On Saturday when I stepped inside the Bottleneck my eyes couldn’t help but light up. I was met with a sea of red and green balloons, dangling Christmas lights and holiday kitsch everywhere. Folks were wearing Santa hats and glow-sticks, and there were ugly Christmas sweaters as far as the eye could see.

The festive decor surrounded the stage where four local acts were to take the stage in hopes of raising money for Toys 4 Tots. Up first were The ACBs.

I was really looking forward to seeing the band now that they had a new album (and new lineup). The lead singer donned a tacky wig for a few songs before ripping it off in exasperation and falling into a more comfortable groove during the set.

It felt like the longer they played, the more fun they were having onstage. They played some tracks from the new album, but their older songs were a lot more fun to play and more upbeat (and got a more enthusiastic reaction from the crowd). I love the new album (you can listen to it here) and can’t wait to see where it takes them.

The biggest surprise of the night came from Quiet Corral. Let me tell you, Quiet Corral was not so quiet. This was an EP release show for them, and what an entrance they made. I hadn’t heard them before Saturday night, and I was blown away. They sound so professional. Folky, but fun. The lead singer’s voice was smooth like James Taylor’s.

They’re bred from The Art House, so no wonder they’re so good. They’re also creative in their performance. During some of their songs the lead singer carried a big drum (little drummer boy, heh) while he played. Their beautiful acapella harmonizing was spot on. The energy was exploding through the roof. I think they had the biggest crowd of the night, and what a happy crowd they were! Tossing balloons back and forth. It looked like they just had an all out party onstage, especially once they broke out the drums:

I just cannot say enough good things about them. It doesn’t matter if you dig their music or not, you’ll have a good time. The clips I posted don’t do them justice. Go see them live.

The camaraderie at this show was absolutely fantastic. I think people could have cared less whether this was a fundraiser or not. The bottom line is that these were all fantastic bands. To give you an idea of how supportive everyone was, when Hawley Shoffner got up to play, she had some audio trouble (feedback issues, I believe). She stopped during her first song and said “What do I do to make it not sound like that?” and some jerky-jerk-face in the crowd yelled “Get off the stage.” Everybody (everybody!) booed him, harassed him, yelled at him and then promptly turned their attention back to Hawley and her adorable little voice and ukulele. In fact, her kazoo playing was met with a hearty round of applause. Sometimes you’re only as good as your crowd, and if that’s the kind of supportive and happy people you have at your show then you must be playing a pretty good set.

This was also Cowboy Indian Bear’s last show in Lawrence until the Spring. This was my first time seeing the local favorites with the amazing/beautiful/talented Katlyn Conroy as an “official” member of the band.

They treated the crowd on this night with some new material, and they even played some older songs in a new manner. They got folks to sing along, and played a slow, seductive number towards the end of their set. Couples were even slow dancing to it! It’s probably their sexiest song yet. I hadn’t heard it before, but I loved it. It’s a shame we won’t get to see them until the Spring.

You gotta love The Noise FM. They don’t even live here, yet they traveled down to Lawrence to help put together the event (this was the second year for Noise for Toys). They also decorated the venue themselves. They must truly love Christmas, because they made absolutely sure that everyone was in the Christmas spirit. The bands meshed well together (everyone performing has either been in other bands with each other or lived with each other) and you could see concert-goers giving out holiday hugs.

When I arrived at the show it was windy and unbelievably cold. Then I warmed up with a happy-go-lucky crowd, and when it came time to leave I stepped outside to find a winter wonderland had formed with snow everywhere. What a magical night. I’m already hoping they decide to do this again next year.