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The Beat: Rock the halls
It just wouldn't be Christmas without 'Santa Lost a Ho!'

by The Space Cowboy

The Beat would like to start off by congratulating Rancho Nicasio on 10 great years of BBQs on the lawn and rockin' shows. Owners Angela Strehli and Bob Brown, along with son and head chef Max Brown, celebrated a decade in business Tuesday, Nov. 18, with a true hoedown. Attendees were treated to an unforgettable jam featuring Huey Lewis, Bonnie Raitt, Maria Muldaur, Elvin Bishop, Mike Duke and all the Rancho Allstars. We are so fortunate to have such top-notch music continually coming through this great venue. This month I highly recommend catching the one and only Lydia Pense and Cold Blood, who will be celebrating a new CD release Saturday, Dec. 20.

It's that time of year again and that can only mean that The Christmas Jug Band is gearing up for another mirth-filled musical month of holiday hijinks. For 30 years this local troupe of seasoned veterans—including Dan Hicks, Tim Eschliman (Etta James), Austin de Lone (Elvis Costello), Paul Rodgers (Those Darn Accordions), Jim Rothermel (Van Morrison) and Blake Richardson (Bobby Hebb)—has elicited holiday hoots with such songs as "Rudolph the Bald-Headed Reindeer," "Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'" and "Santa Lost a Ho!" Their legendary Sweetwater performances often included conga lines around the building, dueling accordions atop the bar and four to six hands on the piano at a time. This year the Jug Band will be traveling north to Oregon but local shows include Dec. 5 with Norton Buffalo at 142 Throckmorton Theatre, Dec. 7 at Sweetwater Station, Dec. 16 at Freight & Salvage, Dec. 19 at Mystic Theater (again with Norton Buffalo), Dec. 20 and 21 at Mill Valley's Masonic Hall (both 8pm shows). Catch a special performance by a spin-off called 4 Elves Named Mo at the Station House Cafe in Pt. Reyes Station, Sunday, Nov. 30, from 5 to 8pm.

Speaking of Pt. Reyes, one of the brightest lights coming out of the North Bay music scene this year is local product Nick Giacomini, a.k.a. MC Yogi. His debut CD Elephant Power, produced by the Bhakti Brothers (Giacomini and childhood friend Robin Livingston) and Asian underground pioneer Sean Dinsmore, has received rave reviews from the likes of Def Jam founder Russell Simmons who said, "The world needs MC Yogi!" The album, released Sept. 9 on White Swan Records, is a blend of old school hip-hop and kirtan (Indian devotional singing) and features the Grammy-nominated Jai Uttal and kirtan masters Bhagavan Das and Krishna Das, among others. Several standout tracks include "Ganesh is Fresh" and "Be the Change," a Mahatma Gandhi-inspired story that will serve as the basis for a soon-to-be-released video.

In support of the Obama campaign MC Yogi created the video Vote for Change, which features excerpts from Obama's inspiring speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. At last count it had been viewed by over a million people. Nick also continues to run Yoga Toes studio next to Toby's Feed Barn in Pt. Reyes Station, which he founded seven years ago with his wife Amanda. His next local concert will be Friday, Dec. 12, at Yoga Kula in Berkeley (1700 Shattuck Ave.), opening for Wah! (8pm show). Check out his Web site, www.mcyogi.com , to see the video Vote for Change, hear samples of the CD and pick up Elephant Power, a great stocking stuffer. Big ups, Nick!

December Live: Get hyphy with Mistah F.A.B. and others at Petaluma's Phoenix Theater on Dec. 6; local rockers Honeydust hit Smiley's Dec. 6; Melvin Seals brings JGB and his Hammond organ to 19 Broadway on Dec. 13; the funky fresh Monophonics frequent 19 Broadway on Dec. 26; Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven cram into McNear's Mystic Theater on Dec. 28. Stay tuned for my New Year's Eve preview next month.

Got a hot tip for THE BEAT? E-mail me at marinbeat@gmail.com. Rawk on!