Garrison Keillor's last stand as host of "A Prairie Home Companion" Friday night may be interrupted by some surprise superfans (Meryl Streep? Martin Sheen?), but the only announced plans have the broadcasting legend saying goodbye through duets with favorite female partners. "That's all I want to do," said Keillor, pooh-poohing notions of a more elaborate farewell after more than 40 years of broadcasting. Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan, Heather Masse and Christine DiGiallonardo most likely will harmonize on original ditties and timeless standards during the show, which is being taped a night early at the Hollywood Bowl so the precious Los Angeles crowd can avoid melting outdoors in the afternoon heat. Watkins, who once filled in as "PHC" host and played with Keillor's replacement, Chris Thile, in the bluegrass trio Nickel Creek, said she's honored to be part of the finale. "I love singing with Garrison. He's introduced me to a lot of my favorite songs," she said (the Grateful Dead's "Brokedown Palace" for one). "I feel like he's been a great curator of the American songbook." The broadcast will air in its regular 5 p.m. Saturday time slot on KSJN (99.5 FM) and most public radio stations.

NEAL JUSTIN

Flipping out again

A prominent local band of the late '90s that had too much fun to formally call it quits — "It kind of just ended out of laziness," frontman Brynn Arens laughingly admitted — Flipp isn't calling its first show in a decade a reunion. Instead, Friday's gig at First Avenue (8 p.m., $15-$20) is billed as "the return" of the makeup-wearing hard-rock quartet, which worked with longtime Kiss manager Bill Aucoin and pulled such memorable stunts as dropping cereal and feathers on festival crowds from helicopters. After focusing on his newer band the Oddfathers of late, Arens said he opted to flip the Flipp switch again because "at some point you realize to appreciate the good things you have, and I think that band was very good." His brother Kii Arens (aka Chia Karaoke) — now one of Los Angeles' most reputable rock poster artists — is returning to town to join bandmates Greg Eidem (Cherry Forever) and Eric Bretl (Kilo Bale). They have a few surprises planned, but Arens said, "The big stunt in this case is just putting it back together, and maybe not stopping."

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

After the ball

Some of the Twin Cities' swellest-dressed people danced late into the evening at the Minnesota Orchestra's recent 60th Symphony Ball. In a live auction, the top bid ($14,000) went for a dinner with music director Osmo Vänskä and concertmaster Erin Keefe in the couple's Minneapolis condo, with Vincent Francoual at the stove and cellist Arek Tesarczyk in the corner. A New York-themed package including tickets to "Hamilton" went for $4,700 (almost street value these days). When auctioneer Karen Sorbo asked what the starting bid should be to conduct the orchestra in "Stars and Stripes Forever," a voice shouted from the mezzanine: "$7,000!" It was Vänskä. Dr. Ralph Chu, a new board member, paid $8,000 for the right to demonstrate an orchestra really doesn't need a conductor.

GRAYDON ROYCE

Brynn Arens of Flipp in 2001. Star Tribune file

Purple pride

Many a music star passing through the Twin Cities is honoring Prince in some way. At the Minnesota Zoo last weekend, blues giant Buddy Guy gave a shout-out to the Purple One, and his son, second guitarist Greg Guy, wore a T-shirt with Prince's glyph. At the Twin Cities Jazz Festival last weekend, Michael Franti offered a reggae-styled "Purple Rain." And Joe Jonas' dance-pop band DNCE, which opened for Selena Gomez at the Xcel on Tuesday, mashed up "Kiss" with James Brown's "Sex Machine."

Jon Bream

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