So it looks like this New Year’s Eve is going to be pretty unique for me – I’m actually going to be in the town in which I live (i.e., Chicago).

For as long as I can remember, I’ve gone out of town over New Year’s for one reason or another, whether it was to visit friends in Chicago or Miami, to attend a friend’s wedding in Hell Buenos Aires, to see the final Guided By Voices shows at the Metro (while I was living in NYC), or to see The Frames do their annual NYE show in Dublin.

But unless something changes this year, it looks like I’m staying put in the upper midwest. And what’s a music blogger to do other than try to see some bands that night?

Luckily, there’s a ton of interesting Chicago-area (and beyond) options this year, so I figured I’d keep a running list of them here. This is a bit of a work-in-progress, and I’ll add things as I find them. If I’m missing anything, please feel free to drop a comment with info.

As always, my picks in bold. Updates will be in italics.

Chicago-Area (And Beyond) NYE Shows
Aragon: Umphrey’s McGee
Beat Kitchen: Pegboy, Shot Baker
Bottom Lounge: Todd Hembrook & The Hemispheres, Lowdown Brass Band
Congress Theater: Girl Talk
Double Door: Local H, Electric Six
Empty Bottle: Jens Lenkman
House of Blues: Big Head Todd and the Monsters
House of Blues (Back Porch): Urge Overkill
Lincoln Hall: The Fiery Furnaces
Logan Square Auditorium: Crystal Castles (Live and DJ sets), DJ Alex Zelenka
Metro: The Jesus Lizard
Metro (Smart Bar): Santiago
Quenchers Saloon: Tight Phantomz
Reggie’s Music Joint: Supersuckers
Reggie’s Rock Club: The Tossers, Teen Idols, Yakuza, Scott Lucas and His Married Men
Riverside Theater (Milwaukee): Spoon, Jay Reatard
Riviera: Black Keys, Kurt Vile and the Violators
Schubas: Bobby Bare, Jr., David Vandervelde
Subterranean: Margot & The Nuclear So and Sos
The Vic: Pretty Lights