the hum / By Bob Doran

A Cup o’ Kindness

A bit further south, in Garberville, you have the Humboldt County Funk-n-Blues All-StarsatCecil’s California Creole Café. Among the players: stellar vocalist Earl Thomas, Andy Widman on guitar, Tim Randles (who can play any style) on keys and the solid rhythm section, Chris Wixson on bass and Joe Nagy on drums. All of them stars indeed.

Now, that’s a lot of choices, but sadly, they share something in common: Every one of the shows above is for adults only. What’s a teenager to do? Well, there’s always the wildness on the Arcata Plaza, or unchaperoned house parties galore.

Or … Ben Herman from Accurate Productions has something he’s calling the “High School Collective 2008 Jump-off” at the Arcata Community Center, with Ben, aka DJ MuziqLement, spinning “current hits,” plus a dance performance by Step, from Eureka High. As indicated in the title, this one is for high school students only. “We’ll have a car showcase with NorCal Imports bringing cars to the parking lot at 7,” says Ben. “The dance starts at 9 and goes until 1 a.m.” He went on to note that they’ll have party favors and everything you need for teen fun: Mexican food from Don Juan’s and also something Ben calls a “full virgin bar” supplied by Two Moms Party Planning. Presumably the moms will make sure the kids keep those drink celibate.

The kids from Steel Toed Slippers (who had a pretty good year in ‘07) are thinking all ages for their big CD release party in February at Mazzotti’s, but in the meantime they’re often playing in bars where they’re not otherwise allowed. It’s not a New Year’s show, but you can hear them at Six Rivers Friday night. There are several other shows this weekend if you want to get a jump on Monday’s party. Check the Music and More listing and you’ll find something to do. My suggestion: Read that book you got for Xmas or play with your new toys and rest up for Monday.

Wondering about that “cup ‘o kindness”? You’ve heard of it before in the New Year’s song written a long, long time ago by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. “Auld Lang Syne” translates roughly as “days gone by.” Sing it with me:

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne.”

So raise your cup, your champagne flute, your pint glass, your paper cup with virgin something-or-other or whatever — toast the past and brighter days ahead. And have a happy!

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