The holidays have a soporific effect on the city. Maybe it's the tryptophan, the post-spending comedown, or the New Year's preparations; regardless, many Torontonians board themselves up between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. However, that doesn't mean everyone has gone to sleep. In these halcyon days of plenty, there is entertainment to be had. Here's what's happening in Toronto between December 26th and December 30th.

Boxing Day means feverish spending, horrible line-ups, and general capitalist gluttony. Avoid malls and shopping promenades. Instead, head to the Silver Dollar for scream punk and garage bravado care of The Mahonies and Fontana respectively. Down strums and muscular riffs always shake off post-unwrapping blues. Though, if your head hasn't quite recovered from your eggnog hangover, check out indie folk singer-songwriter Heather Kelday's CD release party at The Rivoli.

Local alt-country consortium, The Buffalo Builders, brings its plaid harmonies to the Horseshoe for a December 27th record launch. Made up of three brothers, a pair of Staggered Crossing survivors, and a sweet-voiced, Neko Case-evoking guitarist/vocalist, the crew is an Imperial Library mainstay and area favourite.

Typically, when I mention Kevin Quain and the Mad Bastards I make you feel like you don't really deserve to know but, since it's martyr season, I'll skip the condescending introduction and stick to the info: Quain et play the finest cabaret, barfly art pop in the world. At their Sunday residency, you can expect musical saws, spirited balladry, and sublimity from the renowned raconteur and his compatriots. They play the Cameron House on the 28th.

You need to see Jean-Claude Van Damme kick some people.

After over a month of holiday merriment and warm sentiment, you need respite. You need to see Jean-Claude Van Damme kick some people. Though the Bloor is showing meta-masterpiece, JCVD throughout the month, it's only packaging it with Van Damme classic, Timecop, for the December 28th evening showing. Incidentally, whatever happened to Ron Silver? He had a nice beard.

December 31st is a Pro-Am. You drink and do regrettable things almost daily, yet once a year myriad interlopers try to steal your shtick. Show them by arriving hung-over and sonically sated. Broken Social Scenester and solo troubadour, Jason Collett wraps up his month-long weekly series at the Dakota on December 30th. Expect surprise guests and altruism (on that note, bring a food donation for the Daily Bread Food Bank).



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