Summit Backyard Bash: St. Paul's pioneering craft brewer tapped a local punk pioneer, Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü fame, to head up its 30th anniversary celebration, held outside Summit's brewery. Also on the fun lineup are Rosemount native Alicia Bognanno's buzzing, bombastic Nashville band Bully, poppy indie-rockers Bad Bad Hats, Rhymesayers' innovative young rap star Dem Atlas, dance-rockers Apollo Cobra and the sexy and soulful Nooky Jones. Proceeds fund the Minnesota Music Coalition. (Noon to 8 p.m. Sat., Summit Brewery, 910 Montreal Cir., St. Paul, $30-$40, SummitBrewing.com.)

NRBQ vs. Los Straitjackets: Call it clever marketing because this is not really a battle of the bands. Nonetheless, it's easy to get excited about this double bill. Aided by versatile guitarist Scott Ligon, founding piano man Terry Adams still delivers quirky, winning rock with NRBQ, now celebrating its 50th year. Openers Los Straitjackets, those masked men with lots of guitars, will rock you instrumentally. They still feature Minneapolis' own Danny Amis. (7 p.m. Sun. Dakota, $40-$45, dakotacooks.com)

Jennifer Nettles: On her second solo album, the soul-tinged "Playing with Fire," the voice of Sugarland shows that she still has one of the most powerful albeit twangy female voices in Nashville. But she still trying to find material that will define her solo career. Best bet here is "Drunk in Heels," written by Brandy Clark. Opening is Jerrod Niemann, who parties with "Drink to That All Night," on the first of two concert nights at James J. Hill Days. (6:30 p.m. Fri. Wayzata Beach Bash, $45-$129.)

Dessa: The hip-hop queen of all media gives her biggest hometown headline show of the year as part of St. Kate's 20th season of the Women of Subtance series. Opening is Chicago's Monakr featuring Minneapolis native Matthew Santos. (7:30 p.m. Fri. the O'Shaughnessy, St. Paul, $15-$45.)

Explosions in the Sky: Last seen in town opening for Nine Inch Nails at Xcel Center, this Austin, Texas-based quartet has become rock's biggest all-instrumental band of the moment, and for good reason. Its new album, "The Wilderness," reinforces the unusually accessible and often mesmerizing effect of the band's drizzly guitar work and crescendoing tempos, which have also been enlisted as score music for such movies as "Friday Night Lights" and "Lone Survivor." Score music doesn't often transfer well to the stage, but these dudes put on a powerful live show. Lower Dens opens. (9 p.m. Fri., First Avenue, sold out.)

Sammy Hagar: His latest band is Sammy Hagar and the Circle, featuring the super-rhythm section of drummer Jason Bonham (son of Led Zeppelin's John) and bassist Michael Anthony (of Van Halen). The king of Cabo Wabo knows how to rock a beach, which is what the fourth annual Wayzata Beach Bash is all about. Part of James J. Hill Days, this rock-in-the-sand soiree will also feature Don Felder, the other Don in the Eagles, the guitar guy who co-wrote "Hotel California." (6:30 p.m. Sat. Wayzata Beach, Wayzata. $55-$129, wayzatabeachbash.com)

Tegan and Sara: This year's "Love You to Death" suggests the Quin twins are committed to a slick synth-pop sound. Well, at least for two consecutive albums. (7:30 p.m. Mon. State Theatre, $36.)

Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele: They often sing with their family group the Steeles but sisters Jearlyn and Jevetta rarely perform together — except on "A Prairie Home Companion." For years, they've been go-to singers for Garrison Keillor because they are quick studies and versatile singers with beaming personalities. Last weekend at his State Fair show, Jearlyn and Jevetta did "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Nothing Compares 2 U" and "Joyful Joyful" from "Sister Act 2." They'll do a retrospective of their "Prairie Home" repertoire. (7 p.m. Mon. Dakota, Mpls., $35, dakotacooks.com)

Dale Watson: Even though Louie Sirian doesn't own Lee's anymore (he sold it in 2015), this throwback Texas honky tonk ace remains loyal to the Minneapolis joint that he celebrated in the 1999 anthem "Louie's Lee's Liquor Lounge." Watson's 2015 recording "Call Me Insane" features a cool tribute to George Jones entitled "Jonesin' for Jones." (9:30 p.m. Thu., Sept. Sept. 15, Lee's Liquor Lounge, Mpls, $17.50-$20.).

Descendents: One of the original skater-punk bands of the '80s that influenced Green Day, Blink-182 and Warped Tour on the whole, the Southern California quartet has been playing sporadic reunion gigs around festival dates for a few years now. They're piggybacking on RiotFest in Chicago to finally make it back to First Avenue, where they famously recorded their "Liveage!" album in 1987 before raspy singer Milo Auckerman got a real job. He's not the mighty howler he was back then, but the band's pop-tinged songs and hard-bamming energy hold up well. (8 p.m. Thu., Sept. 15, First Avenue, sold out.)

Plague Vendor: This Stooges-mimicking punk quartet landed a big gig opening Rock the Garden in June and made good on it with a lively, hard-grinding performance. (8:30 p.m. Thu., Sept. 15, Turf Club, $14.)