When I started writing the weekend blog I didn't intend for it to turn into a listing of non-stop holiday parties...but it just kind of happened. There's a lot of people celebrating the season this weekend, and chances are your favorite local band is in the mix.

FRIDAY

• The monster of all Holiday Show's takes place tonight at the Big Easy. Seriously, I would like to see Paul Lind, Bing Crosby and Stephen Colbert compete with this. (Well, John Legend's "Nutmeg" is pretty hard to beat). But WCYY presents "Home for the Holidays" again this year as part of its Holiday Bizarre series of shows. What makes this show so special? Maybe the fact that it's only once a year you get a chance to see some of your favorite local acts performing holiday standards and their own seasonal specialties. Check out this list: Sidecar Radio, Man-Witch, Confusatron, By Blood Alone, Kenya Hall, The Sea Captains, Spencer & The School Spirit Mafia, Brzwoski & Shadezilla + Lab 7, Highway Jackson, Cambiata, Please Be Ours, Dominic and the Lucid. Oh, the cheer. Oh, the goodwill. Oh, the yuletide will be gay. All of this can be yours for the price of $6. Show starts at 9 p.m., but if you show up early starting at 6 p.m. you get mingle with the kids from the Portland Music Foundation, who are holding another one of their mixers. Gonna be a long night.

• If you're looking to get your local fix, sans the spirit of the season, head over to SPACE where Elf Princess gets a Harley, Computer at Sea, Brenda and wait for it...wait for it...EGGBOT. are putting on a showcase. Sure you may enjoy Elf Princess gets a Harley, or perhaps the computer-toy-tronic sounds of Computer at Sea, but really...how often do you get to see Eggbot? EGGBOT people. Consider it. Show starts at 9 p.m. and it's a $6 entry.

• Just to throw a little DJ flavor into your weekend mix you can head over to the White Heart where the gentlemen of ATOMIK will be rolling out a set starting at 9 p.m. ATOMIK is none other than Matty T. and Jason Keith (who I always give a polite shout out to thanks to what I refer to as The Yacht Rock Affair. AH, good times). As always at the White Heart, it's a free entry.
  

SATURDAY

• What? More holiday rock! This time head over to Geno's for the Rock and Roll X-Mas extravaganza, featuring The Queers, The Leftovers and The Prozacs up from Massachusetts . Heavy on the rock, also use of "The" in band names. Get there early, and bonus holiday points to anyone who wears a Christmas sweater. Show starts at 9 p.m. and it's an $8 entry.

• More shopping! Yeah! In this tales of consumerism, Rogues's Gallery is throwing another super sample sale at SPACE Gallery starting at 10 a.m. For certain there are deals to be had, especially for those who show up early. Something to consider though, is who you're buying for. I went last year and couldn't bring myself to buy my mom or uncle a distressed shirt with a giant anchor on it. Well, maybe my uncle. But you get the point.

• Rounding out the holiday shenanigans this weekend is more from WCYY. It's time for the annual induction of the WCYY Class of.... This year's entrants into the Class of 2008 include Cougars Kill Cobras, The Baltic Sea, All Night Chemist, and Spose. As always there'll be a special almuni performance, this year from Twisted Roots. Toast to some of the best of 2008, and if you want to know more about the "Class of..." series, check out my interview with Mark Curdo in the podcast. Show starts at 8 p.m. and is $5 to get in the door.
  

Finally, the video for the weekend is a little bit timely. Perhaps you've heard of a certain governor from Illinois with a penchant for swearing and trying to sell things he doesn't own? Well he's throwing a "Everything Must GO!" sale in the entire state, and if the price is right, who knows what can be yours. I'm linking to it instead of posting it here so I can give this simple caveat - if you have polite sensitivities and don't like swears (heavy F-bombs) then perhaps this is not your thing. But if so, then enjoy.

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