The best way for Twin Cities music lovers to stay warm every January. The Everly Brothers-channeling neo-twang sibling band's monthlong Monday night residency at the St. Paul watering hole they rode in on is back for its seventh almost-consecutive year. Thanks to how the calendar shook down and the fact that they're starting right on Jan. 1, there's an extra fifth installment this time around. Becky Kapell opens the first week, followed by the Riffin' Trio, Steam Machine, Laamar and Clare Doyle, in order. (8 p.m. Mon., Turf Club, 1601 W. University Av., St. Paul, $20, axs.com)

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

An end-of-the-year hometown gig has been a tradition for Soul Asylum. But Dave Pirner and the boys have been rather busy with local gigs in 2023. In April, the group celebrated the 30^th anniversary of its MTV Unplugged gig, with an acoustic State Theatre concert featuring strings on "Runaway Train," "Misery" and other favorites. A vinyl version of Soul Asylum's "MTV Unplugged" was released for Record Store Day. Then in September, Pirner, Michael Bland, Ryan Smith and Jeremy Tappero rocked the Minnesota State Fair for two nights at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell. The special opener this time is Tommy Stinson, returning home after distinguished runs with the Replacements, Bash & Pop, Perfect, Guns N' Roses and even Soul Asylum. (9 p.m. Sat., First Avenue, 701 1^st Av. N., Mpls., $32.50-$35, axs.com)

JON BREAM

After performing with Ozzy Osbourne longer than any other guitar player, Zakk Wylde has a unique, indirect claim to Black Sabbath's mighty musical canon. He's celebrating that connection with this all-Sabbath covers band featuring fellow Ozzy alum Robert "Blasko" Nicholson on bass and ex-Queens of the Stone Age drummer Joey Castillo. They only do Ozzy-era songs, but they go pretty deep. Banjo-laced Michigan metal band the Native Howl opens. (7:30 p.m. Thu., First Avenue, 701 1^st Av. N., Mpls., $30-$35, axs.com)

C.R.

The popular Twin Cities lounge-y jazz trio calls these gigs "Preeners," as in Pre-New Year's Eve. As luck would have it, the Preeners are Friday and Saturday this year. Perfect. Chan Poling and John Munson will parry with their spontaneous repartee while Steve Roehm punctuates things with his vibraphone. The New Standards have an expansive repertoire of pop and rock tunes they reimagine (from Britney Spears' "Toxic" to OutKast's "Hey Ya") plus a few seasonal favorites (such as Trip Shakespeare's "Snow Days"). TNS did their annual Holiday Shows in early December with guests including Robert Robinson, Aby Wolf and Diane Miller from the Current's "Local Show." This time, it's just Chan, John and Steve. (6:30 & 9 p.m. Fri.-Sat. the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $35-$50, dakotacooks.com)

The orchestra has quite a New Year's celebration planned. Not only is its new music director, Thomas Søndergård, returning to conduct for the first time since September, but he'll be joined by a brilliant pianist in Stephen Hough. Performed on both New Year's Eve (with post-concert jazz until midnight) and the afternoon of New Year's Day, the all-Russian program will feature music from Sergei Prokofiev's "Winter Bonfire," a suite from Peter Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker," and Hough soloing on Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini." (8:30 p.m. Sun., 2 p.m. Mon., Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $50-$160, 612-371-5656 or minnesotaorchestra.org)

ROB HUBBARD

Photographer Travis Novitsky's (Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) pictures of the starry nights in northern Minnesota offer a deeper look into understanding the universe through the lenses of Western science and Indigenous knowledge. The pictures are drawn from his recently released book, "Spirits Dancing: The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge and Living Connections to the Cosmos," published by MNHS Press. (Ends April 7. Mill City Museum, Mill Commons, 704 S. 2^nd St., Mpls., free, 10 a.m-4 p.m. Wed. & 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., closed Dec. 28-30 and Jan. 1, 612-341-7555 or mnhs.org)

ALICIA ELER

Add a bit of folk dance to your New Year's festivities at Tapestry Folk Dance Center. The organization turned 40 in 2023, and is sending off its anniversary year with a bang, infusing parties with ballroom, contra, English country and international dance. Live musical groups like the Jerry O'Hagan Combo with Charmin Michelle, TuneBuggy and the Flour City Doughboys will play throughout the weekend. On New Year's Eve, they'll host a final dance of all varieties at midnight. This is a participatory event, so have your dancing shoes ready, and there will be featured performances as well. (7 p.m. Sat & Sun., Tapestry Folk Dance Center, 3748 Minnehaha Av. S., Mpls, $15 general, $8 ages 10-21, 612-722-2914, tapestryfolkdance.org)

With the sun at the lowest point of the year, it's a good time to check out the Bell Museum of Natural History. Using a solar telescope, observe the planets' closest star and learn why the amount of daylight changes throughout the year. After stargazing, walk through the permanent galleries with wildlife dioramas as well as the Touch and See Lab. (Noon-2 p.m. Sat., $12-$15, 2088 W. Larpenteur Av., Falcon Heights, bellmuseum.umn.edu)