Carrie Underwood

We just can't get too much of the country queen. She's returning to the greater metro area for the second time in nine months. Her Denim & Rhinestones Tour, which rocked Target Center in October, ended this spring. Then she resumed her Las Vegas residency, but this summer Underwood is doing some isolated gigs, including some bucket-list ones with Guns N' Roses. Last month, the don't-mess-with-me Nashville superstar dropped a new single, the kiss-off "Out of That Truck," in which she wishes her ex good luck in getting her smells and memories out of his Chevy Silverado. Caroline Jones opens. (7 p.m. Fri., Treasure Island Amphitheater, 5734 Sturgeon Lake Road, Red Wing, $59 and up, ticketmaster.com)

JON BREAM

Killer Mike

He was supposed to be here this year — and last year, and the year before that — with his incomparably electric duo Run the Jewels as the openers on Rage Against the Machine's unraveled tour. Instead, the booming-voiced Atlanta rap giant and social commentator/activist is sneaking into town on his own for a more personal and likely emotional go-around promoting his first solo album, "Michael," in 11 years. The record explores his upbringing, spirituality and hard-fought pride with tinges of classic boom-bap and gospel music, the latter of which he's generating on tour with help from a choir called the Midnight Revival. (8 p.m. Mon., First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $35, axs.com)

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

Dusty Daze

C.R.

Laila Biali

While her "Out of Dust" in 2020 was a highly personal collection about loss, the veteran Vancouver jazz thrush tackles the Great American Songbook on this year's "Your Requests." The Juno winner gets boosts from all-stars such as vocalist Kurt Elling on an intimately idiosyncratic "My Funny Valentine" and clarinetist Anat Cohen on a Brazilian-tinged "But Not for Me," but the singer-pianist has a way of making the familiar sound fresh. Props to Biali for her arrangements, which afford instrumental passages that elevate these standards, especially the scat-spiked "Pennies From Heaven" and the soprano-sax-raked "Autumn Leaves." (8:30 p.m. Sat. Crooners, 6161 Hwy. 65, Fridley, $30-$40, croonersloungemn.com)

J.B.

The Summer Singers

ROB HUBBARD

International Cello Institute

If you love the rich and emotive sound of a cello, then this concert series is for you. Young cellists gather from all over in Northfield each summer for this event, and they always bring a few of the esteemed clinicians northward to Minneapolis for recitals. On Friday, Colombia's Santiago Canon-Valencia will perform music by Maurice Ravel, Alberto Ginastera and others. On July 28, the series closes with Iceland's Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir performing three J.S. Bach Cello Suites. (7:30 p.m. Fri. & July 28; Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church Art Gallery, 511 Groveland Av., Mpls.; $15-$30; internationalcelloinstitute.com)

R.H.

'Invisible Fences'

ROHAN PRESTON

'Ruthless'

The Elision Playhouse opened in 2019 with "Ruthless," the all-female spoof of some of Broadway's biggest musicals by composer Marvin Laird and bookwriter and lyricist Joel Paley. It's proved to be a fan favorite. It's about an 8-year-old who thinks she was born to play Pippi Longstocking and will do anything, including murder, to get the part. The cast includes Vanessa Gamble, Greta Grosch and Deidre Cochran. Lindsay Fitzgerald directs. (July 20-30. 7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat, 2:30 p.m. Sun. with a pay-as-you-wish 7:30 p.m. performance July 24. Elision Playhouse, 6105 42nd Av. N., Crystal. $10-$50. elisionproductions.com)

R.P.

Ragamala Dance Company

SHEILA REGAN

Arena Dances

Arena Dances takes over Peavey Plaza's beautiful water feature with a 45-minute outdoor performance featuring works choreographed by artistic director Mathew Janczewski. It's part of Summer at Peavey Plaza, an ongoing series taking place in downtown Minneapolis. Audiences will get a sneak peek of Arena's new piece, "Erased Steps," which the Minneapolis company is set to premiere at St. Paul's Union Depot in August. The other works at the plaza are Janczewski's "Run With Me," a vigorous and passionate work set to the music of singer-songwriter Lhasa, and "Quartet," set to the music of Four Tet. (2 p.m. Sat., Peavey Plaza, 1101 Nicollet Mall, Mpls. Free, arena-dances.org)

S.R.

'Among Friends'

ALICIA ELER

Silent art auction

Ever wanted to attend an art auction but didn't feel like speaking up? "Worth a King's Ransom II: Silent Art Auction Party" hosted by Triple Kings, is a silent art auction and party in one, featuring live jazz, spoken word, raffle prizes and augmented reality artworks. Bid on works by Minneapolis College of Art and Design graduate Barret Lee, representational painter Flahn Manly, Brandyn Tulloch and many others. It's hosted by Bdot Croc, and DJ Kam Bennett will spin tracks. (5-9:30 p.m. Fri., The Hennepin, 900 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls. $20-$50. triplekingsmpls.com)

A.E.

Latino Conservation Week Festival

MELISSA WALKER

Carifest

Patrons can celebrate all things Caribbean at this daylong festival, which began in the 1990s, on the Mississippi riverfront in north Minneapolis. They can sample jerk chicken, patties and escoveitch fish among a cornucopia of foods. They can dance to calypso, reggae and chutney when the first live acts begin at noon and take in a parade at 4 p.m. Mainstage headliners include reggae veterans the Meditations, Trinidadian chutney and soca jammers Raymond Ramnarine and Dil-e-nadan. "When we first started, it was an organic way to bring people from the Caribbean together," said festival president James Byron. "Now we get to share our food, joy and warmth." (11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat., West River Rd. N. between Broadway & Plymouth Av., Mpls. $15-$25. 612-239-8384, carifest.org.)

R.P.

St. Paul Food Truck Festival