Christmas won’t be complete for some until after the holiday.
That’s when Brian Setzer will roll into Seattle on his annual Christmas Rocks! tour, a traditional stop that will find him once again headlining the Paramount Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 26.
The energetic guitarist and singer has made a career out of reviving high-energy sounds from past decades, be it rockabilly, swing or Big Band.
He spotlights those genres on his own amped-up take on classic holiday music, including a rapid-fire rejuvenation of “The Nutcracker Suite” and feel-good classic “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”
He plans to bring his 19-member orchestra in tow as he places a joyful punctuation on the Christmas season.
Tickets are $41 to $96 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
Straight No Chaser also will hit the Paramount Theatre days after Christmas, as the famed a cappella act plays the venue at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 27.
The group is celebrating its 20th anniversary together. It formed in 1996 at Indiana University — well before the a cappella boom that hit about a decade later.
The group basically set the template for a cappella acts that followed. Their youthful take on pop hits by Coldplay and Adele, among others, paved the way for movies, including “Pitch Perfect.”
The band might play some of those favorite covers during its Seattle show, along with Christmas music, such as its original track “Text Me Merry Christmas.”
Tickets are $32.75 to $61.75 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
A couple of other smaller shows will help draw crowds during the winter break.
First up is a visit from Machinedrum, the electronica musician, who will play Neumos at 8 p.m. Dec. 27.
The prolific artist first made his mark in 2001 as a 19-year-old underground producer, releasing albums that showcased his interest in house and hip-hop music while earning cultish acclaim.
Since then, his style has grown increasingly diverse and, as electronica became the music of choice for many teens, his popularity grew.
He’s touring now behind his poppiest album to date, “Human Energy,” which saw release earlier this year. That disc featured the single “Do It 4 U.”
Tickets are $16 at etix.com.
Then, Illenium will play the Showbox in Seattle at 9 p.m. Dec. 29.
Like Machinedrum, Illenium can be generically described as a young electronica producer, but the two acts aren’t nearly the same. Machinedrum is basically a club act, while Illenium is better suited for strobe-light filled festivals.
Put another way, Illenium’s sound is directed more at the mainstream, with slickly produced songs that feature big vocal hooks and carefully created compositions.
Illenium has been releasing singles for nearly a decade, but only this year put out his first proper album, “Ashes.”
Tickets are $20 to $22 at axs.com.
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