The Big Gigs for the week of 7/13-7/19

Owl City is back on the pop charts with a little help from a not-so-little friend. Owatonna's favorite basement dweller (a k a Adam Young) duets with Canada's second-favorite teenybopper star, Carly Rae Jepsen, on the emphatically bubbly new single "Good Time." It debuted at No. 18 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart last week. The synth-fuled dance-pop number is the first track issued from Owl City's third album, "The Midsummer Station," which lands Aug. 21 and features co-production with Rihanna's ace Stargate and others. Young and his band are previewing the record at the same venue where they made their debut in 2009. Opener Jaymee Dee had a song on the "Hunger Games" soundtrack. (7:30 p.m. Fri., Varsity Theater. Sold out.) Chris Riemenschneider

Who has played at the Minnesota Zoo the most times? Marc Cohn. So it makes sense that the soulful piano man be invited for not one, but two nights as the zoo celebrates its 20th anniversary of concerts. Expect to hear his signature "Walkin' in Memphis" and "Silver Thunderbird" as well as covers of classic-rock favorites by the Beatles and Cat Stevens that he recorded on 2010's "Listening Booth: 1970." Actress Rebecca Pidgeon, who is married to writer/director David Mamet and has released six albums, opens Friday; local covers specialist Alison Scott opens Saturday. (7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Minnesota Zoo, $46.) Jon Bream

For its third annual event, the Lakefront Music Fest folks dropped "jazz and blues" from its title. That's because Friday's lineup is all country and Saturday's is rock 'n' roll. Friday's headliner is country bad-boy Travis Tritt, who puts drive in his country and boasts the country classic "Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)." Opening are local favorites Rockie Lynne, who should put some more rock in his country, and Rocket Club, the harmony-loving band fronted by KFAN personality Chris Hawkey. Topping Saturday's bill is Creedence Clearwater Revisited, which sounds like a tribute band but actually features two of the living members of Creedence Clearwater Revival (but not lead singer/songwriter John Fogerty, who tours under his own name). Opening are Detroit rock legend Mitch Ryder of "Devil With the Blue Dress" fame as well as Twin Cities' barroom stalwarts G.B. Leighton and the Butanes Soul Revue. (6 p.m. Fri. & 5 p.m. Sat. Lakefront Park, Prior Lake, $10-$15, www.lakefrontmusicfest.com.) Bream

Playing just a few Midwest dates in support of their 2012 release, "Sin to Sin," the Iguanas hit St. Paul for a night of bilingual bar boogie at its danceable best. One of New Orleans' most reliable club acts, together since 1989, the Iguanas offer an irresistible mix of cantina cumbias and polkas, adult garage rock, slinky near-jazz spotlighting Joe Cabral's sax, Chicano and Tex-Mex sounds reminiscent of the great Doug Sahm -- plus some very cool covers. Their latest unearthed gem is a swell version of rockabilly crazy man Ronnie Self's wild and wanton "Waiting for My Gin to Hit Me." (8 p.m. Fri., Turf Club, $15.) Tom Surowicz

We don't have LCD Soundsystem anymore, but at least we have Hot Chip, another wry-witted and playful, experimental electronic-dance band that's more adored by indie-rock fans than the core dance crowd. Hitmakers back in their native England, they are kicking off a short U.S. tour in Minneapolis on their way to this weekend's Pitchfork Music Fest in Chicago. Their latest record, "In Our Heads," boasts a cheery '80s pop influence and includes "Night and Day," in heavy rotation on 89.3 the Current. Portland, Ore.-based openers the Chromatics have earned a buzz by somehow making a dance record without any percussion. Read a Hot Chip profile at startribune.com/music. (9 p.m. Fri., First Avenue. $25.) Riemenschneider

American folk legend Woody Guthrie only made it to age 55, succumbing to Huntington's disease in 1967. But his tremendous influence on U.S. culture lives on, not just through 1960s "understudies" Bob Dylan and Ramblin' Jack Elliott, but also through newer devotees including Billy Bragg and Wilco, and covers of his songs by sundry superstars including Bruce Springsteen and Willie Nelson. There will be Guthrie 100th birthday celebrations nationwide on Saturday, and the Twin Cities looks to have one of the coolest, featuring three Minnesota musicians who put out a CD last year called "Woody Reflected" -- troubadour Charlie Maguire, urban cowpoke Pop Wagner and blues harmonica man Tony Glover. (7 & 9 p.m. Sat., Dakota, $15.) Surowicz

Celebrate the election of a socialist French president with the ultimate entitlement handout: a day of free music. The Bastille Day Block Party features increasingly experimental folk-rock duo Peter Wolf Crier along with indie-rapper Astronautalis, A. Wolf & Her Claws, Prissy Clerks, Sleep Study, Patty & the Buttons and the Brass Messengers. The festivities include street performances from Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre, Infiammati Fire Circus and others. Plus: Francophile food and drink from Barbette. (3 p.m. Sun. Barbette, 1600 W. Lake St., Mpls. free.) Boller

For her first real gig after a six-year hiatus, Fiona Apple sounded nervous and vocally out-of-shape at South by Southwest in March -- two shortcomings she could very well be past now that she's a month into touring. Otherwise, her band delivered an impressive punch, as does her sonically wigged-out new album, "The Idler Wheel ... ," a challenging but powerful listen that might make more sense when performed live. Or at least it should make a few hairs stand on end. Apple, 34, remains stand-offish personality-wise onstage but is not stuck up about playing older fan favorites, including "Criminal" and "Shadowboxer." Opener Blake Mills is a Los Angeles roots-rocker last seen touring as Lucinda Williams' guitarist. (7:30 p.m. Mon., Orpheum, $44-$74.) Riemenschneider

Louisiana favorite Terrance Simien's busy year included a 27th consecutive annual performance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and a U.S. Embassy-sponsored show in the Ukraine. Simien also continued his noteworthy string of soundtrack appearances, with an onscreen cameo in "The Lucky One," starring Zac Efron. Expect happy, blues-drenched modern Bayou sounds from Simien and the Zydeco Experience. (7 p.m. Tue. Dakota Jazz Club, $20.) Surowicz

Sonically speaking, Kyle Thomas is a diffusive dude. He's delved into stoner rock, fronting Witch (featuring J Mascis on drums), and has played in hippie-folk troupe Feathers and fuzz-pop trio Happy Birthday. The Vermont-reared slacker champ's latest offering, however, is his sophomore album as King Tuff -- think fetching garage-glam that waddles through cool lethargy into big-riff blowouts. Tuff's Sub Pop labelmates Jaill and local garage-punks Voytek open. (7 p.m. Tue. Triple Rock, $10.) Rietmulder

Since crawling out of NYC's post-punk scene in the early '00s, Liars have bobbed between existential art rock, dance-punk and uneasy concept albums. Their latest shakeup came with last month's "WIXIW," which found the ever-recalibrating crew taking a colder, electronic path on its tenebrous new record. Opening are psych-rockers Unknown Mortal Orchestra. (9 p.m. Tue. First Avenue, $15.) Rietmulder

Another band bouncing our way off this weekend's Pitchfork fest in Chicago, the Dirty Projectors have another fascinating, new sonic collage of an album to attempt to recreate on stage -- a feat that the New York deconstructionists usually pull off surprisingly well. Frontman David Longstreth spent almost a year holed up in upstate New York working on the record, "Swing Lo Magellan," -- and it shows. Playful rhythmic arrangements, chirpy harmonies and other clever ideas burst through each song, while Longstreth sings warm, flowery art-pop hooks befitting his pal David Byrne. Canadian electronic duo Purity Ring open. (8 p.m. Sun., First Avenue, $20.) Riemenschneider

HIP-HOP Just seven months after dropping their thickly applied, party-centric "Make Good" EP, Twin Cities duo the Tribe & Big Cats! are celebrating the release of full-length album No. 3, "Space." This one finds prolific rapper TruthBeTold and his producer/beatmaker Big Cats getting a little more serious, with soulful old-school tones wrapped around tunes such as "P.I.L.L.S.," showing off a darker side of the party. The MC hasn't turned down his cocky, wry, slightly whack charm, however. Sample lyric: "You ain't ready for my dopeness." F. Stokes, Meta and Jimmy2Times also perform. (9 p.m. Sat., 7th Street Entry. $8-$10.) Riemenschneider

Rapper Sammy Adams is the last person in the world you want to cheer for. First off, he looks a Gap ad in which Justin Bieber is doing his best Marshall Mathers impression. He grew up in the supremely posh town of Wayland, Mass., as Samuel Adams Wisner, a descendent of Founding Father John Adams. Folks took notice of his music when he spoofed fellow frat-rapper Asher Roth's hit "I Love College" (get this: "I Hate College"). His 2010 debut, "Boston's Boy," quickly shot up the charts, but was marred by rumors that Adams' promotion team bought up units to drive sales numbers. Last winter he performed "Only One," his debut single for major label RCA, on "Conan"; the bubblegum-rap track makes Nelly sound harder than Immortal Technique. Locals Cato, Midwest Selects and others open. (7 p.m. Mon. First Avenue, $25.) Boller

Luisa Maita may be named after a song by one of Brazil's greatest composers, Antonio Carlos Jobim. But, like other modern Brazilian singers CéU and Bebel Gilberto, she mixes Sao Paolo pop with modern club-culture sounds. That makes her breezy, sensuous mashup of samba, bossa nova, jazz, R&B and electronica understated but danceable. Even though she sings in Portuguese, she has been compared to Sade, St. Vincent and Feist. (7 p.m. Thu. Dakota, $25.) Bream

The Twin Cities area lost one of its great players, teachers and characters with the recent death of drummer Elliot Fine. He spent 41 fruitful years with the Minnesota Orchestra and played everything from burlesque gigs to free-jazz improv concerts with his son, Milo. With lifelong pal and colleague vibist Marv Dahlgren, Fine co-authored the very influential "4-Way Coordination: A Method Book for the Development of Complete Independence on the Drum Set," which truly revolutionized modern drumming. Fine's legion of ex-students included everyone from jazz heavyweight Elvin Jones to the high school band member on the next street. Fine gets a well-deserved tribute gig this week, with music by the Marv Dahlgren Quartet and the Wolverines Trio and storytelling from Milo Fine and others. (7 p.m. Sun. Artists' Quarter, free.) Surowicz