Your guide to hip happenings in the Red River Valley
1. The Dt's
Tonight
Sunday's belated celebration of what would have been Janis Joplin's 60th birthday in New York's Central Park featured celebrities like Kate Pierson and Cat Power paying tribute to the boozing and bluesy belter, but an evocative homage to "Pearl" takes the stage at Ralph's tonight. The three-piece, Bellingham, Wash.,-based Dt's pour power shots of soul and blues for audiences thirsty for the restrained simplicity of rock. Fronted by singer Diana Young-Blanchard, the trio rolls guitar and drums into an explosive mix of deep roots rock. Music starts at 9 p.m. with a $6 cover for this 21-and-up show. (218) 233-3351.
2. Robin and Linda Williams
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Tonight
The weekend feels a little closer with Robin and Linda Williams playing tonight. The folk-singing duo have a standing invitation to Saturday night dinners in millions of homes across the country thanks to regular appearances on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion." The duo are the main course tonight when they take the stage at the Center for the Arts in Fergus Falls, Minn. Touring behind their latest release, "Visions of Love," the singing guitarists deliver old-fashioned harmonies on classic country tunes by Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family. The music starts at 8 p.m. with a $10 ticket. (218) 736-5453.
3. Ricky Skaggs
Sunday
Those who've said "O Brother, Where Art Thou" is leading the bluegrass comeback haven't been paying attention to Ricky Skaggs. Critically underappreciated in the 1980s, Skaggs led the first wave of country revivalists when Alison Krauss was still figuring out the fiddle. Proof of his skill and dedication to the new old school can be heard on "The Three Pickers," a high-strung, three-man jam with Doc Watson and Earl Scruggs. Skaggs brings his mandolin to Dakota Magic Casino in Hankinson, N.D., this Sunday for some nifty picking and inspired playing. Show times are at 3 and 8 p.m. with a $15 ticket. 800-325-6825.
