It's New Year's Eve. Generally, it's a night that most service people (read: your servers, bartenders, Uber & Lyft drivers) loathe. Why? Because unlike most night's when you and your 30 other degenerate friends go out, NYE has a way of bringing out some amateurs who can't drink, can't tip and then actually keep their resolutions to never get shit-faced again — that is, until the next December 31st.
Aaaanyway, your wallet deserves to know what it's getting into, so we've compiled the best New Year's Eve concerts and attached some pricing information.
Have a look, take a pick and then break the trend by acually tipping the shit out of your service people on December 31. Try not to get too wasted, either.
Be safe, friends. Until next year.
🚫 = No cover /💰 = $10 and under /💰💰 = $10-$30 /💰💰💰 = $30-$1,000,000
Annual New Year’s Eve Bash w/Poetry ‘N’ Lotion Like the Ella’s NYE bash, The Indie’s December 31 party isn’t free, but the $10 cover does include a champagne toast plus music from Zappa-loving, Black Sabbath-covering horn-infused instrumental outfit Poetry ‘n’ Lotion. (Independent Bar and Cafe, Tampa) INFO 💰
Manic Focus w/Russ Liquid Test/MZG John “JmaC” McCarten’s collaborations with The Floozies, Lettuce, Pretty Lights and GRiZ have earned him loyal following in the EDM and jam band festival scene, so it’ll be a nice mix of those crowds when the Chicago producer brings his sound — a catchy, body-moving mix of electronic sounds and organic instrumentation — to this Seventh Avenue stronghold that is no stranger to all-night dance parties. Electro-funk wild man Russ Liquid Test opens the show alongside hip-hop and house beatmaker MZG. (Orpheum, Ybor City) INFO 💰💰
BEST LOCAL ALBUMS 2017
Meatwound's Largo is a pulverizing, pleasurable punch in the gut
Meatwound w/Sun Signs/Alistair Graves Meatwound is pulling double duty on New Year’s Eve when Seminole Heights’ Mermaid Tavern invites neighbors to ring in 2018 with an ear-ringing, no-cover set from the hardcore Tampa outfit and indie-rock quartet Sun Signs. Read about Meatwound’s other NYE show at Fubar below. (Mermaid Tavern, Tampa) INFO🚫
Infernal Coil w/Ad Nauseum/Meatwound/I’m an Intestine End of the year parties are usually glitzy affairs with sparking clothes and stupid-ass hats. This one is for the black t-shirt, long hair or bushy beard crowd. Infernal Coil ships itself in from the frozen tundra of Boise, Idaho (it’s gotta be snowing up there, right?) in support of a new single — “Bodies Set In Ashen Death”/”Reflection of Waldeinsamkeit” — and the death metal band will be joined by Orlando sludge band Ad Nauseum plus Tampa powerviolence group I’m An Intestine. Icing on the cake comes in the form of Meatwound whose 2017 release tops our rundown of the best Bay area albums from 2017. (Fubar, St. Petersburg) INFO💰
An Attic New Year’s w/Tony Lucca/Steve Everett/Forrest Hoffar Tony Lucca spent summer in Tennessee working on his stage show at a residency for The Country in his home city of Nashville. The rest of us either know the 41-year-old from his run during season two of NBC’s The Voice or his teenage years spent on Mickey Mouse Club. Lucca joins pop songwriter Steve Everett at this one where local boy Forrest Hoffar handles opening duties. (The Attic at Rock Brothers Brewing, Ybor City) INFO💰💰💰
TIME FOR A TOAST
After multiple delays, Rock Brothers' Ybor City space celebrates its grand opening
Trailside Phantoms w/Bride of Chaotica/The Wrenchers/Vague After doing a Christmas Eve show at Hideaway Cafe, weird Americana six-piece Trailside Phantoms is bringing some mando and banjo boogie to a splendid downtown St. Petersburg dive. Surf rock, space funk and more makeup the support bill at this free 600 Block show. (Emerald Bar, Saint Petersburg) INFO🚫
HPC 22nd Anniversary w/DJ Santana/DJ Haf/DJ David Beats/DJ Gio Breton Hyde Park Cafe has two reasons to party on December 31 as it spends NYE also celebrating 22 years of being south Tampa’s little house music hideout. The Velocity Room gets dedicated to Latin sounds at this one, and you can do some poking around to get in on a $5, two-hour open bar reserved for the club’s most faithful patrons. (Hyde Park Cafe, Tampa) INFO💰💰
Slushii You’ll never believe this, but Los Angeles EDM producer Slushii doesn’t have to wear a fucking Slurpee® costume to get people to listen to his music. Nope, Julian Scanlan has won over legions of young ravers on the merits of the ultra-charged brand of dubstep he’s brought to countless festival stages since the 2016 release of Brain Freeze. Scanlan, just 20 years old, has plenty of famous friends (Skrillex, Diplo, and yes, marshmallow costume-wearing DJ Marshmello), and he’ll be surrounded by a loyal collection of Ybor City candy kids at this one. (The Ritz, Ybor City) INFO💰💰
Woody Pines w/Grandpa’s Cough Medicine/Cadillac Bombers Nashville comes to Nebraska Avenue on New Year’s Eve thanks to Woody Pines who actually called New Hampshire and Ohio home before busking in New Orleans and then finally forging his story in Music City, U.S.A. Nevertheless, Pines’ old-timey Southern folk, roots and rockabilly-style jazz will add to the cozy vibe that’ll surely take over this Seminole Heights eatery. The buffet looks like a diabetes dream (hickory smoked ribs, pimento mac & cheese, shrimp and sausage boil, more), and an opening slate featuring Jacksonville bluegrass quartet Grandpa’s Cough Medicine plus Tampa hillbilly swingers the Cadillac Bombers ain’t worth skipping at all. This isn’t a no-cover show like so many other Ella’s gigs, so call (813) 234-1000 to check on availability. (Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, Tampa) INFO💰💰💰
Terroir New Music The Noble Rice aesthetic is one of the cleanest and most appealing on the internet (seriously, check @noblerice on Instagram). That’s why it’s neat to see the south Tampa American izakaya tapping the Terroir New Music collective to bring a wholly unique sonic feel to a five-course meal that’ll be paced by the experimental sounds of Terroir principles Tyler Kline and Susanna Hancock. Yes, a champagne toast is included. You’ll wanna email info@noblericeco.com or call 813-284-7423 to see if they’ve got any room left. (Noble Rice, Tampa) INFO💰💰💰
NYE Masquerade w/DJ Scumdawg The Bricks is always ripe for a good party that's 10-times better than Tinder, and on NYE the Ybor City nightspot invites someone named DJ Scumdawg to play selector while the crowd counts down to 2018. No cover, and masks will be provided at the door should you forget yours. (The Bricks, Ybor) INFO🚫
69 Boyz w/Boyz Wit Da Bass This NYE party is all about that bass (and, yes, “What You Want For Christmas” is one of the best holiday tunes out). What you really want to look out for, however, is your inability to not get blasted at this all-too-affordable “all you responsibly drink” shindig headlined by former kings of Miami bass, 69 Boyz. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) INFO💰 (💰💰 if you're over 21 years old)
MO' DIRTY SUNDAYS
Ol' Dirty Sundays' DJ Casper and DJ Fader reflect on six years gone by
Ol’ Dirty Sundays w/Mike Mass/DJ Casper/DJ Fader Not like you needed an extra two hours to get twisted at Ol’ Dirty Sundays, but the long-running Sunday night hip-hop-, soul, R&B, funk and feel-good-music courtyard party is busting doors open at 8 p.m. for an end of the year blowout featuring some of the city’s best tacos (thank you, Mic Deluxx) and one of its finest emcees (Mike Mass) hosting the festivities. This party — complete with a custom ball drop — is miraculously free (as its always been), and it’ll be a who’s who of Bay area emcees, singers and B-boys/girls shortly after it opens. (Crowbar, Ybor City) INFO🚫
Donna the Buffalo w/Jim Lauderdale At this point, Donna the Buffalo fans should know that there’s no “Donna” to be had (the band was originally supposed to be called “Dawn Of The Buffalo” before a fortunate mispronunciation). What DTB faithful will find at Skipper’s during this two-night run, however, is a collective of the band’s cult followers ready to ring in the New Year with some rootsy-folk music. Expect to also hear a lot from Wait ‘Til Spring — a 2003 collaborative album with country songwriter Jim Lauderdale — since the 60-year-old architect of Americana will be on hand to play solo opening sets and presumably join the band. Lauderdale is touring in support of his 2017 solo album London Southerner, but he’s played with the likes of George Strait, Vince Gill, Dwight Yoakam, Patty Loveless and even sang backup for Lucinda Williams over the years, so he’ll be ready to throw down with the Buffalo. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) INFO💰💰💰
ALSO PLAYING
2018 NYE Dance Party with DJ's Sugarbear and Big Chris! (The Bends, St. Petersburg) INFO🚫
New Year’s Eve w/Freekbass & The Bump Assembly (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin) INFO🚫
Jonathan Direnzo w/DJ Tim Jones (Ferg's Live, Tampa) INFO🚫
Star Wars New Year’s Eve Party w/DJ Atom Rich (Orbit 19 Lounge, Holiday) INFO🚫
Suzy Solar w/Brad Smith/Truk (Pegasus Nightclub, Tampa) INFO💰
J6lb Johnny G Lyons (Buckets Tavern & Tap, Tampa) INFO💰
NYE Vices & Virtues: Opera, Jazz, and Burlesque (SubCentral At The Iberian Rooster, St. Petersburg) INFO💰💰
An All Star New Year' Eve w/ TC Carr/Kirk Adams/Vinnie Seplesky/Dennis McCarthy/Sean Fote/John Holt III (Hideaway Café, St. Petersburg) INFO💰💰
New Year's Eve Time Lord Ball 2017 (Brass Mug, Tampa) INFO💰💰💰
Salute to Vienna: A New Year's Concert (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) INFO💰💰💰
Back to The 80s New Year's Eve Party (c. 1949 Florida Beer Garden, Tampa) INFO❓
Bendy Straw w/Sugar Plum/Louis Junior/Computer Date/Tullie & Trevor (1313, Ybor City) INFO❓
This article appears in Dec 28, 2017 – Jan 4, 2018.
