Places to be in Benicia/Vallejo on New Year's Eve

(Originally published in the 12/30/15 edition)

   The end of the year is a time of celebration, and everybody celebrates in their own way. However, if you live in Benicia, you do not have to drive very far to take part in festivities outside of your home.

   First of all, many local businesses will be offering various kinds of entertainment as well as deals. Sailor Jack’s, located on 123 First St., will have a four-course preset menu featuring such items as ahi tuna stack, Alaskan halibut, lobster tail, vegetarian wellington and a dessert. The entire meal will be $89 per person. There will also be live music upstairs from 9 to midnight by The Baker Street Band, a Reno-based classic rock cover band led by Adrian Baker, a former touring member of The Beach Boys and The Four Seasons. For more information, call 746-8500.

   Down the street, The Rellik Tavern, located at 726 First St., will be hosting its seventh annual New Year’s Eve Party. The doors open at 9 for a set by Oakland-based rock band Muncie, and there will be a champagne toast at midnight to ring in 2016. The event will have a $10 cover charge and limited VIP and bottle service. For more information, call 746-1137.

   Rookies Sports Bar and Grill, located at 321 First St., will have a more low-key New Year’s. There will be a DJ and $5 cover at the door, and TV screens will be broadcasting both the East Coast countdown to 2016 before 9 p.m. and the West Coast countdown before midnight. For more information, call 746-7665.

   There are events beyond Benicia too. The Front Room at the Wharf, located at 295 Mare Island Way in Vallejo, will be hosting a dinner and dance party. The meal- which will consist of an appetizer, soup or salad and a choice of entree and dessert- will be served at 5:30 p.m.. There will be live entertainment by local jazz and R&B singer Darrell Edwards from 9 p.m. to 1 in the morning. For more information, call 649-8889.

   Also in Vallejo, The Mic Gillette Band will be performing a special New Year’s Eve show at the Empress Theatre, located on 330 Virginia St. For more information, visit EmpressTheatre.org or check out the article in the Dec. 29 edition of The Benicia Herald.

   If you are planning to drink lots of alcohol and don’t have a designated driver, do not get behind the wheel. AAA will be offering its Tipsy Tow program from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Call 800-222-4357 for a free tow home of up to 10 miles. Tell the AAA operator “I need a Tipsy Tow,” and a truck will be sent over. Service is restricted to a one-way ride for the driver and his or her vehicle to the driver’s home. You do not need to be a AAA member to use this service. 

   The Herald would like to remind you to have a safe and happy new year. Enjoy 2016. 

Mic Gillette Band to perform New Year's Eve show at Empress Theatre

(Originally published in the 12/29/15 edition)

   The end of 2015 is nearing. People have a variety of ways they can spend their last few hours of the year. They can stay home and watch “The Twilight Zone” marathon or Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin make playful banter until the ball drops, or they can go to the Empress Theatre in Vallejo and have a very funky New Year’s Eve.

   Empress Theatre will be presenting its New Year’s Eve Party with the Mic Gillette Band. Gillette was a founding member of Tower of Power, an Oakland-based funk/soul/jazz/rock group who had several charting R&B singles throughout the ‘70s. Gillette played brass for the group but left in 1984 to focus on raising his daughter Megan. He also was a member of numerous other bands, including Cold Blood, Sons of Champlin and a brief stint with Blood, Sweat & Tears. His resume as a session musician extends even beyond that, having recorded with acts including The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Santana, Heart, Rod Stewart, Sheryl Crow, The Doobie Brothers, Huey Lewis and the News and more. 

   “I’ve been performing since I was 5 years old,” Gillette said. “I was given a gift from my father of musical expression, and I’ve just followed it all my life.”

   Gillette also is known for his philanthropy. He founded the Music in the Schools program to keep music programs alive in schools across the country. He does so by touring America and performing with schools’ jazz bands, sometimes by bringing in other professional performers.

   “I’ve been very active in helping students get scholarships to colleges,” he said. “There’s so much money available out there for kids who will apply themselves and spend a couple of years working on recording stuff. I can help them audition, and I can provide recommendations for some of the best music schools in the country.”

   Gillette currently leads the Mic Gillette Band, which features two Benicia residents- Jason Stewart on guitar and Andres Soto on saxophone- and daughter Megan Gillette McCarthy serving as vocalist and percussionist as well as the band’s manager. The group has put out two albums and performed songs by Tower of Power as well as other bands Gillette has performed with and numerous originals.

   “I’ve been blessed enough to play with many big name bands and artists all over the world for many, many years, and this is my favorite band I’ve ever played with,” Gillette said. “It’s just an amazing group of musicians, and I’m actually doing a little bit of singing but only as a background vocalist.”

   The idea to perform the Empress’ New Year’s Eve show came from Stewart, who knows Empress manager Don Bassey.

   “He said ‘Have Mic call me. We’d love to have him up here for New Year’s,” Gillette said. “I called, the ball got rolling and here we are.”

   The group will be performing a variety of original compositions as well as songs by acts Gillette has performed with.

   “I’ve got stories to go along with some of the songs,” he said. “We consider ourselves to be a dance band. People love to get up and dance when we play, so that’s why New Year’s Eve is gonna work.”

   The doors for the Empress Theatre’s New Year’s Eve Party will open at 8 p.m. with the show beginning at 9 on Thursday, Dec. 31. The Empress Theatre is located at 330 Virginia St. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at TicketFly.com. For more information, contact the Empress at 552-2400. 

Photo courtesy of The Empress Theatre