Little Big Town
photo courtesy Target Center
4/3–4 Weird Al Yankovic
You know him as the curly-haired accordionist with a penchant for turning pop songs into comedic cultural parodies. But Weird Al pens his own music, too. His new show, “The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour,” gets intimate at Pantages Theatre.
4/4–5, 4/7 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four
The college men’s hockey championships slide into the Xcel Energy Center. Before the semifinals and championship game, the
fun starts with open practices on April 4.
4/5 Little Big Town
The Grammy-winning team of vocalists (with a name befitting the Twin Cities, too) are still shaking up country music with kicking, rhythmic melodies and shimmering harmonies. This month, “The Breakers Tour” hits Target Center.
4/6–15 Garden Of Names
At the Cowles Center, Minneapolis’ Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre presents a Spanish dance and drama show. Inspired by the desaparecidos (“disappeareds”), who went missing in the 1970s under Argentinian dictatorship, the performance focuses on remembering those lost.
4/7 Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
David Bowie was a fan of this British, ukulele-strumming team. Stopping at St. John’s University on a country-wide tour, the group adapts all sorts of music—from Tchaikovsky to ’70s punk to, yes, Bowie—for the Hawaiian mini-guitar.
Digital Extra: A Closer Uke
Listen to the sunny, strumming sounds of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain before catching their concert in St. Joseph.
4/7 Minnesota Rollergirls
In the colliding-while-skating arts, Minnesota’s RollerGirls All-Star Team is nationally ranked. At Roy Wilkins Auditorium, this final bout is worth the black eye (applied by a makeup artist for charity) and is the last chance this season to cheer on “Demoraliza” and “Hanna Belle Lector.”
Digital Extra: Powerful Skating
Check out the fast-and-furious highlight reel of the Minnesota RollerGirls’ last season, and catch the All-Stars’ final bout this month.
4/7 Granite City Train Show
Hundreds of model trains grace this St. Cloud expo for buying, selling, trading, or simply viewing at River’s Edge Convention Center. The railway-building area has wooden trains for kids.
Digital Extra: Local Motion
Take a peek at the Granite City Train Show in St. Paul, featuring hundreds of model engines chugging real steam.
4/13–14, 27–28 Mid West Music Fest
This southeastern music fest features local bands—these days, about 100 acts in a dozen venues—over two weekends. The first is in La Crosse, Wisconsin (April 13-14), and the second is in Winona (April 27-28).
4/14 A Taste of Heritage
Albert Lea celebrates the diversity of its population—and local restaurants—with a flag ceremony, food samples, and demos that highlight Mexican, Karen, Norwegian, Lao, South Sudanese, Ukrainian, and other cuisines.
4/19–20 Leaves of Grass—Illuminated
Lanesboro Arts presents a one-man show inspired by poet Walt Whitman that has been 10 years in the making. Patrick Scully, founder of Minneapolis performance space Patrick’s Cabaret, conveys Whitman’s multitudes through song, video, and dance at St. Mane Theatre in Lanesboro.
4/20 Del and Woody: Del McCoury Plays the Music of Woody Guthrie
Some lyrics by mid-century folk legend Woody Guthrie were never set to music. So, bluegrass musician Del McCoury wrote original songs bringing those words to life on his 2016 album Del and Woody. McCoury and his band land at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester.
Digital Extra: Del Does Woody
Hear bluegrass musician Del McCoury put the unsung lyrics of folk songwriter Woody Guthrie to music, then pick up a ticket to see him in Rochester this month.
4/21 Iron Range Earth Fest
In its 10th year, the Iron Range Earth Fest explores sustainability in northeast Minnesota with a local food and product marketplace, a silent auction, and demos on how to live with less waste at Mountain Iron Community Center.
4/21 All About Dogs
Once a year, you get to bring your dog to the Minnesota Arboretum in Chaska. Stock up on everything dog-related, get training tips from experts, and bond with fellow dog lovers on the beautiful grounds.
4/26–28 Body, The Shrine
Ragamala Dance Company is celebrating its 25th year of diligently preserved classical Indian dance in Minnesota. A show that combines the personal and ancestral makes its Minneapolis debut at the Cowles Center. An ensemble from South India provides the music.
