What are you doing New Year’s Eve? Here are a dozen Philly-area musical options

Check and see who’s playing New Year’s Eve to take the measure a music scene’s health. In Philadelphia, most prime NYE acts are locals with “a home for the holidays” gig that will find them on stage as 2023 turns into 2024.

All the shows highlighted below happen on NYE, but the days leading up to the last night of the year also include out-of-town acts who have made a tradition of playing Philly between Christmas and New Year’s.

Gogol Bordello, the punk band led by Ukraine-born showman Eugene Hutz, play Brooklyn Bowl on Dec. 27. Jersey Shore funk-soul bandleader Remember Jones brings his Almost New Year’s Show! to City Winery on Dec. 28. Felice Brothers return to Brooklyn Bowl on Dec. 29, and folk-roots duo David Wax Museum play 118 North on Dec. 30.

Also, a timely show of note: Bar Dust, a Pogues cover band featuring former Modern Baseball member Sean Huber, will honor Shane MacGowan at Ortlieb’s. The band wishes to let Jason Kelce know he’s welcome to join them for “Fairytale of Philadelphia.”

Here’s what’s happening New Year’s Eve:

Kindred the Family Soul. The wife-and-husband team of Aja and Fatin Dantzler who rose out of the Black Lily neo-soul scene and have made grown-up R&B their métier on albums like Love Has No Recession and Auntie and Unc, will do two NYE shows, at 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. citywinery.com/philadelphia

Disco Biscuits. Come January, you can see a workshop version of Disco Biscuits’ new theater project, The Very Moon: A Steampunk Musical, at Fringe Arts. In the meantime, the electronic jam band formed at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1990s are finishing off the year with two shows at the Franklin Music Hall. bowerypresents.com

Lotus. Speaking of the Disco Biscuits, like-minded, also Philly-connected electro-jam band Lotus are playing two nights, just a few blocks away, at Union Transfer on Dec. 30-31. You could do both! utphilly.com

Low Cut Connie. Low Cut Connie’s 2023 has been full of memorable shows, from sharing a bill with Chill Moody on the Mann Center stage to closing out the rain-soaked Xponential Festival in Camden. Adam Weiner’s rock and soul band will celebrate the new Art Dealers album on Saturday and send out the year on Sunday. ArdmoreMusicHall.com

Ben Arnold. The soulful Philly rocker and songwriter who also leads the band U.S. Rails is headlining Laura Mann’s BYO Living Room in Ardmore on New Year’s Eve. Arnold will be backed by the 48 Hour Orchestra and joined by Jim Boggia. livingroomardmore.com

Pitbull. The Miami rapper, old-school entertainer, and climate-change activist, who answers to the nickname Mr. Worldwide, is the biggest boldface attraction in Atlantic City this NYE. He’s doing Dec. 30 and 31 shows at the Etess Arena at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com

Snacktime. Brassy Philly party band Snacktime will be in their element on New Year’s on top of a bill that is MTV Spring Break-themed. DJ Killsing will spin, and Brooklyn jazz fusion band Olivia and the Parkers is also on the bill. BrooklyBowl.com/philadelphia

V. Shayne Frederick. Philly jazz singer, pianist, and University of the Arts professor V. Shayne Frederick put the music of Nat King Cole in a global context on his 2022 album, The King Suite. He fronts an all-star quartet at South Jazz Kitchen for three nights, starting Dec. 29. southjazzkitchen.com

Speedy Ortiz. The North American tour for Rabbit Rabbit, the top-shelf new album by Speedy Ortiz, the Sadie Dupuis-led rock quartet, began in September at Johnny Brenda’s and is now bookending back home for a NYE date at MilkBoy Philly. milkboyphilly.com

Chelsea Reed & the Fair Weather Five. With vocalist Reed, this Philly band specializes in pre-World War II jazz, digging in to early swing and blues, drawing on Bessie Smith, Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, and Billie Holiday. They perform New Year’s Eve. ChrisJazzCafe.com

The Nude Party. This sextet really did used to party naked, but that was when they were students at Appalachian State University. Expect them to be fully clothed at the World Cafe Live on New Year’s Eve while demonstrating a command of a variety of 1960s rock and roll styles and the evolution of Patton Magee’s songwriting that’s apparent on their new Rides On. worldcafelive.com

Nazir Ebo. Philly jazz drummer Nazir Ebo will celebrate his 24th birthday at Solar Myth on South Broad Street on New Year’s Eve. Special guests are expected to play with Ebo, who’s the younger brother of jazz drummer Justin Faulkner and has played with saxophonists Joshua Redman and Soweto Kinch. When the nigh is done, Ebo and the world will be a year older. solarmythbar.com