The 11 best things to do and see in the Twin Cities this week

Another hastily organized ICE protest concert and benefit show at First Ave featuring a couple of acts too big to otherwise play the venue, it is an all-local affair led by St. Paul-rooted boys of summer Hippo Campus and features Eau Claire indie-rock guru Justin Vernon of Bon Iver fame as the special guest. Preceding them is a meaningful but also mighty fun lineup with anthemic rockers Durry, Afrobeat bandleader Papa Mbye and experimental pop group 26 Bats! The musicians nonprofit Twin Cities United Performers will funnel the ticket funds into the local immigrant community. (4 p.m. Feb. 15, First Avenue, 701 1^st Av. N., Mpls., sold out, first-avenue.com)

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

It will be like the New Standards’ Holiday Show minus the dancing Christmas trees and yule tunes. The New Standards will have a parade of singing guests including Twin Cities favorites Aby Wolf, Jeremy Messersmith, Dylan Hicks, Matt Wilson and Lucy Michelle. Plus, the New Standards trio of Chan Poling, John Munson and Steve Roehm will be joined by the rhythm section of John Fields and Ken Chastain. Even with a revamped repertoire, Munson will be able to sing the December chestnut “Snow Days.” The concert is a benefit for five legal aid organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union and Immigration Law Center of Minnesota, and will be livestreamed for free. (7 p.m. Feb. 12, the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $25-$100, dakotacooks.com)

JON BREAM

Perhaps best known for her acting in TV’s “Mozart in the Jungle” and the Oscar-nominated “Sinners,” the London-born, New York-reared Kirke dropped her third full-length album, “Trailblazer,” last year. The daughter of Free and Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke and a clothing designer, the Nashville-based singer/songwriter has a flair for grab-you titles. “Marlboro Lights & Madonna,” “Mississippi, My Sister, Elvis & Me,” “Zeppelin III” and “Bury Me in NYC” are a few on the often whimsical, winning “Trailblazer,” which travels between alt-country and indie-rock. But no title could top Kirke’s 2025 book “Wild West Village: Not a Memoir (Unless I Win an Oscar, Die Tragically, or Score a Country #1).” The throaty-voiced Kirke opened for Margo Price at First Avenue in 2023, and now she gets a headline gig on her TMI Tour, with Storey Littleton and Calder the Destroyer. (8 p.m. Feb. 13, Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Av. S., Mpls., $35-$40, theparkwaytheater.com)

J.B.

She’s a well-traveled indie-rock songwriter from Portland, Ore., who opened for Sleater-Kinney at the Palace Theatre in 2024. He’s a South Dakota-raised composer, singer and rapper who helmed the great music in the hit Hulu TV series “Reservation Dogs.” Both are redefining Native American music, and now they’re mixing things up even further on a joint tour featuring individual and collaborative songs with a shared backing band. New Mexico guitar-pop upstart Ailani opens. (7:30 p.m. Feb. 17, Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Av. S., Mpls., all ages, $20-$25, thecedar.org)

Minneapolis-based vocal octet Cantus has taken to annual collaborations with visitors from elsewhere, but there’s arguably never been a better fit than this. England’s King’s Singers have been combining six male voices to deliver centuries worth of music since 1968, and their stylistic versatility is so closely aligned with that of Cantus that it makes perfect sense for the two groups to trade tunes and combine to harmonize. Appropriately, collaborative creations inform the program, such as those of Simon & Garfunkel, Antonín Dvořák and Harry Burleigh, and Laura Mvula and Eric Whitacre. Online streaming will be available through Feb. 22. (7:30 p.m. Feb. 12, Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $55-$169, 612-371-5656 or cantussings.org)

ROB HUBBARD

Powerhouse actor Mikell Sapp, who has played characters as varied as Charlie Brown and a Miles Davis-esque jazzman, stars as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in Katori Hall’s breakout drama in Artistry’s black box theater. “The Mountaintop” is set on April 3, 1968, one day before King is assassinated, and reimagines the last hours of the civil rights leader’s life. It centers on Camae, a hotel maid who is ultimately a kind of angel come to take him home. Newcomer Tyler Susan Jennings plays Camae under the direction of Warren Bowles. (Feb. 12-March 1, 7 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 2 & 7 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. with a special performance Feb. 13, Artistry, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Rd., Bloomington, $32-$50, 952-563-8575 or artistrymn.org)

ROHAN PRESTON

Kids and their chaperones participate in the Children’s Theatre Company’s next show, not just watch. Director Julie Ritchey created this interactive experience for Chicago-based Filament Theatre, where it premiered. “Forts” uses a menagerie of DIY elements, including cardboard boxes, sheets and old sofas, to transform the Cargill Stage into an imaginative playing space. Ritchey directs. (Feb. 13-April 5: 7 p.m. Fri.; 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m. & 7 p.m. Sat.; 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m. & 3:30 p.m. Sun. & Mon., Children’s Theatre Company, 2400 3rd Av. S., Mpls., $30, 612-874-0400 or childrenstheatre.org)

Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” has endured for more than a century, having been adapted into movies, TV series, musicals and even opera. Now, Collide Theatrical is giving it a contemporary voice in a dance concert. The story grounded in love, loss, hope, resilience and female empowerment has stayed with artistic director Regina Peluso since childhood. “At its core, it’s about how people care for one another within a community, a theme that feels especially resonant right now,” she said. Her version blends live narration and pop music with theatrical jazz and ballet. (10:30 a.m. Feb. 11; 7 p.m. Feb. 12-13; 2 & 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14; 2 p.m. Feb. 15. Luminary Arts Center, 700 N. 1st St., Mpls. $15- $63, www.collidetheatrical.org, 651-395-7903)

ARTHI SUBRAMANIAM

Swedish artist Emelie Röndahl uses rya — a traditional, hand-knotted Scandinavian weaving technique — to create large-scale figurative and abstract textiles. Her textile forms have loose ends that look like they’re dripping or crying, further challenging and pushing the boundaries of rya. The exhibition features more than 20 handwoven works. Feb. 14-June 7. (10 am.-4 p.m. Tue., Wed., Fri.-Sun., 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thu., American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Av., Mpls., $1-$17, free for kids under 5, asimn.org or 612-871-4907)

ALICIA ELER

Weinstein Hammons Gallery presents its third exhibition of acclaimed photographer Elliott Erwitt, who is known as one of the most influential photographers of the 20th and 21st century. His pictures capture everyday life, from moments humorous and charming to deeply moving images of social and cultural change. The exhibition includes iconic and lesser-known photographs spanning 1949-2009. Open reception Feb. 14, 1-4 p.m. (Noon-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. and by appt., 908 W. 46th St., Mpls., free, weinsteinhammons.com or 612-822-1722)

Colored clothing leads the vibe for this event. Wear red if your taken, pink for “it’s complicated” or white for “on the market.” Dubbed “the flirtiest crawl of the year,” participants can avoid covers at all bars and enjoy drink, food specials and after-party at Cowboy Jacks. Couples and flirtatious singles check in at Tom’s Watch Bar, before cruising through a variety of downtown Minneapolis bars including the Brass Rail, Gay 90s, Hometowne Pizza and Sneaky Pete’s. (4 p.m.-midnight, Feb. 14, $26.33-$32.37, Tom’s Watch Bar, 609 Hennepin Av., Mpls., eventbrite.com)