Call it last call or a Polish wake. Sing "Sweet Caroline" or "Piano Man" one last time at the lovably lost-in-time Nye's Polonaise Room. To Esquire magazine, it was the best bar in America. To Minnesotans, it's memories of gold-vinyl booths, the piano bar and polka in the world's smallest dance hall. The music moves outdoors (in a tent) for the farewell weekend with Daina De Prez on piano from 6-10 p.m. Friday; piano man John Eller and the World's Most Dangerous Polka Band from 2-10 p.m. Saturday, and the polka band and St. Dominic's Trio (with horns) from 2-10 p.m. Sunday. Stop by and say, "It's been Nye's." (112 E. Hennepin Av., Mpls. nyespolonaise.com) JON BREAM
Texas guitar slinger and soul-rocker Gary Clark Jr. recently helped christen the reopening of the famed Antone's blues club in his hometown of Austin, and it's in large part thanks to him that music fans under the age of 35 don't mistake blues music as something off that Nickelodeon dog show. He's finally back for only his second Twin Cities headlining show, returning to the same venue where he offered a blazing two-hour set in 2013. Last year's sophomore studio album, "The Story of Sonny Boy Slim," showed more of a Sly Stone and Curtis Mayfield influence, but Clark still hews blue in concert. (9 p.m. Sat., First Avenue, Mpls., sold out.) Chris Riemenschneider
These are emotional times for Earth Wind & Fire and Chicago — veteran, horn-accented bands spawned in the Windy City. EW&F lost its leader Maurice White in February. Even though he hadn't toured with the group since the mid-'90s because of Parkinson's disease, he remained active with the music and the business. Chicago, which has known tragedy over the years, is enjoying a moment of triumph, thanks to its election to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They will be inducted next week when original drummer Danny Seraphine will join them for the first time in more than 25 years. (7:30 p.m. Sat. Xcel Energy Center, W. 7th St. & Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, $29.50-$125, ticketmaster.com.) Bream
Kirk Franklin, the fiery, contemporary preacher who helped reinvigorate gospel music, is calling this his 20 Years in One Night Tour because he plans to perform a retrospective on his 20-year career. He just won his 10th Grammy this year to go along with 40 Stellar awards and 16 Dove Awards. He released another winner, the provocatively titled "Losing My Religion," last fall. His wife, Tammy, used to be in the Minneapolis R&B trio Ashanti. (7:30 p.m. Sat. State Theatre, Mpls, $29.50-$49.50, ticketmaster.com) Bream
SF Jazz Collective, the all-star West Coast ensemble with a changing lineup, picks a composer whose works they will interpret for an entire year. Since 2004, the group has explored Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter and Stevie Wonder, among others. This year's focus is the music of Michael Jackson. The current lineup includes Guggenheim and MacArthur fellow Miguel Zenon (above) on alto sax, David Sanchez on tenor sax and Warren Wolf on vibes. (7 & 9 p.m. Sun.-Mon. Dakota, Mpls., $20-$40. dakotacooks.com) Bream
Arcade Fire fans are in for a real surprise but also a real treat if they show up to the solo gig by the band's violinist, Sara Neufeld, expecting something similar to "Neon Bible." Also known from the Bell Orchestre and a collahboration with Justin Vernon's saxophonist pal Colin Stenson, the Montreal musician's second solo album, "The Ridge," blends neo-classical and ambient/drone music influences with bold, experimental flair. Neufeld sings a little but mostly lets her bowing take the spotlight, sometimes eerily, sometimes elegantly. Bell Orchestre drummer Stefan Schneider will accompany her. (7:30 p.m. Sun., Cedar Cultural Center, $12-$15, TheCedar.org.) Riemenschneider
2Cellos: These PBS-endorsed cellists from Croatia and Slovenia are classically trained but rock inclined. In other words, they do revved up classical treatments of hits by Michael Jackson, AC/DC, Guns 'N Roses, Mumford & Sons, Radiohead and others. (7:30 p.m. Fri. Northop, University of Minnesota, Mpls., $38-$63.) Bream
Jeffrey Foucault: His minimalist Americana sound might be described as moody blues, a mix of desolation, melancholy and bittersweet. Think Townes Van Zandt fronting the Cowboy Junkies, though vocally, he sounds a bit like Steve Earle, only prettier. (8 p.m. Fri. Cedar Cultural Center, Mpls., $20-$25.)
Shellac: Legendary producer Steve Albini's frayed and frantic trio, with Minneapolis' Todd Trainer (Rifle Sport) on drums, is on a Midwest tour with Japanese noise-rock quartet MONO. (9 p.m. Fri., First Avenue, Mpls., $15.)
E.L.nO.: After a month of renovations, Lee's gets back up and running with "Don't Bring Me Down" and other Jeff Lynne classics by this veteran tribute band, which is also newly rejuvenated. (10 p.m. Fri., Lee's Liquor Lounge, Mpls. $10-$12.)
Greg Brown: Iowa's Driftless songwriting hero and his peerless picking partner Bo Ramsey return for their standing annual gig in Minneapolis' warmest listening room. (8 p.m. Sat., Cedar Cultural Center, sold out.)
X-Ambassadors: Opening gigs with Imagine Dragons and the Top 40 hit "Renegades" have moved the Ithica, N.Y., pop-rockers into bigger rooms on their VHS Tour 2.0. (6:30 p.m. Mon., Myth, Maplewood, $21.)
Lucinda Williams: Touring behind the terrific minimalist double-album "The Ghosts of Highway 20," the Americana queen is choosing to settle in for longer stints. For her four Minneapolis gigs, she promises different set lists every night. (7 p.m. Tue.-Wed. & April 8-9, Dakota, sold out) Bream
The Joy Formidable: Ritzy Bryan's reverberating Welsh rock trio of "Whirring" notoriety adds its new album "Hitch" to an always impressive live show. (8 p.m. Tue., First Avenue, $20.)
Timo Andres and Gabriel Kahane are a pair of polymaths, good friends who share a sensibility of impish refinement, with Andres more of a "new classical" composer and Kahane more a progressive singer-songwriter. In town two years ago as part of a Liquid Music series show by Andres with a larger ensemble, the two have embarked on a "mixtape" tour that stops at Carnegie Hall two nights after this St. Paul performance sponsored by the Schubert Club. The foundation is classical folk songs by Charles Ives and Benjamin Britten, but they will be free-associating four centuries of other music as well, from Bach to World Premieres of their own compositions. Both performers play piano and Kahane sings. 7:30, Tues., Bedlam Lowertown, $30 Britt Robson
Flatbush Zombies: Brooklyn's offbeat and truly high-energy hip-hop trio, which has drummed up its fan base locally via Soundset, is touring behind a spacy new album, "3001: A Laced Odyssey." (7 p.m. Wed., First Ave, $20.)
Barry Manilow: He writes the songs that make critics gag but America loves this skillful showman and his schmaltzy songs. This is his final tour, though he will continue to record and perform. (7:30 p.m. Thu. Xcel Energy Center, $19.75-$169.75.) Bream
Mary Gauthier: Sort of a female Townes Van Zandt, she sings of life's underbelly. Her detailed, finely told story songs are dark, heavy stuff so Gauthier tends to lighten things with her cutting patter between the tales of drinking and dying. (7 p.m. Thu. Dakota, $25.) Bream
Ra Ra Riot: After four cult-loved albums for the Barsuk label, the Syracuse, N.Y., indie-pop quintet is breaking wider its irrepressible new hit "Water."(8:30 p.m. Thu., Triple Rock, $18.)
Hanggai blends Mongolian folk music and instrumentation with a welter of more Western influences for utterly unique juxtapositions—the thrum and buzz of their two throat-singers is variously hooked up to a spirited sway akin to folksy sea chanteys and a droning splendor that had reviewers comparing parts of their first album to the Velvet Underground. Hailing from Beijing and Inner Mongolia, members of the sextet also bow the traditional morin khuur (or horsehead fiddle) and strum the topshur (two-stringed lute), inspiring some to dub their style "Chinagrass" music for its bluegrass lilt. Oh, and their leader singer used to play punk rock. Expect extraordinary variety. 7:30 p.m., Thu., Ordway, $23-$45. Robson
