The big gigs: 10 concerts to see this week in the Twin Cities

1. Metz: One of Sub Pop Records' current bands that most closely harks back to the Seattle label's fabled roster of old (see: Nirvana, Mudhoney, Soundgarden), the noisy and manic Toronto trio is out celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Polaris Prize-nominated self-titled debut album. It's also making up for momentum lost to COVID-19 that should've gone to the riveting 2020 record "Atlas Vending." San Francisco's Spiritual Cramp and local blasters Scrunchies open. (8 p.m. Turf Club, 1601 University Av. W., St. Paul, $20-$22, axs.com)

2. Tina Schlieske: She's comfortable rockin' original music with Tina & the B Sides, crooning in her Sinatra to Simone show or channeling Elvis, Janis and other rock legends with her alter ego, Lola and the Red Hots. While Schlieske's been a showstopping guest of late at the New Standards' Holiday Shows, Minnesota's enduringly dynamic entertainer hasn't headlined her own Christmas party in her hometown for a minute. She visits from California for two nights. (8 p.m., also Fri., Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Ave. S., Mpls., $25-$33, eventbrite.com)

Also: Versatile Twin Cities piano man Steven C, who has recorded instrumental interpretations of everything from classic rock to Christmas songs, continues his tradition of brining his 9-foot Bösendorfer grand piano to the Cathedral, with special guests including vocalist Jack Cassidy, violinist Nate Wilson and organist Chris Ganza (7:30 p.m. Cathedral of St. Paul, free); Minneapolis clarinetist Tony Balluff and the trad jazz-loving Southside Aces offer Christmas in New Orleans (7 p.m. the Dakota, $15-$20); A Motown Christmas features former members of Ali Woodson's Temptations, the Miracles and the Contours (7:30 p.m. Ames Center, $49-$59).

3. Beach Boys: These Californians aren't just about the good vibrations of an endless summer. They also do holiday music, though they might be wearing Hawaiian shirts. In their heyday, the Beach Boys had seasonal success with "Little Saint Nick," which was spotlighted on 1964's cool-to-be-yule "The Beach Boys' Christmas Album." The project featured other originals, including "The Man With All the Toys" and "Santa's Beard." Beach Boys singer Mike Love added to the holiday repertoire with 2018's solo album "Reason for the Season." For this year's 'Tis the Season Tour, expect Love and cohorts to mix in some Christmas chestnuts with their perennial gifts of surf, sun and car classics. (7 p.m. Treasure Island Resort & Casino, Red Wing, $59 and up, ticketmaster.com)

4. The Big Wu: Back when grunge was king, a group of doo-ragged, Old-Style-drinking St. Olaf College students defiantly started a Grateful Dead-inspired band that to this day remains Minnesota's best-loved electric jam band. The quintet is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a special two-part concert that will see the return of original guitarist Jason Fladager alongside a lineup that has otherwise remained remarkably in tact and familial the whole time, with Fladager's versatile replacement Mark Joseph and primary singers Chris Castino and Terry VanDeWalker still setting the harmonious tone. (8 p.m., Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul, $25-$35, axs.com)

5. Kelley Hunt: The rootsy Kansas City singer/pianist has regularly boogied her way up I-35 for Twin Cities gigs at "A Prairie Home Companion," blues fests and the Dakota, and now she returns to promote her first-ever holiday album. "Winter Soulstice" boasts horns-blazing, Staples-ized versions of traditional Christmas tunes like "Go Tell It on the Mountain" alongside a swinging "Auld Lang Syne" and an elegant, holy-night take on the Austrian carol "Still Still Still." Could be one of the most spirited holiday gigs this year. (7 p.m. the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $40-$45, dakotacooks.com)

Also: Iowa folk music hero Greg Brown, who's the subject of a new tribute album by Seth Avett, plays his first of two sold-out "Twin Cities retirement" shows with his longtime guitar ace Bo Ramsey (8 p.m., also Sat., Cedar Cultural Center, $60-$65); Epitaph Records-endorsed melodic rock group Remo Drive marks its fifth anniversary with a big hometown gig (8 p.m. Fine Line, $22-$40); the O'Neill Brothers, Minnesota's streaming stars, return with their dueling pianos holiday presentation (1 & 7:30 p.m., also 7:30 p.m. Sat., Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, Bloomington, $16-$32); honky-tonk unit Trailer Trash's December run of Trashy Little Xmas concerts culminates with a two-night stand at the similarly vintage Turf Club (8 p.m., also Sat., $25); Ween tribute band Wandering Eye gets freaky with punkabilly band Mad Mojo Jett (8 p.m. Hook & Ladder Theater, $15-$20); Mike Wisti's prolific punk/garage-rock trio Rank Strangers pairs up with Drunk Drivers and Loki's Folly (8:30 p.m. Hook & Ladder Mission Room); Cuba- and Caribbean-rooted Minnesota mainstays Salsa del Sol head up a salsa dance party at Uptown's Granada Theater (8:30 p.m., $20); Dan Chouinard, St. Paul piano man for all occasions, leads his annual holiday singalong (7 p.m. Crooners, $25-$35); bluegrass stalwarts the High 48s are back at the Aster Cafe (9 p.m., $15).

6. Nikki Lane: Ever since the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach produced her second album, 2014's "All or Nothin'," this Nashville-based singer/songwriter has updated her sound from retro country to more modern twang-rock and even some pop balladry, as evidenced by last year's excellent Lana Del Rey collaboration "Breaking Up Slowly." More heavy-hitting rock stars helped out on her new record, "Denim & Diamonds," including producer Josh Homme and other Queens of the Stone Age members. The growing variety should make for a fun live set. Her New West Records labelmate Jaime Wyatt opens. (8:30 p.m. Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $20-$35, axs.com)

7. Magnum Chorum: Sure, the Twin Cities area boasts several outstanding choirs, but if you've never availed yourself of the transporting, beautifully textured harmonies of Magnum Chorum, its Christmas concerts provide an ideal opportunity. "A Rose in Winter" features Dwight Jilek conducting works that span the centuries, from the medieval polyphony of Hildegard von Bingen to contemporary carols by Kirke Mechem and Ola Gjeilo. (7:30 p.m. Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 700 Snelling Av. S., St. Paul; 4 p.m. Sun. Westwood Lutheran Church, 9001 Cedar Lake Road, St. Louis Park, $5-$25, magnumchorum.org.)

8. The Jayhawks: A tradition that goes back 30-plus years to when the band toured all year behind early albums such as "Blue Earth" and "Hollywood Town Hall," Minnesota's jangly Americana rock darlings are ending 2022 with a hometown gig; now just one Palace show instead of multiple nights at First Ave like in the olden days. Gary Louris and the crew have made recent tracks such as "Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces" and "Dogtown Days" staples in their live sets alongside "Waiting for the Sun," "Blue," et. al. And for once they're actually advertising a reunion of the local Golden Smog lineup as part of the show instead of "surprising" us, this one a special unplugged opening set. (7:30 p.m. Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7th Place, St. Paul, $35-$50, axs.com)

Also: Minneapolis madman piano man Mark Mallman will show off his soft and hopeful side in his annual Peace on Earth concert, featuring special guests and classic songs that fit the holiday spirit in untraditional ways (8 p.m. Parkway Theater, $20-$27); suave crooner Bruce Henry, a former Minnesotan now based in Chicago, toasts the season with his album "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (7 p.m. the Dakota, $30-$35); John Hermanson's and Chris Cunningham's elegant, harmonious folk duo Storyhill should shine at one of the cities' most ornate theaters (7:30 p.m. Fitzgerald, $30); intimate Twin Cities jazz vocalist Maud Hixson, accompanied by pianist Rick Carlson, offers a wide range of holiday favorites (4:30 & 7:30 p.m. Crooners, $20-$30); Minneapolis folkie Ellis requests nonperishable donations at her holiday food drive concert (8 p.m. Ginkgo Coffeehouse, $20); Southern-y rockers Edie Rae & the Blaze Kings hit Palmer's Bar with Dan Israel (8 p.m., $15).

9. Samantha Fish: On her 10th album, last year's "Faster," the rising blues-rock star from Kansas City expanded her palette to embrace more modern pop and indie influences, thanks to producer/cowriter Martin Kierszenbaum (Lady Gaga, Robyn). The title track comes across like a garage-rock Carrie Underwood. Fish gets poppy on "Forever Together" and she sounds like her old scorching blues self on "Imaginary War." This is the singer/guitarist's last gig before a Christmas break. Arrive early for Jesse Dayton, the rewarding Americana troubadour who has worked with Johnny Cash, Danzig and Rob Zombie, for whom he's written movie music. Fish and Dayton have been collaborating on a killer live version of Slim Harpo's "Shake Your Hips." (8 p.m. Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls., $30-$50, axs.com)

Also: the Petersons, Minnesota's first family of jazz, present their annual Twas the Jam Before Christmas (7 p.m., also Mon., the Dakota, $30-$40).

New Age piano giant George Winston is back for his annual winter concert, which might include his version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" heard on this year's "Night" album (7:30 p.m. Orchestra Hall, $28-$60).

JazzMN Orchestra, a big band led by Pete Whitman, celebrates songs of the season with the help of Ginger Commodore, Jearlyn Steele and Andrew Walesch (7 p.m. Dakota, $30-$35); Twin Cities vocal titans Robert Robinson and Gwen Matthews will put the spirit into a spiritual Christmas celebration (7 p.m., also 4 & 7 p.m. Wed. Crooners, $35-$45); the holiday season is a good excuse to take in the weekly fundraiser gig St. Dominic's Trio plays year-round for Foothold Twin Cities (7 p.m. Driftwood Char-Bar, donations).

10. A Boy Band Christmas: It's a canny and somewhat appealing marketing idea to put together a holiday show featuring singers from the 1990s/early '00s heyday of American boy bands. The lineup is not exactly A-listers but guys from 98 Degrees (Jeff Timmons, Justin Jeffre, Drew Lachey), O-Town (Erik-Michael Estrada) and All-4-One (Jamie Jones) will team up with Ryan Cabrera of "On the Way Down" renown for seasonal favorites and hits from their catalogs. (8 p.m. Mystic Lake Casino, 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd., Prior Lake, $39 and up, ticketmaster.com)

Also: While his old pal Amy Grant is collecting Kennedy Center Honors, Christian pop star Michael W. Smith is on a solo Christmas tour once again (7 p.m. Orpheum Theatre, $59-$79); the December residency series with Whiskey Rock 'n' Roll Club Mpls. continues with guests Tiny Daggers, featuring Twin Cities scene vets Amy Buchanan and Dawn Kuehl-Miller (8:30 p.m. Mortimer's, $7).

Classical music critic Rob Hubbard contributed to this column.