As Robert Burns wrote, "And there's a hand, my trusty fere!/ And gie's a hand o'thine!/ And we'll tak a gude-willie waught/ For auld lang syne."

Cheers.

Thursday (Boxing Day)

It's Boxing Day today in the former British Empire. When anglophiles commemorate the glorious day that Sir William Box successfully routed the advance guard of Blumfief's Ostrich Corps and drove the legions of flesh-hungry birds and their Flemish riders into the ocean forever. Or whatever, this is America and we don't need to know or care about this stuff. No music tonight.

Friday

Local guitarist Piet Dalmolen brings the skill and expertise he regularly displays in local tribute acts The Undercovers and Money to a solo set at the Westhaven Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. ($5-$20 sliding scale). How does he make magic in a band-less setting? I think loops and pedals are involved, but there's only one way to be certain.

Saturday

Local singer/songwriter Georgia Ruth and her backing band The Reverie will be playing a farewell to 2019 gig at the Arcata Playhouse tonight. Expect a soulful-vocal filled showcase of Ruth's songbook as well as a hearty smattering of covers at 8 p.m. ($20, $15 advance).

Sunday and Monday

With the students out for the winter break and the days slowly reclaiming the light with a glacial pace, there isn't anything happening on these dates that I can recommend. Rest up for the revelry.

Tuesday (New Year's Eve)

It's that time when people traditionally imbibe heroic amounts of intoxicants to avoid reflecting on the course of the past year. This one's extra-special because we all have a decade's worth of events to try not to think about in the interest of self-preservation. For anyone who wants to write in and tell me that "Actually, the new decade starts on Jan. 1, 2021" I have prepared a brief rebuttal: "Cram it, Poindexter."

Anyway, there's a whole lot of stuff going on so let's get busy. Instead of going chronologically, I will list these events from north to south, in the hopes that you will find something near home and not drive under the influence.

McKinleyville: Six Rivers Brewery is having a free '80s and '90s dance party at 9 p.m. with DJs Pressure and JOE-E. Costumes are encouraged.

Blue Lake: E & O Lanes is throwing a free honky-tonk hootenanny with a matinee show at 5 p.m. and a proper bonanza at 9:30 p.m. featuring Rooster McClintock and Barn Fire bringing the red hot country fried jams to both gigs.

Arcata: Here are four parties all going down around 9:30 p.m. Up first are two funk and jam deals right next to each other. Humbrews is hosting Object Heavy with special guests on a rotating stage of talent ($15, $12 advance) while the Jam has a big jamfest put on by Spunj and Dan & the Americans for a 10-spot. As far as DJs go, the good people at World Famous Productions are putting on a secretive electro bash at the Arcata Theatre Lounge featuring some unnamed, super-TBA talent with advance tickets going for $10, while the Miniplex has one hell of a free cumbia and Latin dance party put on by the fantastic DJ Sonido Pachanguero.

Eureka: Two options await your discernment starting around 9 p.m. The Siren's Song has a heckuva local rock show and dance party with alt-folk act Blood Hunny, punkers ChainLinks and the way-back groovy lounge stylings of Clean Girl & the Dirty Dishes. The whole thing is also a gothy boogiedown curated by DJ Dastbunny ($5).

For the more electronically minded, the Eagle House is having a real glowstick blowout with a whole mix of DJs and artists, including BangData, Marjo Lak, Sacre Cheu, Mark Starr, Nima G and many more ($35, $50).

Wednesday (New Year's Day)

As the Maureen McGovern song from the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure goes, there's got to be a morning after. And I certainly hope that everyone has made it here safely. If you feel up to taking in a nicely diverse, female-fronted folk gig, I suggest that you head over to the Arcata Playhouse at 7 p.m., where you will find the talented Lyndsey Battle, Gunsafe and Belles of the Levee holding court for the blinking newborn citizens of 2020 ($5-$20, sliding scale).

Full show listings in the Journal's Music and More grid, the Calendar and online. Bands and promoters, send your gig info, preferably with a high-res photo or two, to music@northcoastjournal.com.

Collin Yeo wishes you all fun with friends and a remembrance of good times past. He lives in Arcata and prefers he/him pronouns.