Twin Cities concerts of the week: Blake Shelton, Vince Staples, Bob Weir, Michael Bublé

The big gigs for March 15-21, also including the Subdudes, Dan Wilson, Ike Reilly and a "Sgt. Pepper's" tribute.

Ike Reilly kicks off St. Patty's weekend at the Dubliner Pub in St. Paul on Friday night.
Ike Reilly kicks off St. Patty's weekend at the Dubliner Pub in St. Paul on Friday night. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Ike Reilly Assassination: Too big and dangerous to perform inside the Dubliner, the locally beloved, Irish-blooded Illinois rocker and his fiery band will perform under a tent to kick off St. Patty's Day weekend at one of St. Paul's best-loved Irish bars, a special party put together by Summit Brewing. Reilly is also touting a wily new record, "Crooked Love." A true Irishman, rising Killarney folk-rocker Brendan O'Shea, will open the show along with house regulars Langer's Ball. (8 p.m. Fri., Dubliner Pub, 2162 University Av. W., St. Paul, $20, thedublinerpub.com.)

Blake Shelton: NBC's "The Voice" — and his romance with Gwen Stefani — elevated the country star to tabloid celebrity status. But he's more than the kind of fun-loving Oklahoma dude you'd love to have a beer with. He continues to churn out sprightly country ditties with homespun values. How can women resist a proposal like "I'll Name the Dogs," his late 2017 hit? Or its winning follow-up, "I Lived It," a lovingly nostalgic look back on how he was raised? With "American Idol" runnerup Lauren Alaina and country vets John Anderson, the Bellamy Brothers and Trace Adkins. (7 p.m. Fri., Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul. $26 and up)

Harmonica Blow Off: It should be a bluesy blast as various harmonica players take to the stage. Look for San Francisco's Big Harp George, a former law professor and master of the chromatic harp who writes smart blues songs with contemporary and relevant lyrics. (6 p.m. Fri. Wilebski's)

The Subdudes: Twin Cities favorites in the 1990s and the '00s, this New Orleans-rooted, Colorado-based crew is known for its eclectic but soulful Americana gumbo. After reuniting in 2014, they dropped a new disc, "4 on the Floor," in 2016. Tommy Malone, John Magnie and company have down-shifted, favoring an acoustic campfire vibe, with brotherly harmonies and an organic jangle. (7 p.m. Sat.-Sun., Dakota, Mpls., $40-$60, dakotacooks.com)

Shabby Road Orchestra: This newish Beatles cover band features a lot of not-so-newish staples of the Twin Cities music scene, including the Honeydogs' Adam Levy, First Ave's Bowie tribute leader John Eller, auxiliary Semisonic and New Standards member Ken Chastain, superproducer John Fields, singer Joe Carey, members of the Laurel Strings Quartet and others. They're going to play the "Sgt. Pepper's" album in full at this show, and more. (8 p.m. Fri., Parkway Theater, 4812 Chicago Av. S., Mpls., $18-$22.)

Dan Wilson: Gearing up for a more active year with his band Semisonic, the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter is back home for another intimate "three-ring binder" show, in which he takes requests from throughout his 25-year career; sometimes with help from his personal guidebook. (9 p.m. Fri., Icehouse, sold out.)

Building Bridges With Music 2019: This annual benefit with St. John's Episcopal Church for a village in Guatemala had to be rescheduled due to bad weather, and in the interim it picked up folk-blues hero Charlie Parr to replace Frankie Lee as headliner. Molly Maher and old-school twangmeisters Trailer Trash also perform. (5-7 p.m. Sat., Lee's Liquor Lounge, $20-$25.)

Vince Staples: Blending the always-sunny vibes of his hometown of Long Beach, Calif., with the grit of old-school Los Angeles hip-hop, this humorous but topical rapper takes an interesting turn into concept-album territory on his third effort, a radio-themed collection titled "FM." He's yet to land much radio play himself, but Staples is also known from everything from a Sprite commercial to an appearance at Gorillaz's last album. Live performances are arguably where he's made his biggest mark. (9 p.m. Sat., Palace Theatre, 17 7th Place W., St. Paul, $33-$35, eTix.com.)

Connie Evingson: One of the Twin Cities finest jazz stylists celebrates 10 years of her Jazz at the Jungle series. Her versatile repertoire will cover the Beatles, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington and Antonio Carlos Jobim, among others. She'll be accompanied by saxophonist Dave Karr, bassist Gordy Johnson and pianist Jon Weber. (4 p.m. Sun. Jungle Theatre, $30)

Average White Band: Best known for the mid-'70s instrumental hits "Pick Up the Pieces" and "Cut the Cake," this veteran Scottish jazz/rock/soul ensemble still boasts original members Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre. If you don't think that AWB's pre-disco party music was cool, then check out how its sounds were sampled by the likes of Ice Cube, Beasties Boys, Nas, A Tribe Called Quest and other hip-hop stars. (7 & 9 p.m. Mon.-Tue., Dakota, $25-$50)

Michael Bublé: The Canadian crooner took a pause three years ago when his then-3-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. But Bublé bounced back last year with his eighth major-label album, "Love," with longtime producer David Foster. The singer offers orchestral and big-band treatments of romantic standards plus a couple of new originals, one cowritten by pop star Charlie Puth. The album's highlight is a gorgeously understated duet with Grammy-winning jazz star Cécile McLorin Salvant on "La Vie en Rose." (8 p.m. Mon., Xcel Energy Center, $65 and up)

The Songs of Grant Hart: Some of the Hüsker Dü co-leader and local scene figurehead's many friends and fans will revisit his songs and raise money for the Awesome Rocker Girls Foundation on what would have been his 58th birthday, including the Rank Strangers, Ryan and Pony of the Melismatics, Lori Barbero with Teenage Strangler, Outstanding Achievements in the Field of Excellence and more. (7 p.m. Mon., 7th St. Entry, $10-$12.)

Bob Weir and Wolf Bros: The Dead guitarist/singer is going the trio route, with upright bassist Don Was and Ratdog drummer Jay Lane, doing improvisational explorations of tunes by the Dead, Ratdog, Dylan and others. Jam on. (7 p.m. Tue. the Palace, $60-$289)

Felix Cavaliere: To some, the Rascals were blue-eyed soul. Let's just call "Groovin'," "Lonely Too Long" and "Good Lovin' " gems from the 1960s soundtrack. The Rascals keyboardist and co-lead singer, Cavaliere also toured with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band and Joey Dee and the Starliters. (7 & 9 p.m. Wed.-Thu. the Dakota, $30-$50)

Children of Bodom: How about some classic Finnish death-metal to cheer us up during this unusually gloomy Minnesota winter? Guitar hero Alexi Laiho and his enduring band will be joined by fellow countrymen Swallow the Sun and Wolfheart, the latter of whom's new album for Napalm Records is garnering a good buzz in underground metal. Spanish band Hollow Cry opens. (6:30 p.m. Wed., Skyway Theatre, $28.)

Tori Kelly: After scoring a Grammy nomination for best new artist for her 2015 debut album "Unbreakable Smile," the pop-soul singer switched lanes. Her sophomore effort, 2018's "Hiding Place," is an unabashed contemporary Christian record. The 26-year-old Californian, who impressed with the 2015 hit "Should've Been Us" and in concert at a Prince memorial show in St. Paul in 2016, still showcases an alluring pop voice with R&B instincts. Produced by Kirk Franklin, the project earned Kelly two Grammys in gospel categories. For her current tour, she has opted for an acoustic presentation. (8 p.m. Thu. Palace Theatre, $35-$160).

Sam Cassidy: The locally reputable Americana singer/songwriter and his fiery band return from a quiet spell with an ambitious sophomore album, "Running Blind," one of the best Minnesota releases of the year so far. Richly produced by guitar-wiz Jacob Hanson, the record follows the stories of various characters wrapped up in a robbery gone awry. The music itself is also nicely wrapped in traces of Tom Petty and My Morning Jacket. Kiss the Tiger and Under Violet open the release party. (8 p.m. Thu., Turf Club, $10-$12.)

Musician Vince Staples. Provided by Def Jam Recordings
Musician Vince Staples. Provided by Def Jam Recordings (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writers

about the writers

Jon Bream

Critic / Reporter

Jon Bream has been a music critic at the Star Tribune since 1975, making him the longest tenured pop critic at a U.S. daily newspaper. He has attended more than 8,000 concerts and written four books (on Prince, Led Zeppelin, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan). Thus far, he has ignored readers’ suggestions that he take a music-appreciation class.

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Chris Riemenschneider

Critic / Reporter

Chris Riemenschneider has been covering the Twin Cities music scene since 2001, long enough for Prince to shout him out during "Play That Funky Music (White Boy)." The St. Paul native authored the book "First Avenue: Minnesota's Mainroom" and previously worked as a music critic at the Austin American-Statesman in Texas.

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