The Big Gigs: 11 top concerts to see in the Twin Cities this week

She relocated to Los Angeles before COVID-19, moved back to Minnesota after, opened a restaurant in Stillwater and started a family. And yet it sounds like Caroline Smith has picked up right where she left off with her jubilant and acclaimed 2013 album, “Half About Being a Woman.” The Detroit Lakes area native and Lizzo collaborator’s first Your Smith album since her homecoming, “The Rub,” arrived in September via the Nettwerk label with a lot of the same strutting R&B grooves and “Tapestry”-ian songwriting, plus some fun sonic upgrades from having the homies of Hippo Campus as producers. After returning to the road this fall, the Whitey’s Bar co-owner is wrapping up her comeback year with this hometown release party. (8 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $39, axs.com)

They informally meet up onstage often, but these two bastions of the Duluth music scene have only formally paired together in a collaborative concert one other time this year, a well-received appearance at San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in October. That gig and this one are tied to former Low bandleader Sparhawk’s latest release, “With Trampled by Turtles,” which he and his longtime string-picking cohorts made on a whim and a prayer following the death of his wife and bandmate Mimi Parker. It’s a stirring and magnetic record that deserves a special show like this one. Nona Invie of Dark Dark Dark and Anonymous Choir opens. (7:30 p.m. Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul, resale tickets only, first-avenue.com)

Also: Twin Cities crooner Arne Fogel shares his expertise and songbook in a fifth annual Bing Crosby holiday program (7:30 p.m. Dunsmore Room at Crooners, $37.89 and up); veteran jazz vocalist Karrin Allyson returns to her old stomping grounds with her “Wintry Mix” show (7 p.m. the Dakota, $47.10 and up); Nashville vet Suzy Bogguss does her holiday thing (8 p.m. Hopkins Center for the Arts, $37 and up).

The mostly behind-the-scenes wiz is breaking out in a big way this year. He was featured on Bon Iver’s “Sable, Fable,” played a small role in the film “One Battle After Another,” and performed as the entrancing musical guest last weekend on “Saturday Night Live.” Dijon, who may be best known for collaborating on Justin Bieber’s last two albums, has dropped one of 2025’s most striking albums. “Baby,” his fourth effort, is intimate, experimental, romantic soul music, with shades of Frank Ocean and Prince. Dijon is a finalist for the Grammy for producer of the year, nonclassical. (7:30 p.m. Fillmore, 525 N. 5th St., Mpls., resale only, ticketmaster.com)

This one’s a real hidden-gem. A leading voice on a 1975 record by a gospel/blues group called the Staples Jr. Singers (no formal relation to the famous Staples family) — which became a hotly sought item among record collectors — Annie Caldwell got a late-career mega-boost in 2022 when David Byrne’s record label Luaka Bop reissued the album. She’s now recording for the label with her own family band and earned praise from Elton John and critics alike for their new album, “Can’t Lose My Soul,” also very Staples-y but with a funky edge. (7:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Av. S., Mpls., $35-$50, theparkwaytheater.com)

This low-voiced octet’s annual “Christmas With Cantus” presentations are visiting nine venues this year, spreading sweetly harmonized holiday cheer to Minneapolis, Plymouth, Bloomington, Edina, St. Paul, Stillwater and Rochester. This year’s program is built around three stories, with seasonal songs interwoven into the tales: “The Velveteen Rabbit,” “The Polar Express” and a whirlwind swirl through “The Nutcracker” (with some vocalized Tchaikovsky). It all starts Friday morning at the group’s homebase of Minneapolis’ Westminster Hall, which, on Dec. 20, also will host both a family-friendly version and a cocktail party-style performance. Online streaming is available Friday through Jan. 2. (Fri. through Dec. 22, see website for times and venues, $5-$52, cantussings.org)

Even without a new album this year — though frontman Gary Louris did slip in a sweet, new solo effort, “Dark Country” — Minnesota’s revered Americana rock unit packed in a lot of activity in 2025, including festivals on both sides of the Atlantic and theater dates around the States. Louris and bassist Marc Perlman also just wrapped a short tour by their never-say-never side band Golden Smog. They’re ending the year the way they’ve done it since their harder-touring early-’90s era, with a multinight hometown stand. The shows usually feature some fun covers and a little holiday spirit. And hometown fans get a special gift this year with British folk-rock legend Robyn Hitchcock as an opener both nights. (7:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat., Fitzgerald Theater, $63-$152, axs.com)

The much-lauded guitarist from Australia is well-connected. She was hired by Michael Jackson for his This Is It Tour that never happened. She joined Alice Cooper’s band for a couple of tours. She saluted Carlos Santana when he received his Kennedy Center Honors. And she’s gigged with the Hollywood Vampires and collaborated with, among others, Richie Sambora, her former beau. Her solo career has been a bit hit and miss, as her 2025 disc “Some Kind of Feeling” demonstrates. While she tries for some radio friendly songs, Orianthi is more compelling when she gets more emotional, especially on the bluesy, dreamy “What I’ve Been Looking For,” the slow-burn “Ghost” and the explosive blues-rocker “First Time Blues” featuring Joe Bonamassa. (7 p.m. the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $74.91 and up, dakotacooks.com)

Also: Minnesota’s Southern-baked jam band favorites the Big Wu make its almost annual pilgrimage to First Avenue for a familial holidays warm-up gig with Kiss the Tiger opening (7:30 p.m.); grungy, melodic punk go-getters Gully Boys wrap up a busy year with the overdue hometown release party for their eponymous debut album with Zora and more (6:45 p.m. Varsity Theater, sold-out); costumed tribute metalheads Hairball are throwing their big holiday bash at Mystic Lake Casino’s showroom (8 p.m., $25-$72).

An auxiliary member of the indie-rock supergroup Boygenius and a favorite of Paramore’s Hayley Williams, California singer/songwriter/producer Melina Duterte is starting to pop up on some best-of-the-year lists with “Belong,” her first record in six years as Jay Som. The record offers a more polished and elegant version of her lo-fi bedroom-pop, edging on power-pop in the case of standout tracks such as “Float,” featuring Jimmy Eat World’s Jim Adkins. She’s touring with an opener in her own breakout mode, Sea Lemon, aka Seattle dream-popster Natalie Lew. (8 p.m. Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $33, axs.com)

These singer/songwriters with reputable solo careers have occasionally collaborated since 2013 as a duo dubbed the Both. A much-acclaimed Grammy winner, Mann has been doing a seasonal show since her 2006 album “One More Drifter in the Snow.” Leo, who has demonstrated a flair for biting lyrics in a varied career that has run from punk rock to power pop, joined the Gang of Four as guitarist for its 2025 farewell tour. In an evening of music and merriment, Mann and Leo will be joined by comic/writer Josh Gondelman, comic/actor Paul F. Thompkins and New York cabaret darling Nellie McKay, who has often brought light to Twin Cities stages. (7 p.m. Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul, axs.com)

Also: In support of their second yule collection, “On This Winter’s Night (Volume 2), hitmaking country trio Lady A has undertaken their first holiday tour (7 p.m. Treasure Island Casino, $86 and up); Twas the Jam Before Christmas offers its annual holiday gifts from the deeply talented Petersons, with Ricky Peterson fresh off the Stevie Nicks tour (7 p.m. Sun. & Mon. the Dakota, $35.77 and up); fun piano man Ben Cook-Feltz hosts his fifth annual family-friendly Holiday Shindig with Ann Reed, Zippy Laske and lots of familiar guests (2 p.m. Cedar Cultural Center, $15); the long-running Mannheim Steamroller brings its Christmas spectacle (3 p.m. Orpheum Theatre, $77 and up).

For the fifth consecutive December, the hip-hop-embracing jazz crooner is coming home for the holidays. The Minneapolis native, who now lives in Los Angeles, will, for the second consecutive year, be accompanied by pianist Jahari Stampley on some Christmas nuggets as well as his own should-be-a-classic “Christmas in New York” with its Nat King Cole/Mel Tormé vibe. Maybe James will also share a taste of this year’s album “1978: Revenge of the Dragon,” which expresses his enlightened and eclectic world view including a jazzy, trumpet-punctuated treatment of Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” (7 p.m. Tue. & Dec. 17, the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $40-$55, dakotacooks.com)

Also: Poliça singer Channy Leaneagh is playing a solo set and pairing up with her former Roma di Luna bandmates and Low’s Zak Sally in the drone-y group Gold Minefield (7 p.m. Berlin, $15).

A longtime fixture in the Twin Cities music scene who was raised on folk music and beets on a North Dakota farm, Suchy has performed with a wide range of Minnesota institutions from “A Prairie Home Companion” to the old, nefarious cover band Hookers & Blow, plus her longtime country-harmony group the Dollys. She’s finally putting out her first album of new songs in over a decade, “Battle Cat,” co-produced with longtime cohort Jeremy Ylvisaker of the Suburbs. The first singles, “Boyfriend” and “Make It Easy,” suggest a batch of self-discovery tunes wrapped in Americana folk-rock flavor. She’s celebrating its release with Molly Maher opening. (8 p.m. Amsterdam Bar & Hall, 6 W. 6th St., St. Paul, $16, amsterdambarandhall.com)

Also: Drummer Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O shows are a longtime New York tradition at the Jazz Standard that he’s bringing to Berlin in Minneapolis (7 p.m., $22); another jazz drummer, Jack Schabert, leads the two-night tribute to Vince Guaraldi’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas” soundtrack with his Blue Ox Trio (7 p.m., Turf Club, Dec. 17-18.).