DEC. 1
Heavy — and I do mean HEAVY — metal riff rock kicks off the month at Blind Bob's (430 E 5th St., Dayton) in the form of Dayton's Floodwalker and Stonecutters out of Louisville. They will be joined by SNAFU from Detroit.
TIME: 8 p.m.
COST: $5
DEC. 2
The self-described "pompous and loud; sleazy and proud" sounds of Newport, Kentucky's Motel Faces headline Oscar's Bar (320 N Dixie Dr., Vandalia) with help from Dayton power pop heroes Bribing Senators and folk rockers Seth Canan & The Carriers.
TIME: 9 P.M.
COST: $5
DEC. 3 and 21
So, let's say you don't mind holiday songs as long as they rock — preferably with guitar strangling and powerful drumming. Well, the very example of this exact thing is Trans-Siberian Orchestra, who swing through our area twice in December with shows at both the Nutter Center (Dec. 3) and U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati (Dec. 21), with matinee and evening shows on both days.
TIMES: Vary
COST: $35-$75
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DEC. 5
Dreamy electro-pop Psychic Twin — consisting of singer and songwriter Erin Fein and drummer Rosana Caban — comes to MOTR Pub (1345 Main St., Cincinnati). Fein, originally from the Champaign-Urbana, Illinois music scene, once performed in her ex-husband's shoegaze band Absinthe Blind, who played Dayton's former Canal Street Tavern in the late '90s. Now, having relocated to Brooklyn, New York, Fein's music is catchy enough to run through your head all day, but cool enough not to annoy you on the 37th time around the brain. Indie dance-rockers Fluffer will open.
TIME: 9 p.m.
COST: FREE
DEC. 6
Touring in support of his first new album in six years, Arranging Time, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Pete Yorn comes to Cincinnati's Taft Theatre (317 E 5th St.). Bursting onto the scene with the seminal and critically-acclaimed Musicforthemorningafter in 2001, he has stated his newer work represents a return to form in terms of composition.
TIME: 8 p.m.
COST: $24-$274 (VIP)
Credit: Tamir Kalifa
Credit: Tamir Kalifa
DEC. 6
Old-time country returns to the area with the legendary Oak Ridge Boys at Crouse Performance Center At Veteran's Memorial Civic Center in Lima. Known for hits like "Elvira" and "American Made" — a song later used in Miller beer ads against the band's wishes — this group's roots go all the way back to the 1940s when they emerged as the Oak Ridge Quartet from Knoxville, Tennessee.
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
COST: $69-$350
>> RELATED: After more than 10 years absent, Christmas in the Valley back
DEC. 10
Grammy award-winners and siblings The Band Perry will headline this Nutter Center show to benefit Dayton Children's Hospital.
"Helluva Life" singer Frankie Ballard and 2015 CMT Music Awards Group Video of the Year nominees A Thousand Horses will also perform. You can purchase tickets here.
TIME: 7 p.m.
COST: $22-$75
DEC. 10
Sometimes you want to rock and laugh at the same time. Steel Panther will deliver plenty on both fronts at Bogart's (2621 Vine St., Cincinnati). First on the collective radar as fictitious band Danger Kitty in a Discover Card commercial, this over-the-top ode to all things hair and glam metal is executed perfectly. A little warning: their humor is R-rated. Is it tongue-in-cheek or in all seriousness? One can never be too sure.
TIME: 7 p.m.
COST: $25
DEC. 11
The turn of the century seemed to be marked by bands clearly influenced by the late Joy Division. One of the superstars at the crest of that wave was She Wants Revenge. After six studio releases, the band announced an indefinite hiatus in 2012. But now, in celebration of their self-titled debut album — and possibly due to a surge in popularity from having a song used for the American Horror Story: Hotel television series — the group is back on the road. They'll be at A&R Music Bar (391 Neil Ave., Columbus).
TIME: 7 p.m.
COST: $25
DEC. 17
Dayton musicians will honor those we've lost from our music community with Jeremy Frederick Presents: North of Nowhere South at Blind Bob's (430 E 5th St, Dayton). The event, named for the inspiring and enigmatic Dayton musician who passed away in 2012, will feature a reunited Shesus, Ohio Casket and local stalwarts Oh Condor. Proceeds from the show will go to the education fund of Frederick's daughter.
TIME: 9 p.m.
COST: $7
>>>RELATED: Here are the deadlines for shipping holiday packages
DEC. 22
Cloverdale Dayton (101 S. Saint Clair St.) will host Erika Wennerstrom of Heartless Bastards, R.Ring with Kelley Deal of The Breeders and The Kelley Deal 6000 and Paige Beller of Jasper the Colossal. It's a show that promises to deliver unrelenting vocals wrapped up in excellent songwriting. Advanced tickets can be purchased here.
TIME: 9 p.m.
COST: $15
DEC. 30
It's hard to believe it's been 14 years since the first HoliDayton show, which features two stages. There will be 10 acts — to include C.Wright's Parlour Tricks, The Story Changes, Me & Mountains and Goodnight Goodnight — in this year-end showcase of some of Dayton's best bands at Blind Bob's.
TIME: 8 p.m.
COST: $7
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