Brian Setzer Orchestra: The BSO kicks off its 15th annual Christmas Rocks Tour in Setzer's hometown of the past 15 years. Yes, it's holiday music — with some Stray Cats hits for good measure — delivered with imaginative arrangements, a 19-piece orchestra and fretboard fireworks from one of America's most versatile and underrated guitarists. Setzer knows the seasonal oeuvre so well that he's released four Yuletide albums. And he's preparing for a Stray Cats reunion tour in 2019. (8 p.m. Fri., State Theatre, Mpls. $53.50-$89, ticketmaster.com)

Timbre Ghost: Multi-faceted Minneapolis musician Dustin Tessier should make a name for himself (or his stage moniker, anyway) with his first full-length album, "Life, Death & Disintegration," full of jangly and semi-psychedelic guitar-pop that's part '70s-era George Harrison and '90s-tinged Semisonic and features contributions by Polica's Chris Bierden, Alan Sparhawk, Al Church, Mary Bue and more. He's promoting it as a duo with James Buckley and opener Jill Zimmerman. (8 p.m. Fri., Warming House, Mpls., $10.)

Kenny Wayne Shepherd: Last seen up our way on the Experience Hendrix Tour, the Louisiana blues-rock guitar wiz of "Blue on Black" fame emphasized his Southern roots and singer/songwriter side on last year's well-received album "Lay It On Down," which he's still out supporting with his rock-solid band featuring Double Trouble drummer Chris Layton. (8 p.m. Fri., Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, $35-$90.)

Justin Courtney Pierre: The Motion City Soundtrack frontman is stepping out with a new band and his first solo album, "In the Drink," which sounds poppier than his old stuff but still has his unmistakably frazzled and sometimes funny style. (8:30 p.m. Fri., 7th Street Entry, $22-$25.)

Marc Cohn: After what seems like 900-some performances at the Minnesota Zoo, the raspy-voiced piano man behind "Walking in Memphis" heads to an even more intimate Twin Cities venue, the Dakota, for four shows. Not surprisingly, they are all sold out. (7 & 9 p.m. Sat. & 6 and 8 p.m. Sun., the Dakota, sold out )

John Sieger & Robin Pluer: Free gig of the week is the first-ever duet show by two of Milwaukee's beloved R&B Cadets. Sieger is the masterful singer/songwriter and guitarist who doubles as frontman for roots-rockers Semi-Twang. Pluer is the crystalline-voiced chanteuse with a penchant for exotic chapeaux. Together, they will be magic. A kindred local duo, Rich Rue and Nikki Matteson, open. (8:30 p.m. Sat., Schooner Tavern, 2901 27th Av. S., Mpls. No cover.)

Charlie Parr plays the Palace Theatre on Saturday.

Charlie Parr: Duluth's bluesy acoustic guitar wiz and folkloric songwriting hero is rebounding from his recent skateboarding injury to play his biggest Twin Cities headlining gig to date. Before the wheels came out from under him, Parr was on a pretty good roll with last year's self-reflecting album "Dog" and a surprisingly groovy band featuring his longtime washboard player Mikkel Beckmen and bassist Liz Draper. The Palace's similar mix of historic ruggedness and modern edge should fit him nicely. (8 p.m. Sat., Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7th Place, St. Paul, $20-$25, eTix.com.)

Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus: This trio of buzzing, twentysomething indie-rock singer/songwriters — all NPR Music favorites and participants in last summer's Eaux Claires festival — paired up like a new, less hairy version of Monsters of Folk to craft an urgently rocking new EP under the moniker Boygenius. They're performing all six of the new songs on tour along with their own individual sets, usually amounting to more than three hours of music. (7:30 p.m. Sat., First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., sold out.)

Dee Dee Bridgewater: The NEA Jazz Master explored her 1960s childhood roots on last year's "Memphis … Yes, I'm Ready." In a thrillingly soulful performance at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival this summer, she showcased those roots with stellar performances of "The Thrill Is Gone," "I Can't Stand the Rain" and "Try a Little Tenderness," during which she out-Otised Otis Redding. Backed by a first-rate band, she brings the show back at the intimate Dakota. (7 & 9 p.m. Mon.-Tue., Dakota, Mpls. $35-$50, dakotacooks.com)

Rufus Wainwright: The ornately voiced, flashily dressed second-generation song man is returning to his temporary hometown of the mid-'90s for a two-set run through the two albums he put out not long after he lived here, his self-titled 1998 debut and the fan-favorite follow-up "Poses," promising such staples as "Cigarettes & Chocolate Milk" and "April Fool" along with deep cuts such as his covers of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides, Now" and dad Loudon Wainwright's "One Man Guy." (8 p.m. Mon., State Theatre, $40-$70.)

Humbird: Bookish, poetic Minneapolis native Siri Undlin and her atmospheric, North Woods-tinged folk-rock band are playing a month of Tuesday gigs at one of the coziest, small listening rooms in town, a good fit and great chance to catch onto their buzz. Ben Weaver and Aurora Birch open this one. (9 p.m. Tue., Moon Palace Books, $5-$10.)

Maxwell: On his 50 Intimate Nights Live Tour, the neo-soul man is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his "most weirdest" album, "Embrya," as well as previewing the final installment of his seductive "Black Summers' Night" trilogy. He's also doing songs from other parts of his career as well as a tribute to one of his heroes, Prince. Soul siren Marsha Ambrosius opens with such favorites as "Late Nights & Early Mornings" and a taste of her recordings with Floetry. (7:30 p.m. Wed., State Theatre, Mpls. $46-$90.50, ticketmaster.com)

Moore by Four: The classy Twin Cities vocal jazz ensemble is back. After forays into theater and solo careers, Connie Evingson, Ginger Commodore, Dennis Spears and Yolande Bruce are together again with maestro Sanford Moore for what they're calling the "Classic Show." In other words, those jazzy songs that made them a Twin Cities sensation in the 1980s and '90s. (7 & 9 p.m. Wed., the Dakota, $20-$35)

Ike Reilly Assassination: The 16th or so annual Thanksgiving Eve throwdown by the rowdy rock poet of Libertyville, Ill., has a little extra momentum this year in the form of "Crooked Love," a new album by Reilly & Co. built on the tumult of marriage and middle-age as much as the chaos of the world and nation, with what should be future live staples such as "Been Let Down" and "She Haunts My Hangouts." Kraig Jarret Johnson and Porcupine each also have strong new 2018 records to tout in the opening slots. (8 p.m. Wed., First Avenue, $20-$22.)

Har Mar Superstar & Sabrina Ellis: Local doppelganger Sean Tillmann is taking on yet another musical shape with his pal from Austin, Texas, who's demonstrated her own singing and showwoman talent fronting the punky, wild-eyed bands A Giant Dog and Sweet Spirit. They've made a electro-poppy record together under the moniker Heart Bones but are first setting out on tour performing the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack in its entirety. No kidding. (8:30 p.m. Wed., Turf Club, sold out.)