Thursday, Oct. 31

1. Rocking Halloween gigs: There's a bagful of options for dressing up and rocking out on Halloween night, starting with Twin Cities dance-punk vets the Suburbs' return to the newly reopened Cabooze with the Scarlet Goodbye (7:30 p.m., 913 Cedar Av. S., Mpls., $25-$30, cabooze.com). Always-fun viral "Losers Club" and "Who's Laughing Now" sibling hitmakers Durry should be a scream at their Halloween Spooktacular show with Keep for Cheap (8:30 p.m. Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $25, axs.com). And Deadheads can play the "Is it a Costume or Not?" game with all the Jerry Garcia look-alikes at Boston tribute band Bearly Dead's local gig (7:30 p.m. Hook & Ladder, 3010 Minnehaha Av. S., Mpls., $15-$20, thehookmpls.com)


Friday, Nov. 1

2. The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company: The Victorian-era comic operettas of William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan are always great fun, full of silliness and satire, but how do you perform "The Mikado" without the insensitivity of "yellow face" and the mocking of Japanese language and culture? An Austin, Texas, troupe devised a way by adapting the story to Scotland, decking it out in tartan, and calling it "The McAdo." The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company brings the fresh take northward. (7:30 p.m. Fri. and Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., through Nov. 24, Howard Conn Fine Arts Theater, Plymouth Congregational Church, 1900 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., $15-$30, gsvloc.org)

Also: The unlikely love child of Ernest Tubb and Jimi Hendrix, honky-tonk guitar wiz Junior Brown kicks off a two-night stand at the Dakota (7 p.m., Sat. also, $65-$85); Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen is doing a storyteller-style tour based on his old group with a new group, the Circle Band (8 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, $35-$40); the swampy, spirited, jam-oriented New Orleans Suspects return to their favorite Minneapolis haunt for a masquerade ball; costumes encouraged (9 p.m. $32-$38); there's a stacked lineup of gritty and rowdy Minnesota howlers with Whiskey Rock and Roll Club MPLS, the Rockford Mules and Angry at Numbers (8 p.m. Hook & Ladder Mission Room, $15-$20); Adam Levy of the Honeydogs and Turn Turn Turn will trade songs with daughter Ava Levy (9 p.m. Aster Cafe, $20); bluesy Twin Cities piano man Scottie Miller debuts his new trio featuring drummer Greg Schutte and bassist Dan Carpel (6:30 p.m. Dunsmore Room at Crooners, $25-$35).


Saturday, Nov. 2

3. Usher: After his triumphant Las Vegas residency and exciting Super Bowl halftime show this year, the dazzling R&B veteran hit the road with his Past Present Future Tour. Of course, there's going to be some dynamic dancing, bangin' beats and sexy vocals as well as moonwalking on roller skates. Add in some high-tech production on Usher's first tour in eight years. In this career retrospective, he touches on a generous 30-some songs, including a few from this year's "Coming Home." (8 p.m. Sat. and Sun., Target Center, 600 1st Av. N., Mpls., $98 and up, ticketmaster.com)

4. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats: From their Turf Club show nine years ago just as "S.O.B." was catching on to their Rock the Garden appearances in 2016 and 2022 to last year's pair of Surly Brewing Field shows, these Colorado soul-rockers simply have never failed to put on an ultra-warm and rousing performance that leaves fans smiling. They're playing their first arena-headlining gig in support of their fourth album, "South of Here," which shows a heavier Van Morrison influence than past efforts and might make their live shows feel better than ever. Cult-loved indie-folk hero Gregory Alan Isakov adds extra incentive as the opener, too. (8 p.m. Xcel Energy Center, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, $47-$180, ticketmaster.com)

5. Okean Elzy: Even before Russia's war on their homeland broke out, this dramatic and darkly romantic rock ensemble from Lviv — reminiscent of Bob Geldof's Boomtown Rats crossed with Queen — was a big part of the flag-waving momentum for Ukrainian pride and independence. They were introduced to the rest of the world when a mass singalong of their hit "Обійми" ("Embrace") outside the Palace of Labour in Kharkiv went viral. Now they're touring the world as ambassadors. They just released their first English-language album, "Lighthouse," featuring the Goo Goo Dolls' Johnny Rzeznik as a guest vocalist on the title track and nine more songs calling for personal freedom and justice. Proceeds from their tour go to the Open Eyes Fund, providing ambulances and other emergency-service needs in Ukraine. (8 p.m. Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7th Pl., St. Paul, $99-$180, axs.com)

6. Minnesota Opera: Charles Gounod's operatic adaptation of Shakespeare's tale of love amid tribalism, "Romeo and Juliet," was last produced by Minnesota Opera in 2016, and it's that eye-catching design scheme that will once again grace the Ordway stage. Singing the title roles are soprano Jasmine Habersham and Minnesota-reared tenor Evan LeRoy Johnson, with a large cast, chorus and orchestra giving voice to Gounod's emotion-packed romanticism. Conducted by Christopher Franklin, it also features the dancers of James Sewell Ballet. (7:30 p.m. and Nov. 7 and 9, 2 p.m. Nov. 10, Ordway Music Theater, 345 Washington St., St. Paul, $30-$249, mnopera.org

7. Brad Paisley: The country star, Nashville guitar hero, TV producer, talent show judge, awards show cohost and pitchman for Peyton Manning's favorite insurance company is pitching in for the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation by headlining its big benefit. Fresh from singing the National Anthem at the World Series, the ever-entertaining Paisley has been promising to drop a new album this year on a new label, EMI Nashville, after being on Arista Nashville forever. The socially conscious star has offered a few new singles, including "Same Here" featuring Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine. (8 p.m. the Armory, 500 S. 6th St., Mpls., $79.50, ticketmaster.com)

8. Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets: On his first new album in 11 years, the British pub rock vet is leaving his recent crooner phase behind and reimagining some of his ballad-y material as rockers with his road band, the surf-rockin' Los Straitjackets. "Tokyo Bay" evokes Lowe's days with Rockpile, and other tunes, some new, some reworked, suggest his love for Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison and pre-Beatles rock. (8 p.m., also Sun., Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $35-$65, first-avenue.com)

Also: Buffalo Springfield and Poco alum Richie Furay, who retired from being a pastor and has staged farewell musical tours, is back (8 p.m. Hopkins Center for the Arts, $40-$50); coming off an extended hiatus, local whir-rock unit Poliça has been recruited by Minnesota United to perform for free outside the stadium before the second playoff game (6:15 p.m., Allianz Field); revitalized with two fun new LPs over the past two years after a two-decade lull, Twin Cities punk and poppy '80s groovers Run Westy Run are back at the Turf Club with Faith Boblett opening (8 p.m., $25-$30); Poison frontman Bret Michaels is back for nothin' but a... ah, you know (8 p.m. Treasure Island Casino Event Center, $59-$99); British YouTube music star Cavetown, aka Robbie Skinner, is out touting a couple new EPs (8 p.m. the Fillmore, all ages, $51).


Sunday, Nov. 3

Cofounder Terry Adams leads NRBQ, the eternally hip quartet that plays everything from rockabilly and jazz to R&B (as their moniker suggests), back to the Parkway (7:30 p.m., $35-$55); Buenos Aires rockers Los Espiritus will head up the 12th annual Festival de las Calaveras celebrating Day of the Dead with Los Angeles' Cici Bastida, Mexico's Juan Pablo Villa and more (6-11 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, all ages, $12-$20); St. Paul shop Vig Guitars is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a free afternoon bash featuring northern Minnesota blues rockers Corey Medina & Brothers, the Dirty Half Dozen and more (2-6 p.m. Cabooze, winter gear donations requested); renowned jazz bassist Adam Linz of Fat Kid Wednesdays and more is kicking off his month of curated Sunday shows at Berlin with his namesake trio featuring Phil Hey and Levi Schwartzberg (7 p.m., free); West Bank Social Club performs again (8 p.m.) after piano legend Cornbread Harris' usual Church of Cornbread gig (5-7 p.m., Palmer's Bar, free); the duo of Barbara Piper and Pauline Jennings give new meaning to feelin' groovy by interpreting the Simon & Garfunkel songbook (5 p.m. Crooners, $30-$40).


Monday, Nov. 4

9. Beat: Can you have King Crimson without guitarist Robert Fripp? You can try if you use a different moniker. That's what Crimson vets Andrew Belew (vocals, guitar) and Tony Levin (bass) are doing, joined by guitar star Steve Vai and Tool drummer Danny Carey. They are focusing on material from three 1980s albums — "Discipline," "Beat" and "Three of a Perfect Pair." The setlist will feature deep tracks like "Model Man" in the first set, and more familiar fare like "Elephant Talk" and "Red" after intermission. The group has Fripp's blessings. In fact, he suggested the band be known as Beat. (8 p.m. State Theatre, 805 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $49.50-$129, ticketmaster.com)

Also: The first woman since Alanis Morissette to win Canada's Juno Award for rock album of the year with her 2020 debut "Ruthless," JJ Wilde could begin to break big in America now with her newest record, "Vices" (8 p.m. Turf Club, $20-$22); Belgian electronic experimentalist Roméo Poirier is in town for the first time paired with another sonic innovator, Holly Hansen of Zoo Animal (7: 30 p.m. Berlin, $15).


Tuesday, Nov. 5

10. Dasha: She's a little bit country and a little bit rock 'n' roll. Dasha has spent time in her native California and in Nashville, where she attended Belmont University. Her catchy "Austin (Boots Not Walkin')" became a dance-happy TikTok sensation that crossed over to both country and pop radio this year. In concert, the Daisy Dukes-wearing singer will crank the guitars when she rocks or have her band switch to fiddle, banjo and acoustic guitar for the country-tinged material. After playing the Austin City Limits fest, she'll bring her Dashville vibe to Minneapolis to kick off the November leg of her tour. (8 p.m. Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $25-$45, first-avenue.com)

Also: Cimarron 615 explores the country-rock vein of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers featuring Minnesota-bred bassist/singer Jack Sundrud, a Poco alum (7 p.m. the Dakota, $30-$40).


Wednesday, Nov. 6

Elyanna, the Palestinian-Chilean singer who performed along side Coldplay on "Saturday Night Live" this month, makes her Minneapolis debut (8 p.m. Varsity Theater, $45 and up); a Chicago jazz trio that pulls from Passover songs based on its Jewish-Ukrainian members, Teiku is earning acclaim for its just-released debut album (7 p.m. Berlin, $20).

Classical music critic Rob Hubbard contributed to this column.