The 8 best things to do and see in the Twin Cities this week

After decades in ensembles including Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers and the supergroup Goat Rodeo, the master mandolinist released his first solo album featuring his voice, “Laysongs,” in 2021. The spirituality-oriented project features six originals by the four-time Grammy winner and MacArthur “genius” grant recipient as well as interpretations of material by Hazel Dickens, Leonard Cohen and Béla Bartók. Last fall, the former radio host of the post-Garrison Keillor vehicle “Live from Here” embarked on his first solo tour. Always a treat in concert, Thile resumes his tour this month in his old “A Prairie Home Companion” stomping grounds. (7 p.m. Jan. 18, Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $59 and up, ticketmaster.com)

JON BREAM

It’s become an annual tradition for one of New Orleans’ most storied second-line units to trek its way up the Mississippi to warm up Minnesotans in January ahead of Mardi Gras. They still always make it back home in town for their legendary Tuesday night blowouts, too, which are now held at the Rabbit Hole after a quarter-century at the Maple Leaf Bar. The NOLA troupe has been funking up Crescent City joints and international festivals for four decades now and picked up a couple Grammys and two or three generations of fans along the way. They’ve played the Dakota enough to really know how to work the room. (7 & 9 p.m. Jan. 19, the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $42 & up, dakotcooks.com)

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

Add another one to the list of great Upper Midwest songwriters hunkering down and stretching out musically with a January residency series (see also: Lissie, Charlie Parr, Cactus Blossoms). Known from the harmonious alt-country duo Dusty Heart — which opened last week’s series kickoff — the Minneapolis singer showed off a more ethereal and experimental sound on her 2025 solo album, “Interwoven,” a dramatic and personal collection that sounds as much like Poliça as it does Patsy Cline with songs as icy and dramatic as the Alaska landscape she used to call home. Her set lists and setup will change each week, as are the opening acts, with Eau Claire favorite Hemma this week and the Laurels String Quartet next week. (7 p.m. every Thursday in January, Starlight Room at Icehouse, 2528 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., $15-$22, icehousempls.com)

C.R.

English composer John Rutter has been called “Mr. Christmas” for how ubiquitous his holiday-themed works are at choral concerts and services each December. Recently knighted and freshly 80, Rutter will be at the center of two Twin Cities events. First, you’re invited to be among the 500 amateur singers he’ll conduct in a collection of his works. Then he’ll lead the VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers in his music, including a U.S. premiere. (“Sing with John Rutter,” 6:30-9 p.m. Jan. 16, Plymouth Congregational Church, 1919 LaSalle Av. S., Mpls., $25; VocalEssence with John Rutter, 1 p.m. Jan. 17, Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Av., St. Paul, $30-$45; vocalessence.org)

Named for the most haunting number in “West Side Story,” Matthew Lopez’s “Somewhere” centers on a Puerto Rican showbiz family that uses imagination and art to deal with joys and challenges alike, including the long absence of the family patriarch and the impending condemnation of their Manhattan home. Director Joseph Haj delivers a tear-jerking production with Maggie Bofill as matriarch Inez Candelaria and Preston Perez as firstborn son Alejandro. Bofill is luminous throughout and delivers a heart-to-your-throat showstopper about meeting her husband. Perez, similarly, is heartbreakingly beautiful as a character trying heroically to care for his mother and siblings. The cast includes Chanhassen Dinner Theatres regular Sam Stoll, who pairs with Perez to inject fluid grace as they execute Maija Garcia’s lyrical choreography. With a cast rounded out by Kassandra Cruz and José Sabillón, “Somewhere” is a must-see elixir for the new year. Ends Feb. 1. (7:30 p.m. Jan. 13-16, 1 & 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17, 1 & 7 p.m. Jan. 18, Guthrie Theater, 818 S. 2nd St., Mpls., $35-$94, 612-377-2224, guthrietheater.org)

ROHAN PRESTON

So long as the ice holds, the annual immersive art program on a frozen lake returns for its 22nd season. The four-week celebration features 20 art shanties, 20 performances and pop-up art actions. Don’t miss two new art-meet-science shanties, the submarine shanty and returnee favorites like the gingerbread house with witches. (10 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 17-Feb. 8, Lake Harriet, 4135 W. Lake Harriet Pkwy., Mpls., $10-$20 suggested donation, no one turned away for lack of funds, artshantyprojects.org)

ALICIA ELER

Artist Liz Miller seeks out abandoned or discarded objects, giving them a second life as works of art. The reclaimed objects transform as she weaves, binds, wraps and decorates them with cord and fiber. She chooses color palettes based on the official flowers of the states where she found them. Another self-imposed rule: Miller chooses only one object per location, like a souvenir. Eventually she wants to have an artwork for each of the 48 contiguous states. Ends March 7. (Noon-4 p.m. Sat., Kolman & Reeb Gallery, 1500 Jackson St. NE., Suite 395, Mpls., 612-385-4239 or kolmanreebgallery.com)

The icy spectacle turns 15 this year, continuing to provide a winter wonderland of snow and ice. Throughout the frozen caverns, guests can take a selfie in the archways or frozen thrones and zoom down ice slides. Select evenings feature music by local bands. Ice sculptures add a flair of decor along with the pizzazz of an ice bar and concessions. (Timed ticket schedule varies, see website for times through Feb. 21, weather permitting, $13-$26, ages 3 and under free, Minnesota State Fairgrounds, 1750 Randall Av., Falcon Heights, icecastles.com)