All isn’t quiet … New Year’s has Vegas what else? bustling

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Dec. 27, 2002 | 9:17 a.m.

So you're thinking about heading to a New Year's Eve concert Tuesday? Time to decide who you want to hear sing "Auld Lang Syne."

This year's Las Vegas New Year's offerings run the gamut of musical tastes, from country to hip-hop, current stars to nostalgic acts.

Of course, the Strip will also be home to its usual array of productions, including "O," "Mystere" and the final showing of "EFX Alive" at MGM Grand, as well as a slate of regular area performers, among them Wayne Newton, Siegfried & Roy, David Copperfield and Blue Man Group.

But if you're searching for an event you might not have a chance to see again in the year to come, here is a quick look at some of the top New Year's Eve attractions:

Popular singer/songwriter/guitarist Sheryl Crow returns to town for an 8 p.m. show at The Venetian Ballroom, her second Las Vegas appearance in a little more than three months. Her fourth studio album, "C'mon C'mon" was released this year to mostly positive reviews, producing the top-10 single "Soak Up the Sun." Tickets are $72 and $87. Call 597-5970.

Alternative rock veterans the Red Hot Chili Peppers play the second of two shows at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. The band is touring behind its latest release, "By the Way," and preparing to head to Europe for more than two months of scheduled dates. Tickets are $202.50. Call 693-5000.

Country music band Alabama visits the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts at 9 p.m. Best known for such 1980s hits as "Mountain Music" and "Tennessee River," the group has continued to record new material, releasing "When It All Goes South" in 2001. This show is kicking off its farewell tour. Tickets are $88, $128 and $178. Call 785-5000.

Pop hitmaker Sugar Ray performs at 8:30 p.m at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. Since shedding their funk-metal roots, the Southern Californians have released a string of successful singles, including "Fly," "Every Morning" and "When It's Over." Tickets are $50, $75 and $100. Call 632-7600.

House of Blues also hosts a full night of DJ music, with Crystal Method, Dirty Vegas, Sandra Collins, Michael Fuller and Robert Oleysyck slated to spin tunes, beginning at 9 p.m. The event will kick off in the House of Blues' restaurant before moving into the concert venue after Sugar Ray's set ends. Tickets are $75, $175 and $1,250 for four-person VIP packages. Call 632-7600.

Former Commodores vocalist Lionel Richie teams up with comedian Sinbad for a 9 p.m. double-bill in Paris Las Vegas' Grand Ballroom. Best known for composing such 1980s hits as "You Are," "All Night Long (All Night)" and "Dancing on the Ceiling," Richie has recorded sporadically over the past decade. Sinbad, who began his career as a stand-up comic, has appeared in numerous films and television shows over the years. Tickets are $95 and $105. Call 946-4567.

Grandmaster Flash, one of the founding fathers of hip-hop, holds court at Rain in the Desert at the Palms at 10 p.m. The DJ has released two compilations this year -- "The Official Adventures of Grandmaster Flash" and "Essential Mix: Classic Edition" -- and can also be seen regularly on HBO's "The Chris Rock Show." Tickets are $150 in advance or $200 at the door. Call 947-8833.

Longtime pop tandem Hall & Oates arrive at the Bally's Event Center at 9 p.m. The pair, who released their most recent studio album in 1997, gained popularity behind a succession of top-20 singles in the 1980s, including "You Make My Dreams," "Private Eyes" and "Maneater." Tickets are $75, $85 and $100. Call 739-4111.

Veteran rock act Huey Lewis & the News complete a four-night stand at the Las Vegas Hilton Theater at 9 p.m. The group, a fixture on FM stations during the 1980s, released its first album of original material in 10 years in 2001, "Plan B." Tickets are $63, $74 and $85. Call 732-5755.

Downtown Las Vegas' Fremont Street Experience hosts its annual New Year's Eve celebration, with swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and album rockers .38 Special headlining a parade of live acts. Electronic fireworks on the overhead canopy are scheduled for midnight. Tickets are $30. Call 678-5723.

The "Beatlemania Classical Mystery Tour" rolls into town for 9 p.m. shows Monday and Tuesday at Paris Las Vegas' Le Theatre Des Arts. The show features a Beatles cover band backed by a 45-piece orchestra, performing hits from throughout the Fab Four's celebrated career. Tickets are $65 for Monday, $85 for New Year's Eve. Call 946-4567.

Comic David Brenner wraps up a three-night run -- part of his "Laughter to the People" tour -- at the Suncoast Showroom with a New Year's Eve show at 7:30 p.m. The popular funnyman has made more "Tonight Show" appearances than any other guest in the show's history. Tickets are $40, $45 and $50. Call 636-7075.

And lastly, combining music and comedy, lounge singer Richard Cheese & Lounge Against the Machine entertain at 1 a.m. at Sunset Station's Club Madrid. As its name suggests, the group performs lounge versions of modern rock, R&B and hip-hop hits, including songs by Britney Spears, Puddle of Mudd and Weezer. Tickets are $20. Call 547-7777.