Our Friday Best: Dessa, 'All Is Calm,' Twin Cities Catholic Chorale and the Donna Summer musical

Typical Dessa. In a year when most musicians were happy to just get out of the basement, the Minnesota rapper and singer managed to churn out one new song per month in her "Ides" series, launch the BBC/NPR science podcast "Deeply Human" and hit the road for a 25-stop tour opening for electronic music vets the Thievery Corporation. She and her new band aren't done yet. They'll be joined by buzzing local singer/songwriter Mayaadaa. (8 p.m. Thu., First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $30, axs.com)

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

A trio of actors work hard for the money, playing the disco icon at different phases of her life in a jukebox musical that had a brief Broadway run in 2018. The real stars are the enduring songs the late singer made famous with her powerful voice, including "Love to Love You Baby," "Hot Stuff," "Bad Girls" and the inevitable finale, "Last Dance." (7:30 p.m. Tue.-Wed. & Dec. 31, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 30 & Jan. 1, 2 p.m. Jan. 2, Ordway, 345 Washington St., St. Paul, $44-$122, ordway.org)

CHRIS HEWITT

One of the better-kept secrets for local classical music lovers is that this choir and an orchestra of top local musicians perform a mass almost every Sunday by one of the great composers of the 18^th and 19^th centuries. They'll present two this weekend, filling St. Paul's Church of St. Agnes with Mozart's "Coronation Mass" at midnight as Christmas arrives, then Franz Schubert's "Mass in G" on Sunday morning. (Midnight Friday and 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Church of St. Agnes, 540 Lafond Ave., St. Paul, free, catholicchorale.org)

ROB HUBBARD

Sever's Holiday Lights provides seasonal sparkle to entertain families and friends. Relax in your warm vehicle for a leisurely ride through a half-mile ride with more than 2 million lights. Afterward park in the observation lot to see the full breathtaking program. Fire dancers are a special attraction Saturday and of course Santa will be present. (5-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 5-9 Sun., $25-$50 per car, advance tickets online only. 3121 150th St. W., Shakopee. 952-270-6293, seversfallfestival.com)

MELISSA WALKER

No longer just an annual family-reunion gig for Christmas, Kirk and Kraig Johnson's trashily psychedelic rock band with guitarist Terry Fischer — which recorded for the influential SST and Twin/Tone labels in the late '80s — is an active unit these days, with several 2021 gigs under their belt and new material in the works. Ex-Clams scene pioneer Cindy Lawson opens, touting her excellent new EP. (8:30 p.m. Sat., 7th St. Entry, 701 1^st Av. N., Mpls., $20, axs.com)

C.R.

It was Dec. 25, 1914 on the western front in World War I, as soldiers from many nations laid down their arms for a truce. "All Is Calm" features stories and songs by the soldiers, with a message of peace and hope. (2 p.m. Sun., 7:30 p.m. Tue.-Sat. through Jan. 2, Theater Latté Da, 345 13th Av. NE., Mpls., $35-$61, 612-339-3003 or latteda.org)

C.H.

Even if "Little Saint Nick" has already visited, Mike Love's incarnation of America's most enduring California band promises to gift Minnesota with sun, surf and sports cars along with seasonal songs. On their Holiday Harmonies Tour, the Beach Boys have been performing "Frosty the Snowman" and such originals as "Reason for the Season" as well as "Help Me Rhonda," "California Girls" and all those classics that generate good vibrations. (7 p.m. Wed., Treasure Island Casino, Red Wing, $59 and up, ticketmaster.com)

JON BREAM

For this outdoor art exhibit, hanging on a fence at 1010 E. Lake St. in Minneapolis, Burn Something Collective solicited art responding to the past 16 months in the Twin Cities, from destruction to transformation. The pieces, printed on heavy-duty vinyl, are from 10 femme, nonbinary and trans artists of the Black diaspora: Bereket Adamu, Faiza Mohamed, Grover Hogan, Hawwa Youngmark, Janice Essick, Jobi K. Adams, Miku, Mariamu Fitch, Olivia Funkhouser-Reynolds and Simone Alexa. (burnsomething.org)

ALICIA ELER

Whether your 1990s look leans toward Converse shoes, flannel shirt and choker necklace, or you take more of a legging and neon sportswear approach, the era is back to close out 2021. Flip Phone is rolling out a nostalgic New Year's Eve party with dancing to tunes mixed by DJ Izzie P, pop-up drag performances by Tygra and Sasha R Cassadine and a costume contest. Proof of vaccination required. (9 p.m. Dec. 31, Amsterdam Bar & Hall, 6 W. 6th St., St. Paul. $15-$20. flipphoneevents.com)

SHEILA REGAN