Pencil This In

MUSIC: Who will be one of the last bands you'll see this year? Tonight Earl Greyhound headline a hefty bill at Santos Party House, accompanied by 7 Mornings, Witches in Bikinis, Saturday Astrology, Black Taxi and One Word Song. It's all part of the Meany Fest Finals, which is sort of like American Idol but with more NYC bands and less audition blooper clips.

6:30 p.m. // Santos Party House [96 Lafayette St] // $15

EVENT: NonsenseNYC points out the Great Small Works end of the year bash (featuring spaghetti dinner!). "With Flight, shadow theater created and performed by Erik Ruin with Leslie Rogers and live violin score by Katt Hernandez. Great Small Works Festival of Lights shadow show. Special New Year sonic massages by Wollesonic. Exerpts from Bread and Puppet Theater's Dirt Cheap Opera, after Bertolt Brecht. And Michael Winograd's Infection party music: skeleton mambo with a twist."

7:30 p.m. // Judson Memorial Church [55 Washington Square South] // $15

THEATER: Though it didn't quite make our top ten list of shows in 2008, the current Broadway revival of Gypsy is certainly a critical darling. Starring the indispensable Patti LuPone, the classic musical tells the story of an overbearing stage mom determined to make a star out of at least one of her children. Ben Brantley at the Times says that "when Ms. LuPone delivers 'Rose's Turn,' she's building a bridge for an audience to walk right into one woman's nervous breakdown. There is no separation at all between song and character, which is what happens in those uncommon moments when musicals reach upward to achieve their ideal reasons to be. This Gypsy spends much of its time in such intoxicating air." And on January 11th, this Gypsy will close for good. - John Del Signore

8 p.m. // St. James Theatre [246 W 44th St] // Tickets

Stay tuned for our New Year's Eve picks, incase you're scrambling for some last minute plans.