Big Gigs: A guide to Twin Cities concerts March 14-20

Enough with the green beer. The classiest way we can think of to celebrate St. Patrick's Day is with Celtic Woman, the Irish quartet that has become a mainstay on PBS and at the Xcel Energy Center. On last year's "Emerald: Musical Gems," the singers revisited many old favorites, including "Danny Boy," "Dúlaman" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." This year's 75-concert tour will feature two new singers, Mairead Carlin and Lynn Hilary. (7 p.m. Mon., Xcel Energy Center, $41-$71. ) Bream

Forget about sending singers concert requests via a Website or social media. Mike Doughty is going old school. Scribble your request — or question — on a slip of paper and toss it in a jar. The former Soul Coughing frontman will then allow his randomly drawn pieces of paper to dictate his set list. He's calling it his Question Jar Tour. Ask him about recording solo albums in Minneapolis with producer Dan Wilson or what salacious stories he left out his 2012 memoir "The Book of Drugs" or anything you want. (7 & 9 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Dakota, $25.) Jon Bream

Has Disasteratti turned into a funk band? Not exactly, but the scorching Minneapolis noise-rock trio's new album for Learning Curve Records, "Cerebral Hack Artists," boasts several songs with snaky grooves and more rhythmic fluctuations, vs. the metallic pounding and all-roar approach of past efforts. Frontman Dari Kaveh still howls and screams like the best of the Amphetamine/Reptile-era "singers," but he also shows off a slower-stewing, Kurt Cobain-like mellow dark-side here. Buildings, Mrs. and Animal Lover open the release party. (9 p.m. Fri., 7th Street Entry, $5.) Chris Riemenschneider

If the local radio hit about his mom playing soccer for the National Side wasn't enough of a clue, Romantica frontman Ben Kyle is a grade-A Americana singer but originally hails from Ireland. That's just one of many reasons his band is a great choice to take over St. Paddy's Day duties at First Ave. Back from an extended break after guitarist Luke Jacobs relocated to Texas, the local folk-rockers will be joined by a couple other whiskey-soaked twang-rock acts, White Iron Band and Silverback Colony, as well as the Minnesota Police Pipe Band. (8 p.m. Mon., First Avenue, $10-$15.) Riemenschneider

After bouncing around different venues for St. Patrick's Day in recent years, the Twin Cities' most Irish non-Celtic band the Belfast Cowboys landed at the Turf Club last year and seem to have found their pot of gold. Or at least they probably get a good drink tab there. Frontman Terry Walsh and his nine-piece band play the works of Van Morrison with fun and finesse, and they know some great originals and covers by other Irish rock legends, too — all of which will come in handy, with multiple sets to fill the night. (7 p.m. Mon., Turf Club, $5.) Riemenschneider

Things always seem to be going up and down for Demi Lovato. Let's see, the 21-year-old former Disney darling announced that she wouldn't return as a judge for the fourth season of "The X Factor," then a few weeks later it got canceled. Lovato released "Let It Go" as a single, only to get trumped by Idina Menzel's Oscar-winning version of the same song. Lovato's book, "Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year," was published last fall and nothing could stop it from topping the New York Times' bestseller list. Now she's on tour promoting her fourth album, "Demi," featuring the electropop hit "Heart Attack." Opening are two acts launched on "The X Factor": England's spicey girl group Little Mix and faceless U.S. vocal group Fifth Harmony. (7 p.m. Tue., Xcel Energy Center, $29.50-$65.) Bream

Together for over three decades, New Orleans bar favorites the Radiators were a jam band long before the term was in common parlance. Now guitarists Dave Malone and Camile Baudoin, and drummer Frank Bua Jr. are back in a new quintet with an amusing name, Raw Oyster Cult. Better do a load of tie-dyes, because their Twin Cities debut is a two-night affair also featuring John Gros, the beefy keyboardist and lead singer of another veteran Crescent City combo, Papa Grows Funk. (9:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Bunker's, $25.) Tom Surowicz

Pat Metheny always surrounds himself with talented and versatile players. His latest band, the Pat Metheny Unity Group, co-stars justly lauded sax master Chris Potter, who unpacked every reed instrument in his closet for the impressive, often rhapsodic new CD, "Kin," along with savvy bassist Ben Williams and longtime Metheny drum dynamo Antonio Sanchez. The new, not-so-secret weapon is Giulio Carmassi, who played piano, trumpet, trombone, French horn, cello, vibes, clarinet, flute, recorder, alto sax and Wurlitzer organ on "Kin," plus did a little singing and whistling. After which, the slacker probably cleaned up the studio, too. (7:30 p.m. Sun., Fitzgerald Theater, $48-$5.) Surowicz

The JazzMN Orchestra breaks new ground with a concert featuring Grammy-winning singing group New York Voices, experts at scatting and modern harmony. The quartet puts a jazz spin on pop classics, including a sublime version of Laura Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic" and a hit-and-miss album of 14 Paul Simon covers. On the highbrow tip, New York Voices has also shared a CD of musical settings of Rainer Maria Rilke poems with Meryl Streep. (3 p.m. Sun., Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center, 2400 Lindbergh Dr., Minnetonka. $34. 1-800-838-3006.) Surowicz

In one of the first non-Minnesota Orchestra concerts at the remodeled Orchestra Hall, popular trumpeter Chris Botti returns with his eight-piece ensemble, including vocalists Sy Smith and George Komsky. The well-traveled, bestselling Botti, who has played with everyone from Sting to Sinatra, collected his first Grammy this year, for best instrumental pop album for "Impressions." It is a classical crossover collection with a taste of pop songs, featuring the vocals of Vince Gill and Mark Knopfler. (8 p.m. March 20-21, Orchestra Hall, $40-$105.) Bream

Doing some recording while he's in town from Arkansas, former Twin Citian and internationally renowned harmonica ace R.J. Mischo returns with a cast of bar all-stars, including frequent touring partner Jeremy Johnson on guitar, longtime Senders bassist Billy Black and the Butanes' sure-handed, superb drummer Robb Stupka. (9 p.m. Fri., Schooner Tavern, no cover.) Surowicz

The only problem with Junior Brown's swell recent release, "Volume Ten," is that with just six songs, it's way too short. Brown's in fine form as usual, making amazing lead and steel guitar licks sound easy, and singing like a hipper reincarnation of the great Ernest Tubb, and crafting funny new songs, sometimes with important social messages. Check out "Hang Up and Drive," an instant honky-tonk classic about cellphones on the highway. The man's a hoot, and a treasure. (7 p.m. Wed., Dakota Jazz Club, $35-$40.) Surowicz

"Dvořák: Going Home" is another fascinating program from Cantus, the men's vocal ensemble. It explores the music of Antonín Dvořák from its roots in Czech folk music, the works of Smetana, Wagner and Tchaikovsky, and later, the work of some of America's first black composers. The program also features composers he inspired, including Gershwin and Copland. The group also will perform the world premiere of "Eventide" by California composer Byron Adams, using text from "The Day Is Done" by Henry Wads­worth Longfellow. (7:30 Sat., Sundin Music Hall, Hamline University, 1531 Hewitt Av., St. Paul; 3 p.m. Sun., Trinity Lutheran Church, 115 N. 4th St., Stillwater; 11 a.m. Thu., Colonial Church of Edina, 6200 Colonial Way; 3 p.m. March 23, St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, 630 Wayzata Blvd. E., Wayzata, $25, 612-435-0055) William Randall Beard

The Frederic Chopin Society pre­sents a recital by Israeli pianist Inon Barnatan, recently named the New York Philharmonic's first Artist-in-Association. Known for his distinctive and visceral interpretations, he will play Franck's Prelude, Choral and Fugue, Barber's Sonata and Schubert's Sonata in G Major, D. 894. He concludes with his revelatory performance of Ravel's "La Valse," which can be heard on his recording "Darknesse Visible." Barnatan earned praise last season in the Twin Cities for his Schubert Club appearance with cellist Alisa Weilerstein. (3 p.m. Sun., Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, 130 S Macalester St, St Paul, ($15-$25, 612-822-0123, www.chopinsocietymn.org) Beard