Hello, Iowa City! As you might know, we’ve had 2011 sitting on a box in the corner, waiting for its time to shine. Well, that time has come this weekend. Much like Christmas, New Year’s is a day to spend time with your good friends, partying and just having fun times. You are supposed to sing Auld Lang Syne, but that requires someone actually knowing the words to the song or, probably more realistically, being sober enough to sing the words to the song. I don’t know why people bother, but apparently, it’s “tradition.” Whether you sing the song or not, there are a multitude of ways to have fun this weekend.
This Weekender, somewhat like last week’s, will follow a particular format. Rather than going by day, everything listed will be a New Year’s Eve party. As well, you know all of the bands playing this weekend already save the Memphis visitors at the Wherehouse since they are us: Iowa City residents. So, descriptions will be minimal.
This Weekender is your crib sheet to the mayhem that will be New Year’s Eve. Print it out and carry it in your pocket. It’ll come in handy if you get bored at a house party that you weren’t invited to. I guarantee it.
Blue Moose:
Main Room: William Elliott Whitmore w/ Liberty Leg & The Hexbreakers | 9:00 PM | $15 Adv./ $17 Day of Show | 19+ before Midnight, 21+ after
The hometown son plays the main room at the Blue Moose with Liberty Leg & The Hexbreakers in support. This is will be a fantastic show for sure.
Upstairs: DJ Vonmarxen & Fl@hman | 9:00 PM | Free | 19+
If you want to get your groove on before going to the Whitmore show or to a house party (because you’ve got to get the body warmed up for beer pong), there will be a party in the upstairs with DJs Vonmarxen and Fl@hman spinning jams to get your booty moving. This party, unlike the others listed, will end at midnight.
Gabe’s: Dead Larry & Insectoid w/ Nebula Was | 9:30 PM | $5 | 21+
NYE party legends Dead Larry & Insectoid will be joining forces with Nebula Was to get Gabe’s rocking into 2011. They’ve been playing at the venues for NYE for a number of years. If you need to put your entertainment in the hands of professionals, they will not disappoint.
The Mill: Dave Zollo & The Gglitched | 9:00 PM | $10 Adv, $12 Day of Show | 21+
Never to be underdone, The Mill has Dave Zollo and The Gglitched scheduled to rock people into 2011. Beloved around this city, I’m confident that they will deliver.
White Lightning Wherehouse (700 S. Dubuque St.) | 10 PM | $5 | All Ages
The Wherehouse is presenting two treats for NYE. The first is Kruxe, Viva La American Death Ray Music, and Bake Sale, all of whom are coming from Memphis, TN. The second, and larger, sale for this show is the fact that there are going to be covers played all night. The bands covered will be the following: Suicide, The Shangri-Las, Teenage Jesus and The Jerks, The Cramps, Talking Heads, and The Vaselines. This should be quite the sight to behold.
Iowa City Yacht Club: Public Property w/ OSG & Chasing Shade | 9:00 PM | $10 | 21+
The Yacht Club will be a bittersweet place on NYE. Don’t get it wrong: the place will rock. Hard. But, this show will be the end of Public Property in Iowa City and forever. Don’t miss your last chance to check the local legends out. They be sharing the stage with possible Public Property updates OSG and Chasing Shade.
Shakespeare’s: Tony Brown & The Big Back Yard Band | 9:00 PM | $10 | 21+
The talented folks of the weekly jam session at Shakespeare’s will be putting on a special show for NYE. If you want to go alone, it’s $10. If you want to bring a few people, a five-person table is $100 with dinner and $50 without. Everyone that comes through the door gets free champagne at midnight.
So, that rounds out what will be happening throughout the venues of Iowa City. Whether you party at these spots or at someone’s home, for fuck’s sake, don’t drink and drive. I know that many, myself included, like to drink at new year. Don’t make yourself or someone else into an statistic. Find a straight edge friend to DD or bribe a friend to DD (meals, cookies, desert items, and straight cash are all appropriate lubricants). If that’s not an option, program all of the taxi numbers into your phone or claim a bed/couch/space on the floor at your friend’s house and sleep it off. Drunk driving’s just stupid and results in many innocent people dying (look at the side of the Hamburg Inn if you don’t believe me). More importantly than being moronic, it is not what New Year’s Eve is all about. It’s about celebrating the ups-and-downs of the year and the opportunity to get to do it all over again, but maybe a little better than the last time. When you step behind the wheel drunk, you’re assuring that someone will not be afforded this chance.
With that serious message over, go out, be safe, and have a ton of fun. Little Village hopes your 2010 has been bitchin’ and wishes you a happy 2011 and a happy 2010’s (new decade!).
~LV
