Taylor Swift: Her Reputation Stadium Tour has already broken her own record for biggest grossing concert tour by a woman — and she still has three months to go. Always known for her ambitious, wow-inducing stage productions, the country princess-turned-pop megastar is focusing heavily this time on material from her 2017 "Reputation" album, accompanied by fireworks, fountains and snakes. Well, inflatable snakes. Swift also sprinkles in different early career favorites each show as well as her pop smashes "Shake It Off" and "Bad Blood." Opening are British pop star Charli XCX and "Havana" hitmaker Camila Cabello, who was just named MTV's artist of the year at the VMAs. (7 p.m. Fri.-Sat. U.S. Bank Stadium, $47.50-$725, ticketmaster.com)
Ian Anderson: The singer/flutist is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the launch of his band, Jethro Tull. The current lineup has been with Anderson since 2012 and doesn't include Tull guitarist Martin Barre, who tours with his own band. As a band, Jethro Tull is history. But Anderson presses on, revisiting classic-rock faves like "Aqualung" and "Thick as a Brick," with a new studio album promised for next year. (8 p.m. Fri. State Theatre, $63.50-$104.)
Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker: A decade into his country career, Rucker of Hootie & the Blowfish remains one of the most distinctive male voices in Nashville, enjoying two hits off his fifth and current album, "When Was the Last Time." His latest single, "Straight to Hell," features Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum. Look for Kelley to join Rucker for the carefree romp because Lady A is on tour with Rucker, promoting its sixth album, "Heart Break." (7 p.m. Fri. Treasure Island amphitheater, Red Wing. $49 and up)
Vibro Champs: Cool-cat rocker Dave Wolfe is returning from Texas to pair up with his old bandmate Al Subola and friends, a return to the old-school rockabilly dance scene they helmed at Lee's Liquor Lounge for many years; though it's not actually at Lee's. (7:30 p.m. Fri., Ballentine Uptown VFW, 2916 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls., $7.)
Impaler & Dare Force: The same night Hairball commandeers the fair grandstand, some other local '80s hard-rockers will return to First Ave for a throwback night of original Twin Cities metal. The four-band lineup is led by the shock-rock showmen Impaler, who just released a killer new song "If Death Were a Horse," and scene mainstays Dare Force, who are touting an entire new album, "Callin' Your Name." Also playing are thrash quartet Kublai Khan, led by one-time Megadeth member Greg Handevidt, and the Regime. (8 p.m. Sat., First Avenue, $15-$20.)
John Hiatt: The Americana ace is beloved for his songwriting, guitar work, humor and 22 studio albums, especially 1988's "Slow Turning." Hiatt will play that album — which includes "Drive South" and "Feels Like Rain" — in its entirety, as well as other favorites. Hiatt will be accompanied by his band, the Goners, featuring stellar Louisiana guitarist Sonny Landreth, a star in his own right. (8 p.m. Sat. Pantages Theatre, $48.50-$79.50)
Sounds of Philadelphia: Twin Cities singers Johnnie Brown and KJ team up for a tribute to Teddy Pendergrass and other sounds of Philly soul music that captured our hearts and feet in the 1970s and beyond. (7 p.m. Sat. Dakota, $20-$25)
Har Mar Superstar: After wrapping up his Sam Cooke tribute tours with a sizable donation to local music education, the fun-loving indie-rock soul man is going back to his semi-regular show as the only hometown evening headliner on the Minnesota State Fair's big bandshell. (8:30 p.m. Sun. & Mon., Lenie's Lodge Bandshell, free.)
Terrance Simien & Zydeco Experience: The proudly Creole, Grammy-winning Louisiana music hero and his funky band are one of the out-of-state acts most worth sampling among the State Fair's free lineups, with elements of old-school soul and Hendrix-ian rock mixed in with their lively bayou sounds. (3:30 & 4:45 p.m. Sat. & Sun., Leinie's Lodge Bandshell, free.)
Mina Moore: This Twin Cities singer has worked with Al Church and Caroline Smith. Now she's going to apply her style to an interpretation of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" album. (7 & 9 p.m. Sun. & 7 p.m. Mon. Dakota, $15-$30)
Culture Club & B-52's: At Culture Club's triumphant 2016 comeback show at the Myth, the still delightfully outrageous Boy George offered some new songs and promised a new Culture Club album. That project apparently was scrapped but a new record is reportedly in the works. Meanwhile, Culture Club can revisit "Karma Chameleon," "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" and other oldies on this tour of '80s MTV favorites. The kitschy and catchy B-52's, those beloved new-wavers from the late '70s, made an MTV slash with "Love Shack" in '89 and "Roam" in '90. Last year at the Minnesota Zoo, the colorful B-52's were still suitably effervescent. Opening is Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins, remembered for 1983's "Hold Me Now." (6:30 p.m. Mon. State Fair grandstand, $35-$45, etix.com)
Metallica: Since they came here special to christen U.S. Bank Stadium two summers ago, metal's maximus rockus band skipped the Twin Cities until now, the tail-end of their Worldwired Tour. The in-the-round staging is timed to the decently bombastic late-2016 album, "Hardwired… to Self-Destruct." Our date, however, follows a long summer break, which could result in some set-list changes but at least bodes well for the energy level. (8 p.m. Tue., Target Center, 600 1st Av. N., Mpls., $143, axs.com)
Ronnie Spector: It's the return of the Rock Hall of Famer from the Ronettes who inspired Amy Winehouse and countless other female rockers and made Beach Boy Brian Wilson's all-time favorite single, "Be My Baby." Spector released her fifth solo album in 2016, "English Heart," a collection of her versions of British Invasion hits that shows, at age 75, her interpretive skills remain despite diminished vocal power. (7 p.m. Tue.-Wed. Dakota, $50-$80.)
Car Seat Headrest: Still just 25 years old, Will Toledo has already made a sizable mark with his Seattle area band, whose gnarly, wordy indie-rock caught attention with the sprawling 2016 LP "Teens of Denial." They're back touting a remake of "Twin Fantasy," a personal album Toledo made when he was still just a scrappy basement taper. Fellow Seattle openers Naked Giants are a fun, poppy power trio worth catching. (8 p.m. Wed., First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $22, first-avenue.com.)
Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore: If these two cultishly loved Americana/alt-twang veterans have half as much fun at their local appearance as they seemed to have had making a record together, then this show will be well a real hoot. The Californian roots-rock guitar hero of Blasters notoriety and the Texan country crooner of Flatlanders renown covered old nuggets by the likes of Woody Guthrie and Lloyd Price and offered a couple rich originals on the record, "Downey to Lubbock." Jon Langford of the Mekons and Waco Brothers opens. (7 p.m. Thu., the Dakota, $50-$55.)
Neko Case: Another First Ave regular who long ago outgrew the place, Neko Case moves over to the club's new, twice-bigger sister venue after using a bout of rather strange "bad luck" — as the single of the same name puts it — and a large cast of friendly collaborators as inspiration for the aptly titled new album "Hell On," one of her poppiest and best efforts yet. Thao Nguyen opens. (7:30 p.m. Thu., Palace Theater, sold out.)
Rise Against & AFI: The Warped Tour has ended, but its legacy lives on in these stormy, emo-leaning punk bands. Rise Against just issued a collection of stripped-down reinterpretations of its songs, titled "Ghost Note Symphonies, Vol. 1," while goth-phase survivor Davey Havok and his crew roared anew with last year's self-titled album. Political ragers Anti-Flag open. (7:30 p.m., the Armory, Mpls., $37-$47.)
