When Santa Cruz’s five Huxtables escort in the arrival of Santa, it’s an affair you’ll remember. Longtime pop punk mainstays, The Hux—though not known to be the most serious of men—take their annual “Holiday Show and More” pretty seriously. For the third year in a row, the warm fire of the upstairs Red lounge will find itself competing with the musical fire of the veteran band as it transforms its boisterous show with Christmas zeal and joyous humor even Cosby can’t beat. “The Hux always look for chances to cornball it out,” says drummer Greg Braithwaite (formerly of Sin in Space). “We’ve never been a band that’s really concerned with what’s really cool at the time, so if there’s going to be a band that’s going to dress our friend up as Santa and do a whole production, it’s gonna be us.” Devised by bassist AJ Marquez, the band’s songwriting backbone and the creative genius behind the extensive production, the event will be replete with visual effects, props and theatrics. “Think of it as like a Huxtables Masterpiece Theatre with a plot woven throughout the set,” Braithwaite says. Throwing out more than their usual rock riffs, the ensemble’s also spraying this week’s audience with presents along with the power pop melodies. ‘Tis the season to witness frontman Colt Hangen caress his mic or splatter his body across the floor during the band’s version of The Kinks’ “Father Christmas,” sing along to a winter remake of The Troggs during “Christmas is All Around Me,” or catch Marquez’s lighthearted original jingle, the aptly-named “The Huxta-Bells.” They sang it before and they’ll sing it again, “you can’t fuxtables with The Huxtables,” so you might as well join them in their holiday cheer. At the end of the day, even though The Hux couldn’t care less, Christmas
caroling in ties and sweater vests never sounded—or looked—so cool.
INFO: 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20. The Red, 1003 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. Free. 425-1913.
