Bohler is a little bit sensitive about the fact that she''s so closely identified with Pele Juju, the high-profile, all-woman, world-music band that enjoyed a period of high popularity in Northern California in the mid-to-late ''90s. "I''ve been a blues singer for 10 years," testified Bohler. "That''s what I was doing before I got involved with Pele Juju."

She has a point. Although it''s hard not to mention Bohler without mentioning the world-beat wonders, a quick read of her curriculum vitae reveals that she began singing the blues with a variety of Los Angeles duos and trios in the mid ''80s, and formed her first blues band, "The Big K Blues Band," in the early ''90s. From there, she moved to San Luis Obispo, where she formed "Kaye Bohler and the Kingpins" in 1994. In ''97, she moved to Santa Cruz, partly so she could be closer to her new gig with you-know-who. But, even while she was performing with them, she simultaneously continued to pursue her real musical love with THE KAYE BOHLER BLUES BAND.

Last year, Bohler and her band released their first album, Men and Music, a rollicking, mostly original, blend of 13 blues and R&B songs. With Bohler''s smoky, soulful vocals driving the album, it offers ample testimony to Bohler''s roots.

And if you need more proof, check her out at Sly''s on Saturday. Just don''t mention the "P" word...

CALL FOR PERFORMERS...

The CALIFORNIA PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL (nee Carmel Performing Arts Festival) has sent out its invitation for performance artists and groups to apply for inclusion in the 2002 festival. Artists who are interested should phone the CPAF office to request an official application form and all pertinent details; deadline for submitting the application is Jan. 23. 624-7675.

PERSONAL SHOPPER...

There are freaks, geeks and otherwise hard-to-shop-for people on everybody''s shopping list, right? I''m here to help.

For those of you who have enough energy (or are brave enough) to get out of your chair, you could head down to HELLAM''S TOBACCO SHOP in downtown Monterey, where there''s a cornucopia of gifts for the special people on your list.

Not only will you find the usual assortment of furry handcuffs, swords and knives (but who doesn''t have these things?), you''ll also find the electric nosepicker. But even shop owner GENE PALERMO agrees that it might be a slightly disappointing gift. "It''s just a gag gift," he sighs, "just a finger with a plug sticking out of it."

Palermo is much more enthusiastic about the store''s remote-control ELECTRONIC FART MACHINE. "It works from about 100 feet away," Palermo testifies. And he should know. They have one rigged to blow in the shop. Then, too, there are the X-RATED FORTUNE COOKIES, EROTIC DICE, WIND-UP HOPPING PECKERS and RUBBER CHICKENS ("There aren''t too many places where you can find a rubber chicken," Palermo says. Indeed. That''s one of the great 21st-century tragedies.)

But if you don''t have the stamina to park anything bigger than your butt, you can always go to the source of all weirdness: The Web.

At WWW.GIFTEDNATURALIST.COM you can score any number of cookbooks with recipes for bugs, roadkill, Spam and other foul things. Just the ticket for the creative cooker in your life.

Giftednaturalist''s gift de resistance is a boxed and labeled SQUIRREL SKULL. According to the Web site this is a "natural bone skull, obtained and cleaned from a DOR (dead on road) squirrel specimen." And don''t let political correctness get in the way of giving this fine gift. "No squirrels were killed for the purpose of creating a product for sale in this catalog...I work closely with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and know the legal items the public can purchase." (Which is a little different than saying this squirrel skull actually is a legal brainpan, but we guess that''s what is meant.)

Candy, of course, is a traditional Christmas offering and it''s unlikely that you will find a better taste treat than the "POO POOING REINDEER."

The brains (and I use the term loosely) at STUPID.COM, where you can find the $4.99 gift (such a bargain!) succinctly describe the reindeer:

"This remarkably stupid product is half toy, half candy. It features a four inch plastic reindeer with a very special skill. When you push his tail down, he poops candy droppings."

They don''t say what kind of candy but it looks like chocolate. Natch.

More next week...

--Chuck Thurman chuck@coastweekly.com