Watching Alice Cooper twirl his cane gleefully on stage in Garden City Nov. 21, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness.

Thanksgiving was the next day. While the rest of us crowded around a festive table bragging to our families about the fun we’d had, where would Cooper’s band and crew be?

The tour bus behind the Revolution Center seemed like a hint.

The concert business never stops. Not entirely. It slows down — particularly around Christmas and the New Year — but there’s never really an official “closed” sign hung.

Last week was a reminder of that. December normally is a quiet month for music news, but we’ve been buried by announcements of shows in January, February and beyond.

Maybe promoters are trying to put tickets on sale before everyone maxes out their credit cards buying Christmas gifts. Or maybe they’re hoping we’ll buy tickets as gifts.

Æ Here’s a rundown of newly revealed gigs that went on sale this weekend at the Knitting Factory:

Trapt (Jan. 16), Sum 41 (Jan. 23), Iration (Feb. 14), The Wailers (Feb. 20), Tyrone Wells (Feb. 26), Alabama Shakes (March 1), Rebelution (March 28), Tech N9ne (April 11). Tickets are available at Ticketfly.com.

Æ The Revolution Center, 4983 Glenwood St., Garden City, also unveiled a significant show: rockabilly-metal band Volbeat. The Danish group, which sold out the Knit this summer, will play the RevCenter on March 19. Tickets go on sale Dec. 14 at Ticketfly.com.

Æ Not to be outdone, the Egyptian Theatre unveiled a major comedy gig: Tracy Morgan (“Saturday Night Live,” “30 Rock”) will headline March 30. Tickets: Egyptiantheatre.net.

One last bit of news: Alice Cooper boarded a private jet to his home in Phoenix immediately after his concert ended here. (Gotcha!)

That said, I’m not sure whether Cooper’s band flew out of Boise the next day or just hopped back on the bus. (I have trouble believing that his petite, 27-year-old guitarist Orianthi traveled home to Australia — where they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, anyway.)

SPORTS RADIO CHANGES

If your ears play tricks on you when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, it’s not the booze. ESPN Radio will move to 730 AM. The station — to be called ESPN 730 — currently simulcasts KINF news radio 99.1 FM.

ESPN programming won’t be featured anymore on KTIK 93.1 FM and the (mostly) simulcast KTIK 1350 AM. Both are known as “The Ticket.”

What does this change mean for sports fans?

More dial flipping. But more sports talk, too.

KTIK ostensibly will fill the newly vacated air space with a larger dose of CBS Sports Radio. (Jim Rome still will be there.)

ESPN Radio programming will be expanded in its new digs at 730 AM.

And, of course, there’s always KFXD 630 AM “The Fan.”

College football season will be winding down just as all of this occurs. What will all these sports talk-show hosts gab about?

Winter disc golf and table tennis would be cool.

MORE CHRISTMAS RADIO

After I wrote about two Boise FM stations broadcasting nothing but Christmas music — Lite 107.9 FM and Variety “Christmas” 105.1 FM — I got a voice mail from another station wanting in on the party.

So here you go: 1260 AM KTRP also has gone Santa Claus — with a catch: It’s Christmas country music.

UNDERWOOD TICKETS

Speaking of country, I’m giving away a pair of tickets to Carrie Underwood’s concert Feb. 17 at Taco Bell Arena. Details are on my blog.

Just Google “Michael Deeds blog.”

TYGA TO ROAR

A new promotions company, All Access Boise, has booked rapper Tyga for a show Jan. 25 at the Revolution Center.

The company — from the people behind Nightology Live — plans to focus on commercial hip-hop, pop and EDM acts targeting a high school and college-age audience.

Tyga’s highest-charting single, the sexually explicit “Faded,” was released earlier this year and featured Lil’ Wayne. Tyga’s third studio album, “Hotel California,” is expected to be released in early 2013.

COMING IN SCENE MAGAZINE DEC. 14

Æ Concerts that care: Previews of the annual Concert for Cause and Xtreme Holiday Xtravaganza.

Æ Restaurant review: Highlands Hollow. (Bring on ski season!)

Æ An interview with Gregory Popovich of Popovich Comedy Pet Theater, which is coming to the Morrison Center.

TONIGHT IN ‘THE OTHER STUDIO’

If you missed reading the Christmas-album barrage in Scene magazine, here’s your chance to hear it this evening. I’ll highlight new Christmas music from Idahoans such as Todd Dunnigan and Shook Twins, as well as national albums ranging from dubstep to funk.

“The Other Studio” airs at 9 p.m. Sundays on 94.9 FM The River.

Michael Deeds’ column runs Fridays in Scene and Sundays in Life. Email: mdeeds@idahostatesman.com. Twitter: @IDS_Deeds