Music Forecast 12.11-12.17: Sean Rowe, Big Band Christmas, Knuckleheads Annual Christmas Show, and more

Big Band Christmas
It’s about this time of year when we’re all jamming to Christmas tunes around the clock. For those who take joy in these seasonal gems, Kansas Public Radio’s annual Big Band Christmas is here to get you into the spirit of the holidays. Saturday at Liberty Hall, the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra — led by trumpeter Clint Ashlock — teams with Kathleen Holeman, whose warm, holly-jolly voice is the perfect match for local jazz legend Ron Gutierrez’s smooth, versatile tenor. Go have yourself a very jazzy Christmas.

Saturday, December 13, Liberty Hall (644 Massachusetts,
Lawrence, 785-749-1972)

The Record Machine Bad Sweater Party
‘Tis the season for bad sweaters, and there’s no better time to show yours off than at the Record Machine’s annual holiday party. The local label is giving out prizes for the worst sweaters, so don’t be shy. For this year’s event, the Record Machine has lined up entertainment to stamp out your inner Grinch. Singer-songwriter Katlyn Conroy performs dreamy pop songs as La Guerre, the Westerners bring their own brand of spirited garage rock, and St. Louis pop-punk duo Sleepy Kitty rounds out the evening.

Friday, December 12, MiniBar (3810 Broadway, 816-326-8281)

Sean Rowe
Sean Rowe looks like a fearsome mountain man with his thick, serious beard and chiseled features. Similarly imposing is his voice — a deep, wild rumble seemingly more beast than human — that rips through his latest album, Madman. If Nick Cave were to forsake his rock-and-roll inclinations, he might sound like Rowe, whose Spartan folk songs have the same chilling effect as Cave’s Push the Sky Away. Rowe storms from verse to heartbreaking verse on Madman, his voice ever louder. Madman he may be, but one you should get to know Tuesday at Knuckleheads.

Tuesday, December 16, Knuckleheads Saloon (2715 Rochester, 816-483-1456)

Knuckleheads Annual Christmas Show
The lineup for Knuckleheads’ annual Christmas show — benefiting local nonprofit the Midwest Music Foundation — is nothing if not loud. Wednesday night, Outlaw Jim and the Whiskey Benders are as likely to break bottles as they are strings, while Katy Guillen & the Girls bring a fierce, electric fury to blues music. The Old No. 5s seem to take no greater pleasure than playing gritty, old-fashioned blues, particularly when it’s accompanied by a beer and a shot. Powerhouse Amanda Fish joins the Stone Cutters Union, another spirited blues ensemble. Plan to dance — or, at the least, drink.

Wednesday, December 17, Knuckleheads Saloon (2715 Rochester, 816-483-1456)

Dolls on Fire
Dolls on Fire is the kind of macabre band name that makes you think the members have a few deep-seated issues to work out. On the group’s 2012 record, Ladies and Gentlemen …, Dolls on Fire seemed to be exorcising youthful angst. That continues on Synesthesia, the group’s latest album. Lead singer Zach Hodson’s voice is exuberant and theatrical and, at times, an odd complement to the grizzly electric guitar and garage-rage drumming. Dolls on Fire’s other lead singer, Rachel Jaggard, adds thoughtful harmonies and excitable range. Friday at Davey’s Uptown, the band celebrates the release of Synesthesia, with support from the Pedaljets and the Philistines.

Friday, December 12, Davey’s Uptown Ramblers Club (3402 Main, 816-753-1909)