More than a holiday tradition in Vancouver, it’s one of the city’s premier social events—a chance to get together with old friends and meet new ones when Christmas collides head-on with one of the holiest days of the year: Keith Richards's birthday.

Lotusland rock, blues, and outlaw country disciples know it as Keithmas, a Vancouver Food Bank fundraiser that this year will celebrate its ninth edition at the consistently-fabulous Rickshaw Theatre on December 15. As always, the lineup is an extensive and incendiary one—good news for fans but probably bad news for one’s liver.

Headlining this year will be Rich Hope, whose Felix Fung–produced new album, I’m All Yours, swings magnificently from sublime dirtbag R&B (“It Comes Alive”) to dustbowl country (“Blow Away”) to road-rash blues (“Runnin’ Shoes”).

On the potential covers front when Hope plays Keithmas, you know what's beyond cool? A band that knows "Far Away Eyes" is a more killer tune that "Satisfaction" will ever be. (And no, that's not meant as a diss of "Satisfaction"). 

The undercard starts with the mighty La Chinga, whose riff-heavy monster of a new album, Beyond the Sky, makes one long for the days of shag-carpeted panel vans, 8-track tapes, and feather-adorned roach clips. From there the night is a rogue’s-gallery mix of vets and up-and-comers that swings from the enchantingly electro-jacked Little Destroyer to the bruising stoner grunge of War Baby.

The night will also include, but isn't limited to, the Ford Pier Vengeance Trio, Oswald, Chris & Cora, Sore Points, and Elliott May and Wild North. Expect to hear a cavalcade of the songs that have helped make Richards the coolest man to ever wield a Telecaster. Like, you know....

For neophytes, organizers outline the tradition of Keithmas as follows: "For those of you unfamiliar with the event it began in 2010 when dabbling with a relatively unknown theorem (Keith Richards Birthday + Christmas x Jack Daniels = Party) the Hidden Charms team stumbled upon what is now known the world over as Keithmas. It has gone on to become a holiday tradition while at the same time raising over $50,000 and counting for the Vancouver Foodbank.”

That’s right—as always, 100 percent of the proceeds will be used to help feed the less-fortunate in Vancouver this holiday season and beyond.

As for you and the folks you’ll be catching up with, consider Keithmas the one day of the year where you don’t have feel guilty about waking up the day after more hungover than the fabled (and seemingly immortal) Rolling Stones guitarist did every day in the ’70s.

For full information, go here.

And then check out the videos below for a good idea what to expect—besides a bottle of Jack bigger than the state of Texas—at this year’s bash.