Meat Puppets

The supposedly big news is that Cris Kirkwood is back from drugaddiction and a stint in jail. But the exciting part is that older broCurt Kirkwood—the alpha talent responsible for both the blistering,psychedelic guitar explosions and the sardonic, semi-sage lyrics thatare the Pups’ signature one-two punch—has responded to the siblingreunion by spooling forth Rise to Your Knees. While perhaps not as crystalline or cow-punked as vintage classics like Meat Puppets IIfrom the ’80s, it’s a strong Meat Puppets collection from the samelineage, which augurs well for the trio (a new drummer is on board) asthey prove that contemporaries of The Replacements and The Minutemencan still raise and daze a ruckus in 2007.

8 p.m., Varsity Theater, 1308 Fourth St. SE, Minneapolis; 612-604-0222; $15.