Saeed Younan

Christmas traditionally provokes a box-office bonanza. Families shred their wrapping paper, fiddle with their new acquisitions, gorge themselves on honey-baked ham and head out to the multiplex, where they can lounge without talking to one another. But when Christmas falls on a Saturday, revelers seek more adventurous entertainment. Saeed Younan, a veteran Washington, D.C.-based techno-tribal DJ, uses percussive momentum to build breakbeat anticipation to Santa-believers-on-Christmas-Eve proportions. Younan lets dancers pick their pace: They can sway slowly to the deep house grooves, or they can shake it fast to the raucous rhythmic accents. Either way, Younan is happy; his never-fading grin during marathon spinning sessions makes him look as if he’s been huffing Joker-brand Smilex. His relentless glee usually proves contagious, making this gig a surefire stop for carousers craving Christmas cheer.