When the ball drops

Kids and adults reach for the sky during a New Years Eve balloon drop and root beer toast at the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa.. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat)

Before San Francisco bluesman Tommy Castro returns to the Mystic Theatre for what’s become an annual New Year’s Eve tradition, he offered up a few New Year’s resolutions he’s been mulling over:

“Stop procrastinating, starting the year after next. Stop eating meat, except for chicken, lamb or beef. And no drinking or smoking, which should be easy because I haven’t done either for many years.”

And while he was at it, he added a few recommendations for the general public:

“Everybody should spend more money on blues shows, records, downloads, festivals and cruises. It will get the economy rocking and you’ll have more fun. Stop making bullets; that way the guns won’t work. And start being more grateful for what you’ve got.”

But before all the self-imposed rules and regulations go into effect, there has to be one last night of indulgence. Kicking it off with the hardest-working bluesman in the Bay Area, here’s a look at a few last-minute New Year’s Eve blowouts:

Tommy Castro

Best Return Performance: Tommy Castro keeps coming back, this time taking the stage with his new band the Painkillers, formed in February. Here’s how he explains it: “A lot of folks are having hard times these days, and they need something to lift them up and make them smile. Our music kills the pain.” If you want to get a taste, he’s live on KPIG today at 3:30 p.m. Tune in at www.kpig.com/listen.  9 p.m. Mon. Mystic Theatre, 21 Petaluma Blvd. N. $51. www.mystictheatre.com.

Most Medicinal Patois: Breaking out of the Bronx in the 1980s, reggae dancehall roustabout Shinehead brings his “Jamaican in New York” (a la Sting’s “Englishman in New York”) to the HopMonk Tavern. 10 p.m. Mon. 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. $17 door/$20 advance. www.hopmonk.com.

Runner-up: 9-piece Afrobeat dance band Onye and the Messengers at Arlene Francis Center. 10 p.m. 99 6th St., Santa Rosa. $10 advance/$15 door. www.villageryhthms.com.

Best Spot to Shed Your Old Skin: The Artists and Models NYE Ball at Aubergine After Dark teases that there will be “a night of Bohemian lusciousness” with exotic dancers and “live models.” Serenading that lusciousness will be Free Peoples, David T. Carter, Atom Waltz, Nick Hasty and a special guest appearance by trippy 1960s artist Stanley Mouse. 9 p.m. Mon. 755 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. $20 advance/$25 door. www.auberginebarandcafe.com.