Happy New Year! Again!

According to the Chinese zodiac, Monday, January 23 marks the start of the Lunar New Year and Spring Festival. This is the Chinese year of the dragon.

So if your New Year 2012 hasn’t gotten off to a great start so far, perhaps the arrival of the Chinese New Year can provide an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start over again. And Aldo’s in Juniata will present their annual Chinese New Year’s Party this Saturday night, January 21, to usher in the New Year, take two.

Aldo’s Chinese New Year’s Party will feature a Chinese food buffet, party favors and hats, a midnight toast, and music from two area bands, Xs For Eyes and The Hope Fallacy. Admission is $8, which includes the live music and the food.

This will be the swan song performance for The Hope Fallacy, who close out a five-plus year run on area stages as members split to pursue career and educational endeavors. Band members Adam Pielmeier, Eric McCrum, Trey Carruthers, Adam Mueller, Evan Fredo achieved widespread popularity and several notable highlights with their brand of energized, punk-infused melodic pop rock. The group toured and performed in different parts of the country and achieved a spot on the Vans Warped Tour through the 2009 Ernie Ball Battle Of The Bands. The Hope Fallacy opened for several noteworthy names; including Mayday Parade, Bayside, All Time Low, Valencia, and the Doobie Brothers during their concert at the Jaffa Shrine in 2010. The group issued their debut EP, Bringin’ It Home, that same year; the EP sold more than 2,000 copies and garnered the group some record label attention.

Formed in the summer of 2010, Xs For Eyes recently issued their debut EP online. Performing high-octane punk rock, Xs For Eyes features four veterans of the Altoona area punk and rock scene. Tom Noel, who has played guitar for previous bands such as Chapter 5 and Suicide Switch, sings lead for the first time in this band project. Tom’s Chapter 5 bandmate Tim Mort plays guitar, Oob plays bass, and former This Calling/4 Days Dirty drummer Justin Fair provides the beats. Xs For Eyes’ four-chord punk rock is inspired and rooted in the tradition of old-school punk pioneers like The Ramones, Rancid, NOFX, the Misfits and others.

Also taking place this weekend is a benefit show to help out an area family devastated by a house fire over the holidays. The Benefit for the Nadolsky Family will take place on Sunday afternoon at 30 Something in Altoona. The proceeds help out Michael and Susan Nadolsky and their family, whose 8th Avenue house was seriously damaged by fire on December 29. The show will begin at 2 p.m., and feature performances by Punk Fiction, acoustic guitarist Steve Todaro, Backlash, Nasty Habit, Ambush and Aunt Lisa’s Bone. There will also be an open jam session. Donation at the door is $5.

Other live music happenings on area stages this weekend:

FRIDAY NIGHT:

Channel 5 News Team at 4D’s Lounge, Altoona

Ancient Ear at Aldo’s, Altoona

Raging Slagg at Blue Moon Saloon, Cresson

D.D. & the Pubcrawlers at Blue Knob Clubhouse, Blue Knob Ski Resort

Queen Over Kings at City Hotel, Northern Cambria

Bad Daze and Lies, Inc. at The Arena, State College

Broken Arrow at Yesterday’s Party, Ebensburg

SATURDAY NIGHT:

Bad Daze at 30 Something, Altoona

Xs For Eyes and The Hope Fallacy at Aldo’s, Altoona (Chinese New Year’s Party)

One Brick Shy at Family Pizza, Altoona

Johnny Danger at the Belmar Hotel, Altoona

D.D. & the Pubcrawlers at Pellegrine’s, Altoona

Emily’s Toybox at 4D’s Lounge, Altoona

Half Tempted at Shaw’s Bar, Altoona

The Good Seeds at Glenn’s Place, Claysburg

Ganister at City Hotel, Northern Cambria

Hello, Vixen at Yesterday’s Party, Ebensburg

Sylex and Lies, Inc. at Club Squared, Philipsburg

Never Enough at Mad Hatters, St. Boniface

Represent The Lie at the Castle Pub, Ebensburg

Sheldon Port at Woody’s BBQ, Huntingdon

SUNDAY AFTERNOON/NIGHT:

Benefit for the Nadolsky Family with Punk Fiction, Steve Todaro, Backlash, Nasty Habit, Ambush and Aunt Lisa’s Bone at 30 Something, Altoona (2-10 p.m.)

Felix & the Hurricanes at Shaw’s, Altoona

(More shows may be added to this list as information becomes available. Feel free to check back.)