Driving home Dec. 13, the streets of Little Five Points were filled with people looking exceptionally festive-- even for this holiday season. So many Santa costumes traipsed up the sidewalks, it felt like the North Pole had been uprooted, cloned and deposited in the center of Atlanta. Really, though, what had arrived was Mike Geier, his Kingsized Orchestra and the Dames Aflame burlesque troupe for another spectacular show at the Variety Playhouse. Paste:Local photographer Chad McFarlin was there to capture it all.

Welcome to Informer:Atlanta! Each Tuesday, we bring you the very best in the coming week's music, film and culture events in and around Atlanta. Think we missed something? Wanna tip us off to something cool over the horizon? Let us know! All events are recommended, but italics indicate an editor's pick. (L) indicates local artists.

[Above: Can Can's Patrick A.]

Welcome to Informer:Atlanta! Each Tuesday, we bring you the very best in the coming week's music, film and culture events in and around Atlanta. Think we missed something? Wanna tip us off to something cool over the horizon? Let us know! All events are recommended, but italics indicate an editor's pick. (L) indicates local artists.

The storefront of the two-month-old Village Theatre looks out across Decatur Street toward the railroad tracks and the train yard that have for so long set the backdrop for the Lenny’s Bar shows upstairs. Since Lenny’s moved into the dilapidated shopping center at the Boulevard intersection, it’s been up to the arts alone to bring any color into the immediate surroundings, and in October, a new venue arrived to help light up the evenings. Friends Blair Holden and Mike King co-founded the new improv theatre along with a large group of other actors, the majority of which performed with them at Atlanta’s Whole World Improv Theatre, and with their reduced ticket prices and the welcoming atmosphere they’ve created, they hope to spread improv comedy to their new neighborhood.

[Above: Can Can performs at The Earl on July 31, 2008.]

The party starts early at the Variety Playhouse this New Year's, as Athens, Ga.'s The Whigs open two consecutive nights for Band of Horses on Dec. 30 and 31. Both nights are sold out, but don't fret: To enter to win a pair of tickets to one of the two sold-out shows, visit RedMusic.com.WhigsRedeem and enter your phone number. You'll be texted a code to enter the contest, and every entrant into the drawing will get a free download of The Whigs' "Like a Vibration." What are you waiting for? Good luck!

Welcome to Informer:Atlanta! Each Tuesday, we bring you the very best in the coming week's music, film and culture events in and around Atlanta. Think we missed something? Wanna tip us off to something cool over the horizon? Let us know! All events are recommended, but italics indicate an editor's pick. (L) indicates local artists.

[Above: All The Saints take the stage at The Earl.]

Here's something to be thankful for: Friday, Nov. 28 through Sunday, Nov. 30, WonderRoot will host the fifth edition of Atlanta's Nophest Music Festival. To get you up off the couch, away from the holiday football and burning off all those turkey calories as soon as possible, shows begin at 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m., Sunday, and the schedule features almost every excellent small local band, including Nerd Parade, Sunday Drive Bye, Lindsay Appel, Tealights, It's Elephant's, Pistolero, Gift Horse, Wighat and many more.

Paste:Local recently spoke with Nophest co-founder and local musician Randy Garcia about the festival, about the music and about the cake.