THE COUNTDOWN TO Christmas enters its final week with last-minute shopping, mailing, shipping, stressing.
Stressing?
No need to stress. Take time out to listen, or better yet, dance to live music.
Relax to your favorites and holiday tunes to ease your mind, soothe your soul and put yourself into an otherwise better frame of mind.
If your distressing leads to any extra drinking or more at a party or club, please remember to call a cab or friend to get you home safely.
Better yet, have a designated driver for your party.
Let’s have a safe and sane holiday season.
Next week, I’ll have all the New Year’s Eve live music events on tap, but in the meantime, have a very Merry Christmas.
NOTE TO VENUES AND MUSICIANS: The deadline for next week is Monday at noon.
Port Angeles
■ Today at the Junction Roadhouse, 242701 U.S. Highway 101, Chesnut Junction with Ches Ferguson, guitar; Kevin Briggs, guitar; Ron Daylo, flute; Paul Eyestone, bass; and percussionist Zubrie Kamau will have you grooving from 8 p.m. to midnight.
On Saturday, de-stress to The Pine Hearts, an Americana and bluegrass band from Olympia, from 8 p.m. to midnight.
All Points Charters & Tours can get you there and back free of charge. Phone 360-775-9128 for a ride.
On Wednesday, Joy in Mudville (Jason Mogi, Paul Stehr-Green and Colin Leahy) performs a unique mix of old-time/jam-band/rock/Celtic-funk-influenced original and cover tunes at 7:30 p.m.
■ On Friday at Barhop Brewing, 124 W. Railroad Ave., Chesnut Junction entertains from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
■ On Saturday at Bar N9ne, 229 W. First St., Yogoman Burning Band returns for another great night of music starting at 9 p.m. $5 cover.
■ Today at Bella Italia, 118 E. First St., songstress Sarah Shea will sing American songbook standards and Christmas classics from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. No cover.
■ Today at Castaways Restaurant and Night Club, 1213 Marine Drive, it’s Jerry Robison and company with High Country’s Rusty and Duke from 5 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
On Saturday, The Night Beats play country and rock ’n’ roll classics for dancing from 8 p.m. to midnight.
■ On Sunday, The Mogis are at Next Door Gastropub, 113 W. First St., at 4 p.m.
■ On Friday at the Fairmount Restaurant, 1127 W. U.S. Highway 101, Old Tyme Country plays old-time country tunes from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
On Sunday, join the country jam from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Sequim and Blyn
■ On Friday at The Oasis Bar and Grill, 301 E. Washington St., the Old Sidekicks play from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
On Saturday, spend an intimate evening with Ted Vigil performing from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
■ On Friday at Cedars at Dungeness’ Stymie’s Bar and Grill, 1965 Woodcock Road, Trevor and Sam the Pirates will dish out Irish pub music and folk songs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
■ Today at Wind Rose Cellars, 143 W. Washington St., Cort Armstrong entertains from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
On Friday, Taylor Ackley plays solo honky-tonk from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Ackley does West Coast jazz from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
■ On Friday at Nourish, 1345 S. Sequim Ave., Steve Grandinetti plays seasonal music on his guitar from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
On Wednesday, Victor Reventlow hosts the open mic from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with sign-ups at 6 p.m.
■ On Friday in Club Seven lounge at 7 Cedars Casino, Blyn, the Cody Rentas Band will chase away the holiday blues with acclaimed blues guitarist Cody Rentas, who has played the club for the past five years and has just turned 21. Dance away the night from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
On Saturday, the eight-piece show and dance band Dance Factory will have you jumping and jiving from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
On Sunday, Haywire with Denny Secord Jr. starts out an evening of great entertainment from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., then backs up Ted Vigil’s “John Denver Christmas Show” from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
On Friday in the Rainforest Bar, Al Harris and Sarah Shea play jazz with vocals from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
On Saturday, Billy Shew plays blues, classics and originals in the Rainforest from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Port Ludlow
■ Today in the Fireside Room at the Resort at Port Ludlow, 1 Heron Road, Trevor Hanson plays from 4 p.m. to closing time.
Port Townsend
■ On Friday at the Uptown Pub, 1016 Lawrence St., singer/songwriter from Seattle Paul Benoit sings original blues, roots and Americana from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and again from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. No cover.
On Saturday, the Groove Merchants play jazz from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. $5 cover.
■ On Friday, chase away the holiday blues with Andy Koch and the Badd Dog Blues Society with Jeff Dale and the Port Authority Shakedown rhythm section at Middletown Dreams, 213 Taylor St., at 9 p.m.
■ On Friday at Highway 20 Road House, 2152 Sims Way, Buck Ellard plays country originals and covers from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. No cover.
■ On Friday, The Pine Hearts play Americana and bluegrass at Sirens, 823 Water St., at 9 p.m. $5 cover.
On Saturday, Small Souls, a Portland, Ore., trio with folk, rock and alt-country influences, performs at 9 p.m. $5 cover.
■ Today at the Cellar Door, 940 Water St., Kevin Mason offers up his Christmas show from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. $5 cover.
■ Today, Steve Grandinetti plays guitar at the Owl Sprit Cafe, 218 Polk St., from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
■ Every Monday, Trevor Hanson plays guitar at Alchemy, 842 Washington St., from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Port Hadlock
■ On Saturday, Andy Koch and the Badd Dog Blues Society with Jeff Dale and the Port Authority Shakedown rhythm section will play a winter solstice party at Zoog’s Caveman Cookin, 141 Chimacum Road. Music starts at 9 p.m. $3 cover.
High notes
■ On Saturday, the Washington Old Time Fiddlers meet at the Sequim Prairie Grange, 290 Macleay Road, with a jam at noon, followed by a performance at 1:30 p.m. The Old Sidekicks and musicians of all ages will perform.
■ On Saturday, the Quimper Grange square dance and social starts at 7:30 p.m. The Willow StWeet Women (Becky Evasick, Katya Kirsch, Carol Hardy and Lori Bernstein) play with Seattleite Charmaine Slaven calling the dances. Bring snacks to share and a personal water bottle. Adults, $5; 16 and younger, free.
For more information, visit www.ptcommunitydance.com or phone Dave Thielk at 360-385-3308.
________
John Nelson is a self-styled music lover and compulsive night owl who believes in “KLMA — Keep Live Music Alive” on the North Olympic Peninsula. His column, Live Music, appears every Thursday.
Are you performing in or promoting a live music gig? Contact John by phoning 360-565-1139 or emailing news@peninsuladailynews.com, with John Nelson in the subject line. And note: Nelson’s usual deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. preceding Thursday’s column. For next week’s column, it will be Monday at noon.
Also, check out “Nightlife,” a listing of entertainment at nightspots across the Peninsula, in Friday’s Peninsula Spotlight magazine.
