There are a number of great bands that are from the Bay Area: Metallica, Green Day, Journey, Jefferson Starship Airplane, Huey Lewis and the News, etc.
Okay, some of those may have held up better than the others, but either way, having bands like this in our back yard provides us with fun opportunities to see some of our favorite musicians on stage and off.
Former Van Hallen front man Sammy Hagar recently opened up a new restaurant, El Paseo, with celebrity chef Tyler Florence in their hometown of Mill Valley.
A little farther North, Primus front man, and recently voted top five-bassist of all time, Les Claypool has opened up a Caboose Wine Tasting Room to compliment his quirky style, and sample his fancy juice, put out by his own Claypool Cellars.
The caboose sits inside Gravenstein Station in Sebastopol, and is right next door to the Starlight Wine Bar and Restaurant train car.
The caboose opened last February, with an excellent gumbo party, and they are having their second shindig Saturday evening, where samples of the new 2009 Rhone-Style Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre blend will be served in addition to their 2010 Russian River Pink Platypus Rose and the highly rated 2008 Purple Pachyderm Russian River Pinot Noir.Starlight Restaurant is providing a plate of smoked tomato risotto with fresh peas topped with crispy pork belly (last time sprinkled by Mr. Les Claypool himself), included in the $30 admission ticket.
This is one of those rare opportunities to not only rub elbows with Bay Area music royalty, but to break bread with them as well.
