Ethereal, shoegazing Brooklyn indie-pop duo Asobi Seksu's last album was fittingly produced by My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields, and its new one "Rewolf" was one of the last recordings made at London's historic Olympic Studios. It's on tour with Loney, Dear, aka Swedish balladeer Emil Svanängen, who was recently out as Andrew Bird's opener. (9 p.m. today, 7th Street Entry. 18 & older. $12.) (C.R.)

A favorite of "Grey's Anatomy" producers, Mat Kearney had quite a fine day in the sun at the Basilica Block Party this summer, sounding like a less mopey and more soulful younger brother of Adam Duritz on the night before Duritz's Counting Crows headlined. He returns with a fellow Oregonian singer/songwriter as an opener, Carole King-styled piano plunker Diane Birch, who could well steal the show based on the buzz around her debut, "Bible Belt." (7 p.m. Sat., First Avenue. 18 & older. $20.) (C.R.)

Virginian punk-rock roarers Strike Anywhere have Against Me!'s political fire plus skater-punk cred, the latter thanks to their appearance in three of Tony Hawk's video games. They're on tour promoting the EP "Iron Front," with openers Polar Bear Club, Crime in Stereo and Ruiner. (5 p.m. Sun., Triple Rock. All ages. $12.) (C.R.)

For his second solo tour, Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas has stepped up to Xcel Center after selling out the Orpheum Theatre in '05. In addition to material from his two albums (which are more soulful than his vanilla-pop MB20 stuff), his set will feature reworkings of his Santana smash "Smooth" and MB20 hits. Read an interview with Thomas in Sunday's Variety A+E. "Apologize" hitmakers One Republic open. (7 p.m. Sun., Xcel Energy Center. $42-$62.) (J.B.)

After six wild years and three harrowing albums for Sub Pop, Seattle's organ-tinged grime-rock sextet Murder City Devils split up in 2001. Some of the members formed Pretty Girls Make Graves. Since 2006, the band has reunited sporadically to play special occasions, such as this weekend's Riot Fest in Chicago. We're getting them on their way home. Local garage-punk duo the Birthday Suits open. (9 p.m. Sun., First Avenue. 18 & older. $20.) (C.R.)

The third annual "West Bank Bash," a benefit for the West Bank School of Music, has a splendid lineup: Roma di Luna, followed by Americana songwriting ace Bill Geezy, "Prairie Home Companion" favorite Peter Ostroushko and finally Daddy Squeeze and Mudbug Zydeco, filling the dance floor with steamy, groovy Louisiana bayou sounds. (7:30 p.m. Sun., Minneapolis Eagles Club. $15-$28.) (T.S.)

The dreadlocked, island-vibe Texan singer from this year's "American Idol" who found gold at the end of singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," Jason Castro is on a mall tour promoting his upcoming debut album. He'll sing the new single "Let's Just Fall in Love Again" and a few other songs for anyone who can find their way around Southdale's incredibly confusing parking lot. (6 p.m. Mon., Southdale mall, Edina. Free.) (C.R.)

Ah, it seems like only yesterday when GWAR first came to town severing limbs and spraying audience members with God-knows-what. The Virginia-reared mega-gore metal band has actually been around 25 years, and it's marking the occasion with a bigger, bloodier tour. (6:30 p.m. Mon., First Avenue. All ages. $20-$23.) (C.R.)

After getting nominated for a Shortlist Prize by none other than Tom Waits, Texas folk/jazz/alt-country tunesmith Jolie Holland upped her prize-worthiness with last year's evocative album "The Living and the Dead," featuring guitarwork by M. Ward and Waits cohort Marc Ribot and lyrical references to Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs. Matt Bauer opens. (9 p.m. Mon., Varsity Theater. $16.) (C.R.)

The Bob Mould Band kicked off its fall tour in grand style at the underground megafest All Tomorrow's Parties, where its set was quickly turned into a new live CD (on sale at shows), and where Mould also got mixed up with burgeoning L.A. duo No Age for a set of way-old Hüsker Dü cuts. Expect the usual range of Hüskers and Sugar tracks here, plus some of the hearty highlights off the recent "Life and Times." Clap Your Hands Say Yeah singer Alec Ounsworth opens to preview his upcoming solo debut. (8 p.m. Tue., First Avenue. $20.) Playing next door after Mould, School of Seven Bells is a promising psychedelic-electronic trio led by ex-Secret Machines guitarist Benjamin Curtis (9 p.m. Tue., 7th Street Entry. $10-$12.) (C.R.)

Perhaps the funkiest band you'll ever see featuring a flute, standup bass and violin, Americana/jazz/bluegrass hybrid Hot Buttered Rum has become a favorite at jam-band fests ranging from Bonnaroo to the Big Wu Reunion. The San Francisco sextet is touring behind its latest album, "Limbs Akimbo." Local keyboardist Nicholas Mrozinski's Feelin' Band opens. (9:30 p.m. Thu., Cabooze. $12.) (C.R.)

"Life Ain't Always Beautiful" could be the title of Gary Allan's autobiography. Instead, it was the name of his 2006 country hit from "Tough All Over," his first album after his wife's suicide. More ornery than bad boy, Allan has a riveting stage presence and a well-balanced repertoire, including the chart-topper "Nothing on But the Radio." (8 p.m. Sat., Treasure Island Casino, $38-$48.) (J.B.)

The biggest-selling recording artist of the past three years, Taylor Swift aimed for big things on her first headline tour: lots of costumes (from a drum majorette outfit to a wedding dress), a team of dancers and various settings for different songs. She'll throw in a surprise cover or two (definitely a Justin Timberlake tune) and she might pull a prank on her opening acts, Kellie Pickler and Gloriana, because this is the tour's final night. Read an interview with Swift in Sunday's Variety A+E. (7 p.m. Sun., Target Center. Sold out.) (J.B.)

In the proud country tradition of Toby Keith, Gary Allan and Crystal Gayle, Luke Bryan boasts two first names -- but only one hit. "All My Friends Say" made some noise in 2007. Now he's promoting "Do I," a generic-sounding number from his sophomore CD, "Doing My Thing," released this week. Bryan might have better luck with his cover of OneRepublic's pop smash "Apologize." (9 p.m. Wed., Fine Line, $16.50) (J.B.)

One of the Bay Area's favorite blues and R&B belters for a half-century, Sugar Pie DeSanto scored her only big hit early on, 1960's "I Want to Know." But blues aficionados are just as fond of her singles "Soulful Dress" and "In the Basement," the latter featuring her cousin Etta James. Speaking of famous names (and Famous Flames), Sugar Pie toured for several years with James Brown, and before that with Johnny Otis. Still a spirited houserocker at 73, she should feel right at home with Curt Obeda and the Butanes, as she makes a rare Minnesota appearance. (7 & 9:30 p.m. Mon.-Tue., Dakota Jazz Club. $18-$25.)

Dmitri Shostakovich once told a colleague that his Second Piano Concerto had "no artistic value." Sergei Prokofiev thought his early Sinfonietta deeply flawed. Both works appear, unapologetically, on this week's St. Paul Chamber Orchestra program -- a reminder that composers are fallible judges of their own music. Also featured: a transcription of Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 4 and Giya Kancheli's "Night Prayers," in a version for clarinet and strings. Kirill Gerstein is the pianist, Timothy Paradise the clarinetist; Hans Graf conducts. (10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. today, 8 p.m. Sat., Ordway Center. 2 p.m. Sun., Ted Mann Concert Hall. $11-$59.) (L.F.)

Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony is the presumed draw for this week's Russian-themed Minnesota Orchestra concerts, led by Osmo Vänskä. But I'm more intrigued by the first half of the program, especially Alexander Mosolov's nearly forgotten "Iron Foundry" (1927) -- a "mighty hymn to machine work" by one of the early heroes of Soviet art. Also worth savoring are Anatoli Liadov's "The Enchanted Lake" and Mikhail Glinka's "Kamarinskaya," from which, said Tchaikovsky, all Russian symphonic music flowed. (8 p.m. today-Sat., Orchestra Hall. $26-$84.) (L.F.)

Unstoppable Eden Prairie guitar maestro Reynold Philipsek, who's issued roughly 30 CDs on his RePhi label, has released yet another with an apt title. "Cottage Industry" is a mostly solo, mostly demos collection loaded with deft and beautiful acoustic guitar wizardry. He'll celebrate with his jazz ensemble, East Side, co-starring chromatic harmonica great Clint Hoover. (8 p.m. today, 318 Cafe, $11). (T.S.)

Pianist Laura Caviani presents her annual salute to jazz composing genius Thelonious Monk. It's a two-night trio affair, starting a bit after "Crepuscule With Nellie" time, ending "Round Midnight" or slightly after. (9 p.m. today-Sat., Artists' Quarter, $10.) (T.S.)

The Twin Cities' premier poetry + jazz ensemble, Ancestor Energy, is led by Louis Alemayehu, who's not only a fine poet but also a dramatic reader with a hip delivery. Call him cadence-conscious. Award-winning composer/pianist Carei Thomas writes a lot of the accompanying jazz soundtrack, which also features saxophonists Donald Washington and David Wright, violinist Gary Schulte, world music percussionist, Mick LaBriola, triple threat Tony Machado (on accordion, percussion and vocals) and guitarist/bassist Jocko MacNelly. For a special "Fathers and Daughters" show, they add daughters Maria Isa (spoken word, dance and drums), Aiyana Machado (dance), Joi Thomas (vocals), Maisah Blanton (vocals). (8 p.m. Sat., In the Heart of the Beast, $10-$15.) (T.S.)

Local jazz heavyweights -- including Tim Sparks, Dean Granros, Billy Franze, Debbie Duncan, Anthony Cox, Dave Karr and world-renowned drummer Eric Kamau Gravatt -- will be out in force at another benefit for guitarist Dean Magraw, on the mend from a successful bone marrow transplant but still visiting the hospital daily, and still many grueling months away from plying his trade again. (3 p.m. Sun., Artists' Quarter.) (T.S.)

Puerto Rican saxophone phenom Miguel Zenon, already a MacArthur "genius grant" winner at age 32, returns with his rootsiest ensemble to play tunes from the recent CD, "Esta Plena," which deftly mixes fresh modern jazz with Puerto Rican folkloric sounds -- stirring vocals and hand percussion. One of its guest singer/drummers, Hector (Tito) Matos, joins Zenon's smokin' quartet for this genre-bending tour. (7 & 9:30 p.m. Wed., Dakota Jazz Club. $15-$20.) (T.S.)

Contributors: Staff critics Chris Riemenschneider and Jon Bream and freelancers Larry Fuchsberg and Tom Surowicz.