Whether it is our desire or not, Christmas music is all around us at this point. And for some (many?), the omnipresence of holiday tunes is working their last good nerve. This being the case, the number crunchers at the FinanceBuzz website have compiled the results of a survey listing the most annoying Christmas songs.
No. 1 with a bullet (as they say in the trade) is Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Horribly overplayed, so not a shocker. Coming in second is the seasonally vexing “The Chipmunk Song,” aka “Christmas Don’t Be Late.” Jose Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” doesn’t fare well, either, nor do Burl Ives’ “Holly Jolly Christmas” and Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmas Time.” But if you are the type who simply can’t get enough of holiday music, you’re in luck this week when it comes to concerts.
Houston native and current Austinite Kat Edmonson has a way with the Great American Songbook, and she will be concentrating on the “Holiday” section of that storied tome on Wednesday at the Heights Theater, in a concert called “Holiday Swingin’.” If you like your Christmas songs on the jazzy side, this is the show for you, with “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Let It Snow” on the set list. It is sure to be a finger-snapping kind of night.
Perennial favorite Martin Burniston returns to the Mucky Duck for his annual series of Christmas sing-along concerts, running Thursday through Saturday. If you are exceptionally brave, consider Saturday afternoon’s performance, which is designed for children. All shows will be streamed, so if you prefer to stay home and roast chestnuts by the open fire, the Duck has you covered.
Zydeco is on tap Friday, when Step Rideau and the Zydeco Outlaws roll into the Big Easy. Rideau plays a mean accordion, but his vocals are also of note, making for a tremendous evening of high-energy music. Nothing to raise the spirits like shaking your tail feather before it’s time to go hang with the in-laws.
For those who enjoy a more rustic kind of holiday, the Gatlin Brothers (that would be Larry, Steve, and Rudy) will bring their “Country and Christmas” tour to the Dosey Doe Big Barn on Friday. As is generally the case at the Dosey Doe, dinner is included with the price of a ticket, and that’s a good thing. It’s the holidays, so why not cut loose and order the chicken fried steak, with a big pile of mashed potatoes on the side?
Rounding out this week’s list of holiday concerts is “Everybody Knows It’s Christmas” (and at this point how could they not?) from Chris Isaak on Sunday at the House of Blues. He is touring in support of the recently released album of the same name, and considering that Isaak released a previous Christmas album in 2004, he should have plenty of repertoire to work with. “Wicked Game” or “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing” for an encore? Just maybe, if we are nice as opposed to naughty.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2022.
.jpg){kind=link}