Hot Buttered Rum’s New Year’s Eve run took place over two nights in the group’s home state of California. Both shows at the 19 Broadway Niteclub in Fairfax, CA offered unique elements. The first set on December 30 saw the group pay tribute to Neil Young. Hot Buttered Rum expanded with the addition of Deneille Basom on vocals for such songs as “Comes a Time,” “Cowgirl in the Sand,” “Sugar Mountain,” “Helpless,” “Long May You Run” and “Harvest Moon” while also adding Josh Brough on harmonica for “Heart of Gold” and “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World.” Then after a second set that focused on the group’s original material, Hot Buttered Rum delivered an unplugged encore while standing within the audience, joined by members of the opening act Dead Winter Carpenters and Josh Brough for “Blackberry Pie,” “3.2” and “I’ll Fly Away.”

The New Year’s Eve show focused on fan requests. The night opened with Aaron Redner’s “Firefly” and mostly offered HBR originals, such as “Elephant Hunting Song,” “Sexy Bakery Girl” and “Cody.” Still the band did sneak in a few covers such as the Beatles’ “I’ve Just Seen A Face” and “I’ve Got A Feeling,” and an 80’s sequence that moved from the Huey Lewis and The News’ “I Want A New Drug,” into the Talking Heads “Naive Melody “ into a Billie Jean jam and then back into “I Want A New Drug.” The New Year’s Eve countdown took place a bit earlier within the band’s “Limbs Akimbo” which also segued into “Auld Lang Syne” and back into “Limbs Akimbo.”

The group is now off until a February 18 date at Marilyn’s On K in Sacramento.