Music
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A Classic Christmas Held in the Paramount Theatre lobby, A Classic Christmas is a more low-key, but no less spirited, celebration. Soul singer and former The Voice contestant V. Contreras, Mycle Wastman, singer/songwriter Alessandra Rose, producer/engineer Martin Feveyear, and local musicians Jeff Fielder, Rebecca Young, William Stover, and Aaron O’Neill will be on hand to perform tunes from the holiday songbook. The Melodic Caring Project will also be accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys during the show. All ages. The Paramount, 911 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101 $20 adv. Saturday, December 20, 2014, 7:30pm
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra Their annual revival of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music concerts of the ‘60s. Benaroya Recital Hall, 200 University St., Seattle, WA 98101 $14-$38 Saturday, December 20, 2014, 7:30pm
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KEXP Yule Benefit They say “It’s better to give than to receive,” but I say “It’s better to give while also checking out a show with a stellar lineup like the KEXP Yule Benefit.” It’s a little wordy, but you get the point. This show will help the radio station’s campaign to build a bigger live room for in-studio performances. Garage-rock quartet Cabana will open, followed by indie-rocker Jenn Ghetto, formerly of Carissa’s Wierd, who performs as S, and New York rock four-piece Cymbals Eat Guitars. Strand of Oaks, the folk-rock project of Timothy Showalter, will close with tunes from his latest, HEAL. 21 and over. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., Seattle, WA 98122 $20 adv. Saturday, December 20, 2014, 8pm
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Chrome Lakes Chrome Lakes didn’t waste any time getting the ball rolling after forming in May. After making their live debut at Sunset Tavern playing with Sword for Arrows and Yonder, the rock quintet released a song called “Revolutionaires” and picked up gigs opening for Ohio’s Foxy Shazam at Neumos and The Last Internationale, a project of Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk, at El Corazon. If the band keeps this momentum going, there’s no telling what they could accomplish by this time next year. With My Goodness, Haunted Horses. 21 and over. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave., Seattle WA $12 Saturday, December 20, 2014, 9pm
Mark O’Connor The master fiddler (and Suzuki skeptic) presents “An Appalachian Christmas.” Meany Hall for the Performing Arts, UW Campus, Seattle, WA 98105 $10-$55 Sunday, December 21, 2014, 7pm
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Patti LaBelle Patti LaBelle, aka the “Godmother of Soul,” has earned her title and then some. The singer’s 50-year-plus career includes an extensive discography through work with the BlueBells, as a solo artist, on Broadway and film, and, earlier this year, in American Horror Story: Freak Show, plus numerous awards and nominations for both singing and acting, including nine lifetime-achievement awards from different organizations. But is anyone really surprised that LaBelle has had such a distinguished career? Her voice is unbelievably powerful, yet she makes singing with so much emotion sound effortless. Long live the Godmother. 21 and over. Snoqualmie Casino, 37500 S.E. North Bend Way, Snoqualmie, WA 98065 $40 and up Sunday, December 21, 2014, 8pm
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Porter Ray Ishmael Butler’s first official Sub Pop signee, Porter Ray, is adding another voice to Seattle’s experimental hip-hop sound with his latest, Fundamentals, the follow-up to the trilogy of BLK GLD, WHT GLD, and RSE GLD. On Fundamentals, soul samples accompany Ray as he raps about the highs and lows of life, including his relationships, drug use, and his brother’s death. There’s no sugarcoating, but Ray’s conversational cadence makes each story worth listening to. With Romaro Franceswa. All ages. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., Seattle WA 98121 $10 Sunday, December 21, 2014, 8pm
Straight No Chaser All Ages. The Paramount, 911 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101 $29.50 – $59.50 adv./All seats $2 higher DOS Friday, December 26, 2014, 7:30pm
