The Big Gigs for Sept. 18-24: Cats Under the Stars, John Prine, Tragically Hip, Stromae, Wavves and more

Friends since he was a member of her Hot Band back in the 1970s, Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris, former country stars now regarded as Americana heroes, have collaborated on two recent albums. The Grammy-winning "Old Yellow Moon" from 2013 reflected on aging gracefully and nobly. This year's "The Traveling Kind" doesn't have a unifying theme but Harris and Crowell find a nice, organic blend between her angelic style and his earthier tone, whether doing her atmospheric ballads or his honky-tonkers. (7:30 p.m. Tue., State Theatre, $54 & $74.) Jon Bream

When the Iron Range was headed into economic decline in 1975, four kids from Virginia, Minn., found good-time escapism in Cats Under the Stars, a rootsy dance band dealing in blues, country, R&B and whatever else the area bars required of them. They headed to the Cities a few years later and lasted through 1984, after which singer/guitarist Paul Metsa became one of Minnesota's most reputable bluesmen, and percussionist Tim O'Keefe played with the Rose Ensemble and in theater productions. Along with Jack Pasternacki and Joe Louma, they reunited for a 40th anniversary concert in Virginia this summer and are offering a Minneapolis edition with an expanded lineup and guests Willie Walker and Sonny Earl. (7 p.m. Fri., Shaw's Bar & Grill, $10.) Chris Riemenschneider

Twin Cities a cappella big band Prairie Fire Lady Choir sings everything from Prince to the Replacements alongside its own dramatic original songs, and has done so everywhere from rec centers to Walker Art Center and First Avenue. The 40- to 60-member ensemble may have found a perfect-fit venue this time, and it's hooking up with a well-matched special guest, the Nightingale Trio, another women's vocal group specializing in Eastern European folk songs. (7 p.m. Sat., Women's Club Theatre, 410 Oak Grove St., Mpls., all ages, $10-$12.) Riemenschneider

Delayed from April due to illness, John Prine is finally coming to town again to remind us that all is right, laughable, lovely and absurd in this big ol' goofy world of ours. The Chicago-bred folkie and twang-rock pioneer, 68, has been playing pretty much the same batch of songs on tour since his last album of new originals came out in 2005. Most fans don't mind, though, especially since "Angel From Montgomery," "Souvenirs" and "Hello in There" are still among them. Here's hoping somebody drives Mr. Prine to the gig this time, unlike in 2012 when he was trying to navigate Johnny Cake Ridge Road while the zoo crowd was waiting for him. Opener TBA. (7:30 p.m. Sat., Orpheum Theatre, sold out.) Riemenschneider

Like the East Coast folkie answer to the Judds, Suzzy Roche and her daughter Lucy Wainwright Roche not surprisingly made a great pair on their well-received 2013 duo album "Fairytale and Myth." Suzzy got her start singing with her sisters as the Roches in the '70s. Lucy has been making a name for herself as a solo artist in recent years, including a tour with half-brother Rufus last summer. They added a late show locally after the first sold out. (7 and 10 p.m. Sun., Bryant-Lake Bowl, $20-$25.) Riemenschneider

The Tragically Hip never actually was that hip, except in its native Canada. However, American fans who discovered the quintet's powerful, Pearl Jam-like two-guitar overdrive and frontman Gordon Downie's peculiarly poetic style never gave up on the band, even through a string of lackluster records in the '00s. Their reward comes now: Downie and his bandmates (still all the originals!) are playing their top-rated 1992 album "Fully Completely" in its entirety, featuring such darkly pulsating and explosive gems as "At the Hundredth Meridian," "Locked in the Trunk of a Car" and the title track. Look for it in the middle of the set, sandwiched between other fan faves. (8 p.m. Mon., First Avenue, $42.) Riemenschneider

Hot off the release of her Billboard charting album "Cry Baby," Melanie Martinez brings her macabre brand of pop to town. With Lorde-like turns of phrase, Lana del Rey-style moodiness, and Lady Gaga-esque camp, the precocious 20-year-old from Long Island, N.Y., sings of sex, drugs, death and regrets. Originally discovered on the third season of "The Voice," Martinez signed with Atlantic Records in 2014 and released "The Dollhouse" EP shortly thereafter. Millions have since flocked to YouTube to watch her haunting self-directed videos. Her live show is sure to be a twisted spectacle. (7:30 p.m. Mon., Mill City Nights, $15, all ages.) Erica Rivera

As the shambling force behind Wavves, Nathan Williams has frequently poked fun at the goth-rock subculture. On his latest, "V.," due Oct. 2, Williams shifts targets slightly, leading off with "Heavy Metal Detox," which contains lyrics like "have I lived too long?/ why does my head hurt?" Williams had better be careful: "Detox" and other tracks from "V." are so taut and catchy that his garage-rock-slacker-on-weed persona is beginning to look more and more specious. (7 p.m. Tue., Varsity Theater, $20-$25, all ages.) Britt Robson

It was the summer of 1985 when Bryan Adams' feel-good rock 'n' roll ode "Summer of '69" took over MTV and the FM airwaves alongside "Heaven," "Somebody" and "Run to You," all hits from that year's ubiquitous album "Reckless." The Canadian pop-rocker is playing the record in full on tour this year to mark its 30th anniversary, for those who've been dying to hear other non-hit tracks he doesn't often play such as "Kids Wanna Rock." He's offering an Up North gig in addition to the Minneapolis date. (8 p.m. Wed., Northrop, $45-$99.50; 8 p.m. Thu., Sanford Center, Bemidji, $40-$75.) Riemenschneider

A successful return for The Orb is one of the more pleasant musical surprises of 2015. "Moonbuilding 2703 A.D." features material that both harks back to the '90s prime of Alex Paterson and off-and-on sidekick Thomas Fehlmann, and puts some J.Dilla-style jazz mesh into the tensile webbing of their ambient house/hip-hop/trance sound collages. This is dance music for transfixed dreamers — and deep thinkers everywhere are grateful for the chance to imagine the party. (9 p.m. Wed., Mill City Nights, $18-$20.) Robson

Dallas' fast-revving punkabilly stalwart the Rev. Horton Heat (Jim Heath) comes around every year or two to First Ave and reminds us he's still one of a kind. This time, though, he's bringing along a cult-loved British punk band that hasn't been around our parts in years, the Adicts, known for their frontman Keith "Monkey" Warren's droog-style "Clockwork Orange" costumes and early-'80s songs "Viva la Revolution" and "Tokyo Takedown." Creepshow opens. (8 p.m. Thu., First Avenue, $20.) Riemenschneider

Ben Rector is that rare pop star who traffics in modesty. Rector once shot a promo video for his 2011 album "Something Like This" that cheerfully revealed that nobody knew who he was. That's no longer possible, but the 28-year-old singer-songwriter retains his self-deprecation on the just-released "Brand New," mixing the subtle spirituality of "Fear" with a paean to cabdrivers on "The Men Who Drive Me Places" to the unabashed love songs like "Paris." Truth is, Rector's talents are modest, too, but the charm is sincere and legit. (8 p.m. Thu., Northrop, $24.50-$35.) Robson

If your taste in vocals runs to soulful, smoky altos, Lizz Wright can get pretty close to a peak immersive experience. Wright is equally capable of impressing a distinctive original on your memory bank or reorienting a familiar contemporary song via her personalized treatment and testimony, which ranges naturally through gospel, folk, jazz and R&B idioms. The songs on her new album, "Freedom & Surrender," feature the sophisticated touch of producer Larry Klein, who worked extensively with his ex-wife Joni Mitchell, and more recently with Madeleine Peyroux. (7 p.m. Tue. and Wed., Dakota, $50.) Robson

Shemekia Copeland long ago proved she could put the blues on blast with a party sass and raging woe reminiscent of such iconic belters as Koko Taylor and Etta James. As she matured and made shrewd choices in her collaborators, including Memphis soul legend Steve Cropper and the inimitable Dr. John, the breadth of her command became more impressive. Now in her 30s and back on the Alligator label for her latest, "Outskirts of Love," the erstwhile teenage daughter of guitarist Johnny Copeland is primed to charm and churn a swanky venue. (7 p.m. Thu., Dakota, $38.) Robson

New York-based pianist Jeremy Denk enters his second year as Artistic Partner at the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra with a typically adventurous program, whose centerpiece is a brace of J.S. Bach's Keyboard Concertos. Beside them Denk places Stravinsky's "Dumbarton Oaks," a work heavily influenced by Bach, plus a clutch of Stravinsky's rarely heard piano miniatures and his fascinating arrangement for strings and wind of a Bach Prelude and Fugue. Denk is a superb performer, and his ability to think outside the box guarantees both musical and intellectual stimulation. (10:30 a.m. & 8 p.m. Fri., 8 p.m. Sat.; Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, $15-$53.) Terry Blain

A hundred years ago World War I was raging in Europe, and with the Hungarian borders clamped shut, composer Bela Bartók looked inward, producing the haunted ruminations of his Second String Quartet. It's one of two pieces featured in the St. Paul-based Artaria String Quartet's autumn season program "Music in the Shadow of War." The other is Elgar's Piano Quintet, a work written three years later, and cloaked in the dark shadows cast by global conflict, offset by shafts of warm Elgarian lyricism. A must for chamber music aficionados. (3 p.m. Sun., Wayzata Community Church, 125 Wayzata Blvd. E., Wayzata, free, artariaquartet.com) Blain

In March, 17-year-old American pianist Eric Lu scooped up first prize at the Ninth National Chopin Piano Competition in Miami, giving him automatic entry to the international competition next month in Warsaw. En route, Lu stops off in the Twin Cities for an all-Chopin program at Macalester College. Central to the recital is a complete performance of the 24 Preludes, Lu's interpretation of which was recently hailed by one reviewer as "stunning and breathtaking." Judge for yourself, as a young star launches to the pianistic firmament. (3 p.m. Sun., Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, 130 S. Macalester St., St. Paul, $15-$25, chopinsocietymn.org) Blain