Nightlife Agenda

For the past 14 years, the Matzo Ball's gone head-to-head with the Gefilte Fish Gala, which is being held this year at Ultrabar. DJs at the multi-level club are spinning '80s, '90s and current music. A charitable donation of at least $5 is suggested at the door, and a portion of proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and other charities. Volunteers will also be collecting canned goods and clothing at the door. The party runs from 8 to 2, and casual attire is suggested.

Tuesday, Dec. 25
Merry Christmas. Lots of places are closed for the holiday -- from Wonderland to Whitlow's -- so if you're planning on going out and spreading some holiday cheer with your friends, you should probably call first. Here's a sampling of what's open: Go-go legends Rare Essence (listen) are headlining at Zanzibar on the Waterfront, beginning at 10 p.m.. Get there early for a Christmas soul food buffet and a performance by up-and-comers Mambo Sauce (listen), whose song "Welcome to D.C." is one of our favorite local tunes of the year. JV's is opening at 5 p.m. and there's a concert with the excellent alt-country band Honky Tonk Confidential (listen) at 9. There's no show at DC9, but the first-floor bar is offering $1 off all drinks all night. The Crossroads is capping off its busy week with a "Yard Style Christmas Party," and the Black Cat's Red Room is open at 9.

Wednesday, Dec. 26
Looking for a way to shake off those post-Christmas doldrums? Locals the Beanstalk Library (listen) will surely put some pep in your step with their energetic pop-rock. Principal songwriters Ryan Walker and Brian Kent have clearly studied their rock-and-roll history; you can hear echoes of Neil Young, Big Star and Wilco in their hook-filled, expertly arranged songs. John Wayne Hero opens at the Black Cat's backstage.

Sharkey's aesthetic is the quintessential essence of the mash-up. Or rather, Sharkey's sensibilities harken back to the days when DJs built their collages from as wide a range of sources as possible and didn't get caught up in the constraints of genre. You can call him a hip-hop producer, because he does make beats, but listen to his own projects and his collaboration with C-Rayz Walz as Monster Maker (listen) and you'll find those beats girded with electro, rock and experimental flourishes. Worlds will collide tonight at the 9:30 club as Monster Maker in full live band form shares the stage with legendary speed-rap/gangsta singing fusionists Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Maybe some Sharkey beats might end up on a future Bone release after this show.

Thursday, Dec. 27
If we were to pick local label of the year it would be tough to go against Gypsy Eyes Records, which after its long-awaited launch has a handful of fine, forlorn, twangy offerings to its name (John Bustine, Revival, Brandon Butler, etc.). At the same time, it's hard to overlook The Kora Records, which gave us Donny Hue and the Colors's (listen) wonderful psych-pop album "Folkmote" in addition to the just-released "Silver Sonya" by Meredith Bragg (listen). Bragg plays smart and pretty indie-folk; most of the songs off "Silver Sonya" -- guess which local studio was homebase for recording? -- sound like they could be on this year's excellent Elliott Smith b-sides collection, "New Moon." There's a warm and welcoming feel to the entire album, as it never gets lost in its own melancholy. Bragg's voice and guitar are the only instruments on the album, which shows a confidence in the material, and one listen through "Silver Sonya" makes it clear that confidence is well-deserved. Paul Michel (listen) and Donny Hue and the Colors open at the Black Cat.

Fans of dreamy, spacey pop will want to make their way to DC9 for tonight's double bill featuring locals Five Four (listen) and Baltimore's Thrushes (listen). Both bands feature female vocalists who often prefer cooing to singing, which matches the atmospheric melodies the bands create. Five Four's charming, understated songs usually have a dance-rock element to them whereas Thrushes prefer the wall-of-sound approach favored by the likes of Jesus & Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine.

Friday, Dec. 28
Washington has phenomenal bedroom DJs waiting to be discovered and local veterans with decades of crowd-rocking under their belt, but if you ever hear that D.C. doesn't have international caliber turntable artisans then you can bust them upside the head with a Tittsworth (listen) 12-inch or Quixotic (listen) mix cd. Tonight two of the biggest exports the local scene has ever unleashed on the rest of the world are headlining the Upfront X-Mas Jump Off at Five. Quixotic branched off from the local Trooperz dynasty that also launched Enferno and Geometrix and is now kicking tail in Los Angeles, one of the hardest markets to conquer as a DJ. In classic Trooperz fashion, Quixotic applies razor-sharp cutting, scratching and juggling to the hottest club and retro tracks in ways that make the most well-known songs sound brand new. Tittsworth's style is all about pushing the limits of insane dance-floor energy, rapidly flipping tunes in the Baltimore club style that he's known for as well as sleazy house, rave and southern hip-hop hits. Lovers of all sounds tech-y and junglist will also get their fill from sets by John B, Matt Nordstrom, Spiggy and Bob Jong Ill. Be sure to check out the toys, kicks and street fashions from Kickballers on the roof.

It's not the end of the year without a reunion by the Slickee Boys (listen). The local group was one of the first new wave/punk bands, dropping its "Hot and Cool" EP in 1976, just after the Ramones and before Talking Heads or Television. The Slickees were never as adored or recognized as any of those bands, but they represent an important piece of D.C. rock history. And speaking of important pieces of D.C. rock history, the band's annual reunion show will take place at Chick Hall's Surf Club. You'll be forgiven for thinking that the place was closed by now; it seems that every month we've been hearing about "one last chance" to check out a show at the Bladensburg honky-tonk and David Montgomery's excellent "End of the Roadhouse" article a few weeks ago seemed like a proper sendoff. But it's still there for now and tonight offers you a final chance to hear the Slickee's classic "When I Go to the Beach" in an ideal setting.