The Christmas Jug Band is a loose affiliation of local folkies, hipsters, and hardcore rock and rollers who share a love for jug band versions of cherished Christmas classics and irreverent originals like "Mistletoe Jam" and "Santa Lost a Ho." "Make no mistake," writes Paul Liberatore of the San Jose Mercury News, "the Jug Band may be jokey, but its venerable members are some of the best musicians in the Bay Area and beyond." For 36 years now, these purveyors of raucous revelry and lowdown hijinks have transformed staid Christmas standards into funky jug band jive, complete with all the bells and whistles, washboards and washtubs, wood blocks and kazoo.

We never know for sure exactly who will play the show, but committed regulars include bandleader Tim Eschliman of Commander Cody fame, Paul Rogers of Those Darn Accordions, Ken "Snakebite" Jacobs, side-kick of Kinky Friedman, Austin de Lone, who's played with Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello, and Gregory Leroy Dewey and Blake Richardson, who've played with many other wonderful bands and musicians. Occasional guests have included Dan Hicks, Country Joe McDonald, Angela Strehli, and Nick Gravenites. What began as a momentary lapse of sanity inspired by just the right amount of Wild Turkey has led to five albums and too many fruitcakes to count.

There's nothing like CJB's unique brand of jug band magic to put you in that glowing holiday mood.

Visit the Christmas Jug Band's website

Listen to a track from the Christmas Jug Band: