The Christmas season is upon us, which means it’s time for the annual Ho Ho Hoey Rockin’ Holiday Tour. 2025 is super special, as it marks the 30th Anniversary since Gary Hoey started this tradition. The hard rock/blues guitar icon created his first holiday-themed guitar instrumental record in 1995, and the rest is history. Hoey’s balance of classic holiday tones blended with just the right amount of hard rock and metal crunch has created many epic Christmas classics remade, as well as several of his own Christmas compositions. This tour is as much of a holiday tradition for his fans as the music itself, and every show is highly anticipated and consistently sold out.

Like every year, The Ho Ho Hoey Rockin’ Holiday Tour kicked off in Florida back in November. On Saturday night, December 20, the last show was played to a capacity crowd at the legendary Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA. The Ho Ho Hoey show is now a family tradition for the Hoeys as well, as Ian Hoey (Gary’s son) is back playing second guitar. Joining them on bass is Mike Dutko, and legendary drummer Stet Howland is back behind the kit. At about 8:45 p.m., the band took the stage and delivered 90 minutes of guitar-driven holiday magic.

The night started with "The Twelve Days of Christmas". Hoey asked The Coach House crowd how they were feeling and if they were ready for the Ho Ho Hoey Christmas Show, and the music was off and running. The holiday show is jam-packed with Christmas classics, and this year the band was as tight as ever. There is no doubt Gary Hoey is one of the most skilled and talented players in the music business, but he is also just one of the nicest, most down-to-earth people you will ever meet. This warmth comes across as he speaks to the crowd in between songs.

His son, Ian, seems to be following very closely in his dad’s footsteps, as he has been playing live with the band for a few years now. Ian seemed more confident and comfortable onstage, and he really rips on the leads he was playing. It is always so rewarding seeing parents work with their children; you could tell Gary was super proud watching him shred. Gary and Ian seemed to be having a lot of fun together.

In addition to all the Christmas music, a few Gary Hoey classics were thrown in, including "Peace Pipe" and "Linues and Lucy". Hoey spoke a few times throughout the show of his late Mom, with whom he was super close. Hoey also played a few songs from his recent release, Ho Ho Hoey: Christmas Time Is Here, including "Up On The Rooftop" and "Still Got the Blues for Christmas". The rhythm section of Dutko and Howland complemented the intense guitar playing perfectly. The chemistry between the entire band was infectious and added to the thrill of the show. Howland has an incredible style that is as visually stimulating as it is sonically; he is a very fun drummer to watch.

The last few songs of the night really took the show to the next level. The Coach House is a seated venue, but all were on their feet at this point with a KILLER rendition of "Hocus Pocus" and then "The Star Spangled Banner", ending with "Santa Claus is Coming to Town".

If you have never experienced The Gary Ho Ho Hoey Holiday Show, set a reminder now to get tickets for the 2026 version next fall. There is no better way to celebrate the Christmas holiday than with the extraordinary live performance Gary Hoey and his band deliver—it is guaranteed you will leave the venue in a festive mood.