Greater Lansing’s happening holiday concert calendar — and more

The name of this column has changed from “Turn It Down” to “517 Sounds,” but the purpose remains the same: to champion the local music scene. And, as usual, there is plenty to talk about. Here are just a few upcoming concerts happening across Greater Lansing this holiday season.

 

Hometown Holiday Pop Show,
with Kanin Wren
Friday, Dec. 12
Doors 6:30 p.m.
Grewal Hall
224 S. Washington Square, Lansing

All ages
www.grewalhall.com

The Hometown Holiday Pop Show returns to Grewal Hall with a lineup built around powerhouse vocalist Kanin Wren, a local performer who has toured the country playing sold-out Taylor Swift tribute shows and her own original pop discography. For this festive gig, Wren is joined by the DeWitt Chamber Choir, violinist Rodney Page and additional guests who round out a night centered on seasonal pop arrangements and choral harmony. The event is family-friendly, so bring the kids and your dancing shoes.

A community support element is woven into the program. As part of the Kanin Cares initiative, attendees are encouraged to bring unopened cocoa or coffee donations for the Lansing City Rescue Mission. Those who do will gain access to a pre-show meet-and-greet with Wren.

 

Ten Pound Fiddle annual Holiday Sing
7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12
University Lutheran Church
1020 S. Harrison Road, East Lansing
www.tenpoundfiddle.org

Ten Pound Fiddle’s annual Holiday Sing has developed into one of the region’s most durable traditions. Led by longtime Lansing folk musician and promoter Sally Potter, the event centers on group singing rather than a headlining performer. Lyric booklets are provided for attendees who are ready to join in. The focus is on participation and shared experience, making it suitable for all ages and musical backgrounds.

Potter has curated two sets of winter-themed material, featuring songs tied to the solstice, peace, home, Christmas and the new year. She will be supported by pianist Doug Austin, dulcimer player Doug Berch and spoken-word artist Ruelaine Stokes, who will add narrative interludes between selections. The event draws hundreds each year, filling the sanctuary at ULC.

 

Jahshua Smith and Wayno’s Christmas Birthday Bash
Dec. 20
Doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m.
The Green Door
2005 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing

18+
www.greendoorlive.com

Local hip-hop artists Jahshua Smith and Wayno will celebrate their shared 40th birthdays with a joint concert at The Green Door. Smith is known for his unforgettable lyrics and longstanding involvement in the Lansing music scene, including work with All of the Above Hip Hop Academy. “As far as hip-hop goes in the state of Michigan and throughout the country, I wholeheartedly believe that a collection of the greatest voices to ever represent the genre were born in Lansing, or have called the capital city home,” Smith wrote in a 2022 City Pulse column. “Those who know me personally are aware of the depths to which my hometown of Detroit rests in my heart and soul, but I often say that I owe my life and career to the 517, in large part due to the movement the city has had in supporting young rappers looking to hone their craft.” While it’s known as a long-running blues hub, The Green Door has been expanding its calendar — check its website to see what else is headed to the eastside mainstay.

Jeff Baldori Festivus Party
6–9 p.m. Dec. 23
UrbanBeat
1213 Turner St., Lansing
www.urbanbeatevents.com

Jeff Baldori, the longtime Lansing musician and brother of Woolies founder Bob Baldori, returns to UrbanBeat for his annual Festivus party. Baldori’s background spans rock, classical, jazz, R&B and boogie-woogie music, shaped in part by studies with renowned Detroit pianist Matt Michaels. His longtime connection to the blues began decades ago with frequent trips to Chicago during the height of the electric blues movement, where he saw artists such as Muddy Waters and Paul Butterfield. Baldori became a local legend after The Woolies scored a 1966 Billboard hit with a scorching cover of “Who Do You Love?” The song was, of course, penned by Bo Diddley, another one of his heroes.

Those influences surface in Baldori’s live sets, which move between blues-driven piano work, jazz phrasing and rock-oriented improvisation. The Festivus party offers a close-up view of his brilliance. Pre-sale tickets are available.

 

Kristin Key
7:30 p.m. Jan. 7
Wharton Center Pasant Theatre
750 E. Shaw Lane, East Lansing
www.whartoncenter.com

Comedian Kristin Key will bring her rapid-fire stand-up and guitar-based musical comedy to the Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre in early January. Known for her conversational delivery, improvisational instincts and candid storytelling, Key has appeared on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and “Bring the Funny,” and she hosts the comedy podcast “Kristin Knows Blank.”

In 2023, Key told Voyage LA Magazine, “I started stand-up comedy in the small, dusty West Texas town of Amarillo. I’m the daughter of an evangelical Christian minister, and I grew up super Jesus-y. When I came out of the closet at 16, to put it mildly, it did not go well.”

Since then, Key has relocated to California, released multiple comedy albums and built a national touring schedule centered on her signature brand of stand-up.

 

Mercury: A Tribute to Queen’s Lead Singer
7 p.m. Jan. 17
Charlotte Performing Arts Center
378 State St., Charlotte
www.charlotteperformingartscenter.com

The Charlotte Performing Arts Center presents Mercury, a touring tribute led by countertenor Terry Barber. Focusing on the music and legacy of Freddie Mercury, and backed by a smoking-hot band, Barber belts out selections from Queen’s catalog while weaving in stories and commentary connected to Mercury’s life and public persona.

Queen is known for its blend of operatic vocals, layered arrangements and arena-scale theatrics. Songs such as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Somebody to Love,” “We Will Rock You,” “Killer Queen” and “Don’t Stop Me Now” helped define Mercury’s vocal range and stage approach. His ability to shift between rock, opera, balladry and theatrical performance made the late vocalist a singular figure in pop-music history.

Barber’s tribute focuses on those musical extremes, replicating Mercury’s high-range passages while highlighting the emotional context behind the songs. The show is structured as both a concert and a narrative piece, offering fans an opportunity to revisit Queen’s material in a live theatrical setting.