Big Turn Festival: Red Wing's unlikely answer to South by Southwest keeps getting bigger, with around 200 Midwest acts spread between 23 hoppable downtown venues in its third year. Friday's lineup includes such familiar singer/songwriters as Charlie Parr, Lydia Liza, Nicholas David, Trapper Schoepp, Mark Mallman, Mother Banjo, Ben Weaver and Katy Vernon along with buzzing newcomers like Nur-D, Gully Boys and Static Panic. Saturday is even crazier, with jamming mainstays the Big Wu, Bon Iver associate S. Carey, Trip Shakespeare vet Matt Wilson's new "orchestra," heavy rockers Porcupine and the Shackletons, rapper Sean Anonymous, bluegrassy pickers Barbaro and Pistol Poppin' Penguins, songwriters Mason Jennings, Pieta Brown, David Huckfelt and Actual Wolf, and dozens more to discover. (5 p.m. Fri., 3 p.m. Sat., downtown Red Wing, $40 or $75/two-day, bigturnmusicfest.com.)
Big Head Todd and the Monsters: After playing the Minnesota Zoo again last summer, Colorado's "Bittersweet" '90s hitmakers return to champion 2017's "New World Arisin'," one of their heaviest efforts, featuring the funk-rock jam "Trip," the Hüsker-ish post-punk "Detonator," and a trippingly psychedelic reading of Hendrix's "Room Full of Mirrors." (8 p.m. Fri., Palace Theatre, St. Paul, $35-$80)
Ben Noble: The Denver-reared, Minneapolis-based singer/songwriter crafted a fantastical, synth- and electronics-laden backdrop for his second album, "Where the Light Comes In," full of sweetly sung, dramatic, bright-eyed ambient-pop that is weirdly but convincingly equal parts Bon Iver and Owl City. Maple & Beech open his release party. (8 p.m. Fri., Parkway Theater, Mpls., $15-$20)
Yung Gravy: This Minnesota rapper deals in sleazy and sexist faux-pimp cliches that seem extra laughable considering he's from Rochester. He's gotten a big enough viral following to play Minneapolis' new 1,850-capacity venue, though, so who's laughing now? DJ Tiiiiiiiiiip opens. (8 p.m. Fri., Fillmore Minneapolis, all ages, $32.50)
Natty Nation: Madison's veteran reggae groovers are putting on their fifth annual Twin Cities tribute to Bob Marley following what would've been his 75th birthday. (9 p.m. Fri., Hook & Ladder, Mpls., $12-$15)
Echosmith: Seven years after their debut album, this trio of siblings offered their second full length last month. Produced by their dad, "Lonely Generation" is a solid pop collection, with echoes of Carly Rae Jepsen, Taylor Swift and vintage new wave. Considering that the Sierota sibs were teenagers when they dropped their debut, this is a step forward. Lead singer Sydney Sierota sounds more mature, notably on the ballad "Everyone Cries," a duet with her brother Noah, and on the title track about coming of age, a logical follow-up to their 2013 hit "Cool Kids." With Weathers and Jayden Bartels. (7 p.m. Fri., Fine Line, Mpls., $25)
The Cedar Commissions: What happens when six genre-busting Twin Cities musicians get Jerome Foundation grants to create meaningful new music? Find out at this ninth annual showcase, starting Friday with inspiring piano song looper Freaque's topical riff "Fury," neo-classical composer Anat Spiegel's ode to her inspirators "My Four Mothers" and guitarist Ilan Blanck's saga about his refugee great-grandparents "La Primera Vez Que Me Siento Seguro." Saturday has buzzing electro-rapper Dua Saleh's Afrodiasporic collage "Strings and Heart Beats," Tensae Fayise's East African-rooted "Ye Terrarou Tenfash" and multidisciplinary artist Rebecca Nichloson's trilogy "Multicolored Musings: Jewels of Love, Loss & Triumph." It's truly something you've never heard before. (7:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 416 Cedar Av. S., Mpls., all ages, $10 or $15/two-night, thecedar.org).
Raphael Saadiq: Since leaving the hitmaking R&B trio Tony! Toni! Toné! in 1997, Saadiq has taken many unpredictable turns as a singer, songwriter and producer. His most fascinating diversion yet may have been last year's underrated album "Jimmy Lee," his first solo effort in nine years. The record was based on his older brother's death from addiction and other family traumas, with dark and heartwarming elements around deep and infectious grooves, all in the spirit of Prince's "Sign o' the Times." Opener Jamila Woods was Chance the Rapper's co-vocalist on "Sunday Candy." (8:30 p.m. Sat., First Avenue, Mpls., $35, first-avenue.com)