Half-naked girls, clean cut rock 'n' roll, and the O.C.?

'Tis the season for good tidings, credit card debt, holiday parties, and my favorite the multi-act Christmas concert. In December, many radio stations hold a concert with their favorite line up. Often with cute names like, "Rockin' Holiday Jamfest," fans can see 6 bands for the price of one. As seniors in college, Evil Twin #2, W, O and I, sat in Madison Square Garden in the midst of screaming 12 year olds at Jingle Ball to listen to: Fiona Apple, Sarah Machlaughin, Allure, Chumbawumba, Savage Garden, Hanson, the Backstreet Boys, Aerosmith and the Wallflowers. Ah, the names of bands can really date you.

Several weeks ago, I was in my friend's car, and he having OCD like every other boy I know, was flipping through the radio stations searching for something decent. I heard an advertisement WFNX Holiday Show. The ad mentioned that Hot Hot Heat would be playing at this show. Hot Hot Heat is a decent band, and while every song they play sounds the same as the last and the lyrics are unintelligible, they have a catchy sound that makes you want to bop your head. So the next day I e-mailed A, and asked if she wanted to go to the show. A being much more savvy in figuring how to navigate Ticketmaster, bought us tix online and we were set to go on December 6th.

December 6th was a cold Tuesday. Realizing with age comes wisdom, A and I wore fashionable, but warm ensembles of sweaters and jeans. These outfits were a definite bonus as we waited on line to get into the Roxy, next to boys who wore only t-shirts and corduroy blazers, and girls in low slung jeans and a hoodie sweatshirt.

A and I settled into our comfortable balcony spot, in which we could lean against the railing and watch the bands and crowd below. The full holiday line-up was: Morningwood, Hot Hot Heat, The Bravery, and Alkaline Trio.

We arrived as Morningwood was wrapping up their set. For their penultimate song, the lead singer, a woman wearing twenty shades of black, asked if there was anyone in the crowd that wanted to get naked. Of course, twenty eager twenty-somethings stretched their arms up high. The singer choose two blonde ladies from the first row. While I admit I could not watch their striptease act, and spent much of the time looking at the poster of the OC at the other end of the hall, I was a little taken aback by the idea. Yes, I do understand that it was supposed to be an alternative show, and while I am perfectly okay with the occasional F-bomb, this seemed gratuitous. Well, the ladies only got down to their brazeers and unbuttoned their jeans. I guess my puritanical sensibilities were only ruffled, not offended.

While the stage was being set up for the next act, a stream commercials played on a screen above the stage. Why would an alternative station have ads for the OC on repeat? Isn't the idea of rich beautiful Californian teens the antithesis of alternative?

The next band was Hot Hot Heat. Lead by the very energetic very cute very affroed lead singer, their tunes perked us right up. A and I tapped our feet to the catchy hooks and were made happy by their stage presence. No foul language, they revved up the crowd with broad smiles, hand clapping and the lead singers voluminous hair. A said "They are the kind of boys you could take home to your mother."

The opposite of that would be the following band, the Bravery. Their lead singer wore heavy eyeliner, hip hugger jeans, and swaggered as if his pelvis had a mind of its own. He was a little like a less cool Sid Vicious. However, their music was pretty digestible unlike the Sex Pistols.

A and I decided to call it a night. It was 11 on a school night and we had little energy for the last band. As we sat on the T, we discussed our like and dislikes of the night. We came to the conclusion that alternative has gone pretty mainstream, with shows like the OC and movies like Garden State. Bands do not have to be all sexy and gross to be cool, although that is still the favored route. And the radio Holiday concert still lives on.