Jingle Bells and Disco Balls

Since there’s not a whole lot else happening this weekend, let’s take a quick look at some of your options for that big nightlife holiday NYE, next Thursday.

The Humboldt reggae massive will gather at Humboldt Brews where Ishi Dube and Massagana bring irie vibes with special guests Winstrong and Vidagua. The New Year’s Eve Bash at Central Station features the band Journal readers chose as Best of 2009, Saint John and the Sinners, laying down blues and such. (Bonus: free admission.) The party at Blue Lake Casino has NightHawk playing blues and rock in the big room, the Sapphire Palace. The Michael Paul Band is back for an evening of country rock at Bear River Casino. Riverwood Inn has the Back In The Daze New Years Eve Party with “old skool rock ’n’ roll” and Loreen’s famous midnight buffet.

You can read about a few more NYE bashes of widely varying types in the calendar section. (To my taste the Arcata Playhouse shindig with the D-Nats and Rooster McC sounds best of those three.) There’s undoubtedly much more happening next Thursday, but this being the end of the month and the holidays and all, we have not yet heard from some of the clubs and cafes likely to be throwing parties. We’ll have more details next week. Incidentally, if you’re seeking uninhibited wildness, you can always just stop by the Arcata Plaza where Wild Bill McKinley has become a magnet for raucous behavior.

And don’t forget, this is not just the end of a year, it’s the end of a decade — the Oughts, or the ’00s or whatever. Time magazine called it “the worst decade ever,” but I’m not certain I agree. Sure we went through a lot of bad stuff — wars, fear and loathing galore, the financial collapse and so on — but there were plenty of good things happening too, at least there were in my life. If I can just kick this cold that’s grabbed hold of me as the year draws to a close, I’ll be ready for a better brighter decade ahead. That’s how I feel today anyway; then again, maybe it’s just the cold medicine talking. Anyway, best wishes for the holidays. Keep humming.

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