I just want to stress one thing: This was not my fault. But I got a call bright and early on Monday from one nightclub owner who swears that I got local law enforcement all riled up when I wrote a story about local nightclubs and their efforts to ensure peace, harmony and the absence of underage drinkers in their joints.

It seems that last Friday night (Aug. 28), the Monterey and Pacific Grove police departments ran a sting operation and visited 16 businesses in the MontGrove community that sell booze. Out of those 16, nine were cited for selling liquor to an 18-year-old decoy.

"I swear, she looked like she was 25 or 26 years old," says one bartender at a local nighclub that was not cited.

The nine businesses popped last Friday? According to spokespersons for the Monterey and Pacific Grove police departments, the businesses in Monterey were The Barrel Lounge at Lincoln Lanes, Bosso''s, Bulldog, Segovia''s, Sidelines Sports Bar and Incaviglia''s liquor store. And in Pacific Grove, The Tinnery Restaurant, Grove Market and P.G. Liquor Store got busted.

My advice: Don''t even think about trying to falsify your way into a six-pack or a nightclub in the near future. And if you don''t have some gray in your beard (or hair), don''t leave home without ID. Everyone tends to get real touchy after something like this goes down.

It is also not my fault that Sista Monica is returning to Doc''s Nightclub on Saturday. But I''m happy to take credit if I get half a chance.

Last time Monica performed in these parts was at the Monterey Bay Blues Festival, where she got ranked as one of the highlights of the festival by just about everyone I talked with. I didn''t see her mainstage show, but I''m here to tell you that she absolutely knocked everyone dead with her performance on the Garden Stage. She had people lined up all the way from the stage past the beer vendor and out into the grub alley.

There was a whole lot of hip shaking all the way through her set, and when she hit her finale ("Stop talkin'' ''bout me stalking you..."), there were so many body parts waving in so many different directions that you had to use duct tape to keep your clothes from blowing off.

Since her appearance at the Blues Fest, Monica''s done a tour of Europe and jolly ol'' England. The next time she''s scheduled to be in MoCo is for the Monterey Jazz Festival later this month. Talk about somebody who''s hot, hot, hot these days...

With all this nostalgia floating around the office this week, I feel safe sharing my tender, caring side with y''all. It''s been great over the years watching Sista Monica''s career develop and grow. And it couldn''t happen to a nicer, harder working person either.

Enough of the nice-guy routine.

Any of you aspiring musicians out there who really want to go somewhere with your music, take a page from Monica''s book. She''s not just on top of her music, she''s on top of the business end, too. She doesn''t take it for granted that whatever club she''s playing at is going to take care of her publicity--she makes sure that everyone knows when she''s coming to town. (Which means bigger audiences, repeat performances, and a reputation that makes it easier to break out to bigger clubs and markets.)

Sista Monica, Saturday, 9:30pm. Doc''s Nightclub, $5. 649-4241.

If your hunger for blues isn''t appeased by Sista Monica''s gig, check out Canned Heat which is playing on Saturday at Seaside''s Family Fall Fun Fest. Yeah, yeah, I know. This isn''t the real Canned Heat, the band that wowed ''em at the Monterey Pop Festival in ''67. Half the band that played here then is playing in the hereafter now. But judging from the press they''ve received and a pretty impressive touring schedule (mostly in Europe) this year, they''re still pretty good. And worth more than the price of admission: free.

Also appearing at the Family Fall Fun thing is Latin jazz legend Pete Escovedo. He''ll be pounding the skins on Sunday. (And you know what, this concert''s free, too.)

(I know, I know. It steams some people like a scalding latt‚ when I write about the free concerts. But I say, "Lay off the coffee, MC.")

Canned Heat, Saturday, 3:30pm; Pete Escovedo, Sunday, 3:30pm. Seaside City Hall lawn. 999-6270.

And remember, if you''re a reggae-head, don''t OD on the music this weekend at the fairgrounds festival. Next Thursday (9/10), the new series of live, top-name acts at McGarrett''s gets started with an appearance by Pato Banton.

Come to think of it, you might just want to make your reservations for that now. Call McGarrett''s at 646-9244.