Wreckless Strangers at Rancho Nicasio
$30 (admission only–dinner not included) Tickets can be purchased and dinner reservations made at ranchonicasio.com/events/
Riding high from their recent performance at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Ameri-Cali Soul band Wreckless Strangers are kicking off the holiday season with their first Christmas song, “Christmas Tears,” arriving November 6. The band will debut the single live, alongside its signature blend of originals and crowd-pleasing covers, at Rancho Nicasio on Friday, November 20, followed by a show at Lucca Bar & Grill in Benicia on Saturday, December 19.
The two performances bring Wreckless Strangers’ soulful, roots-driven rock to two special corners of the Bay Area. On November 20, the band takes the stage at Rancho Nicasio, the historic West Marin roadhouse known for live music, dinner shows, and its laid-back country setting. On December 19, they perform at Lucca Bar & Grill in Benicia, a waterfront town with a welcoming small-town feel and a lively dining and music scene.
Originally released by Sonny Thompson and Robert Wilson and made famous by blues legend Freddie King, “Christmas Tears” takes on new life through Wreckless Strangers’ soul-driven arrangement, old-school piano, and emotionally charged vocals.
Recorded at the legendary FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the single offers a different perspective on the season. Rather than focusing on the usual joy and nostalgia, the band leans into a more melancholy side of the holidays, with lead vocalist Amber Morris delivering a standout performance that balances technical precision with the song’s raw emotion.
The idea for the band’s first Christmas release had been circulating for years. In April, while visiting Tennessee, the band found a break between shows in Nashville and Knoxville and seized the opportunity to record at FAME Studios with producer David Kalmusky, whose credits include Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Justin Bieber, and Journey. It was Amber who suggested “Christmas Tears,” an unconventional choice that proved to be the perfect fit.
“Christmas Tears” will be available on all streaming platforms November 6. Pre-save the single here. Private listening link here.
Wreckless Strangers is a collective of friends and musicians carrying the torch for San Francisco’s grand rock ‘n’ roll tradition. Their unique blend of “Ameri-Cali Soul” melds the contemporary blues stylings of Bonnie Raitt and Boz Scaggs; the songwriting sensibilities of Sons of Champlin and Fleetwood Mac; the swashbuckling Americana of the Lost Planet Airmen and Peter Rowan; and the funk of Sly Stone and Tower of Power with a dash of Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane for flavor and unpredictability. With soaring vocal harmonies and burning instrumental improvisation framed in concise and poignant original songwriting, Wreckless Strangers seek to honor and carry forth the brand of free-spirited musical fun and adventure that defines the Bay Area.
The band features Amber Morris on lead vocals; David Noble on lead guitar and lead vocals; Joshua Zucker on bass and vocals; Mick Hellman on drums and vocals; Rob Anderson on guitar and vocals; and Fletcher Nielsen on keys. Eamon Flynn will be on keys for the Rancho Nicasio show.
The band was recently invited to perform live on Nashville’s famed Americana Roots radio station, WMOT, and performed at NAMM in Southern California in January. For more information, visit WrecklessStrangers.com.
