POP/ROCK

Justin Bieber, pop music's hottest male figure of the moment, turned 16 in March, and he just started his My World Tour on Wednesday. What will Bieber Fever be like live? He promises stage gimmicks, electronic effects and songs from his two best-selling discs. And girlish screams are guaranteed. Opening is Sean Kingston, the Jamaican singer/rapper who has had radio success with "Beautiful Girls," "Fire Burning" and "Eenie Meenie," featuring Bieber. (7 p.m. Tue., Target Center, $31.50-$51.50.) (J.B.)

Record exec Clive Davis suggested that guitar great Carlos Santana do duets with younger stars, and the results were the Grammy-winning blockbuster "Supernatural" and the similarly styled "Shaman" and "All That I Am." Now, after resisting at first, Santana is finally following Davis' advice to do an album of covers, with guest singers, of course. So don't be surprised if "Sunshine of Your Love," "Little Wing" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" are in the set list along with "Smooth" and "Black Magic Woman" when Santana kicks off his Universal Tone Tour in St. Paul. Opening is the enduringly soulful Steve Winwood, the voice of Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith and many solo hits. (7:30 p.m. Wed., Xcel Energy Center, $25.50-$125.) (J.B.)

One of the "Woods" in the Wood Brothers is Chris Wood, the bassist and "Wood" from Medeski, Martin & Wood (how much Wood could a Wood ... ah, never mind). His brother Oliver has played guitar with Tinsley Ellis and steps out front here as a mean slide guitarist and singer of mostly acoustic, old-school folk and gospel tunes. Philly singer/songwriter Carsie Blanton opens. (9 p.m. Fri., Turf Club. 21 & older. $15.) (C.R.)

Ween: Love 'em, hate 'em or simply don't get 'em, you have to admire the way the oddball Pennsylvania rockers have cultivated a diehard following entirely on their own terms since issuing their first record on Minneapolis' Twin/Tone Records in 1990. They don't have anything new to tout on this tour, but certainly have amassed an impressive discography. Their shows have grown more Zappa-esque jammy over the years, but they usually manage to reel themselves in. (7 p.m. Sat., Roy Wilkins Auditoriums. $28.50.) (C.R.)

Two of the quirkiest bands in the Pitchfork-fed music hipster world, Bay Area cohorts Why? and Deerhoof make for perfectly strange bedfellows when their tours meet up for one night only in Minneapolis. Local fans will recognize our own Andrew Broder and Mark Erickson of Fog notoriety backing Why? leader Jonathon (Yoni) Wolf and his foggy, atmospheric rock epics this time around. Unpinnable, Yoko Ono-echoing sonic collagists Deerhoof are in the midst of making an overdue new album. Southeast Engine opens. (6:30 p.m. Sat., First Avenue. All ages. $13-$15.) (C.R.)

Star Tribune file
Carlos Santana

Banjo god Bela Fleck composed "The Melody of Rhythm: Triple Concerto & Music for Trio" and recorded it with his longtime bassist pal Edgar Meyer, tabla master Zakir Hussain and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (under the direction of Leonard Slatkin). These three virtuosos, working on their own, will re-create the fresh and fascinating sounds of "Triple Concerto," as well as other pieces. Every Fleck concert is must-see adventure, no matter whom he's collaborating with. (7:30 p.m. Mon., Guthrie Theater, $53.50.) (J.B.)

Bobby Caldwell has had two careers: first as a blue-eyed soul singer (his big hit is "What You Won't Do for Love") and then as a crooner of jazz standards (his "Blue Condition" CD was a smooth-jazz staple). Nowadays, he performs in three formats -- with a big band, an R&B show or "up close and personal," which is how he categorizes this gig. (7:30 & 9:30 p.m. Tue.-Wed., Dakota Jazz Club, $24-$40.) (J.B.)

By popular demand, Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus revives "ExtrABBAganza!" for its GLBT Pride concert. This tribute to the music of Abba features all the favorites: "Mamma Mia." "Take a Chance on Me," "Super Trouper," "Winner Takes It All," etc. And who could forget their renditions of "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme a Man After Midnight" and "Does Your Mother Know (That You're OUT?)." This camp celebration includes mirror balls and lots of dancing queens. (8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Ted Mann Concert Hall, 2128 S. 4th St., Mpls., $23-$43, 612-624-2345.) (W.R.B.)

COUNTRY Josh Thompson, who grew up in Cedarburg, Wis., just north of Milwaukee, is one of the more encouraging new faces in country and not just because of his Wisconsin-brewed hit "Beer on the Table." He's got a bunch of good songs on his Columbia debut disc, "Way Out Here," including "Blame It on Waylon" and the Steve Earle-evoking "Name in This Town." Opening is the Twin Cities' own Rocket Club, an accomplished bar band with one foot in K102 and the other in Cities 97. (9:30 p.m. Fri., Cabooze, $17-$19.) (J.B.)

ACOUSTIC After seven years, one EP and three CDs, one of the Twin Cities' more unique combos, the Spaghetti Western String Co., is sadly calling it quits. This will be your last chance to hear their idiosyncratic, eclectic and deliberately cinematic blend of banjo, clarinet, cello, mandolin and guitars in the flesh. But the band is going out with a flourish -- its final gig is also a release party for the brand-new CD, "Farewell Verse." (8 p.m. Sat., Cedar Cultural Center. $12.) (T.S.)

Happily back together nearly five decades after their jug band exploits put them on the national cultural map, Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur are saints of American "roots" music, masters of acoustic feel-good blues and co-stars of the recent documentary "Chasin' Gus's Ghost." Muldaur has enjoyed quite a renaissance in the past dozen years, releasing some wonderful CDs and playing a string of great shows, but Kweskin has been a far rarer bird to find than a bald eagle 'round these parts, so his first TC appearance of the millennium is a must-see. (7:30 p.m. Sun., Dakota Jazz Club. $25.) (T.S.)

JAZZ

Age, experience and geography separate pianist Dan Cavanagh and vibraphonist Dave Hagedorn, but a passion for creative modern original jazz brings them together. Cavanagh is a precocious University of Texas prof, an award-winning composer and big-band leader, an ex-student of Hagedorn's and a frequent commissioned contributor to the Nova Jazz Orchestra's formidable "book" of charts. Hagedorn is the Twin Cities' vibes virtuoso, driving up from St. Olaf College for regular gigs with various jazz and classical ensembles. Together they have a special chemistry, soon to be documented on a duo CD and on tap next week for one night only. (9 p.m. Wed., Artists' Quarter. $5.) (T.S.)

One of the Windy City's busiest saxophonists, Pat Mallinger has worked with a staggering number of musical luminaries over the years -- jazz stars, blues stars, avant-garde heroes, pop singers, rockers -- everybody from Cab Calloway to the Dark Star Orchestra. On this visit to his old hometown, he'll have a new CD to showcase, "Dragon Fish." (9 p.m. Thu., Artists' Quarter. $10.) (T.S.)

Contributors: Staff critics Jon Bream and Chris Riemenschneider and freelancers Tom Surowicz and William Randall Beard.