New Year’s Eve is on a Monday. Is this good? Will you be partied out? So sick of your family and holiday parties you’ll really want to toast champagne with strangers? Either way, you need to make your plans. Yes, we still have to get through the biggest holiday of the year but if you wait much longer you’ll be spending NYE with Netflix (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing).
Here are 19 NYE picks to ring in 2019. As of this writing, tickets and seats are still available at all of the following.
Concerts
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Trouble Funk @ The Anthem
Hands down the funnest, danciest, horniest concert ringing in the new year in D.C. Starting with local legends and ending with the future of funk, you’ll go from go-go to funk for over four hours.
Peaches O’Dell & Her Orchestra @ Black Cat
Black Cat’s annual ‘classy’ celebration returns. For at least one more year you’ll be able to discuss the future and the future of Black Cat while everything changes and nothing changes.
The Experience Band & CrushFunk Brass @ Songbyrd
Your favorite basement venue is celebrating New Year’s Eve and Mardi Gras in one go with live performances by The Experience Band and CrushFunk. Enjoy the experience while you crush some Abita brews and soak in all the good jams.
Ring in the new year with your middle finger extended as you chant the lyrics to “Say Na” and drink Echostage priced lite beers and/or Echostage priced bottle service.
New Year’s Eve @ Quarry House Tavern
Silver Spring’s best (/ only?) dive is celebrating NYE the way they celebrate every night, with beers, burgers, whiskey and maybe a live band. They’re not sure yet. Fingers crossed.
Dinners
Blind Pig: A New Year’s Eve Speakeasy @ Barrel
Barrel is closing all the curtains and throwing an all you can eat / all you can drink pig and booze extravaganza. Fill yourself with Old Fashioneds and Negronis and lobster rolls and chicken drumsticks and everything else good in this world. Then go home and sleep forever.
New Year’s Eve @ The Salt Line
Did you read the word “lobster” in the blurb above and think, “Hot damn all I want to do is eat seafood forever until I die?” Then head straight to The Salt Line’s website and snag one of the last reservations for their NYE dinner. The four course $85 menu (plus $50 for a wine pairing) includes lobster pot pie, stuffed lobster and more!
Celebrate the last day of 2018 and the last day of Acadiana at the same damn time. The New Orleans influenced restaurant is shutting its doors on New Year’s Day (RIP), but they’re going out with a bang with $6 all day drink specials and a pre fixe menu packed with classics.
No Cover New Year’s Eve @ Boundary Stone
Too cool to make plans? Too broke to make plans? Too tired to make plans? Roll out of bed on NYE and make your way straight to Boundary Stone where the $4 DC Braus, $6 wines and $7 sandwiches flow.
NYE @ Voltaggio Brothers Steak House
Or maybe you’re the kind of person who wants to go big or go home, in which case, we can’t imagine a crazier place to party it up than MGM. Before you spend the night losing and winning and then losing again at the blackjack table, stop by the Voltaggio Brothers’ steak house for a quick five course dinner.
When one of the most beautiful restaurants in D.C. throws a New Year’s Eve party, you don’t ignore it. Get all gussied up and spend a classy as hell time at Zaytinya, where delicious Mediterranean food (and a complimentary cava toast) awaits.
New Year’s Eve @ Taco Bamba DC
I’m only going to type three words, because these are the only three words you need to read: nacho cheese fountain.
Parties
New Year’s Eve @ U Street Music Hall
No advance ticket sales and a $12 ensure a certain type of person at this party. Reasonable people with good taste without a desire to impress will be at this party.
Looking for a seven hour premium open bar and DJs spinning Top 40 from the 2000s? Look no further! Also, I like their roof.
New Year’s Eve Blowout @ Rock & Roll Hotel
If you like their promo video you’ll like this party? Also, I like their roof.
Catharsis + Mettā: Dance Medicine NYE Edition @ TBD
This TBD party is perfect for the person who likes to live life on the edge / has been to Burning Man / is friends with someone who went to Burning Man so is therefor Burning Man adjacent.
New Year’s Eve @ The Green Zone
Pop by The Green Zone for a night of middle eastern cocktails, champagne and tunes from DJ Muath.
New Year’s Eve Danceteria @ Slash Run
Go back into time to 1919 and catch an all vinyl DJ set at D.C.’s only hair metal bar. There will be drink specials all night long and plenty of opportunities to make a fool of yourself on the dance floor.
Millennial Pink NYE @ Dew Drop Inn
This Y2K-esque party features nothing but queer and trans performers plus a healthy dose of early 2000’s nostalgia. Dress in your finest millennial pink for the full effect.
Whether you’re looking to do nothing but eat and drink for three hours and fall asleep before midnight, you want to hit up a chill no cover, no problem NYE or you want to throw some big money down and drink rare whiskey and vintage champagne all night long, Jack Rose has your back.
