Lizzo's Rolling ride to the Grammys

It's a bit overdue, but Lizzo finally landing on the cover of Rolling Stone seems perfectly timed to what could be her biggest week yet career-wise heading into Sunday night's Grammy Awards. The magazine hired famed fashion photographer David LaChapelle for the dazzling spread with the ex-Minneapolitan singer/rapper. The story itself is similarly revealing. Writer Brittany Spanos got the 31-year-old to open up more about her bad social media behavior ("I was [bleeping] wrong") and the therapy-requiring romantic split that informed last year's album. She also talks more about Prince committing to produce music for her during her formative Minneapolis era: "I was like, 'I'm too weird for the rappers and too black for the indies.' I was just sitting in this league of my own. To be embraced by Prince and co-signed, I am eternally grateful for that." Now we'll see how many of the Grammy voters have signed off on Lizzo. She's up for more trophies than any artist — eight total, including album, song and record of the year as well as best new artist.

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

The lead actors in Theater Mu's upcoming "Peerless" may look familiar familiar to Twin Cities theatergoers. Twins Francesca and Isabella Dawis, who grew up in the Twin Cities but are now based in New York, will return for Jiehae Park's satiric comedy, which is about high school-age sisters who will do anything to get into their college of choice. The play also marks the local directing debut of Lily Tung Crystal, who is Mu's artistic director. The Dawis sisters racked up numerous local credits, presumably without having to resort to the chicanery of their "Peerless" characters. William Randall Beard praised actor/pianist Isabella's "soaring soprano" in Bloomington Civic Theatre's (now Artistry) "The King and I" and also appeared at Theater Mu and Children's Theatre Company. In addition, she wrote the book and lyrics for the musical "Half the Sky," which was presented in new works festivals at Mu and Theater Latté Da. Francesca, who is also a violinist, played the protagonist of CTC's "Madeline and the Gypsies," in addition to several Mu appearances. "Peerless" will be performed at St. Paul's Gremlin Theatre Jan. 31-Feb. 16. Tickets, which are $35, can be purchased at theatermu.org.

Chris Hewitt

Two hitmaking bands last seen outdoors in the Twin Cities have announced indoor summer dates at Xcel Energy Center for 2020: Hall & Oates will return to the St. Paul arena on July 16, and — attention, local pyro manufacturers! — Nickelback will play there again Aug. 6. Nickelback's 2020 tour will be a 15th anniversary celebration of "All the Right Reasons," the album containing the Canadian rockers' two biggest hits, "Rockstar" and "Photograph." Tickets for their St. Paul date are on sale via Ticketmaster and the arena box office. Prices were not made public, but a news release sent out from Xcel Center representatives promised $25 "lawn seats" — presumably a mistake, or else the upper bowl at the hockey arena is about to undergo some major renovations. The Scott Weiland-less Stone Temple Pilots will open the show along with Switchfoot and Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown. Daryl Hall and John Oates haven't announced any special plans for their summer outing, but they do have a pretty special opening act in the form of Squeeze. British pop-rock maestros Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook — whose '80s-'90s hits included "Tempted" and "Pulling Mussels" — have only performed once in town over the past decade, a well-received State Theatre gig last year. KT Tunstall will also perform at that Thursday night show. Tickets for Hall & Oates go on sale Friday via Ticketmaster and the arena box office. Pre-sale seats are now being sold and range in price from $46 to $575.

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

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