"When we left our home in St. Paul where we started this show many years ago, as part of our penance for leaving St. Paul, the mayor, Chris Coleman, has decided to come wearing a skirt and play the bagpipes for us."

With that introduction from the New Standards' Chan Poling, Mayor Coleman indeed appeared on the stage of the State Theatre in Minneapolis to play bagpipes on the New Standards' cover of the Pogues' holiday classic "Fairytale of New York." For the performance, part of the New Standards' 2013 holiday show, Janey Winterbauer sang the part performed by the late Kirsty MacColl in the 1987 original.

The New Standards' holiday show will be broadcast on the Current at 8 p.m. on December 24, and again at 8:00 a.m. on Christmas Day.