America's favorite masked surf rock instrumental band, Los Straitjackets, brought its holiday party to the bandstand of the Birchmere Saturday for an evening of musical mirth and visual mayhem.
While the four-piece rock band played hook-filled surf versions of mostly Christmas classics on glittery guitars -- wearing their trademark Mexican wrestling masks -- the New York trio the World Famous Pontani Sisters performed choreographed routines while wearing outrageous headdresses and skimpy holiday-themed costumes.
Guest vocalist George Miller from Scotland's retro-pop band the Kaisers took the microphone every third or fourth song to croon dynamic, Rat Packish '60s-style numbers that deserved a show of their own. Dressed in a crisp black suit and tie, Kaiser George looked like a dapper young version of a bespectacled Michael Caine and fit nicely amid the time-warping burlesques of the lovely Pontanis.
Meanwhile guitarists Eddie Angel and Danny Amis played sparkling, wonderfully twisted renditions of "Here Comes Santa Claus," "Sleigh Ride" and "Jingle Bell Rock" while drummer Jimmy Lester and bassist Pete Curry pounded out Ventures-style rhythms that never strayed too far from the beach.
The ringing tones of "Feliz Navidad" and "Christmas in Las Vegas," along with the sight of the Pontanis in abbreviated red-and-white Santa's helper suits cheerfully doing a synchronized Swim, was enough to give even the Grinchiest fans instant holiday spirit. If this is what passes for holiday entertainment on whatever planet these performers are from, it's too bad Christmas comes but once a year.
-- Buzz McClain
