Danny Frank & The Smoky Gold New Year’s Eve Eve Show Saturday, Dec. 30, 8 pm Carmody’s

The Salmela Sisters Friday, Dec. 29, 7 p.m. Zeitgeist Winter cabaret with Lussi and Sophia Salmela along with special guests singing favorite holiday tunes. All proceeds benefit Life House.

Caskmates Friday, Dec. 29, 8 p.m. Cedar Lounge Rowdy fun and adventure with this Minneapolis-based groove rock band playing a variety of original and cover songs for the first time at Cedar.

Fairlawn’s Old Fashioned Christmas Saturday, Dec. 30, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fairlawn Mansion Christmas ain’t over yet! Take a self-guided tour through the elaborately decorated mansion, enjoy holiday treats, live music, youth activities, sled dog meet-and-greet and much more. 

Danny Frank & The Smoky Gold New Year’s Eve Eve Show Saturday, Dec. 30, 8 p.m. Carmody’s After two decades of writing songs, years of performing as a solo artist and the release of his debut album Smoky Gold, singer-songwriter Danny Frank has curated an all-star cast of seasoned musicians that fully compliments his skillfully crafted work.

All Day New Year’s Extravaganza Sunday, Dec. 31, 8 a.m. Wussow’s Annual tradition of live music by 24 performers from 8 a.m. to midnight … if you stay through the whole thing do you get your name on a plaque? Tom Wotruba opens and Roadside Casino closes; in between includes Olivia Warpula, Jake Kennedy, Severio Mancieri, Innerstellar Overdrive and Lion or Gazelle.

New Year's Eve Throwdown Sunday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m. Pizza Lucé A million New Year’s Eve parties out there but none so metal as this. With Torment (beatdown from Duluth), Vehemence (Duluth doomcore), Surefire (Milwaukee deathcore) and The Motion Mosaic (Twin Cities mathcore. What’s mathcore? Hardcore punk metal with complex, irregular time signatures, tempo changes and polymeters. What’s a polymeter?)

Austin Castle & The Northern Pines Wednesdays in January, 6 p.m. Cedar Lounge Duluth-based Americana/country artist showcases versatility, powerful vocals and relatable storytelling, inspired by artists ranging from Muddy Waters to Morgan Wallen. He has two albums out, “Northwoods” and “Seasons.”