Image via Complex Original
New Year’s Eve comes with plenty of expectations—no one wants to start their next year on the wrong foot. You’ve got your outfit picked out, your crew selected, now you just need to decide who will soundtrack of your evening. Whether you’re thinking bottle service in Vegas or a rock concert in Manhattan, we’ve selected the best and most diverse options for your first party of 2014. Happy planning, you can thank us later.
Moby
Price: Starting at $125
Location: Fort Mason Center Festival Pavilion, San Francisco
Time: 9 pm
Remember in 2002 when Eminem dissed Moby saying, “nobody listens to techno”? Well, the tables have turned. Ring in 2014 with influence from the ‘90s as electronic music-mastermind Moby headlines the 5th Annual Streets of San Francisco event at Fort Mason, which brags the highest bartender-to-crowd ratio in town.
Buy tickets here.
J. Cole
Price: Starting at $55
Location: 1 OAK, Las Vegas
Time: 9 pm
J. Cole is known to get you up all night. Now you can clink champagne glasses with him at the elegant Vegas location of 1 OAK when the clock strikes midnight. Be sure to leave time to scour the club for New Year’s kiss prospects, because singles off this year’s Born Sinner, are certified lady-killers.
Buy tickets here.
Borgore
Price: $60
Location: Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles
Time: 9 pm
Friend of Miley Cyrus, king of dubstep, and frequent receiver of scandalous fan pics on Twitter, LA via Israel DJ Borgore will be hitting the decks at the Hollywood Palladium. The standing room only venue will pack a sweaty dance floor and general admission balcony, reserving just a few tables for those seeking a more comfortable evening.
Buy tickets here.
Nervo
Price: Starting at $100
Location: Ruby Skye, San Francisco
Time: 9 pm
Bottles and models: Who isn’t a fan? Spend your New Year’s with models-turned-songwriters-turned-superstar-DJs, the Nervo sisters. These DJ Mag Top 100 placeholders will throw down house bangers that are digestible for both Top 40 fans and house heads. Known for their collaborations with Steve Aoki, Afrojack, and more, the Australian natives tour the festival circuit and are a rare sight for an intimate club atmosphere.
Buy tickets here.
SnowGlobe Musical Festival
Price: Starting at $64
Location: Lake Tahoe Community College, South Lake Tahoe
Time: Dec 29-31
Quaint ski town South Lake Tahoe boasts names from Tiesto to Snoop Dogg at the annual SnowGlobe Music Festival. Complete with multiple stages and tents, art installations, food trucks, and vendors, enjoy the full festival experience amidst beautiful snowy mountains. With dozens of artists, the ticket price is a steal compared to many open-bar club alternatives in the city.
Buy tickets here.
Gogol Bordello
Price: Starting at $46
Location: Terminal 5, New York City
Time: 9 pm
Gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello is bringing their elaborate and bizarre stage show to Terminal 5. Hailing from the Lower East Side, the wacky 8-piece group incorporates accordion and violin to create a unique sound that has drawn loyal fans since 1999.
Buy tickets here.
Calvin Harris
Price: Starting at $75
Location: Hakkasan, Las Vegas
Time: 10 pm
Hit maker and genre blender extraordinaire Calvin Harris will spin his Rihanna, Florence and the Machine, and Ellie Goulding collaborations as you toast at midnight. The EDM heartthrob will compete with other dance-music top dogs on the Vegas strip this New Year’s, but his performance at Hakkasan will definitely be the highlight of his residency at the club over 2013 and begin his continued residency in 2014 with a bang.
Buy tickets here.
Lil Jon
Price: Starting at $20
Location: Tryst, Las Vegas
Time: 10 pm
What? Lil Jon DJ set at Tryst for $20. Okay! (To be read in a Lil Jon voice, obviously.) The rapper turned DJ is headlining a party appropriately named “Turn Down for What,” and invites the Vegas crowd to join him ringing in the New Year Atlanta style.
Buy tickets here.
Miguel
Price: Starting at $100
Location: TAO, Las Vegas
Time: 9 pm
Ease into 2014 with crooner Miguel at TAO. The lounge style experience includes a premium open bar, “heavily passed” hors d’oeuvres, and free admission to Lavo after midnight if you’re looking to kick your evening up a notch. With his stage jump fail, and supporting Drake on tour, 2013 has been an eventful year for Miguel, who will surely make the night memorable for all in attendance.
Buy tickets here.
Diplo
Price: Starting at $52
Location: Surrender Nightclub, Las Vegas
Time: 9 pm
There is no one better to culminate 2013, the “Year of Twerk,” than Diplo. The Mad Decent founder and Grammy-nominated producer is guaranteed to draw an equally ambitious crowd of partiers. Surrender Nightclub at the posh Wynn Hotel has hosted Diplo’s Vegas residency throughout the year. To give you an idea of the crowd you’ll be working with, prices vary between ladies and gents and tables range from $500 to $10,000.
Buy tickets here.
