The Big Gigs for the week of 4/22

POP/ROCK Fresh from the mammoth Coachella festival, Duran Duran returns to its club roots to relive the 1980s. At least, that's what Simon LeBon and his guylinered pals seem to be doing on the new "All You Need Is Now." Even though it was helmed by hip producer Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Adele), it sure sounds like "Rio Part II." Look for a review in Sunday's paper. (8 p.m. Fri., Epic. Sold out.) Jon Bream

Vocalist extraordinaire Bobby McFerrin is not appearing with the Minnesota Orchestra or the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, for which he was creative chair in the 1990s. He's doing a solo a cappella concert. Don't worry, he'll fill the spacious hall with how-did-he-do-that vocalizing. Wonder if he'll offer anything from last year's marvelous "Vocabularies," an ambitious and eclectic project featuring more than 50 voices. (8 p.m. Fri., Orchestra Hall, $30-$80.) Bream

Darlings of PBS, Celtic Woman returns for a triple header of Gaelic songs and harmony-kissed pop covers (including Sting's "Fields of Gold," Billy Joel's "Goodnight My Angel" and Phil Collins' "You'll Be in My Heart"). The fresh-faced ensemble has been trimmed to three singers, including newcomer Lisa Lambe, who comes from a theater background and such musicals as "Sweeney Todd," and fiddler Mairead Nesbitt. (8 p.m. Fri. & 2 & 8 p.m. Sat., State Theatre, $43-$72.) Bream

TV on the Radio had to cancel its two-night stand at First Avenue this weekend after longtime bassist and keyboardist Gerard Smith died Wednesday of lung cancer. The club is offering refunds, but hopes to reschedule in late summer or fall.

Heretofore a psychedelic garage-rock band that has gotten better without actually leaving the garage, the Black Lips rolled the dice on producer Mark Ronson to helm their next record. We'll have to wait until June to hear the results, but in the meantime the Georgia quartet is making the safe bet of previewing new songs on the road, as their rowdy live shows are always a hit with fans still craving '60s-baked guitar rock. Vivian Girls open. (9 p.m. Sat., Varsity Theater. 18 & older. $15.) Riemenschneider

Swedish singer/guitarist Jose Gonzalez has become something of an indie-rock star in the States, thanks to his two mesmerizing minimalist folk-pop albums. But now he's resumed work with Junip, his Swedish drums/keyboards/guitar trio that had been on hold for five years. Last fall, Junip issued its first full-length, "Fields," an atmospheric work that melds folk, trip-hop and Krautrock. Acrylics open. (7:30 p.m. Mon., Cedar, $15-$18.) Bream

Pains of Being Pure at Heart have one of the widest ratios of physical scrawniness vs. musical heft in indie-rockdom. The wee-sized New York quintet with the wall of fuzzy guitars and bursting pop melodies finally makes it to town for its local debut following the release of its second album, "Belong," which features production and mixing by Flood and My Bloody Valentine's ace sound guru Alan Moulder. And yes, the band is good enough to merit that kind of support. Twin Shadows open. (9 p.m. Mon., Triple Rock. 18 & older. $14.) Riemenschneider

Rap + rock + baseball hats is a formula Hed PE helped pioneer in the mid-'90s. While rap-metal proved extremely lucrative for bands like Limp Bizkit and Korn, Hed PE never experienced that degree of success, though its 2000 single "Bartender" was a minor hit. The Huntington Beach, Calif., band continues its genre-splicing on its eighth LP, "Truth Rising," released last year on pals Kottonmouth Kings' Suburban Noize label. (8:30 p.m. Wed., Cabooze. $20. 18 & older.) Jay Boller

Back in the early '80s when punk rock was still dead set on shocking and offending, the Meatmen carried the freak flag proudly and shamelessly with such tunes as "Mister Tapeworm" and "1 Down, 3 to Go" (the latter a nod to the Beatles). Meat head Tesco Vee, who went on to found Touch & Go Records, has reunited the group for a full-blown tour tied to his new book, "Touch and Go: Complete Hardcore Punk Zine, 1979-1983." Local vets Quincy Punx are getting back together to open this one, also featuring Against the Grain and the Ed Gein Fanclub. (9 p.m. Thu., Triple Rock. $10-$12.) Riemenschneider

HIP-HOP If there's one thing you can call Talib Kweli, it's consistent -- sometimes to his own detriment. While his colleagues in the late-'90s conscious rap movement (Mos Def, Common) have routinely stepped out of that well-defined box, Kweli keeps it simple. Smart rhymes, hard beats. It's a good formula, but makes for predictable results (see: his last album, "Gutter Rainbows"). In concert, Kweli is another story. The Brooklyn rapper is magnetic as he brings his scholarly rhymes to life. Kweli will be backed by a live band at Epic, which should give his performance even more juice. Bronx MC Fred the Godson opens. (10 p.m. Sun., Epic, $20/$25, 18 and older.) Tom Horgen

WORLDBest known as the beatmaster of Fela and Africa 70, Nigerian drum great Tony Allen recorded more than 30 albums with Fela Kuti's sprawling and amazing band in the classic era of Afrobeat. He's gone on to live in London and Paris and lead his own groups, plus work with a rogue's gallery of rock stars (Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon of the Clash, the French electronica duo Air), even collaborating recently with Flea, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Allen will anchor a nine-man international band. Read an interview at startribune.com/music. (8 p.m. Sat., Cedar Cultural Center. $30-$35.) Tom Surowicz

The Spanish word "hallazgo" means "a find," and it applies to Kip Jones, whose new CD of that title is a rewarding listen. A local violinist-vocalist who acknowledges debts to Bach, Steve Reich and the Delta blues, Jones has a nomadic streak; he has studied Indian classical music in Mumbai and the Korean language in South Korea. His disc, rolled out this weekend, harvests songs written during a 13-month sojourn in South America. (8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Studio Z, 245 E. 4th St., St. Paul. $5.) Larry Fuchsberg

ROOTSTrucking songs maestro and "Titan of the Telecaster" Bill Kirchen returns to play tunes from his latest CD, "Word to the Wise." The album is loaded with cool guest stars (Nick Lowe, Paul Carrack, Commander Cody, Dan Hicks, Maria Muldaur, Elvis Costello). Yet Kirchen and his band hardly need such help to hot-wire a bar crowd. They are "titans of the taverns," too. (9 p.m. Fri., Lee's Liquor Lounge. $15.) Surowicz

Childhood friends in Norman, Okla., Alan Munde and Adam Granger are still making great music together a half-century later. Flatpicking guitarist extraordinaire Granger is known locally as a mainstay of "A Prairie Home Companion's" original house band. And bluegrass banjo master Munde is world-known as the driving force of the seminal group Country Gazette. They have played many concerts out West, but this weekend belatedly marks the duo's Minnesota debut. (7:30 p.m. Fri., Armatage School, 250 W. 56th St., Mpls. $20.) Surowicz

Lee's Liquor Lounge turns into "Wayne's World" next week, as Texas honky-tonk singer supreme Wayne "The Train" Hancock shares a bill with Americana rude boys Bob Wayne and the Outlaw Carnies. Hancock sounds more than a bit like Hank Williams Sr., while Bob Wayne used to be a roadie and guitar tech for Hank Willams III -- what's that, one-and-a-half degrees of separation? (8 p.m. Thu., Lee's Liquor Lounge. $12-$15.) Surowicz