As the Tucson ex-pats start flooding back into town for Thanksgiving, it might be easiest to just corral the old gang at one venue for one event and stick to it. Dancing and DJs, local favorites, and even a bit of burlesque are on the list—all you have to do is get everyone to agree on one thing. Good luck with that.

Club Congress

Don’t let the first two and a half minutes of that video phase you. Behind all of the weird arty visuals and creepy storytellying, Mr. Gnome treads the line between chill art rock and danceable pop that is perfect for a night out with your (21+) best buds—even if those buds are just wallflowers. With local openers Katterwaul and Acorn Bcorn, as well as out of towners Young Tongue, you’ll get a good bang for your concert buck with this four-band line-up for $10 at the door or $8 in advance.

District Tavern

Maybe your idea of dancing involves more head nodding and a fair amount of head tossing. Well, District Tavern is hosting Still Life Telescope, along with La Cerca and Kicking Leaves. You’ll want to make sure to come early (which means 10 p.m. because that’s when this show starts) because if you’ve heard La Cerca’s new album, you know the mellow garage psych band is worth a listen. Plus, it’s Kicking Leaves’ first show.


Rialto Theatre

You’ve been playing it proper in front of the folks, but if you’re ready to get geeky and freaky, head over to Rialto for the Suicide Girls’ burlesque showcase. The event promises sexed up takes on Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Planet of the Apes, and Donnie Darko. If you’re willing to shell out $26, it’s definitely going to be quite the spectacle.

La Cocina

For something a little more mellow and with a good dose of Tucson twang, pull up a chair and order some polenta fries and a beer at La Cocina. Ms. Lana Rebel will be crooning her sweet folksy tunes accompanied by Kevin Michael Mayfield from 6:30 until 9:30 p.m.



The Flycatcher

Last but not least, Flycatcher is hosting a sort of DJ free-for-all called “The Night Before Yum-Yumz.” Much like that aunt that insists on bringing dessert but it also always on some weird diet, it’s hard to say what you’re going to get. It’ll probably be fun though and it’s also free.