The Big Gigs for the week of 4/29

POP/ROCK

Paul Simon is offering a doubleheader -- a sitdown concert Monday and then a standing general-admission club gig Tuesday. With an eight-man band that stars Cameroonian guitarist Vincent Nguini, Simon will perform at the underused Minneapolis Convention Center auditorium, offering something of a retrospective of his influences (as opposed to his 50-year career) as well as selections from his splendid new "So Beautiful or So What," his best album in decades. The next night, he'll hit First Avenue with the same band, becoming the first two-time Rock Hall of Famer to headline Minneapolis' most-famous music venue. Reports from other cities indicate similar sets for theater and club shows. (7:30 p.m. Mon., Mpls. Convention Center, $52-$127; 8 p.m. Tue., First Avenue, sold out). Jon Bream

You never know what to expect when Jackson Browne plays solo. Surrounding himself with more than a dozen guitars and an electric piano, he works without a set list. He might take requests, go off on a political tangent or cherry-pick from the catalog of thoughtful, sensitive songs that landed him in the Rock Hall of Fame. Depending on your point of view, you might find his shows long and indulgent or mesmerizing and meaningful. (7:30 p.m. Wed., State Theatre, $54-$104.50.) Bream

Four years since their buzz-building debut "Atomism" and two years since they started writing and recording again, the heart-over-hipness Twin Cities natives in White Light Riot are finally putting out their self-titled sophomore album. It truly sounds like it took two years to make, and maybe a million bucks, too. With booming, Foo Fighter-sized drums and stratosphere-punching guitar parts reminiscent of early Radiohead, the record confirms the quintet would have been at home in the '90s but is a welcome standout in the '10s. Frontman Mike Schwandt especially took a big leap forward between albums, now among the scene's most dramatic and cocksure rock-stars-in-waiting. Check the track "Becoming the Villain" online for a taste of the big flavor. WLR is confident enough to have Rogue Valley, Communist Daughter and Wishbook all open their CD party. (8 p.m. Sat., Varsity Theater. 18 & older. $10). Chris Riemenschneider

Her voice evokes Adele's -- with more depth, sass and humor. Davina and the Vagabonds' sensational new "Black Cloud" is the best local album of 2011, and one of the best in years. "Cloud" is filled with pop, Southern soul, gospel, jazz, blues, R&B, cabaret -- all with a New Orleans accent, thanks to the spunky and versatile Vagabonds' horn section and Davina Sowers' deliciously soulful and Southern voice. Highlights include the deeply spiritual ballad "River," the buoyant pop plaint "Disappears," the cabaret strut "Black Cloud" and the soulful hymn "Carry Him With You." Expect a rollicking good time at Davina and the Vagabonds' two-night CD-release celebration. (8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Dakota Jazz Club, $10.) Bream

With its electrifying live show, Israeli-bred, L.A.-based Infected Mushroom attracts one of the dance-music world's most rabid followings. Singer Amit "Duvdev" Duvdevani takes a back seat on the group's just-released album "Bust a Gathering," as the band expands its circle outward with collaborations including Astral Projection, MFG, Simon Posford and Total Eclipse. (9 p.m. Fri., Epic, $20-$25. 18 & older.) Jahna Peloquin

One might expect a young band called the Bridge to be inspired by Neil Young, but a better reference point for the hard-touring combo from Baltimore would be Little Feat. In fact, the band's syncopated, Dixie-fried song "Geraldine" could be a lost page from the Lowell George songbook. That song is on the Bridge's latest CD, "National Bohemian," named after a Baltimore beer and produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. After touring this year as an opener for Tea Leaf Green, Galactic and Trombone Shorty, the Bridge has earned co-headline status with funky local jamsters Shoeless Revolution. (9 p.m. Fri., Cabooze. $10-$12.) Tom Surowicz

Looking for a double-bill of hook-filled rock on the cheap? The Snaps is the current project of ever-engaging rock "lifer" Robert Wilkinson, best known for his long tenure with the Flamin' Ohs. His new twist? Veering down a musical country lane occasionally. Gini Dodds and the Dahlias also dabble in dirt-road Americana, but her accomplished songwriting more often recalls British pop gods (Beatles, Kinks, Pretenders). If there was such a thing as "Anglicana," Dodds would be a leading light. (10 p.m. Fri., 331 Club. No cover.) Surowicz

There is no Special Sauce or hip-hop on G. Love's new "Fixin' to Die." Produced by the Avett Brothers (yes, those crazed indie country-folk boys), it's a mostly acoustic country-blues album. The title track was written by Delta bluesman Bukka White, and there are covers of Son House, Paul Simon and the Velvet Underground. Of course, there are plenty of G. Love originals, which are about loss, not the usual good times. A dramatic change of pace but good stuff. Opening is the Belle Brigade, a brother-sister duo that loves the vintage pop sounds of their hometown, Los Angeles. (7 p.m. Sat., First Avenue, $24.50.) Bream

Spawned in San Francisco's flourishing garage-rock scene, Hunx and His Punx distinguish themselves from their noisier counterparts with a retro-pop aesthetic and Seth "Hunx" Bogart's boy-crazy lyrics. A flamboyant hairdresser by day, Bogart adds his sense of humor to cliché love-song lines on such tracks as "You Don't Like Rock 'n' Roll," a tale of a relationship that failed because of his paramour's poor taste in music. The band followed up 2009's "Gay Singles" with more simple-but-steady drumming and lovably jangly guitars on last month's album "Too Young to Be in Love." (9 p.m. Sun., 7th St. Entry, $10. 18 & older.) Michael Rietmulder

Bobby Bare Jr. received his first (and only) Grammy nomination in 1974 when he was just 8. The nod was for a duet with his father -- a country music fixture -- called "Daddy What If," an insanely cutesy collaboration. Bobby Jr. eventually followed in his dad's footsteps, branching out from roots-rock to spacey folk and alt-country with decent results. (8 p.m. Tue., 400 Bar, $10, 18 & older.) Jay Boller

After a hiatus to make two albums and two tours with Dead Weather, Alison Mosshart is back with her main group, the Kills. "Blood Pressures," the transatlantic duo's fourth album, is less beat-oriented than 2008's "Midnight Boom" and more bluesy, like the band's first two albums. Mosshart is upfront and confident, while Jamie Hince fashions sounds that are darker and more low-pressure. Opening are Cold Cave and the Entrance Band. (7 p.m. Thu., First Avenue. Sold out.) Bream

HIP-HOPWhether you've noticed or not, Houston native Devin the Dude has been a constant in hip-hop since the mid-'90s. He has racked up stellar LPs (2002's "2 the X-Treme," 2007's "Waitin' to Inhale") and guest collaborators (André, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, etc.), but never full-on mainstream acceptance. The weed-adoring MC with an odd sing-song flow is probably just fine with where he's at: a steady gig and plenty of industry respect. (9 p.m. Wed., Turf Club, $15.) Boller

WORLD Conceived five years ago as a one-time performance, the mashup Delhi 2 Dublin was so successful that it led to a genre-defying sextet equally suited to a Mumbai nightclub, an Irish pub -- or a Jamaican dancehall. Whether through Celtic fiddling, reggae grooves or an electric sitar, the group brings an international flavor to each song, while mixing in heavy electronics and hip-hop vocals. (8 p.m. Sun., Cedar Cultural Center, $12-$15.) Rietmulder

Brazilian music is known for its warmth, understatement and powers of seduction, and São Paulo "roots samba" beauty CéU fits the bill nicely. Her recordings have been international hits, her past Twin Cities visits have been quite charming, and since we last saw her, she popped up on a CD with legendary Herbie Hancock. Called "Tempo de Amor," the duet was part of Hancock's "The Imagine Project." You can take a peek on YouTube -- the collaboration was filmed by Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney. (7 p.m. Tue.-Wed., Dakota Jazz Club, $40.) Surowicz

BLUESIn a long and picaresque career, Guitar Shorty has worked with such legends of American music as Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, T-Bone Walker and Little Richard. He also inspired his brother-in-law, Jimi Hendrix, with his acrobatic stage antics. (In 1976, he was a first place winner on TV's "The Gong Show," playing his theme song while standing on his head -- now that's entertainment!) Still a firecracker in person, Shorty, 71, continues to tour relentlessly. (9 p.m. Fri., Famous Dave's, $5.) Surowicz