run run rudolph, santa's gotta make it to town

well, no pix, but last night was super fun. we practiced with boy wonder (our very mature new 21-year old drummer, whom i hope doesn't mind my admiring poke), then packed up & headed for sandrini's (subterranean downtown nightclub). paul perez carried my keyboard downstairs: funny how much shorter the staircase seems with someone else hauling my keyboard & amp! the cave-like place was packed with drinkers & diners a-plenty. alejandro nunez opened the show with earnestly heart-felt spanish guitar & singing; between songs, he'd break into a boyish, braces-clad grin (mento buru was backing him up)... cesareo had agreed to lend drumming expertise, which bolstered brian p's & my duo quite a bit! we were up next & i don't know much what happened except i left the stage feeling like i'd ridden a rocking fun rollercoaster! for the first tune, rockin' winter wonderland, matt & the fellows played sleigh bells & added howls and laughs. next was blue christmas, with brian p's (deliberately) cheesy elvis vocals met by happy laughter & cat-calling from the audience. i was high on the fun of it, babbling like a fool non-stop, but when people are smiling, laughing, & enjoying themselves that much, i can't help myself. it was thrilling & heart-warming to see people bopping their heads, yelling encouragement, etc... we did rockin' around the christmas tree, christmas blues, christmas in jail, white christmas, jingle bell rock (brian threw me the solo, which i forgot i had. i yelled "save me!!!" to the cacophony of wrong notes), & run run rudolph. folks were dancing & prancing by then: exciting. when we were finished, i had to just reply 'thank you' to all the nice stuff folks said. it's unbelievable how responsive & complimentary people can be... brian p admonished, "don't let it go to your head," but i know it's not about me, but about having fun & sharing what we've got to offer. how fortunate that people seem to enjoy it!... we packed up, then listened to mento buru for a while. at corner stage, i had a great view of roberto, matt, paul, joe, david, and the rest, the blasting horns, congas, timbales, the crowded, masterly mess of merriment. if you haven't seen mento, they are bakersfield's most accomplished & fun-loving party band. thank you to matt munoz for inviting us, dear brian b, heidi, jaime, & everyone else who showed up to see us, as well as cesareo & the fellows for lending their bells, maracas, whistles, & percussive good cheer. merry christmas, feliz navidad, gud jul, happy hannukah, happy festivus, happy kwanzaa, etc. to all, and to all a good time.