The Big Gigs: Critic's music picks for the next seven days

POP/ROCK

After canceling her first Twin Cities performance in 2007, London's tabloid-filling alt-pop star Lily Allen is finally making it to town. The snarky, snooty and occasionally sweet singer -- touring for her bubbly but quietly bitter second album "It's Not Me, It's You" -- puts on a fun concert that's part dance party and part cult-of-personality showpiece. (8 p.m. Sat., First Avenue. Sold out.) (C.R.)

Last seen together at the Jack 104.1 FM bash at Xcel Center two years ago, but not for nearly 20 years before, the Stray Cats are reuniting for a one-night-only show that's for a special cause: to prove that frontman Brian Setzer, who now calls Minneapolis home part time, can still rock this town on his 50th birthday. Should be a piece of cake. (9 p.m. today, Fine Line. Sold out.) (C.R.)

Angel-voiced Art Garfunkel never appreciated playing second fiddle to Paul Simon (with whom he'll tour Australia this year). On his own, he still sounds heavenly on those Simon & Garfunkel favorites and his own solo numbers. Let's hope, unlike last time at Orchestra Hall, he doesn't turn over the microphone to his Twin Cities-raised wife and backup singer, Kim Cermak. (8 p.m. today, Orchestra Hall, $20-$50.) (J.B.)

Bon Iver fans, take note: Megafaun is made up of three ex-members of DeYarmond Edison, the Eau Claire-reared band with whom Justin Vernon moved to North Carolina. The trio offers a madcap, experimental twist on banjo-plucked mountain music. It's on tour with another fun Raleigh-based band, boy/girl indie-pop outfit the Rosebuds. (8 p.m. today, Whole Music Club. 18 & older. $7-$10.) (C.R.)

Andrew Bird loves the Twin Cities, and vice versa. Chicago's whistling, violin-bowing indie-rock star and his all-Minneapolitan band had a couple memorable shows here last year. They're back for another big one supporting his well-received fifth album, "Noble Beast," whose light-handed musical innovation and dramatic, evocative but still surprisingly warm songs should soar -- birdlike, shall we say -- in a theater setting. Haley Bonar, who sang on Bird's last disc, opens. (8 p.m. Sat., State Theatre. Sold out.) (C.R.)

The sunny, melodic sounds of Dr. Dog evoke the three Bs -- the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Band. With warm weather finally here, the Philly group's arrival to promote its summery fifth CD, "Fate," shows perfect timing. With the Cave Singers and Golden Boots. (9 p.m. Sat., 400 Bar, $13-$15.) (J.B.)

Four years to the day after his cult-loved band Death From Above 1979 played its last show at the 400 Bar, Canadian indie-rocker Sebastien Grainger returns with his more melodic, versatile and almost as visceral new band the Mountains to promote their eponymous disc on Saddle Creek Records. Fans of Cheap Trick, Guided by Voices and Supergrass should check it out. (9 p.m. Sun., 400 Bar. 18 & older. $8-$10.) (C.R.)

Undaunted by the cancellation of the Honda Civic Tour due to the economy, the All-American Rejects will instead headline the I Wanna Rock Tour. The Oklahoma boys will showcase their radio-ready pop-punk, including the recent "Gives You Hell," which has nothing punk about it except the title. (6 p.m. Mon., Myth, $29.50.) (J.B.)

As distinguished a songwriter (and nonsinger) as Leonard Cohen, Kris Kristofferson is the subject of a 14-page spread in the current Rolling Stone by Ethan Hawke (yep, the actor/novelist), who salutes Kristofferson's distinguished film work and such brilliant songs as "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and "Sunday Morning Coming Down." At 72, the former Rhodes scholar will make his first Twin Cities appearance since a 1991 benefit. (7:30 p.m. Tue., Pantages Theatre, $42-$47.) (J.B.)

Chris Thile isn't the only star in Nickel Creek. Fiddler/singer Sara Watkins proves her mettle on a terrific self-titled CD, a dark-hued collection of slow bluegrass, quiet folk and old-timey country produced by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones. There's a piercing loneliness to Watkins' soft, sweet soprano on such originals as "My Friend" and "Where Will You Be" and on Tom Waits' wistful "Pony." Her brother (and Nickel Creek bandmate), guitarist Sean Watkins, who guests on the album, is also playing with her on tour. (7 p.m. Wed.-Thu., Dakota, $20.) (J.B.)

Almost every show on Death Cab for Cutie's current tour is sold out except for the St. Paul gig. Are local Death Cab fans rejecting the band because (a) lead singer Ben Gibbard is engaged to Zooey Deschanel (b) the band opened for Neil Young at Xcel Center last fall (c) no one has downloaded the group's new five-song "Open Door" EP, or (d) the show is at the worst space for rock concerts in the Twin Cities? The answer, of course, is "d." If you go, arrive early for Ra Ra Riot, New York's hip indie rockers with a string section, and Cold War Kids, California's slightly soulful, slightly blues indie kids. (7 p.m. Wed., Roy Wilkins Auditorium, $35.) (J.B.)

Drive-by Truckers fans already know the talent of Jason Isbell, who wrote such DBT classics as "Outfit" and "The Day John Henry Died" before striking out with his own hard-driving twang-rock band, the 400 Unit, now touring behind their second album. Lesser-known (at least for now) is tour mate Justin Townes Earle, son of Steve Earle, whose unique throwback acoustic style sounds more like the bastard son of Hank Williams and Paul Westerberg. He reinvents the latter's song "Can't Hardly Wait" on his must-hear sophomore disc, "Midnight at the Movies." (9 p.m. Wed., Turf Club. $12. Earle also has an in-store set around 5:30 p.m. at Electric Fetus, 2000 4th Av. S., Mpls.) (C.R.)

The Handsome Family, the husband-and-wife duo of Brett and Rennie Sparks, have spent most of their previous albums focusing on murder ballads. On their ninth CD of eccentric Americana, "Honey Moon," the Chicago couple turn to more romantic notions. Maybe it's because they're celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary. (9 p.m. Thu. 400 Bar, $12.) (J.B.)

COUNTRY On his second CD, "Carolina," Eric Church makes it clear that he doesn't play by the Nashville rules. In "Lotta Boot Left to Fill," he disses songwriters for name-checking Johnny Cash in their tunes. In "Smoke a Little Smoke," he sounds like he's lobbying for a ride on Willie Nelson's bus. And he rocks out on "Ain't Killed Me Yet." Jonathan Singleton & the Grove open. (9:30 p.m. Sat. Cabooze, $17-$20.) (J.B.)

HIP-HOP Scarface made his mark as a hip-hop pioneer in Houston's often deplorable but largely underrated gangsta-rap trio the Geto Boys, and he went on to play an even bigger role as the head of Def Jam South. He continued to make his own gritty and grimy solo albums, too, including last year's triumphant "Emeritus," which featured such acolytes as Lil' Wayne and Bun B. and was allegedly his farewell. Heard that before. (10 p.m. today, Epic. 18 & older. $15-$75.) (C.R.)

With too many alter egos to keep track of, veteran Bronx rapper Kool Keith is pitting two of his best known characters head-to-head in a tour dubbed "Dr. Dooom vs. Dr. Octagon." None of the Dooom or Octagon albums lives up to his Black Elvis stuff, but the fact that the guy has been so hard to peg all these years is one reason why he remains fun and fascinating. (8 p.m. Thu., Whole Music Club. 18 & older. $10-$15.) (C.R.)

Intrepid guitar man Bill Frisell just finished several dates with his Americana-leaning Disfarmer Project band and will debut a trio with bass legend Charlie Haden and Bad Plus pianist Ethan Iverson at the Melbourne Jazz Fest May 1. In between, he is playing with jazz/rock bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Rudy Royston. Don't be surprised if he also joins his opening act, North Carolina singer/songwriter Sarah Siskind, who has penned hits for Alison Krauss and Bon Iver -- Frisell was a sideman on her 2002 album "Covered." (8 p.m. Sat., Cedar Cultural Center. $30-$40.) (T.S.)

In a long local career, guitarist Reynold Philipsek has been a genre chameleon, but rarely indulged his early love of hard modern jazz. He veers happily in that direction on the new CD "East Side," though it's far from a simple homage, thanks to his co-star, chromatic harmonica wizard Clint Hoover. It's like having Toots Thielemans take over a Prestige Records session, with detours to South America and Europe. Tasty. (8 p.m. Sat., 318 Cafe, 318 Water St., Excelsior. $12 including free CD.) (T.S.)

Guitar great John Scofield gets religion, New Orleans-style, on his "Piety Street," his new collection of gospel classics given a hip make-Sco-ver. Soulful, rollicking and funky, it features beautifully bent strings and a terrific backing band, including Meters bass master George Porter Jr. and New Orleans keyboardist Jon Cleary. Both are touring with Scofield along with drummer Ricky Fataar, who plays with Cleary in Bonnie Raitt's band. It should be big fun. (7 & 9:30 p.m. Sun., Dakota Jazz Club. $30-$40.) (T.S.)

Lionel Loueke, a guitarist from the west African nation of Benin who recently toured with Herbie Hancock and Terence Blanchard, is a mesmerizing acoustic-sounding picker who owes as much to Afropop as to Wes Montgomery and George Benson. His 2008 "Karibu" showcases his wordless vocals and tongue-clicking as well as cool guest turns by Wayne Shorter and Hancock. (7 & 10:30 p.m. Tue., Dakota, $12-$18.) (J.B.)

CLASSICAL One of the great sound-adventurers of the past half-century, composer George Crumb turns 80 in October -- just the sort of event that deserves notice on the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra's engine408 new-music series. The works in this program, including the stunningly theatrical "Black Angels" (for electric string quartet) and "Night of the Four Moons" (on texts by Federico García Lorca), date from Crumb's late '60s and early '70s heyday. If you don't know him, begin here. (8 p.m. Sat., the Music Room, SPCO Center, 408 St. Peter St., St. Paul. $10. 651-291-1144.) (L.F.)