Dallas, if you want to ring in 2014 with some good live music, look no further. We have compiled comprehensive guides to all of the city's best New Year's Eve shows, for every different kind of music fan's budget. Today, we bring you the best offerings with cover charges a little more than the shows we told you about on Friday, but less than $200. And yes, you can spend more than $200 on NYE. We'll tell you how later in the week, in case you are Mark Cuban or prone to terrible decision-making.
New Years Eve with Jack Ingram: Acoustic Motel Kessler Theater, $20-$190 - 8:30pm Hailing from The Woodlands, Texas- SMU alum and country singer/songwriter Jack Ingram will stop into The Kessler for an intimate performance. With his strong local ties, Ingram is a treasured favorite to many Dallas country fans. Of the many ticket packages available, suite rental sold out a couple of weeks back. Expect a big turnout for this one.
New Years Eve Ball at Sons Of Hermann Hall Sons of Hermann Hall, $25-$35 If you'd like to ring in the new year dancing cheek to cheek, Sons of Hermann Hall is the place to be. Presented by The Rhythm Room, the night will kick off at 7pm with $15 barbeque plates at the door while supplies last. Before the bands start up, a dance lesson will run until 8:30pm, when The Singapore Slingers take the stage. Headlining the night and playing through the countdown is Matt Tolentino and His Swing Wing.
3LAU HAUSE Lizard Lounge, $30-$50 For years, hardcore house music fans and EDM heads have been spending their New Years Eve at Lizard Lounge. This year will likely be no different, with their booking of college aged progressive house wunderkind, 3LAU. This is going to be another go-hard or go home kind of experience, as the show runs from 9pm to 4am. If you can hang, VIP is very reasonably priced at $50. Considering how long it will run, it's definitely worth a table.
PANOPTIKON's Annual NYE Masquerade Party Exklusive, $20-$100 Experimental synthpop is a huge part of the Dallas music scene, and true fans go to DJ Lord Byron's PANOPTIKON parties for their fix. Alongside Son of Sam, Byron promises a music format that covers the genre across the board. According to the duo, attendees can expect to hear "Everything from Nine Inch Nails, New Order, Ladytron, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more!". A complimentary champagne toast will be provided at midnight, and a nearby Holiday Inn is offering 20 discounted rooms for guests of PANOPTIKON. Obviously, this is what you call a win-win-win.
Jonathan Tyler and The Northern Lights, Quaker City Nighthawks, and The Roomsounds Granada Theater, $24-$80 With the holiday, comes yet another treasured Dallas tradition. For six years now, Jonathan Tyler and The Northern Lights have booked their New Years Eve gig at Lower Greenville's historic Granada Theater. What better way to spend the beginning of 2014 then basking in some good old fashion Southern-tinged rock and roll?
Mingo Fishtrap The Live Oak, $30 Are you looking for a little more get down for your get down this New Years Eve? The Live Oak in Fort Worth may just have the cure to what ails you. The Austin-based funk/soul/pop fusion group will do more than suffice for the grown & sexy crowd. Don't forget your dancing shoes. The doors open early at 7pm. Enferno Sisu, $25 Enferno is a long-time Washington DC based DJ, turntablist. He was hand selected by Madonna's music director Kevin Antunes, to be the touring deejay for her 2008 Sticky and Sweet Tour. This New Years Eve, he brings his signature blend of live and improvisational production and sampling to Uptown Dallas. Sisu will provide a complimentary champagne toast, and party favors.
N Y g(EE) South Side Music Hall, $25-$50 There's no denying it, folks. This is going to be a downright blast. Dallas' favorite funk and soul crooning fella, Larry g(EE) has put together a lineup that even the most sour of pusses could dance the night away for. East Dallas binge drinking pop-rockers Party Police will join the locally revered Hall and Oates tribute band, Rich Girls, to fill out the evening's festivities. VIP tickets include private bar and lounge access, along with a split of champagne.
A Neon NYE with ISHI The Dram, $45-$50 This Knox-Henderson area party boasts one of the most prominent Dallas synthpop bands of the last few years, along with special guest DJ Augat. Ishi rarely disappoints live, and the house-influenced pop melodies will keep you on your feet. Grey Goose Vodka and Perriet Jouet are sponsoring, and bottle service reservations are available.
Old 97's, Hickoids, RTB2 House of Blues, $30-$60 Dallas' hometown heroes, and one of the most adored bands in town, will hit House Of Blues main room this New Years Eve. This one is sure to be a high energy and beer swilling good time with this city's favorite alt-country good old boys. Opening acts Hickoids and RTB2 fit the bill nicely, and represent Dallas' scope on the genre well.
Dallas Bach Society's New Years Eve Celebration Concert Church of the Incarnation, $25-$50 This year, the Dallas Bach Society invites Clare Cason to perform Vivaldi's The Four Seasons with their orchestra. Cason is a prominent classically trained violinist in the city, and is known in particular for playing a mean Irish fiddle. She regularly plays with the Trinity Hall Session Players. If you're looking for a regal way to greet 2014, you could do a lot worse than a orchestra.
X Gas Monkey Bar and Grill, $35-$75 Gas Monkey Bar and Grill is a recent venture from local reality television good ol boys, Aaron Kaufman and Richard Rawlings. Their hit Discovery Channel show, Fast N Loud, is now in it's fourth season and continues to be a success. The bar, a passion project, is a music venue by night and has booked some pretty impressive shows in the last half of 2013. The seminal LA '77 punk band, X, is definitely the most impressive yet.
See also: -The 100 Best Texas Songs: The Complete List -The Ten Most Badass Band Names in DFW -The Best Bands in DFW: 2012 Edition -Photo Essay: The Tattoos of Dallas' Nightlife Scene
