POP/ROCK
[MORRISSEY'S SHOW HAS BEEN POSTPONED] Heaven knows Morrissey will be miserable now, coming to Minneapolis in the dead of winter instead of his original date in October, which he postponed to be with his ailing mother. The British mope mogul's last performance here in 2009 was a surprisingly hot one, ending with the famously ambisexual singer, 53, performing bare-chested. Yeah, it was warmer out then. As on that tour, his shows this time out have mixed in songs from his last album, "Years of Refusal," alongside other solo-career highlights and four or five tunes from his old band, the Smiths. St. Louis-reared opener Kristeen Young made her last album with Bowie producer Tony Visconti. (7:30 p.m. Fri., Orpheum Theatre, $39.50-$75.) Chris Riemenschneider
Glamtastic Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are changing their tune once again. Last year's album "The Lion the Beast the Beat" — produced by Jim Scott and the always-hip Dan Auerbach — had an '80s metallic rock vibe after the blues-rock blast of their self-titled 2010 album. The Nocturnals will rock harder than they did during their cameo opening slot at last summer's Kenny Chesney-Tim McGraw Target Field extravaganza. But just don't expect Potter and the boys to revert to their jam-band roots. Langhorne Slim opens. (8 p.m. Fri. & 7 p.m. Sat. First Avenue, $27.50) Jon Bream
A week after Prince's Dakota run, two princesses of the Twin Cities folk music community will co-opt the intimacy at Minneapolis' favorite jazz club to tout new albums. Mother Banjo, a k a KFAI-FM personality and Red House Records staffer Ellen Stanley, plucked a fine crop of gospel tunes new and old on "The Devil Hasn't Won," featuring an all-star band that includes Dan Gaarder (Roe Family Singers) and Ben Cook-Feltz. New mother Vicky Emerson mines similar ground as Dakota regular Shawn Colvin on her new one, "Dust & Echoes," touching on birth and death with help from Library Studio ace Matt Patrick and drummer JT Bates. (8 p.m. Fri., Dakota, $10.) Riemenschneider
Free Energy shows off a little more pop finesse and danceability on its long-awaited sophomore album, "Love Sign," but mostly the Philadelphia-based band of ex-Minnesotans and their new producer, John Agnello (Hold Steady, Sonic Youth), stuck to the winning formula of their debut with James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. As in: More pop-punchy guitarwork à la Thin Lizzy and Mick Ronson, more lovelorn hippie melodies from frontman Paul Sprangers and yes, more cowbell, all evidenced in the Current-spinning single "Electric Fever." Baby Boys, led by Jeff Quinn of His Mischief and Har Mar Superstar's band, opens with Strange Relations. (10 p.m. Sat., Turf Club, $10.) Riemenschneider
Pianist, accordionist and raconteur Dan Chouinard unveils the latest installment of his "Cafe Europa" series, started in 2005. This program is built around vignettes of Americans abroad during World War II that Chouinard gathered while bicycling through France and Italy. The cast includes two great singers (Maria Jette, Prudence Johnson), a string quartet, a distinguished actor (Bradley Greenwald), a veteran journalist (Eric Ringham), a comedian and podcaster (Joseph Scrimshaw), and retired MPR newscaster Gary Eichten as the voice of legendary war correspondent Ernie Pyle. (8 p.m. Sat., Fitzgerald Theater, $32.) Tom Surowicz
After playing one of President Obama's inaugural events, charismatic and soulful singer Ruthie Foster hopped on a plane to shows in Portugal and Switzerland. Her first gig back in the United States comes in Hopkins. Her most recent CD, "Let It Burn," was blessed with a Southern-soul dream team of guest stars, including bassist George Porter Jr. of the Meters, New Orleans drummer Russell Batiste Jr., the Blind Boys of Alabama and Stax Records legend William Bell. A lesser talent might have been overshadowed, but Foster easily held her own. (7 p.m. Tue., Hopkins Center for the Arts, $28.) Surowicz
Using words, a few songs and priceless photos and film clips, Peter Asher offers a magical mystery tour through the Beatles, Stones, James Taylor and Courtney Love, among others. The Forrest Gump of rock, Asher was the ultimate insider as his sister dated Paul McCartney (who lived with the Ashers) and he scored a hit ("World Without Love") as Peter & Gordon, introduced John Lennon to Yoko Ono at his art gallery, discovered Taylor, produced Linda Ronstadt and managed Love. He still produces (Rodrigo y Gabriela is his latest project) and occasionally presents his musical memoir show with self-deprecating humor and British graciousness. Highly recommended for baby boomers. (7 p.m. Tue.-Wed., Dakota, $40-$45.) Bream
Once best-known as Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor's and guitarist Jim Root's unmasked, more straight-ahead side band, Stone Sour has now racked up almost as much commercial success as its predecessor. The anthemic Iowa metal quintet is enjoying comeback-like success on its fifth album, "House of Gold & Bones," which landed the No. 1 hard-rock single "Absolute Zero." Taylor & Co. joined up with enduring Southern California alt-metal favorites Papa Roach ("Last Resort") on a co-headlining tour. Las Vegas openers Otherwise are now in 93X-FM rotation with their march-like single "Soldiers." (6:30 p.m. Tue., Myth, all ages, $32.50.) Riemenschneider