Boys from the County Hell

For more than 10 years, the Boys From the County Hell, a locally based Pogues tribute act, have played an annual Christmas Day show. Unlike their St. Patty’s Day marathons, these gigs are one-time events designed to appeal to all both locals and all of those annoying out-of-towners who come into Cleveland for the holidays. “Other than St. Patrick’s Day, this is our main gig and our best attended,” says singer-guitarist Chris Allen. “It’s even a bigger crowd than St. Patrick’s Day because we get 600 to 700 people. It’s a good show for people who want to be hung over on Christmas Eve.” While Allen and fellow bandmate Doug McKean play exclusively Christmas tunes with their other project, the Ohio City Singers, they indulge in only a few seasonal tunes at this gig. “We’ll bust out a ‘Father Christmas,’ but the rest is Pogues tunes,” says Allen. “ While we’ve tried to have openers in the past, this is just a night of the Boys from the County Hell, and we’ll do a two-and-a-half hour set.” (Jeff Niesel)