Soda Jerk Presents Holiday Party

Music nerds know two things: how to make best of/worst of lists and how to put together excellent mix tapes. Some call the self-directed compilation an art form, but it's likely just a fanatical cry for companionship. It's a way to reach out to each other and perk up new ears with a magical meld of music. But the perfect collection of songs also comes with certain risks -- there's a good chance that putting together that B-side with this rarity just isn't going to fly with some people. Try out your mix-master skills this Friday, December 16, at Rock Island for the Soda Jerk Presents Holiday Party, with musical fare from The Photo Atlas, The Vanity (above), Harrison Bergeron and A Novel Form. Burn a comp, wrap it up and get two dollars off the $7 door price. Plus, you get to leave with someone else's wondrous assemblage of tunes. Maybe, just maybe, you'll hear something you like.