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Check out these 12 new Milwaukee Christmas concerts
It’s time for some new Christmas concert traditions. ❚ In Milwaukee this season, you can see Mannheim Steamroller — again — the Brian Setzer Orchestra — again — or Trans-Siberian Orchestra perform its “Ghosts of Christmas Eve” show … again. ❚ We get it. Nostalgia is as big a part of the season as the big guy in the red suit. But you don’t have to simply relive old past times to celebrate the season. ❚ And this year, more than any in recent memory, there’s a greater range of brand-new Christmas concerts coming to town featuring an EGOT recipient, a symphony-backed soft rocker, a couple “RuPaul’s Drag Race” stars and more. And, yeah, you can expect to hear plenty of favorite old holiday tunes, but with a new twist. ❚ Here are the top 12 shows of Christmas, listed in order of occurrence:
1. J.D. McPherson: The Oklahoma rocker went back to his retro roots for his new holiday album “Socks,” featuring 11 original holiday tunes. He swears it was the most fun he’s had in the studio with his band, so expect that joy to translate to the stage. 8 p.m. Nov. 28, Turner Hall Ballroom, 1040 N. Phillips Ave. $25 at the door, the Pabst Theater box office (144 E. Wells St.), the Riverside Theater box office (116 W. Wisconsin Ave.), (414) 286-3663 and pabsttheater.org.
2. Tenth Avenue North: The Christian band’s “Decade The Halls” tour features original holiday songs and covers, each stylistically reflecting music from a different era, from the roaring ‘20s to 21st-century pop. 7 p.m. Dec. 2, RiverGlen Christian Church, S31-W30601 Sunset Drive, Waukesha. $21 to $55 at the church, (800) 965-9324 and itickets. com.
3. Phil Vassar and Lonestar: So Vassar playing Christmas songs in Milwaukee isn’t actually new — he shared a stage with Kellie Pickler last holiday season — but this time out he’s joined by country-pop band Lonestar. Word of warning: One of two Milwaukee shows is already sold out. 8 p.m. Dec. 5, Northern Lights Theater, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, 1721 W. Canal St. $55 to $65 at the box office, (800) 745-3000 and ticketmaster.com.
4. Annie Moses Band: Experience the folk, pop and classical renditions of Christmas songs from the perennial PBS holiday special live. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7, Cedarburg Performing Arts Center, W68-N611 Evergreen Blvd., Cedarburg. $55 at the box office and cedarburgpac.com.
5. Dailey and Vincent: From the Grand Ole Opry to the Milwaukee suburbs, Dailey and Vincent will bring a bluegrass touch to Christmas standards. 8 p.m. Dec. 7, Wilson Center for the Performing Arts, 19805 W. Capitol Drive, Brookfield. $44 to $85 at the box office and wilson-center.com.
6. Smoking Popes: Along with its collection of seasonal songs (including the deliciously cheeky “Conroy the Gingerbread Boy”), expect the Chicagoborn pop-punk band to play some songs from “Into The Agony,” its first album of original songs with all four original members in 20 years. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7, the Back Room at Colectivo Coffee, 2211 N. Prospect Ave. $15 in advance through the Pabst, $18 at the door.
7. VoicePlay: First gigging in the amusement park mecca of Orlando, VoicePlay group found a national following on NBC’s a cappella competition
series “The Sing Off,” and to date, has more than 600,000 Facebook fans and 400,000 YouTube subscribers for its clever covers. 8 p.m. Dec. 8, Turner Hall Ballroom. $27.50.
8. Michael Bolton: Backed by a full symphony, Bolton will sing his hits, including his pop ballad “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” and his rendition of “When A Man Loves a Woman,” plus seasonal standards. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11, Riverside Theater. $49.50 to $85.
9. Melissa Etheridge: A decade after releasing her album “A New Thought for Christmas,” the Oscar and Grammy winner plays those songs (and, naturally, her signatures like “I’m The Only One” and “Come to My Window”) in a more intimate venue than she typically
plays on tour. 8 p.m. Dec. 11 and 12, Northern Lights Theater, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. $80 to $90.
10. John Legend: This fall Legend became one of the youngest people, and the only African-American man, to have an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony in his trophy case, but he isn’t sitting on his laurels, touring behind his brand new album “A Legendary Christmas,” which is included with each pair of tickets purchased online for his Milwaukee show. 8 p.m. Dec. 12, Riverside Theater. $82.50 to $729.
11. Field Report: In addition to playing tracks from its latest album “Summertime Songs” in the dead of winter, Field Report will bring out some surprise special guests and mix some holiday
songs into the set list. 8 p.m. Dec. 14, Turner Hall Ballroom. $20.
12. BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon: Two past contestants from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” pair up for the “To Jesus, Thanks for Everything!” tour, a new “holiday extravaganza” featuring “a little song, lots of eggnog, and theaters full of people looking at them.” 7 p.m. Dec. 20, Turner Hall Ballroom. $25 to $99.
More on music
Piet Levy talks about concerts, local music and more on “TAP’d In” with Jordan Lee, 8 a.m. Thursdays on WYMS-FM (88.9). Follow him on Twitter @pietlevy and on Facebook at facebook.com/ PietLevyMJS.