Tender Loving Empire has been working on its expansion to a second location, at 3541 SE Hawthorne, for months (check out a glimpse of the raw space from back in September). Now they've announced that the grand opening will take place Thursday, Dec 4 (6:30-9:30 pm) and it'll be a hell of a lot more involved than a tray of cheese cubes and Trader Joe's champagne.

It doubles as a release party for one of your holiday essentials, the PDXMAS local-music Christmas album, so you'll have Ritchie Young of Loch Lomond; Colyn Cameron of Wake Owl; Luz Elena Mendoza of Y La Bamba; and Bud Wilson of AAN performing live renditions, plus a DJ set by Party Damage Records DJs. Fort George Brewery suds will flow, and every half hour will have a raffle drawing in which you can win such delights as first edition LPs of the entire catalog from bands like Typhoon and Radiation City, TLE gift certificates, and prize packs with everything from clothing to bath products to jewelry, and more.

Take a break from wringing your hands over businesses who form the bedrock of the city's culture closing down, and raise a glass for one that's doing gangbusters instead!