Lady Gaga plays American Airlines Center on Friday night.
Ticketmaster
But before Jewel and Polyphonic Spree perform their holiday concerts later this week, alternative rock band Alter Bridge kicks things off Tuesday at House of Blues. Lady Gaga, Keyshia Cole and Shakey Graves are just a few of the others stopping through town this week.
Alter Bridge
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5, House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583 or houseofblues.com/dfw, $31-$90
If you are a fan of Orlando, Florida-based alternative band Alter Bridge, you will want to make time to attend this show. Out on the road in support of their fifth and most recent album, The Last Hero, the band members have indicated that 2018 will be a quiet year in terms of touring and recording. Frontman Myles Kennedy has revealed tour dates and release plans for his upcoming solo album, and the remaining members have moved into some individual and alternate projects, too. It's not a permanent goodbye — they plan to get back together later to work on new material — but it will be a bit of a lengthy hiatus. Alter Bridge has always been just one item on many of the band members' resumes. It was formed in 2004 after Creed's disbandment. Kennedy has toured with Slash, and guitarist Mark Tremonti has fronted his own eponymous band that makes frequent room for bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips. When the four are together, though, Alter Bridge sizzles with focused intensity and healthy doses of frenetic rock-and-roll bluster. The band, always a spirited live act, could throw forth at Tuesday's show, considering the upcoming break in action. Jeff Strowe
Keyshia Cole
7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, The Bomb Factory, 2713 Canton St., 214-932-6501 or thebombfactory.com, $40-$79.50
Three years after releasing her lowest-selling album to date and splitting with Interscope, Keyshia Cole is back. She came up in the Bay Area, taking inspiration from hip-hop artists like Tupak Shakur and R&B greats like Mary J. Blige, and her first two albums went platinum. These days, she’s almost better known for her reality TV appearances than her loose and gusty vocals, but her seventh studio album, 11:11 Reset, is a return to form. Two singles from the album, “You Ft. Remy Ma and French Montana” and “Incapable,” broke the top 20 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, a feat Cole hasn’t accomplished since 2012’s “Enough of No Love Ft. Lil Wayne.” Today, Cole comes across as a more aggressive Taylor Swift, eviscerating ex-boyfriends with brag rap barbs, as well as stirring up and capitalizing on drama. It seems to be working. Nicholas Bostick
Jewel
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, 300 W. Las Colinas Blvd., thepaviliontmf.com, $39.95-$79.95
If you delight in the splendor of all things holiday or get goosebumps just thinking about arts and crafts, Jewel's Handmade Holiday tour is for you. The singer-songwriter known for her angelic voice and iconic love songs in the '90s, like "Foolish Games" and "You Were Meant for Me," hosts a tour complete with an art show of handmade holiday decorations. There will be a speed painter and plenty of crafts and merchandise on sale, perfect for stuffing stockings. The music features a lineup of Jewel's top hits and classic holiday songs. So grab your worst Christmas sweater, bring Grandma and get in the holiday spirit already. Diamond Victoria
The Buck Pets
9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, Three Links, 2704 Elm St., threelinksdeepellum.com, $15
The Buck Pets ruled the roost of the local punk/alt-rock scene in the '80s and early '90s. They even landed a spot in the August 2009 issue of Spin's "Top 100 Greatest Bands You've (Probably) Never Heard Of" with only three full albums under their belt. And it's true, despite a pretty decent following in their salad days, the Buck Pets never quite got the commercial success they deserved. Seven years ago, they played their first show together at Trees after 15 years of stage silence and debuted a collection of previously unreleased material. Critics spun theories that it was their last show ever, but after last year's return to the stage, the Pets prove they aren't going anywhere. DV
Cut Chemist
8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, It’ll Do, 4322 Elm St., 214-827-7236 or ticketfly.com, $10-$20
Iconic hip-hop producer, DJ and turntablist Lucas McFadden, aka Cut Chemist, heads to Dallas just weeks after the announcement of Die Cut, his first new album in 12 years. The January release will follow up the artist’s solo debut, The Audience’s Listening, which critics and fans heralded as a masterpiece. But while McFadden has staked his reputation on sampling obscure breaks and loops in acts such as Ozomatli and Jurassic 5, he has said to expect something different on Die Cut. The new album will feature more collaborations than samples, and the crowd at It’ll Do on Friday may be among the first to learn what that means. Mikel Galicia
Lady Gaga
7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., ticketmaster.com, $71 and up
Is she a populist or an unwavering radical? A pandering megastar or an avant garde visionary gone mainstream? These are the questions at the heart of Lady Gaga’s career, the subtext of all her music. Whatever your opinion, there’s no denying her influence on the future of pop music as a serious art form. Lady Gaga is honest — brutally honest. She’s inventive, no matter how obvious her source material. And she’s devoted herself to making art that brings the uncomfortable truths of experimental music to a broader base. But still more remarkable is how Gaga’s approach somehow, inexplicably, makes her audience more receptive to the progressive wrinkles she brings to the radio pop arena. Her music doesn’t just stretch boundaries; it makes that boundary-pushing accessible to listeners typically unmoved by the demands of such music. That’s powerful. Really powerful. Jonathan Patrick
The Neighbourhood
7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583 or houseofblues.com/dfw, $91-$147
California alternative rock band the Neighbourhood, often referred to simply as the NBHD, has been quite active since its formation in 2011. The band only has two albums — 2013 breakthrough I Love You and its follow-up, Wiped Out! — but the quintet has put out a bevy of EPs, singles and mixtapes. It’s a style that allows the NBHD to work when inspiration strikes and quickly get music to its fan base. The band traffics in dark, moody and even sinister arrangements. Lately, lushly orchestrated string effects and elements of R&B have crept into the NBHDs’ music, suggesting it is heading in a new direction. Expect a theatrical show at House of Blues on Friday. Jeff Strowe
Polyphonic Spree
7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St., 214-880-0137, or theholidayextravaganza.com, $35 and up
Polyphonic Spree is truly a one-of-a-kind band. The revolving-member symphonic pop group is the product of frontman and founder Tim DeLaughter's desire to create something with the pop sensibilities of the Beatles or the Beach Boys. An act perhaps best experienced live, Polyphonic Spree combines about 15 horns, keys, strings and woodwinds to conjure something magically whimsical and totally refreshing. DV
Shakey Graves
7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, The Rustic, 3656 Howell St., 214-730-0596 or therustic.com, $15
Alejandro Rose-Garcia has performed as Shakey Graves for the past 10 years. His acoustic-driven tunes have a stomp-along feel, but they’re not quite folk or country. Songs like “Dearly Departed” and “Tomorrow” appeal to those who are turned off by the cheese factor in contemporary folk and country. Eric Grubbs
Poptone
8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, Trees, 2709 Elm St., 214-741-1122 or treesdallas.com, $20-$28.50
Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, and Love and Rockets have two things in common: Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins. And these two members who lent a hand in the 1980s goth rock bands started a new group earlier this year with Haskins' daughter, Diva Dompé, called Poptone. In a recent press release, the band announced, "Daniel and Kevin are revisiting their storied catalogue and presenting in a fresh, new direction, to combine their histories with a reinvigorated outlook for new tours and potentially new music." DV
