Twin Cities concerts of the week: The XX, Hurray for the Riff Raff

Your guide to the Twin Cities' must-see shows.

April 28, 2017 at 6:18PM
Alynda Segarra and hurray for the Riff Raff performed at the South by Southwest Music Conference in March 2017.
Alynda Segarra and hurray for the Riff Raff performed at the South by Southwest Music Conference in March 2017. (Chris Riemenschneider — Special to the Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The XX: One of the most hotly anticipated concerts so far at the newly reborn Palace, the slow-grooving, hush-toned London synth-pop trio is riding a wave of acclaim and a stellar 'SNL' appearance behind its third album, "I See You." Co-vocalists Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft's sultry interplay sizzles in new gems like "On Hold" and "Say Something Loving." It sounds like some of the shy awkwardness of past tours has been lost at recent performances, including Coachella just last weekend. (7:30 p.m. Fri., Palace Theatre, 17 7th Place W., St. Paul, sold out)

Richie Furay: After briefly reuniting with Neil Young and Stephen Stills as Buffalo Springfield in 2011, Furay has gone back to playing B.S. and Poco tunes alongside newer fair with his own band. (7 & 9:30 p.m. Fri., the Dakota, $35-$40.)

Lucinda Williams: The beloved Americana singer/songwriter will mark the 25th anniversary of "Sweet Old World," a rich but slickly produced record that she recently re-recorded with her live band. They're performing the whole LP, plus another set of tunes. (9 p.m. Fri., First Avenue, $35.)

Hurray for the Riff Raff: Kind of like Alabama Shakes did last time around, New Orleans-based folk-rocker Alynda Segarra outgrew the rootsier, simpler sound of her band's 2014 breakthrough album "Small Town Heroes" and experimented with moods to great effect on their highly recommended new one, "The Navigator." Segarra went out on a limb thematically, too, telling stories from her Puerto Rican roots. Her group were mesmerizing in concert at last month's South by Southwest conference, where opener Ron Gallo also made a big impression with his smart, Jonathan Richman-like spazz-rock. (8:30 p.m. Sun., Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $16, eTix.com.)

White Reaper: These scrappy, young Louisville, Ky., rockers are on the cusp of bigger things with a classic-sounding, fun debut LP offering echoes of '70s glam and '90s indie-rock, evidenced by the viral single "Judy French." (8 p.m. Mon., 7th Street Entry, $10.)

Slowdive: A very big deal to a small but rabid audience, the British band became one of the prototype shoegazer bands after fellow whir-rockers My Bloody Valentine in the early-'90s with such NME-praised albums as "Souvlaki." The quintet is back in action with its first record in 22 years, "Star Roving." It doesn't drop till next week, but the songs will sound refreshingly familiar to fans regardless. (7 p.m. Tue., Palace Theatre, 17 7th Place W., St. Paul, $25-$30, eTix.com.)

Aimee Mann: Three decades removed from her big-haired MTV days with 'Til Tuesday and 18 years since her Oscar-nominated work on the "Magnolia" soundtrack, Mann is still putting out provocative and mystifying albums, including her mostly acoustic new one, "Mental Illness." (7:30 p.m. Wed., Fitzgerald Theater, $37.50-$42.50.)

Kinky Friedman: Songwriter, author, storyteller, joker and one-time serious contender to be governor of Texas, the guy who got away with singing "They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore" is still testing the boundaries in his banter-filled live shows. He should have plenty on his mind time around. (8 p.m. Wed., Turf Club, $30-$35.)

Meat Puppets and Mike Watt: The long-revitalized acidic twang-punk pioneers of "Backwater" hitmaking and Kurt Cobain influencing fame have paired up with their former SST labelmate Watt, of the Minutemen, and his latest trio on tour. A third SST alum, Greg Norton of Hüsker Dü, opens with his group, Porcupine. (8 p.m. Thu., Cabooze, $17-$20.)

Chris Riemenschneider • 612-673-4658

@ChrisRstrib

The XX plays the Palace Theatre on Friday.
The XX plays the Palace Theatre on Friday. (Alasdair McLellan/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Chris Riemenschneider

Critic / Reporter

Chris Riemenschneider has been covering the Twin Cities music scene since 2001, long enough for Prince to shout him out during "Play That Funky Music (White Boy)." The St. Paul native authored the book "First Avenue: Minnesota's Mainroom" and previously worked as a music critic at the Austin American-Statesman in Texas.

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