Devendra Banhart: Every year or so, Walker Art Center sets loose a polymath on an ambitious, multi-night series of eclectic collaborations. This time it's the acid-folk singer-songwriter (and visual artist) Banhart. On Friday he'll open solo and then match up with Lucky Dragons, Jessica Pratt, Helado Negro and William Basinski. Saturday will begin with Banhart's regular touring band then shift into the collaborative gifts of Rodrigo Amarante, Hecuba and Harold Budd. Co-presented with the SPCO's Liquid Music series, the whole shebang is entitled "Wind Grove Mind Alone." Expect daring experiments. (8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Walker, $24-$28.) Britt Robson
Kenny Rogers: "The Gambler" hitmaker knows when to fold 'em. After a career that started in the 1950s, the "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" rocker turned country superstar is in the midst of his farewell tour. Rogers was so hot in the 1980s that "Lady" and "Islands in the Stream," his duet with Dolly Parton, reached No. 1 on both the country and pop charts. Expect to hear those hits, "Reuben James," "Coward of the County" and "Lucille" one last time on what's billed as Rogers' Final World Tour: The Gambler's Last Deal. Opening is Linda Davis, Reba McEntire's duet partner on "Does He Love You" and the mother of Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott. (9:30 p.m. Fri., Shooting Star Casino, Mahnomen, Minn. $45-$80. 1-800-453-7827; 8 p.m. Sat. Treasure Island Casino, Red Wing, $48-$63. TIcasino.com) Jon Bream
Nada Surf: Two decades after landing an MTV novelty hit, Matthew Caws and his band are still churning out sophisticated, powerful pop/rock, evidenced again by their new Barsuk album "You Know Who You Are." (9 p.m. Fri., Fine Line, $20.) Riemenschneider
The Lowland Lakers: This Duluth-rooted, Minneapolis based country/folk trio is celebrating a big charmer of a debut album, "The Mississippi Is Between Us Now," led by soulful singer in Haley Rydell and full of rich three-part harmonies. (10:30 p.m. Fri., Dakota, $7.) Riemenschneider
Northern Invasion: A popular spot for metal festivals during its previous incarnation as Float-Rite Park, Somerset Amphitheater will get an extra day of the hard stuff this year as Northern Invasion expands to a two-day fest after last year's inaugural installment sold out. This year's lineup includes many veteran acts who've previously played the farmland venue — an hour northeast of the Twin Cities — including Rob Zombie, Lamb of God, P.O.D. and Black Stone Cherry on Saturday, and Distrubed, Korn, Seether and Sevendust next Sunday. Many newer metal stars are also on the schedule, including Shinedown, A Day to Remember, Ghost, Asking Alexandria, Bring Me the Horizon and Nikki Sixx's Sixx A.M. (Noon Sat.-next Sun., Somerset Amphitheater in Somerset, Wis., $99.50/day, NorthernInvasion.com.) Chris Riemenschneider
New Orleans Suspects: The all-star Crescent City funk/rock/R&B crew, featuring former sidemen for the Neville Brothers, Dirty Dozen and James Brown, are bringing a big stash of Louisiana crawfish this time for a pre-concert boil. The Butanes open. (8:30 p.m. Sat., Cabooze, $10-$15; boil starts 7 p.m., $15.) Riemenschneider
Brian Jonestown Massacre: Madcap psychedelic-rock wiz Anton Newcomb and his hard-blasting San Francisco unit have been rolling strong in recent years and have ace support this time from local greats Magic Castles. (9 p.m. Sat., First Avenue, $20.) Riemenschneider
Ramones Mania: The annual cancer research fundraiser moves to a new location with old-fave bands including the Magnolias, Impaler, Flamin' Ohs and Red Flags, plus Richie Ramone bandmate Jiro Okabe. (7 p.m. Sat., Uptown VFW Post 246, 2916 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls., $6-$10.) Riemenschneider
James Hunter: The British retro soul man just dropped his first record on the Daptone label, "Hold On," a collection of vintage-sounding originals produced by Gabriel Roth of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. (7 p.m. Sun.-Mon., Dakota, $35-$45.) Bream
Birds of Chicago: Wife-and-husband team Allison Russell and JT Nero cut their teeth in separate bands (Po' Girl and JT & the Clouds, respectively) but have truly found harmony together in their jazzified soul/pop group. Roots music wiz Joe Henry just produced their second album, "Real Midnight," full of candlelit ballads and jangly, lovelorn ditties led by Russell's goosebumps-inducing voice. Ben Lubeck of Farewell Milwaukee opens. (7:30 p.m. Thu., Cedar Cultural Center, all ages, $15, TheCedar.org.) Riemenschneider
Four Tet: London electronic instrumentalist Kieran Hebden earned the "folktronica" tag with his early-'00s albums for Domino but has since been all over the map and collaborated with the likes of Thom Yorke and Laurie Anderson. Fellow British DJ Ben UFO opens. (9 p.m. Thu., The Loft at Skyway Theatre, $15-$20.) Riemenschneider
Event will celebrate 20 years of Home of the Month contest and offer peek at top residential projects
Minnesota and other Democratic-led states lead pushback on censorship. They're banning the book ban
Some of comedy's biggest names converge on the Twin Cities this weekend
