Lucy Kaplansky

Not every folksinger offers paeans to cornfields and chicken coops. Lucy Kaplansky is a purely urban soul, and her New York City songs tell stories with subway trains below and skyscrapers above. Nor do her curly hair, modern love songs, and psychology degree fit with your average folkie image, but she cuts to the heart of things with a sweet and yearning voice. Her latest recording, The Red Thread, crosses oceans to China, where Kaplansky and her husband recently traveled to adopt a baby daughter. The title refers to an invisible thread, which, according to Chinese lore, links newborn babies to every person they will meet throughout their lives. It’s a good reminder of the fragile connectivity of life, which in itself is a key to happy urban living. 416 Cedar Ave S., Minneapolis; 612-338-2674; www.thecedar.org