This New Year’s Eve is a meeting of the minds and music and munching, and other mirth, that is in equal parts both old and even new. But the bands are tried and true.

Celebrate these good times for New Year’s Eve at the new 501 Tavern in North Hudson, the owners there say, and as they’ve already become known for, still have enough dough left over for that January money crunch time so you can buy bread until February, I say in a teasing way. Starting early at 4 p.m., get any two dinners, a bottle of any wine or champagne with a slice of chocolate cake for each of you … all for just $70. Ring in the New Year with them, for this first time around, they say, and they can’t wait. People a few years back had known that the previous venue at this location, Seasons Tavern, was known for their NYE extravaganza that in this case might have had Cake for music, but hey, try out this new tavern version!
And speaking of reasonable, The 501 will have their killer breakfast available — and patrons say try their said-to-be-great mimosa/bloodies too, as this is a day/night for revelry — on the morn of the eve also, just like they did over Christmas on the 24th! So a repeat on the 31st.
Another establishment is celebrating their first New Year’s, Louie’s, in the town of Hudson a few blocks west of the truck stop, just north of Interstate-94, in the former location of Paddy Ryan’s. They have quickly become known for their great baked, and more, take on fine dining, and cocktails, too. New Year’s Eve specials are: Lobster Risotto, featuring a full 9-ounce lobster tail, complete with a creamy parmesan risotto and grilled asparagus; and also Grilled Ribeye, a big 18-ounce bone-in ribeye, black truffle compound butter, wild mushroom risotto, and again, grilled asparagus.
And although it’s new, Louie’s is setting a standard, doing what few do these days, that being open for business on New Year’s Day.
The Bungalow Inn in Lakeland is a bit different having been around and established for years, and they are back in the driver’s seat with Sunday night’s return of the music show The Drive, starting at 9 p.m. (This accompanies a great food and drink selection, especially wines.) If you liked that band on Halloween, try out The Bungalow again! If you think you know them, they are versatile, as The Drive rolls on down the highway with hard driving rock from the ’70s and ’80s. Your commute to a smokin’ New Year’s — in part because their logo shows a cool highway-themed neon sign from back in that day — as the Bungalow provides a unique atmosphere to hear a band with their stage set-up and room for dancing.
And the Bungalow is open at 11 a.m. on New Year’s Day.
The GasLite in Ellsworth is offering their traditional and obviously popular New Year’s Eve, live music with the versatile band Coconut Tiger, which has also become popular at other venues across the area. But it got started with the GasLite. Their visual calling card is the blonde lead singer, who as I’ve written, bears a strong resemblence with both face and hair, and body shape and height, to a favorite bartender on the north end of things, and also my social-butterfly niece, and what’s new is that I’ve learned over the holidays that the latter is also a music fan, but with tastes far different than mine. I suggested that we do karaoke, but she was busy the night I pulled into Milwaukee, although she seemed intrigued. Maybe we could find common ground with tunes, later this weekend, over the music of Coconut Tiger? And maybe share breakfast the next day at the GasLite at 7 a.m.
Also with music, longtime local country legends Austin Healy hit The Emporium, coming back again onto the scene in a continuing way that makes one think of The Stones, also being on tour across states. And others. The venue with lots of bands could be thought of as Austin City Limits, being located at the Hudson city/town line. Near Louie’s. Fit both into your eve?
On the way this holiday falls — and this has been happening a lot in the last couple of years — those places that have the most live music, such as normally twice in a weekend, could now go full bore with bands as bookends to the usual two nights. Thus, is a four-day run of live music, as in full-on bands not just duos, that ends with Audio Circus, and as says my steely friend Dan who attends there a killer guitar show, as the year ends at Ziggy’s Hudson on the 31st. They got it rolling on Thursday evening. A buddy of mine who works at a liquor store across the street has off that whole time, plus Monday, though his store stays open until 9 p.m. throughout.

More on the holiday timings. When you are a Catholic …
If you go to St. Stephen’s in the Twin Cities, you still will have the same 6 p.m. service on The Eve, since it falls on a Sunday, and the next day there is the usual service that is held on The Day, since it is a Holy Day Of Obligation (or Opportunity, as a friend calls it), but she told me there is no service there much later on The Eve, even though it also is a HDOO. Too close together, I guess, so dispense? She said she will check with other churches.
One drug store, for example, on both the 24th and the 31st is closing at 2 p.m., rather than being closed all-together or pushing it off until later. Better munch on your holiday meal, depending on which one it is, quickly. And if you then need a weight loss pill … I did love the local gift-gathering opp that had taken donations for kids with needs all the way through the 24th.
Some libraries on Both Big Year-End Holidays closed on not only the Sunday and Monday, but also Saturday and even Friday. One area restaurant took off the Tuesday between, to carry forward even more the new trend to spend some added holiday time with your family,
The Minnesota Wild will have less time with their families and friends, then more, as they play Saturday around meal-time, then Sunday at 1 p.m., in a back-to-back with the Jets, then have off. But the Packers and Vikings — rather than the Jets of Aaron Rodgers — both go at it on New Year’s Eve at 7 p.m., and even venues offering nothing else in particular are still gearing up for that. Makes one yearn for the old Borderline Bar in Lakeland, and their Eve.
And the many other places, on the Wisconsin side but attracting many Minnesotans too, with not only the game, but then also deejays until 4 a.m., typically. Or even later, in the case of a few bars who still carry on that tradition.

— A (lowkey) preview of the night before New Year’s Eve.
A doorman outside the Smilin’ Moose, quickly said when asked, hardly anybody’s in here tonight. Prior to that comment, he told his fellow doorman that, “I hope you’ll feel better. Maybe if you get a drink of water …”
Here was part of the night’s non-standard jukebox mix at Hudson Tap: A song by Queen I’d never heard, known as I recognized Freddy Mercury’s voice; going back far further Gimme Shelter by the Stones; Highway To The Danger Zone and with the closer listen I heard a guitar flourish making me think of Motorhead; and back to Queen with Bohemian Rhapsody. Earlier there was something even more different, a song with much metal growl.
A fave bartender looked like she’d gotten cool Christmas presents, a big easily visible tattoo and killer nails. I told her, bringing a smile, “if a customer got too out of line, they could be daggers.” Then I accidentally gave her a bigger than my usual tip, another Christmas present.
On the way back, a man drew close to The Agave Kitchen wearing shorts, but a backpack, despite a trace of snow that had fallen. Earlier, I saw a guy in a T-shirt.
Last, didn’t have any word on the turnout at that day’s benefit at Jonesy’s Local, for Barbara Espy, a victim of the July boater accident over Hudson Booster Days. —

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