox (8 p.m. Hopkins Center for the Arts, $20-$28); rapper Amine of "Caroline" fame (7 p.m. Fillmore, $32.50 and up); Twin Cities original prog-rockers Gypsy (8 p.m. the Medina, $28-$41); "Shout! Sister Shout" celebrates women's music with Lori Dokken, Joyann Parker and others (8 p.m. also Sun. Crooners, $35-$40).

Ethan Iverson Trio: Accompanied by legendary drummer Jack DeJohnette and bassist Larry Grenadier, the former Bad Plus pianist just released "Every Note Is True," an atypical jazz trio album. Mixing elements of pop, classical, jazz and blues into sort of a crossover collection, Iverson draws inspiration from such disparate forces as TV rom-com theme music and an award-winning children's mystery writer. This is not surprising from the relentlessly adventurous Wisconsin-reared, Brooklyn-based pianist, who has done everything from composing the score for Mark Morris Dance Group's Beatles-inspired "Pepperland" to writing jazz criticism for the New Yorker. Returning to a familiar spot in Minneapolis, Iverson will be accompanied by two local all-stars, bassist Anthony Cox and drummer Kevin Washington. (7 p.m. Dakota, $30-$35, dakotacooks.com)

Also: Arty U.K. rockers Alt-J with "Feel It Still" hitmakers Portugal. the Man opening (7 p.m. the Armory, $57 and up); powerful and animated Twin Cities singer/actor Thomasina Petrus (6 p.m. Crooners, $20); Jazz Age Rumpus celebrates pre-war traditional jazz with Southside Aces, Miss Myra & the Moonshiners, Spruce Top Duo and Rick Carlson (4 p.m. Hook and Ladder, $15-$20); Festival of Praise stars gospel stalwarts Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp and Hezekiah Walker (6 p.m. State Theatre, $22-$44).

Stacey Kent: The New York-born, London-based jazz thrush returns behind last year's "Songs from Other Places," her intimate voice-and-piano album with eloquent keyboardist Art Hirahara. With deft delicacy, she gracefully interprets tunes by Gershwin, Jobim and Weill as well as the Beatles' "Blackbird," Paul Simon's "American Tune" and Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide," which she treats as a tune of hope. (7 p.m. also 7 & 9 p.m. Tue. the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $25-$45, dakotacooks.com)

Also: Baltimore's psychedelic synth-pop wizards Animal Collective (8 p.m. First Avenue, $30); critics-darling Long Island indie-rocker Caroline Rose (8 p.m. Fine Line, $20-$35).

Tuesday, March 22

Elton John: The Rocket Man brings his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour to the Twin Cities for presumably a final time. His 2019 Target Center farewell show was heavy on 1970s material (his best era) and devoid of Disney tunes. After a pandemic interruption (Sir Elton himself had COVID in January), the piano man has added "Cold Heart," his clubby 2021 hit with Dua Lipa, to a set list that focuses on his early hits, with a couple of deep tracks. (8 p.m., also Wed., Xcel Energy Center, $69.50-$249.50, ticketmaster.com)

Also: Harmonizing Portland sister trio Joseph (7:30 p.m. Parkway, $32-$59); YouTube-generated Boston performer Poppy (8 p.m., First Ave, $25-$30).

Kingfish Ingram: The best young electric blues guitarist to emerge since Gary Clark Jr., the 23-year-old hails from the birthplace of the blues, Clarksdale, Miss. Ingram has a deep, forceful voice in the spirit of soul man Teddy Pendergrass and guitar chops to burn. He's recorded with Bootsy Collins, performed at the White House and shared stages with Buddy Guy, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Jason Isbell, among others. His sophomore album, the Grammy-nominated "662," is a major leap forward from his 2019 debut, "Kingfish." Filled with both fun and thoughtful pieces ("Another Life Goes By"), "662" (the area code in the upper Mississippi Delta) bodes well for Kingfish's overdue Twin Cities debut. (7:30 p.m. State Theatre, $25-$45, ticketmaster.com)

Bright Eyes: After partnering with Phoebe Bridgers as Better Oblivion Community Center in 2019, grand indie-rock emoter Conor Oberst went back to the band he started as a lonely 15-year-old in Omaha in 1995. He and old cronies Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott issued a well-received new album early in the pandemic, "Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was," and they are also revisiting early albums from a new reissue series on their first tour in a decade. (7:30 p.m. Wed., Palace Theatre, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul, $45-$75, axs.com)

Also: Gary Numan, driver of the New Wave classic "Cars" (8 p.m. First Ave, $25); the Brian McKnight Four led by the influential R&B singer/producer (7 & 9 p.m., also Thu., the Dakota, $50-$85); local punk throwbacks Low Rats' March residency gig (8 p.m., Mortimers, $7).