Big Gigs for Oct. 31-Nov. 6: Alt-J, Dylan, Garth and more

Aside from frontman Joe Newman's weird, unintelligible, high-nasal voice — he'd make a good Igor in a Frankenstein movie — Alt-J are about as scary as an episode of "Care Bears." It's just by chance the arty, wiry rockers from Leeds, England, are landing in town on Halloween night in support of their second album, "This Is All Yours." Perhaps the occasion will loosen up the stiff, inanimate vibe of their previous local shows behind the Mercury Prize-winning, 89.3 the Current-adored 2013 debut "An Awesome Wave." The new record is more downbeat and less jagged-edged, but half of it could make for a solid concert paired up with the best half of its predecessor. Brooklyn-via-London electro-pop duo Lovelife opens. (8 p.m. Fri., Myth, sold out.) Chris Riemenschneider

An influential early '90s shoegaze band that helped fill in where My Bloody Valentine left off, Slowdive is back after a 19-year hiatus. The British quintet — led by hush-toned co-vocalists Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell — spent the summer playing European festivals. For their U.S. club tour, they invited one of their favorite quiet bands of old to open, Duluth's Low, who thankfully never went on hiatus. (9 p.m. Fri., Fine Line, sold out.) Riemenschneider

Tribute shows are often the Halloween party of choice for local musicians and music lovers, and this year offers a few promising ones. Hi-Fi Hair & Records is hosting a 1973-themed bash with Alice Cooper deep-cutters Sick Things — who specify they're a tribute to the Alice Cooper band, not just the man — along with Blue Öyster Cult revivalists Agents of Fortune. (9 p.m. Fri., 1637 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $7.) Lee's regulars E.L.nO. certainly won't bring you down, especially not with Joey Ryan & the Inks in tow to deliver a Bob Dylan set — which surely has to mean a Traveling Wilburys crossover, too. (9 p.m., Lee's Liquor Lounge, $10.) Riemenschneider

Twin Cities quartet Zebulon Pike — co-helmed by Happy Apple jazz bassist extraordinaire Erik Fratzke — has been cranking out thundering, neck-endangering prog-metal almost as long as their peers in Mastodon, whose Brent Hinds recently gave them a shout-out on his podcast. The all-instrumental band has been more on the down-low in recent years but is kicking back into gear with a fifth album to promote. Fresh from helping darken Surly Brewing's Darkness Day last weekend, Vulgaari opens with Chicago's Electric Hawk. (10 p.m. Sat., Triple Rock, $8-$10.) Riemenschneider

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' same-sex marriage hit "Same Love" introduced the world to Mary Lambert, who sang the hook "my love, she keeps me warm." Her brand-new debut album, "Heart on My Sleeve," gives us a fuller picture of a powerhouse vocalist who is, by turns, earnest and humorous. There are shades of Tori Amos, Sara Bareilles, Carole King and even Joni Mitchell on these soul-baring, mostly piano-based originals. Seemingly preoccupied with life-affirming anthems, the 25-year-old discusses body image, sexuality and other personal topics. She also transforms Rick Springfield's pop/rock chestnut "Jessie's Girl" into a lesbian love ballad. Jillette Johnson opens. (9 p.m. Sat., Fine Line , $20-$35.) Jon Bream

A Har Mar Superstar set at First Ave is always a good time, especially since the Owatonna-bred showman put together his current backing band and put out last year's joyous retro-soul album "Bye Bye 17." This one should be especially good for smiles, though, as he has invited the Pizza Underground, a Velvet Underground tribute band led by his actor pal Macaulay Culkin. The cheek-squeezing child star of "Home Alone" fame has never been cheekier, as the band puts a pizza-themed twist on the VU classics, i.e. "All Pizza Parties" for "All Tomorrow's Parties." Could be fun once, anyway. Toby Goodshank and Ripper open. (9 p.m. Sat., First Avenue, $15.) Riemenschneider

Celebrating his 50th year in the music business and a new double-disc retrospective, "Still on the Levee," blues and folk songwriter Chris Smither returns to play his "hits" ("Love You Like a Man," "I Feel the Same," "No Love Today") and wonderful catalog of misses. In between songs, you get hip, self-deprecating, sometimes rambling stories. It's a big year for the New Orleans-raised troubadour, since he was also feted with the tribute album "Link of Chain," featuring renditions of his durable material by friends and aficionados including Dave Alvin, Loudon Wainwright III, Bonnie Raitt and Jorma Kaukonen. (8 p.m. Sat., Cedar Cultural Center, $20-$25.) Tom Surowicz

There is no Carole King this time. There is no new album. (He hasn't had an album of new studio originals since 2002.) It's just James Taylor and His All-Star Band, which includes Steve Gadd, Lou Marini and former Minnesotan Jimmy Johnson. Taylor does have a couple of new numbers, including "Today, Today, Today," as well as "Fire and Rain" and all those feel-good mellow classics that will fill up nearly three hours. (8 p.m. Sun., Xcel Energy Center, $67-$91.50.) Bream

After a long run in arenas and minor-league stadiums, Bob Dylan is back in theaters, playing mostly multi-night runs on his Never Ending Tour. Set lists indicate little change in repertoire from night to night. It's not like the last time he played the Orpheum — the set lists varied considerably over those five nights in 1992. Since he's playing on election night in his home state — and at a theater he owned for 10 years — maybe the laconic troubadour will say something, as he did in 2008 at Northrop Auditorium the night Barack Obama won. (8 p.m. Tue.-Thu., Orpheum Theatre, $55-$135.) Bream

Southern rockers the Wild Feathers went over as well at this year's Basilica Block Party as they did opening for blues-rocker Gary Clark Jr. last year, which attests to how well the Tennessee quintet balances radio-friendly, Eagles-brand folk-rock tunes with a tight, roadhouse-flavored live show. They're reaping what they sowed with a welcome headlining set. (8 p.m. Thu., Varsity Theater, $18-$20.) Riemenschneider

Consistently one of the best radio shows on the local FM dial, 89.3 the Current's Sunday morning twang fest "The United States of Americana" is celebrating its fifth anniversary with Missouri-bred, Austin-based newcomer Israel Nash, whose moody new album "Rain Plans" falls in the lush, hazy territory between '70s-heyday Neil Young and Fleet Foxes. He will be joined by local "Country" hitmaker Frankie Lee and his stellar band, plus vintage front-porch swinger Jack Klatt. (9 p.m. Thu., Turf Club, $8-$10.) Riemenschneider

Garth Brooks loves big numbers, and Minnesota clearly loves Garth big time. Upper Midwest fans have gobbled up more than 188,000 tickets — a record for both Garth and Minnesota — for his 11 concerts at Target Center. A hiatus from touring for 16 years will create a pent-up demand, especially when you have the reputation as one of the most satisfying concert performers in country music. He promises his key hits, duets with wife Trisha Yearwood and a few new numbers from "Man Against Machine," his album due on Nov. 11. Read an interview with Brooks in Sunday's Variety section. (7:30 p.m. Thu.; 6:30 & 10:30 p.m. Nov. 7-8; 7 p.m. Nov. 9; 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13; 6:30 & 10:30 p.m. Nov. 14-15; $70.50.) Bream

As if Japanese piano marvel Hiromi wasn't dynamic enough, her current trio includes explosive drums hero Steve Smith — of Vital Information, George Brooks Summit, Buddy's Buddies, and in his sordid, million-selling past, that band called Journey — plus legendary bassist Anthony Jackson, pioneer of the six-string "contrabass guitar," as he calls it. Expect cross-generational, prime-time jazz fusion fireworks. (7 & 9 p.m. Wed.-Thu., Dakota Jazz Club, $35-$45.) Surowicz

Brahms' String Sextet in G Major is the centerpiece of St. Paul Chamber Orchestra's first Chamber Music Series concert of the season. This is a complex and cryptic work, capturing the ambiguous nature of Brahms' personality. The program also features Mozart's Duo in B-flat for Violin and Viola and "Light Screens," by Andrew Norman, inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's stained-glass window designs. (8 p.m. Fri., 2 p.m. Sun., SPCO Music Room, 408 St. Peter St., St. Paul, $5-$10, 651-291-1144, www.thespco.org.) William Randall Beard

The Minnesota Orchestra celebrates Halloween with a pops concert, "Out of the World With Christopher Lloyd." Who better to host this program than Lloyd, star of the "Back to the Future" movies? There are light classical selections, including excerpts from Gustav Holst's "The Planets," Richard Strauss' "Also sprach Zarathustra" and Claude Debussy's "Clair de Lune," and classic movie scores, among them a sampling of John Williams' work from "E.T.," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Star Wars." (8 p.m. Sat., Orchestra Hall, $30-$70, 612-371-5656, minnesotaorchestra.org) Beard