Chicago's very own Poi Dog Pondering is closing out their year of sold-out performances and outdoor festivals with two special holiday shows.|

The band, founded by Frank Orrall and comprising 11 talented musicians ranging from brass and keyboards to heart-pounding percussion and electric fiddle, will perform at the Aragon Ballroom on Dec. 30 and then again on New Year's Eve.

For the New Year's gig, Poi Dog will pull out all the stops. In addition to their own stellar line-up, they will be joined on stage by a string trio and a six-member Gospel choir. Also, Poi Dog has invited the inner-city dance squad House-o-Matic to perform during the show. Opening the evening will be 911 Mambo Orchestra, a 21-piece group, and DJ Jesse de la Peña of Liquid Soul fame. For this 18-and-over show, tickets are prices at $35.

The night before, Poi Dog will play an all-ages show. Liquid Soul opens the bill with its eclectic acid jazz sound before Kid Koala, a Montreal-based DJ, spins discs. Tickets for the Dec. 30 show will go for $25.

Tickets for both events go on sale this Saturday at 1 p.m. (EST) through Ticketmaster.

In related news, Poi Dog will start 1998 by continuing to work on their new album, the follow-up to 1997's double-live CD Liquid White Light. A spokesman for the band said that the holiday shows will most likely be the last concerts the band plays until the album is completed, which may not be until next summer. (Ari Bendersky)