There’s a particular gag that gets passed around every year during the last week of December that kills me, though I’ve seen it a hundred times. It’s a flyer for a typical New Year’s Eve party — AKA overpriced, full of obnoxious drunk dudes who seem to have never learned bar etiquette and irritating, wasted girls falling over in the street because they’re wearing impractical shoes. It speaks to a few sad truths about the holiday: Nearly everyone’s trying to take someone home and/or have the best night of their lives; nearly everyone wakes up the next day staring down a new year with a champagne headache, a boatload of regrets, and many fewer dollars than they woke up with on Dec. 31.
That said, let’s get excited for New Year’s Eve!!
No, really. Truth be told, it is entirely possible to have a good — dare I say great — last night of 2015. It just involves being willing to go with the flow, having no expectations of it being the Most Perfect Night Ever, and (on the planet where I live, at least) minimizing New Year’s Day remorse by not spending a bajillion dollars on a prix fixe menu and “complimentary” glass of champagne.
Here are some $20-and-under options around the Bay that will help you do just that.
Hella Saucey New Year’s Eve Bash hosted by Aima the Dreamer at Elbo Room, SF. It’s been a rollercoaster of a year for this beloved Mission Dive, culminating in the happy announcement that she’ll live to see 2018. Celebrate with a killer lineup of local DJs, emceed by underrated hip-hop maven Aima the Dreamer. $10; details here.
