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Arts & Entertainment

Live Entertainment to Take Center Stage on New Year's Eve

The Gin Blossoms, The Romantics, and The Wall Clocks will headline a free concert as part of downtown Royal Oak celebration.

Get ready to rock this New Year's Eve. Downtown Royal Oak will usher in 2011 with a free concert featuring the Gin Blossoms, The Romantics and  The Wall Clocks.

"That's awesome. Everybody will be in downtown Royal Oak that night anyway, so why not make it a party?" resident Jeff Warneck said when Nov. 18.

Warneck's friend Anna Slowik agreed, saying, "It sounds like a great way to bring the community together."

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The event will be located at South Washington Avenue and Sixth Street, with the stage in front of , 608 S. Washington. The evening will be hosted by 96.3 WDVD-FM and 93.1 DOUG-FM and feature a New York-style

You can start the night off by getting there early and grabbing some drinks or a bite to eat at one of the many bar and restaurant choices in Royal Oak. Whether you like Thai, Mexican, Italian, Indian or fast food, there's truly something for everyone. For a complete list of Royal Oak restaurants, visit royaloak.patch.com/restaurants.

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The festivities kick off with DJ Brian Gillespie at 8 p.m., followed by The Wall Clocks at 8:30 p.m. Out of the 10 talented groups that competed in the Battle of the Bands at on Dec. 17, the local band with an avant-garde, indie rock sound came out on top to earn the bragging rights and potentially lucrative opportunity to open up for the Gin Blossoms and The Romantics.

The party will heat up even more when The Romantics go on at 10 p.m. Formed in Detroit in 1977 on Valentine's Day, The Romantics have a new-wave sound with high energy and catchy tunes. It is best known for hits "What I Like About You" and "Talking In Your Sleep." Its most recent release, 61/49, dropped in 2003 and the band is working on a new album, according to its website. The current lineup features vocalist Wally Palmer, guitarist Coz Canler, bassist/vocalist Mike Skill and drummer Brad Elvis.

The Gin Blossoms will help melt away the New Year's cold at 11 p.m. The group is best known for a slew of hits from the '90s, including "Hey Jealousy," "Allison Road," "Found Out About You" and "Until I Fall Away." The core of the Gin Blossoms classic lineup has remained consistent since 1992, featuring Detroit native Robin Wilson on vocals, guitarists Jesse Valenzuela and Scott Johnson, bassist Bill Leen and drummer John Richardson, who joined the band in 2008. Its newest album, No Chocolate Cake, was released Sept. 28.

The event is estimated to bring in 5,000-8,000 attendees, according to Royal Oak Deputy Chief Corrigan O'Donahue.

According to Julie Law, marketing director for 93.1 DOUG-FM, the event should bring the local bars, restaurants and retail shops a considerable amount of business. She added that there are hopes that this will become an annual event if the evening is a success.

"I thought it was a great idea when I first heard it," said Chris Rose, manager at , 318 S. Main St. "I think it creates a great sense of community and Royal Oak is a great town for the event. I usually don't go out on New Year's Eve, but I'm curious about it so I may stick around and check it out."

For more information on Rockin' the Eve, visit rockintheeve.com. 

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