It’s that time of year, when the Dropkick Murphys invade town for multiple shows around St. Patrick’s Day that include House of Blues on Friday and Agganis Arena on Saturday. Roots-rocker Amy Helm (daughter of Levon Helm) launches a Friday-night residency for a few weeks at the Lizard Lounge, while the same night, poetic singer/songwriter Dar Williams performs at the Cabot in Beverly and the bhangra party band Red Baraat (pictured) blends North Indian music with jazz, rock and go-go with added pageantry for its annual Festival of Colors show at the Sinclair.

Saturday’s highlighted by a Boston Stands with the ACLU benefit at the Paradise Rock Club with Nada Surf, Juliana Hatfield, Belly, Evan Dando, the Gravel Pit and Bill Janovitz. And on Sunday, World Music/CRASHarts presents an impressionistic jazz summit at the Berklee Performance Center with Still Dreaming, a group that stars saxophonist Joshua Redman, trumpeter Ron Miles, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade in honor of Old and New Dreams, a quartet that featured Redman’s father Dewey along with Don Cherry, Charlie Haden and Ed Blackwell.