Let’s face it: For a holiday based on love, Valentine’s Day can be something of a burden. If you’re with someone, there’s the question of the gift. Should you go expensive or cheap? Could the item you’ve chosen be interpreted as too sentimental? Too casual? Too serious? Too traditional? Too “jokey”? It’s a freaking minefield. And what will you do on the night in question? Dinner and a movie? Nextflix and chill? Spontaneous trip to Cancun? There is no right answer. And what if you’re not with someone in a romantic way? Do you pretend it’s not happening? Go out for drinks alone with your head held high? Hit some speed dating event? Again, there is no right answer.
Fortunately, Albuquerque is all about Valentine’s Day, offering all sorts of events for all sorts of moods. We can’t tell you what you and your significant other (if such a person or persons exist) should do this Valentine’s Day. But we’ve got more than a few suggestions.
Music That You Can Dance To
Music and Valentine’s Day go together pretty copacetically. The right tune can put you right in the mood for some romance. So, maybe going out to a bar or performance venue for a little night music (and perhaps a bit of rump shaking) is just what the (love) doctor ordered. Valentine’s Jams w/ DJ Fishbowl hits Tractor Westside (5720 McMahon Blvd. NW) on Friday, 2/13. Admission is free. Dueling Pianos offers an “interactive musical experience” featuring everything from “swoon-worthy love songs to upbeat crowd favorites” at Quezada’s Comedy Club and Cantina (54 Jemez Canyon Dam Rd.) on Friday and Saturday (2/13 and 2/14). Shows start at 7 and 9:30 p.m. both nights, and tickets will set you back $31.46 standard admission or $76.80 reserved table for two. Love Kills: Alternative Love Songs By Adam Hooks takes place at Tractor Westside (5720 McMahon Blvd. NW) on Friday, 2/14. At 7 p.m. Adam – famous frontman of Hooks & the Huckleberries – is going solo to offer up his playlist of nonconforming love songs. Admission is free. The same night (2/14) at Tractor Nob Hill (118 Tulane Dr. SE), Casey Mraz hosts his annual EX-orcism concert, a carefully curated collection of breakup songs for the brokenhearted. That one’s free and starts at 7 pm. Sax man Paul Taylor brings saxy back with The Power of Love ft. Paul Taylor. On Saturday 2/14, the evening begins at 7 p.m. at the Crown Plaza Albuquerque (1901 University NE) with a happy hour in the Rancher’s Club and a three-course VIP dinner presented by Chef Andrew Bustos before the event starts. The dance floors open after dinner with Taylor and guests serving up some smooth jazz until 10. Tickets run $58 to $115. The holiday goes country on Saturday, 2/14 for Valentine’s Day w/ The Brandon Saiz Band at The Dirty Bourbon Dance Hall & Saloon (9800 Montgomery Blvd. NE). The band starts at 9 p.m. and there’s a $10 cover charge. If you and your date feel like getting in on the action and doing a little singing, drop by Live@Frank’s Valentine Karaoke at Frank’s Famous Chicken & Waffles (400 Washington St. SE) on Saturday 2/14 8 p.m. Ten bucks gets you in the door. If you’re one of those couples that likes things spooky, then the 5th Annual Zombie Prom at Launchpad (618 Central Ave. SW) on 2/14 is where you wanna be. DJs Ren, Batboy and Moonside will be spinning the dark ’80s beats. It starts at 8:30 p.m. and admission is $8. Be sure and dress in your flesh-rotting best! Closing out the weekend on Sunday, 2/15 it’s the annual Boiler Room event. The doors will be opened for an EDM party featuring music from Luminous, Preachher, Mydnyte starting at 8 p.m. Bar Uno (106 Second St. SW). “Valentine’s attire” is recommended. General admission is $20, but you can score and “early bird” admission for as little as $10 in advance. If that EDM isn’t enough to get your bodies moving, make your way through the boiler room to Moonlight Lounge (120 Central Ave. SW) for the other half of the takeover party, Neural Bloom: Valentine’s Day, which features “trance and pys-trance.”…