Tour Spotlight: Family Force 5

From the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas, holiday music generally gets played relentlessly, which makes fans of the seasonal style rejoice and those who aren't as into Yuletide tunes cringe over the repetition. Thankfully, Family Force 5 has arrived to rescue both categories, giving Christmas music lovers a completely unique dose of standards and originals, while also thinking so far outside the box that even the most Scrooge-like scowler will likely get into the spirit after catching these tunes on record or in concert.

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In fact, the stage version of the brand-new Family Force 5 Christmas Pageant was just like its title implies, a full-fledged theatrical production wrapped around the band's infectious, dance/rock rhythms. Wearing top hats and tails and flanked by a pair of bright white trees, a snowy backdrop, a gift-wrapped Family Force 5000 (basically a giant drum machine) and a plethora of elves plucked from the crowd, the guys dove right into an alternative rock-infused version of "Carol of the Bells," followed by "My Favorite Things," not necessarily a holiday track, but transformed with blustery nostalgia and gift-giving appeal.

Come "Drama Queen," Family Force 5 seemed to flash back to its "Vans Warped Tour" days from this summer, amping up the celebration with disco-entrenched kitsch, coupled with sophisticated riffs and programming. From there, the quintet switched back and forth from its Christmas disc to last studio project Dance or Die, juxtaposing the pulsating sounds of "Little Drummer Boy" with the robust dance-groove glow of "Radiator."

But the group took a few breaks from the all-out jubilation to turn introspective on the acoustic track "It's Christmas Day" and "The Baby," which reminded fans of the true reason for all the fuss (and we're not talking about sales and shopping). Next, Family Force 5 gave thanks to fans as "Sleigh Bells" blasted from the speakers by passing out packages wrapped in shiny metallic paper. All in all, Family Force 5 not only interjected some originality into the holidays, but maintained an unparalleled showmanship that's sure to keep the party alive well into the new year.

Even without a Christmas album to their credit, experimental rockers Remedy Drive dusted off "O Holy Night" with towering guitar tones and eclectic keys. But the group was much more explosive on regular romps like "Stand Up" and "Daylight," complete with the acrobatic stage presence of front man David Zach, hand-stands and all. Openers House of Heroes merged the best of both worlds, combining their melodic power pop approach with the sunny "All I Want for Christmas Is You," once again suggesting that an alternative approach to the season can be more compelling than tried-and-true reruns.

For a complete list of tour dates, visit familyforce5.com.