Feel lucky? The bingo hall at Casino del Sol, 5655 W. Valencia Road, is the site of a show that includes dinner, party favors and a champagne or apple cider toast at midnight, in addition to a trio of performers. In order of appearance: Albert Zamora y Talento, Joel Guzman and Aztex and headliner Flaco Jimenez, the wildly talented Tex-Mex accordionist who was a member of The Texas Tornados, a supergroup that also included the late Doug Sahm, Freddy Fender and Augie Meyers. After the show, the casino promises "the largest fireworks display in Tucson." The show begins at 8 p.m., and advance tickets are available for $55 by calling 838-6700 or ordering online at ticketmaster.com. For more information, head to casinodelsol.com. 21 and up.
Billed as New Year's Eve Winter Wonderland, the inside of Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St., will be turned into a ski lodge tonight with hot toddies, lobby entertainment and a full disco inside Club Congress, with tunes being spun by the ultra-funky DJ Buttafly. Meanwhile, the hotel's parking lot will feature performances from Giant Sand, with his full Danish lineup, and Danish pop star Marie Frank. (Get it? Denmark is cold!) To add to the mood, snow machines will create the illusion that it's actually cold in Tucson; pine trees and winter faeries will complete the décor; and at midnight, there will be a New Year's Eve ball drop from the hotel roof. Things begin at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are $12, available at the hotel's front desk or at hotelcongress.com. They'll be $15 at the doors. For more information, call 622-8848. 21 and up.
Operating under the maxim, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," City Limits, 6350 E. Tanque Verde Road, will host the Second Annual Forbidden Nights Masquerade Ball, which the club describes as "a surreal fantasy fading into a single night of dance and celebration." DJ B-Rad will be spinning Top 40 hits and '80s and '90s dance music, and the venue will offer a limited amount of masks--but feel free to bring your own. The night also includes party favors, a balloon drop and a champagne toast at midnight. Doors open at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are available for $15 at the City Limits box office, or by calling 733-6262. They'll be $25 on the day of the event. 21 and up.
Plush, 340 E. Sixth St., plays host to a trio of fine local bands tonight. Things kick off at 9:30 p.m. with the inventive Golden Boots (who include two former members of the Galactic Federation of Love), followed by the rock-solid guitar pop of The Deludes. Headlining the show is none other than one of Tucson's pre-eminent party bands, Spacefish, who undoubtedly have oodles of special surprises tucked away in their sleeves--assuming they're actually wearing clothes, that is. Tickets are $10, available in advance at virtuous.com. Call 798-1298 for more information. 21 and up.
Fully re-opened under new ownership and management, The Hut, 305 N. Herbert Ave., brings together two rather disparate up-and-coming local bands tonight. Opening the show is punk-pop-rock quartet Mercury's Revenge, who will be followed by Cosmic Slop, a 14-piece funk ensemble in the vein of Parliament/Funkadelic. Cover is just $5. For more information, call 623-3200. 21 and up.
Located in the space previously occupied by 7 Black Cats, The District Tavern, 260 E. Congress St., tonight forgoes its trusty jukebox in favor of a rare night of live music. The lineup features the gritty Delta blues of Tom Walbank, the breakneck-speed, punk-informed rock and roll of The Knockout Pills, and the funk/hip-hop of Mankind. Admission is free. Call 792-0081 for more information. 21 and up.
Che's Lounge, 346 N. Fourth Ave., will be featuring a live performance by The Jons, one of Tucson's most versatile bands. Music will begin around 10:30 p.m. As always, there's no cover, and a midnight toast is expected. For more information, call 623-2088. 21 and up.
Tucson's kings of rockabilly, the swaggering Al Foul and The Shakes, will be taking over Vaudeville Cabaret, 110 E. Congress St., starting around 11:30 p.m. Cover should be minimal. Call 622-3535 for more information. 21 and up.
The Surly Wench Pub, 424 N. Fourth Ave., is largely known for booking harder-edged bands, and New Year's Eve is no exception, as Hellride, the Wasted Aces and Dirteater will all turn in live sets. Things begin at 10 p.m., and your $5 cover includes a champagne toast at midnight. For more information, call 882-0009. 21 and up.
College hang and sports bar O'Malley's, 247 N. Fourth Ave., hosts a celebration that includes a live DJ, drink specials, party favors and a giant balloon drop at midnight. Admission is free. Call 623-8600 for more information. 21 and up.
Those looking to get out of town for the night would do well in heading to La Mision de San Miguel, 335 McKeown Ave., in Patagonia. There are two options, one including dinner, and one not. Judging from the mouth-watering menu for the evening--which includes pork ribs with raspberry chipotle glaze, cornish hens, rice pilaf, artichoke-heart salad and much more--the $55 ticket (which includes tax and gratuity) looks well worth it. Dinner begins at 7 p.m., followed at 8:30 p.m. by dancing and live music, courtesy of Blues Cubed. For those who wish to only attend the latter portion of the evening, admission is $15. Both options include a free champagne toast at midnight. Evening attire is requested. To make reservations via Visa or Mastercard, call 394-2102. For more information, call 394-0123, or head to lamisionpatagonia.com.
