Boston’s alt-rock favorites Letters to Cleo reunited at the Paradise a year ago for a hard-hitting blast into their ’90s past and a still-vibrant present with new EP Back to Nebraska – and they’re doing it again this week over three nights, with the Juliana Hatfield-fronted Blake Babies opening. After kicking off the stand on Thursday with the band’s entire debut Aurora Gory Alice (and its slow-to-explode single “Here and Now”), Letters to Cleo will delve into full airings of follow-up Wholesale Meats and Fish on Friday and third album Go on Saturday. But if you go any night, you can also expect to hear old and new fan favorites.

Don’t know what the Grateful Dead guys plan to do on Saturday, but we know what’ll be cooking on Friday and Sunday when Dead & Company light nostalgic sparks at TD Garden. Even folks who don’t particularly like John Mayer have come to admit that the singer/guitarist sounds surprisingly solid in Jerry Garcia duties alongside originals Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart.

Intergenerational folk also hits the Cabot in Beverly when Arlo Guthrie performs with his daughter Sarah Lee and son Arlo on Friday — even though Thanksgiving’s near, it’s likely doubtful that he’ll play “Alice’s Restaurant.” And in touch with the current pop charts, Jack Antonoff turns from producing hits for Taylor Swift and Lorde to revving up young followers with his group Bleachers at House of Blues, while post-hardcore veterans Hot Water Music pour it on at the Sinclair.

The classy new City Winery in the West End kicks into gear this weekend with Ian Hunter (legendary for his time in Mott the Hoople) and his Rant Band on Saturday and New York veteran Willie Nile tackles the Bob Dylan catalog on Sunday. And World Music/CRASHarts presents two contrasting Saturday concert options, with the Ukrainian folk-punk combo DakhaBrakha shaking up Brighton Music Hall and Haitian-rooted Creole/Cajun artist Leyla McCalla (former cellist for the Carolina Chocolate Drops) and her band gracing First Parish Unitarian in Harvard Square.

On the jazz front, venerated vocalist Sheila Jordan celebrates her 89^th birthday with two Saturday shows at Thelonious Monkfish in Central Square, backed by the Yoko Miwa Trio (which returns on its own to play that restaurant and budding jazz room on Nov. 24).  And if you want a road trip, powerhouse new saxophonist and composer Kamasi Washington brings his expansive crew to the Calvin Theatre in Northampton on Saturday before hitting Boston to churn up Royale on Monday.

Also on Sunday, the Sinclair hosts a Boston Stands with the ACLU benefit that features soul-R&B singer Jesse Dee, roots combo the Giant Kings (featuring Duke Levine), the bluesy Dwight & Nicole and the Revelations, adding a touch of gospel to the cause.