Clubs, bars are lively, but many choose to rent a video

The threat of rain didn't stop diehard New Year's Eve revelers from living it up at nightclubs, theaters and restaurants for one last toast to 2004 and a heady glimpse into 2005.

And yet, maybe it was the weather or the war or strict drinking and driving laws or just the reality of suburban living, but the year-end closer was a relatively mellow affair in Sonoma County.

"Who wants to deal with the Highway Patrol? I'd rather deal with Barney Fife in Healdsburg," said George Levkoff, owner of George Wine Company, who celebrated with friends at the Healdsburg Hotel.

At the Last Day Saloon in Santa Rosa's Railroad Square, where the drink of choice was a toss up between the Moonlight Orgasm and the Long Island Iced Tea, the annual Sex Appeal Fashion Party boasted six DJs and a catwalk for anyone willing to flaunt their stuff at midnight.

But a quick survey of the room revealed that more than a few people weren't quite sure what a Sex Appeal Fashion Party was.

"What I've heard is it's all about chicks dressed in lingerie walking around," said Jeff Demuchduk.

Cassie Connors said "it's with models up on the dance floor wearing skimpy (stuff). But not real models. I could go out there if I wanted to."

So was she planning her catwalk debut?

"No way. I'll wait until my braces are off."

At the other end of the social spectrum, the Hotel Healdsburg hosted a dimly-lit fireside Wine Country affair as keyboardist John Allair, who played Madison Square Garden with Van Morrison, pounded out classics like "Blueberry Hill."

"It's pretty mellow so far, probably because a lot of people are paranoid about going out because of traffic stops," said Brogan Cellars winemaker Margi Brogan, who brought a magnum of her 1998 pinot noir to the bar where the mixed drink of choice seemed to be the Aureole Cuvee Cosmopolitan.

The several hundred people wearing nametags and looking for love at the Singles Soiree at Los Robles Lodge seemed to be living it up, dancing to "Play That Funky Music White Boy," but Bonnie Hatt was having none of it.

"There's no live music," she said, clearly disappointed. "We came here looking to hook up and it never happened so we're going down to Spancky's in Cotati."

In many ways it was the perfect New Year's Eve to stay home.

Business was steady at the region's video stores. By early evening, Videodroid on Mendocino Avenue had rented nearly 500 videos. At Hollywood Video on Farmer's Lane, manager Joe Nielsen estimated the store would do about $7,000 in rentals, twice the amount of an average Friday night. Top rentals were "Manchurian Candidate," "Open Water" and "Napoleon Dynamite."

"It started getting hectic around five," he said. "With all the rain we should be pretty busy throughout the night.

Even though the Party America supply store on Santa Rosa Avenue sold most of its 2005 mylar balloons and New Year's party kits, business was a little slower than last year, said employee Samantha Hoffman.

"Maybe it's the war or people being laid off, but we just haven't seen as much business, especially through the holidays," she said.

Plenty of nostalgia was on tap at the Oakmont Dance Club's New Year's Eve ball at the Berger Center where sequined ballroom dresses and tuxedos topped off with glittering gold and green hats were the costume of choice, and gin and tonics and Manhattans were the most popular drinks.

Organizers Bill and Vivian Ballou met 51 years ago at a YMCA dance in the Santa Cruz mountains. Three months later they were married and they've been dancing ever since.

Celebrating her 63rd New Year with her husband, Al, Isabel Kopfman had only one song request: Glen Miller's "In the Mood."

"I'll make sure they play it tonight," she said.

DJ Steve Luther was spinning tunes from the '40s to the '70s, including even a little disco - wait, disco dancing at Oakmont?

"Oh, yeah, absolutely," Bill Ballou said.

The consensus among partying prognosticators was that 2005 had to be better than 2004. "How can it get any worse?" said Denise Hanning outside the Hotel Healdsburg.

But rest assured. Hope is on the way. Before doing readings at a private party in Fountain Grove, Santa Rosa tarot card reader Rose Stevens took a few moments to peer into the new year.

"I see a very, very hopeful and very positive economy," she said. "I don't see what everyone is saying when they say, 'Oh, this is going to be a year of depression. This is going to be a downfall.' I just don't see that. I also think there's going to a little bit more peace for us personally and outside of ourselves."

Oh yeah, and the best new year remedy for a hangover? "The juice of a prickly pear!" Hatt said before heading out of the Los Robles Lodge party.