Rock the Old Year/New Year with Awesome Live Music

Billy Joel, photographed above at Madison Square Garden in July 2024, will headline the UBS Arena on New Year's Eve

The Manhattan Beat regularly lists the best live music events coming to the New York City area. The twice-weekly guide also celebrates via photographs some of the musicians who have performed locally in the past few days.

Everynight Charley recommends the following 50+ concerts in the New York City area this holiday week. Contact the venue or the artists' social media to confirm ticket availability, show times, location and directions, age restrictions, COVID compliance, and other updates.

Gogol Bordello at the Capitol Theatre on December 28

Jon Spencer at the Capitol Theatre on December 28

Grace Bergere at the Capitol Theatre on December 28

Monday, December 30

• Phish at Madison Square Garden
• Gov't Mule at the Beacon Theatre
• Yo la Tengo at the Bowery Ballroom
• Chris Botti at the Blue Note
• Steel Pulse, IRIEspect, Skygrass at Brooklyn Bowl
• Medeski, Martin, Metzger & Cline at Sony Hall
• Rev. Vince Anderson & the Love Choir at Union Pool
• Carl Banks at the Red Lion
• The T Blues Band w. Junior Mack & Bobby Bryan at Terra Blues
• The Michael Hill Trio at Terra Blues
• Richie Cannata's Monday Night Jam at the Bitter End
• Big Ed's Blues Jam at the Red Lion
• Mona's Monday Night Bluegrass Session at Mona's

Night 5 of The 8 Nights of Hannukah with Yo la Tengo at the Bowery Ballroom on December 29

Comedian Jay Jurden at the Bowery Ballroom on December 29

MJ Lenderman at the Bowery Ballroom on December 29

Tuesday, December 31 New Year's Eve

• Phish at Madison Square Garden
• Billy Joel at the UBS Arena, Elmont
• Gov't Mule at the Beacon Theatre
• Yo la Tengo at the Bowery Ballroom
• Chris Botti at the Blue Note
• Emmit Fenn, Will Sass, Marty P, Eve, Alexa Spagnola at Webster Hall
• Zhu, Maahez, One True God, Sohmi at Terminal 5
• Gogol Bordello, Crazy & the Brains at White Eagle Hall
• Clyde & Gracie Lawrence at City Winery NYC
• Nation of Language, Mary Jane Dunphe at Warsaw
• Steel Pulse, Brother Jerome at Brooklyn Bowl
• The Hot Sardines at Joe's Pub
• Been Stellar, Catcher at Gold Sounds
• Gustaf at Alphaville
• Star's Revenge, Maxelle Talena, the Josephine Network, TDA at Mew's Gallery
• Preachermann and the Revival, Les Sans Culottes, Viva’s Rock & Roll Burlesque at Rubulad
• Big Girl, Crush Fund, Um, Jennifer?, Tula Vera at Purgatory
• Mireya Ramos at Arthur's Tavern
• New Moon Acoustic Blues at Terra Blues
• The Junior Mack Band at Terra Blues

The Felice Brothers at Brooklyn Bowl on December 27

Merce Lemon at Brooklyn Bowl on December 27

Wednesday, January 1 New Year’s Day

• Yo la Tengo at the Bowery Ballroom
• Chris Botti at the Blue Note
• Amtrac, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Jacques Greene at the Kings Hall at Avant Gardner
• Hot Since '82 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
• Joseph Arthur, Kevin Devine at City Winery NYC
• Popa Chubby at the Loft at City Winery
• The Lonesome Prairie Dogs w. Lenny Kaye, Tammy Faye Starlite, Cliff Westfall, Jack Grace at the Bowery Electric
• Greg Humphreys at the 11th St. Bar
• Michael Hill (acoustic) at Terra Blues
• The David "Doc" French Band at Terra Blues

Stéphane Wrembel at barbès on December 29

Seydurah Avecmoi at Arthur's Tavern on December 25 (photograph by Seth Okrend)

Steely Dead at Hill Country Barbecue Market on December 28

Thursday, January 2

• Chris Botti at the Blue Note
• The Oz Noy Organ Trio at the Bitter End
• Buck and a Quarter at barbès
• Sanford at the 11th St. Bar
• Junior Mack (acoustic) at Terra Blues
• The T Blues Band w. Kelton Cooper & David "Doc" French at Terra Blues
• Days of Wild at the Red Lion

The Hipp Pipps with guest saxophonist Seaton Hancock at the Parkside Lounge on December 28 (photograph by Susan Lashley)

The Rover Boys Trio at the Parkside Lounge on December 28 (photograph by Susan Lashley)

The Record Players NYC at the Parkside Lounge on December 28 (photograph by Susan Lashley)

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The Manhattan Beat reports on New York City's live music circuit. All articles are written by Everynight Charley Crespo. All photographs are taken by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise.

For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right of the The Manhattan Beat home page and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music."

For a more complete listing of upcoming performances in the New York City area, visit The Manhattan Beat's December and January calendars.