Assuming you wont be at home singing 'Auld Lang Syne' by yourself watching the ball drop on television, it'd be interesting to see where everyone plans to be when ringing in the New Year.

Some go to friends' parties, others hit up bars for some live, local music, while others are out clubbing. While it seems everyone is penny-pinching lately, do your fellow St. Louisans a favor and let us in on your cheap choice for celebrating New Year's this 2009/2010 season.

Calling all classical rock fanatics and Christmas music junkies! Chances are, if that got your attention, you already know about the steamroller coming in this Holiday Season, as they always include St. Louis in their extravagant winter tour. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is claiming to be doing it even better this year than previous years, so this will be a spectacle you will not want to miss, especially with the addition of their brand new songs. Hurry up and clear your calendar as they are only in St. Louis on December 12 and are offering a 3pm show (doors open at 2pm) or an 8pm show (doors open at 7pm) at the Scott Trade Center. Tickets typically sell out, so grab yours now. Tickets may be purchased at ticketmaster.com, the Scott Trade Center box office, or directly through the Trans-Siberian Orchestra directly by going to http://www.trans-siberian.com.

It’s time again for the 3 day long festivities of local music, food, entertainment, vendors, service providers, and artists. The US Bank sponsored Taste of Saint Louis begins October 2nd and carries on through the 4th  at Soldier’s Memorial. Come down town to this seasonal event for some tasty ribs, beer and other local cuisine while watching some of the most entertaining bands in the area compete in the Bud Light Tasty Band Competition. Entry is free, just bring cash for grub, booze, and some to donate to the Taste For Wishes (a partner in the Make-A-Wish foundation). Good food, good entertainment, and good giving - all in 1 place!

Flowers, Food & FREE entertainment, could an evening get much better? Missouri Botanical Gardens doesn’t think so, that’s why they’ve orchestrated the Whitaker Music Festival through out July & August. Depending on which specified date on their calendar (*see their website for more details), you could get in free between 9am-5pm or your entry may be free after 5pm. Want to try some local brisket sandwiches? Bring some cash, as food is available for purchase on site. Strapped for cash or looking for a cheap, but still romantic, date? Pack a picnic and bring a cooler – you’re allowed to bring in food after certain times.  The entertainment varies depending on the date, for example, on July 29th the entertainment is provided by Ralph Butler, but the quality is sure to never lack.

Another round of "free" concerts is comin up under the arch this July 17th, with a nice variety in the lineup.  Though last years location had to be moved a couple blocks due to the floods, this year it's expected to be back at the Riverfront. 

The main shows are scheduled to start around 8pm on the Budweiser stage, with a local band heading off at around 6pm, each Friday and Saturday from July 17th through August 1st.   Here's the lineup:

 

Looking for something to do on the upcoming 3 day weekend? Want some fun in the sun while listening to music and satisfying your hunger cravings all in one? If you answered yes to both questions you need to be downtown this weekend at the Soldier’s Memorial  (on Chestnut Street) for all of your entertainment pleasures.  There will be a variety of ribs and other tasty foods,  local and some out of town vendors, and of course music.

Most Thursday nights in St. Louis are spent watching "The Office" and eagerly anticipating the weekend nights out on the town, but now we have a new Thursday night ritual to look forward to; Retro Clash at Dantes. Brought to you by Rose Mortem and Ashton Nyte, of Intervention Arts, Retro Clash is a retro club night for those of us who are going to be ill if we have to hear that "Hey Mickey" song ever again. This is not your typical 80s party. Instead, Retro Clash is a dangerous and glittering smash-up of 1970s and 1980s glam, new wave, dark wave, rock and psychedelic melodies, peppered with modern acts inspired by the retro gods.

Schlafly is known for its great beer and for its two hotspots here in St. Louis: The Tap Room (down town) and The Bottleworks (Maplewood).  Each brewpub serves great food, excellent in quality, taste and price, and each brewpub offers private parties and events.  This spring and summer, head to the Schlafly Bottleworks for some fun events and some tasty beer. 

Are you a sucker for old school cars? If so, you should be at the Life Christian Center (off Hwy 30 in Fenton) on the first Friday of every month. The variety will change up as it will last through October:  some cars are local and some come from as far away as California. My advice is to go as early as possible (from 5:30pm-9pm) while it is still daylight and not as crowded. Last Friday seemed to have a trend of Corvettes, but it will change through out the spring, summer and fall varying from an over abundance of Mustangs or Cobras.

If you were to look up the term "hipster" in a dictionary, the definition might include a map of South Grand, the hipster's primary habitat. Located in South St. Louis City, on Grand south of Arsenal, lies the area locals commonly refer to as "South Grand". Although somewhat fairly stereotyped as an entertainment district teeming with Mopeds, indie/mod/punk kids, kinkiness, cooler than thou clubs, dirty bathrooms, art school drop-outs and extreme liberals, South Grand is so much more than that one-dimensional image.

"Everyone Knows I'm in Over My Head"...planning three and a half months in advance, for a concert  that is. If you haven't caught the reference yet,  The Fray, will be at St. Louis'  very own Verizon Wireless Ampitheater in Maryland Heights this summer, bringing all of their hit songs and some other numbers from their top selling albums.  I'm not sure about knowing "how to save a life" but I can at least give you a heads up - radio presale tickets go on sale March 20^th,   general public sales start March 21 at 10:30 a.m. and lawn seats (best seats in the house for dates  and groups of friends anyway!) are running at $14.00. Tickets are sure to go fast, so grab yours!

Coming soon to the Pageant near you...LES CLAYPOOL! The former Primus band member,  Leslie Edward Claypool will be gracing us St. Louisians with his electrifying sounds and die hard fans.  Be prepared to be blown  away with his strumming, finger-tapping, string slapping technique.

His original sound is worthy of tickets with prices ranging from $50-$100 (even though the Pageant is General Admission).  So far, the cheapest online ticket vendor for this event is http://www.wegoplaces.com/ and the cheapest price over all is $24.99 at the Pageant box office. Grab yours now so you can jam out to Les Claypool's wicked bass sounds on St. Patrick's Day! (His new album also comes out the same day: Of Fungi and Foes)