Low: For a band that has one of the best-known — and most religiously sincere — holiday albums in indie-rock, the darkly harmonious Duluth trio has been very selective about performing yuletide concerts in the years since its 1999 EP "Christmas" earned widespread acclaim and Gap TV commercial play. This year's 20th anniversary made a good time to revisit the collection at the historic St. Paul theater that has become the band's go-to zone-out space in town. This is not the Low show to go to if you want to hear "Pissing," but you never know with these unpredictable Minnesota music heroes. (8 p.m. Fri., Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul, $35, eTix.com)
The Blenders: Long before Pentatonix and Home Free, this Fargo-reared male a cappella quartet flirted with pop stardom via the 1998 novelty hit "(I'm in Love With the) McDonald's Girl" and a Universal Music record deal. They've endured mainly as a holiday act. This year's seasonal run marks their 30th anniversary, which they're celebrating with dueling "Blenders Day" decrees in Fargo and Minnesota and a new TV documentary debuting online Tuesday via the Inforum.com YouTube Channel, with four Minneapolis shows in between. (7:30 p.m. Thu., 8 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., Pantages Theatre, Mpls., $48.)
Tina Schlieske: Whether she's rockin' originals with Tina & the B Sides, doing classic covers with Lola & the Red Hots, or delivering her Sinatra-inspired standards show, she fills the room with her powerhouse voice and personality. And who can forget her James Brown interpretations with the New Standards? She promises a parade of friends for this "Rockin' the Holidays" concert. (8 p.m. Fri., Parkway Theater, Mpls., sold out)
Wynton Marsalis: Every December for the past decade or so, Marsalis' Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra celebrates the season with swinging arrangements of sacred and secular tunes. On 2015's album "Big Band Holidays," Marsalis showcased vocal stars Cecile McLorin Salvant and Gregory Porter, and this fall he delivered "Big Band Holidays II" with Aretha Franklin and Catherine Russell. The vocalists on tour are Denzal Sinclaire and teenager Alexis Morrast, the 2017 winner of "Showtime at the Apollo." (8 p.m. Fri., Orchestra Hall, Mpls., $50-$143)
Holiday Har Mar Experience: After spending much of the year launching his synth-pop duo Heart Bones, Sean Tillmann is back to Har Mar Superstarring at year's end. He and his tight soul-groove band are working up some seasonal tunes alongside their usual favorites for two holiday shows that will push aside the fine dining tables for an open dance floor, all to benefit One Heartland youth camp and services. (10 p.m. Fri. & Sat., Dakota, Mpls., $35.)
Hot Tuna: The acoustic blues duo side project of Jefferson Airplane principals Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen eventually became an electrifying blues band. The Airplane crashed long ago but Hot Tuna is celebrating its 50th anniversary on an acoustic tour with drummer Justin Guip. Kaukonen is always a picker to be reckoned with. Opening is the outstanding husband-and-wife Americana duo Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, last seen charming as openers for Little Feat this fall. (8 p.m. Sat., Fitzgerald Theater, St. Paul, $39.50-$59.50)
The Petersons: Minnesota's first family of jazz will celebrate the holidays once again, along with a new seasonal album by Patty Peterson. On "Count Your Blessings," she channels her inner Barbra Streisand, finds a soul-jazz vibe on "Christmas Time Is Here" and graciously shares her gratitude on "I Am Thankful," written by her sister Linda. (8 p.m. Sat., Hopkins Center for the Arts, sold out.)
The Joy Formidable: After reiterating its place as truly one of the most formidable whir-rock/wall-of-sound bands of the day with last year's stormy album "Aaarth," the Welsh trio hit the road this month revisiting its burstingly energetic, charmingly earnest debut "A Balloon Called Moaning" to mark its 10th anniversary. A new deluxe edition of the LP has been released with Welsh-language versions of the songs, which prove the band's joyful guitar workouts have universal translation. (8:30 p.m. Sat., Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $25-$40, eTix.com)
Dillinger Four: Twenty-five years later, one of the Twin Cities' most dastardly and thrilling punk bands is still at it. Sort of. The quartet hasn't issued an album in a decade and has only performed sporadically since the demise of its unofficial clubhouse, the Triple Rock. But that scarcity only adds to the enormity of this silver anniversary show, as does the addition of Chicago's great '90s hardcore band Pegboy. The Brokedowns and Partial Trace open. (8 p.m. Sat., First Avenue, $20-$25.)
311: Omaha's reggae- and rap-rock-tinged groovers of "Amber" and "All Mixed Up" fame have held onto a faithful fan base better than a lot of their '90s alt-rock peers, enough to land them atop the Billboard independent album chart with the recent LP "Voyager," produced by Blink-182 and Panic! cohort John Feldmann. They're topping the 93X Nutcracker party with Highly Suspect, the Glorious Sons and BRKN Love. (7 p.m. Sat., Armory, Mpls, all ages, $39-$92.50.)
David Archuleta: What becomes an "American Idol" runner-up most? Recording a Christmas album, apparently. Archuleta, who finished second in 2008 at age 16, has released two yule recordings, including last year's "Winter in the Air." He returns for a second consecutive holiday season. (8 p.m. Sat., Cedar Cultural Center, Mpls., $25-$30)
Silverteens Christmas: As has become a seasonal tradition, throwback garage-rockers the Silverteens are bringing back a band from Minneapolis' past for their annual holiday party, spazzy Loose Rails, along with two of the scene's most enduring noisemaking units, Eleganza! and headliners the Mighty Mofos. (7 p.m. Sat., Minneapolis Eagles Club #34, $8.)
Marilyn Maye: On her third visit to the Twin Cities this year, the cabaret queen will share the joy of the season. A masterful entertainer, she has impeccable timing with her humor and her music. And at 91, she can still kick like the Rockettes. Really. Her two previous engagements at Crooners featured completely different repertoire. So you know she'll have special stocking stuffers this time around. (5 & 7:30 p.m. Sun. & 7 & 9 p.m. Mon., Crooners, Fridley, $45-$60)
Steven C: The St. Paul piano man moves his mighty Bosendorfer into the Cathedral of St. Paul for his fifth annual free Christmas concert there. Having recorded dozens of bestselling instrumental albums, the pianist will be joined by versatile vocalist Patty Peterson, the Saint Cecilia and Saint Gregory Choristers and Cathedral organists Lawrence Lawyer and Chris Ganza. (7:30 p.m. Tue., Cathedral of St. Paul, free)
Alexander O'Neal: In the 1980s heyday of the Minneapolis Sound, he was the best male soul singer in town. Now living in Manchester, England (home to the Smiths, Simply Red and a famous soccer club), he has appeared on such British TV shows as "Wife Swap" and "Celebrity Big Brother." He returns to celebrate the season, with yule material from his 1988 LP "My Gift to You" plus such R&B hits as "Fake" and "If You Were Here Tonight" and the brand-new single "Think of Who Loves You," recorded at Creation Audio in Minneapolis. O'Neal will be accompanied by various Twin Cities musicians including Mario Dawson and Art Haynes. (7 & 9 p.m. Wed.-Thu., Dakota, $35-$50)
Sounds of Blackness: For 41 years and counting, this great Grammy-winning Twin Cities group has been presenting its African-American take on "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," with not only soulful R&B, gospel and hip-hop sounds but also Rappin' Reindeer, Singin' Sox and Dancin' Chitlins. Always a holiday treat. (7:30 p.m. Wed.-Thu., Pantages Theatre, Mpls., $28.50-$58.50)
Brother Ali: Usually an extended hiatus by Minneapolis' ever-contemplative do-gooder Muslim rapper amounts to a deep-reaching album of epic proportions. This time he's roaring back to life with a record that's surprisingly off-the-cuff and fun, albeit with a mindful undercurrent. Titled "Secrets & Escapes," it grew out of an informal free-for-all sessions in Los Angeles hip-hop vet Evidence's garage studio near Venice Beach. The Dilated Peoples rapper and beatmaker will join the Rhymesayers mainstay at his hometown release party, with recent Picked to Click poll winner Nur-D opening and Last Word DJ-ing. (8 p.m. Thu., First Avenue, Mpls., $20-$25.)
