Music Forecast June 11-17: D’Angelo, Lucinda Williams, the Melvins, Le Butcherettes, KC Symphony and Lyle Lovett, PorchFestKC

D’Angelo

Oh, how we have longed for D’Angelo to return to our ready arms. Now, the R&B singer-songwriter is back with Black Messiah, 14 years after the release of the iconic Voodoo. For a moment, let’s put aside the negativity attached to D’Angelo’s name in that decade-plus — struggles with alcohol and drugs, stints in rehab, arrests — and just appreciate Black Messiah for its brilliance. These songs teem with soul. The energy here is every bit as sexy as Voodoo, but there’s more depth and meaning now. Worth the wait. This is D’Angelo’s first headlining U.S. tour since 2000, so don’t be late Thursday at the Midland, especially given that the massively talented Meg Mac, Australia’s latest breakout artist, opens the show.

Thursday, June 11, the Midland (1228 Main, 816-283-9921)

Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams was last through the area in November, when she stopped at Lawrence’s Liberty Hall in support of the magnificent Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone. She gave a moving performance, with her brittle voice on full display — proof that the Grammy Award winner just keeps getting better. Thursday at Crossroads KC, don’t miss your chance to hear the 62-year-old blues-rock legend.

Thursday, June 11, Crossroads KC at Grinders (417 E. 18th St., 785-749-3434)

The Melvins, Le Butcherettes

After you’ve done your Sunday brunching and your day drinking and your napping, get to the Melvins’ show at the Bottleneck. Don’t expect a quiet set: This grunge-metal act hasn’t been chill since emerging in Washington state in 1983. The band is on tour now in support of last year’s Hold It In. Le Butcherettes open the show and are worth the ticket price alone. For nearly a decade, the Mexican trio has delivered an energetic package of dark pop-punk driven by lead singer Teri Gender Bender’s politically charged lyrics.

Sunday, June 14, the Bottleneck (737 New Hampshire, 785-841-5483)

Kansas City Symphony with Lyle Lovett

If you’ve never taken time to appreciate the vast natural beauty of the Kansas Flint Hills, the local nonprofit Symphony in the Flint Hills wants to help you experience them for the first time. The organization celebrates its 10th anniversary with a performance by the Kansas City Symphony and a special guest, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett. (Lovett performed in 2010 at the fifth anniversary celebration.) General admission tickets for this event are sold out, but VIP packages are still available.

Saturday, June 13, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (symphonyintheflinthills.org, 816-471-0400)

PorchFestKC

PorchFestKC debuted last year in the West Plaza neighborhood to mixed responses from residents. That the event is returning may mean that at least a few people were won over. Essentially, PorchFest turns a few local porches into stages for a day, with nearly 100 local and out-of-town musicians ready to play to anyone who’s interested in listening. Plenty of familiar names are on this year’s bill — the always entertaining folk act KC Bear Fighters; jazz singer Megan Birdsall’s rootsy side project, MBird; country singer-songwriter Sara Morgan — and a host of new acts, too. And it’s not just music: Local food and drink vendors also are on-site, offering their wares to keep you hydrated and full.

Saturday, June 13, West Plaza neighborhood (from 44th to 48th streets, between Wyoming and Mercier, porchfestkc.com)