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

1. The Cure: They've only come to town one other time this century (in 2016), so Robert Smith and his elegantly gloomy pop troupe seem intent on making it count. The British brooders of "Just Like Heaven" and "Friday I'm in Love" fame have been playing more than 2½-hour sets on their U.S. tour. Set lists have been stacked with fan favorites, too, including cool deep cuts off their '80s and '90s LPs, plus a few tunes from a long-awaited new album. Kindred Scottish band the Twilight Sad opens. (7:30 p.m. Xcel Energy Center, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, resale tickets only, ticketmaster.com)

Also: Paisley Park's Celebration 2023 honoring Prince features Twin Cities-centric performances by Stokley and Sounds of Blackness as well as NPG veteran Shelby J and interviews with Chaka Khan and Chuck D (today through Sun. Paisley Park, $572, $289 for single day); the second week of St. Paul's popular Lowertown Sounds series features harmonious Americana trio Turn Turn Turn, featuring songwriters Adam Levy, Savannah Smith and Barb Brynstad, with openers the Danger Pins (6-9:30 p.m., Mears Park, free); Michigan pop star Quinn XCII, who scored the viral hit "Too Late" with AJR, graduates to the Armory with opener Julia Wolf (7:30 p.m., all ages, $48); South Dakota-reared Native American blues-rock family band Indigenous is back for the Under the Canopy series (7 p.m. Hook & Ladder, $20-$35); fuzzed-out indie-rock mainstays Waaves and Cloud Nothings have paired for a noisy twofer tour (8 p.m. Fine Line, $24-$39); Twin Cities singer-songwriter Rebecca Aadland will celebrate her new album "Stronger Broken," which she finished the day her husband tragically died of cardiac arrest (7 p.m. Crooners, $25-$35); in honor of National Accordion Awareness Month (who knew?), Dan "Daddy Squeeze" Newton has enlisted four other accordionists, Patrick Harison, Dan Chouinard, Elizabeth Rowan and Calvaliegh Rasmussen, for Accordion-O-Rama in the Belvedere tent (7 p.m. Crooners, $25-$35); local neo-soul innovator MMYYKK will show off his stylish sounds at the Dakota (7 p.m., $25-$30).

2. St. Paul Chamber Orchestra: Celebrated Hungarian conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy will help the SPCO cap its season with the world premiere of Geoffrey Gordon's arrangement of Claude Debussy's "Premiére Rhapsodie" (with clarinetist Sang Yoon Kim soloing), Edvard Grieg's Quartet for String Orchestra, and Beethoven's ultimate summer vacation in music, the "Pastoral" Symphony. Friday night's concert will be not only livestreamed online, but also across the street on the big screen in Rice Park. (11 a.m. and 8 p.m., also 8 p.m. Sat. Ordway Concert Hall, 345 Washington St., St. Paul, $12-$50, kids and students free, thespco.org)

3. Barenaked Ladies, Semisonic & Del Amitri: This '90s nostalgia outing might be the feel-good package tour of the summer, especially in Minnesota with the homegrown love for the middle-slot band. It's also a good chance to enjoy two of Minnesota's best concert amphitheaters, the kind sorely lacking (for now) within the Twin Cities. "One Week" hitmakers BNL have been carrying on without co-leader Steven Page since 2009 and headline both shows. Scottish pop-rockers Del Amitri of "Roll to Me" fame have also maintained a cultish following. Semisonic is dropping in new songs alongside "Closing Time" and other old faves for its first full tour in 20 years. (7 p.m. the Ledge Amphitheater, Waite Park, $32-$148; also 7 p.m. Sat., Vetter Stone Amphitheater, Mankato, $43-$250)

Also: Illenium, the Illinois-bred DJ/producer known for his hit dance-floor collabs with Jon Bellion and the Chainsmokers, will be hyping his new single, "Eyes Wide Shut" (featuring Avril Lavigne and Travis Barker) during a newly expanded three-night Minneapolis engagement (9 p.m. Fri.-Sun. the Armory, $57 and up); the Blind Boys of Alabama, a vocal group that started in 1939, return with ageless Jimmy Carter leading them through their gospel-soul repertoire (7 p.m. the Dakota, $60-$75); Oregonian sister trio Joseph's gorgeous harmonies should sound better than ever in the ornate Fitz touting their third album, "The Sun" (7 p.m. Fitzgerald Theater, $22.50-$42.50); nice guy peacenik Michael Franti & Spearhead lives up to his reputation on recent singles "Work Hard and Be Nice" and "Good Day for a Good Day" (7 p.m. Utepils Brewing, $42-$125); three popular Twin Cities bands that are back from hiatuses, the Alarmists, Farewell Milwaukee and Two Harbors, team up for Under the Canopy (7 p.m. Hook & Ladder, $16-$20.

4. Uptown Theater Kickoff Party: After a major expansion and overhaul from the same company that successfully rebirthed the Armory in downtown Minneapolis, the historic movie theater at the heart of the fluctuating Uptown district will reopen its doors as a two-floor, 2,500-capacity concert venue with Live Nation ties. Local nice-guy pop-rockers Yam Haus have been tapped for a fun, affordable, teen-friendly opening night, fresh from a long spring tour with Twin Cities music scion Isaac Levy as their new guitarist. Landon Conrath opens. (7:30 p.m., 2900 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., 15 & older, $5, ticketmaster.com)

5. One Voice Mixed Chorus: For a concert called "ONEarth," the Twin Cities' foremost LGBTQ+ choir pays homage to nature while surrounded by the turbulent brown waters of the Mississippi River. Raspberry Island is the setting for a concert led by One Voice's new interim director, J. David Moore, that features large-scale puppets and an eclectic collection of music that celebrates the earth and those who work to protect it. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. (7 p.m., also 3 p.m. Sun. Raspberry Island, Harriet Island Road near East Water Street, St. Paul, free-$50; onevoicemn.org)

Also: The thrice-postponed Matchbox Twenty concert is finally happening with singer Rob Thomas revisiting "3 A.M." and "Unwell" (7 p.m. Treasure Island Casino amphitheater, $26.50-$105); stepping outside their usual run at the Dakota, the Bad Plus, now featuring guitarist Ben Monder and saxophonist Chris Speed, join a cool guitar-oriented program with Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog and Duluth hero Alan Sparhawk (7:30 p.m. First Avenue, $30-$35); the Lao Tizer Band features its namesake on keyboards and compositions as well as Grammy-winning saxophonist Eric Marienthal, drummer Joel Rosenblatt, bassist Anthony Crawford and vocalist Elliott Yamin of "American Idol" (7 p.m. the Dakota, $30-$50).

After playing Grand Old Days last weekend with his band the Jayhawks, Gary Louris is sticking around for the first solo gig in his former hometown since before the pandemic, where you hear more of his Anglophile, folk and pop-rock influences (7:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, $30-$50); the Rumble is a new New Orleans funk/second-line group inspired by Mardi Gras Indian traditions and led by Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. and some of his bandmates in the Grammy-nominated Cha Wa (7 p.m. the Dakota, $30-$35); the Say Gay All Day Pride Cabaret will feature an all-star Twin Cities cast including Lori Dokken, Dennis Spears, Dan Chouinard, Judi Vinar and Erin Schwab (4 p.m. Crooners, $30-$40).

6. Bebe Rexha: A queen of collabs, she is known for her hits with Florida Georgia Line, G-Eazy and Martin Garrix. On this year's effervescently retro, dance-happy "Bebe," her third solo album, the New York pop singer has teamed up with Dolly Parton, Snoop Dogg and David Guetta, a frequent collaborator. The Guetta cut, "I'm Good (Blue)," their sixth effort together, blew up in dance clubs and on the radio by interpolating the 1998 single "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by the Italian group Eiffel 65. (7:30 p.m. Fillmore Minneapolis, 525 N. 5th St., Mpls., $37 and up, ticketmaster.com)

Also: Long after she came out from under father Loudon's and brother Rufus' shadows, Martha Wainwright has maintained her own faithful following via the kind of heart-piercing, window-rattling ballads heard on her last album, "Love Will Be Reborn" (7 p.m. the Dakota, $30-$35); innovative Austin, Texas, song looper Bayonne is out touting his third album, "Temporary Time" (8 p.m. 7th St. Entry, $15-$18).

7. Meshell Ndegeocello: Next week, the veteran bassist/singer/composer will release "The Omnichord Real Book," a follow-up to 2018's "Ventriloquism," her covers collection that had plenty of Prince and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis pieces. A preview of the ambitious new record finds the adventurous music maker working with an Omnichord, an electronic instrument that sounds like a chiming harp, and contemplating soul-searching topics like the African diaspora and spiritual rebirth. The jazzy record, Ndegeocello's first for Blue Note, features many guests, including harpist Brandee Younger, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and keyboardist Jason Moran. (6:30 & 8:30 p.m., also Wed., the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $50-$65, dakotacooks.com)

8. Rodrigo y Gabriela: As a follow-up to 2019's Grammy-winning "Mettavolution," the Mexican acoustic guitar duo delivered "In Between Thoughts ... a New World" this spring with plenty of new wrinkles. Not only has the pair added some synth sounds but Rodrigo is playing mostly electric lead guitar (surf, blues-rock, funk, spaghetti Western, etc.) and the Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra provides strings and percussion on these very cinematic selections. How this will impact Rodrigo y Gabriela in concert remains to be seen but recent set lists are heavy on material from the new album. (8 p.m. Fitzgerald Theater, 10 East Exchange St., St. Paul, $39.50 and up, axs.com)

9. Weezer and Modest Mouse: Nerd-rock king Rivers Cuomo and his sunny Los Angeles pop-rock crew are billing their 30-city summer trek as the "Indie Rock Road Trip," the gist of which seems to be they're playing smaller than usual venues with cooler bands for support. Case in point: "Float On" hitmakers Modest Mouse, who've rebounded as a live act of late (Spoon and Future Islands are on tap elsewhere). Weezer's set lists look to be more playful than at other recent shows, too. L.A. kid-rockers Momma open. (7 p.m. the Armory, 500 S. 6th St., Mpls., $73, ticketmaster.com)

Also: Vermont rocker Grace Potter kicks off the Sparkyard Sound Series outdoors at Bauhaus Brew Labs ahead of her fifth album, "Mother Road," due in August (7 p.m. Bauhaus Brew, $45); second-gen Texas storyteller and guitar ace James McMurtry, who recently performed in drag in Tennessee to protest new laws there, always lays down the law when he hits the Turf Club (8 p.m., $25); snarky punk quartet Surly Grrly's "It Smells Queer in Here" June residency run continues with Virginia's Basement, Identity Crisis and Wing Beaver (9 p.m. Mortimer's, $7).

10. Tyler Childers: Like his pal and fan Zach Bryan, the Kentucky-bred alt-twang/bluegrass singer has tapped into a younger, TikTok-armed generation of music fans tired of the trite bro-country sounds churning out of Nashville. His spike in popularity has made this one of the hottest tickets of summer, after a steady ascent that started with 2017's Sturgill Simpson-produced album "Purgatory" and culminated locally with two thrilling First Ave shows in 2019. His new record, "Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?," features three different versions of each song. Marcus King opens promoting his new Dan Auerbach-produced LP. (7 p.m. the Armory, 500 S. 6^th St., Mpls., resale tickets only, armorymn.com)

Also: Colorful, punky New York folkie Hamell on Trial, who's recorded for Ani DiFranco's Righteous Babe label, returns to his regular Minneapolis stop (7:30 p.m. Hook & Ladder Theater, $10-$15); Twin Cities ska groovers the Prizefighters celebrate the release of their topical yet positive new album, "Punch Up," with openers Lumpy and Loser Magnet (7:30 p.m. Turf Club, $15).