The Big Gigs: 10 best concerts to see in Twin Cities this week

1. My '00s Playlist Tour: It'll be like your old iPod workout playlist come to life when this smartly packaged retro hip-hop tour hits town with St. Louis hero Nelly atop the lineup, preceded by his renewed romantic partner Ashanti, Ja Rule, T.I. and others. More than 100 million records were sold by this crew via hits like "Ride Wit Me," "Hot in Herre," "Put It on Me," "Always on Time," "Foolish" and Joe Mauer's favorite, "What You Know." Mike Jones and Fabolous have been among the unconfirmed "more" advertised in other cities. (7:30 p.m. Target Center, 600 1^st Av. N., Mpls., $63-$230, axs.com)

2. VaJamma Party: With her own holiday concerts sold out the following two nights at the Parkway, B-Sides leader Tina Schlieske tacked on this special charity concert for women in need with a little help from a lot of friends who followed her hard-worn path in the Twin Cities rock scene. A core group dubbed Quatro will feature her with Molly Maher, Mary Bue and Becky Kapell. Other guests will include Davina Lozier, Jaedyn James, Kelley Smith, Mae Simpson, Jenny Case and Alyse Emanuel. They're raising money for and taking donations of menstrual products and diapers. (7:30 p.m. Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Av. S., Mpls., $25-$35, theparkwaytheater.com)

3. Songs of the Season: In what's become a very popular annual tradition, fresh carols from the pens of Minnesota-based composers will be performed at two Schubert Club concerts. Giving them voice is a splendid soprano, Carrie Henneman Shaw, who was an adventurous staple of the Twin Cities classical scene for several years before she relocated to Seattle. Among works performed by the Lux String Quartet is a suite of five familiar carols arranged by David Evan Thomas. (Noon and 6 p.m. Musser Cortile, Landmark Center, 75 W. Fifth St., St. Paul, free, schubert.org)

Also: In what could be one of the liveliest holiday shows of the season, Chicago's jazzy boogie-rock band the Claudettes — led by "The Bear" TV scorer Johnny Iguana — are pairing up with local blues rocker Annie Mack for the Rockin' Soul Blues Holiday Party (8 p.m. Turf Club, $20); always delivering one of the warmest shows of the season, 96-year-old Twin Cities piano legend Cornbread Harris is inviting friends out to his Holiday Blues Show (7:30 p.m. Hook & Ladder Theater, $15-$20); Southside Aces celebrate the holidays with trad jazz New Orleans seasoning (7 p.m. Dakota, $15-$20); stellar Minnesota pianist Laura Caviani, who spends her days running the jazz program at Carleton College, returns to Fridley (6:30 p.m. Dunsmore Room at Crooners, $20-$30).

4. Robert Glasper: As he proved in his six-show Dakota engagement in January, the Grammy-winning keyboardist is a multi-genre colossus, with a terrific sense of play, humor and musicality. With his quartet, he was funky, groovy, chill, cool, spontaneous and silly (he sang snippets of Nirvana, Phil Collins, Bon Jovi, Otis Redding but refused to answer a request for "Purple Rain"). In this year's annual monthlong Robtober takeover of the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City, Glasper was joined by a parade of guests including Black Thought, Lupe Fiasco, Common and H.E.R. Then last month, he dropped the holiday EP, "In December," featuring Andra Day, Cynthia Erivo and others. Glasper always surprises and always rewards. (6:30 & 9 p.m. Fri.-Sun. the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $55-$75, dakotacooks.com)

5. "El Mesias": Mary and Joseph's refugee experience is central to the telling of the Christmas story in Argentine composer Ariel Ramirez's "Navidad nuestra." This moving, exhilarating work for choir and orchestra proves particularly powerful when combined with excerpts from George Frideric Handel's baroque-era oratorio, "Messiah," sung in Spanish and English. The Minnesota Chorale and Border CrosSing will do so under the direction of Ahmed Fernando Anzaldúa El Samkary. (7 p.m. Fri., Church of the Ascension, 1723 Bryant Av. N., Mpls.; 3 p.m. Sat., Our Lady of Guadalupe Diocesan Shrine, 401 Concord St., St. Paul, $15-$30, bordercrossingmn.org)

6. Action Bronson: Fresh off filming one of the cooler NPR Tiny Desk Concerts of recent memory, the multi-faceted rapper, chef, wrestler and all-out character from Queens, N.Y., has hit the road with his funky live band Human Growth Hormone. The real-life Ariyan Arslani, now aka Dr. Baklava, has famously slimmed down in stature despite what all he eats on his TV/online show "[Expletive], That's Delicious." His music is still thick with weed-hazy grooves and wry, sly verses, though, as heard on last year's album "Cocodrillo Turbo." (8 p.m. Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7th Place, St. Paul, $40, axs.com)

7. The Jayhawks: They don't actually play holiday songs — although "Waiting for the Sun" seems seasonally suitable — yet somehow Minnesota's enduring twang-pop/Americana rockers have made their hometown December shows a warm annual tradition. This one caps another year of sporadic touring and comes with familiar friends for openers: a fully plugged-in Golden Smog, minus Jeff Tweedy but plus ex-Black Crowe and new KQRS morning host Steve Gorman on drums. Fans who can't make the gig have alternate options in watching it livestreamed via nugs.net and/or catching frontman Gary Louris solo at Sacred Heart in Duluth the night before. (8 p.m. Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7^th Place, St. Paul, $35-$50, axs.com)

Also: Fresh off releasing their long-awaited debut album "Suburban Legend," Burnsville's family rock band Durry of "Who's Laughing Now" viral fame return home from a long tour to a sold-out First Avenue (8 p.m., resale only); with two Christmas albums to their name, swinging retro-jazz big band Squirrel Nut Zippers have plenty of tunes to choose from as their Holiday Caravan Tour 2023 hits town (8 p.m. Hopkins Center for the Arts, $50-$65); Twin Cities piano rocker Mark Mallman offers another of his hopeful if not exactly peaceful Peace on Earth holiday concerts (9 p.m. Icehouse, $20); Twin Cities jazz chanteuse Maud Hixson puts her spin on holiday music with hubby pianist Rick Carlson (6:30 p.m. Dunsmore Room at Crooners, $30-$40).

8. Yussef Dayes: Part of the hip-hop- and Afrobeat-infused London jazz scene that's boiling over with Ezra Collective, Sons of Kemet and more, this drummer/composer first made waves with the duo Yussef Kamaal. His debut solo album for Nonesuch Records, "Black Classical Music," is a mellow-cool trip through innovative, sometimes EDM-like grooves as well as classic psychedelia a la Mahavishnu Orchestra. He's touring with a sax, keys and bass quartet. (8 p.m. Fine Line, 318 1^st Av., Mpls., $25-$50, axs.com)

9. Jennifer Grimm: The super-versatile Twin Cities vocalist is super-busy this time of year. She's in the Betty Crocker musical "I Am Betty" at the History Theater in St. Paul, she books the live music at Crooner's in Fridley and she performs a holiday concert every December. Accompanied by husband Joe Cruz on guitar and others, Grimm promises yule favorites and originals (love "Christmas Vibe"). (6:30 p.m. Sun. & Mon. Dunsmore Room at Crooners, 6161 Hwy 65, Fridley, $30 and up, eventbrite.com)

Also: Minneapolis' regular player on the Billboard gospel charts and a North Side church leader, Darnell Davis will lead a special gospel brunch show with his group the Remnant (noon, Icehouse, $25); Live4Love Charities, a nonprofit started by Prince's ex Mayte Garcia, will announce 10 $10,000 donations along with performances by Kathleen Johnson, Cornisha Garmon, RoShewn Harrington and LaMont Keten and DJ Willie Adams (6 p.m. Capri Theater, free admission with toy donation, $20 donation suggested).

Also: Minnesota's first family of jazz, the Petersons, offers their annual Twas the Jam Before Christmas two-nighter, featuring funky keyboardist Ricky Peterson, fresh from the Stevie Nicks tour, and his siblings (7 p.m. Mon. & Tue., the Dakota, $30-$40); guitarist Zacc Harris's takeover of the Monday jazz series at Icehouse continues with his well-regarded Atlantis Quartet, also featuring saxophonist Brandon Wozniak, bassist Chris Bates and drummer Pete Hennig (8 p.m., $12).

The local hip-hop collective Basement Gang, featuring rappers JuneThaKid, $aiku and Righteous Emcee, will host its Pressure Made party with lots of guests and host Juice Lord (7:30 p.m. 7th St. Entry, $12).

Minnesota folk/blues picker Paul Metsa returns to Minneapolis from Duluth to mark his 20th year of performing with harp blower Sonny Earl (7 p.m. the Dakota, $25-$30); Grand Rapids, Minn.-based twangers Wild Horses pair up with local bluegrass mavens the Foxgloves (7:30 p.m. Turf Club, $12); the Whiskey Rock 'n' Roll Club MPLS residency run gets even louder this week with guests Haters Club (9 p.m. Mortimer's, $7).