The Outpost in Kent will ring in the holidays with two music nights in December — but not with the traditional “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” or “Winter Wonderland.”

The local live music club, located at 4962 Route 43 in Kent, has its first event set for Dec. 8, featuring Core Night Kent: Hardcore Holidays, which includes metalcore, hardcore and deathcore music. 

In between a DJ taking song requests and karaoke opportunities, there will be live performances by bands Disobedient Crew and Darling Decay. 

Makayen Sallade, a member of Disobedient Crew, said an event like this is where core music often first grabs people’s interests. 

“I am so excited for people who are going to experience this for the first time, and I think it’s a safe place to experience it for the first time,” Sallade said. “We’ll be able to play and bring the energy without it being boring.” 

Sallade said core music played at actual shows instead of events is where the fans tend to be more intense. This can also be intimidating for newcomers. 

“Since we’ll be playing an event, it’s not going to be a shell shock,” Sallade said. “It might get a little aggressive, but not like normal. We’re not playing something like an underground DIY hardcore show. People will be able to dip their feet in.” 

The second event is the Nu Metal Holiday Party on Dec. 22, which was planned by Emo Night Kent. Trent Parker, creator and owner of Emo Night Kent, said he is looking forward to the holiday aspect of the night. 

“I’m planning to put a little bit of decorations up for the holiday season,” Parker said. “Maybe the DJs will play a couple of Christmas tunes that are more rock or metal, give us that holiday vibe, and we encourage everybody to dress up in ugly sweaters or whatever they feel is festive for the holidays.” 

For people in the community who are unsure of which event to go to, Parker explained the differences between the two nights. 

“When it comes to what separates the two events, it’s simply the genre of music,” he said. “When it comes to the core night, it’s specifically metalcore, hardcore and deathcore music. A lot of people call it screamo, so that’s the night for you if you’re into any of those genres. If you like it a little bit more old school, from the early 90s and early 2000s, Nu Metal Night’s the night for you.” 

Since creating Emo Night Kent, Parker said he has found a close community within the fans and performers. Planning these events toward the holidays and the end of the year is a celebration of the friendships made within the community. 

“Everybody’s so welcoming at every event,” he said. “We all feel like a family here, so we just want to have a good time and see the families that we’ve built one more time before the year ends.”

Kayla Gleason is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].