Gay Place: Feting

We've always been the "and you'll always find him in the kitchen at parties" sort, never totally comfortable in our social skins unless we have a task to perform: host, DJ, KJ, chief cook/bottle-washer, you know. So it shouldn't be a surprise that as this is being typed, the annual Chronicle holiday fete rages below with us high on our perch in the ol' South by Southwest hand-me-down building, holding modest court with friends who dug to find us, friends we haven't seen in years, oh, and Mr. Brenner performing similar tasks across the carpet. This week sees the first of the Gay Place gift recommendations. We'll pepper the relaunch of the Gay Place blog with similar suggestions for season's spending. Check it out! Happy Yule, y'all.

ON OUR GAYDAR

PATTERN LANDS Ex-Project Transitions' Callen Thomp­son has a new show up. What better gift than original art? Through Dec. 18. Sat.-Sun., 1-5pm. Gallery Black Lagoon, 4301-A Guadalupe, 371-8838. Free. www.galleryblacklagoon.com.

GOD OF CARNAGE/SANTALAND DIARIES WILDE PARTY Special LGBT preshow reception at Hugo's, then onward to your pick of shows! Thu., Dec. 15. Catered reception, 6:45pm; shows, 8pm. Hugo's Restaurant y Tequila Bar, 300 S. Lamar, 476-0541. www.zachtheatre.org.

REBECCA HAVEMEYER & STANLEY ROY PRE­SENT: CHRISTMAS! ... CAREFULLY Go ahead and try to top last year's live-action slo-mo, mofos, we dare you. Hilarity ensues at this annual homoday ho-up! Thu.-Sat., Dec. 15-17, 9pm-2am. ND at 501 Studios, 501 N. I-35, 485-3001. $12. on.fb.me/uBeZCW.

DJ SPINN Top 40, country, and old-school hip-hop. Fridays, 10pm. Town N Country, 1502 W. Ben White, 445-9122. Free. www.townandcountry.com.

OILCAN'S 'PRECIATES YA Rose's catered buffet and $1 to $2 drinks? We feel the love! Fri., Dec. 16, 6-9pm. Oilcan Harry's, 211 W. Fourth, 320-8823.

LIZZY CAROLOKE Hey, don't forget to tip your KJ. And definitely tip your "Best of Austin"-winning proprietress of Austin's "Best Dive Bar Without a Sign" – which now has a sign. D'oh! Fridays, 8pm-12mid. Bernadette's, 2039 Airport. Free.

A STOCKING FULL OF HOLIDAY FAVORITES Tenor, baritone, bass, all the boys of Capital City Men's Chorus will serenade you at their annual holiday concert. Sat., Dec. 17, 7:30pm. University United Methodist Church, 2409 Guadalupe, 477-7464. $25 ($20, advance). www.ccmcaustin.org.

CHAINBOW & PALS Smokey Emery, Ghost Lapse, Planets, and our hunky brahs, Chainbow. Manly, yes, and we like them, too. Sat., Dec. 17, 9pm. Cheer Up Charlie's, 1104 E. Sixth, 431-2133.

MC SWEET TEA & THE HEADBAND, Y'ALL! Plus Manikin and Candi & the Cavities. Sat., Dec. 17, 9pm. Bernadette's, 2039 Airport.

DIRTY FILTHY SATURDAY Supastar DJ Filthy Rich spins gobs of gay gold. Just gobs of it. Saturdays, 10pm. Rain on 4th, 217 W. Fourth, 494-1150.

SNOWBALLS Snowmen? Um, no. It's snowing men with DJs Ben Aqua and CBass. Sat., Dec. 17, 10pm-2am. Iron Bear, 121 W. Eighth. www.soundcloud.com/benaqua, www.soundcloud.com/bearadise.

SANTA'S TWIZTED PLAY HOUSE Miss Tippi, Ghana Rhea, (Evil) Mommy Dearest, Miss Kitty Litter, and Dia Rhea. Oh, and raffle baskets. Sat., Dec. 17, 10:30pm. Chain Drive, 504 Willow, 480-9017. www.thewrighthouse.org.

OCTO BLACK TIE GALA Dress up to get down with the funnest crew in town, the Octopus Club! DJ DefTone spins, and you wins. Tickets include drinks and lotsa other goodies. Sun., Dec. 18, 9pm. Rain on 4th, 217 W. Fourth, 494-1150. $10; $50 VIP.

VERY PINK CHRISTMAS Our beloved Austin Babtist Women werk it to benefit the Breast Cancer Resource Center. Sun., Dec. 18, 8pm. Oilcan Harry's, 211 W. Fourth, 320-8823.

CUBARET Start your week off with this merger of cubs and berets (you don't really have to wear one) and hosts Eric and Scott. Mondays, 10pm-2am. Chain Drive, 504 Willow, 480-9017. Free.

TUEZGAYZ Still the king (queen) of 'em all, y'all. Your weekend just started a li'l earlier. Tuesdays, 10pm. Barbarella, 615 Red River, 476-7766. www.barbarellaaustin.com, www.theglitoris.tumblr.com.

HO-LIDAY GIFTIES

BOOKWOMAN 2012 CALENDAR SALE Gift from this selection of laydeee-centric date-keepers: Retro Mama, Pema Chodron, Dragons, Ann Taintor, Sierra Club Wil­derness Wall & Datebook, We'Moon, Nikki McClure, Thich Nhat Hanh, Georgia O'Keeffe, Celtic Mandala, Susan Boulet's Goddesses, etc. BookWom­an, 5501 N. Lamar Ste. 105-A, 472-2785. www.ebookwoman.com.

BRASS OVARIES DECEMBER DEALS You know what Jerri Blank says, right? Oh, we'll just leave it up to your imagination. But if your girl loves either or both, she'll totally dig a gift certificate from these fab fliers on the big stick in the sky. And you'll dig the savings through December. Brass Ovaries Studio, 4809-B S. Congress, 477-POLE. www.brass-ovaries.com.

PHILLIPS/DRIVER LP RELEASE: DISCO DANCE PARTY 2000 Austin lez-gend Gretchen P. releases her inner (and very outer) disco diva with a slew of original tunes colabbed with NYC compadre David D. on a new slab of vinyl and downloads. Vinyl available at End of an Ear, 2209 S. First, 462-6008. Download at bit.ly/vWE5C4.