Racket shuts down for the year after today, so this week's concert calendar will take us straight through to 2026. See ya next year!
Tuesday, December 23
Parkers Picnic, Next Chapter, Pandemic INC @ Amsterdam
MN Songwriter Showcase @ Aster Cafe
Channy Leaneagh with David Huckfelt’s Mystery Lights & Vaels @ Berlin
Greatest Jam on Earth @ Blues Saloon
International Reggae Allstars @ Bunker’s
Century Jazz Ensemble @ Crooners
Andrew Walesch Big Band @ Dakota
St. Dominic’s Trio @ Driftwood Char Bar
Karaoke with On Call Karaoke @ Eagles 34
20th Annual Eve Eve Benefit Show @ Icehouse
Javier Santiago @ Jazz Central
Acoustic Thursdays @ Mainstreet Bar
Dirty Shorts Brass Band @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Pop Punk Princess @ Mortimer’s
Irish Trad Session @ Padraig’s
Artist Showcase @ Sociable Cider Werks
Workers Playtime with Mike Munson @ 331 Club
Ali Gray’s Country Jamboree @ White Squirrel
Clash Minne Rockers, DJ Aaron Porter @ White Squirrel
Thursday, December 25
- The Bad Plus @ Dakota—Maybe the Bad Plus aren’t quite jazz elders (how can they be, they’re only my age) but after a quarter-century of existence (in one form or another), they are a Twin Cities jazz institution. And their annual Christmastime stand at the Dakota is becoming a holiday tradition, if a little less predictable than most traditions, since once jazz ceases to surprise you, it’s ain’t jazz no more. Their latest album, Complex Emotions, is their 16th, and their second since Chris Speed’s tenor saxophone and Ben Monder’s guitar filled the gap left by pianist Orrin Evans’s departure. The new guys sound a touch more comfortable than last time, and the rhythm section of Reid Anderson and Dave King still defines things—rhythm sections can do that in jazz. The band will perform eight shows in all.
LGBTQ+ Twin Cities Latin Dance @ Eagles 34
Karaoke with On Call Karaoke @ Eagles 34
Friday, December 26
Murder Curious, Grave Society, Duck Bomb, Red Fletcher @ Amsterdam
Tim Sparks/Ben Abrahamson/Gary Raynor @ Berlin
Jay Bee & the Routine @ Bunker’s
How Echobass Stole Xmas @ Can Can Wonderland
Arne Fogel and Rick Carlson @ Crooners
Will Kjeer, Kenny Horst, Billy Peterson @ Crooners
- The Bad Plus @ Dakota—see Thursday's listings.
J.S. Walker, Dive Bar Orchestra, the Getup Mondays @ Driftwood Char Bar
Irish Music Session @ Dubliner Pub
Wild Colonial Bhoys @ Dubliner Pub
Miss Shannon’s Sock Hop @ Eagles 34
Dj Sha x Dj Faaji x Dj Fatz @ Gidi
Salsa Del Sol, Charanga Tropical, DJ William EL Buenon @ Granada
Exploring Ensemble Dynamics with Kavyesh Kaviraj @ Jazz Central
BeeSkee, Beargod B2B Omen, Hexxum, Nangpa, Grim Flame @ The Loft
High & Mighty @ Mainstreet Bar
Will Aldrich Quartet @ Metronome Brewery
Funktion Junction @ Minnesota Music Cafe
g0ldilock, Echo, Behlow, Asa. Idol, Jusq, Dela, KDNG, Nu Novak @ Pilllar Forum
- Shrimpnose, student 1, BLOOD $MOKE BODY, TaliaKnight @ 7th St Entry—Time again to celebrate the most unlikely Twin Cities holiday tradition—the annual Shrimpnose homecoming show. I’d never call him pop, but L.A.-relocated former Minnesotan Riley Smithson’s skeletal acoustic guitar figures, spectral voices, and percussion stutters add up to something lovely and inviting rather than grim and forbidding. Shrimpnose’s 2024 album, The World Pushed Against You, develops the musical ideas that Smithson scattered through his recent EP Toward Heaven, with delicate and deliberately off-centered beats echoing classic dubstep (as in Burial, not Skrillex). Not sure if we’re still calling this stuff “folktronica,” or if we ever should have, but I’ll toss that genre tag in there as a guidepost for the curious.
All Tomorrow's Petty, Faith Boblett @ 7th St Entry
Sonic Affliction @ Terminal Bar
The Boot R&B, Hunan Sex, Valet @ 331 Club
WINN Presents THE AFTERMATH with Warlord, concentrates, Arkeus @ Uptown VFW
Mill City Hot Club @ Volstead’s
The Mary Cutrufullo Band @ White Squirrel
Anthony Kaczynski, Paperbacks (album release), King Sized Coffin @ White Squirrel
Saturday, December 27
DaBill + DJ SWILL.I.AM @ Acadia
Close to the Tassel: A Progressive Rock Burlesque Revue @ Amsterdam
dealdrugger x D.Freq x Slamdunkapher x vlush @ Berlin
DJ Shannon Blowtorch Presents Y2Gay @ Black Hart
DJ Ys + Some Shitty Cover Band @ Boardwalk
Shoeless Revolution @ Bunker’s
Ray Barnard & the Dudes @ Carbone’s
Arne Fogel and Rick Carlson @ Crooners
Charmin Michelle with Geoff Jones @ Crooners
- The Bad Plus @ Dakota—see Thursday's listings.
The Rockin’ Iguanas, Griffin, the Dauggers @ Driftwood Char Bar
Samantha Grimes, Aly Dyg, Wyatt Avery @ Dusty’s
Golden Satellite, Amateur Hour, Valors @ Eagles 34
Slime Monsters from Outer Space @ Eagles 34
Soul Asylum with Tommy Stinson @ First Avenue
Collective Fate, Glassdoll, Chronic, Cudgel, Oath @ Flying V
Candlelight Concert: A Tribute to Adele @ Granada
Jonah Marais and Blake Proehl with Zia Victoria @ Green Room
Ben Cook-Feltz 45th B-Day Bash with Annie and the Bang Bang, Hebba Jebba @ Hook and Ladder
Nur-D’s New Years Eve Eve Eve Eve EVE Party @ Hook and Ladder
The Please Call Me Back Experience @ Icehouse
Barking Daisy @ Mainstreet Bar
Wall of Crunch @ Metronome Brewery
High & Mighty @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Gus the Bardic Troubadour @ Padraig’s
That’s What You Get @ Schooner Tavern
About to Run (Phish Tribute) with The Argus (Ween Tribute) @ 7th St Entry
TV Moms, Wish Wash, Gauze, Couch Potato Massacre @ Terminal Bar
Rebel Fiddle’s No Fly Zone @ 318 Cafe
Paul Cerar, Mint Vintage, Natalie Fideler @ 331 Club
All Tomorrow’s Petty, Hemma @ Turf Club
DecaDence with WWW, Sheltron, and Alexis Rose @ Uptown VFW
Bury ‘Em Deep, Rank Strangers, TV Moms @ White Squirrel
xLCR, Glass Eyed Brother, Main Street Free Fall @ White Squirrel
Linus, Berzica, 12th House Sun, Lovescare, Josiah Shipp @ Zhora Darling
Sunday, December 28
Borrowed Time, Muffleur, Simple Motions @ Amsterdam
Al Church’s Sunday Service @ Animales BBQ
Patty and the Buttons @ Aster Cafe
Omar Abdulkarim & Kavyesh Kaviraj (Live Album Recording) @ Berlin
- The Bad Plus @ Dakota—see Thursday's listings.
Phine & Friends, Shotgun Ragtime Band @ Driftwood Char Bar
The Comebacks Duo @ Dubliner Pub
Hurricane Harold Trio @ Dubliner Pub
Sunday Trad Session @ Dubliner Pub
Twin Cities Country Dancers @ Eagles 34
Karaoke with Reina Starr @ Eagles 34
Candlelight: Best of Hip-Hop on Strings @ Granada
Ivan Cunningham’s Go For Blood, Rice @ Icehouse
Jonah Walt Quartet @ Metronome Brewery
Remembering Stevie: The Music of Stevie Ray Vaughan @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Cats Under the Stars @ Parkway Theater
Church of Cornbread @ Schooner Tavern
Last Chance for Love @ 331 Club
Dan Israel & Mikkel @ 331 Club
John Magnuson Trio with Gini Dodds & Terry Isachsen @ White Squirrel
Emo Night with Panic at the Costco @ White Squirrel
Little Lebowski Urban Achievers, Ramson, Cohen Bros., Your Mom's Mom @ Zhora Darling
Monday, December 29
Massive Mondays Reggae @ Cabooze
Sherwin & Pam Linton with the Cotton Kings @ Crooners
Blues Jam with Moses Oakland @ Midway Saloon
Jam Society @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Gossamer, Svet, Dirty 930, Silent Monday @ Pilllar Forum
Metal Monday @ Schooner Tavern
Open Mic Mpls @ Sociable Cider Werks
Sun Wave Mountains @ White Squirrel
Tuesday, December 30
MN Songwriter Showcase @ Aster Cafe
Adam Harder Nussbaum Quintet @ Berlin
Greatest Jam on Earth @ Blues Saloon
International Reggae Allstars @ Bunker’s
New Year's Eve Eve Gift Shop @ Cabooze
Connie Evingson and Jon Weber @ Crooners
Erin and Jay Cabaret @ Crooners
St. Dominic’s Trio @ Driftwood Char Bar
Karaoke with On Call Karaoke @ Eagles 34
Lent, The Record Prophets, Filchers, Threads Electric @ Green Room
Big Woods Brass @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Irish Trad Blue Moon Session @ Padraig’s
Artist Showcase @ Sociable Cider Werks
Worker’s Playtime with Jack Klatt @ 331 Club
The New Havoline Supremes @ White Squirrel
Aestis, Kingpin's Crown @ White Squirrel
Wednesday, December 31
New Year’s Eve in the Swamp Starring Kori King as Shrek @ Amsterdam
Mystère: BeBe Zahara Benet’s New Year’s Masquerade @ Aster House
Minneapolis String Project @ Berlin
Mike Pifer & Grady (Not Grady) @ Berlin
Rhythm & Reset New Year’s Eve @ Cabooze
New Year’s Eve Party @ Can Can Wonderland
Steven Weeks Jones @ Carbone’s
Connie Evingson and Jon Weber @ Crooners
Davina and the Vagabonds @ Dakota
Lodge, Stinging Nettles, the Jayboys, Ami Burbul Band @ Driftwood Char Bar
The Beatnik Brothers @ Dubliner Pub
The Bill Patten Trio @ Dusty’s
Miss Shannon’s Swing Night @ Eagles 34
NYE 2026⏤House & Techno Dance Night with Cristian Baca @ Fine Line
A Totally Rad New Year’s Eve with DJ Jake Rudh @ First Avenue
Terrapin Stallion @ Freak of the Week
Vic Volare @ Granada
DJ Hamsterdance @ Green Room
Gothess Presents: NYE Secret Society @ Hook and Ladder
Lez Ring in the New Year @ Hook and Ladder
Undercurrent MPLS New Year's Eve @ Memory Lanes
Pat Donohue & Friends @ Midway Saloon
Jaybee & the Routine @ Minnesota Music Cafe
The Assortment feat. Michael Grey @ Mortimer’s
A New Year’s Celebration with the Minnesota Orchestra @ Orchestra Hall
Spam Caller, Jonger, Ice Climber @ Pilllar Forum
Kiss Me⏤A 90s New Year's Eve with You Oughta Know @ 7th St Entry
New Year’s Eve @ Skyway Theatre
All The Pretty Horses, Virgin Whores @ 331 Club
Harold’s House Party on KFAI with the Eddies @ 331 Club
New Year’s at the Island @ Treasure Island
A Night at The Roadhouse⏤A Twin Peaks New Year’s Eve @ Turf Club
Oasis Presents LOVERS & FRIENDS 2026 New Year’s Party @ Uptown VFW
NYE Raucous Extravaganza @ Volstead’s
3 On A Match, RVR, Logan Luther & the Road Home @ White Squirrel
Seculants with the Gated Community & The Ungrateful Little String Band @ White Squirrel
Thursday, January 1
Davina and the Vagabonds @ Dakota
The Great Northern, Ashton & Maddock, Pitch @ Driftwood Char Bar
LGBTQ+ Twin Cities Latin Dance @ Eagles 34
Karaoke with On Call Entertainment @ Eagles 34
Cloven, Acid Brat, Rip$kwash, Zodeae, ThankYouCard @ Flying V
Snapped Live Band Open Mic @ Green Room
A New Year’s Celebration with the Minnesota Orchestra @ Orchestra Hall
Conor McRae Trio @ Schooner Tavern
Northeast Invitational @ 331 Club
The Record Club with Powersock @ White Squirrel
Friday, January 2
Breath Easy Ent Capricorns Bash @ Acadia
Henry Berberi/Chet Carlson @ Berlin
DJ Shannon Blowtorch Presents Y2Gay @ Black Hart
Vivian Hayes & the Hi-Praise @ Blues Saloon
One Night Only: Elton John Tribute @ Crooners
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe @ Dakota
Poudre Canyon Band @ Driftwood Char Bar
Irish Music Session @ Dubliner Pub
Ditch Pigeon and Friends @ Eagles 34
F1rst Wrestling presents WREMIX @ First Avenue
Bryn Battani Presents: Don’t Hug Me It’s 2026 @ Icehouse
Bad Kitchen, Aphid, and Virginia's Basement @ Klash Coffee
Flying Train Wreck @ Mainstreet Bar
Fuzzy Math @ Metronome Brewery
Twin Citizen, JoJo Green, Pity Party @ Pilllar Forum
Jack Knife & the Sharps @ Schooner Tavern
Mind out of Time, Why Cry @ 331 Club
Killed by Kiwis, Mary Jam, Mystery Meat, and Doll Chaser @ 7th St Entry
Gabriel Douglas with ELOUR and Zach Thomas @ Turf Club
Jacob Cloutier, Kaity Joan, Lexie Modica @ White Squirrel
Saturday, January 3
Cornbread Harris & Friends @ Animales BBQ
Zachary McLellan Presents Beneath the Singing Deadwood @ The Arthouse
Jumpsuit: Funk & Disco Dance Party @ Black Hart
Dorothy Doring and Rick Carlson @ Crooners
Harry Scott Quintet @ Crooners
The Shabby Road Orchestra @ Dakota
The Wreck, Witness Trips, the Compass Rose @ Driftwood Char Bar
The 3rd Annual Anishinaabe Music & Arts Celebration @ Fine Line
F1rst Wrestling presents WREMIX @ First Avenue
Dead Days of Winter: Steal Your Face and More @ Icehouse
It Is Dead, Shatter, Left In Rot, Baned Existence @ Klash Coffee
Dirtysnatcha with Mport @ The Loft
Henry Berberi Trio @ Metronome Brewery
Steve Hackman's Bartók X Björk @ Orchestra Hall
Nile Flows Red, Fragged Out, Sclera, Prithvi @ Pilllar Forum
Becky Kapell & the Fat 6 @ Schooner Tavern
bathtub cig with Kiernan and Nona Invie @ 7th St Entry
The Mahon Bros, Sleeping Jesus, Sugar Lads @ 331 Club
A Tribute to the Replacements feat. the Melismatics @ Turf Club
Andthecanaryfell., VIN, Chrome Coda, Enigmatus, Nelsdotlive @ Underground Music
Tin Can Telephone @ White Squirrel
David Berman Tribute Show @ White Squirrel
Freak of the Week @ Zhora Darling
Sunday, January 4
Patty and the Buttons @ Aster Cafe
MNBS Road to Memphis @ Blues Saloon
Monthly Bluegrass Jam @ Caydence Records & Coffee
Gwen Matthews and Robert Robinson @ Crooners
Prudence Johnson & the Halcyon Jazz Quartet @ Crooners
Kindred the Family Soul @ Dakota
Tin Can Telephone @ Dubliner Pub
Sunday Trad Session @ Dubliner Pub
Twin Cities Country Dancers @ Eagles 34
Karaoke with Reina Starr @ Eagles 34
Middling, They Hung Us @ Flying V
The Drift: A Night of Vinyl @ Mortimer’s
Larry McDonough Quintet @ Parkway Theater
Charlie Parr with Eli Winter @ Turf Club
Simple Motions, Muffleur, Borrowed Time @ Underground Music
Joe Niola with Rockabilly Mayhem @ White Squirrel
Galactic Cowboy Orchestra @ White Squirrel
Pass The Mic: D. Santos, Buddha Enki, Darxko @ White Squirrel
Monday, January 5
Massive Mondays Reggae @ Cabooze
Blues Jam with Moses Oakland @ Midway Saloon
Iodine, Twin River, Lawnchair Dads @ Pilllar Forum
Open Mic Mpls @ Sociable Cider Werks
The Cactus Blossoms with Pop Wagner @ Turf Club
HouseOfNeglect, Necroviolence @ Underground Music
