On the holiday calendar, New Year’s Eve is perhaps second only to Halloween in terms of the breadth of sounds you can find in Athens, and there are dozens of music options to help you ring in 2015. Below, seven of Flagpole‘s picks for Dec. 31. For the full list of New Year’s events, see the Calendar.
Seven Handle Circus, The Darnell Boys, The Kinky Aphrodisiacs
New Earth Athens · 9 p.m. · $10
Atlanta newgrass outfit Seven Handle Circus infuses its strummy trad-folk with a disco backbeat. This is the show for anyone interested in stringed instruments but still looking to get down. Local country-folk faves The Darnell Boys and funk-rockers The Kinky Aphrodisiacs round out the wide-ranging bill.
Reptar, Shade, murk daddy flex
40 Watt Club · 9 p.m. · $11
Athens indie-pop institution Reptar follows up its show-stopping AthFest set with a New Year’s Eve throwdown sure to be a party and a half. The openers on this bill are both Athens-insider (and Flagpole) favorites that you should really make it your beeswax to see if you have not already.
The Revivalists, AJ Ghent, Larkin Poe
Georgia Theatre · 8:30 p.m. · $15
The Revivalists hail from New Orleans, a melting pot of a musical town if there ever was one, and the group’s sound is all over the map: A jammy and eclectic take on the foot-stomping folk that’s all the rage right now, the band plays GATH along with Col. Bruce Hampton sideman AJ Ghent and Atlanta roots duo Larkin Poe.
Martha Reeves, Grains of Sand, Trae Gurley
Melting Point · 7 p.m. · $50
Martha Reeves is known for her work with The Vandellas, with whom she recorded the everlasting hit “Dancing in the Street.” Reeves has led a fascinating life since her Motown heyday, serving as a Detroit, MI councilwoman from 2005–2009. She’ll no doubt bust out the hits at Melting Point.
Tongues, Blunt Bangs, Brothers, New Wives
Flicker Theatre & Bar · 9 p.m.
Catch up with what’s going on in Athens indie rock at Flicker, where four talented young locals ring in the new year. Tongues, Brothers and New Wives offer varying takes on melodic guitar-pop. Blunt Bangs, formerly Night School, is the new project from Black Kids frontman Reggie Youngblood.
Dangfly, Lowdive, Showtime, Scott Low and the Southern Bouillon
Caledonia Lounge · 9 p.m. · $5 (21+), $7 (18–20)
A reprisal of last year’s NYE blowout at Caledonia, local alt-rockers Dangfly and ska-obsessed scene pariahs Lowdive join with funk-rockers Showtime and singer-songwriter mainstay Scott Low and his band for a ball-droppin’ good time.
Muuy Biien, DIP, Coombsbot, DJ Blowpop
Go Bar · 9 p.m.
You’d think it was All Hallow’s Eve at Go Bar, where Athens punks Muuy Biien pose as the Rolling Stones for a strut-filled set. If you have always wondered whether stoic MB frontman Josh Evans secretly moves like Jagger, now’s your chance to find out.
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