Best of the week: Dolly Parton, Trombone Shorty, Aesop Rock, 'Calendar Girls,' more

Dolly Parton doesn't need a new album to tour, but she's hitting the road in advance of the Aug. 19 release of "Pure & Simple," a return to unadorned roots. "I may not be pure, but I'm as simple as they come," the country legend said in a prepared statement. "I feel like these songs have a pure, tender side, and we didn't go overboard with arrangements." Let's hope she doesn't go overboard with the lip syncing in concert. JON BREAM

7:30 p.m. Wed. Grand Casino Hinckley, $65-$200, grandcasinomn.com

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue have become a mainstay at the Minnesota Zoo because they know how to get the party started and keep it going. Though not the best singer in New Orleans, Shorty is an energetic entertainer and sharp bandleader. Of late, he played on records by Foo Fighters, Dierks Bentley and Mark Ronson, performed at the White House twice and authored an award-winning children's picture book, "Trombone Shorty."

JON BREAM

7:30 p.m. Thu. Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley, $46-$53.50, etix.com

A new Chinese-style garden is taking shape at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum complete with a tea house, scholar's room and reception pavilion overlooking a stylized lake and serpentine walk. A complementary exhibition features paintings in the Chinese manner by five Twin Cities artists of Chinese heritage or training: Kairong Liu, Yudong Shen, Lei Yang, Hong Zhang and Bob Schmitt, who has studied the exacting tradition for more than 50 years.

MARY ABBE

After outdoor appearances at Soundset and Doomtree's Zoo, Aesop Rock, Minnesota's favorite nonlocal indie rapper, returns to his favorite local venue to tout his first solo album in four years. "The Impossible Kid" dropped via Rhymesayers in May and has turned into one of his most acclaimed albums yet, even landing him an appearance on Stephen Colbert's show with Yo La Tengo as his backing band. Opening will be Homeboy Sandman and Dem Atlas.

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

8:30 p.m. Mon. First Avenue, Mpls., $20, etix.com

How far do you want to travel for a country festival? Country Jam in Eau Claire is a relatively short drive, and it has a solid lineup for the three-day hoedown. Florida Georgia Line and Cole Swindell will cruise on Thursday. Jake Owen and the Band Perry top the bill on Friday. And Jason Aldean headlines the Saturday party, which also features Thomas Rhett, A Thousand Horses and Brothers Osborne. The Twin Cities' own Tim Sigler hits the party-zone stage.

JON BREAM

Christina Baldwin and Charity Jones lead a team of Twin Cities theater heavy hitters in "Calendar Girls," adapted from the 2003 British film hit about a real-life, feel-good story. When a woman loses her husband to cancer, her pals cook up a plan to raise money for a memorial — a girlie calendar, featuring the women in all their middle-aged glory. Although the play wobbles a bit, it offers a rare display of female talent.

TIM CAMPBELL

2 p.m. Sun. and next Sun., 7:30 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 2 & 7:30 p.m. Sat. Park Square, St. Paul, $27-$60, parksquaretheatre.org

Love him or hate him, our bombastic former Gov. Jesse Ventura is back with another book. "Sh*t Politicians Say" is, as the subtitle says, "The Funniest, Dumbest, Most Outrageous Things Ever Uttered by Our 'Leaders.' " Ventura — who said a lot of stuff when he was our leader — will read and sign books today. His remarks might not be funny or outrageous, but here's betting they'll be loud.

LAURIE HERTZEL

Open Streets Minneapolis hosts block parties throughout the city for neighbors to get to know one another. Next weekend, E. Lake Street takes a turn with a block party featuring family entertainment, live music, exhibits and displays. There will be food, flowers and fresh produce from Midtown Global Market. Learn about the bike paths in the city. Check out the Somali Museum of Minnesota, with its collection of more than 700 artifacts.

MELISSA WALKER

11 a.m.-5 p.m. July 24, E. Lake St. between Elliot and 42nd Avs. S., Mpls. openstreetsmpls.org.

Local drummer J.T. Bates' "Jazz Implosion" series reaches another high-water mark with a trio featuring keyboardist John Medeski, guitarist Todd Clouser and Bates. They will perform "Boy 44," Clouser's suite of songs related to the 2014 disappearance of 43 students at a school in Mexico. But Clouser, a Minnesota native who now lives in Mexico City, also promises plenty of jam-based grooves along the lines of the band Medeski, Martin & Wood.

BRITT ROBSON