Twin Cities Jazz Festival: Expansive and free, this year's fest features a homeboy headliner: acclaimed jazz-soul-hip-hop stylist Jose James, returning Friday to present his tribute to Mr. Lean on Me, Bill Withers. Saturday's headliner is award-winning jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon. More than 300 acts, including saxophonist/singer Grace Kelly and stalwart reedman James Carter, will participate in one of the musical jewels of the Twin Cities summer. (Thu.-Sat., Mears Park and other spots in downtown St. Paul. Free, twincitiesjazzfestival.com.)
Bryant-Lake Bowl Pride Block Party: One of the longest-running pride parties in town is in "panic" mode this year. Twin Cities rock hero Tina Schlieske of Tina & the B-Sides fame is bringing her riotous new punk band Genital Panic to town just for the occasion, joined by buzzing electro-throb trio Static Panic, who went over in a big way opening for Chromeo at First Ave last month. Glam-metal vet Venus DeMars and All the Pretty Horses also perform, along with Dykes Do Drag and MC Foxy Tann. (6-10:30 p.m. Fri., Bryant Av. & Lake St., all ages, free, concession proceeds benefit OutFront Minnesota.)
Summer Skolstice: The inaugural music fest at the Vikings stadium continues with an all-female lineup on Friday — bluesy-rockin' "Ex's and Oh's" hitmaker Elle King, seldom-seen soul siren Joss Stone and percussion dynamo Sheila E. — and a funky program Saturday featuring Southern soul man St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Prince protegee Judith Hill and the Minneapolis Funk All-Stars. (7 p.m. Fri.-Sat., TCO Stadium, Eagan, $45-$100)
Shawn Mendes: After a run of sold-out shows in his native Canada, the 20-year-old pop star brings his third international headline tour to the States. For nearly five years now, the earnest strummer with the quivering voice has been a steady presence on Top 40 radio with "Stitches," "In My Blood" and the current "If I Can't Have You," the breezy, falsetto-spiked plea that's one of the summer's hottest singles. Opening is another Canadian pop star, Alessia Cara, winner of the 2018 Grammy for best new artist and the voice of the hits "Stay" and "Scars to Your Beautiful." (7:30 p.m. Fri., Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, $66.50 and up, ticketmaster.com) Jon Bream
Carrie Underwood: More than 14 years after she won on "American Idol," fans are still blown away by the country queen's powerhouse voice, giving her mid-song ovations during her current in-the-round tour. Her set lists are filled with big hits including "Before He Cheats" and "Blown Away" as well as a huge helping from last year's "Cry Pretty" album and a salute to the great women of country music, with an assist from opening acts Runaway June ("Buy My Own Drinks") and Maddie & Tae ("Girl in a Country Song"). (7 p.m. Fri., Target Center, Mpls., $49.50 - $99.50.)
Wand: A metal show at the Cedar? Sure, why not, especially if it's one with the more psychedelic, arty-hippie leanings of this wigged-out Los Angeles quintet, equal parts Queens of the Stone Age, Blue Cheer and Clinic. The prolific young crew just released its fifth album in as many years, "Laughing Matter." (8 p.m. Fri., Cedar Cultural Center, Mpls., all ages, $13-$15.)
Brothers Osborne: While this duo has collected a few Country Music Association Awards, John and T.J. Osborne are hardly mainstream Nashville stuff. John plays hot (and versatile) licks on guitar, and T.J. sings with a Waylon-evoking baritone on left-field tunes like the woozy "Weed, Whiskey and Willie" and the muscular "Drank Like Hank." But the Bro Oz have managed to get radio traction with the blues-rock "Stay a Little Longer" and the guitar-flexing "It Ain't My Fault." (7:30 p.m. Fri., Vetter Stone Amphitheater, Mankato, $34-$75)
Pride in Concert: The 'L' in TLC has been missing since the 1992 death of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, but her bandmates Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas finally returned to singing "Waterfalls," "No Scrubs" and their other classics sans Lopes in 2015. They make a great fit this year for the main TC Pride party, which will also feature the Vigilantease Collective, Sweet Siren and RuPaul "Drag Race" alum Monet X Change. (6 p.m. Sat., Loring Park, Mpls., $20, tcpride.org.)