NOTE: The Sam Fender concert below has been postponed, and Little Feat's Paul Barrere has dropped off their tour due to illness.
Jade Bird: After wowing the crowd all by her lonesome, opening for Father John Misty and Jason Isbell in June, the 22-year-old British tunesmith with the royal torch-twangy voice is taking a well-deserved victory lap to make her main-room debut. Her hit single "Lottery" shows how well Bird would've fit in between Dolly, Emmylou and Linda in their collaborations, and with her band this time around she'll show off her rockier side, too. Classically poppy London quartet Flyte opens. (9 p.m. Fri., First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $20-$22, first-avenue.com.)
Brian McKnight: The 1990s R&B crooner, best known for "Back at One," is a charmer with his makeout music, witty conversation and musical impressions. His 2017 album, "Genesis," found McKnight venturing into a more contemporary synthesized R&B vibe. (7:30 p.m. Fri., Ordway Center, 5th and Washington Sts., St. Paul. $48-$141. 651-224-4222.)
Jon Pardi: If you thought this California-reared country singer was obsessed with boots (his hits include "Head Over Boots" and "Dirt on My Boots"), he's also preoccupied with heartache. Two years ago, he scored with "Heartache on the Dance Floor," and last week he dropped "Heartache Medication," the title track of his commendable twangy, old-school third album, which does have tunes about cowboys and boots. Opening is Riley Green, who just released a winner with the sentimental "I Wish Grandpas Never Died." (7 p.m. Fri., Armory, 500 S. 6th St., Mpls., $32.50 and up)
Dan Israel: From the cover art that looks like an old K-Tel record to the buoyant horns and sharp hooks in opening song "Be My Girl," the ever-prolific and always-hustling bard of St. Louis Park is having fun again on his new album. Never mind the all-too-relatable irk in its title: "Social Media Anxiety Disorder." Co-producers Jon Herchert and Steve Price, Price's Suburbs mates Steve Brantseg and Janey Winterbauer and many more friends pitched in to make it the most polished, poppy and just plain pleasant of Israel's 15 (!) albums, with ample Beatles flavor alongside the usual Dylan and Petty. Katy Vernon opens the release party. (7:30 p.m. Fri., Hook & Ladder, Mpls., $8-$12.)
Marilyn Maye: In March, the cabaret queen wowed crowds at Crooners with her impeccable timing — on one-liners and musical phrasing on tunes from the Great American Songbook. The masterful 91-year-old entertainer is back for more, with stellar New York pianist Tedd Firth (seen last month at the Dakota with Michael Feinstein) and the local rhythm section of bassist Gary Raynor and drummer David Schmalenberger, who accompanied her earlier this year. (7:30 p.m. Fri., 5:30 & 8 p.m. Sat., 6 p.m. Sun., Crooners, Fridley, $40-$50)
Stereolab: The rare band that sounded like no one else before or since — although their influence is certainly audible in Tame Impala and many of today's other danceable synth-rock acts — the British/French astro groovers are back on the road for the first time in a decade, a lull brought on by the death of Mary Hansen in a cycling accident in 2002 as well as the demise of bandleaders Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier's romantic relationship. Sounds like they're having fun again as they tout reissues of their timelessly infectious '90s albums. (9 p.m. Sat., First Avenue, sold out.)
MaLLy: As the title of his new album ("The Journey to a Smile"), suggests, this always-thoughtful south Minneapolis rapper had a whole lot to contemplate in recent years with loss, personal struggle and what he says were new explorations of "self-empowerment, masculinity and spirituality." That all pours out in powerful and smile-inducing ways on the long-awaited record, produced with his pal PC and featuring help from Last Word, Aby Wolf, Paul Yutaka and Medium Zach. The Lioness and Just Wulf open his party. (10:30 p.m. Sat., Icehouse, Mpls., $8-$10.)