Mason Jennings and Kevin Kling
Nov. 23-25: Ever since Jennings hit the road more than a decade ago on his way to becoming one of the Twin Cities' most successful singer-songwriters, he has made a point of playing a local gig around the holidays. This year, he's taking part in a multi-faceted staging for Minnesota Public Radio that is actually about seasonal homecomings. "Back Home" pairs the indie-folk star with author, humorist and playwright Kling, MPR's artist-in-resident. The shows -- to be rebroadcast on the Current (89.3 FM) and KNOW (91.1 FM) -- will blend storytelling and music centered around the peculiar mix of love, family and sense of place that comes to a head this time of the year. (8 p.m. Nov. 23-24, 2 p.m. Nov. 25. $35. Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul. 651-290-1200.) This doesn't replace Jennings' usual solo homecoming gig, by the way. (7:30 p.m. Dec. 22. $22-$25. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls. 612-338-8388.)
