Native sons Slipknot have found themselves back on top of things with the release of their latest album, “.5 The Gray Chapter.” Now that success has culminated in a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance, along with Motorhead, Anthrax, Mastodon and Tenacious D. The suspense will end on Feb 8.

Earlier than expected, JC Wilson has soft launched Streetcar 209, the rebranded venue formerly known as House of Bricks. Renovations are still underway, and the space is still very much a work in progress, but it is good to see you can’t keep a good man down for too long.

This week’s Pick o’ the Week is over at the Turner Jazz Center, where you can catch Max Wellman’s annual “Home for the Holidays” concert on Friday, Dec. 19; Saturday, Dec. 20; and Sunday, Dec. 21. The first two day’s shows kick off at 8 p.m., with the Sunday show starting at 3 p.m. Tickets will run you $30 and can be had at www.maxwellmanmusic.com. Mahalo. CV