Critics’ picks: The 14 best things to do and see in the Twin Cities this week

For the second consecutive summer, Willie Nelson has guided his compelling triple bill to western Wisconsin. At 91, Willie was mesmerizing in May in Duluth and, though his set list pretty much remains the same, his sidemen don’t; sons Micah and Lukas are expected to be on board this time. In the penultimate slot on the Outlaw fest is Minnesota’s iconoclastic road warrior Bob Dylan, who is throwing in some covers (“Mr. Blue,” “Six Days on the Road,” “Little Queenie”) with his usual mix of more recent material and a couple of classics. Raspy-voiced heartland rocker John Mellencamp precedes his fellow Rock & Roll Hall of Famers. Some act has to open for these three American music treasures and that will be Memphis soul-blues band Southern Avenue. (5:15 p.m. Fri., Somerset Amphitheater, 495 Main St., Somerset, Wis., $63-$750, ticketmaster.com)

JON BREAM

Two older bands that paved the way for Weezer’s melodic but weird noise to get on the radio and MTV in the mid-’90s are now opening for the enduring Los Angeles hitmakers, and the Twin Cities has the 22-city tour’s kickoff night. Rivers Cuomo and his gang are playing Weezer’s self-titled debut, aka “The Blue Album,” in full on the trek to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Wayne Coyne’s Lips have been celebrating the 20th anniversary of their record “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” for about two years now. J Mascis’ “Freak Scene”-roaring band is the one still putting out solid albums, but we can probably expect oldies from them, too. (7 p.m. Wed., Xcel Energy Center, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, $60-$220, ticketmaster.com)

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

With the shamelessly formulaic but undeniably catchy summer megahit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” for his calling card, this Virginia-reared singer has one of the more curiously watched concert tours of the fall. He’s being churned out by the Nashville sausage-making machinery, but he’s also earning dance club, pop and hip-hop rotations thanks to various remixes of the song and other tracks such as “Drink Don’t Need No Mix,” featuring Texas rapper BigXthaPlug. Yep, the dude has a thing for drinking songs. Let’s see how well he goes down in this Twin Cities coming-out gig. (7:30 p.m. Mon., First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., resale tickets only, first-avenue.com)

C.R.

Jazz fans will know the stellar guitarist from his 1970s stint as a member of the Crusaders, later in the smooth jazz quartet Fourplay and from his many solo recordings. But the four-time Grammy winner was featured on so many classic recordings including Steely Dan’s “Katy Lied” and “Aja,” Joni Mitchell’s “Court and Spark” and “Hejira,” Barbra Streisand’s “Stoney End,” Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5 and Other Odd Jobs,” Al Jarreau’s “Glow” and Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall.” While Carlton has been prolific in the studio for decades, he hasn’t performed in the Twin Cities since 2010. (6:30 & 8:30 p.m. Thu., the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $45-$65, dakotacooks.com)

J.B.

An event that has brought many Twin Cities music lovers up north in recent years with previous headliners such as Jason Isbell and Wilco, Riverfest’s lineup this year reads like a hipsters’ guide to modern Austin, Texas, scene makers. Enduring indie-rock favorite Spoon tops the bill amid a relatively low-key year featuring assorted festival dates and a 10th anniversary reissue of the “They Want My Soul” album. Bluesy roots-rocker Shakey Graves and Grammy-winning bluegrass/folk singer Sarah Jarosz also join the I-35 North caravan. Kentuckian S.G. Goodman and northern Minnesota’s own Corey Medina & Brothers round out the one-day fest, which takes place in a convenient and cozy riverfront downtown site. (1-11 p.m. Sat., Grand Rapids Library Amphitheater in Grand Rapids, Minn., $129, $10-$39 for kids, grandrapidsriverfest.com)

C.R.

Since 2017, this ensemble of instrumentalists has been collaborating with a lot of fascinating folks, emphasizing music by living, local and underrepresented composers. For its season-opening concert at the Lakewood Memorial Chapel — a really nice place for music — the group will present works that combine poetry and music, most notably celebrated film composer Brent Michael Davids narrating his work, “The Last of James Fenimore Cooper III.” Elwyn A. Fraser Jr. also will perform on a program that features pieces by Michael Maiorana, James Rolfe and Vivian Fung. (3 p.m. Sun, 3600 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $20-$30, 10thwave.org)

ROB HUBBARD

For classical music fans on a budget, please be aware that the University of Minnesota School of Music has a calendar full of free concerts by the university’s dozens of ensembles, and often hosts guest recitals and master classes. If you’d like to hear some expert interpretation of Czech and German art song, tenor Jonathan Yarrington is a specialist in the style and a former regional winner of the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions. He’ll perform a recital with pianist Owen Lovell. (7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Ultan Recital Hall, Ferguson Hall, 2106 S. 4th St., Mpls., free, cla.umn.edu/music/events)

R.B.

Hennepin Arts kicks off its new season with a throwback — the musical adaptation of the 1985 film “Back to the Future.” The show, about Marty McFly being transported to the past in a DeLorean time machine that hits 88 mph, has familiar numbers such as “Earth Angel” and “The Power of Love” plus a healthy helping of Broadway spectacle and hijinks. (Sept. 10–22: 7:30 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 2 & 7:30 p.m. Sat., 1 & 6:30 p.m. Sun., Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls. $50-$149. hennepinarts.org)

ROHAN PRESTON

It’s all whimsy and wonder as an orphan boy and his friend have magical adventures on the high seas in Anoka. Playwright Rick Elice’s fanciful prequel to “Peter Pan” gives us something of an origin story for Peter, the orphan known simply as Boy, and his starcatcher apprentice friend Molly. The play is based on a novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson and is staged by resident director Scott Ford with dances crafted by resident choreographer Lauri Kraft. Nate Turcotte plays Peter opposite May Heinecke’s Molly. (7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. & next Thu., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends Sept. 29. Lyric Arts, 420 E. Main St., Anoka. $42-$48. 763-422-1838, lyricarts.org)

R.P.

“I’ve been tested by fire and the fire lost” is but one of the famous quips from Ann Richards, the trailblazing Texas governor who shot straight and deflated foes. Richards’ indefatigability is memorialized in this solo show, written and first performed by Holland Taylor, the witty and ribald Emmy-winning actor best known for playing Charlie Sheen’s mom on “Two and a Half Men.” Twin Cities actor Angela Timberman brings Richards to life for Prime Productions. (Sept. 11-22: 7 p.m. Wed.-Thu., 7:30 p.m. Fri. 2 & 7:30 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. The Conn Theater, 1900 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls. $26.25-$43.25. primeprods.org)

R.P.

COVID-19 prevented Brave New Workshop from doing its usual quadrennial revue of the presidential elections in 2020 so the crew was salivating at the prospect of sending up Donald Trump and Joe Biden when Biden dropped out. BNW has kept the title of the show, “No Country for Two Old Men,” but otherwise has gone with the flow. “We made the necessary adjustments with the entrance of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” said director Caleb McEwen, adding that the show is comically and emphatically nonpartisan. It includes a game show plus sketches titled “The No Country Song” and “Ethnically Ambiguous.” It’s all performed by an ensemble that includes Lauren Anderson, Denzel Belin and Doug Neithercott. Jon Pumper provides the usual musical accompaniment. (7:30 p.m. Fri., 4:30 & 7:30 p.m. Sat. Ends Nov. 2. Dudley Riggs Theatre, 824 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls. $40. ticketmaster.com)

R.P.

Forty-two Minnesota-based artists who identify as Latina women or nonbinary Latinx celebrate their presence in the state. The show is co-curated by Zamara Cuyún and William Gustavo Franklin Torres. Opening reception Sat., 5-8 p.m. Ends Dec. 8. (9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Thu., noon-5 p.m. Fri.-Sun., Catherine G. Murphy Gallery Visual Arts Building, 2004 Randolph Av., St. Paul, free, check gallery.stkate.edu for events related to the show)

ALICIA ELER

Artist Hend Al-Mansour shares digital designs that she used to make art, or just sketch her ideas. This show is a peek into the process of one prolific Minnesota artist. Sat.-Sept. 29. Opening reception Sept. 14, 7-10 p.m. (Noon-4 p.m. Sat. & Sun., Rosalux Gallery, 315 W. 48th St., Mpls., free, rosaluxgallery.com)

A.E.

Off-Leash Area returns with its latest neighborhood garage tour, “The Medicine Show of the 25th Century,” a family-friendly mix of theater, dance and comedy directed and choreographed by Jennifer Ilse with set and projection design by Paul Herwig. The show is set in the future, when half-human, half-animal creatures set out on a search for the ideal human. Accompanied with sound and music by Gabriel Rodreick (Freaque), the story follows the mythical characters on their journey, as they travel with a medicine show boasting elixir to cure the problems of the world. (7 p.m. Fri., Sat., Sun., 3612 33rd Av. NE., St. Anthony, through Sept. 22 at various locations, $5-$30. 612-724-7372, offleasharea.org)

SHEILA REGAN

Wayzata’s hometown festival pays tribute to its locomotive history and is named after railroad baron James J. Hill, the “Empire Builder.” This year is the 50th anniversary of the fireworks show that will fill the sky with sparkle and thunderous booms on Saturday. Events throughout the weekend include the Rails & Ales Craft Beer Festival, logrolling, a carnival, street market, T-6 Thunder air show and more. (5-10 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun., locations throughout Wayzata, see website for schedule, jamesjhilldays.wayzatachamber.com)

MELISSA WALKER