Thanksgiving is all about coming to the homeland and taking time with family, and this year many of our town’s recent favorites and up-and-comers are doing just that by joining forces to keep a usually quiet weekend very entertaining.

Black Friday at the Showbox at the Market is a doosie of an all-ages triple bill, with Anacortes based Lonely Forest headlining the venue for their first time, but certainly not their last. From the side of the stage at Bumbershoot, a fellow long-time respected music writer told us that the local adoration for and momentum behind the Lonely Forest reminded him of the buzz behind an early Nirvana. Joining the Lonely Forest will be Telekinesis, the Merge Records-supported band led by Seattle’s Michael Lerner, and fellow Burning Buildings Records signee’s the Globes. This group of bands is in a way a summation of this years list of the best young pop bands from our area, so you can’t go wrong hitting this one up.

Saturday at the Showbox at the Market might be an equivalent bill to excite another set of taste buds, tapping the list of Seattle’s strongest Modern American players. I think people are starting to get that the currently-recording Moondoggies are more than a bunch of slightly dorky, talented, flannel lovers. With their late-night blues jamming and repetitive lyrical themes they’ve struck a chord that now brings people out of the woodwork to dance and hoot and shout in enthusiasm at their shows, always. Local institution Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter along with Star Anna & the Laughing Dogs have the pleasure of warm-up duty, so treat a lady right, show some respect and show up early.

Friday November 27th at the Showbox at the Market
The Lonely Forest
Telekinesis
The Globes
All Ages, 8pm, $10 + fees at Ticketmaster

Saturday November 28th at the Showbox at the Market
The Moondoggies
Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Here After
Star Anna & the Laughing Dogs
All Ages, 8pm, $14 + fees at Ticketmaster

Looking for a place to lose the in-law blues? The Crocodile’s Saturday show is an all Seattle band bill that’s an event in its own right due to the one night reunion of pop powerhouse the Lashes. Though they’ve been away you can be assured that Ben Lashes will have a gag or two up his sleeve and that you’ll leave with at least one Lashes melody stuck in your head even if you didn’t know it before. Because really that’s what this band is all about: infectious, person-to-person, fun. Thee Emergency, who knows a thing or two about how to entertain a crowd, and Curtains for You will both be opening, and considering our long time endorsement of the former and our recent endorsement of the latter, you know we’ve got an opinion about showing up late.

Saturday November 28th at the Crocodile
The LASHES for one night only!
Thee Emergency
Curtains for You
21+, 8pm, $10 via the the Croc

In recent years Seattle has called itself home to a number of stellar producer/wordsmith duos participating engaging collaborations: Blue Scholars and Common Market who’ve been holding it down for ages, last year’s White Van Music via Jake One, and this year’s breakout act Fresh Espresso all quickly come to mind. For this year’s list it looks like we’ll need to add the latest collab between Seattle’s Macklemore and producer/filmmaker Ryan Lewis, called Vs. The first single “Otherside” weaves a RHCP bassline into a horn section backing a Macklemore rhyme that takes me back to the early days of Slug & Abilities. Looking at the lineup for tonight’s two show EP Release party at the Nectar, you can count on this being the hip-hop center of gravity this weekend.

Friday November 27th At the Nectar Lounge

The VS. EP Release Party! featuring:
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Early All Ages Show w/
Hella Dope
The Next Door Neighbors
Kung Foo Grip
DJ Sabzi
Hosted By Grynch
All-Ages, Doors at 5.30pm, $8 adv. at TicketWeb

Late 21+ show w/:
The Physics
Symmetry
Xperience
The Next Door Neighbors
DJ Terry Radjaw
Hosted by El Mizell
21+, Doors at 10pm, $8 adv. at TicketWeb

In short, this really complicates my usual post turkey day sleep schedule.