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Best concerts in L.A. this week: Ariana Grande, X, Adam Lambert and more

Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande, seen at the Coachella festival, will perform two shows at The Forum this weekend.
(Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for AG)
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If you’re staying in town for the holidays, join some of Southern California’s finest born-and-bred musical acts in toasting the season with a slate of festive concerts and more.

Dec. 19 and 20
X
L.A.’s punk icons are here to put the “X” in “X-mas” with their annual West Coast holiday tour, which concludes this weekend with two shows at the Teragram. More than 40 years into their influential career, the band’s original lineup of Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Billy Zoom and DJ Bonebrake continues to deliver an exhilarating live show. Following their tour this summer, the band reentered the recording studio for the first time since 1984, and fans can look forward to an early Christmas present of new music alongside the classics at this special hometown show.

Teragram Ballroom, 1234 West 7th St. Tickets are sold out but can be found on the secondary market.

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Dec. 21 and 22
Ariana Grande
Few pop stars had a better 2019 than Ariana Grande, whose year included a headlining Coachella performance, a No. 1 album and five Grammy nominations. Join the powerhouse “Thank U, Next” singer in celebrating with a pair of big-spectacle shows on her Sweetener World Tour at the Forum this weekend.

The Forum, 3900 West Manchester Blvd., Inglewood. Tickets start at $91.

Dec. 21
Adam Lambert
Speaking of powerhouse vocalists, current Queen front man Adam Lambert is taking a detour from his stadium run with the rock legends for a special solo show at the El Rey. The gig comes a day before his scheduled performance on CBS’ “A Home for the Holidays” Christmas special, so expect plenty of festive tidings alongside recently released tracks from his forthcoming fourth studio album, “Velvet.”

El Rey, 5515 Wilshire Blvd. Tickets are sold out but can be found on the secondary market.

Dec. 21
Soulection
Since 2012, soul-hip-hop-electronic collective Soulection has curated some of the most innovative and exciting emergent sounds across genres and continents. Part record label, part radio show and part tour, Soulection gets down in its home base of L.A. this weekend for a dance party with original resident DJs Joe Kay, Andre Power and Andres Uribe.

Regent Theater, 448 South Main St. Tickets start at $20.

Dec. 22
No Age
No band is too big or small for Downtown’s D.I.Y. bastion The Smell, as L.A.’s noise-rock favorites No Ages are always happy to prove. The prolific duo returns to the venue that helped launch its career this weekend for a special mini-fest alongside other local mainstays including Daddy, Julia Gulia, Mr. Wright and the El Salvadorians and more.

The Smell, 247 South Main St. Tickets start at $7.

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