John Berry Christmas

The Read

Berry had his radio run in the mid-nineties with big, unguarded ballads built around a voice more suited to hymns than to honky-tonks. That voice is exactly why the Christmas show works: carols and sacred material want a singer who can go up and stay there without straining, and he can still do it. Expect a program rather than a set — seasonal standards, a few of the hits, stories between songs, and an audience that has been coming to some version of this for years. A Sunday evening the week of Christmas, aimed squarely at people who want the traditional thing done properly. No irony available on the premises.

The Room

Harken Hall

514 Madison Station Blvd

A Madison listening hall with clean sound and a north-of-downtown calendar — roots bills, community showcases, and destination concert nights outside the usual circuit.