Dear Santa,

How’s it goin’, big guy? Everything working out for you so far this year? Found out who’s been naughty and nice? Waxed up the sleigh? Cleaned the reindeer barn? I heard you’ve been training with that Japanese dude who can eat like 200 hot dogs in five minutes, so you can stuff down all those cookies the kids leave for you. That’s a smart move. He’s got good technique.

Anyway, let’s dispense with the pleasantries and get down to brass tacks, shall we? We all know why I’m here, and it’s not to knock back a couple of mugs of the special eggnog with the elves on their lunch break. No, it’s about what I want for Christmas this year. I know, you’re shocked, right? All those bags of mail, and not one letter asking how you and the Missus are. Not even a postcard. Not even disc two of the DVD box set of the final “Sopranos” season from Netflix. Always, with the “I want a bike!” and “I want a Wii!” But you know what you’re getting into. You’re Santa. You deal with it.

Being the raging dork that I am, my wish list skews just a smidgen toward music-related gifts. For instance, one of the first things I’d ask for is that the Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield, near the New Hampshire border, keep bringing wonderful folk, blues and Americana acts to its stage. If you could bring me tickets to see bluegrass star Ricky Skaggs there on Jan. 7, followed by one of my all-time-favorites, the brilliant guitarist and songwriter Richard Thompson on Jan. 26, I’d be totally thrilled. If you threw in a couple of seats at the performance blues legend Taj Mahal will give there on Feb. 19, even better.

Next on my list is a Fiery Furnaces show at the Space Gallery in Portland on Jan. 19. The Fiery Furnaces is a brother-and-sister duo from New York, who burst onto the scene in 2004 with their wonderful album “Blueberry Boat,” and continue to make challenging pop music. I would love to see tickets to that one end up in my stocking.

Then there are all those shows at Sugarloaf and Sunday River, where the party starts as soon as the first snow flies, and doesn’t let up until they kick the last bum off the ski lift. G. Love and Special Sauce play at Sugarloaf on Jan. 26, followed by troubadour Keller Williams on Feb. 23. Sunday River plays host to ’90s jam band hangers-on Big Head Todd and the Monsters on Feb. 23. It’s probably too much to ask for a season pass along with admission to those shows, right? Yeah, I thought so.

The Station in Portland regularly brings up lots of fun metal, emo and hip-hop bands from all over. They’ve got a New Year’s Eve show with Days of the New on (duh) Dec. 31, as well as Puddle of Mudd on Feb. 21 and punk-funk rockers The Bravery on Feb. 23. All good gifts to give this holiday season, yeah?

The Emily of 1996 would squeal with delight if she found tickets to an Ani DiFranco concert under the tree. The Emily of 2007 might not squeal, but she’d definitely still be excited. And as it turns out, Ani’s playing at Merrill Auditorium in Portland on Jan. 31! What a co-inky-dink! Also at the Merrill are the groovy lounge sounds of Pink Martini on March 7. Very cool!

There are always those one-off shows at certain venues that are lots of fun too, like indie-pop songster Ben Kweller at Bowdoin College in Brunswick on Feb. 8, and Californian rockers Los Lobos at the Strom Auditorium in Rockport on March 9. Just remember, Santa: Emily needs gas money to go to all these shows, too.

And if you’re feeling really giving this year, you could find some way to get me tickets to see Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Zombie at the Cumberland County Civic Center on Jan. 3. That concert has been sold out for weeks. I bet you have good connections, Santa. You know people. You can make things happen. Beneath that beard and that jolly laugh, you’re a man of action, not of idle threats. If Santa can’t get me tickets to Ozzy, no one can.

Anyway, Nick – can I call you Nick? – that just about does it for me. I would have pretty much the best Christmas ever if you worked this out for me. I would totally make you the best mix CD ever. And no, it won’t be a compilation of every cover of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” that I can find.

Love,

Emily

P.S.: Can I please have My Chemical Romance cancel a third concert in Maine? Please? That would be awesome. Thanks.

eburnham@bangordailynews.net