Big Gigs for July 5-11

Bob Dylan hasn't shown any sign of wanting to wrap up his never-ending tour, but he has displayed a penchant for keeping it interesting. His latest outing is his greatest in quite a while. They're calling it the Americanarama tour, featuring two of the most celebrated twang-rooted rock bands of the past decade, Wilco and My Morning Jacket, along with veteran American-roots-flavored British folk-rock vet Richard Thompson. Wilco and MMJ each played 12 to 15 songs apiece in the tour's first date, mostly their own fans' favorites. Dylan is still mostly playing piano on stage and has a new guitarist, Roomful of Blues co-founder Duke Robillard, who replaced Charlie Sexton. This one sounds so promising, it's worth a two-night stay in Bob's home state. (5:30 p.m. Tue., Bayfront Festival Park, downtown Duluth, $68, Ticketmaster.com; and 5:30 p.m. Wed., Midway Stadium, St. Paul, sold out) Chris Riemenschneider

POP/ROCK

Umphrey's McGee is at once a band of fun outdoor summer jammers and grittier barroom rockers, which makes the Chicago sextet a perfect fit for a parking-lot "plaza" between two biker bars. After lighting up last year's Summer Set festival, the UM crew returns for another moonlit gig between dates at Milwaukee's Summerfest and Des Moines' 80 / 30 Fest on their 15th anniversary go-round. (6:30 p.m. Fri., Cabooze Plaza, $25-$30.) Riemenschneider

After nearly a decade of playing "D4th" shows on July 4th at the club that its guitar player co-owns, mayhemic Minneapolis punk quartet Dillinger Four went ahead and turned the holiday gig into a three-night mini-fest with six different bands each night. D4 is only scheduled to play Friday alongside rowdy Texas favorites the Riverboat Gamblers, noisy Wisconsin trio Tenement, Southern Cali vets Toys That Kill and more. Saturday will feature local Epitaph label stars Off With Their Heads, '90s-era Chicago blasters Pegboy, the Arrivals (with D4's Paddy Costello on bass), In Defence and more. (7 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Triple Rock, $15/night.) Riemenschneider

Some 15 years and 2,200 shows into its career, Dark Star Orchestra is welcoming a new bassist, Skip Vangelas. He's no stranger to this Grateful Dead cover band; he filled in temporarily during 2001. DSO, which re-creates an actual Dead set list from a particular night, is more consistent than the Dead ever were — and just about as trippy. Here's hoping that they choose a gig from 1977 because the Dead's new boxed set from that year makes a strong case for it being the band's finest. (7 p.m. Fri. Minnesota Zoo, $30-$42.50.) Jon Bream

A founding member of both the Faces and Small Faces, Ian McLagan is one of rock's all-time great organists in addition to being bona-fide British rock royalty. He went on to tour with his old mate Ronnie Wood in the Stones and recorded with many other legends in the '80s. Equally cool (if not equally paying), he has spent the past two decades rocking the bars of Austin, Texas, with his Bump Band, which includes Austin vet Scrappy Jud Newcomb on guitar and carries the Faces' loose, rowdy spirit on stage. Don't miss this rare chance to see them here, especially with Curtiss A opening. (9 p.m. Fri., the Belmore/New Skyway Lounge, 25 N. 4th St., Mpls., $15-$20.) Riemenschneider

Named for a globe-shaped submarine, First Ave's first Bathysphere Festival will dive deep into the murky waters of droning psychedelic rock. Out-of-town headliners and wigged-out local rockers will be spread out between the main room and Entry each night. Night One features former Luna frontman Dean Wareham performing the music of his other old band, Galaxie 500, with his current band Dean & Britta, with opening support from Sonic Boom (of Spaceman 3), locals First Communion Afterparty (back from hiatus), Magic Castles, Pony Trash and more. Night Two offers riveting New York experimental stars A Place to Bury Strangers with spacey British vets the Telescopes, Mexican duo Lorelle Meets the Obsolete and more. (6 p.m. Fri., 5:30 p.m. Sat., First Avenue, $15 nightly or $25/two-day.) Riemenschneider

Cheap Trick is one of the greatest Midwest rock bands of all time, but in recent years the Rockford, Ill., heroes have been stuck opening for lesser talents here. Twin Cities fans finally won back the "Surrender" rockers as headliners again, and in one of the most fun venues in town. Powerhouse vocalist Robin Zander still has the pipes, guitar Rick Nielsen is still equal parts fireball and cornball, and bassist Tom Peterson is still playing it cool. Nielsen's son Daxx has very capably and proudly replaced drummer Bun E. Carlos on tour. (7:30 p.m. Sat., Minnesota Zoo amphitheater, $65.) Riemenschneider

It's Los Regulars: Los Lobos and Los Lonely Boys are teaming up again at the Minnesota Zoo. The finest Americana party band in America, Los Lobos, from East Los Angeles, fit the Minnesota Zoo probably better than any other band — and not just because they're wolves in musicians' clothing. Put it this way: They were the favorite band of longtime zoo promoter Sue McLean, who passed away this year. Los Lonely Boys, their younger counterparts from Texas, are a showy blues band of brothers who always take listeners to "Heaven." (7:30 p.m. Sun., Minnesota Zoo, $56 & $68.50.) Bream

Last year, Great Big Sea celebrated its 20th anniversary with a comprehensive retrospective, "XX." This Newfoundland group is one of Canada's top party bands — even if the music is sea chanties, traditional Canadian folk tunes, Celtic rock and spirited pop. (7:30 p.m. Mon., Minnesota Zoo, $38 & $50.50.) Bream

After a hiatus while Jakob Dylan made a couple of solo albums, the Wallflowers have reunited and sound better than ever. A chunk of the credit goes to new drummer Jack Irons (Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers), who drives the band onstage and on the aptly titled new disc, "Glad All Over." Adam Duritz's Counting Crows are touring behind last year's "Underwater Sunshine," a hodgepodge of covers by Teenage Fanclub, Big Star, Dawes, Bob Dylan and Gram Parsons. By the by, don't expect Dylan to stick around to visit his dad the next day at St. Paul's Midway Stadium; the Wallflowers are booked in Winnipeg on Wednesday. (6:30 p.m. Tue., Myth, $49.50.) Bream

Alice in Chains has long since succeeded in moving past the 2002 death of original singer Layne Staley. New guy William DuVall does a fine job singing the oldies while leaving his own mark, but mostly it's all thanks to guitarist Jerry Cantrell's songwriting and the band's impressively monstrous live show. Cantrell's moody crunch-rock imprint is all over the second album of AIC's second era, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here." Chevelle and Monster Truck open. (7:30 p.m. Tue., Roy Wilkins Auditorium, $41.) Riemenschneider

The most frequent performer at the Minnesota Zoo, piano man Marc Cohn needs no radio airplay or opening act to help sell tickets. But the charming, raspy-voiced, "Walking in Memphis" Grammy winner is teaming up with zoo semi-regular Mary Chapin Carpenter, a literate singer/songwriter whose 2012 "Ashes and Roses" is her most confessional and probably quietest album. (7:30 p.m. Wed.-Thu., Minnesota Zoo, $54 & $66.50.) Bream

Australia's Cat Empire is fond of blending genres — ska, jazz, funk — into a fun, horn-accented dance mix. The group's sixth and latest album, "Steal the Light," adds a taste of Brazilian carnival, Latin rhythms and African drums, but it's really about the spirited horns that spike the party punch. The Pinstripes open. (8 p.m. Thu. Cedar Cultural Center, $21-$26.) Bream

JAZZ

Tenor sax legend Pharoah Sanders makes his first Twin Cities appearance since 2001 — an amazing show that he opened by whimsically playing a water bottle. Sanders, who at 72 can still be volcanic or romantic at will, is one of the more distinctive tenor players of the past half-century. He will front a terrific impromptu Midwest quartet, anchored by his pianist for the better part of three decades, William Henderson, along with Chicago bass great Dennis Carroll (of the Bobby Broom Trio) and the Twin Cities' own drums dynamo Eric Kamau Gravatt, of Weather Report/McCoy Tyner band fame. Highly recommended. (7 & 9 p.m. Mon.-Tue., Dakota Jazz Club, $25-$30.) Tom Surowicz

WORLD

With music banned in a big section of his troubled native land, guitarist and singer Vieux Farka Touré is battling back in the way he knows best, reminding listeners around the globe about the beauty and culture of Mali. His new album, "Mon Pays" ("My Nation"), is full of yearning for a better West African tomorrow. Touré makes his protest against militancy, extremism and the return of slavery on the tracks "Yer Gando" and "Kele Magni." And he tellingly gives a couple of beautiful instrumentals the English names "Future" and "Peace." Globe-trotting humanitarian New York City chanteuse Morley opens. (7:30 p.m. Tue., Cedar Cultural Center, $18-$20.) Surowicz