I've seen a lot of shows this past year, but I haven't danced harder than I did to the wonderful punk rock Irish jig revivalists the Rag and Bonemen. I haven't seen a show of theirs listed for a few months now, so the recent announcement of this one came as a damn fine surprise. On Saturday, December 9, the Bonemen are playing the Liberty Hall's (311 N Ivy) "Liberating Dissent: Refusing to be Silenced," a benefit for activists jailed under the "Green Scare," wherein the FBI criminalizes environmental and animal rights activists, going after them as terrorists for acts of simple civil disobedience. Like the Red Scare of the '50s this is some scary shit. (Check out journalist Will Potter's blog, greenisthenewred.com for more info.) Besides the Bonemen there will be speakers, food, and more music from Tandemnation (ex-Haggard), Shicky Gnarowitz, Drunken Boat, and Nux Vomica.

I got a nice little update yesterday from Talkdemonic's Kevin O'Connor, who writes to say, "We are back in the win column. We're opening a few shows for the Decemberists in Canada this month and hitting the road for a West Coast tour in January, which includes a show at home on the 12th. Our first since September. Also, I've been working on a new record at Talknumeric, my modest home studio. It has a few working titles, but nothing too solid yet, and hopefully will come out in fall 2007."

When I lived in San Diego there was this amazing hardcore band from Tijuana called Bumbklaatt that would cross the border every now and again and beat the holy hell out of us gringos with power-heaviness. Good news came last week when Bumbklaatt member Fernando got in touch with me to say he's moved to Portland and has joined Sleepwalkers RIP with ex-members of the Triggers. Check 'em out on Friday, December 15, opening for Pretty Girls Make Graves at Berbati's.

Also in the don't-miss section, get down to Ground Kontrol on Friday and check out Me Con as they unleash hell all over the streets of downtown. You will be pummeled. We'll all be pummeled—and it'll be so nice.

Scream: adam@portlandmercury.com