Thursday, July 18

1. 49 Winchester: After opening recent arena shows for Luke Combs and Tyler Childers and making a splash at Bonnaroo, this rocking country band from Virginia's Southern Appalachia is teetering on the kind of blue-collar Nashville-outsider success that Childers, Zach Bryan and Turnpike Troubadours have enjoyed of late. Singer/guitarist Isaac Gibson could pass for Chris Stapleton's kid-brother. He and his well-greased band of real yahoos blend in authentic gospel and mountain-music influences into a budding discography that sees next month's release of their fourth album, "Leavin' This Holler." (8:30 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $25-$30, axs.com; also 7 p.m. Mon., Earth Rider Brewery, 1617 N. 3rd St., Superior, Wis., $25, etix.com)

Also: A great excuse to hit the North Shore this weekend, the campfire-themed Lutsong Music Festival showcasing folk and Americana songwriters and some jammier acts kicks off in Lutsen with the Scarlet Goodbye and Sarah Morris on opening night, followed by Joe Pug, Laamar, Haley E. Ridell, Maygen & the Birdwatcher, Alpha Consumer, Clare Doyle, chief organizer Molly Maher and more through the weekend (6 p.m. start, along Ski Hill Road, $27-$96); America, the duo known for the lite-FM classics "Horse with No Name" and "Ventura Highway," celebrates its 54th anniversary by kicking off its tour in Minneapolis featuring original member Dewey Bunnell and Andy Barr replacing Gerry Beckley, who retired from the road this year (7:30 p.m. State Theatre, $60-$150); Texas' classic country cult favorite Dale Watson returns (8:30 p.m., Uptown VFW, $25); elegant, lilting Los Angeles folkie Jessica Pratt kicks off her U.S. tour here before a weekend gig at the Pitchfork Music Fest touting her new album, "Here in the Pitch" (8 p.m. Fine Line, $28); Indiana indie-rock mainstay Timothy Showalter and his band are playing small rooms again touting their new Strand of Oaks album, "Miracle Focus" (8 p.m. 7th St. Entry, $22-$26); Israeli-born jazz pianist Guy Mintus, who has performed at festivals around the world, brings his trio to explore the works of Beethoven, the Beatles and Gershwin (7 p.m. Crooners, $28-$38); Curtiss A plays his monthly gig with his vintage blues-rock crew the Dark Click (7 p.m. Minnesota Music Café, $10); sludgy rockers Whiskey Rock and Roll Club MPLS play the Current's free happy hour series on the Surly Brewing patio (6 p.m.); St. Paul's Lowertown Sounds series continues with experimental groove-rockers the Orange Goodness and Tom, Dick & Harry (6-9:30 p.m. Mears Park, free).


Friday, July 19

2. Minnesota Yacht Club: It's the big gig of the summer. The first big-time effort at staging a major festival since Twin Cities Summer Jam, MYC is being organized by C3, the company that promotes Lollapalooza in Chicago and Austin City Limits Festival in Austin, Texas. For the inaugural two-day, two-stage fest on Harriet Island on the banks of the Mississippi in downtown St. Paul, the lineup is heavy on '90s acts with Alanis Morissette and Gwen Stefani on Friday along with Joan Jett, Black Crowes and the Head and the Heart. On Saturday, Red Hot Chili Peppers headline, with Gary Clark Jr., the Offspring, the Hold Steady and Trombone Shorty also scheduled. Arrive early to see local faves like Gully Boys on Friday and Soul Asylum on Saturday. (12:45 to 10:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat. Harriet Island, St. Paul, $135-$1,395, minnesotayachtclubfestival.com)

3. Lyle Lovett & His Large Band: It might be yacht rock weekend in the Twin Cities but Lovett prefers to be on a boat, with a pony and His Large Band. The veteran Texas troubadour brings his wide-ranging musicality, Large Band virtuosity, compelling songs about pants and penguins, and, of course, his dry wit. The Grammy winner's performances are filled with emotion, depth, humor and outstanding genre-defying music. Always highly recommended. (7:30 p.m. State Theatre, 805 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $60-$95, ticketmaster.com)

4. La Dame Blanche: Watch out, Lizzo! There's another rapper out there with a great knack for blowing a flute while delivering her strong messages of female empowerment. And she happens to be a member of Cuban music royalty, too. Known offstage as Yaite Ramos Rodriguez, she's the daughter of Jesús "Aguaje" Ramos, artistic director of the Buena Vista Social Club orchestra. She forged her own musical path after moving to Paris, and is now four albums into a career blending hip-hop with dancehall beats and her Cuban roots, which has made her a rising star at world-beat music fests in Europe and America. (8 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Av. S., Mpls., all ages, $25-$30, thecedar.org; also 7 p.m. Thu., Rochester's Down by the Riverside, Peace Plaza, free, rochestermn.gov)

5. Minnesota Orchestra: "Summer at Orchestra Hall" starts with the kind of program the hall would host at last century's Vienna-themed Sommerfests. Bulgaria's Delyana Lazarova will conduct Mozart's Overture to his opera, "Don Giovanni," and Beethoven's Fourth Symphony. And violinist Natsuki Kumagai will step forth from the orchestra's string section to solo on a Joseph Bologne violin concerto. After two nights in town, the program will close Winona's Minnesota Beethoven Festival on Sunday. (8 p.m. Fri., 7 p.m. Sat. Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 4 p.m. Sun. Winona Middle School Auditorium, 1570 Homer Road, Winona, $20-$75, minnesotaorchestra.org or mnbeethovenfestival.org)

Also: Rochester area native Jason Hammel and his wife Kori Gardner are back on tour with their cult-loved indie-pop band Mates of State of "Get Better" fame after spending a few years off focused on parenthood (9 p.m. Turf Club, $28); New Orleans' institutional funk 'n' soul troupe Rebirth Brass Band returns north for two sets in one night (6:30 & 9 p.m. the Dakota, $35-$45); New Orleans R&B singer Lucky Daye, who won a Grammy for best progressive R&B album in 2022, is out, supporting his new record, "Algorithm" (8 p.m. Fillmore, $55 and up).


Saturday, July 20

6. Black-Eyed Snakes: After announcing details of his first solo album earlier this week and playing myriad gigs with his funk group Derecho Rhythm Section and Neil Young tribute band Tired Eyes in recent months, Alan Sparhawk of Low fame is finally getting back with the side project that first showed off how groovy and hard-rocking he could get. The Duluth-based stomping-blues band with the double-barreled drummers put on some thrilling sets at the Roots, Rock & Deep Blues Fest at this same venue in years past, but it hasn't hit the Cities for too long. Rowdy garage-rockers the Unnamed open with the Taylor Ray Band. (7:30 p.m. Hook & Ladder Theater, 3010 Minnehaha Av. S., Mpls., $20-$25, thehookmpls.com)

7. Jason Mraz: The California singer/songwriter's third album, in 2008, was called "We Sing. We Dance. We Still Things." The feel-good folk rocker actually does dance. Last fall, the Grammy-winning surfer dude proved it, by finishing second on "Dancing with the Stars" and then releasing "Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride" featuring the single "I Feel Like Dancing," which sounds like Justin Timberlake lite. Disco and dance sounds inform Mraz's eighth album and, of course, there's some warm, embracing pop ditties like the Mr. Rogers-esque "Irony of Loneliness." (7:30 p.m. Ledge Amphitheater, 1700 Parkway Dr., Waite Park, $60-$600, ticketmaster.com)

Also: The remarkable Cuban American piano force Nachito Herrera presents a program of American music by George Gershwin and Cuban works by Ernesto Lecuona (7 p.m. the Dakota, $40-$50); in lieu of Graham Parker's usual appearance, Brit's Pub in downtown Minneapolis has put together a fun lineup of U.K.-flavored local acts for its Fredstock party on its lawn, including the Belfast Cowboys, Two Harbors and the Oasis tribute band Cigarettes & Alcohol (3-9 p.m., free); Wisconsin-reared keyboardist/vocalist Yazmin brings Beat Zero, her Latin-tinged folk rock group, back to Crooners along with local star Prudence Johnson (7 p.m., $25-$35); wild-man Minneapolis rapper Prof is headlining a big hometown show again with Grip and Willie Wonka (8 p.m. the Fillmore, resale tickets only); get "Dazed and Confused" and an "Uncontrollable Urge" when the local tribute bands Zeppo and Revo pair up (8:30 p.m. Turf Club, $23).


Sunday, July 21

8. Thirty Seconds to Mars: Considering the band's Oscar-winning frontman Jared Leto climbed the Empire State Building to help hype their first tour in six years, many folks may want to come out just to gawk at the eccentric actor-turned-singer. That's worked out well in the past for the arty glam-rock band the actor and his drummer/brother Shannon Leto formed in 1998, which has since developed a strong, cultish following akin to U.K. rockers Muse. They're four months into an ambitious global tour for their pandemic-inspired album, "It's the End of the World But It's a Beautiful Day," and they picked a suitably dramatic place to play in Minnesota. (7:30 p.m. the Ledge Amphitheater, 1700 Parkway Dr., Waite Park, $46-$99, ticketmaster.com)

9. Next Generation Musicians: In three separate concerts on the same day, Crooners will showcase the next generation of Minnesota musicians with some help from experienced pros in the fields of jazz, classical and musical theater. Vocalist Anna Hashizume will lead aspiring classical singers including Lillian Baker, Ron Romero and Leah Odegaard-Dunning (4 p.m.). Veteran singer Jennifer Grimm will guide jazz musicians under the age of 25, including trumpeter Ella Grace, saxophonist Luca Cavalletti and vocalist Amy Snell (5 p.m.). Theater stalwart Max Wojtanowicz will work with striving thespians Mabel Weismann, Livv Rankin and Max Ashford, among others (6 p.m.). Each performance requires a separate ticket. (Crooners, 6161 Hwy 65, Fridley, $22-$32, croonersmn.eventbrite.com)

Also: The Twin Cities' fun-loving but reputably lyrical hip-hop star Nur-D heads up the Concert for Cobalt, a fundraiser for a child of a Hook & Ladder staffer with medical needs, also featuring Doll Chaser, Zora, Wet Denim and Ghosting Merit (3:30 p.m. the Hook & Ladder Theater, all ages, donations requested); Elvie Shane, known for the 2020 country hit "My Boy," is touting his sophomore album "Damascus" (7 p.m. Mayo Park, Rochester, free); Channy Leaneagh's July residency series continues with an experimental electronic set featuring her Poliça bandmate Drew Christopherson and Alex Nutter (7 p.m. Berlin, free).


Monday, July 22

10. Sunny Sweeney: Her most recent album, 2022′s "Married Alone," is probably the most country album offered by this alt-twanger, who also is a DJ on SiriusXM's "Willie's Roadhouse" channel. She collaborated this time with some A-list Nashville songwriters including Lori McKenna, Brennen Leigh and Cannon Falls' own Caitlyn Smith. "Tie Me Up" could have galloped out of the Waylon Jennings outlaw catalog. The rocking honky-tonker "Leaving Is My Middle Name" wards off potential barroom suitors. The pedal-steel guitar-kissed "Married Alone," a heartbreaking duet with Vince Gill about an empty marriage, opens with the killer lyric "together apart." It's the highlight of this fresh serving of classic country. (8 p.m. Turf Club, 1601 University Av. W., St. Paul, $25-$30, axs.com)

Also: Minnesota-born, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Jeff Dayton, who did a long stint as Glen Campbell's bandleader, is showcasing his new album, "Welcome to Ocean Country," which salutes Jimmy Buffett (7 p.m. the Dakota, $40-$45).


Tuesday, July 23

Haiti-born, Montreal-based, Juno-winning singer Wesli's sixth album, "Tradisyon," traces his traditional roots from voodoo religion to Haitian rhythms (6 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, free); Straight No Chaser, the a cappella institution that started at Indiana University in 1996, released three albums in 2023, one live, one holiday and one of covers; opening is Lisa Loeb of "Stay" fame (7:30 p.m. Ledge Amphitheater, Waite Park, $39-$210).


Wednesday, July 24

A new Minnesota/Wisconsin all-star project of sorts featuring Native powwow singers Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings and Joe Rainey with Bon Iver affiliate S. Carey, Bizhiki just released its debut album on the Jagjaguwar label and is celebrating its release in Minneapolis with Dosh opening (7:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, $25-$45); Texas pop-punk hitmakers Bowling for Soup are out celebrating the 20th anniversary of their fifth album, "A Hangover You Don't Deserve," which included the hit "1985″ (7:30 p.m. First Ave, $38).


Classical music critic Rob Hubbard contributed to this column.