Local music news & events
• Holiday green: Celebrating its 18th year, Irish Christmas in America is a multimedia show with music, song and dance, and a cast that changes from year to year led by Sligo fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada. Past members include Niamh Farrell, Séamus and Méabh Begley, Karan Casey and Michael Londra. It features fiddle, flute, uilleann pipes, harp and bouzouki, along with energetic Irish dancing. Thursday, Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m., Dana Center, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, $45 and up at anselm.edu.
• Family band: Cape Breton musical ambassadors Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy return for a Celtic-themed Christmas show that includes seven of their children taking turns entertaining. McMaster’s fiddling has earned her an Order of Canada award along with a pair of Junos (husband Leahy has garnered three). Their performance is aimed at “the young and the young at heart.” Friday, Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, $43.75 and up at ccanh.com.
• Retro foolery: It’s always a good time when Mike Girard’s Big Swingin’ Thing steps on stage, but the side project of the Fools front man offers even more at an upcoming Nashua concert. Along with reinterpreting rock ’n’ roll hits, the 20-piece big band will serve up a bevy of holiday selections. Saturday, Dec. 16, 8 pm., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $39 at etix.com.
• Christmas magnetism: Inspired by the success of her analog album Memphis Magnetic, Morgan James recorded a live Christmas disc with curated nuggets like William Bell’s “Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday” and “Backdoor Santa” (from the 1968 Atco Records sampler Soul Christmas), along with standards and originals. She will perform from it and sing a few other seasonal selections at an upcoming show. Sunday, Dec. 17, 8 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $25 at palacetheatre.org.
• Helping out: Enjoy dinner and a holiday-themed performance from singer Sharon Jones, backed by an all-star band that includes pianist John Hyde, Mark Michaels playing guitar, Marty Ballou and Les Harris Jr. on bass and drums and sax player Marc Laforce. Monday, Dec. 18, 6 p.m., Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club, 135 Congress St., Portsmouth, $125 (includes dinner) at jimmysoncongress.com.