I hope you're reading this early in the day, because Saturday's hot ticket is the El Vez Christmas Show at the Casbah. If you've ever been, you know this consummate performer brings his show fit for a stage in Las Vegas to the tiny Middletown venue, complete with feathered dancers, costume changes and full-on makeup and glam as he performs holiday classics as mashups with politically charged lyrics, like his classic take on Elvis Presley's "In the Ghetto," converted to El Vez style with "En el Barrio." This is a great annual tradition, and at press time there are still a handful of tickets to be had, so get on it and spend Saturday night with El Vez.
Saturday, Dec. 22:
El Vez, Schitzophonics, Zozo Fiasco @ Casbah
Japandi, Cuckoo Chaos, Gothic Tropic @ Soda Bar
Grampadrew, Shawn Rohlf (7th Day Buskers) @ The Tin Can
Chad Taggart, Isaac Cheong, Jimmie Lunsford, Kornflower @ Lestat’s
The Loons, Sidewalk Scene, Operation Mindblow @ Bar Pink
Dennis Quaid & the Sharks, Jamie James @ Belly Up
Cubensis @ Winston’s
DJs Dimitri & Rob and DJ Claire @ Whistlestop
The Silver Spurs @ Tio Leo’s
The Junk Poets, Uniform Victor, the Natives @ The Tower Bar
Loose Nutts, Neveready, Cheef @ The Griffin
Raise the Guns, One Inch Punch, Moosejaw, Godhammered @ Ruby Room
Mercedes Moore Band @ Marble Room
British Invasion Christmas tributes to the Beatles, Elton John, Billy Idol and Elvis Costello @ House of Blues
DJ Chelu @ Gallagher’s
Drop Dead, Dames, Burlesque Revue @ Eleven
DJ Havok S, Dolla Dolla DJs @ El Dorado
Besos de Coco @ Dizzy’s
Blink 182, Sum-41, Rancid (sorta, but not really) @ Ché Café
ProgNoses, the Roast of Randall Vasquez, Bon Voyage! @ Brick By Brick
Deck the Halls, with the Anthology House Band @ Anthology
Arden Park Roots, with Natural Heights, the Originalites @ 710 Beach Club