Make-Out Room hosts annual holiday food drive and fundraiser
The Make-Out Room in San Francisco's Mission District holds its annual Holiday "Craptacular" Wednesday with an array of local talents to raise money and collect canned food for the SF Food Bank.
Hosted by Make-Out Room booker and vocal scene curmudgeon with a heart of gold Parker T. Gibbs, the event brings together an impressive line-up of local luminaries to perform. Though it was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, the fundraising show returned with a vengeance last year for another marathon musical explosion of holiday favorites and unexpected covers. For the 2024 Craptacular, the evening will be once again be anchored by high-powered R&B outfit Harold Ray and East Side Dynamite.
Fronted by kinetic singer Jason Morgan (who had previously wielded the mic with similarly minded punk/R&B crew Harold Ray Live in Concert and early Bob Seger tribute band Total BS), the group features a number of seasoned scene veterans and Mission District ringers including drummer Tom Galbraith (Mensclub, Field Trip, Portable Madness) and guitarist Brian Mello (The Morning Line, The Bellyachers and current hard rock/metal cover band Thunderbleed aka Blind Vengeance).
The band delivers sweaty, swaggering takes on '60s soul classics and raw rock chestnuts that have been regularly filling dance floors on both sides of the Bay for a number of years. This year's Craptacular will be filled out by a variety of regulars including powerhouse vocalists Mark Eitzel (American Music Club), Paula Frazer (Tarnation, Virginia Dare), Bob Reed (Overwhelming Colorfast, Cocker Power), songwriter Mayya Feygina, Meryl Press (who performs with soundtrack specialists the Red Room Orchestra and soul revue Marc and the Casuals) and Phil Crumar.
The extended evening of of yuletide entertainment will also feature performances by Make-Out Room regulars So High and the Uppers, guitarist/recording engineer Eric Moffatt's project Jackshack featuring members of loud electric jazz group Deep Space bassist Pete Schmitt and guitarist JC O'Donnell with guest vocalist Brad Brooks paying tribute to the MC5, tribute act the Holiday Band, keyboard player/songwriter Justin Frahm's band Nightshuttle, Sivan Lioncub and Christopher Daddio and their art-punk band Everyone Is Dirty, songwriter Tom Heyman (Chuck Prophet, John Doe, Alejandro Escovedo) with his wife Deirdre White, comedic one-man wrecking crew Chaki the Funk Wizard and Enorchestra mainstays Doug Hilsinger and Caroleen Beatty. All of the money raised and non-perishable food collected will go to the SF-Marin Food Bank.
The 2024 Gibbsmo Holiday Craptacular
Wednesday, Dec.18, 7 p.m. $25 and one non-perishable food item
The Make-Out Room