Ringin’ It In, Club-Style : From Vegas to West Hollywood, there are lots of choices for the New Year.

As New Year’s Eve approaches in clubland, one thing is certain: You’re living in the land of opportunity. Whether you want to snake in the New Year at the Viper Room with those grandpappies of hip-hop Run-D.M.C. or hitch up a hot rod and gun her to Vegas for a night at the Desert Inn with swing-time punks the Royal Crown Revue, the world is your oyster.

Although many Southland clubs are waiting till the last minute to make the appropriate preparations (and we’ll catch up with them on Dec. 25), here are a few that are tooting their party favors early. (Remember: 21 and over only.):

Lounge Lizards: Angelenos have been making the pilgrimage to Las Vegas since Nov. 6, when the Royal Crown Revue started performing six nights a week in the Sheraton Desert Inn’s Starlight Lounge. And get this--the shows are free! The game plan’s the same for New Year’s Eve, when the seven lads who make up this renowned retro act take to the Starlight for three sets, continuing past midnight. Although the Royal Crown Revue is so popular there’s no room at the inn--it’s booked solid on Dec. 31--check in to a neighboring hotel and learn all about “Mugsy’s Move” (the group’s recent album).

* The Royal Crown Revue at the Sheraton Desert Inn, 3145 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, (800) 634-6909 or (702) 733-4566. Free, so that means crowds will be lining up early. (For additional swing era options, see Page 6 for info on Jumpin’ Jimes at the Derby in Los Feliz and Jump Club’s big bash at L.A.’s Park Plaza Hotel.)

Blue Moon: The super surreal surf band the Blue Hawaiians have been invited to perform at Encounter, the equally surreal restaurant overlooking LAX from the vantage point of its landmark Space Age building. The astro-themed Encounter, which is offering a special five-course meal, radiates with color inside and out, like a giant mood ring, and the mood for New Year’s Eve will most certainly be red-hot. Dinner seating begins at 9 p.m. and price for dinner and champagne is $75 to $100. Reservations are recommended.

* Blue Hawaiians at Encounter, 201 World Way, Los Angeles International Airport, (310) 215-5151.

Dream Maker: Calling all old-school rockers, Pat Benatar will be piping it up at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, which is offering three different concert and dinner packages, $100 to $175. Whatever you decide, come early because you don’t want to miss the M-80s, the ‘80s music cover band that’ll rock you like a hurricane. Also opening up for Benatar is the Backdoor Blues Band.

* Pat Benatar at the House of Blues, 8430 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (213) 848-5100.

Walk This Way: Never one to skip a beat, the Viper Room in West Hollywood has invited the best of the east, Run-D.M.C., to take to its stage on New Year’s Eve. Recent performances by this seminal rap group have proven the guys have lost none of their luster over the years and are, in fact, among the best live rap acts of today. Plus their audience is composed of die-hard fans who know every word like the back of their well-worn Adidas (“My Adidas” is one of Run-D.M.C.’s most memorable songs).

* Run-D.M.C. at the Viper Room, 8852 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 358-1880. Call for ticket price.

Pigs in Zen: The Opium Den has cleared the room for Jacksonville, Fla.’s finest bit of rock-rap mayhem, Limp Bizkit, scheduled to perform on New Year’s Eve--with special guests (at the Opium Den, “special” usually refers to a famous name act who is contractually obligated to keep it under wraps). Although we hear the group’s last L.A. show was filled with industry heads--watching and not partaking, and therefore, less chaotic than usual--the band members are hoping the New Year’s show will bring out those who actually bought “Three Dollar Bill, Y’all$,” the group’s Flip/Interscope Records debut. At $15 a ticket, this should be a no-brainer.

* Limp Bizkit at the Opium Den, 1605 N. Ivar Ave., Hollywood, (213) 466-7800.

Boogie Nights: From the Valley to Vegas, if you wanna shake your groove thing, we’ve got two heady options. The original Boogie Knights, the group that broke new feverish ground in the mid-’90s with its original disco shtick, will be reigning supreme at the Drink in Las Vegas. For those who want to stay a little closer to home, the group’s offspring, Knight Fever, will be performing at Fusilli, the new name of the old Pelican’s Retreat club in Calabasas. The members of Knight Fever may not be the first to don the afro wigs and leisure wear, but they’re no slouches. In fact, the quartet’s rendition of “Kung Fu Fighting” is the best on the circuit.

* Boogie Knights at the Drink, 200 E. Harmon St., Las Vegas, (702) 796-5519. $20 cover. Knight Fever at Fusilli, 24454 Calabasas Road, Calabasas, (818) 225-8090. $25 cover.

Garden of Eatin’: The new kid on the H-wood block, the already-popular Garden of Eden nightclub and restaurant, is planning to add a “Cirque du Soleil” theme to its erotic Moroccan-style motif. This means jugglers, acrobats, dancers, deejays and, oh yeah, a four-course meal that includes Chinese duck sausage with wasabi and tricolor spaetzle. The feats and feast will cost you $120 a ticket, and reservations are recommended.

* Garden of Eden, 7080 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, (213) 465-3336.