Thursday, Oct. 12
1. Genesis Owusu: This delightfully hard-to-define Ghananian-Aussie soul-rocker arrives fresh off opening Paramore's tour and earning seven nominations in the ARIA Awards (Australia's Grammys). He explores even more uncharted crossover territory between punk, hip-hop and electronic music while singing about the shared troubles of downtrodden people on his second LP, "Struggler." The album's wild sounds reflect a similarly manic stage presence. He's touring with Chicago-via-Nigeria experimentalist Godly the Ruler. (8 p.m. Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $22-$37, axs.com)
2. Damien Escobar: The youngest student accepted at the prestigious Juilliard School of Music at age 10, the violinist rose to fame on "America's Got Talent" teaming with his brother Tourie in the formerly busking New York duo Nuttin' But Stringz. They performed at President Obama's first inauguration, won an Emmy but disbanded. After a brief retirement during which he became a real estate broker, Escobar reemerged as a solo artist who mixes jazz, classical, R&B, hip-hop and pop. Something of a Renaissance man, he has toured with Oprah Winfrey and written a children's book, "The Sound of Strings." (6:30 & 8:30 p.m. the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $40-$65, dakotacooks.com)
Also: Bluesy, rootsy Kansas City singer/pianist Kelley Hunt joins broadcaster-turned-author Pat Miles for Sue Scott's Island of Discarded Women (7:30 p.m. Crooners $30-$40) and then heads to Duluth for her own gig (8 p.m. Fri. West Theatre, $28-$33); Minneapolis drummer/singer Stan Kipper leads the New Primitives and their organic grooves back to Northeast Minneapolis (7 p.m. Shaw's, free); in lieu of his favorite local hangout Lee's Liquor Lounge, old-school Texas country music traditionalist Dale Watson returns to the Hook & Ladder Theater, this time playing a solo set with Eleven Hundred Springs singer Matt Hillyer as opener (7:30 p.m., $25-$35); the second week of shows at Minneapolis' new East Lake Street venue Cloudland Theater begins with Count Spookula and My Kid Banana (7 p.m., $12); breezy, bouncy Canadian folk-rocker Bahamas is on a daunting 29-city tour in 32 days behind his new album, "Bootcut" (8 p.m. First Avenue, $28).
Friday, Oct. 13
3. Brian Setzer: After living in the Twin Cities for two decades, the rockabilly-loving guitarist will finally play a high-profile gig here with a trio that isn't Stray Cats. With the release of his second made-in-Minneapolis album in three years, Setzer has enlisted Aussie bassist Chris D'Rozario and Mexican drummer Juan Laurios for his Rockabilly Riot Tour. Expect lots of material from this year's "The Devil Always Collects" and 2021's "Gotta Have the Rumble" as well as some Stray Cats classics and a solo set as Setzer wraps up a fall tour in Minneapolis. Yates McKendree opens. (8 p.m. State Theatre, 805 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $54.50-$90, ticketmaster.com)
4. Rogue Valley: After releasing four seasonal albums in one year in 2010-2011 — even more impressive: Each one was actually quite excellent — this folky, lush, mystical, bright-eyed Twin Cities rock band led by Oregonian transplant Chris Koza scaled back and eventually went on hiatus in the late-2010s, with some of the members joining Lissie's backing band. They started recording again even before the pandemic, though. The resulting 20-song double LP, "Shell Game," shows all the time, care, emotion and general gratitude of togetherness that went into its creation. Really lovely and poetic stuff. Pal Molly Maher opens their release party. (8 p.m. Icehouse, 2528 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., $19-$24, icehousempls.com)
5. Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin: Grammy-winning singer-songwriters in their mid-60s, these two have been friends for more than half their lives. In concert, they play off one another musically and conversationally. Carpenter has described the pair as "the Tina Fey and Amy Poehler of folk music" whereas Colvin prefers to liken them to the Smothers Brothers. In any case, they'll tickle your funny bone and nourish your mind with "Stones in the Road," "Sunny Came Home" and other gems. (8 p.m. Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $60-$115, ticketmaster.com)
Also: The Zombies — yes, Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone of "She's Not There" and "Time of the Season" that landed them in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — are touring behind a new album, "Different Game," which fans are touting as a sonic sequel to 1968's "Odessey and Oracle" (8 p.m. Fitzgerald Theater, $39.50 and up); married Twin Cities singer/songwriters Ellen "Mother Banjo" Stanley and Ben Cook-Feltz will lead the 14th annual "Big Fat Love: Birthday Tribute to John Prine" with the likes of Becky Schlegel, Leslie Vincent and Jon Rodine (7 p.m. Hook & Ladder, $15-$20); British art-rockers Everything Everything used AI to help with lyrics and song titles on their sixth album, 2022's "Raw Data" (8 p.m. Varsity Theater, $42 and up); well-traveled blue-eyed soul man Martin Sexton, who featured John Mayer on his latest EP "2020 Vision," returns (6:30 & 8:30 p.m. the Dakota, $40-$65); veteran Minneapolis jazz trumpeter Ahmed Abdulkarim leads the Creators (6:30 p.m. Crooners, $20-$30); celebrated British guitar star Adrian Legg, who is as adept at finger-style guitar as he is at storytelling, returns (8 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, $23-$28); Jessie Murph, 19, has been making waves with "Heartbroken," her single with Diplo and Polo G (7 p.m. First Avenue, $27-$30); hyperpop singer Underscores is on tour supporting her second album, "Wallsocket" (9 p.m. Turf Club $18-$20).
Saturday, April 14
6. Luke Bryan: The country superstar has dropped three new tunes from his forthcoming eighth album, including "Country On," his 30th No. 1 single. Bryan keeps busy: judging on "American Idol," co-hosting the CMA Awards, performing a Vegas residency and kicking up dirt on his recent Farm Tour. On his current Country On Tour, expect songs about drinkin', huntin', fishin' and knockin' boots in what will be Bryan's return to a Twin Cities arena after multiple stadium gigs in Minneapolis. With Chayce Beckham, Conner Smith and Hailey Whitters. (7 p.m. Sat., Xcel Energy Center, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, $34 and up, ticketmaster.com)