Entertaining Gift Ideas for Everyone on Your List

Want to put a smile on the face of a Sinatra fan? Grab a dose of vintage Sinatra and Crosby from their 1957 Christmas television special. Happy Holidays with Frank & Bing/Vintage Sinatra, (released by Eagle Rock Entertainment), another DVD from The Frank Sinatra Collection, showcases the legends and their ability to create timeless seasonal memories.

Moody Blues legend Justin Hayward shares his iconic voice and poetic style in this 2016 CD release All The Way featuring material from his solo albums and Moody Blues classics. The 15-track CD includes a recording with The London Philharmonic Orchestra and his new song ‘The Wind of Heaven’. (Listen to an earlier interview with Justin Hayward.)

Guitar lovers will be impressed that you put Acoustic Classics, legendary guitarist and former pop idol Peter Frampton’s latest CD, under the tree for them. Frampton truly comes alive in this intimate project showcasing his amazing talent. Looking for a bigger ticket item with a “wow” factor? How about a concert and cruise with Frampton? Grab a ticket for the March 2017 '70s Rock & Romance Cruise with Frampton, America, Little River Band, and Three Dog Night’s Chuck Negron. (Listen to an interview with Peter Frampton.)

Heart’s (featuring Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Ben Smith, Dan Rothchild, Craig Bartock, and Chris Joyner) first live performance at Royal Albert Hall will thrill fans. Released this month by Eagle Rock Entertainment and available on DVD, Blu-ray, CD, and digital formats, this gift proves there are plenty of ways to give a little Heart this season.

Monkee fans are in for a treat this year with the CD release of Micky Dolenz: The MGM Singles Collection which includes 12 bonus tracks from Dolenz, the Monkees’ legendary vocalist and drummer whose solo career has been non-stop since the ‘60s. (Listen to an interview with the forever-fun-loving Micky Dolenz.)

A KISS can go a long way this Christmas if you’re gifting the legendary band’s KISS Rocks Vegas 2 LP/DVD Combo. Released this year, the DVD features the 2014 Hard Rock Hotel performance that KISS fans are still talking about. (Listen to interviews with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons.)

Blue is always the seasonal color for Blue Man Group fans. This year, the group celebrated their 25th anniversary and their first book Blue Man World. Fans will embrace this gift that is as colorful as the trio’s signature music and performances. (Listen to an interview with Blue Man Group co-founder Phil Stanton.)

Over the years have you exhausted all of the options for the avid Beatles fans on your list? Do you need HELP? I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND and suggest SOMETHING cool. Give them a glimpse inside the beautiful Beatles-inspired Cirque du Soleil show, The Beatles: Love. The award-winning All Together Now: A Documentary Film is a DVD gift that will mesmerize and make them love you— yeah, yeah, yeah. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

This year, you can give the gift of a virtual Stones’ concert. The Rolling Stones Havana Moon features their March 2016 Havana concert, as captured by award-winning film director Paul Dugdale. Released by Eagle Rock Entertainment, it is available on DVD+2CD, Blu-ray+2CD, DVD+3LP. There’s also a special Deluxe Edition.

A great story is always a great gift. And when the storyteller is legendary manager, agent, and producer Shep Gordon, the book is a rock and roll page turner. Wrap They Call Me Supermensch up fast, or you’ll be reading it first and giving a used gift.

This recently released and critically acclaimed music documentary series, available on Blu-ray and DVD, features more than 150 exclusive and original interviews with music legends and pioneers including Paul McCartney, Ringo Star, Joni Mitchell, Quincy Jones, Roger Waters, and B.B. King.

Searching for a unique, family-friendly gift? America’s Got Talent winner and Vegas headliner Terry Fator offers up his impersonations, singing skills, comedy, and fascinating cast of characters (including Winston, The Impersonating Turtle) in Terry Fator: Live in Concert DVD. As with all of Fator’s merchandise, 100% of the profits benefit military charities. (Listen to an interview with Terry Fator.)

Has life for someone on your gift list lost its spark since Downton Abbey closed its doors? Here’s a surefire way to put a little sparkle back in the Downton devotee— Downton Abbey: The Complete Limited Edition Collector’s Set includes all six seasons of the Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG Award-winning program along with hours of extras, exclusive gifts and plenty of surprises. You get a dose of the Dowager and then some with this extravagant gift. (Listen to an interview with Downton Abbey historian Alastair Bruce.)

Legendary writer, creator, and producer Norman Lear sheds light on his life and iconic sitcoms including All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Maude, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, in this beautiful and comprehensive documentary American Masters- Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You (available on DVD and Blu-ray). The perfect gift for TV and nostalgia buffs who like to laugh and discover cool facts and trivia, Just Another Version of You, also reminds us of the important fact that we’re cut from the same cloth. (Listen to an interview with Norman Lear.)

Who doesn’t love a rags-to-riches theme? Described by the U.K’s Daily Telegraph as “Shades of Downton and Agatha Christie,” The Syndicate (on DVD) tackles the topic of shifting status. What happens when the lottery winners just happen to be the downstairs characters of a struggling estate? Your giftee will find out and likely be hooked.

For those in search of more great programming beyond channel-surfing, consider a subscription to Acorn TV and give the gift of access and streaming to popular British and Australian television. From Vera and A Place to Call Home to Detectorists and Jack Irish, there’s something for everyone on Acorn. (Listen to an interview with A Place to Call Home star Marta Dusseldorp.)

For baseball fans who want to re-live the victorious season of the Chicago Cubs, Shout! Factory and Major League Baseball have released 2016 World Series Champions: The Chicago Cubs available on DVD and two-disc Blu-ray+ DVD combo pack (with digital copy) and 2016 World Series Collector’s Edition: Chicago Cubs, an 8-disc collection on Blu-ray and DVD.

If that hard-to-buy-for person on your list is stuck on a different holiday, go with the theme. Just released this year, Elvira Mistress of the Dark: A Photographic Retrospective of the Queen of Halloween includes over 350 images of the iconic character and the fascinating journey and history of Elvira and her creator, actress and business woman Cassandra Peterson. (Listen to an earlier interview with Cassandra Peterson and read more about the book on Parade.)

What can you get the person who has everything? Think “concert tickets”, but also think outside of the box a bit. Check local listings, concerts and performances at smaller venues (where tickets can be more reasonably priced), and travel destinations of your giftees. Vegas-bound travelers have endless options at all price points including concerts at the soon-to-open, state-of-the-art Park Theater at Monte Carlo. And don’t miss great options beyond the desert, like those offered at Maryland’s new MGM National Harbor. With a schedule that includes Bruno Mars, Il Volo, Boyz to Men, Lionel Ritchie and Cher, there’s likely a ticket to cover most musical tastes on your list. (Listen to an earlier interview with Il Volo.)

If you’ve got a collector or wannabe collector on your list, why not search for a gift that can help manage that collection? PEZ dispensers are “go to” stocking stuffers, but the candy/toy combo is also big business for those who covet them. If there’s a PEZ lover or collector in your life PEZ: From Austrian Invention to American Icon by author and PEZ expert Shawn Peterson, might give you some major points. (Read more about PEZ.)

The gift of learning is a special one. Think outside of the box and search for workshops and conferences that would appeal to that special person on your gift list. From writing to woodworking workshops, and my favorite one last year— ventriloquism (!), there’s something out there to pique the interest of anyone on your list. Gifting the registration fees or offering a gift card or cash to cover food and travel, can help someone follow their dreams and remember you later in the year. Note: Given my skill set, I do not anticipate a future career in ventriloquism. But I had a blast.