You might catch a glimpse of Santa Claus and see ugly Christmas sweaters, but this won't be your standard Christmas party. Damian Bunting, Morgan Newgaard and company will be rockin' around the Christmas tree to the tune of, well, rock.
Local residents Bunting and Newgaard have teamed up to host their inaugural "Heavy Xmas Rockin' Jam" Christmas party from 6-10 p.m. Friday at The Tavern at 130 E. Dunklin St.
With Christmas just around the corner, Bunting said he was hoping to host a holiday party, in part to celebrate the opening of Capital City Gymnastics, a business he opened in early November. Then he thought, instead of highlighting himself and his business, he had the chance to put the spotlight on others. He decided to invite local musicians to participate.
It's the feeling of "giving back to the community," he said.
And in a way, it's personal, too. The handful of musicians performing Friday have each appeared on Bunting's podcast where he interviews and features local artists he feels aren't getting the exposure they deserve.
Katie Beshuk will open the evening, followed by comedian Suzanne Luther. The featured act will be Fools and a Feeling, and co-headliners Plain & Simple, and Wridacule and the Rapture will cap off the evening of performances. Despite the short list of bands, attendees are likely to hear sounds from a rap-rock hybrid to country and bluegrass. The acts will most likely perform originals, Bunting said.
"With a lot of these bands that are performing, they're not your standard, local Jeff City bands. They're a little avant-garde. They're a little outside the box," Bunting said.
While the artists may have different perspectives on life or political outlooks, he said it's nice "everybody is coming together with this music thing." Some people have even stepped in to donate equipment other bands can use, and they've cross-promoted on each others' pages.
The event is another step in helping the network of people and genres continue to grow.
"The eclecticness of all the different sounds, I think that's really cool," Bunting said, and later added, "They're all so talented in their own ways, and I want to expose them to each other, too."
Having the event around Christmastime isn't just by convenience, either - it holds a special meaning Bunting said he hopes will become tradition. He moved to the Jefferson City area around three years ago from Pennsylvania and was looking for a place to call home.
"My time is divided among the people of this community. The community really is our family," he said. "And as long as I'm here, I want to make sure that I have people to celebrate the holidays and milestones with - and I think there's a lot of people that feel the same way."
The event will be a chance for others seeking family to "have that space to celebrate Christmas with" other music lovers.
And, in the holiday spirit, the event is completely free of charge. The bands were excited to be a part of the evening, and Sal Nuccio, who owns The Tavern, was more than happy to offer his space.
Since its opening in mid-May, Nuccio has marketed The Tavern as an artist-friendly environment. He's hosted open mic nights, karaoke and various bands in the renovated space. Bunting said he and Nuccio, who is also originally from out of town, naturally gravitated toward one another.
"It's really cool because I think when you get a group of artists together and everybody is on the same page and everybody is pushing toward the same goal, there was never a time where I thought about charging for this," Bunting said. "We just all want to have a good time and put something on for the community and really just enjoy each other's company."