Mitski: After opening for Lorde in many other cities earlier this year, Japan-born, New York-based, Internet-buoyed singer/songwriter Mitski Miyawaki is enjoying her own bit of breakout fame around her fourth album, "Be the Cowboy." Songs like the disco-y, piano-bouncy single "Nobody" riff on youthful loneliness and modern feminism via poetic vignettes and artful music-genre mash-ups that suggests she'd actually make the perfect opener for St. Vincent or her pal David Byrne. NYC electro-pop duo Overcoats are her openers. (9 p.m. Fri., First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., sold out.)
Gaelynn Lea: Duluth's beloved singer. violinist, teacher and disabled-persons advocate makes good on the buzz from her 2016 win in NPR's Tiny Desk Contest with an elegant and deeply inspired new album, "Learning How to Stay." MVPs Alan Sparhawk, Al Church, Martin Dosh and more helped flesh out her lush, folky songs like "I See It Too" and her signature "Someday We'll Linger in the Sun." It's not all sunshine, but it's a very very warm record. Mary Bue opens the release party. (10:30 p.m. Fri., Icehouse, Mpls., $10-$15; also 7 p.m. Fri., in-store at Electric Fetus.)
Hailu Mergia: At 71, this jazzy accordion maestro survived civil war in his native Ethiopia to become a touring cultural ambassador. He lands here in partnership with Walker Art Center fresh off releasing an acclaimed, coolly chill and slow-funky new album, "Lala Belu." Local Ethiopian troupe Yonathan's Cultural Show opens. (8 p.m. Fri., Cedar Cultural Center, $20-$25.)
Brothers Osborne: No bro country for these brothers from Maryland. John Osborne has abundant guitar chops, and T.J. Osborne has an authentic voice as evidenced on the Nashville hits "Stay a Little Longer" and "It Ain't My Fault." (8 p.m. Fri. the Palace, sold out)
Lake Monster Bash: St. Paul's adventurous brewery dared to book an outdoor bash this late in the season timed to Halloween, and the lineup probably seems scary-good for many 89.3 the Current listeners. Elegant Americana rockers Field Report headline top it off with another Wisconsin band, acoustic strummers Dead Horses. Local favorites the Pines, Solid Gold and Al Church also perform. (Noon-9 p.m. Sat., Lake Monster Brewery, 550 Vandalia St., $20.)
ELnO: This week's announcement of an Xcel Center date by Jeff Lynne's E.L.O. next summer has added a little strange magic to our local Lynne-loving tribute band's already strangely entertaining annual Halloween bash. (9 p.m. Sat., Lee's Liquor Lounge, $12-$15.)
Elaine Dame: This Chicago jazz vocalist considers the Twin Cities her home away from home because her parents have lived here since 2000. With her alluring voice and wide repertoire, she entertains with joy and authority. She'll be accompanied by Twin Cities keyboardist Adi Yeshaya and bassist Graydon Peterson. (6 p.m. Sat. Dunsmore Room at Crooners, $15.)
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians: While the sunshine-voiced Brickell has issued solo albums and toured with her husband Paul Simon's good pal Steve Martin over the past 25 years, she hasn't been to town with her original Dallas-based band since the mid-1990s. Together, they landed on MTV and modern-rock radio with the hippie-happy hits "What I Am," "Circle" and "Little Miss S." in the late-'80s but then called it quits when things got angsty in the '90s. They're back playing jangly, daydreaming jams on their first album in 12 years, "Rocket," and performing "evening with" shows on tour; no opener. (8:30 p.m. Sat., First Avenue, $30-$35, first-avenue.com.)