Hey, you know those people that are like “guuuh, I hate hearing Christmas music all the time, when will this be over guuuh.” Well you know what, we respectfully disagree. For serious, we’d rather listen to Bing Crosby and Hall and Oates and Brenda Lee and Elvis and the Beach Boys and Louie Armstrong kick out the holiday parade of hits ANY DAY rather than hear Staind or whatever new jam Cher is trying to convince you is next level. But you know, not all the music during this season of mistletoe (ah snap, we gotta go get some of that) and murr is of the Christmassy kind. There’s still the season of shows alongside the season of giving, and because we don’t expect to do much writing over the next few, we though we’d give you a bit of a heads up (but real talk, check in again soon for a look at the weekend and next week. and oh snap new years!).

TONIGHT
Nothing says HELLO HOLIDAYS like an old guy (who is presumably famous, just not in the famous book of world records we keep in our back pocket) all bloody on a flyer.  This is the 7″ release for Gay Marriage, and a rare reunion performance at that. As previously noted, the 7″ is being put out by Ditchwater and expect it to sell out quicker than Danica Patrick. Also on the bill and rare like steak is Black Congress and the recently popping up act, the Assholes, who we have no idea about. Rumors abound that the latest Nerd Argument side project, Beer & Sebastian, might be a secret opener.

TOMORROW
CHRISTMAS EVE, DUMMIES.  STAY IN FOR SANTA.

CHRISTMAS
30footFALL, Middlefinger, Avitia, Alshire @ Fitzgerald’s
Admit it. You’re tempted. You’ve always wanted to goto a show dressed like Santa and a bag full of candy canes and slowly build up the Elves to just start flinging them at people out of love and joy and spirit of the season.

B L A C K I E, Nosaprise, Dunny Osmond @ Notsuoh
Our scrappy and burgeoning hip hop underground takes over the scrappy and future bourgeois stage on Main downtown. We always loved the camp of Christmas in Harlem. Can we get a jam of our own called Christmas in the Third Ward? Free show, all ages.

God Bless James Brown, featuring DJ Melodic, DJ Sun, & Brett Koshkin @ Boondocks
SOOOOOUL MUSIC! Brett is responsible for Dirty Honey, one of our favorite record nights in town, nothing but classic soul the first Saturday of every month at Boondocks. DJ Sun and DJ Melodic need no introduction for those that have made Soular Grooves part of their regularly scheduled programming. Good to see Melodic back at it.

FRIDAY
Golden Axe, No Talk, Bald Eagle Burger and Burn The Boats @ Walter’s on Washington
This is the first of two No Talk shows this week/end that will feature master of shredermonies Warren Hatfield (Golden Axe, Valiant Thor) on guest guitar. Slay Bells.

Finnegan, Jim and the Toms, The Plague, Sara Van Buskirk, City of Compton, Brandon Elam, Dave Rask @ Avant Garden
We can’t speak for anyone else on the bill, not being familiar with them yet, we’ve heard some great tracks from Finnegan, a sort of ‘when folks are in town’ project that features, among others, Noted DESTROY ALL SNARES drummer Matt Tantillo (Paris Falls, Defend the Ghetto). This sounds, NOTHING like anything Matt’s been kickin it for before, and has a pastoral almost folky (though not folksy) vibe to it. Looking forward to checking it out in person. Klatu.

THAT IT! Be sure to check back Friday for our skinny on the rest of the weekend, which is going to be whips, allow us to assure you, with more No Talk, Pot Luck Benefits, Hooten, Hollerin, and Jibby Jibby.