I’ve heard about some more places Downtown throwing New Year’s Eve parties, and I’ve received additional details about some of the parties I already knew about.\u00a0 So here’s Take 2:<\/p>\n
AUTOMATIC SLIM’S<\/strong><\/p>\n There will be a set menu dinner at Slim’s at 6:30 and 8:30.\u00a0 At 10:30 Walrus takes the stage, and will play until 3 AM.<\/p>\n WHO WILL LIKE THIS PARTY: <\/strong> Fans of Walrus and\/or Michael Patrick’s cooking.\u00a0 Crowd should be mostly locals who are fans of one or the other; not many tourists, maybe a few who wander in off Second.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n BARDOG TAVERN<\/strong><\/p>\n Bardog will open at 11 AM on New Year’s Eve and serve its regular menu until 2 AM (they close at 3).\u00a0 The party will kick off at 5 PM with two hours of happy hour, then continue until close.\u00a0 No cover, bar open to all comers.\u00a0 Their doormen will be in tuxedos, although this is a place where you can feel quite comfortable in jeans.<\/p>\n WHO WILL LIKE THIS PARTY:<\/strong> People who want to party with the Downtown core neighborhood crowd.\u00a0 It will be wild, but it will be friendly people who know how to party without acting stupid, getting in fights, etc.\u00a0 If I didn’t already have plans (see below) this would likely be my pick.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n B.B. KING’S<\/strong><\/p>\n The King Beez take the stage at 5 PM, then the B.B. King All-Stars take over at 9:15.\u00a0 $25 general admission; $75 VIP ticket with reserved seating, a bottle of champagne, and party favors.<\/p>\n WHO WILL LIKE THIS PARTY:<\/strong> Music fans who are willing to spend some money to ring in the New Year with a good band.\u00a0 Drink prices tend to be on the high side, although not to the point of being as outrageous as some parties (see “Peabody Hotel” below).<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n BEALE STREET<\/strong><\/p>\n The annual New Year’s Eve countdown party broadcast on Channel 5.\u00a0 No cover, just stand out on the street, watch the bands at the Pepsi Pavilion if you want, beer or drinks available from restaurant to-go windows.<\/p>\n WHO WILL LIKE THIS PARTY:<\/strong> People who want to spend absolutely no money and still go to a New Year’s party, and people who want to possibly be seen on TV for a brief second, and who are willing to put up with the cold and an unruly crowd to do it.\u00a0 Otherwise, avoid Beale.\u00a0 Of all the Downtown parties, this gets my vote for the “sucks the most” award.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n CALHOUN’S<\/strong><\/p>\n December 31 is Calhoun’s Sports Bar’s first birthday.\u00a0 I haven’t heard about anything special yet, but I know they’ll be open and will have $1.50 PBR.<\/p>\n WHO WILL LIKE THIS PARTY:<\/strong> The same people who are in Calhoun’s December 30, January 2, and all the other days of the year; people who like to hang with the South Main locals; people who want to drink PBR for a relatively cheap New Year’s bill.\u00a0 Note:\u00a0 If you’re hungry, eat somewhere else before coming to Calhoun’s (Harry’s Detour across the street is a good call, or see the Majestic Grille below).<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n FLYING SAUCER<\/strong><\/p>\n Party starts at 8 with a $10 cover for UFO members, $15 for non-members.\u00a0 Champagne and party favors at midnight.\u00a0 As always, 75 beers on draft, and another 120 in bottles.\u00a0 Hot waitresses in miniskirts.\u00a0 Pool, darts.<\/p>\n WHO WILL LIKE THIS PARTY:<\/strong> People who want to celebrate New Year’s in a very crowded mainstream bar.\u00a0 The Saucer tends to turn into amateur night on New Year’s Eve, full of douchebags who are there to “kick some ass” and “get some pussy.”\u00a0 Downtown regulars avoid the Saucer like the plague on New Year’s Eve.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n GROUND ZERO<\/strong><\/p>\n Blues with Preston Shannon.\u00a0 $25 cover gets you party favors, finger foods, and champagne at midnight.\u00a0 Party starts at 8.<\/p>\n WHO WILL LIKE THIS PARTY:<\/strong> Blues fans.\u00a0 This will draw a more mature crowd than Beale Street, although it’s still close enough to Beale that you’ll have to deal with the traffic and the parking.\u00a0 Preston Shannon plays Ground Zero frequently, so this will not be your one and only opportunity to see him and his band.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n HARD ROCK CAFE<\/strong><\/p>\n The Hard Rock will do a “guitar drop” on Beale Street at the stroke of midnight, dropping a Gibson guitar 100 feet from a 60 ton Barnhart crane.\u00a0 Performances by Surrender the Fall, The Franchise DJ Mic Tee, Dennis Coffey, and the official comeback show of Whiskey Penny.<\/p>\n WHO WILL LIKE THIS PARTY: <\/strong> Hmmm.\u00a0 You’ll have to brave the cold and crowd on Beale to see the guitar drop, but Hard Rock is known for having one of the better sound stages.\u00a0 If you’re into one of these bands, or if you’ve never been to the Hard Rock and want to try it for the first time when there’s a huge crowd, you’ll probably like it.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n HOLLYWOOD DISCO<\/strong> (formerly Raiford’s)<\/p>\n $15 cover, champagne at midnight, the usual disco tunes and 40s of beer.<\/p>\n WHO WILL LIKE THIS PARTY:<\/strong> Anyone with a pulse.\u00a0 Seriously, who doesn’t like Raiford’s?\u00a0 Actually, I better qualify that for the benefit of people who’ve never been.\u00a0 If clubs with fog machines make your allergies act up, this might not be the best bet.\u00a0 Also, it’s a small club, and the music is LOUD.\u00a0 That said, we love the place.\u00a0 A top recommendation.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n HUEY’S DOWNTOWN<\/strong><\/p>\n The Beat Generation will play at 9 PM.\u00a0 This is the Memphis band that went to play the Cavern Club in Liverpool, the Beatles’ home from 1961-1963, as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of rock ‘n’ roll.\u00a0 Thanks to rhythm guitarist Jeff Golightly for e-mailing me and providing me with details.\u00a0 It’s Rick Nethery’s band, and he and Jeff were in The Crime back in the day.\u00a0 Expect plenty of Beatles covers.\u00a0 Huey’s is a great place for band interaction with the audience, and you’ll probably learn a lot about music history.<\/p>\n WHO WILL LIKE THIS PARTY:<\/strong> Fans of the 1960s British Invasion.\u00a0 Note that after midnight, partiers from Beale will begin to flow in to get something to eat on their way home.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n KOOKY CANUCK<\/strong> (formerly Big Foot Lodge)<\/p>\n $2 Super Cold Coors Light all day (from opening at 11 AM).\u00a0 At 9 the party starts with DJ Tree spinning until 2.\u00a0 Champagne and party favors at midnight.\u00a0 No cover.<\/p>\n WHO WILL LIKE THIS PARTY:<\/strong> People who’ve been to this restaurant’s parties in the past and had a good time; people who like big, cheap beers.\u00a0 The name may be different, but Shawn and Lana still know how to throw great parties.\u00a0 One of my top recommendations for people who want to have a fun, crazy time, but away from the “amateur night” crowd.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n MAJESTIC GRILLE<\/strong><\/p>\n The Majestic will have their regular menu at regular prices with no cover, but Patrick will also whip up a few special dishes to celebrate the evening.<\/p>\n WHO WILL LIKE THIS PARTY:<\/strong> People who want a sit-down dinner; people who want something more elegant than a crowded bar; people who want to get a good meal then go to a party elsewhere.\u00a0 That’s what my friends and I are doing:\u00a0 We have reservations for 30 at the Majestic for 7:30, then we’re heading to a keg party in South Main.\u00a0 If you like to “get buck” as my friend Johnny Mason likes to say, you may find the Majestic a little too sedate.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n ORPHEUM<\/strong><\/p>\n The Orpheum will hold the Bluff City Ball, with jam band The North Mississippi Allstars and Lucero headlining.\u00a0 Amy LaVere and Jim Dickinson will also perform.\u00a0 $30-45 tickets.<\/p>\n WHO WILL ENJOY THIS SHOW: <\/strong> Music fans who are more interested in hearing some good music than moving around and mingling to ring in the new year.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n PEABODY HOTEL<\/strong><\/p>\n The Peabody is throwing “Aristocrunk New Year’s with Lord T and Eloise.” with a $35 cover.\u00a0 There’s also “The Scene” party for $25 with Andy Childs and the John Felix Trio.\u00a0 You can also get reservations for dinner at Capriccio ($95) or Chez Phillipe ($125), which includes complimentary admission to “The Scene.”\u00a0 The one year I went with a group to the Peabody New Year’s Eve party, there was a 25 minute line for drinks, 15 minute line to the men’s room, and drink prices were about 200% of what a reasonable person would pay.\u00a0 My group of friends and I were just about the only people there over 23.<\/p>\n WHO WILL LIKE THIS PARTY:<\/strong> People who want to spend a lot of money to brag that they were at the supposed “THE place to be” on New Year’s Eve; people who want to ogle barely legals in skimpy cocktail dresses; people who enjoy standing in long lines.\u00a0 In my eyes, second only to Beale Street on my list of parties to avoid.\u00a0 Even the presence of Lord T & Eloise doesn’t change my opinion.\u00a0 They’ll probably play Newby’s sometime in the next month; go see them then.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n PIG ON BEALE<\/strong><\/p>\n $5 cover for “Louisiana Mojo Queen” Ms. Zeno and the Guy Venable Band.<\/p>\n WHO WILL LIKE THIS PARTY:<\/strong> People who are already on Beale and get hungry and tired of standing in the cold.\u00a0 The Pig has some of the best ribs on Beale (I’d probably tie them with Blues City for first place).\u00a0 Zeno is one of the most underrated singers in Memphis.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n RED ROOSTER<\/strong><\/p>\n Red Rooster will have the band Nix for their New Year’s Eve party.\u00a0 It consists of the singer from Deep Shag, two former members of Snozberry who also played in Deep Shag, and an Ardent producer.<\/p>\n WHO WILL LIKE THIS PARTY:<\/strong> This is the Rooster’s first New Year’s Eve, so I have no past record to look back upon.\u00a0 My guess is, if you’ve enjoyed the Rooster on a very crowded Saturday night, you’ll probably like it for New Year’s Eve.\u00a0 See “Flying Saucer” for my best guess as to what the crowd will be like.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n RUM BOOGIE CAFE<\/strong><\/p>\n Dinner package with 3-course meal, guaranteed seating, party favors, and champagne for $85.\u00a0 Pam and Terry play from 5:30 to 9:30.\u00a0 James Govan and the Boogie Blues Band play from 10 to 2.\u00a0 Regular admission without guaranteed seating is $20.<\/p>\n WHO WILL ENJOY THIS PARTY: <\/strong>People from out-of-town who are willing to pay to guarantee themselves a seat to hear some good music; people who are part of the Beale Street crowd and want to come in out of the cold.\u00a0 These are two great acts, but they play Rum Boogie and other nearby restaurants all the time, so I can’t see a lot of Downtowners paying $85 or $20 to catch them unless they’re very dedicated fans.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n That’s all for now.\u00a0 If you know of anything I missed, e-mail me at paul@paulryburn.com.\u00a0 There MAY be a third draft if necessary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’ve heard about some more places Downtown throwing New Year’s Eve parties, and I’ve received additional details about some of the parties I already knew about.\u00a0 So here’s Take 2: AUTOMATIC SLIM’S There will be a set menu dinner at Slim’s at 6:30 and 8:30.\u00a0 At 10:30 Walrus takes the stage, and will play until … Continue reading “Second draft: What’s going on Downtown New Year’s Eve”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.paulryburn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2927"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.paulryburn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.paulryburn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.paulryburn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.paulryburn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2927"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.paulryburn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2927\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.paulryburn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.paulryburn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.paulryburn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}