Music notes: Spyro Gyra plays intimate Viper Alley

Jazzy jam session

Acclaimed jazz-fusion band Spyro Gyra, which has cultivated a large and devoted audience since emerging from Buffalo, New York, in the 1970s, will perform this weekend at the intimate Viper Alley club in the suburbs. It's a great chance to see this veteran band perform up close. 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at Viper Alley, 275 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire. Tickets start at $25; viper-alley.com.

‘Mystery' show

Chicago indie-rock band White Mystery has turned many heads in the indie world with its sophisticated (and muscular) brand of garage rock. The band, consisting of siblings Alex White (vocals, guitar) and Francis White (drums, vocals), delivers songs that recall the gritty sounds of 1960s rock while retaining a contemporary feel. Alex White sings and plays like a woman possessed, and Francis keeps the songs moving with his pounding, propulsive rhythms. The band's self-titled and self-released debut record earned raves in 2010, and a follow-up is on tap. The band plays this weekend at the Hideout, one of Chicago's best music venues. 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at the Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia. (Rabble Rabble and The Cell Phones open.) $10; hideoutchicago.com.

Human time machine

Fans of 1980s bubble-gum hits and TV soap operas should enjoy seeing the apparently ageless Rick Springfield in the suburbs this weekend. Springfield, a former “General Hospital” star, scored a few big hits during the Reagan era, none bigger than “Jesse's Girl.” He'll be running through the catalog at the Arcada in St. Charles. 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at the Arcada, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. $49 to $125; oshows.com.

Prog rockers

The holidays are here, which means progressive rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra will be hitting concert stages, performing its thunderous Christmas-themed rock operas. The group makes a stop in the suburbs this weekend. 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont. $29 to $69. Go to ticketmaster.com.