At the strike of midnight at the Horseshoe's NYE festivities on Sunday, Dallas Good (of the Sadies) promised that 2007 would be "the best year ever .. hell, 'ever' doesn't even come close!" That's a mighty tall promise, sir. If he was speaking musically and inclusive of January, well - but for a few shining stars - I'm not really feelin "ever" (yet):

MON, JAN 1 - Nada. But seriously, who is perky or even awake enough to go anywhere on New Year's Day anyway.

So I'll be patient, but does it get better?....

TUES, JAN 2
- CREAKING TREE STRING QUARTET @ Cadillac Lounge
- RUN WITH THE KITTENS @ Cameron House
- KESSEL RUN, CRACK PUPPY, THE DARNS, IN BETWEEN BREATHING @ Horseshoe Tavern
- MUFFLER CRUNCH @ Bovine Sex Club, $5
- JOHN SOUTHWORTH @ Mitzi's Sister

WED, JAN 3
- BASEMENT ARMS, GUH @ Tranzac
- NO BRIGADE, MERRY WARNERS, BLACK PAGE, AARON WAGPOLE @ Horseshoe Tavern
- THE WAYSIDE RAMBLERS @ The Duke of York

THURS, JAN 4
- BASIA BULAT (pictured above), Barzin @ Drake, 9 pm, $7.
- THE DREAM HUNTER, Dali Circus @ Lee's Palace, 9:15 pm. $5.

FRI, JAN 5
- THE REVERIES (Doug Tielli/ Ryan Driver/ Eric Chenaux/ Jean Martin) Live in Bologna cd release @ Tranzac, 10 pm, $8
- YOUR BAND SUCKS, Tyler Emiond's Pikaia, Fake Reality, The Grace Saints @ Ciao Eddie, 9 pm, $5

SAT, JAN 6
- EMILY HAINES & the Soft Skeleton @ Danforth Music Hall, $23.25
- BAYONETTES record release, Social Sirkle, Dirty BS, Everything Falls Apart @ Rancho Relaxo, $7
- ROCK PLAZA CENTRAL (& more) - Rock n Roll wedding: The anniversary @ Tranzac main hall, 8 pm
- CONNIE KALDOR @ Hugh's Room. $22
- TIN BANGS, Sitrling, Vacuity, Big Ideas @ Horseshoe Tavern, $6

SUN, JAN 7
- THE WOODCHOPPERS ASSOCIATION @ Tranzac
- CONNIE KALDOR @ Hugh's Room. $22

MON, JAN 8
- Elvis Monday 2 Years At The Drake Anniversary Party w/ SPIRAL BEACH, WE ARE THE TAKE, STONE FOX, FOXFIRE FOREST, PEOPLE OF CANADA, @ Drake, 9 pm, free
- EVANESCENCE @ Air Canada Centre, 7:30 pm, $45

TUES, JAN 9
- GOD FORBID @ Opera House, $20
- BAD FLIRT @ Horseshoe Tavern, 9 pm, Free
- JOSEPH AND THE SHABATONES @ Drake, 8 pm
- FRED SPEK'S Camp Combo @ Mitzi's Sister, 9pm, pwyc
- THE COAST GUARD w/ The Clear, Megan Hamilton @ The Supermarket, $5

WED, JAN 10
- ENTIRE CITIES w/ Adverteyes, Forrest City Lovers, Nich Worby @ The Supermarket, $5
- TROY WESTERN, Noah Zacharin, Wade Benson and Jason Maillard @ Cameron House, 8:30 pm, $5.

THURS, JAN 11
- BUSH LEAGUE, Blood Ceremony, 100%WoOL, Trudy Pot & Her Plurals @ The White Orchid Basement, $5
- WHEN WE DEAD AWAKEN w/ 68 Porno Mags, A Dying Race, Persona @ The Boat, $5
- THE 3 TARDS, ANGRY AGENCY, HANDHELD (Rock for Humanity fundraiser) @ Horseshoe Tavern

FRI, JAN 12
- FRIENDS IN BELLWOODS (Compilation for the Daily Bread Food Bank CD release party) with Sebastien Granger (DFA1979), The Paramedics (Constantines' Bry Webb), Ohbijou, The D'urbervilles @ Tranzac, 9 pm, $10
- THE NYMPHETS @ The Silver Dollar, $6
- FALL OUT BOY, New Found Glory, The Early November, Permanent Me @ Kool Haus, $34.50

SAT, JAN 13
- THINK ABOUT LIFE, THE BLANKKET, THE CAUSE CO-MOTION @ Press Club, $6
- D-MONEY's NEXT @ The Boat, $5
- PROOF OF GHOSTS, ANOTHER BLUE DOOR @ Tranzac, 10 pm
- TURN OFF THE STARS, THE THURSTONS, LA CHAMBRE @ Lee's Palace
- DARK FUNERAL, ENSLAVED @ Opera House, $30

SUN, JAN 14
- THE QUEERS @ Reverb, 9 pm

MON, JAN 15
- THE QUEERS, The Heart Attacks, The Riptides @ The Kathedral, $13.50.
- THE MAPLE BLUES AWARDS featuring The Maple Blues Band @ Mod Club.

TUES, JAN 16
- I'M ONLY SLEEPING (Pitter Patter Nights) @ The Supermarket, $5
- PEELER (CD release), BUCKSHOT, ERIKA WHERRY, UBERKO @ Horseshoe Tavern, free

WED, JAN 17
- PROOF OF GHOSTS w/ The Patients @ The Boat, $5

THURS, JAN 18
- EARL GREYHOUND @ The Silver Dollar, $10
- BARONS & LENGTHY w/ Basement Arms, The Speaking Tongues, Arrows @ The Boat, $5
- ART OF TIME ENSEMBLE @ Harbourfront Centre Theatre, $25-$36

FRI, JAN 19
- THE ILLUMINATI, Mongrels, Blood Ceremony @ The Silver Dollar, $8
- TIN BANGS, Sadie May Crash, Down With Webster, Action League Now, The Fine, Vulcan Dub Squad @ El Mocambo (5 pm ALL AGES) $10 adv / $12 @ door
- THE MINIATURES @ Horseshoe Tavern, $8
- HUMANIFESTO, FRIENDLY FIRE @ Lee's, $6

SAT, JAN 20
- MATT MAYS, Museum Pieces @ The Mod Club, 6:30 pm, $18.50
- MELISSA FERRICK @ The Drake Hotel, $15
- PRIESTESS @ The Horseshoe, $10
- ALAN HOBBINS CD release @ Glenn Gould Studio, 4 pm, $20

SUN, JAN 21
- BEYOND MOZART feat the Gallery Players, Beyond the Pale @ The Music Gallery, $5-$15
- LISA POUSHINSKY @ The Boat, $5

MON, JAN 22
- METAL CHURCH, PENETRATOR, SCARLET SINS @ Lee's, 8:30 pm, $15

TUES, JAN 23
- DON VAIL (w/Bill Priddle), YOUNG GALAXY, LAST TOWN CHORUS, THE FILMS @ Horseshoe, free
- BOB SEGER AND THE SILVER BULLET BAND @ Air Canada Centre, $85.50
- TREESTAR @ Clintons' Tavern, 8 pm, $5

WED, JAN 24
- APOSTLE OF HUSTLE @ Rivoli, $10
- SUPERNOVA, The Panic Channel @ Massey Hall, $55-$95

THURS, JAN 25
- TWO MINUTE MIRACLES, Tacoma Hellfarm Tragedy, Forest City Lovers @ Tranzac (Main Hall), $7
- LORDS, Our Father, Sailboats Are White, Fever Out! Like You @ White Orchid, $7
- EDGAR BREAU (of Simply Saucer) w/ Pants & Tie, Gravity Wave @ The Boat, $5
- Eve-lyn de la Haye, Xin Wang, Carrie Wiebe and Charlene Santoni as part of Sirens @ Glenn Gould Studio (250 Front West), $5-$30,

FRI, JAN 26
- THE PHILOSOPHER KINGS @ Nathan Phillips Square (WinterCity 2007), 8 pm, free
- THE CREEPING NOBODIES, The Guest Bedroom, The Sharp Tongues, Huckleberry Friends, DJ Kid Millions (of Oneida) @ The Concord Cafe, 9:30 pm, $5.

SAT, JAN 27
- SLOAN (8 pm), The Junction (5 pm), John Levine (3:30 pm), The Bicycles (2 pm) @ Nathan Phillips Square (WinterCity 2007), free
- KIDS ON TV, Woodhands @ The Music Gallery, $10
- THE GHOST IS DANCING, Jetplanes of Abraham, The Incidentals @ Tiger Bar, $5
- CANCER BATS @ Reverb, (all ages) $10

SUN, JAN 28
- ELLIOTT BROOD (5 pm), Jon Rae & the River (3:30 pm), Jill Barber (2 pm), NQ Arbuckle, (12:30 pm) @ Nathan Phillips Square (WinterCity 2007), free
- THUNDERBIRDS ARE NOW, OXFORD COLLAPSE @ Lee's, $10
- M WARD @ Mod Club. Early show 6:30pm. $18
- NO DYNAMICS, Rozasia @ The Boat, $5

MON, JAN 29
- CRADLE OF FILTH, 69 Eyes @ The Phoenix, (all ages) $30
- PACO DE LUCIA @ Massey Hall $49.50-$69.50
- KEVIN DEVINE w/ Jennifer O'Connor @ Lee's Palace. $10

TUES, JAN 30
- JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, Pink @ Air Canada Centre, $64-125
- AUGUSTANA @ The Mod Club, $15
- BLUE OCTOBER @ Kool Haus, (all ages) $19.50
- MICHAEL BROOK @ Revival $20
- MR. RICK & THE BISCUITS w/ Swift Years @ The Boat, $5

WED, JAN 31
- CAMERA OBSCURA, Essex Green @ Lees Palace, $17.50
- APOSTLE OF HUSTLE @ Rivoli, $10

Got anything more? Leave your suggestion(s) in the comments below! Make them worthy of the BEST YEAR EVER, hell, "EVER" doesn't even come close!!! (I'm considering a patent on this. I want to see it on T-shirts. I want folks to yell it out car windows. Live the dream.)

(Photo of Basia Balut by: Garry Tsaconas).