SCENE SCRIBE
By Michael Swanger scenescribe@mchsi.com
Get off your rear and ring in the New Year
Why not celebrate New Year’s Eve in a big way this year? Christmas is almost over (by the time you read this) and you’ve made it through another tough year. Now it’s time to let your hair down to usher in a new decade.
So unless you’re home nursing a baby or a broken hip, there really is no good excuse for maintaining the boring tradition of falling asleep in front of the television and waking up just in time to see the ball drop in Times Square before shuffling off to bed.
Lame.
Get off your rear and ring in the New Year on Thursday, Dec. 31. In addition to great live music, many concert events include free champagne toasts, food (from appetizers to full-course meals) and door prizes. One even includes a wedding.
What more can you ask for?
Well, we can’t arrange that. But you won’t find it sitting at home alone.
• “The DM Bash” at the Des Moines Social Club, 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. $25. The first-ever New Year’s Eve event at the DMSC includes live music, aerial artists, ice sculpting, fire performers, DJ sets, burlesque performers, hors d’oeuvres and libations. Visit www.dmbash.com.
• Des Moines Symphony and Des Moines Big Band at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, 8 p.m. $15 - $60. Swing into 2010 “Frank’s Way” with a tribute to Frank Sinatra as Steve Lippia croons timeless tunes like “My Way” and “The Lady is a Tramp” with help from the first ever collaboration between the Des Moines Symphony and Des Moines Big Band. Every ticket purchased is a chance to win a weekend trip to Las Vegas. Tickets are available through all Ticketmaster outlets, the box office or by visiting www.dmsymphony.org.
• Happy Blue Year Celebration with Bob Dorr & The Blue Band and six additional acts at the Hilton Garden Inn in Urbandale, 8 p.m. $50. Bob Dorr & The Blue Band ring in the Blue Year once again by performing and hosting Iowa blues and R&B bands Matt Woods and The Thunderbolts, Fat Tuesday & The Grease Fire Horns, Joe and Vicki Price, Rob Lumbard, Soul Fusion and Tom Gary. Buffet and champagne are included. An added bonus to the evening: Dorr ‘round midnight will marry his longtime girlfriend in front of fans, friends and family. Call 270-8890 for hotel reservations and tickets. Visit www.theblueband.com.
• “Holiday Hangover” with Junk Poet, Isaak James, Drop Dead Last and The Family (D*M*F*X) at the House of Bricks, 8 p.m. Rock in the New Year. Advance tickets are $10 through IowaTix. Visit www.thehouseofbricks.com or call 727-4370.
• “Another Cheap & Cheezy New Years Eve” with Reverend Raven & the Chainsmokin’ Altar Boys at Blues on Grand, 9:30 p.m. $12. “Bring a favorite snack to add to the spread and your own damn party hats,” reads the BOG Web site. “We’ll have some lousy champagne to toast. Oh, and as usual, if you don’t have a date for the midnight kiss we can probably hook you up. Beggars can’t be choosy though.” Visit www.bluesongrand.com or call 244-3092.
• “NYE 2010” dance party presented by Flatform with Alex Brown at the Vaudeville Mews, 9 p.m. $10. Doors open at 9 p.m. Follow www.nye2010.info to download digital mixtapes, access limited edition prints and win VIP giveaways and more. Call 243-3270.
• John Krantz and Brooke Peters at Sam and Gabe’s, 7:30-11 p.m. Live jazz music from this piano-bass duo. Call 271-9200.
• New Years Pianopalooza VIP dinner and show at People’s Court, 9:30 p.m. $20 in advance. Sit back and enjoy a meal as Jared Hall and Tony Bohnenkamp tickle the ivories, performing pop songs. E-mail peoplesvip@gmail.com.
• Max Wellman at the Grand Piano Bistro, 8:30-11 p.m. Reservations are necessary as Wellman and his band perform classic jazz tunes and original compositions. Call 243-2380. CV
Caption: Bob Dorr & The Blue Band host their annual Happy Blue Year Celebration at the Hilton Garden Inn in Urbandale. Meanwhile, Steve Lippia croons Frank Sinatra tunes with the Des Moines Big Band and Des Moines Symphony at the Civic Center.
