What's Going on New Year's Eve 2011? Live Music in NYC

There's no shortage of live music in the New York area on New Year's Eve, and here's a selective guide to some of shows that still have tickets available (as of around 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 28th). Naturally, a lot of shows are sold out by this time, including Patti Smith at Bowery Ballroom, Gogol Bordello at Terminal 5, and Ted Leo & the Pharmacists at Maxwell's. But there are still some good shows you can get into, depending on your musical preferences, geographical area, and budget.

Deer Tick & friends play at Brooklyn Bowl on New Year's Eve.

Check out websites like the Oh My Rockness show list or Gig-o-Meter for more shows. For parties in NYC at bars, clubs, etc., with or without live music, see the MurphGuide New Year's Eve guide.

Here are some interesting shows that still have tickets as of late Wednesday night:

• The Damnwells play two shows at Rockwood Music Hall's Stage 2, at 8:30 (doors 7:30) and 11 (doors 10:30). Tickets are $20 for each show.
• Assembly of Dust with Jason Crosby & Lucy Chapin at Mercury Lounge, doors: 8:30. $35.
• Deer Tick & Friends (J. Roddy Walston and the Business, Dead Confederate, and Virgin Forest) at Brooklyn Bowl. Show at 8 p.m. (doors 6). $45.
• Matt & Kim at Hammerstein Ballroom, 9 p.m. $55 ($66.75 with fees).
• The Fleshtones, The Waldos (featuring Walter Lure of Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers), The Todd Youth All-Stars, The Threads, The Dead Tricks, and "a surprise performance by a secret rockabilly legend" at The Bowery Electric, 8:15 p.m. (7:30 doors). $20.
• Los Lobos at City Winery, 7:30 p.m. (5:30 seating); tickets from $60. (There may be literally one or two tickets available for the 11 p.m. Los Lobos show.)
• Gov't Mule at Beacon Theatre, 9 p.m. $59.50 to $84 ($73.35 to $100.45 with fees).
• Chuck Berry at B.B. King's, 8 p.m. (doors at 6) and 11 (doors at 10), $100 ($120 with fees).

Big Week at Maxwell's: Mike Doughty, Detroit Cobras & Fleshtones, & The English Beat Roll into Hoboken

The Detroit Cobras (shown here in Santa Fe in 2008) play a New Year's Eve show at Maxwell's. Photo: Steve Terrell.

The old year is ending with a bang, and the one's beginning the same way, at Maxwell's in Hoboken. The club has two shows on New Year's Eve, with Mike Doughty (formerly of Soul Coughing) performing at 7:30 ($25) and then a year-spanning garage-rock show with Detroit Cobras and The Fleshtones starting at 10:30 p.m. ($20 advance; $25 day of show). According to the Maxwell's website, tickets are still available for both shows.

Maxwell's starts off 2011 with The English Beat on New Year's Day (tickets are $20, and still available).  And the great shows keep coming in January: Dean Wareham (of Galaxie 500 and Luna) plays Galaxie 500 on Jan. 13th; Evan Dando & Juliana Hatfield play on Jan. 20th; Mission of Burma performs on the 28th; and one of my favorites, The Muffs, plays on Jan. 29th.

I haven't even mentioned that fact that the Guided by Voices reunion tour is coming to Maxwell's on Dec. 30th (because tickets seem to be sold out, at least on Ticketfly). But the show isn't listed as sold out, so tickets may be available at Other Music or Tunes (in Hoboken). Or, if you go to the club on the day of the show there might be folks looking to unload extra tickets that they can't use.

GbV sold out a couple of shows in NYC in short order, so a chance to see them at the intimate confines of Maxwell's would be a treat indeed.