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By Alyson Samson

It’s a long range forecast this month, with the Twelve Events of Christmas that you can’t miss throughout the month of December.

This is my Christmas wishlist, all I want for Christmas is to make it to everyone of these shows and see all your lovely faces. This is a magical line up of events to fill you with lift your spirits!

Holidays are exciting! Like a brief return of summer, where everyone waltzes back into town to have the last hurrah of the year. (I won’t take it personally when you all leave again. Mostly.) It’s the time year to get silly, sentimental, shiver outside The Ship, hug some hearts we gave away last Christmas, and slip down on an icy George Street. Here are some cool places you can do that.

Be good, Santa’s watching.

12.) Tibbs Eve Lawnya Vawnya Blue Grass Brunch (at Mallard Cottage, Dec. 23rd).
11.) Mudflowers Reunion (at The Ship Dec. 19th)
10.) MusicNL Soiree (at The Ship, Dec. 15th)
09.) Matthew Hornell & Katie Baggs’ John Prine night (at the Ship, Dec. 14th)
08.) Thee Internet & AE Bridger (at The Ship, Dec. 29th)
07.) Yung Dumb Boxing Day (at Velvet, Dec. 26th)
06.) Amelia Curran and Craig Young Tibbs Eve (at The Ship, Dec. 23rd)
05.) Hear/Say, Baytown (at The Rockhouse, Dec. 27th)
04.) Repartee/Steve Maloney (at The Ship, Dec. 12th)
03.) MightyPop Presents The Once (at George Street United, Dec. 20th, 21st, & 22nd)
02.) Mightypop Presents The Dardanelles (at Bellavista, Dec. 28th)
01.) Hey Rosetta! Holiday Show (at Mile One, Dec. 19th).

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12.) Tibbs Eve Lawnya Vawnya Blue Grass Brunch

It’s definitely going to be a blue Christmas for Lawnya Vawnya. Bluegrass that is, at the Mallard Cottage Bluegrass Brunch. An amazing line up of musicians including; Darren “Boobie” Browne, Daniel Banoub, Dave Rowe, Tom Power and some other very special guests (I’m thinking its Eleven Pipers Piping… maybe not) will be jamming while you’re spreading jam on your toast. A wonderful way to start your Tibbs Eve day (the 23rd).

https://www.facebook.com/events/1003336013016569/

11.) Mudflowers Reunion

The 19th is a big night this year! After the big Hey Rosetta! Holiday Show, you know you’re not going home. Drop over to The Ship and catch up with Lady Brett Ashley, Kelly McMichael and The Gloss - who’s returning to the island for the Holidays since leaving in the summer, and a reunion of The Mudflowers! Is that Nine Ladies Dancing?

https://www.facebook.com/events/750616094993234/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar

10.) MusicNL Soiree

Come all ye musical to The Annual MusicNL Soiree. It’s open mic season on Christmas carols at The Ship on Monday the 15th. Hosted by the holly jolly Jerry Stamp, this is the 5th year for the holiday soiree, Four Calling Birds musicians to get up to the mic, serenade and warm the hearts of a few scrooges and scoundrels.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1501832596749406/

09.) Matthew Hornell & Katie Baggs’ John Prine night

Christmas in Prison! Did they catch who stole those Five Golden Rings? Wish Matthew Hornell a Merry Christmas and forgive him for his Crimes* while he’s in town. Matthew, and old pal Katie Baggs will be doing an all Prine all the time night of covers at The Ship. Definitely looking like a lovely Sunday on the 14th. (Bring a donation for the food bank!) You can also catch Matthew at The Ship on the 16th and he tells me he’s bringing presents new tunes!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1500297413565276/

* Matthew has a song on his last album titled “Crimes.”

08.) Thee Internet & AE Bridger

What did you get for Christmas? Did Santa get it from Thee Internet? I hear he left The Ship Six Geese a… Laying down some wicked beats to be delivered on the 29th. Thee Internet and AE Bridger, who have just reunited after four years - will be sharing their toys the stage for the first time (along with sharing several members). Batteries excluded. Christmas miracles, assembly required.

https://www.facebook.com/events/593706604064764/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular

07.) Yung Dumb Boxing Day

Yung Dumb returns for a Boxing Day (the 26th) bash at Velvet, (formerly Headquarters). So get ready to dance off your turkey dinner and wake up from your holi-daze! Music curated by DJs Potemtole, Casper Touch, Dr. Drake, Krystle Hayden and Lance Wicks. Photography for the night by Montreal based photographer Sarah O’Driscoll. Non-top-40s dance music. And apparently, they give out free Popsicles. (Better than what you’d get from Eight Maids a Milking, no?)

06.) Amelia Curran and Craig Young Tibbs Eve

Amelia Curran and Craig Young take on Tibbs Eve at The Ship, not a better Partridge in a Pear* Tree (*pair, I really mean pair. I am getting desperate) to sit and enjoy while sipping something that will make your insides feel as fuzzy as Amelia’s lyrics. Let the Christmas indulgence begin taking in some of this city’s craziest talent. Or maybe by the 23rd you’re already exhausted, but let’s face it, you’re not missing this one.

05.) Hear/Say, Baytown

Hark what’s that I hear? Hear/Say and Baytown at The Rockhouse. Dance away the winter chills to Hear/Say’s hip-hop beats of Twelve Two Drummers Drumming, and get sweaty with some sweet Baytown sax… I said sax. The only time you’ll catch these guys over the holidays! New duo Isle of Ease and DJ Potemtole will keep your toes warm all through the night of the 27th.

https://www.facebook.com/events/331867936999665/

04.) Repartee/Steve Maloney

Repartee will be playing their Seven Swan[s] Song a Swimming for a while, as they take a break before coming back with a brand new album! You can catch them at The Ship with someone sweeter than a box of Pot of Gold, Steve Maloney (I bet if you ask really nice, he’d even sing Silver Bells), backed by his lovely ladies Amy & Jen on the 12th (That’s tonight!).

https://www.facebook.com/events/2031821860290151/

03.) MightyPop Presents The Once

The Once are flying home from their tour like Two Turtle Doves, playing THREE holiday shows at Gower Street United Church on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd. It’s been a pretty wild ride for The Once this year, but they haven’t forgotten us. They checked their list, and checked it twice, by the looks of it they checked it three times to fit all the good girls and boys into their annual Christmas celebration this year.

https://www.facebook.com/events/732154140171582/

02.) Mightypop Presents The Dardanelles

The Dards are putting off a bash at the Bellavista (thanks to the darlings at Mightypop). The Fourth Day of Christmas (the 28th) with Ten Lords-a-Leaping over The Dardanelles. You won’t get your trad on anywhere else like this, this holiday season. There’s Christmas, and then there’s Christmas in Newfoundland, and it doesn’t get much more Newfoundland than this.

https://www.facebook.com/events/824900690866043/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar

01.) Hey Rosetta! Holiday Show

My number one must see this Christmas is the biggest — another year at Mile One for Hey Rosetta’s! annual Holiday show on the 19th, now a tradition for so many of us! With the release of Second Sight this fall and the addition of Three French Hens horn player Mara Pellerin, Hey Rosetta’s annual holiday show has them aiming for a full sleigh team. Maybe next year they’ll have a eight reindeer members. Hey Rosetta! will also be carrying me home*, they’re playing two shows at The Garrick Theatre in Bonavista on the 16th and 17th, a great getaway if you’re looking for a destination out of town to avoid some of the Christmas craziness.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1534117096825476/

* Fact, I’m from Port Union. / Carry Me Home is the single and title of Hey Rosetta’s! Christmas EP.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! I predict 2015 will be another amazing year of music.