The Big Gigs

POP/ROCK "We are Scorpions! We are here to rock you like a hurricane!" Say it in a German accent, and it sounds better. The band last performed in town in 2004, but they don't play here often -- only twice in 14 years. In that time, they picked up a new rhythm section, did the orchestral-rock thing with the Berlin Philharmonic and most recently put together a new concept album, "Humanity: Hour 1." Ideally, it won't take them one hour to get to the classics. The Phil Lewis-led, Tracii Guns-less lineup of L.A. Guns opens. (8 p.m. today, Myth. 18 and older. $49.) (C.R.)

Pianist, songwriter and vocalist Rachel Z is known for her work with Peter Gabriel and Wayne Shorter, and her brilliant Joni Mitchell tribute album, "Moon at the Window," which predated and arguably bested Herbie Hancock's Grammy-winning effort in that vein. She has become a chatty regular visitor to the Dakota, often recording her sets and distributing them to hardcore fans (for a small fee, of course) -- beating the bootleggers at their own game, with better sonics and downloadable sheet music, too. (8 p.m. today-Sat., Dakota Jazz Club. $10.) (T.S.)

One of the greatest bands of the 1960s, Booker T & the MGs remains a terrific live ensemble. Instrumentals such as "Green Onions" and "Time Is Tight" landed them in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but the special reward is the solos of Steve Cropper, one of the most underappreciated and expressive guitarists of all time. He and bassist Duck Dunn may be better known for their work with the Blues Brothers. Opening is Southern soul singer extraordinaire Ruthie Foster. (7:30 p.m. Sat., Minnesota Zoo, $39.) (J.B.)

With song and conversation, Melissa Etheridge will tell the story of her life in concert -- from growing up gay in Kansas to her current album, "The Awakening." She'll probably talk about her Oscar for Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," motherhood (she has four children) and her battle with breast cancer. Expect a three-hour marathon with plenty of powerhouse vocals. (8 p.m. Sat., O'Shaughnessy Auditorium, College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, $36-$101.) (J.B.)

You may know her as the mean, green-faced witch in "Wicked" or Maureen in "Rent," but Tony-winning Broadway star Idina Menzel is trying to make it as a big-voiced pop singer. She'll offer songs she wrote for her Glen Ballard-produced "I Stand" as well as favorites from her musicals and early life as a wedding singer. (8 p.m. Sat., Fitzgerald Theater, $37.) (J.B.)

Piano popster Vanessa Carlton is still trying to discover life after her 2002 hit "A Thousand Miles," while Paul Simon-evoking singer/songwriter Joshua Radin is still trying to prove he's more than Zach Braff's friend (he's landed lots of songs on "Scrubs," "Grey's Anatomy" and other TV shows). Alexa Wilkinson opens. (8:30 p.m. Sat., Cabooze, $15-$18.) (J.B.)

For those who find Frank Zappa too romantic, the Cramps too slick and Dr. Hook too subtle, welcome to the world of the Whiskey Sournotes. Tom Johnson's long-lived, way-lewd yet lovable band -- now a stripped-down three-piece-- churns out great retro-pop hooks and lyrics full of laughter and lust. He'll grovel for your applause with his "comedy lounge rock," earn your chuckling and heckling with such gnarly gems as "I Dig Love" and "Rich S.O.B.," but he won't respect you in the morning. (9 p.m. Sat., Hat Trick Lounge. $5.) (T.S.)

The Biography Channel has announced a new talk show, "The Chris Isaak Hour." A veteran of four seasons starring on a cable sitcom, the rootsy rockabilly-leaning singer is a natural onstage and on-camera, with a quick wit and a way with a song. James Hunter, an equally hammy if more outgoing retro musicmaker, opens a double bill that will be as entertaining as it is musically rewarding. (7:30 p.m. Wed., Minnesota Zoo, $55.) (J.B.)

"Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo" may be the most famous song associated with Johnny Winter, but the guitar hero, who has been on the road for 40 years, is emphasizing the blues these days. That's why he called his latest CD "I'm a Bluesman." (9 p.m. Wed., Cabooze, $23 advance, $25 door.) (J.B.)

Nomo is an aurally fascinating, horn- and organ-laden, instrumental nine-piece from Michigan that blends the sun-baked African grooves of Sun Ra and Fela Kuti with the acid-fried weirdness of P-Funk and Can. Its new Ubiquity release, "Ghost Rock," is earning lots of blogger raves and noncommercial radio play. Local bands Maps of Norway and Solid Gold open. (9 p.m. Thu., 7th Street Entry. 18 and older. $8.) (C.R.)

HIP-HOP Where have you been, Akon? The R&B singer who once ruled the airwaves with such singles as "Smack That" and "I Wanna Love You" has been awfully quiet in the past year while his robotic-crooning protégé, T-Pain, took his place as the go-to guy for hip-hop hooks. But it looks as if Akon is making his way back and giving the artists on his Konvict Muzik label some shine, too. A single titled "Dangerous" with rapper Kardinal Offishall is currently heating up the radio. So maybe that Smoking Gun report about Akon exaggerating his criminal past didn't hurt his street cred. (10 p.m. Sun., Epic, $30-$60.) (T.H.)

Bay Area indie-rap collective Hieroglyphics, founded by quirkmeister Del the Funkee Homosapien, is marking its 10th anniversary with an all-star tour led by former Jive Records stars Souls of Mischief. One of the Souls, Opio, has a new album/animated-DVD out, titled "Vulture's Wisdom." Other acts include Casual, Pep Love and Minneapolis' own rap pioneer Musab, whose 2007 album "Slick's Box" came out on the Hiero label. (9 p.m. Wed., First Avenue. 18 and older. $12-$14.) (C.R.)

JAZZ Tenor saxophonist Jim Marentic is nothing if not versatile. He also plays clarinet, flute and stand-up bass, has nabbed three National Endowment for the Arts composition grants, and is a well-respected piano tuner in the daytime. In fact, he once was Chick Corea's personal tuner. This weekend he leads a quartet featuring old pals Anthony Cox on bass, Kenny Horst on drums and Mikkel Romstad on piano. (9 p.m. today-Sat., Artists' Quarter. $10.) (T.S.)

Alto saxman Lou Donaldson remains a great entertainer at 81 -- funny, funky and timeless. In addition to his soul-jazz hits ("Alligator Boogaloo," "Blues Walk"), he plays bebop that bristles and ballads that ooze warmth, and invariably cracks up the crowd with a droll blues vocal each set. Never without a stellar band, he'll be joined by guitarist Eric Johnson, acclaimed young organist Akiko Tsuruga and longtime drummer Fukushi Tainaka, who, like Tsuruga, is originally from Japan, although "Sweet Poppa Lou" routinely jokes that he's from Mississippi. Big fun, always. See an interview in Sunday's Variety A+E. (7 and 9:30 p.m. Mon.-Tue., Dakota Jazz Club. $20-$25.) (T.S.)

Since his last homecoming in 2007, former Twin Cities trumpet ace Charlie Caranicas has released a lively and lovely duet album with stride pianist Tom Roberts. The oldest song on "Move Over" is "My Gal Sal" (1905) while the newest is Billy Strayhorn's spellbinding "Lotus Blossom" (1950). The pre-bop duet format allows Caranicas to show off his beautiful sound on ballads, his boisterous old-school growling on blues and a graceful command of the classic repertoire. The fare should be more modern next week as Caranicas gets first-rate backing from the Phil Hey Trio. (7 p.m. Thu., Dakota Jazz Club. $7.) (T.S.)

Contributors: Staff critics Jon Bream, Chris Riemenschneider and Tom Horgen and freelancer Tom Surowicz.

It's a triple treat: Sheryl Crow, who has been powerfully personal and predictably political in this election year; British star James ("You're Beautiful") Blunt, who is more charming live than his second CD ("All the Lost Souls") would suggest, and Toots & the Maytals, the Jamaican veterans who prove that reggae's got soul. (7:30 p.m. Sat., Northrop Auditorium $38-$128.) (J.B.)

One of the oldest (and still the most neighborly) street bashes around, the sixth annual Pizza Lucé Block Party has another supreme-topping lineup, with two acoustic blues stalwarts early in the day, Charlie Parr and the Brass Kings, along with two of the top local Americana/twang-rock bands of the moment, Romantica and the Evening Rig. Things get noisier and wilder later on with punky garage bands the Rockford Mules, Keep Aways and Millionth Word, the staged rock spectacle known as the Hawaii Show, biblical stompers A Night in the Box (pictured), hip-hop innovators Kill the Vultures and Martin Devaney's kicking new rock band Crossing Guards. The pizza's pretty good, too. (Noon-10 p.m. Sat., Pizza Lucé Uptown, 3200 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls. Free.) (C.R.)