Thursday, December 24
Lonely Horse Farewell Residency
Playing each other as much as they play their own instruments, Lonely Horse has been poised to drag San Antonio popular music into the 21st century for several years now. The loogey-fuzz of Long’s guitar and the Keith Moon-meets-Cherokee-drum-circle powder keg of Hild’s foot and right hand could grind maize into flour, or mota into keef. Join them on their farewell series of shows before they fracture, regroup and do something else that gets hip Humanities majors all hot and bothered. $5, 9pm, Hi-Tones, 621 E. Dewey Pl., (210) 573-6220
Friday, December 25
Friday Nights with Ghostpizza
Hip-hop tastemaker Ghostpizza gets you all TGIF’ed. $3, 9pm, Phantom Room, 2106 N. St. Mary’s St.
Friday, December 25
Black Molly and Over the Top
Like the movie they take their name from, Over the Top are the perfect truck-driving or arm-wrestling soundtrack — tough, driving metal. With Black Molly and DJ Smoak. Free, 11pm, The Mix, 2423 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 735-1313
Saturday, December 26
Los Skarnales
In 1994, Los Skarnales rose out of the ashes of Houston punk band Desorden. Always true to roots music in all forms, Skarnales performs a mixture of ska, reggae, rockabilly, swing, mambo, cumbia and danzón, all with a punk attitude. With Spies Like Us, Channel One and The Dead Barons. $10, 7pm, Jack’s Bar, 3030 Thousand Oaks Drive, (210) 494-2309
Saturday, December 26
Mannheim Steamroller
The synth spirit of the season comes alive with the signature sound of Mannheim Steamroller. $45-$75, 8pm, The Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333
Saturday, December 26
St. Sucia Zine Release Party
St. Sucia, a zine about being Latina/xicana in our contemporary society, host its one-year anniversary party. $3, 9pm, Hi-Tones, 621 E. Dewey Pl., (210) 785-8777
Saturday, December 26
Vertighost
Fluctuating between fogged-out noise and laser-powered dance music, Vertighost is confusingly entertaining. $5, 8pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St.
Sunday, December 27
The Bellfuries
With the smooth rockabilly mojo of Ricky Nelson, the quartet of Austinites make due with just an upright bass, lax percussion, lead guitar and the acoustic drive of a flat top box. $10-$35, 8pm, Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830
Sunday, December 27
Forever Town
“Through the chiming of the cosmic bells, we are called to be the Rock Shamans of Forever Town. In this realm of infinite possibilities … in this world of Players and Dealers … led by this Way of the Sound, we’ve come to make the new deal go down. So join us as we ride the thunder and rock this world into a new age!” So reads the intro to hard-hitting cock-rock revival group Forever Town. Worth seeing for the pageantry alone. Think KISS on acid. With Red I.V. and Reaction. 8pm, Fitzgerald’s Bar & Live Music, 437 McCarty Road, (210) 629-5141
Sunday, December 27
I’m So Sorry
One of the newest DIY venues in town, which also functions as a recording studio, plays host to upstart emo and pop-punk bands from Corpus, McAllen and Brownsville. Bring plenty of Kleenex and your diary/journal to catalog all your feels. Featuring Distress Signal, Sine Cura, Dispirit and Disposable. $5, 8pm, Sound Crater Recording Studio, 1908 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 837-1850
This article appears in Dec 23-29, 2015.