People to thank, places to go

Before I start listing off the many musical events happening this New Year’s Eve, I’d like to throw out some thanks to a few excellent people who have helped out the northern Maine music scene enormously over the past year (though the list certainly doesn’t end here).

. Patrick Anderson, promotions director for WMEB 91.9 FM in Orono, for tirelessly promoting every show in town, for organizing several popular band and DJ showcases at the Blues Cafe in Orono, and for generally being totally devoted to local music.

. Noel Walsh, who besides being a musician in his own right, has worked hard to bring music to more venues in Bangor, including a Battle of the Bands at Gemini and an open mic night at Club Fuzion every Wednesday.

. Sean Smith and TJ Jozefowicz of Queen City Productions and Flophouse Records, for bringing major hip-hop acts to Maine, while supporting local rappers.

. Everyone at the Underground in Bangor, for providing a place for the under 21 crowd to see bands, and for having live and local music on a weekly basis.

Mad props to all. Without you, 2006 would definitely not have been the same. And in that spirit, why don’t you ring in the new year with one of these fantastic local events?

Bangor: The city of Bangor sponsors “Downtown Countdown,” featuring movies, dance, activities for kids, a ball drop and, of course, lots of free music, including bluegrass band Evergreen at the Bangor Opera House, the Andy Mead Band and Ragged Moon at Bagel Central, Celtic music by Ladies of the Lake at the Unitarian Universalist Church, and the RetroRockerz at the Union Street Brick Church. For information, visit www.downtownbangor.com.

Elsewhere in Bangor, Fuzion on Franklin Street holds a year-end semiformal bash starting at 9 p.m., featuring three live bands and a champagne toast for $10; and Carolina Sports and Spirits on Union Street also features live music.

Belfast: New Year’s By the Bay is now in its 10th year. Besides the annual takeover of all of Belfast’s downtown area by countless vendors, poets, artists and more, there are a number of live music performances, including indie rock band Full Contact Kitty, Shawn Mercer and the Boondock Blues Band, reggae group Straight Up, gypsy jazz trio Ameranouche, swing band Three Button Deluxe and many more. A $10 badge buys you entry into all the events; for information, visit www.nybb.org.

Bucksport: Starting at 9 p.m. the Gilpin Railroad Incident will rock the house with its good old-fashioned roots rock well into 2007 at Tozier’s II on Route 1. Also in Bucksport, Jeezum Crowe, a rock quartet from Orland, plays at The View, located on Main Street. A champagne toast, buffet and party favors are included with the $10 cover charge – and, as the name implies, a spectacular view of the brand new Penobscot Narrows Bridge, which opens to traffic Saturday, Dec. 30.

Camden: Hot Day at the Zoo of Lowell, Mass., stops into Gilbert’s Public House to ring in the new year with its propulsive, modern take on bluegrass and old-timey music. Show starts at 9 p.m., the cover is $5, and the fun is all yours.

Orono: Soma 36 on Main Street holds its yearly New Year’s party. This time around there will be music by Orono punk-rock upstarts Duck and Cover and the jazz-funk stylings of Big Time, as well as several DJs. The fun starts at 9 p.m., and there’s $5 cover that includes a champagne toast.

Also in Orono, a bunch of local bands have planned an indie rock party at the Keith Anderson Community Center, located on Bennoch Road. 1800’s Sea Monster, Cold Water Armies, Outspoken, GTSK, Anglos Animalia and Hat Trick Avenue round out a bill that starts at 7 p.m., with a $5 cover. Best of all – all proceeds go to benefit relief efforts in Darfur, Sudan.

Portland: The city of Portland may have canceled its official NYE celebrations, but there are plenty of venues serving up live music. Geno’s on Congress Street features the rockabilly spectacle of Sasquatch and the Sickabillys; Portland favorites As Fast As will rock the Asylum, located on Center Street; 1980s tribute band The Awesome plays at the Big Easy, located on Market Street; and King Memphis and the Hot Dogs play a NYE party at the Space Gallery on Congress Street.

Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangordailynews.net.