The end of Christmas isn’t quite in sight today — not if you believe the concert calendar.
No, the holiday won’t end until Sunday night at least.
That’s when the Brian Setzer Orchestra will wind down its annual “Christmas Rocks!” tour with a stop at Benaroya Hall in Seattle at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Setzer, the pompadoured pop icon, got his start leading a rockabilly revival in the 1980s with the Stray Cats. Then, in the late 1990s, he rejuvenated swing music with an 18-piece orchestra. Now, he’s on the holiday circuit, bringing his own distinct take to Christmas carols and seasonal favorites like “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “The Nutcracker Suite.” So fans may take a little comfort in hearing “Jingle Bells” one last time before taking a break from all the Christmas music.
Tickets are $40 to $100 at seattlesymphony.org.
New Year’s Eve also offers up a host of options to celebrate, with several shows competing for crowds.
The popular acapella act Straight No Chaser will head to McCaw Hall at 8 p.m. Thursday.
The group got its start at Indiana University in 1996, but didn’t land a record deal until YouTube clips of the act started drawing attention a decade later.
Since then, the act has released a smattering of albums, some interpreting holiday favorites and others tackling pop music. The group’s artful mash-ups of modern hits like “I’m Yours” and old classics like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” have made them a hit among many ages.
The group is touring now behind “The New Old Fashioned,” a disc that found the act covering Otis Redding, Radiohead and the Weeknd, among others.
Tickets are $53.50 to $82 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.
Dillon Francis, meanwhile, will headline the WaMu Theatre, as the Los Angeles-based producer brings his dance music to Seattle for his Resolution 2016 concert at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Francis has a quick appeal. His sardonic sense of humor is obvious on albums like “Money Sucks, Friends Rule,” while his beat-heavy dance music has an approachable edge. Hits like “Get Low” and “Coming Over” have helped push him to the top of the charts, racking up millions of plays online.
He’ll be joined by Eric Prydz for his New Year’s Eve show in Seattle. The Swedish-based producer has made a name by creating club-ready tracks that work a wide range of samples.
Tickets are $92 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.
The Neptune Theatre, meanwhile, will host two days of music, with Digable Planets playing the venue at 9 p.m. Wednesday, followed by Shabazz Palaces at 9 p.m. Thursday.
Digable Planets made its name in the early 1990s with its mix of jazz and hip-hop, offering a welcome alternative to the gangsta rap ruling the charts at the time. But the group called it quits in the mid-1990s.
Since then, the band has reunited, teasing fans with the promise of a new album for nearly a decade and releasing a collection of its hits. Live shows are a rarity, though. The Seattle stop marks the trio’s first concert in four years.
Tickets are $23.50 for the show at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849. Fans can also buy a $40 ticket which includes the Shabazz Palaces show on Thursday.
Shabazz Palaces was formed by Ishmael Butler, one of the founding members of Digable Planets and the first hip-hop act to sign to Seattle’s storied indie rock label, Sub Pop Records. The group traffics in the more atmospheric and artistic corners of the hip-hop world, but nonetheless have found a wide audience, with tracks like “They Come in Gold” becoming favorites of fans.
Tickets also are $23.50 for the show, or $40 for a two-day ticket to both shows, at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
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