Sound check: Bret Michaels brings Christmas to the Arcada

Christmas with Bret

What's Christmas without a visit from Poison frontman Bret Michaels? The longtime rocker, reality star and entrepreneur brings his annual “Bret Michaels Christmas Party” to St. Charles' Arcada Theatre this holiday weekend. Tickets are also available for an exclusive after-party, featuring stories, acoustic songs, and a meet-and-greet. 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. $69-$125. (630) 962-7000 or arcadalive.com.

Holiday punk

Put down that wrapping paper and don you now your black apparel for BrauerHouse Live's “A Very Very Merry Punk Rock XMas,” a holiday party and concert featuring some great Chicago-area bands. Pegboy headlines the night, joined by 88 Fingers Louie, Take the Reins, Johnny Automatic and Hymen Moments (Misfits Tribute) for a 21-and-older night of punk and pop-punk that'll kick off your holiday weekend right. 9 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) Friday, Dec. 21, at BrauerHouse Live, 1000 N. Rohlwing Road, Lombard. $15-$20. (630) 495-2141 or brauerhouse.com.

Blaqrock, Conway and more

Cobra Lounge packs an eclectic mix of musicians into Saturday night with rock band-backed rapper Blaqrock heading the charge. Catch them when they play with fun and energetic rock band Conway, the funky blues-rock of self-described “Slow Jam Chorizo Music” artists Papi Le Gusta, hometown alternative rockers Breakfast Beer and the soulful folk-rock stylings of Owen and the Ghosts. 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, at Cobra Lounge, 235 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. $10-$12. (312) 226-6300 or cobralounge.com.

Ike Reilly at FitzGerald's

Spend an evening with Libertyville's folk-punk icon Ike Reilly when he brings his real-world grit and darkly humorous spin on life in the heartland as he ventures south to Berwyn. The set is a perfect fit for the intimate performance space at FitzGerald's, the roots-rock epicenter of the south suburbs. 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 27, at FitzGerald's, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn. $25. (708) 788-2118 or fitzgeraldsnightclub.com.

Concert highlights

Veil Of Maya, VCTMS, El Famous, Deville, The Levitated: 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, at Bottom Lounge, 1375 W. Lake St., Chicago. $15. (312) 666-6775 or bottomlounge.com.

Home For The Holidays with Sarah Eide, Paige Hargrove and Dennis Caravello: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, at Hey Nonny, 10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights. $15-$30. (224) 202-0750 or heynonny.com.

Patrick Bale & The Pale Ales: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, at BuckleDown Brewing, 8700 47th St., Lyons. (708) 777-1842 or buckledownbrewing.com.

The Four Horsemyn, Prison City Brigade, The Audio Dead, Too Tough To Die: 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, at BrauerHouse, 1000 N. Rohlwing Road. $7-$10. (630) 495-2141 or brauerhouse.com.

Edward & Graham, The Long Lost, Almond&Olive: 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. $10-$12. (773) 525-2508 or lh-st.com.

Farewell to February, Myllhouse, The Root Cause: 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, at Cubby Bear, 1059 W. Addison St., Chicago. $8-$10. (773) 327-1662 or cubbybear.com.

The Psychodelics, The Flat Rats, Eraserhead: 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, at Moe's Tavern, 2937 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. (773) 227-2937 or moestavernchicago.com.

Onesie Pajama Party with There Goes the Neighborhood: 9:30 p.m. Friday, Dec, 21, at Durty Nellie's, 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. $5. (847) 358-9150 or eventbrite.com.

Fairview, Darren Vorel, Steve Knecht: 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, at Fitz's Spare Keys, 119 N. York St., Elmhurst. $10. (630) 379-5007 or fairviewtickets.bigcartel.com.

Rosie and The Rivets: 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, at Frankie's Blue Room, 16 Chicago Ave., Naperville. $8. (630) 416-4898 or frankiesblueroom.net.

Toys for Tots featuring Frankie B, Dina Bach, Kate Schell: 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, at Cubby Bear, 1059 W. Addison St., Chicago. $10 or free with toy donation. (773) 327-1662 or cubbybear.com.

Christmas with The Cutscenes, The Beta Waves and Welcome to Jonestown: 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, at Silvie's Lounge, 1902 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. $5. (773) 871-6239 or silvieslounge.com.

Hybrid Theory, Fools' Brew: 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, at Quarry Pub and Grill, 1015 State St., Lemont. (630) 241-7227 or quarrylemont.com.

Hillbilly Casino/Hillbilly Rockstarz Holiday Party with The Krank Daddies, Them Guilty Aces: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, at BrauerHouse and BrauerHouse Live, 1000 N. Rohlwing Road, Lombard. $10-$15. (630) 495-2141 or brauerhouse.com.

Ronnie Baker Brooks: 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, at FitzGerald's, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn. $20-$25. (708) 788-2118 or fitzgeraldsnightclub.com.

Xmas Party with CantBuyDeem, Heffy, Unkle Slump, Terry Tertiary, Bombay Boyz, Yung Tact, Man Cub, Illy Muse, Ever Evolved, Revolt Coda and more: 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, at Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave., Chicago. $15. (773) 278-6600 or subt.net.

Better Love, Old Sol, Rare Candy, Wilmette: 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23, at Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave., Chicago. $10. (773) 278-6600 or subt.net.

The Belvederes: 10:15 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23 (after the “It's a Wonderful Life” screening), at FitzGerald's, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn. Free. (708) 788-2118 or fitzgeraldsnightclub.com.

Pete Willson & The Rooks, Sails, The Phonographs: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26, at Burlington Bar, 3425 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago. (773) 384-3243 or theburlingtonbar.com.

Every Avenue, Ocean Glass, City Mouth: 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 27, at Bottom Lounge, 1375 W. Lake St., Chicago. $25. (312) 666-6775 or bottomlounge.com.

The Waco Brothers: 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 27, at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. $20. (773) 525-2508 or lh-st.com.

<i> Brian Shamie is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor and local music fanboy. You can follow him on Twitter at @thatshamieguy. Listen to Brian's “2018 Chicago Sound Check Vol. 9” Spotify playlist for a sampling of some of the local bands he's written about recently for the Daily Herald.</i>