If you listen to his critics, Garrison Keillor is the most boring entertainer in the world. Superficially, there’s a lot that bears this out: He’s a proud Minnesotan, a star on NPR, with a voice so low and soporific that he could put a roomful of sugar-dosed kindergarteners to sleep. But if you haven’t listened to A Prairie Home Companion during the past few years, you might be surprised by how sharply satirical he can be, particularly about the Bush administration. (As a friend recently told me, “When you’ve pissed off Garrison Keillor, you know you’ve done something very, very bad.”) His broadcasts routinely feature a lively combination of guests; tonight will include country star Suzy Bogguss, Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band, and veteran sound man Fred Newman (whose live sound effects are inevitably showstoppers). With his laid-back sense of informal fun, Keillor is perfectly suited to a summer evening. He’s a unique blend of satirist, joke-teller, and curmudgeon, who also just happens to be a national treasure. Marymoor Park, 6046 W. Lake Sammamish Parkway N.E., Redmond, 296-8687, www.concertsatmarymoor.com. $39.50–$62.50. 7 p.m. JOHN LONGENBAUGH

Fri., Aug. 15, 7 p.m., 2008