Nightmare B4 Xmas w/ Heavy Meddo feat. Britt Daniel (the Cure tribute), Queen Serene, Borzoi [inside] (10:00); Nolan Potter's Nightmare Band, Grandmaster, Grocery Bag [patio] (7:00)

There’s a lot going on on the bill for psych-prog wizard Nolan Potter’s annual holiday party. On the Hotel Vegas patio, the Nightmare Band headlines following early evening sets by fiery punk newcomers Grocery Bag and theatrical masked jazz collective Grandmaster. At 10pm, the shindig moves indoors, where noise masters Borzoi pummel and post-punks Queen Serene celebrate a new split-single with experimental outfit Heavy Meddo, who wrap at midnight. Bill Baird doesn’t lead a normal set with his noise quartet, however; instead, Britt Daniel joins the band for a Cure cover set, honing in on cuts from the goth innovators’ 1980 classic Seventeen Seconds. – Carys Anderson