BARRY COURTER: Lisa, Friday is New Year’s Eve, or as my more regular bar-hopping friends call it, amateur night. There are several big events planned, and most of the local clubs will have NYE-related specials as well.
LISA DENTON: The older I get, the more likely I am to have to set my alarm clock to celebrate, but there are bunches and bunches of ways to ring in the new year. From The Beaters’ 25th anniversary party at the Chattanooga Choo Choo to the official christening of the new bar The Honest Pint, there are plenty of options beyond watching the ball drop on TV.
BARRY: I wonder if anybody has attended every one of the Beaters’ New Year gigs. I mean besides Randy and Terryl and the other guys in the band. The Stratoblasters are at The Chattanoogan, and The Breakfast Club is at the Chattanooga Convention Center. No Big Deal is also on the Delta Queen. All of those places offer a room right on-site, so you can party and not have to even think about getting out on the roads.
LISA: That should be priority No. 1. If you’re going to be the designated drunk, then you need a designated driver or a room to stumble to when they turn out the lights and the party’s over.
That said, we listed 25 places to celebrate in Friday’s FYI Weekend to give people time to plan. We’ll run the list again this Friday for those who need a point in the right direction. A lot of places have live bands, and some will have DJs. You can even send 2010 packing with a comedian at The Comedy Catch or the funny cast of the dinner shows at Vaudeville Cafe.