Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks

One of the most vital Bay Area musicians to emerge from the '60s who remains active today, roots-music pioneer Dan Hicks brings his band the Hot Licks to Yoshi's for this show Wednesday night. Beginning as a drummer in the seminal 60's San Francisco rock band The Charlatans, Hicks is widely acknowledged as one of the first figures of the modern rock era to draw on blues, western swing, folk and country -- all the while cultivating his own unique sound.

Having earned a reputation as a true original with his signature eclecticism and humor as the leader of the Hot Licks and a central figure in the locally based seasonal aggregation the Christmas Jug Band, Hicks continues to please his Bay Area fans with regular live performances and recordings. 

Hicks has been particularly productive over the past decade, releasing a string of acclaimed efforts including the wildly successful Beatin' the Heat in 2000 -- which featured collaborations with Bette Midler, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Rickie Lee Jones and Brian Setzer -- the eclectic Selected Shorts with guest spots from Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett and Van Dyke Parks, and his most recent collection Tangled Tales that spotlighted original material with contributions from such instrumental virtuosos as bluegrass giant David Grisman, harp player Charlie Musselwhite and slide-guitarist Roy Rogers.

Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 8 p.m. $28-$58
Yoshi's Oakland