Perhaps it’s the hangover from the bloated New Year’s Eve shows of 1999, when high ticket prices and fears of the Y2K bug resulted in poor attendance and huge financial losses for some concert promoters. Whatever the cause, New Year’s Eve 2000 is shaping to be a relatively sedate date on the U.S. concert front.

If there are to be winners for New Year’s Eve 2000, they’d appear to be jam band fans--despite the fact that genre darlings Phish aren’t putting on a show this year. Phish had the second-highest concert gross of the New Year’s Eve weekend in 1999, pulling in more than $11.6 million on 75,000 tickets sold for a concert/sleepover at Florida’s Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation.

One of the more ambitious jam band endeavors of 2000 will be String Cheese Incident [ tickets ]’s “2001: A String Cheese Odyssey,” a three-day bash at Portland’s Oregon Convention Center. The event will feature multiple stages with music and performance art acts, audience-participation activities and limited professional childcare.

Athens, Ga.-based Widespread Panic ended 1999 with two sold out performances at Philips Arena, and will try to repeat the feat in 2000. With Greg Allman and Friends and North Mississippi Allstars also planning gigs in the city, Atlanta will boast one of the busier concert schedules on New Year’s Eve.

Grateful Dead fans in the San Francisco Bay Area may find themselves especially torn: Dead spin-off The Other Ones [ tickets ], George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, and the Steve Kimock Band are scheduled to appear at the Oakland Arena, and Phil Lesh [ tickets ] and Friends will appear at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.

Among the other jam bands planning New Year’s Eve concerts are Derek Trucks Band (Charlotte, N.C.), Ekoostik Hookah (Cleveland), Leftover Salmon (Denver), moe. (Philadelphia), and Agents of Good Roots (Richmond, Va.).

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Only Barbra Streisand's New Year's Eve performance at MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas--which set an all-time single-concert box-office record by taking in nearly $14.7 million--surpassed Phish’s box office success in 1999. With ticket prices that ranged between $500 and $2,500, Streisand’s New Year’s Eve concert was also one of the highest-priced shows in history.

But there were also many notable failures last year, when planned New Year’s gigs by Jewel, Michael Jackson, and many others failed to get off the ground. In fact, New York City’s biggest event was called off in 1999 due to lack of interest.

At press time, it appeared that most major arenas would be dark on New Year’s Eve 2000. Among the major music markets without arena events were Chicago, Cleveland, Minneapolis and Seattle.

But there will be exceptions:

• Motor City Madman Ted Nugent [ tickets ], who has performed a New Year's homecoming gig in the Detroit area more often than not in recent years, will appear at the Palace of Auburn Hills with Sammy Hagar [ tickets ] on Dec. 31. Last year, Nugent performed at the Detroit Silverdome as part of a New Year's Eve lineup that also featured Metallica, Kid Rock and Sevendust.

• Quirky Canadian rockers Barenaked Ladies will appear at FleetCenter in Boston.

• Salsa star Marc Anthony has scheduled a gig at Madison Square Garden in New York.

• Aging pop-rockers Journey and REO Speedwagon will play at America West Arena in Phoenix.

The club and theater circuits will be active in many cities, but generally will be driven by the local music scenes. Among the notable touring acts planning New Year’s Eve gigs are Reverend Horton Heat (San Francisco), members of Buena Vista Social Club (New York), Third Eye Blind (Chicago), Goo Goo Dolls (Las Vegas), Van Morrison (Las Vegas), Kenny G (Seattle) and the B-52’s with Boy George (Miami).

A listing of notable New Year’s Eve 2000 events planned for several U.S. cities follows:

Atlanta, GA - Widespread Panic at Philips Arena; Atlanta Rhythm Section at Underground Atlanta; Greg Allman and Friends at Underground Atlanta; North Mississippi Allstars at Variety Playhouse.

Austin, TX - Ian Moore at Antone’s; Man or Astro-Man? At Emo’s; Sister 7 at La Zona Rosa; Mojo Nixon and Beaver Nelson at the Continental Club.

Boston, MA - Barenaked Ladies at FleetCenter; the Disco Biscuits at the Palladium; Amazing Crowns at Lilli’s.

Charlotte, NC - Derek Trucks Band at Visulite Theatre; Elvis impersonator Rick Alviti at Independence Arena.

Chicago, IL - Third Eye Blind, the Jayhawks, Nina Gordon at House of Blues; Cheap Trick at the Star Plaza Theatre; Dark Stark Orchestra at the Vic.

Cincinnati, OH - Fastball at Jillian’s Entertainment Center.

Cleveland, OH - Ekoostik Hookah at the Agora Theatre; Jim Brickman at Allen Theatre.

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX - Gwar at Bronco Bowl; David Allen Coe, Charlie Robison at Billy Bob’s; Joe Ely at Caravan of Dreams; Austin Lounge Lizards, Trout Fishing in America at Texas Star Conference Center.

Denver, CO - Big Head Todd & the Monsters at the Fillmore; Leftover Salmon, Dirty Dozen Brass Band at the Paramount Theatre; 16 Horsepower at Gothic Theatre.

Detroit, MI - Ted Nugent and Sammy Hagar at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Houston, TX - Brian McKnight at Arena Theatre; Billy Joe Royal and Shane Minor at Cadillac Cowboy’s; Los Straitjackets at the Fabulous Satellite Lounge.

Las Vegas, NV - Goo Goo Dolls at House of Blues; Van Morrison at the Joint; K.C & the Sunshine Band at the Las Vegas Hilton; Neal McCoy at Sam’s Town; the Gap Band at the Bellagio Hotel.

Los Angeles, CA - Chris Isaak at House of Blues; Steel Pulse at the Roxy; Harry Dean Stanton at the Mint; Tommy Castro at B.B. King’s Blues Club.

Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, FL - The B-52’s, Boy George at Billboard Live; CC Deville’s Samantha 7 at Culture Room.

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN - Big Wu at State Theatre.

Nashville, TN - Jonell Mosser at 3rd & Lindsley Bar & Grill

New Orleans, LA - Big Star, the Posies at Howlin’ Wolf; the Neville Brothers at the Fairmont Hotel; Jerry Jeff Walker at House of Blues; the Iguanas at Mid City Lanes Rock 'n' Bowl.

New York, NY - Marc Anthony at Madison Square Garden; Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzalez and Omara Portunodo at the Beacon Theatre; Enon at Brownies; Maceo Parker at Irving Plaza.

Orlando, FL - Collective Soul at House of Blues, Seven Mary Three, streets of downtown.

Philadelphia, PA - moe. at Flyers SkateZone.

Phoenix, AZ - Journey, REO Speedwagon at America West Arena; Tower of Power at Arizona Center Mall.

Pittsburgh, PA - Buzz Poets at Banana Joe’s; the Clarks, and Sauce at Club Laga.

Portland, OR - String Cheese Incident at Oregon Convention Center.

Raleigh/Durham - Jars of Clay at J.S. Dorton Arena.

Richmond, VA - Agents of Good Roots at Alley Katz.

Sacramento, CA - Tanya Tucker at Jackson Rancheria; Magnolia Thunderfinger, the Brodies at Old Ironsides.

San Antonio, TX - Otis Day at Sunset Station, Swingerhead at Majestic Theatre.

San Diego, CA - Young Dubliners at Belly-Up Tavern; Beat Farmers at Tio Leo’s Mexican Restaurant.

San Francisco, CA - Macy Gray and Basement Jazz at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium; Charlie Hunter at Yoshi’s; Galactic and Ozomatli at the Warfield; Maze featuring Frankie Beverly at the Paramount Theatre; Phil Lesh & Friends at Henry J. Kaiser Arena; Reverend Horton Heat at Maritime Hall; The Other Ones at Oakland Arena; Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade at the Fillmore.

Seattle, WA - Kenny G at Paramount Theatre; the Paladins and Shinola at Tractor Tavern.

St. Louis, MO - Madam Sky, CPB, the Schwag at Cicero’s.

Tampa, FL - Donna the Buffalo at Skipper's Smokehouse.

Washington, DC - Jimmie’s Chicken Shack at 9:30 Club; All Mighty Senators at Power Plant Live.