Mountain of New Year's Shows

A Mountain of New Year Shows
By Tim Hurley


With the close of each year comes reflections of the past, promises for today, and dreams for the future.  It brings opportunity for change and a sense of rebirth.  It also lends way to one helluva celebration, none done better than the fiestas thrown by jambands each New Year's Eve.  From The Grateful Dead at Winterland to Phish at Big Cypress the New Year's Eve show has been the most glamorized and anticipated performance of the year.

This year will be no exception as the scene's hottest acts are already gearing up to rock your socks off on the biggest night on the calendar.  The opportunities are abundant, as artists will be spread out across every corner of America and beyond. 

San Francisco will once again be swimming in the String Cheese Incident's seventh annual "Sea of Dreams" held at the Concourse Exhibition Center with a host of opening acts including Lotus, the Pnuma Trio, and many more.  New York's own moe. will be performing at the historic Radio City Music Hall in New York City.  Chicago will welcome hometown heroes Umphrey's McGee to the Aragon Ballroom for a three night run tabbed "All Roads Lead to Chicago", anchored by special guests North Mississippi Allstars (12/29), Los Lobos (12/30), and Taj Mahal (12/31).

Other notable acts that have confirmed NYE shows include Tea Leaf Green w/The Brakes in Philadelphia, Sound Tribe Sector Nine in Atlanta, Gov't Mule w/Toots Hibbert at the Beacon Theater in New York City, Perpetual Groove in Charleston, Derek Trucks Band and Susan Tedeschi in Atlanta, Railroad Earth in Philadelphia, Gregg Allman and Devon Allman's Honeytribe in New York, and for those looking for some international flavor can see Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons in Costa Rica or the Wolfmothers in Australia.

With so many options for fans to see great year-end performances, some are banging their heads on where to go and who to see.  Well those with the means need to look no further than the great mountain state of Colorado, which will host no less than six marquee acts in just about every major city.

Leading the way is newgrass kings and Colorado-bred Yonder Mountain String Band, who will bring their New Year's Eve Extravaganza back again to the revered Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, along with special guest Keller Williams (more openers will be announced soon).  This is the 3rd straight year YMSB has performed a New Year's show at the Fillmore, and it is sure to be another memorable evening full of hot bluegrass on a usually chilly evening.

Denver will also heat up with a three night run of California troubadours New Monsoon and Hot Buttered Rum at the now famous Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom.  These two acts are getting quite used to playing with each other, so these three shows should be nothing short of magical.

Just a half hour northwest in Boulder fans have the tough call of either hearing the hard rockin' hometown trio of Rose Hill Drive (who are coming off a sensational year of touring, even opening for the Who) for two nights at the beautiful Boulder Theater in which they plan to cover a classic album of their choice followed by another set of originals, or spinning to the psychedelic jams of the popular Dead-again cover band Dark Star Orchestra for 4 straight nights at the Fox Theater.

Speaking of psychedelic jams, those older fans looking to relive the past or the young and curious can travel south to the City Auditorium in Colorado Springs to hear members of Jefferson Starship, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jazz is Dead, and short time Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten blast off in this Air Force city.

Rounding out this state's already stellar lineup of performances is rockabilly legends the Reverend Horton Heat who will play the Aggie Theater in Fort Collins, where the Fat Tire will be flowing and faces will be glowing.

So whether you spend the New Year's weekend in Colorado, New York, Georgia, California, Illinois, or elsewhere you are guaranteed to find worthy artists giving it their all musically, providing the soundtrack of 2006 and an appropriate prelude to what hopes to be an even better 2007.


Published October 2006 by Jammed Online Music Magazine (www.jammedonline.com)
http://www.jammedonline.com/newyearsshows.html