Thursday, December 12

Dustin Thomas

7th St. Entry, Minneapolis

8 p.m., $5, 18+

Globe-trotting soul-folk artist Dustin Thomas returns home after playing to thousands at music festivals in Bali and Australia. (Read an interview with Dustin and see photos from his travels here.) For his Minneapolis show, he'll be joined by folk-rock band Portage.

Duluth Does Low

Sacred Heart Music Center, Duluth

7 p.m., $15, all ages

Duluth Mayor Don Ness hosts this hometown tribute to Low as a celebration of the band’s 20th anniversary. Over 25 local acts will share their unique takes on a diverse selection of songs from the Low catalog. Some of the artists set to perform include: Southwire, Mary Bue, Toby Thomas Churchill, Cars & Trucks, The Acceleratii, Sarah Krueger, Manheat, Marcus Matthews, and Haley Bonar; more info here.

Friday, December 13

Gingko

7th St. Entry, Minneapolis

8 p.m., $8, 18+

Still riding high on the release of his experimental, quirky little pop album, Manopause, Tapes 'n Tapes frontman Josh Grier will bring his new band Gingko (which also features brothers Jake and Jeremy Hanson, Rob Skoro, and Adam Switlick) to the Entry for a victory lap. With openers BBGUN and Some Pulp.

Bigtree Bonsai Album-Release Show

Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis

7 p.m., $10 adv/$12 door, all ages

Americana lovers Bigtree Bonsai play one of their biggest headlining shows to date this Friday night at the Cedar, where they will celebrate the release of their first full-length record, Awoken (sample one of the tracks in last week's Friday Five). Jake Dilley, who produced the new album, will warm up the stage with his band the Color Pharmacy, and alt-country troubadours Taj Raj will kick off the night.

Excelsior City Limits

318 Cafe, Excelsior

8 p.m., free, all ages

Here's a fun idea: Book a show that features four or five respected local musicians trading songs and stories in a roundtable format, but don't tell anyone who is performing ahead of time. It's how 318 Cafe booker Elli Rader will bid farewell to the all-ages venue after booking shows there for seven years—and if Rader's track record is any indication, you don't need to know who is playing to know that it's going to be a great show.

Phillip of Nazareth, Iron Range Outlaw Brigade, The Dirty Apes

Beaner’s Central, Duluth

7 p.m., $5, all ages

Kick off your Friday the 13th with an early all-ages rock and roll show featuring Duluth’s own Phillip of Nazareth along with two hard partying and talented bands hailing from Minnesota’s Iron Range. With a love of cheap booze and honkytonk guitar, the gentlemen in IROB have gained a considerable local fan base over the years and this time around they’re bringing their friends The Dirty Apes along with them. Two bands from ‘Da Range in West Duluth – that’s how you start a weekend.

Lizzo, Grrrl Party, The Crunchy Bunch

Red Star Lounge, Duluth

10  p.m., $6, 21+

This has been a dynamite year for Twin Cities hip hop artist, Lizzo. In just 12 months she has celebrated the release of her highly praised album Lizzobangers with Lazerbeak, found herself on tour with fellow Twin Cities party-starter Har Mar Superstar, and has collaborated with Caroline Smith as well as her own rap trio The Chalice. This Friday Lizzo and her protégés in Grrrl Party bring their raucous hip hop party north to Duluth’s Red Star Lounge. Duluth DJ collective The Crunchy Bunch will also be on hand to throw down their own dance floor friendly remixes as well as share their newest mix tape…if you know the secret password.

Saturday, December 14

France Camp Album-Release Show

7th St. Entry, Minneapolis

8  p.m., $5, 18+

Garage lovers, unite: This show will not only feature some of the best bands buzzing under the radar here in town, but it's also a nice showcase of some of the latest groups to record with budding producer Ali Jafaar. Jafaar's own Hollow Boys will open along with Frankie Teardrop and Teenage Moods, and France Camp will headline as their debut album is released on cassette tape.

Jillian Rae CD-Release Show

Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis

7 p.m., $12 adv/$15 door, all ages

Violinist and singer-songwriter Jillian Rae will perform in support of her debut album, Heartbeats, which was described in our new release spotlight as "an appealing and crisply produced collection firmly in the bourgeoning Americana vein, with a pop sheen that should help it appeal to a broad audience." She'll be joined by the Honeydogs, Gallupstar, and Lonesome DJ Dave.

The Parlour Suite Album-Release Show

Icehouse, Minneapolis

10 p.m., $8, 21+

Set aside everything you thought you knew about folkies the Parlour Suite, who take things in a much more pop-oriented direction on their new single "Pressure." They'll release an EP by the same name on Saturday night with support from Communist Daughter.

Manheat, The Social Disaster, Phillip of Nazareth

The Reef, Duluth

10 p.m., free, 21+

Local low-end threesome Manheat have come out of their summer hibernation and are ready to rekindle their love affair with scuzzy pop punk. Manheat guitarist Jake Larson will also debut his newest side venture, the Social Disaster, at this show. This new group features lead vocals from Rachel Phoenix, the guitar interplay of Jacob Swanson and Jesse Hoheisel, drums by Ryan Nelson and the aforementioned Larson on Minimoog. The group describes their sounds as, “something you could call electro-garage-pop-rock, though that doesn’t really describe it.” Phillip of Nazareth will try and recover from their night previous with the Iron Range Outlaw Brigade to add their own brand of prog-punk to the mix.

Sunday, December 15

Doomtree Blowout XI

First Avenue, Minneapolis

7 p.m., $17 adv/$20 door, 18+

There are still a few tickets left for the last of four consecutive nights of the ninth annual Doomtree Blowout, which kicked off with an all-ages show at the Triple Rock on Thursday night before moving to the Mainroom for three back-to-back shows.

Dial-Up CD-Release Show

Icehouse, Minneapolis

Dial-Up celebrate the release of their new Cold Rinse, which KT Lindemann says is "as attractive and successful as it is weird, and as much dance as it is drone." Opening the show will be much-buzzed-about breakout act Carroll.

 Twin Ports concert recommendations courtesy of Duluth Local Show host Walt Dizzo.