music

If the name Sextreme Ball sounds like something the Lords of Acid and My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult already did back in the industrial dance age, that's almost correct. They joined up for the Sextacy Ball in 1995 but haven't toured together since. Lords of Acid is still house/techno guru Praga Khan and hangers-on, this time including bosomy "Rock of Love" villain Lacey Conner on vocals and Powerman 5000 bassist M3. Chicago-reared "Sex on Wheelz" hitmakers Groovie Mann and Buzz McCoy never stopped living the Thrill Kill Kult. Blownload and DJ Deathwish open. (8 p.m. Fri., Ground Zero, 15 NE. 4th St., Mpls. 18 & older. $20.) (C.R.)

Don't necessarily expect the same Natalie Merchant you knew from the original run of Lilith Fair, or her days with 10,000 Maniacs. At age 40, she gave birth to her first child and then she spent the next several years working on "Leave Your Sleep," her 2010 album with lyrics either written by children or about childhood (by the likes of Robert Louis Stevenson and Ogden Nash). Her first album in seven years, the remarkably ambitious "Sleep" features 26 songs that embrace everything from Yiddish folk and Appalachian porch music to cabaret jazz and full-blown orchestral sounds. In concert, Merchant is reportedly accompanied only by two guitarists. (8 p.m. Sat., the O'Shaughnessy, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, $45-$55.) (J.B.)

Frankie Valli still has the magic. Thanks to the musical "Jersey Boys," his music is back in vogue and, as he has demonstrated at three Twin Cities concerts in the past couple of years with his young-ish Four Seasons, the 76-year-old Rock Hall of Famer can still deliver the falsetto on "Walk Like a Man." (8 p.m. Sat., Mystic Lake Casino, sold out.) (J.B.)

The Swell Season's co-leader Glen Hansard knows First Ave from his other band, the Frames, but he and duet partner Markéta Irglova have otherwise been playing theaters since they took off via their elegant, dramatic, Oscar-netting folk-rock for the movie "Once." The onscreen romancers and offscreen exes continue to tour to rabid crowds behind their sophomore album, "Strict Joy." They're coming here straight from the Calgary Folk Fest. (7:30 p.m. Sun., First Avenue. 18 & older. $30.) (C.R.)

As mellow as ever, Jack Johnson still sells albums and concert tickets like it's 2000. His "To the Sea" topped the charts last month, and he's returning to the Apple River for a fourth time to play to an arena-sized crowd. All profits from the tour are being donated to local charities. Opening are laid-back jam band ALO and G. Love, a beachy blues brother who is working solo. Read an interview with Johnson in Sunday's Variety A+E. (6:30 p.m. Sun., River's Edge, Somerset, Wis., $40.) (J.B.)

Having celebrated his 70th birthday this month with a little help from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr will be performing without his Beatle buddy but with the 11th incarnation of His All-Starr Band, including Edgar Winter, Gary Wright, Rick Derringer, Wally Paymar (of the Romantics) and Richard Page (Mr. Mister). The peace-and-love drummer is always in good spirits in concert; let's hope his sidemen are more spirited than their counterparts were during his 2008 Mystic Lake gig. (7 p.m. Sun., Mystic Lake Casino, $79-$109.) (J.B.)

Springsteen-blooded Jersey punks the Gaslight Anthem would be teetering on a sophomore slump if their new album, "American Slang," weren't actually their third. It's a powerful disc in parts, particularly on blistering rockers such as "The Spirit of Jazz," but other songs try on Clash-style reggae and moodier balladry with far less impressive results than the full-steaming predecessor, "The '59 Sound." The variations might add interesting elements to their rousing live show, though. Indiana punk band Chamberlain has regrouped to open the tour along with Avail singer Tim Barry. (8:30 p.m. Mon., First Avenue. 18 & older. $20-$22.) (C.R.)

Just a year after making its memorable First Ave debut, the Dead Weather is already back with a better album, "Sea of Cowards," which could lead to an even more relentless, manic, thundering live show. Though he spends most of the time behind the drum kit, White Stripes frontman Jack White is the unequivocal leader of the hard-stomping neo-blues/sludge-metal/space-rock quartet, which also features the Kills' howler Alison Mosshart on vocals, Queens of Stone Age guitarist/keyboardist Dean Fertita and White's Raconteurs bassist Jack Lawrence. Opening band Harlem is a '60s-fried Texas garage-rock trio well worth catching. (9 p.m. Wed., First Avenue. Sold out.) (C.R.)

Just because Neil Young is touring solo, don't expect an evening of acoustic music. In fact, look for rip-roaring rock from the godfather of grunge. He's been mixing in classics like "Ohio," "Cinnamon Girl" and "Like a Hurricane" with material from the forthcoming Daniel Lanois-produced "Twisted Road," which will be his fifth studio album in the past five years. Opening is Bert Jansch, an influential acoustic guitarist from his days with the 1960s folk-rock group Pentangle. (8 p.m. Thu., Northrop Auditorium, $55-$155.) (J.B.)

Veteran soul jazz/R&B vibraphonist and singer Roy Ayers makes a rare Twin Cities appearance, which is good news for groovers. Ayers' music has always crossed genres with ease, incorporating funk, blues, old-school rapping and comic storytelling, smooth jazz and lots of natural showmanship. Ayers' very funny, very long, R-rated crowd-pleasing piece, "Poo Poo La La," is a lot closer to Millie Jackson than Milt Jackson. And the often-"sampled" Ayers has reached millions of listeners via his friends and fans in the R&B and hip-hop communities -- Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest and P. Diddy have all cribbed from his big catalog, while Guru included the good vibes man on his "Jazzmatazz" project. (7:30 & 9:30 p.m. Wed.-Thu., Dakota Jazz Club. $35-$45.) (T.S.)

Turn the clock back about 30 years, and one of the hot bands around town was Will Sumner & Tropic Zone, specializing in Latin fusion sounds. Guitarist and composer Sumner moved to California decades ago, but he's continued to combine jazz, Latin and vaguely cinematic fare, spiced by the odd rock-hero electric riff, on a string of indie CDs. He returns to debut a new CD, "Tracks," with a band anchored by original Tropic Zone drummer Dan Fasching. (9 p.m. Sat., Dixie's.) (T.S.)

Born in Cuba but raised in Chicago on the blues, Eddie Turner has certainly had an interesting career. He played with hippie roots rockers Tracy Nelson & Mother Earth long ago, followed Tommy Bolin as lead guitarist in the ill-fated band Zephyr, dropped out of music to become a Denver real estate agent for 10 years, then returned to play modern electric jazz with esteemed Colorado trumpeter Ron Miles, and quirky blues with world-touring songwriter Otis Taylor. A Jimi Hendrix-inspired scorcher on guitar, his own recordings offer equal parts blues and rock. And a guy with the nickname "Devil Boy" should put on a fiery live show, right? (9 p.m. Fri., Wilebski's Blues Saloon. $10.) (T.S.)

Can a 72-year-old man still play blues shuffles like his life depended on it? You betcha, if that man is Magic Slim, he has his Teardrops band in tow, and there are some party-hearty people in the house. Living Blues magazine calls supersized Slim a "national treasure" -- hard to argue with that. (9 p.m. Sat., Famous Dave's. $10.) (T.S.)

Contributors: Staff critics Jon Bream and Chris Riemenschneider and freelancer Tom Surowicz.