Twas the Raves Before Christmas...

It's time again for young men and women to flock home to visit their families, trim the tree, fend off advances from that drunk aunt or uncle, and get in a big-ass argument with their parents about what the hell they're doing with their lives. The kids are gonna need something to prep them for the dysfunction, stress and possible jail time they'll face this holiday season. On Saturday, December 16, two party teams are giving young folks a choice on which yuletide-themed shindig to attend before heading off to the Christmas carnage. Year-old Bigtyme Productionz is dropping its own brand of holiday cheer with Jingle Bells, while upstart rave crew PAA Entertainment is unleashing its first big-time affair called Da DJs That Stole Christmas. (Not to be confused with "How the Dee Jays Stole Christmas! 2," a rave happening the night before in San Antonio.)

Da DJs promises to be an affair that will give DJs around the city their much-needed props. "It's just gonna be a big event that focuses on Houston talent," says Kung Fu Pimp, the headlining spin man. Some other area spinners include Jake Childs, Bruno B, Dave Arbiter and Noi-Zee. Apart from headliners Superstar DJ Keoki (Los Angeles) and Vicious Vic (New York), local and regional names also will be in the spotlight at the Jingle Bells party, including Houston's Chris Anderson and Jonathon Youmans and Austin's Berlin. The crew for Bells insists everything is on the up-and-up. "We encourage parents to attend our raves," says Bobby Rodriguez, who co-runs Bigtyme. "If a parent wants to come in and check on their kid, we let 'em in. If my kid was out at 6 a.m. in the morning, I'd wanna know where they are."

Anyone who donates a toy to the local Ronald McDonald House will get $5 off the ticket price. "Every time we do a rave, a portion of the proceeds goes to a different charity," says Rodriguez. "For this rave, we wanted to give toys to the House." Kung Fu Pimp, who held a Toys for Tots drive/party last Friday night at Club C2K, matches Rodriguez's belief in Christmastime charity. "When we did Toys for Tots last year, we received about 4,000 toys in four hours," says the Pimp.

Giving and goodwill aside, it's still about having a good time. And even though these parties are on the same night, neither one is feeling the pressure to bring in a warehouse full of ravers. "I welcome the competition," says Rodriguez. "I appreciate what they're doing, and I respect any promoter who wanna go out there and do it. But they're gonna lose that night." Music, toys and an intense rivalry for your holiday cash -- isn't that what Christmas is all about?