Seeing a rock show on NYE is always a good option, provided you've planned well for your post-show hang; nothing worse than loitering on a city sidewalk after your balls drop, all boozed up with nowhere to go. Last year we helped put on a show at Hammerstein with Final Fantasy and Bob Mould and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. That was fun! Although we didn't plan the night's second half well and wound up carrying a too-drunk buddy through the drunken mobs riding the subway system.
ANYWAY, we're not throwing a show this year. But if we were looking for the highest likelihood of fun and/or booze at a NYE gig, the only choice is Mr. Brownstone at Music Hall Of Williamsburg. Who's Mr. Browstone? This is Mr. Brownstone:
They're the sloppiest, drunkest Guns N' Roses cover band on this side of the Atlantic (there's another GN'R tribute band with the same name in the UK somewhere). Axl is Sean Greengalgh, drummer of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The other guys play music, too. And the night we spent with 'em at Bowery last year was one of the year's live show highlights (seriously!), rocked us to our sha-na-na-na-knees and all that. And they've got something special cooked up for the New Year's gig. For the price of $30 you'll get:
- to watch the band drink from a fully tended bar ONSTAGE
- girls on roller skates handing out free shots throughout the night
- VIP lounge party before/after show ? open bar and dumb surprises
- massive Guitar Hero contest with final on-stage battle
- a raffle ticket to join band on stage for a song ? guitar and wig provided
- to watch a documentary on the night being filmed right before your eyes
- champagne toast at midnight
- gift bags
- special guests
- live blogging
- and much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much more
If you couldn't tell by that last point, there's more planned they just haven't announced yet. Get tickets here.
PLUS, there's a shuttle running to/from Manhattan, which will take you directly to the Les Savy Fav show at Bowery afterwards (doors at 2AM). And there, friends, is your escape plan to avoid standing on the sidewalk and/or carrying your drunk friend through the subway system. As for the LSF show, presale is on here.
New Yorkers, you have some more options. As mentioned earlier, how about the Big Sleep and Earl Greyhound at Mercury? If not that, Brooklyn Vegan points the way to a few more: like the Virgins, playing Mercury Lounge (also at 2AM -- tix). Also, BV mentions the Dresden Dolls at Manhattan Center or Dean & Britta at Maxwell's in NJ as well as a couple for the jam banders out there: Moe at Radio City Music Hall, and Gov't Mule at the Beacon.
Sorry, we haven't managed to scour listings outside the greater NYC area -- but if you've got a worthy show going on 12/31 in your city, please post up the details; we still haven't ruled out a rock 'n' roadtrip to bring in 2008.
