Copyright Star Tribune
Last seen in town in June opening the Weeknd’s stadium tour, the Atlanta rapper born Jordan Carter has stepped up to arena-headliner status on his own at age 30 with his third album, “Music,” alternately (if not humbly) titled “I Am Music.” The soft-voiced hip-hop star got a big profile bump as a featured guest on Travis Scott’s megahit “Fein.” Now, he has Scott, Kendrick Lamar and the Weeknd guesting on his new record, the latter’s turn in “Rather Lie” helping turn it into a rather big hit. Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely and Homixide Gang are opening. (7 p.m. Thu., Grand Casino Arena, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, $44-$459, ticketmaster.com) The well-traveled trumpeter gets typecast as a smooth jazz musician. That’s only part of his Grammy-winning résumé. He’s a serious jazz man, too, having toured with Buddy Rich and the Brecker Brothers, and a versatile trumpeter, who’s recorded with Sting, Barbra Streisand and John Mayer. He’s also a bandleader of a highly entertaining and musically satisfying Ed Sullivan-like variety show, this time featuring violinist Anastasiia Mazurok and vocalists John Splithoff and Veronica Swift, a jazzer who has branched out with Postmodern Jukebox as well as the hard-rock Dame. (6:30 & 9 p.m. Thu.-Sat., the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $92.42 and up, dakotacooks.com) Alongside the buzz for the food menu at the popular food truck’s new permanent space just west of downtown Minneapolis, there’s also excitement for the similarly meaty performance calendar. The restaurant will double as an Americana-flavored live music venue starting this week. The main opening party Saturday features the busiest 98-year-old in town, Cornbread Harris, with synth-rock mainstays Solid Gold (8 p.m.). Dexterous rocker Al Church will perform solo on Thursday (8 p.m.) and then with a band on Saturday afternoon (3 p.m.). Former Pines co-leader David Huckfelt and his neo-Americana band Mystery Lights perform Friday (8 p.m.). Indigenous singer/songwriter Laura Hugo plays Sunday (3 p.m.). There’s no cover charge in all cases. (Animales BBQ, 241 Fremont Av., Mpls., animalesbbq.com) In her post-Justin Vernon world, the Canadian-reared, Florida-based Americana singer/songwriter is rocking harder, with a fuller and often louder sound on this summer’s “Billionaire,” only her second album in 13 years. Credit coproducers Gena Johnson, a Minnesota State Mankato alum, and Jason Isbell, whose guitar is all over Edwards’ sixth full length. The Current has been spinning the single “Save Your Soul” and the title track, which is about the richness of life, not a tax bracket. (8 p.m. Sun., Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $53 and up, axs.com) While early 20th-century music critics equated French composers Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel with the art world’s impressionist movement, Ravel was more like Pablo Picasso, what with his restless, envelope-pushing imagination. Explore his genius when Bavouzet — one of classical piano’s masters of French repertoire — performs Ravel’s complete solo piano works over the course of two Schubert Club International Artist Series recitals. This is magnificent music, some of it notoriously difficult, all of it overflowing with eloquently expressed emotions. (7:30 p.m. Oct. 28, 10:30 a.m. Oct. 29, Ordway Concert Hall, 345 Washington St., St. Paul, $28-$82, students and children free, 651-292-3268 or schubert.org) Sally Wingert is back as the title character at Six Points Theater, and this time she’s the mysterious 1,000-year-old Jewish refugee in Deborah Zoe Laufer’s play. The drama is set four years from now in an America that has become a violently white Christian nation. Conformity is enforced with violence. Wingert’s character arrives at the home of a Jewish family that has been living as Christians. Her presence forces the family to address latent questions of culture, religion and survival. The production is staged by Amy Rummenie, co-founder of Walking Shadow Theatre, with a cast that includes actor and playwright Avi Aharoni. (Oct. 25-Nov. 9. 1 p.m. Tue., 7:30 p.m. Wed.-Thu., 1 p.m. Fri., 7:30 p.m. Sat., 1 & 5 p.m. Sun. Highland Park Community Center, 1978 Ford Pkwy., St. Paul. $29-$40. 651-647-4315. sixpointstheater.org) Collide Theatrical Dance Company takes “Dracula” up into the air, with an aerial-fueled interpretation of Bram Stroker’s thrilling novel. The troupe’s feminist twist centers the narrative around love interest Mina. New York-based Alison Bartels (who played Juliet in “Romeo & Juliet” last season) is Mina and is joined by a silk-swinging Dracula, performed by Jarod Boltjes. Co-directed by Heather Brockman and Regina Peluso, the performance also features Minnesota-native Jackson Grove, who recently performed in the national Broadway tour of “Funny Girl,” as Renfield. (7 p.m. Thu., 10:30 a.m. Fri., 2 & 7:30 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., through Nov. 9, Luminary Arts Center, 701 1st St., N., Mpls. $35-$63, 651-395-7903, ext. 1. collidetheatrical.org). Theater and dance mingle with an evening of duets running the gamut of emotions. From comedy and satire to moments of grief and personal transformation, Corpus Dance Works’ latest production punctuates its contemporary dance theater through-line with dialogue, whimsy and connection. Led by founder Lily Conforti, the group has often ventured outside of dance into other art forms like film, textiles and live painting since its beginning in 2019. Conforti performs with dance artists Kaitlyn Hawkins, Jake Nehrbass and Nieya Amezquita. (5 & 7:30 p.m. Sat. & Sun., Tek Box, 528 Hennepin Av., Mpls. $25, pay-as-able Sunday matinee, corpusdanceworks.com) A romantic historical drama (“The Glory of Life”), a gripping documentary (“Holding Liat”) and a bittersweet comedy (“Mazel Tov”) are all part of the 31st annual Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival, which opens Thursday with “Midas Man”(biopic on Beatles manager Brian Epstein) at 6:30 p.m. The screening will be preceded by live music by the Shabby Road Quintet at the Riverview Theater. Other movies include the romantic comedy “31 Candles,” about a New Yorker’s search for love (7 p.m. Sat., JCC); Minnesota filmmaker Joy Bela’s “The Other,” exploring the ties between Israelis and Palestinians (4 p.m. Sun., Main Cinema); and “The Zigzag Kid,” about a spirited boy who goes on an exciting adventure (free; 11 a.m. Nov. 2, JCC). Food and cocktails will be offered at select screenings. (Thu.-Nov. 2, various times and venues. $10-$25. minnesotajcc.org) Held in an intimate corner room of the Hyatt Centric, the adults-only evening has the same vibe if Beetlejuice, Wednesday Addams and Jack Skellington throw a Halloween party together. Decorated floor-to-ceiling with spider webs and skeletons, the lighting complements the chills and thrills that fill the room. Listen to a ghost story before costumed actors mingle with guests for 90 minutes of Halloween movie trivia, karaoke, and themed bites and drinks. And oh, allegedly, one of the wines is made by Beetlejuice himself. (Times vary; through Nov. 1. $18. Hyatt Hotel, 615 2nd Av. S., Mpls. nightmarebeforebar.com)
