No Aerosmith, again? Having no tried-and-true-headliner supershows this New Year's Eve, we're left with a slew of clubland dates -- with one notable exception. That would be Boston's own three-piece Dispatch, a group who've gained a loyal national following by bridging the worlds of jam-band chops and heavy alterna-rock hooks -- Blind Melon meet Phish, so to speak. Their latest, a double-disc live album entitled Gut the Van (on their own Bomber Records label), hit shelves in November. They've been playing to large crowds at the FleetBoston Pavilion and the Orpheum; this New Year's Eve, they'll try to start their own annual tradition by throwing an all-ages bash at the Tsongas Arena (978-848-6900) in Lowell.

In other New Year's Eve events: neo-folkie Greg Brown and '60s Greenwich Village hero Richie Havens team up at the Calvin Theater (413-584-1444) in Northampton; across town at the Iron Horse (413-584-0610), bar-band legends NRBQ hold court. Jam bandits can also look to Strangefolk and Addison Groove Project to hold down the fort at the Palladium (800-477-6849) in Worcester; and you can catch the Project tonight (Thursday December 27) at Toad's Place (203-624-8623) in New Haven and on Saturday at the Indigo Lounge (802-464-2500) in Wilmington, Vermont.

In other jam-friendly events this week, Deep Banana Blackout frontwoman Jen Durkin steps out with her Conscious Underground tonight at the Paradise (617-423-NEXT) in Boston and Saturday at Mount Snow (802-464-3333), in West Dover, Vermont. The Disco Biscuits hit the Palladium on Friday. And Maine's modern-rock champions Rustic Overtones end the year with two nights, Friday and Saturday, at Harpers Ferry (617-254-9743) in Allston.

Pennsylvania's the Juliana Theory polished their emo punk to an almost teen-pop sheen on their excellent Emotion Is Dead (Tooth & Nail); they've since signed to Epic. They'll play Axis (617-262-2437) in Boston on Friday with Christian hardcore faves Zao, who then embark on their own for a gig with Reach the Sky at the Asylum (207-772-8274) in Portland on Saturday. The pride of Harvard (the Massachusetts town, not the august university) is young rap-metal upstarts Reveille, whose new Bleed the Sky (Elektra) was recorded with P.O.D. producer Howard Benson; they wind down the year at the Palladium on Saturday with Eastcide, At Will, and Carv. And '80s metal dudes Dokken are back for the attack at the Asylum on New Year's Eve. They'll also hit the Station (401-823-4660), in West Warwick, Rhode Island, on Wednesday.