It’s the rare man who can pick up a violin and fill an arena, but Andre Rieu is that man.
The 63-year-old Dutchman will headline KeyArena in Seattle at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Rieu built his fame playing waltzes, starting an ensemble, the Johann Strauss Orchestra, in the 1980s. Today the group numbers roughly 50 people. During shows, Rieu conducts the musicians when he’s not playing his own instrument to create a true orchestral sound.
As his group’s name implies, Rieu specializes in music of a past era. He has credited his fame — he’s an international best-seller, one who headlines arenas all over the world — with his ability to connect a mass of people to sounds that were more popular in Vienna nearly 200 years ago.
And plenty of people are interested in making that connection. Rieu’s albums top the classical album chart, and a new Christmas collection, “Home for the Holidays,” was a hit on the Billboard 200.
Tickets are $57.55 to $156.86 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.
Rieu isn’t the only act that’s keeping music of a past time alive.
Dervish, the long-running Irish group, is also heading to Seattle. The band will play the Neptune Theatre at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The critically lauded group formed around the time Rieu was putting together his orchestra, in 1988, but instead of playing classical music, this group is all about folk. Irish folk, specifically.
Dervish plays some original music but is best known for its take on classic Celtic songs. The group achieves its sound by anchoring the vocals of Cathy Jordan with the sounds of flute, accordion and fiddle.
Tickets are $30 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
The Neptune will also host Django Django, an electronica act from London, at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Django Django has drawn comparisons to other poppy electronica artists like Hot Chip and the Beta Band, winning critical accolades along the way.
The group’s self-titled debut, released in 2012, was a success, earning a nomination for the much-ballyhooed Mercury Prize; past nominees include Adele and Mumford &Sons.
While Django Django isn’t the type of act that likely will reach those acts level of success, the group’s small and loyal following is likely to grow in the coming years.
Tickets are $17 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
BeauSoleil is also headed to Seattle and will play the Showbox SoDo at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Google the term “best Cajun band,” and BeauSoleil’s name is the one that pops up. The group counts Garrison Keillor, a taste-maker among fans of Americana, as one of its biggest fans.
The group, whose name translates from French to “beautiful sun,” released its first album in 1976 and has never looked back. The group specializes in unearthing lost Cajun gems and has won a pair of Grammys for its efforts.
Tickets are $21.50 at showboxonline.com or 888-929-7849.
And finally, indie rapper Hoodie Allen will play the Showbox at the Market at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Allen made a splash on college campuses with the self-released track “You Are Not a Robot,” and then built on that buzz with his official debut album, “All American,” which hit No. 10 on the Billboard 200.
Tickets are $20 to $25 at showboxonline.com or 888-929-7849.
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