Holidays Past

I spent 1998’s New Year’s Eve in Macroom, Ireland. A friend of mine from Cork City invited a number of us to his hometown, offering to let us crash at his parents’ home. I took the last bus leaving from Cork, and the bus driver was driving so fast, on small, turn-filled rural roads, that several passengers nearly got ill. He was rushing, I later discovered, to get to the pub before it closed. I met up with my friend Mike Darcy and the rest of my mates at a hall called the Hooded Cloak, which was located next to the town’s funeral parlor. You paid one nominal fee, and you were given a meal and all you could drink. I ended up falling asleep on the floor of the Darcy home. The next morning, I was surprised to see the kitchen table covered in plates of scones, toast, jam, scrambled eggs, rashers (Irish bacon) and pots of tea and coffee. Mrs. Darcy turned to me and said, “You must be feeling a bit rough. How about a cup of tea?” It was beautiful.

One might hope for such salvation from this year’s New Year’s Eve events. Mazzotti’s, in Arcata, will be offering an extravaganza of Jamaican Dancehall artists, including Jamaican superstar Fantan Moja, Chezidek,Ninja Ford, Jah Womb, among others. The event’s host, Humboldt resident Jah Tory, will be “on call” all evening. He and his family are expecting a baby, which is due on or around New Year’s. Should make for an interesting evening. The show starts at 7 p.m., and the tickets are $29 in advance.

For something a little more intimate and gentler, Blue Lake guitarist Dave Storie will be featured in the Forever Young Experience, at Trinidad’s Ocean Grove (480 Patrick’s Point Rd.), starting at 9 p.m.

And, at Sal’s Myrtlewood Lounge in Eureka (1696 Myrtle Ave.), the Kent Stephenson Band (known as “KSB”) will be performing at 9 p.m.

Perhaps simply being with loved ones and friends is the most important item of the evening. I want to wish a prosperous New Year to all, especially to my friend, Bob Doran, who is on a “Busman’s Holiday,” for having me fill in for him this week. He’ll be back next week. Have a safe holiday.

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