This week, our music critics have picked everything from R&B crooner John Legend to a night of fried chicken ramen and DJ sets with Chong the Nomad and Catc24 to dreamy doo-wop and '60s surf pop with Prom Queen, Von Wildenhaus, and Drippy Baby. Follow the links below for ticket links and music clips for all of their picks, and find even more shows on our complete music calendar.

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Jump to: Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday

MONDAY

ROCK/POP

Redd Kross, Dale Crover
When they started out in the late-1970s, Red Kross’s Steve and Jeff McDonald were teenagers singing about teenagers like Lita Ford of the Runaways and Linda Blair, who inspired their 1982 debut, Born Innocent (the title of a TV movie in which she plays a victim of the juvenile justice system). Since the McDonalds have been bashing out the tunes for 40 years, it’s natural to expect the brothers to be running low on fuel—except they aren’t. They’re still releasing garage-punk gems like 2012’s Researching the Blues and putting on sweat-drenched shows with all the vim and vigor of players half their age. KATHY FENNESSY

SOUL/R&B

Allen Stone
Deeply divisive white boy soul singer Allen Stone has graced these pages often by fans and foes alike, and will now take over the Neptune for a night of what he's known for: neo-soul classics and probably a few grandpa sweaters.

MONDAY & SATURDAY

JAZZ

The Music of "A Charlie Brown Christmas"
Because the Royal Room does the music of Charlie Brown every year, I every year have to write this love poem to the core tune, "Christmastime Is Here (Instrumental)," of this masterpiece of American culture. It is, I think, one of the most beautiful pieces of jazz ever composed. Listening to it is like watching falling snow through a window. The room is warm, something is roasting in the oven, and outside, the flakes are falling faintly through the universe and upon the trees, the hedges, the water gutters, the telephone poles, and the rooftops of a thousand apartment buildings. This is where you want to be forever. This is Vince Guaraldi's "Christmastime Is Here (Instrumental)." It opens with a trembling bass, like someone coming out of the cold, stamping their feet, brushing the snow off their shoulders, hanging their winter coat, rubbing and blowing on numb fingers, and entering the living room where there is a window, watching the flakes falling faintly upon all the buildings and the living. CHARLES MUDEDE

TUESDAY

HIPHOP/RAP

Aminé, Buddy
Portland's favorite rapper is at last sliding through Seattle. Touring in support of ONEPOINTFIVE, his most recent EP/mixtape/album/whatever, Aminé’s concert is sure to feature flues, pretentious airs, and lines about girls being Björk cute “so she really fine/just sorta weird/and she got some cake.” This LA-dwelling rapper is proving himself to be an entertainer with that unique-and-vital combo of vulnerability and capacity to unrepentantly stunt; at once acknowledging and giving voice to his fears, but not letting them get in the way of a good time. Let’s give him a warm welcome back to the Pacific Northwest.
JASMYNE KEIMIG

ROCK/POP

Bernhoft, Moorea Masa & the Mood
Norwegian producer and singer-songwriter Jarle Bernhoft will be joined by Portland group Moorea Masa & the Mood for a dreamy evening of subtle R&B grooves and sparkling pop moments. 

John Grant
On his studio recordings, Reykjavík-based singer-songwriter John Grant evokes Elton-John-by-way-of-Jarvis-Cocker with his heartfelt singing, wide-ranging keyboard sounds, and witty words about sex, addiction, and famous figures from Francis Bacon to Madeline Kahn (as if to drive the comparison home, he’s even covered John’s “Sweet Painted Lady”). Onstage, he’s also a raconteur, which comes across most keenly on 2014’s Live in Concert with the BBC Philharmonic, on which the tart-tongued singer behind uninhibited tracks like “GMF” (aka Greatest Motherfucker) confesses that he starts “to break in a rash if I don’t swear every 30 minutes or so.”
KATHY FENNESSY

SOUL/R&B

John Legend
This one's for the lovers. R&B crooner John Legend eschews the production trickery found in most Top 40 slow jams these days—the Auto-Tune, the deep-sea minimalism—in favor of a more nostalgic, reverent take on soul. He's got the pipes to back up the retro fetishism and the Rolodex to remain radio-relevant, getting guest verses from the likes of Pusha T and Rick Ross. KYLE FLECK

TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY

JAZZ

The Senate
Seattle string trio the Senate will reunite for the holiday season with two nights of barn-burning Dionysian folk and rock-infused jazz.

WEDNESDAY

DJ

Just One More Thing End of the Year Celebration!
This installment of Just One More Thing—a monthly listening party that highlights a different local artist, collective, or label each time—will serve as a celebration of the event series' first year. They'll be mixing a range of their favorite local tunes from throughout the year, including music from Hush Hush Records, Black Constellation, Suicide Squeeze Records, Halfshell Records, Den Tapes, and more. Plus, they'll have a themed drink, music videos to watch, and a limited supply of free gifts. 

HIPOHOP/RAP

Taylar Elizza Beth, Guayaba, PSA, DJ KWEEN KAY$H
Somehow maintaining a balance of lush cosmic haze and centering gravitas, experimental hiphop artist Taylar Elizza Beth incorporates values of theater, poetry, and electronica into her work, resulting in a heady mix that elevates as it grounds. KIM SELLING

THURSDAY

BLUES/COUNTRY/FOLK

Sera Cahoone, Ashleigh Flynn & The Riveters, Cumulus
Sera Cahoone’s innate language is that of heartbreak, of knowing what you have in this life is perfect, or as perfect as humans can access, and there’s no way it could ever last. No matter how many fairy circles you happen upon or gentle brooks lapping at your Chaco-nestled feet, this love will end, and in that finale lies your inevitable destruction. The soft, throaty Cahoone will bandage your wounds while examining her own fault lines, drawing attention to each facet of surface tension. We could all be better, we could all be more pure and good, and Cahoone’s willowy, honest attempt to understand human nature uncovers more than you thought of your own experiences at first blush. KIM SELLING

DJ

Fried Chicken Ramen Night
Slurp up a bowl of comforting fried chicken ramen (a collaboration between Bok A Bok's Brian O'Connor and Adana's Shota Nakajima) while you enjoy back-to-back DJ sets by Chong the Nomad—who once made a brilliant dance track by recording kitchen sounds in the ramen restaurant at which she worked—and Catch24, who won DList Magazine's "Seattle Female DJ of the Year" in 2015.

ELECTRONIC

Nightmare Before Riddim
UK electronic artist Jonathan Smith (aka Ponicz) brings a signature blend of dubstep and riddim to the table. He'll bring his "euphoric breakdowns" and Public Enemy-inspired "filthy bass drops" to Seattle for your dancing pleasure. 

HIPHOP/RAP

DoNormaal, Remember Face, Medejin, Reverend Dollars
Third Daughter, DoNormaal’s sophomore LP, was easily one of 2017’s best albums. The up-and-coming hometown MC has a knack for adroitly advertising her slurred wordsmithing over cosmic beats, which are crafted by about a dozen different producers. ZACH FRIMMEL

ROCK/POP

AlAIA, Beatrix Sky, Hand Model, Chanel Beads
Alaia of arty pop punks Tres Leches will headline as A1AIA with support sets by Seattle synthpop artist Beatrix Sky, and local pop groups Hand Model and Chanel Beads.

THURSDAY-SUNDAY

CLASSICAL/OPERA

Seattle Men's Chorus: Jingle All the Way
In a landmark holiday event, the Seattle Men’s Chorus will perform dazzling tracks of the season, like their own revamped takes on “Silver Bells,” “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” and many more.

JAZZ

Norman Brown, Bobby Caldwell, and Marion Meadows
Grammy-winning guitarist Norman Brown is known for being unusually adept at fusing strands of pop and jazz into lithe new shapes. He'll be joined by Bobby Caldwell and Marion Meadows on this R&B- and jazz-centric "Joyous Christmas Tour."

FRIDAY

ELECTRONIC

Roosevelt, Loyal
Cologne-based producer and DJ Marcus Lauber breaks out cotton candy-fine electro-pop worthy of the dreamiest ventures under the name Roosevelt. He'll be joined by local pop-funk band Loyal.

HIPHOP/RAP

Travis Thompson, Sylvan LaCue, Laza
Some say Seattle hiphop doesn’t have a sound, which absolutely isn’t true—more often than not, it sounds something like Travis Thompson. The 21-year-old Burien rapper comes across as humble and good-natured, homing in on everyday struggles and self-doubt over laid-back, soul-inflected instrumentals. Even so, Thompson has a distinctive presence, a half-sung, half-rapped delivery that’s slurred but verbose. It’s necessary, of course, to bring up Macklemore, who featured Thompson on his “Corner Store” single and brought him along on a national tour. It remains to be seen if Thompson ascends to Macklemore levels of national fame, but he already has the makings of a hometown hero. ANDREW GOSPE

JAZZ

Take 6
Take 6, made up of Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble, Joel Kibble, Dave Thomas, Alvin Chea, and Khristian Dentley, is a six-piece vocal harmony group noted for their jazz, gospel, funk, and a cappella flourishes. They have been heralded by Quincy Jones as the "baddest vocal cats on the planet."

ROCK/POP

Forest Ray, MELT, Baywitch
Forest Ray are good at making the old sound new and the new sound old. As self-proclaimed believers in analog recordings, there is a strange physical component to their music—like you can almost hear the tape-thingy being fed through the rolly-thingy (I obviously know nothing about anything truly analog as a tail-end millennial. Let me know when someone releases an album on HitClips.) In any case, their distinct blend of psychedelic rock and folksy Americana—doused with a healthy bit of nostalgia for the 1960s—would make anyone want to smoke some grass and stare at a mesmerizingly patterned tablecloth. Check them out and float. JASMYNE KEIMIG

Prom Queen, Von Wildenhaus, Drippy Baby
It’s a triple header of fine Seattle-area talent. Heading up the bill is the dreamy-lovely “doom-wop” of Seattle’s Prom Queen; frontwoman Leeni Ramadan’s dulcet-sweet and sensuous vocals are both commanding and hypnotizing over vintage forward music I’ve described as “a combination of ’60s surf pop and girl group doo-wop treated with noir-ish overtones and dramatic spaghetti western sonic flourishes and textures.” Von Wildenhaus (aka Ben Von Wildenhaus) delivers a weirdly intriguing, darkly evocative fusion of avant pop, world music, and jazz. According to his Band in Seattle bio, “Von Wildenhaus’ music can be enjoyed with a cocktail at low volumes…but it can also just f*ck your brain.” Drippy Baby, the queer psych pop project of native Seattleite Michael Lee, kicks off the evening. LEILANI POLK

Zony Mash, McTuff
A good rule of thumb is to check out any band named after a song by New Orleans funk legends the Meters. Ergo, you need to hear Seattle’s Zony Mash, a veteran collective headed by master keyboardist Wayne Horvitz, whose career could give most musicians discography envy; he was a favorite of John Zorn’s, for one. Zony Mash have shown a durable ability to maximize excitement in the realms of jazz and funk, combining virtuosity with passion in order to bestow you high-quality, feel-good music. And, oh man, do you need to hear their riotous cover of Pharoah Sanders’s “Upper Egypt & Lower Egypt.” DAVE SEGAL


FRIDAY-SATURDAY

ELECTRONIC

San Holo, Chet Porter, Taska Black, DUSKUS, Eastghost
Electro-trap artist San Holo will bring his futuristic beats to town with more EDM support from Chet Porter, Taska Black, and DUSKUS.

HIPHOP/RAP

Sir Mix-A-Lot, Guests
You know, there’s something special about a man who really loves ass. I think it reveals a lot about his character—moral rectitude, family values, unshakable faith. And that’s why I’m so thankful that Seattle’s patron saint of hiphop and King of Ass, Sir Mix-A-Lot, is working a bit of his magic in Ballard. He stages two different shows over two nights, performing alongside Seattle hiphop vets Grynch and Kung Foo Grip, with DJ Miguel Rockwell and DJ Indica Jones. Roll through to pay tribute to our own titan of PNW rap. JASMYNE KEIMIG

SATURDAY

BLUES/COUNTRY/FOLK

Cathedrals XXV: Gundersen Family Holiday Show
Cathedrals is a performance series put on by KEXP, KUOW, and the Abbey Arts crew that pairs the heaven-reaching acoustics of Saint Mark’s Cathedral with the smooth sounds of local musicians. The December iteration of the series will feature the embarrassment of genetic riches that is the Gundersen clan: Noah, Lizzy, Abby, and Jonny. Noah is arguably the biggest name of the bunch; his sound skews a little bit Gene Clark (but more punk), a little bit Tom Petty (but more vulnerable), and a lot in the direction of taking troubled solo road trips through unending mountain passes. He’ll be joined by his equally talented siblings, all well-versed singer-songwriters, composers, and multi-instrumentalists in their own right, for an evening of contemplative folk music and seasonal classics. KIM SELLING

Darci Carlson’s Holiday Jamboree
Get in the country Christmas spirit with live sets from the Ohio Valley Boys, Darci Carlson Band, Wildcat Rose, Stoned Evergreen Travelers, and Santa Poco.

DJ

LudaChristmas
Celebrate the reason for the season (getting drunk with your friends) by dancing all night to hiphop tracks straight from Hotlanta by artists like Ludacris, Outkast, T.I., Gucci Mane, Lil Jon, Migos, Childish Gambino, Jermaine Dupri, and more.

ELECTRONIC

Ookay (Live)
California-based solo artist Ookay's unique brand of dance music blends all kinds of electronic influences. His most recent stuff is very trap-y.

Tremulant: Rachel Torro
Tremulant is yet another night devoted to high-quality house and techno music at the Kremwerk/Timbre Room complex. As this venue has pretty much become the Berghain/Panorama Bar of Seattle, it’s a safe bet you’re going to get out of your mind as you work your body to the DJ and live sets they offer. San Francisco DJ Rachel Torro—a resident of New York collective ZERO—favors the subtle, melodic end of the tech-house spectrum, with forays into trippier zones when the time calls for them. Don’t miss the live set by local TUF member Jamrat, who creates minimal techno that will take you down many fascinating wormholes. DAVE SEGAL

SUNDAY

ROCK/POP

Green Apple Quick Step
Green Apple Quick Step are riding high after reliving some sweet mid-1990s glory this past summer with a sold-out show at the Paramount alongside their Seattle post-grunge brethren Candlebox and Sweet Water. Though they may not have reached household-name status, the band’s first two major-label albums were packed with catchy radio-ready hooks that secured them two ’90s milestones—a music video featured on Beavis and Butthead and a live performance on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. With people buying up Nickelodeon shirts at Urban Outfitters and drinking the rereleased Surge, now is the perfect time to ride the nostalgia train. KEVIN DIERS