Ahhh, Christmas. The season of giving, so they say. Growing up, I was one little cherub. At school, we always had fundraisers and clothing drives in order to help out those who don't shop at the Salvation Army ironically. And at home, my mom still does the 'Adopt a Family' thing. But when you no longer have your teachers telling you what you have to do, or aren't back at home early enough to shop for strangers based on their age and gender, what do you do? You have to start being a good member of society in your own right, don't you? This is why you need to click 'read on' and say hello to Mike Nastri, bassist in Harris and mastermind of one of the best ideas I've heard in a long time.

His brainchild is Sleep Tight Xmas Night, and it is something that you should most definitely get excited about. What is it? Twenty-five bands playing in four venues over five nights, resulting in six gigs where every dollar of profit goes straight to charity (Rosie's Place, Toys for Tots, and Pine Street Inn).

How'd this all come about? Summer landscaping, funnily enough. Says Mike, 'A buddy of mine and I were landscaping on one of the most expensive estates on Cape Cod, and we realized that it was only used for a few weeks out of the year. We then started thinking about what a waste that was and joked about how cool it would be for the owners to lend it to the less fortunate for the rest of the year. My buddy went home and came back with the name of the charity, and we started kicking around ideas to
make it happen. That brings us to where we are now.'

The line-ups read like a who's who of Boston music, a scene that Mike is passionate about himself: 'Its the best that there is. We've got extremely strong acts in every genre: rock, hip hop, punk, indie, and even comedy.' His peers certainly didn't let him down when it came to his masterplan: 'I started by contacting my favorite bands in town and asking them if they'd be interested in getting in on the concert series. The response was amazing- the 8mm Fuzz and We're All Gonna Die even put together full bills on their own. The clubs have been really great as well.'

So far, so good, it seems. There have already been some generous donations, something Mike is very grateful for, and word is spreading. So seriously, people, whether you're a celebrator (is that a word?) of Christmas, Hannakuh, Kwanzaa, or, I don't know, Chrismakkuh, try your best to make a gig or two. Not only do you get to see some top quality local acts, you can feel a bit better knowing that you've done something charitable this season; my grade school teachers would be so proud of you. Besides, his hope is that Sleep Tight Xmas Night can become a Boston tradition, and you know you want to be able to say you were there 'then'. It's like Band Aid, except, well, cooler.

Friday 1 December
      Harris
      Medicated Kisses
      The Vershok
      Static of the Gods
      Bill's Bar BOSTON Doors@9, $10, 21+

Tuesday 5 December
      Anderson Comedy Troupe
      Baker
      Why Twist the Hair
      The Self Righteous Brothers
      Great Scott ALLSTON Doors @9, $10, 18+

Wednesday 6 December
      The Motion Sick
      Those Who Wait
      Jupiter Sunrise
      The Penultimate
      TT the Bear's CAMBRIDGE Doors@8.30, $8, 18+
      8mm Fuzz
      Lifestyle
      Appomattox
      Great Scott ALLSTON Doors@9, $10, 18+

Thursday 7 December
      Cocked n' Loaded
      Noble Rot
      Wild Zero
      Scars like Ours
      Middle East Upstairs CAMBRIDGE Doors @9, $9, 18+

Friday 8 December
      Sad Wings of Destiny (Judas Priest cover band with members of Ichabod, Every Second)
      We're All Gonna Die
      The Humanoids
      Cortez
      Middle East Downstairs CAMBRIDGE Doors@9, $10, 18+

Pilgrims