This December, holiday concerts and touring musicians appear across Marin. If you’re looking for live music, or a festive evening to get in the spirit, then look no further.
Marin Symphony
Holiday Choral by Candlelight
Dec. 7 @ 7:30 p.m., Dec. 8 @ 4 p.m., $40
See Marin Symphony’s full season schedule here.
A yearly tradition from a 72-year-old Marin institution, Marin Symphony’s Choral by Candlelight mixes contemporary and traditional holiday music for a magical evening. The final part of the show invites attendees to light candles and join in the caroling.
Smiley’s Saloon
Our Pick: The Heeters
Dec. 7 @ 8:30 p.m., $15 advance/$20 at door
See Smiley’s full live music calendar here.
Classic soul and catchy hooks characterize this East Bay group, coming to Smiley’s in December. Their original songs have a timeless sound, with a groove that won’t quit. The group also has crossover with the California Honeydrops, another local group with national pull (whom you might have seen at this year’s Sound Summit music festival).
Marin Oratorio
Navidad Nuestra: A Multicultural Christmas Celebration
Dec. 14 @ 7:30 p.m., Dec. 15 @ 3 p.m., $20 donation suggested
This 100-voice chorus that has serenaded the county for 60 years, Marin Oratorio presents a diverse program for its holiday show. Works include The Ballad of the Brown King by composer Margaret Bonds, with words by the Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes, plus Navidad Nuestra, a Spanish-language folk drama by Argentine composer Ariel Ramirez.
Sweetwater Music Hall
Our Pick: The Christmas Jug Band
Dec. 19 @ 8 p.m., $33.48
See Sweetwater Music Hall’s full live music calendar here.
What’s that? “Santa Lost a Ho”? Ho, ho, oh no! The Christmas Jug Band is a Marin County favorite, formed in 1977 in Mill Valley under their original name The Three Wise Men +4 -1 Jug Band. Nearly every holiday season, they bring down the house at the Sweetwater with wacky, fun, jugabilly holiday music.
142 Throckmorton
Our Pick: Led Kaapana
Dec. 21 @ 8 p.m., $30–45
See Throckmorton’s full live music calendar here.
Throckmorton promises several show stoppers this month, with plenty of holiday cheer included. That includes two fabulous jazz singers, local Deborah Winters and the acclaimed Jane Monheit in back-to-back shows Dec. 6 and 7. Then, the 27th annual Holiday Jam with Narada Michael Walden returns. Expect a fun evening with music from local students and the incomparable Patti Austin, jazz/R&B singer extraordinaire.
But a major highlight on the calendar for Throckmorton this December is a concert by Ledward Kaapana, with opener Fran Guidry. A master of slack key guitar — a Hawaiian fingerpicking style where certain strings are loosened to create a harmonious chord, known as open tuning — Kaapana received the National Heritage Fellowship in 2011 for his contributions to traditional arts and folk music, and just this year was inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame. His music will transport you to the islands, with a subtle, relaxing sound that belies Kaapana’s technical prowess.
