THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

First up ( and far less depressing than it sounds ), The Old Town School of Folk Music held "Killer Ballads: A Night of Murder Ballads and Other Songs About Death" on Nov. 22. The show, curated by Andrew Sa, presented a wildly varied assemblage of artists and music in a tone that veered from heartbreak to mirth.

Featuring Jonas Friddle, Lindsay Wineberg, Shelly Miller, Jess McIntosh and many more ( most of them employees of the school ), the concert seamlessly blended pop, folk, country and contemporary music. As expected, there were somber moments ( Sa's dedication of Tom Waits' "Georgia" to Black Lives Matter as well as his hushed readings of "Miss Otis Regrets" and Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe" ) along with humorous offerings ( McIntosh's explosive "Goodbye Earl," Liz Chidester's mock innocent "I Didn't Know the Gun was Loaded" and Sa's big band doo-wop version of "Smoke Smoke Smoke." ). The surprise success of the show gave the school an excuse to greenlight a second event for 2020.

On a much rowdier note, Jim Heath ( also known as The Reverend Horton Heat ) brought his "Horton's Holiday Hayride Show" to a packed House of Blues on Nov. 29 and turned all that somber Christmas holiness into a revved-up sock hop. Openers The Voodoo Glow Skulls and vocalist Efrem Schulz ( who wore a poncho and luchador mask ) dragged the audience into the proper spirit by lunging off the stage and onto the dance floor for a joyous blast of California ska-core.

That same audience sat politely when Heat sang restrained versions of "Silver Bells" and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" but the gig was up when he dug into his rockabilly-flavored discography ( "Bad Reputation," "Let Me Teach You how to Eat," "Psychobilly Freakout," "Drinkin' and Smokin' Cigarettes" ). Mid-set he brought out Texas blues/roots icon Dave Alvin ( of The Blasters ) for a blistering set of his solo classics. This volatile mix had audience members—many of whom wore '50s-style attire—doing The Pony and The Twist all night.

By contrast, "Holiday Horror"—which Jake Vgods hosted at the Empty Bottle on Dec. 3—looked like a Christmas show from another galaxy while proving that a helping of queerness is just the thing to freshen old traditions. Vgods—who wore a a fetching lime-green utility suit that seemed to be taped to his body—presented his new video ( "Swiss Army" ) along with other favorites ( a naughty "Santa Baby" with guest Santa JuJu Minx, plus "Pocket Monster" and "Acrobatic Apparatus" ). Other performers included Mary Williamson ( as an overheated Satan performing a demented "The Little Drummer Boy" ), Gabriel Anaya ( who sang a note-perfect a capella aria with his own pre-recorded voice ), Cae Monae ( who wowed the crowd with her raw star power ) and Alex Grelle and crew as Kathie Lee Gifford performing an aerobics workout from The Twilight Zone.