jw

Over a career spanning more than fifty years, John Waters has long since moved from the fringes of subculture into the mainstream, while still holding onto his singular anti-idol sensibility and aesthetic across his filmmaking, writing, performing, and photography. Of course, an aging mind inevitably accumulates a stash of old, stale things, and the single “It’s a Punk Rock Christmas,” released in 2024, is no exception.

As far back as 2004, John Waters first brought his particular spirit to a Christmas album: A John Waters Christmas. The record is both very traditional and very novel. If you’re tired of “Silent Night” or “White Christmas,” here’s a change of pace. I’d always assumed John Waters, with his seemingly “punk,” rebellious image, must have a very traditional side to him too — and this album confirms it.

He puts his peculiar talents to use on these decidedly disreputable tracks, songs like “Here Comes Fatty Claus” and “Santa! Don’t Pass Me By” — things we’ve never heard, or have forgotten we ever heard, or wish we could forget. This obscure assortment, spanning everyone from Tiny Tim to the Chipmunks, Fat Daddy, Rudolph and Gang, and plenty of other never-popular artists, makes for an ideal sweet little “antidote” to the holiday season — irreverent, mocking, and entirely its own thing.

John Waters tours every year around Christmas, and this year he happens to be coming through Boston! In an interview he once said: “Close your eyes, and imagine you’re at my house on Christmas morning, listening to your favorite carols with me…” Not the most Dickensian image, perhaps, but the spirit running through the album turns out to be far more traditional than you’d expect. Still, it seems most people remain partial to the old standard carols, sleigh bells and all.

As the year draws to a close, let me borrow his words: wishing you a merry, filthy, dreadful, sexy, multiracial, hilarious, happy little holiday season!