A GOOD BET Gregg Allman rings in the New Year at Twin River. |
Your usual lackadaisical approach to New Year's Eve — just see what happens and go with the flow — is not going to cut it this year. So to help you make this one count, here are some sure-thing NYE happenings, and some suggestions for the first day of '10.
MIDNIGHT RIDER
That natural drawl that GREGG ALLMAN developed while growing up in Florida has always brought a heartbreaking texture to the ballads he sings. Check his deep lament on tunes like "Please Call Home" or "All My Friends" — a half-growl, half-sob drives the emotion. The lead singer of the Allman Brothers Band is a terrific keyboard player, but it's his vocals that stick in your head. Zealots are probably freaking that their man is celebrating the start of 2010 at Twin River, 100 Twin River Road, Lincoln. During their summer tours, and certainly at their annual visits to New York's Beacon Theater, Gregg and company keep their venues mobbed — the aging rocker with the wild past has cleaned up and his music has been revitalized. "Writing a new song will help you feel young," he told South Coast Today last year. "It will make you feel better physically. Making music has always made me feel good; makes me wish that everyone had a passion like this." See if the strong reviews he earns playing solo are in line with what goes down at the River at 8:30 pm | $50.50-$40.50 | 877.82.RIVER | twinriver.com
MAGIC IN THE NIGHT
There are many things to absorb when it comes to New Year's Eve, but this time 'round it's probably best if you keep your eyes on the disappearing women, torso-less men, and floating children that illusionist David Garrity uses in his act. Yep, the Bright Night festivities are working a bit of magic to kick off 2010. Garrity's ILLUSIONQUEST show is all about the fake out. Exactly how does he free himself from those chains before the metal spikes fall to skewer him? In an evening of wild artistic acts and runaway creativity, he's going to be a big drawing card — especially if the temperature turns out to be as cold as it has been. The Rhode Island Convention Center, 1 Sabin Street, Providence, is where the tricks will take place at 6, 8, and 10 pm | brightnight.org
FOOLING AROUND
The activity seems to surround you when you're a Bright Nighter — sometimes literally so. Be on the lookout for Chris Turner, Rachel Maloney, and their gaggle of frolicking friends, known on New Year's Eve as THE BANISHED FOOLS. They'll roam the streets, bum rush bistros and barrooms, and goad citizens into seeing life from their merry perspective from 4:30 to 11:30 pm. If they happen by you with their whistles, horns, and drums, consider it a mitzvah, and a little nudge little toward the cheery side of life | brightnight.org
