11 Things To Do In Detroit This Week

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Thurs., Dec. 26: The Hard Lessons. The Hard Lessons has been around for 10 years now and, while the band certainly has its detractors across various blog sites, it’s still going strong. Things have changed: Core duo and bona fide couple Augie and Korin Visocchi have a baby now — something that must have seemed an eternity away when they formed the band at Wayne State University. This St. Andrew’s show has become something of an annual event, and now that the pair has become a trio, so to speak, you can expect them to get all fuzzy and festive amid the power rock ’n’ roll chaos. St. Andrew’s Hall. Doors at 8 p.m.; $12.50

Sat. Dec. 28: Who Shot Pookie? Hone your inner Sherlock Holmes, bust out the “sleuth” hat and bring a notepad — the game’s afoot! In the vein of classic dinner-theater, Who Shot Pookie? is a crime caper that guests are invited to help solve. During the three-course meal, you’ll meet a host of characters and try to deduce what really took place. Organizers suggest you don your “favorite costume” for a really “cool” prize, although we are at a loss to think what that could be. Either way, it’s an out-of-the ordinary event for a Saturday night. The International Institute. Dinner and Sleuthing at 6 p.m.; $20

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Sat., Dec. 28: WWE: Live. OK, so there’s little mystery left in the entertainment juggernaut formerly known as the WWF, but the menagerie of characters and plots — who’s a good guy and who’s not — makes pro wrestling a manly version of the daytime soaps. Crazy acrobatics, scantily clad ring girls and testosterone-filled grudge matches played out live always make for a good time. While the days of Capt. Lou Albano and Andre the Giant may be long gone, the McMahon machine still keeps humming. Joe Louis Arena. Doors at 7:30 p.m.; $23-$98

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Sat., Dec. 28: Crud. Local industrial metallers Crud, led by Sponge’s Vinnie Dombroski, will host its annual Cruddy Xmas at the Diesel Concert Lounge. The bill also features fellow industrial-heads Cybertrybe, Throttlebody and Black Market Rebellion. Other draws of the night include: “… jaw-dropping sideshow titillation by Adam Arcana, snake charming belly dance by Shetan Noir, plus Rock ’n’ Rummage vendors hawking their cool collectibles. Jimmy Doom will reign as Satan Claus, handing out presents to the naughty and nice!” Crud will be celebrating the release of two new singles, “New Hell Rising” and “Murder of Crows.” Diesel Concert Lounge. Doors at 7 p.m.; $10-$12

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Friday, Dec. 27: Real Friends. It’s an emo mega-bill at the Crofoot’s Pike Room as Chicago band Real Friends, fresh from the 2013 Van Warped Tour, gets back out on the road, armed with tunes from the recent Pull Yourself Back Together EP. The bill also features Light Years, Knuckle Puck, Meet Me at the Skyline and Not Without a Fight. It’s as if somebody tore a few pages out of an issue of Alternative Press and pieced them together into a concert bill. That’s no bad thing — you know it’ll get the angsty kids out in force, buying T-shirts and preaching the gospel of Dashboard Confessional. The Pike Room. Doors at 7 p.m.; $12-$14

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Sat., Dec. 28: The Acoustic Guitar Project. Musicians had one week to make one song on one guitar. Features music by Carts Before Horses, Britney Stoney, Emily Rose, Audra Kubat and more. NextWave Media Lab. 8 p.m. Admission is by donation upon exit.

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Thurs., Dec. 26: Canada’s National Film Board has produced a staggering number of short animated works, receiving more than fifty Oscar® nominations. Ranging from the comic to the poetic,the NFB has supported animators whose works have utilized hand-drawn animation, clay animation, stop-motion animation and pixilation to create visions of a world both beautiful and troubled. The Detroit Film Theatre. 2 p.m. All exhibition visitors receive one free ticket for the films listed below; additional tickets are $5.00 each.

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Thurs., Dec. 26: Terrible Tows. It's at Jumbo's. It's free. It's the Terrible Twos Horror Vacui record release show. It's a Protomartyr tradition and Turn To Crime has a special show planned. Jumbo's. 9 p.m. Free.

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Sat., Dec. 28: The Ugly Sweater Extravaganza. Bust out your ugliest Christmas sweater! Performances by Cold English, Red Pill and Hir-O, Atoms and Ease and more. Hosted by Dante LaSalle. The Shelter. 8:30 p.m. $5 in advance, $10 at the door.

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Saturday, Dec. 28: South Normal. It’s been five years since the band last played together, but South Normal is reuniting for this special holiday show. Somewhere, there’s a bunch of South Normal fans who now believe in Santa. The band, influenced by the Beatles, the Doors and Elvis Costello & the Attractions, includes brothers Nathan and Jeremy Mackinder, plus drummer Shannon Boone and guitarist Ben Vermeylen; and it’s capable of unleashing three-minute ditties or 10-minute jams. Hellen and the Deadstring Brothers also play. Magic Bag. Doors at 8 p.m.; $14

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Friday, Dec. 27: Black Christmas. An incredible lineup has been put together for this year’s annual Black Christmas extravaganza. Ska-punks the Suicide Machines top the bill alongside the thrash metal group the Black Dahlia Murder. Other highlights include Mustard Plug, Wilson, Fireworks, Koffin Kats, PT’s Revenge, Size Queen and Snakewing. There are plenty more bands performing too — see the Majestic website for the full lineup. That’s a shitload of great music for a reasonable price. It’s worth the ticket price just to get a closer look at the beards on Wilson, the tattoos on the Koffin Kats, and the suits on Mustard Plug. Majestic Complex. Doors at 6 p.m.; $20-$25

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