Berkley Hart’s Holiday, Barefoot Hockey Goalie’s Clairemont, Jonny Tarr’s Chicago, Casbah’s Exile on Kettner, and Christmas With Pacific Records

Jeff Berkley and Calman Hart, collectively known as Berkley Hart, have earned a following for their multi-performer theme concert productions, such as Oh Berkley, where Hart Thou (covering music from one particular film).

The duo will be joined by several guests on December 21 at the Music Box in Little Italy for their annual Berkley Hart Christmas Show. Earl Thomas, Lisa Sanders, Josh Weinstein, and King Taylor Project are all slated to appear.

Barefoot Hockey Goalie tends to create bizarre rock operas, such as Darius, An Interview With Thomas Edison, and Fedik’s Butcher Shop, the latter about Estonian Butchers and their adventures in America, with songs about hoodlums and raccoons. Their EP Kid Champion concerns an ill-fated boxer’s battle against the Devil. On December 28, the band will debut Clairemont: A Suburban Rock Opera at Fast Times in (where else?) Clairemont.

Originally from Cardiff, Wales, Jonny Tarr makes electronic soul music on guitar, synth, sax, flute, vocals, loop station, samples, and blowing sax. His first fully self-produced album The Rules was released this past summer via local Pacific Records, and he has a new tribute project covering the music of the band Chicago. He’ll perform Friday, December 30 at L’Auberge Del Mar.

With a dearth of rock and roll events happening around town on Christmas Eve, why not check out the Casbah’s annual local all-star tribute to the music of the Rolling Stones, Exile on Kettner Blvd?

This year, the collective of area band members will perform the entire Goat’s Head Soup album, along with selected prime cuts from the band’s 60-year discography.

This year’s Christmas With Pacific Records compilation will be released digitally by the local label, although it will receive an expanded physical release next year. Contributors include Audrey Callahan (“My Christmas Wish For You”), Laurie Beebe Lewis (“Mary Did You Know?”), The Tourmaliners (“O Little Town of Bethlehem”), The Shambles (“Warm This Winter”), and others. Cover artwork was provided by Michael Buchmiller of Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra.