Music: Best Bets

January is apparently the month of legendary musicians in Baton Rouge, leading off with Willie Nelson & Family at the Varsity Theatre. The red-headed stranger has made the Varsity an annual stop in the last several years, playing for an adoring and intimate crowd. Last year was a busy one for Nelson: besides touring, releasing a studio album (Heroes) and a compilation of his recorded Christmas tunes (The Classic Christmas Album), the prolific musician also received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Country Music Awards and did the network talk show circuit promoting his new book, Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die. Pushing 80 and still going strong, Nelson and family roll into Baton Rouge Jan. 22. varsitytheatre.com

JAN. 3: Blue Mountain, from Mississippi, and Marah, from Philadelphia, team up for an acoustic show previewing new material at Mud and Water. facebook.com/mudandwater

JAN. 19: B.B. King is cooler than all of us, and he gets to show it off at the Baton Rouge River Center. brrivercenter.com

JAN. 19: Engelbert Humperdinck, in support of a new duets album that includes the likes of Elton John, takes the stage at L’Auberge Casino.

IN NEW ORLEANS: The Biebs performs at the New Orleans Arena with Carly Rae Jepsen Jan. 15, but you already knew that. Calexico, an equally popular musical act, performs at One Eyed Jacks Jan. 24.