The holidays are upon us and questions will arise about what to get the music lover in your life. There are plenty of options outside of the obvious, if you give it a bit of thought. Here are a few ideas:
TOOLS OF THE TRADE — If the person you’re buying for is a performer or player, he or she can always use some of the items that make the music happen — from guitar picks or strings to pedals, microphones or drum sticks. My only suggestion is to find out what your respective musician has or needs first. Better to ask and get the right item than to have him or her return it. From chains like Sam Ash (samashmusic.com) to locally owned places like Howren (howrenmusic.net).GOT TICKETS? — If you see a show coming up that you know someone will want to go to, why not buy tickets? No reason to wait until the last minute — get them in advance and make sure you can get in. Many venues will sell tickets online through their own websites or through etix.com. While you’re at it, why not give a local band a chance and check out one of its shows. During the holidays, a lot of national and even regional bands don’t hit the road, instead choosing to stay home with family. This means that more local acts will be performing around town.
PROMISES, PROMISES — Many venues haven’t announced shows for the new year, but you know they’re going to happen. If you can’t think of anything else, how about an I.O.U.? Take your time to create a certificate of sorts with the promise to buy a pair of tickets to a show of your music lover’s choice in the new year.
SPEAKING OF NEW YEAR — New Year’s Eve is just around the corner, so another holiday gift idea is tickets to a New Year’s Eve show. Among those performing are Keller Williams at the Neighborhood Theatre (neighborhoodtheatre.com), Simplified at Amos’ Southend (amossouthend.com), Unknown Hinson at the Visulite Theatre (visulite.com), The Spongetones at Double Door Inn (doubledoorinn.com) and Hot House Heftones and Bums Lie at Snug Harbor (snugrock.com).
ALWAYS USE PROTECTION — No matter how you look at it, concerts are loud. If the person you’re shopping for goes to half as many as I do, he or she should be wearing some kind of ear protection. If not, they’ll always be wondering where that annoying ringing is coming from. In order to continue enjoying live music for years to come, I recommend getting some ear plugs. The foam cylinders are usually the most popular, but “cool kids” won’t want to be seen in them. Check out Ear Peace, if this is the case. They’re about $15 a pair, but can match your skin tone and are harder to see. They work as well as the foam ones, too. Check them out at www.earpeace.com.
SEE DEES? — You can always go the way of an iTunes gift card, but some of us still like the physical CD to read liner notes and take in the car. This holiday season, check out what the local stores have before you jump to the big chains. Lunchbox Records (pictured at left, lunchboxrecords.com), CD Warehouse (cdwarehouse.com) and Manifest Discs (manifestdisc.com) all employ people who are knowledgeable about music and would be happy to offer recommendations if you just ask.
HOLY HOLIDAYS — Want to give someone some holiday spirit in the tune of their choice? It seems like just about everyone has released a Christmas or holiday album at this point. You could offer some Harry Connick just as easily as Twisted Sister. There’s even a We Wish You A Metal X-Mas CD out there.
This article appears in Nov 23-29, 2010.
