One of the best things about the holiday season that stretches between Thanksgiving and Christmas (and beyond to New Year's Eve) is the return of expatriates to the homeland.

That means that at holiday parties, you will get to reconnect with folks you haven't seen since last year's holiday parties. On any given night at local watering holes, impromptu reunions break out. I can always count on catching up with pals who've moved away at Waterworks, where we can catch up on news over a Capri sandwich and a round of libations.

There are musical homecomings, too. Earlier this month, former Tallahassee troubadour Pierce Pettis came back to join compadre Del Suggs for their Almost Christmas Concerts, two nights of superb songcraft and sterling music at The Warehouse. Last weekend, former Tallahassee supergroup Slapstick played its second annual Christmas reunion show at The Moon. And Friday, Dec. 23, one of the Slapstick stars, guitarist and singer John Kurzweg, will play a more intimate, acoustic set of originals and perfectly chosen covers with former Radio Bikini mates Terry Clarke and Dale Shumate at Mockingbird Lounge on North Monroe Street.

Kurzweg and friends will play from 7 to 10 p.m., and there's a $10 cover charge. Reservations are very strongly recommended - you can hold a table by calling 222-4956.

That same night, "leftneck" musical agitator Grant Peeples rolls in from the road to host his annual Bad Santa Christmas Show with special guest The Silver Daggers starting at 7 p.m. at the American Legion Hall at Lake Ella. Peeples dubs it a Christmas Eve Eve show, and says it's your last chance to be naughty before you have be nice in front of all the relatives and holiday guests. Tickets are $10 unless you have a valid student ID, in which case the cost is $5.

Here's wishing you many happy reunions with old friends and much holiday cheer!

Tags: Christmas, Mockingbird Cafe, Nightlife, Reunion, Tallahassee, The Moon, Waterworks

Kati Schardl

Cultural Expert

Kati Schardl is the Features Editor for the Tallahassee Democrat. She’s a true North Florida native – born in Panama City and raised in Marianna. She came to Tallahassee to attend FSU and earned a social work degree before yielding to the scruffy allure of journalism and joining the staff of the Florida Flambeau. Her cultural credentials include a stint as backup singer for legendary local band Cold Water Army (now, alas, defunct) and founding membership in the SPACE arts collective in Railroad Square Art Park. After more than a decade of serving as office manager and chief research assistant/go-fer for the St. Petersburg Times capital bureau, Kati joined the staff of the Democrat as music writer and theater critic. In 2006, she was awarded an NEA Fellowship that enabled her to spend 10 days in Los Angeles seeing plays and attending writing workshops hosted by the USC Annenberg School of Journalism. Kati lives in Midtown West and loves its eclectic funkitude and its proximity to her favorite cultural hotspots.