The big gigs: Lowertown Blues & Funk Festival, Sylvan Esso

Now in its fifth year, this is the other great free music fest in Mears Park. Friday features the natty Ohio Players, left, purveyors of such '70s funk classics as "Love Rollercoaster," "Funky Worm" and "Fire," as well as local R&B faves High & Mighty and Free & Easy. Saturday offers different shades of the blues with Texas/Louisiana piano powerhouse Marcia Ball, zydeco star Chubby Carrier, rising Chicago bluesman Toronzo Cannon plus Minnesota mainstays Crow of "Evil Woman" fame, the versatile Scottie Miller Band and Mae Simpson Band, winner of a local battle of the bands contest. (4:30 Fri. & noon Sat. Mears Park, St. Paul, free, lowertownblues festival.com)

Jon Bream

After a jubilant two-night stand last summer at First Ave, the North Carolina synth-pop duo with the Upper Midwest/Bon Iver-ian ties is taking it outside this time. Singer Amelia Meath and her production/beats partner Nick Sanborn channeled the hypnotic-to-hyper chemistry of their live shows — more energy than most electronic pop acts typically muster — on last year's breakthrough album "Why Not?," which also showed off their hooky and sharp-tongued songwriting talent. Milwaukee openers Collection of Colonies of Bees are best known as Justin Vernon's collaborators in Volcano Choir. (6:30 p.m. Sat., Surly Festival Field, 520 Malcolm Av. SE., Mpls., sold out.)

Chris Riemenschneider