Weekly Agenda: Are you in on the joke?

When an entertainer spreads the façade on thick, it makes us wonder who’s in on the joke. Do fans of über-Southerner Larry The Cable Guy (Friday, Grand Casino-Hinckley) know that his real name is Dan and that he’s from Nebraska? When Sean Tillmann takes the stage as Har Mar Superstar, wearing nothing more than tighty-whities and a leer, is it okay if we laugh? What if we don’t? What if we just feel uncomfortable?

Good news for folks who like their rock shows comedy-free: We’re getting standard-issue Sean this week, with a rare performance by Sean Na Na (Thursday, Turf Club). Just a regular dude playing guitar with some other regular dudes. And if you like your laughs unambiguous, you’ve got plenty of options: This week’s calendar includes two sets by Kathy Griffin (Saturday, Orpheum Theatre), who couldn’t be more transparent when it comes to sharing her feeling about celebrities. The comedians at the Twin Cities Improv Festival (Thursday-Sunday, Brave New Workshop) may not be as blunt, but their intentions are equally pure. Singin’ In The Rain (Thursday, Heights Theater) is so straightforward it actually features a musical number called “Make ’Em Laugh.” And the crew from Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me! (Thursday, State Theatre) may be out to inform, but a little giggling along the way is sure to be appreciated.

But getting back to the professional flummoxers, Ween (Saturday, Roy Wilkins Auditorium) has been amusing fans and confusing strangers for more than 20 years with its silly yet expertly crafted genre-hopping music. When “Your Party,” from 2007’s La Cucaracha, called for a cheesy, ’80s-inspired sax solo, Dean and Gene didn’t fake it; they got David Sanborn himself to lay on the schmooze. And if Sanborn’s in on the joke, the rest of us have no excuse.