15 festive Twin Cities concerts for this holiday season
November 28, 2023
With December nearly here, it is time to look ahead to the holiday shows in the Twin Cities that will keep the remainder of 2023 festive and fun for area music fans. In addition to The Current’s two Winter Warmup shows — Arlo Parks at the Fine Line on Dec. 7 and Ondara at Uptown Theater on Dec. 8 — here are 15 jubilant holiday shows to make your spirits bright this season.
The New Standards Holiday Show
State Theatre
The celebrated Minnesota jazz-pop trio the New Standards have been kicking off the holiday season here in the Twin Cities for 16 festive years now. Local music icons Chan Poling (The Suburbs), John Munson (Trip Shakespeare, Semisonic), and Steve Roehm (Billygoat, Electropolis) lead the proceedings, and are regularly joined by a series of talented vocalists and special guests. And if you need another lift before the year ends, you can also catch one of the New Standards’ Preener’s Eve shows at the Dakota at the end of December.
4 p.m. and 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 2
Trailer Trash’s Trashy Little Xmas Show
Parkway Theater and Turf Club
The annual Trashy Little Xmas show from Minnesota’s beloved country rockers Trailer Trash have been kickstarting your honky-tonk holidays with a mix of festive classics and familiar oldies for nearly three decades now. This year, the one-time house band at Lee’s Liquor Lounge has expanded their audience to include holiday revelers in both Minneapolis and St. Paul.
7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 2 at Parkway Theater;
7 p.m., Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Dec. 21-23, at Turf Club
Travis Anderson Trio’s “Charlie Brown Christmas”
Dakota
This beloved Minneapolis jazz trio has brought Vince Guaraldi’s celebrated holiday music to vibrant life for years. The evocative songs from the 1965 holiday TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas provide nostalgic charm for fans raised on the Peanuts animated classic created by Minneapolis-born cartoonist Charles Schulz. Anderson (keys), Nathan Norman (drums), and Steve Pikal (bass) add their own creative flair to these treasured numbers, melding their swinging modern jazz sound with Guaraldi’s revered holiday tunes.
Nicholas David’s 10th Annual St. Nick’s Day Show
Dakota
Nicholas David, the soulful singer/songwriter from St. Paul, is celebrating a decade of his beloved annual holiday shows. This festive, feel-good performance from the former contestant on NBC’s The Voice will be a blend of affectionate Christmas classics and David’s own contemporary pop holiday numbers, all delivered with passion and exuberance.
Hip Hop Holiday
The Garage
This holiday gathering at the all-ages, substance-free venue in Burnsville is a celebration of local hip-hop and ugly sweaters. The stage will be filled with the rising rap talents of J-RAA + Ninjicky, Montazz, Skippy Stone, and Seep + Jordan Anthony. So, put on that hideous sweater that you only bust out once a year, and support the new wave of Twin Cities hip-hop artists as well as an independent non-profit music venue.
Merry Christmas from José James featuring Christian Sands
Dakota
Things will be festive and groovy at the Dakota as the soulful jazz singer José James brings his holiday show home to Minneapolis along with five-time Grammy nominee Christian Sands. James is fresh off of his tour covering the music of Erykah Badu, and will shift his creative focus to the songs featured on his 2021 holiday record, Merry Christmas from José James. James blends funk, hip-hop, and R&B with his contemporary jazz sound, and he and Sands will add their own unique sonic embellishments to holiday classics, fresh originals, and modern seasonal numbers.
A Very Merry Kurtz Christmas
Icehouse
Rachel Kurtz and Kelley Larson are set to throw their eighth annual Christmas show along with a host of their talented local friends. Kurtz and Larson promise that they will be sharing “boisterous, jolly and sometimes sad music” that will provide a welcome change of pace from the “constant barrage of sorrow” that frequently shrouds the holiday season.
Rockin' Blues & Soul Holiday Party
Turf Club
Spirited Chicago blues band the Claudettes and soulful Rochester-based singer/songwriter Annie Mack have teamed up for what is sure to be a vibrant, uplifting holiday celebration at the Turf Club. Mack and the Claudettes’ Johnny Iguana have rich, resonant vocals that takes their music somewhere special, while the pulsating arrangements of each group’s music gives their songs plenty of swing and soul. Shake off the cold winter by moving and grooving at the Turf Club.
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
Orpheum Theatre
The new-age, progressive rock legends Mannheim Steamroller have entertained holiday audiences for 35-plus years. Founder/director Chip Davis brings the Steamroller’s audio/visual multimedia spectacle to the Orpheum, blending holiday classics with their bold, energetic originals, all augmented by a spellbinding light show.
Heiruspecs Holiday Classic
Turf Club
Heiruspecs host their annual holiday show at the Turf Club with friends Dosh, Lady Lark, and DJ Eddie Sizza Hans. The beloved hip-hop crew from St. Paul often assemble some fresh collaborations and possibly some special guests during the evening’s performances.
Squirrel Nut Zippers Christmas Caravan
Hopkins Center for the Arts
The North Carolina swing and jazz band brings their energetic Christmas Caravan back to Minnesota this holiday season. Bandleader Jimbo Mathus will take the audience through a spirited tour of Christmas hits from the past and present day, all delivered with the vibrant pulse and sonic innovation.
Mark Mallman Presents: Peace on Earth
Icehouse
Beloved Minneapolis musician Mark Mallman – who has performed memorable marathon sets stretching over multiple days while traversing the country – is set to put on his 7th annual Rock Concert of Joy at Icehouse. This show will be a more “traditional” live performance for Mallman (if that is even possible for one of our greatest showmen), featuring a jubilant evening filled with a blissed-out mix of holiday songs, original material, and special guests galore.
A Holiday Evening With Kristin Chenoweth
Orchestra Hall
The Emmy- and Tony-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth returns to Minneapolis for a highly anticipated holiday performance. Chenoweth will join with the Minnesota Orchestra for a night filled with festive songs and holiday entertainment designed for the whole family. Chenoweth and the Minnesota Orchestra will create some fresh new arrangements of holiday classics and well-known standards, all delivered with her boundless spirit.
Caitlyn Smith: The Christmas Show
The Fitzgerald Theater
Cannon Falls-born country singer/songwriter Caitlyn Smith completes her 2023 Minnesota residency with her Christmas Show at the Fitzgerald Theater. When Smith was planning her tour in support of her wonderful recent record, High & Low, she knew she was going to play a Minnesota show, but she wanted to give a little something special to her home state. After playing shows at the 7th St. Entry and Turf Club back in May, and First Avenue in September, Smith finishes up her highly successful tour of legendary Twin Cities venues with this festive holiday show at the Fitz.
The Bad Plus
Dakota
Minneapolis jazz legends the Bad Plus return to the Dakota for their annual holiday run of shows that begins on Christmas day. Drummer Dave King and bassist Reid Anderson are now joined by guitarist Ben Monder and tenor saxophonist Chris Speed. Expect a set filled with a heady mix of classic covers, jazz standards, and groundbreaking originals
5 p.m. and 7 p.m., Monday, Dec. 25;
6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, Dec. 26-28
