New Year’s Eve is always a big night for fans of live music, as there are many shows happening!

People have different ideas about what makes a perfect New Year’s Eve celebration; for some, it might involve a nice dinner and some dancing, while others want to ring in the New Year with the kids in tow. Then, there are those who will want to rock until they drop and dance away into the wee hours of 2017.

Whatever you are looking for, here at Sounds Local, I have gathered up some information on several New Year’s Eve happenings that are guaranteed to provide you with the perfect soundtrack to bid farewell to 2016 and welcome in 2017.

Advanced tickets are available and highly recommended for all of these events — and a reminder to all of you last-minute shoppers, tickets to any of these events would make a great present.

Let’s start by looking at a few shows for those who want to stay out well past midnight and enjoy a New Year’s Eve filled with music, music and more music.

The Ball Drop
’16-Rock ’n’ Roll Resort
at Arts Block

Some of you may be familiar with the Rock ’n’ Roll Resorts, as there have been a series of these indoor festivals, mostly held in the Hudson Valley of New York. Many of our local musicians have been a part of these shows and, now, the Rock ’n’ Roll Resort is landing at the Arts Block in Greenfield for Franklin County’s biggest New Year’s celebration.

There will be 9 bands playing this show, and the majority of them are all popular Pioneer Valley groups. You can get into groove with the reggae-rap sounds of the Alchemystics, get funky with Fat Bradley, and dance away to the high-energy Dixieland-influenced tunes of The Primate Fiasco. Also on hand will be the genre-bending music of Mamma’s Marmalade and The Medicinal Purpose, who hail from New Jersey.

Gang of Thieves, a groove band from Burlington Vt., along with lespecial from Connecticut, will also keep the party going. Rounding things up will be DJ Redshift from Northampton.

That’s a lot of music!

But the Rock ’n’ Roll Resorts is an all-inclusive event, so its offering a variety of ticketing options to fit your interests.

A $30 ticket will get you in the door for the music only, which will begin at 8 p.m. These tickets are limited, so move fast if you want to purchase one or more.

For $55, you can attend the pre-party, which begins at 6 p.m. and includes an artist meet and greet and hors d’oeurves.

If you don’t want to be out driving on New Year’s Eve, consider the $265 package, which includes two tickets to the event and pre-party, a room at the nearby hotel, shuttle to and from the Arts Block and breakfast the next morning.

To purchase tickets and hear samples from some of the bands that will be playing, visit:
www.rocknrollresort.com

The Strange Ones’ Ball
at Pearl Street Nightclub

The klezmer folk punk band Bella’s Bartok had a good year in 2016 — the band released an excellent new album, “Change Yer Life,” and toured all over the country. It’s makes sense that the band would wrap up the year by hosting a big New Year’s Eve bash at the Pearl Street Ballroom in Northampton.

Bella’s Bartok says it will be “The Greatest Show on Earth … probably.”

The band is calling this party the Strange Ones’ Ball and promise it will be, “a night full of mayhem, dancing, giant monster people, acrobatics, balloons, costumes, giant hamster balls and more mind-blowing things that you have to see to believe.”

And, they aren’t doing all this alone — there will be three other bands in what is a very diverse lineup. The Funky Dawgz Brass Band is a brass band from Connecticut that will play everything from traditional New Orleans R&B to contemporary tunes. Then, there is Damn Tall Buildings, a string band from Boston, and The Snaz, the indie-pop rock group from Brattleboro, Vt.

Sounds like a wild time!

Tickets are $15 in advance and available at: www.iheg.com or by phone at 413-586-8686 or at the Northampton Box Office. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and music begins at 8.

HOME BODY and friends
at Root Cellar in Greenfield

The Roots Cellar in Greenfield is hosting a New Year’s Eve bash featuring the electro-pop sounds of Greenfield’s HOME BODY, the psychedelic tunes of Carinae from Hadley and the experimental fusion music of Hot Dirt out of Holyoke.

This is going to be about more than music. There will also be interactive art experiences, including the Shelburne Falls duo know as Opertura, which will be on hand to create dream charms.

There will be other art installations — and some surprises, as well.

Tickets are $12 and available at: www.therootcellar.com

This is a show for people 21 years old and older. Music begins at 9 p.m.

The O-Tones at the Arts Block

The Rock ’n’ Roll Resort isn’t the only party happening at the Arts Block on New Year’s Eve. On the building’s fourth floor, you can enjoy dinner and music provided the O-Tones of Northampton.

The O-Tones music, which is a mix of swing and jazz standards, soul, blues, and Motown, seems tailor-made for a New Year’s celebration. And for those interested in dancing, this room features a large wooden dance floor. The music of the O-Tones is also enjoyable for those who prefer to sit back and listen.

Tickets are $60 and include a buffet dinner and champagne toast. There will be a cash bar. Doors open at 8 p.m. and music begins at 9. Tickets available at:
www.theartsblock.com

Roger Salloom Band
at Hope & Olive

Fresh off his November show at the Arts Block, Roger Salloom of Florence and his band return to Greenfield to provide music for New Year’s Eve diners at Hope & Olive restaurant on the corner of Hope and Olive streets.

There is a theme to this evening — Big Night Italiano — inspired by the 1996 movie, “Big Night,” which was about an Italian restaurant. It stared Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub. Shalhoub is an acquaintance of Salloom’s, and was once considered to play the role of Salloom in a proposed movie that unfortunately did not happen.

The restaurant will offer three seatings and an special a la carte Italian menu. Salloom and his band will be doing their regular material, as well as “Big Night” inspired tunes by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin and others.

Call Hope and Olive at 413-774-3150 to make reservations.

Family Friendly First Nights

Some of you want your New Year’s celebrations to involve the kids, and for that you need not look any further than Starry Starry Night in Orange and First Night Northampton.

For awhile, it was looking like Starry Starry Night in Orange might not happen this year. Last summer, the organizers were having a tough time lining up volunteers, so the future of this event was looking shaky, at best. But fortunately, the problems were resolved and Starry Starry Night is back for its 21st year.

Starry Starry Night includes a parade, fireworks and plenty of music, all taking place at different venues in downtown Orange.

Jazz guitarist Kevin Jones and his band, the all female a cappella group Surround Sound, and singer-songwriter Paul Kaplan are just some of the musicians you will hear at Starry Starry Night.

This year, the event is also offering an open mic that will be held at 7 and 9 p.m. at the Old Central School.

For information on how to sign up for the open mic, visit: www.starystarynightorg

The festivities kick off at 6 p.m., and the evening concludes with fireworks at 10:15. It’s all free.

Like Starry Starry Night, First Night Northampton has been a part of the holiday season for many years — 32, to be exact. What makes this special is that in addition to all the different types of performances and activities that go on at this event, there is so much great local music — from the sweet vocals of the Woman Songwriter Collective to the rocking sounds of Trailer Park and the alt-country of longtime favorites the Lonesome Brothers.

The Suitcase Junket, Li’l Bee Dee and the Doo-Rites, Brooks Williams, The Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra, Austin and Elliott, Evelyn Harris and Miro Sprague, Fancy Trash, The Fawns, Tracy Grammer and Jim Henry, Lord Elvis, Peter Blanchette, The Gaslight Tinkers and more will perform. The list goes on and on. There are also special performances geared for kids, like the Nields family show.

I also want to point out that the music begins early in the afternoon, and you can purchase a button for day-only activities. This way, if you have plans for the evening, you can still enjoy acts like rockers Colorway, The Johnny Memphis Band and The Surly Temple, who are a few of the many acts playing during the day.

Also, most artists will be playing two separate shows, so you don’t have to worry about being shut out of a performance.

And don’t forget the fireworks off the top of the parking garage at 6:15 p.m., and the rising of the ball at Hotel Northampton at midnight.

First Night buttons are $16 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for kids, with children age 2 and under free. $ 10 for Day time only. Buttons can be purchased at World Eye Bookshop, 156 Main St. in Greenfield.

Sheryl Hunter is a music writer who lives in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national magazines. You can contact her at soundslocal@yahoo.com