The Big Gigs for week of 10/21

On this fall's "For True," Trombone Shorty continues the vibe and momentum of last year's "Backatown." His trumpet shines (more so than his trombone), his band grooves and the party never stops. Nor does the parade of guests -- Jeff Beck and Warren Haynes on guitars, Kid Rock on raps, Lenny Kravitz on bass, Ivan Neville on clavinet and Ledisi on screaming gospel vocals on "Then There Was You." Shorty sure loves him some Prince, as evidenced on the paisley-dappled "Roses" and "Mrs. Orleans," which sounds like Purple funk filtered through the Crescent City. No doubt the high-energy New Orleans jazz-funk showman will feel right at home in Prince's old hang. (9 p.m. Fri. First Avenue, $25.) Jon Bream

It's not exactly "Nevermind," but the Lemonheads' breakthrough 1992 album, "It's a Shame About Ray," remains a soft-spot favorite for Gen-Xers who needed a little more love and melody amid all the hard grunge-era angst. Evan Dando and his ever-changing band played the album in its entirety by invitation in England in 2006, and he's doing it again at all the shows on his fall tour. Some early gigs on the tour were slammed by critics as truly shameful, but it sounds like the ever-erratic Dando has since gotten his act together. Openers the Shining Twins do sort of look like grown-up versions of the eerie twosome in Stanley Kubrick's film, but are actually just a couple punky gals from San Diego. (7:30 p.m. Sat., First Avenue. $18-$20.) Chris Riemenschneider

Former Lateduster -- and now ex-Roma di Luna -- guitarist James Everest spent a lot of 2008-09 playing music with his wife Emily Johnson's dance company, Catalyst, which toured with a special 360° surround-sound system. Taking advantage of the neato audio setup and intimate settings in each city, he and pedal-steel player Joel Pickard would often play a separate show of improvised music under the name Blackfish. The result is an eight-CD Blackfish set, "The TYB Tour Collection," featuring recordings made everywhere from New York to Homer, Alaska. Each disc is different but all boast an icy, prickly, bleepy wave of guitar-noodling and knob-turning that's part Explosions in the Sky and Can, and not in any way danceable. (7 p.m. Sat., Bryant-Lake Bowl. $10-$12) Riemenschneider

Friends and occasional musical collaborators since the heady 1960s, Spider John Koerner and Butch Thompson are getting together for a rare duo show. That means ragtime, swing, blues, classic jazz and lots of folk music -- traditional songs of rakes, rogues, hard fates and fair maidens -- along with scholarly commentary from Thompson and a great joke or three from Koerner. (7 p.m. Sun. Artists' Quarter, $10.) Tom Surowicz

Frank Turner is a passionate, politicized ex-punk-and-metalhead-turned-anti-folkie. His fourth solo album, "England Keep My Bones," is decidedly British, profoundly opinionated and definitely loud for folk music. In "I Still Believe," a recent single that is getting spins on the Current, Turner calls out Kanye West, rails about the economy and salutes the power of rock 'n' roll to save us all. Even though it's an acoustic rocker, it feels epic in a Bowie/Queen kind of way. Opening are Andrew Jackson, Jihad and Into It, Over It. (8 p.m. Sun. Triple Rock, $13.) Bream

Blues-rock guitar star Joe Bonamassa has been busy this year: He released his ninth studio album ("Dust Bowl," which adds new Americana flavors with guests John Hiatt and Vince Gill) in March, toured this summer with his hard-rock side project Black Country Communion (featuring Glenn Hughes and Jason Bonham) and this fall released a collection of soul classics ("Don't Explain") with vocal powerhouse Beth Hart. Now Bonamassa has his own U.S. tour to do, kicking it off in Minneapolis. (7:30 p.m. Tue. State, $53-$83.) Bream

Must be something in the water in Athens, Ga. R.E.M. has called it quits, and Widespread Panic has announced a hiatus for 2012. One of the hardest touring jam bands around, Panic has been celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The tour ends with a three-night stand in Chicago this month, followed by New Year's Eve in North Carolina. The future is undetermined but, in their Twin Cities farewell, expect a long evening of Southern rock with plenty of solo excursions and a taste of tunes from last year's studio disc, "Dirty Side Down." Still at people's prices. (7:30 p.m. Tue. Orpheum, $35.) Bream

Old-timey Ollabelle was in town in June to sing Grateful Dead songs with Jim Lauderdale, Cat Russell and others. Now the harmony-loving Americana ensemble returns to celebrate the release of "Neon Blue Bird," its fourth album and first in five years. This collection leans as much to 1970s soft rock as to old-time gospel-folk-blues, with covers of Taj Mahal, Paul Kelly and Chris Whitley. "One More Time" evokes the Dead with its blithe country-folk sound and wispy harmonies, and "Wait for the Sun" suggests the Jayhawks produced by Burt Bacharach. (7 p.m. Wed. Dakota, $25.) Bream
Buoyed by support from Seattle public-radio station KEXP, Tacoma-reared quartet Motopony might be Washington's best band-to-watch since Fleet Foxes. Like the Foxes, it plays misty-morning folk-rock for bearded hipsters but has a much more rhythmic, finger-snappy style laced with warm organ arrangements and frontman Daniel Blue's Sam Beam-like soft-guy howl. We get the last night of Motopony's tour opening for overhyped retro-Britrock band Viva Brother. (9 p.m.Wed., Triple Rock. 18 & older. $12.) Riemenschneider

Even though she won the Grammy for best new artist in 2001, Shelby Lynne has never really fit in. She was never quite country or never quite rock. At turns Americana and Southern soul, she's gone minimalist on her 12th studio album, "Revelation Road," released this week. It's mostly stripped down, acoustic guitar tunes, with her wallowing in heartbreak and other disappointments. No one can articulate pain like Lynne, which she does best on "I Want to Go Back" (a line followed by "so I can run away again") and "Heaven's Only Days Down the Road," a liberating Southern spiritual about the murder/suicide of her father and mother that she witnessed as a kid. (7 p.m. Thu. Dakota, $35-$45.) Bream

Who loves you? The Twin Cities must heart Frankie Valli because he's bringing his current incarnation of the Four Seasons back for what must be his fourth area appearance since "Jersey Boys" landed here in 2008. At 77, Valli still amazingly hits the high notes in "Walk Like a Man" and "Sherry" (or is it lip-syncing?) and wisely leaves the dancing to his four, much younger, hyperactive backup singers. (7:30 p.m. Thu. Mystic Lake Casino, $52-$65.) Bream

He's proved it on record and in concert: Texas troubadour Hayes Carll is a barroom poet, a honky-tonk humorist and one of alt-country's true stars. He's part Townes Van Zandt and part Kris Kristofferson, leavened with John Prine's touch of humor and infused with Jerry Jeff Walker's good-time energy. Now promoting his first-rate fourth album, "KMAG YOYO," Carll will be making his lucky seventh Twin Cities appearance. Opening is promising Nashville warbler Caitlin Rose, daughter of hit songwriter Liz Rose. (8 p.m. Thu. Varsity, $16.) Bream

Minnesota-reared, New York-based Matt Slocum has emerged as one of the great young drummers in jazz. He displays exemplary taste, discretion, sensitivity, creative use of tone color, and strong songwriting and arranging skills on his new CD, "After the Storm." Slocum clearly places empathy and ensemble eloquence over solo fireworks, with sublime results on six originals, two standards and a stunning interpretation of Ravel's "La Vallee des Cloches." In St. Paul, he'll be joined by bassist Massimo Biolcati (who plays on the CD) and formidable pianist Sam Yahel. Highly recommended. (9 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Artists' Quarter, $15.) Surowicz

They may not be the most famous big band in town, but it's hard to argue that the Nova Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, led by Mike Krikava, isn't the most ambitious or prolific. Nova releases its eighth CD of original works by Minnesota writers, "Who Sez You Can't Dance to Be-bop," this Tuesday. The party is in friendly Fridley, at what's become a great midweek venue for big bands, and big-band fans on a budget -- the Shorewood. The CD features new compositions by lead trumpeter John Ahern and saxophonists Kari Musil, Bob Byers and Paul Peterson, all of whom are talented with both horns and pens. (7 p.m. Tue., Shorewood Bar & Grill, 6161 Central Av. NE., Fridley, 763-398-0088. Free.) Surowicz