Kissing in the New Year

Dec. 28, 2005

It’s that time of year again. When you get to drink champagne, put on crazy party hats, throw confetti, blow those noisemakers, sing Auld Lang Syne and kiss strangers at midnight. Yes it is time to go out with the old and welcome in the new. It is time to put to close 2005 and celebrate the possibilities and resolutions for 2006.
Anyways, back to kissing strangers at midnight. Not sure when or how this tradition developed but the bottom line is you want to make sure you are at the right place at midnight. After all if you are going to be kissing someone that is not your significant other you want to make sure that they are a good kisser. Here are three suggestions as to where the areas best kissers will be gathered to ring in the New Year.
A note on New Year’s Eve kissing etiquette: unlike the mistletoe during Christmas, you are not obligated to kiss everyone that comes in your path on New Year’s Eve, so be selective and make it count. Also French-kissing (anyone besides your date) is not acceptable and is usually a signal that someone else should drive.

Bourbon Street New Year’s Eve 2005:
Blues at Midnight featuring Tab Benoit (Grand Traverse Resort)

Now fans of the blues are good kissers so the Grand Traverse Resort is definitely the place to be this New Year’s Eve. With New Orleans still recovering from Katrina, visiting the Bayou for good music and food is somewhat challenging, so the Resort is bringing it all to the north instead.
Grand Traverse Resort General Manager Andrew Bateman is a big fan of the blues, so a couple of years ago when he caught Rod Piazza at the Dennos Museum he booked the band to come back 10 months later to play the Resort’s New Year’s Eve party. Last year’s party was a huge success and Bateman knew it would be tough to follow up. So he went back to the Dennos and caught New Orleans-based blues guitarist Tab Benoit. Bateman saw how Benoit wowed the crowd and he immediately asked Benoit to come for this year’s Resort party.
At 38, Benoit has become the poster boy of the modern blues scene. His good looks and sizzling Cajun-blues guitar riffs have caught the attention of blues fans all over the world. He just won the 2005 Blues Award (the blues industry’s version of the Grammy, formally known as the Handy Award) for Contemporary Blues Album of the Year (“Fever on the Bayou”) as well as taking home the honors as Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year.
Growing up outside of New Orleans in the oil town of Houma, Benoit was given some advice as a teenager that stuck with him as he chose his career path.
“This club owner told me that if I could learn to play the blues I would always find a job,” said Benoit. “The problem was not finding a job but finding a way to make more than the 13 bucks a night he was paying me.”
Benoit is definitely commanding more than $13 a show these days. He is one of the most sought-after acts on the circuit. His songs have made it on numerous television shows including “Northern Exposure,” “Melrose Place,” “Party of Five” and “Baywatch” (he was even asked to perform on the program).
In addition to great blues from Benoit the Resort is going all out with an authentic New Orleans style dinner. The menu includes Arcadia Shrimp, Blue Crab and Andouille Sausage Cakes with Corn Red Pepper Relish in a Green Tabasco Butter Sauce, Petit Romaine Lettuce Crumbled Black Diamond White Cheddar Cheese with Caramelized Peanuts, Spiced Red Wine, Poached Pears Sherry Vinaigrette, Grilled Filet of Prime Beef with Crawfish in a Creole Mustard Sauce, White Corn Grits and Petit Green Beans, Pecan Praline Cream with Essence of Absentes.
For info visit the Resort’s website www.grandtraverseresort.com or give them a call for reservations 231-534-6000. A tip for men: don’t let your date near the stage at midnight as one kiss from Tab Benoit and she might be New Orleans bound.

Post Bar New Years Eve Adventure
Boyne Mountain Civic Center

Skiers are always great kissers and Boyne Mountain has a lot of skiers. New this year is their Post Bar “Heads North” New Year’s Eve Party.
Now the good folks at Boyne are saying that this isn’t a “party, it’s an adventure.” There is some truth to that for anyone that knows the history of the Post Bar. The Post Bar (the original one, as more have since opened) is located in Detroit at the corner of Cass & Congress and is the classic “dive” bar. Its popularity took off in the 1980s as college students and others would road-trip for miles to come and hang out and dance to tunes playing from the jukebox. Anyone that ever made it to the Post Bar knows that it is an “adventure.”
Popularity of the Post Bar continued in the 1990s as a live DJ; dance music and Red Wing players and other NHL legends frequented the bar after games (it is located a block from Joe Louis). Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky would drop in a spin records, Darren McCarty was known to sing Pearl Jam tunes and numerous players took turns bartending.
So Boyne is on to something here, as Post Bar patrons know how to have a good time and their parties are legendary. Bringing the Post Bar experience on the road to the partyer is a great concept and with hundreds of rooms on their property there is no reason to be on the road after enjoying the “Post Bar Adventure.” Festivities start at 9 p.m., so get there early and enjoy the day on the slopes before ringing in the New Year Post Bar style. For info visit www.boyne.com or call (231) 549-6000 for party (adventure) and room reservations.
A tip for the ladies: don’t let your significant other near any snow bunnies at midnight; they like to French-kiss strangers which is a New Year’s Eve faux-pas.

New York! New York! New Year’s Eve Celebration
Victories Casino - Petoskey

Kissing is associated with good luck and lots of luck is needed at a casino so surely there will be a lot of great kissers at Victories Casino in Petoskey which is hosting a New York City themed celebration.
The evening begins with a Big Apple inspired buffet. Chefs at Victories tracked down the recipes from some New York City’s top restaurants and the numerous offerings include Tuscany Grilled Chicken, Creamy Shrimp Scampi, Seafood Risotto, Bistro Chicken, Oyster Rockefeller and Herb Crusted Hand Carved New York Strip. Price for the buffet is $18.85 and it includes dance music from local favorites Mojo and the Boogieman.
Victories boasts over 1,100 slot machines and numerous table games, so if gaming is your thing this is the place to be on New Year’s Eve. For info visit www.victories-casino.com or call them at (877) 442-6464.
Another tip for the ladies: Get a New Years Eve Kiss from Mojo’s Charlie “Hipps” Witthoeft, according to music lore harmonica players make the best kissers in the band.

Elsewhere:

Whatever theme or party mood you are in, plenty of options abound to celebrate New Years Eve in Northern Michigan. Check out the “Nightlife” section in the Express as just about every nightclub, bar, resort and restaurant is offering a way to ring in 2006.
So for review: make sure your party destination has hats, noisemakers, confetti and champagne. It will be your responsibility to know the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne and be sure that you have lip balm on prior to midnight (nothing worse than kissing strangers with dry, cracked lips). Happy New Year.