KING OF BLUES: New Year’s Eve won’t...

KING OF BLUES: New Year’s Eve won’t roll in till Sunday, but folks will be celebrating early and in a royal fashion at the Ventura Theatre Friday night when 70-year-old blues legend B.B. King gives a couple of command performances at 8 and 10:30 (F1A). . . King and his band will rock the house with old favorites, such as “The Thrill Is Gone” and more recent staples of his repertoire, including “When Love Comes to Town,” which King recorded with U2.

TASTE OF SHERRY: Kevin Sherry is a chef who watches out for more than the consistency of the basil mousse. He is also a keen observer of human nature. For instance, the incoming chef at Ventura’s Pierpont Inn (F22) offers a reassuring assessment of what goes on in professional kitchens these days. “Chefs are a lot more personable than they used to be,” he says. “They are more aware of employees’ feelings, rather than just yelling and screaming and throwing knives across the room.”

BUSING SMART: First there were credit cards. Then there were ATM cards. Now there are SmartCards . . . and they are coming to a Ventura County bus near you (B1). The plastic cards will remember how much money you have in a prepaid account and clear the way for a bus ride with a swipe over a special sensor. Call it high-tech ticketing. . . Jaqui Bacharach, project director, says the Ventura County Transportation Commission is dealing with cutting-edge stuff here. “This is really the beginning of what’s going on in public transportation across the country,” Bacharach says.