Thursday, April 24

Mid West Music Fest 2014

Various venues, Winona

5 p.m., $20/day, age restrictions vary

Winona kicks off its fifth annual Mid West Music Fest (read recaps of 2012 and 2013) with shows in venues throughout the city. Highlights from the first night include folk-bluesmen Charlie Parr and Mike Munson at the Historic Masonic Temple, Carroll and Lizzo at the Levee Park Stage, and Mark Mallman at Ed's (no name) Bar. Full schedule here. Also Friday and Saturday.

Brilliant Beast, Hot Rash, and Stereo Confession

Cause Spirits and Soundbar, Minneapolis

9 p.m., free, 21+

Three of the Cities' most energized and exciting young rock bands play tonight at Cause, which also serves as a precursor to Brilliant Beast's Saturday night set at Mid West Music Fest down in Winona.

Friday, April 25

S. Carey

Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis

8 p.m., $15, all ages

Multi-instrumentalist and songwriter S. Carey returns to Minneapolis with a beautiful new album, Range of Light, in hand. He'll perform songs off the new album backed by a full band and with dreamy light projections complementing his music's cinematic and vivid tones. White Hinterland opens.

Big Lake Album-Release Show

Turf Club, St. Paul

Ryan Adams fans will find a lot to love on Big Lake's new self-titled LP, which finds the band moving toward a shimmering alt-country sound. They'll be joined at their album release show by Joey Ryan and the Inks and Small Cities.

Black Market Brass with PaviElle

Icehouse, Minneapolis

9 p.m., $6, 21+

Prepare for a horn-fueled funk explosion when Black Market Brass takes the stage—an effect that will be especially invigorating in the close confines of Icehouse. Warming up the stage for the BMB is scintillating soul singer PaviElle, who has her first solo album on the way this summer.

Beaner’s One Week Live Vol. 12 Release Party

Beaner’s Central, Duluth

6 p.m., $6, all ages

West Duluth coffee house Beaner’s celebrates its latest release, the 12th volume of highlights from some of the best performances from the annual One Week Live event, with a Friday night concert featuring some of the performers who appear on the this new compilation. This early all-ages show features the diverse lineup of folk and country tinged Sonja & The Reckoning, the punk and prog influenced Phillip of Nazareth plus the comedic folk sound of Care Bears, Care Bears, Yeah!

Tired Eyes

The Reef Bar, Duluth

9 p.m., free, 21+

The all-star duo of Alan Sparhawk and Rich Mattson will once again team up for a pair of shows honoring their influential neighbor to the north, Neil Young. Named after the Young song of the same name, the duo will again alternate lead vocal duties while accompanied by Mattson’s Ol’ Yeller bandmate Dale Kallman on bass and his nephew and Northstars bandmate Glen Mattson on drums. Also Saturday.

Dedric Clark & The Social Animals, Dang Ol’ Triole, Western Wolf

Red Star Lounge, Duluth

10 p.m., free, 21+

Formerly known as Diet Folk, the newly rechristened Dedric Clark & The Social Animals will play a Homegrown warm-up show this Friday at Duluth’s Red Star Lounge. Clark and his band will be joined by a stage full of strings as they welcome Minneapolis visitors Dang Ol’ Triole playing a bohemian mix of bluegrass/folk/Americana and the indie newgrass act Western Wolf.

Saturday, April 26

Heiruspecs Album-Release Show

Amsterdam Bar and Hall, St. Paul

9 p.m., $12 adv/$14 doors, 21+

With their anticipated new album, Night Falls, out this week, Heiruspecs will headline a release party in their hometown of St. Paul and bring a few of the city's most promising young artists along for the ride. Get there early to catch much-buzzed-about openers Allan Kingdom, Dem Atlas, and DJ Neviator.

Our Fantasies are Eating Us Alive! Fundraiser Concert

Nomad Pub, Minneapolis

5 p.m., $15, 21+

A pair of shiny new Solid Gold side projects will perform at this Kickstarter launch party and fundraiser for new feature film Our Fantasies are Eating Us Alive!, for which Zach Coulter of Solid Gold will compose the score. Zach will headline with his new collaboration Commanders, a downtempo electro project he started earlier this year with Doomtree's Cecil Otter. Also on the bill is Kadet, which combines the talents of Solid Gold's Adam Hurlburt, Lookbook and Valet's Maggie Morrison, and Moonstone's Aaron Baum. Hamdog and the Zacc Harris Trio open.

Metropolis with live score by Fugitive (ft. Nona Invie)

Zinema 2, Duluth

7:30 p.m., $12, all ages

Duluth’s independent two-screen movie house, Zinema 2, will be hosting two very special screenings of Fritz Lang’s 1927 masterpiece Metropolis with a live score provided by Minneapolis electronic duo Fugitive (featuring Nona Invie of Dark Dark Dark). Zinema will be presenting the 2010 restoration, which is the most complete version of the sci-fi epic currently available. Also Friday.

Northern Minnesota recommendations courtesy of Duluth Local Show host Walt Dizzo.