'Tis the week before New Year's, and all through the town
It seems there's some super-cool stuff going down
Many artists and bands are out singing ditties
Making music ring out all over the city
Some have Christmas-themed shows up their sleeve
And others are prepping for old New Year's Eve
There's rock and country, reggae and folk
This isn't a drill, and it isn't a joke
But before we examine the big shows next week
A few on this weekend deserve a quick peek
On 12/21, Noise Ordinance presents
A shindig more special than all its past events
It's called the Holiday Extravaganza!
I'll give you the gist by the end of this stanza
It features players from tons of cool bands
So you might want to just cancel all other plans
Fever Dolls, Grundlefunk, Clever Girls, Gnomedad
J Bengoy and Ivamae — it's gonna be so rad
I heard that there's going to be mixing and matching
But you'll have to hit SideBar to see what they're hatching
On 12/22, after burning the "Yule log"
Maybe go hang with DJs Jahson and Big Dog
They're hosting a special Friday night Mi Yard
At Club Metronome, and it shouldn't be too hard
To decipher my previous Yule log remark
I'm talking about ganja — but layered with snark
So if reggae's your jam, you know where to go
You can dub the halls and rocksteady in the snow
Mi Yard returns to its normal Sunday night
On New Year's Eve — that sounds about right
12/23 is pretty jam-packed
Check out the club listings — they're unusually stacked
It's a mad dash to rock before Santa's arrival
And it's sure to aid in your Christmas survival
For example, Foam Brewers is livin' the dream
It's got Nico Suave & the Bodacious Supreme
Lowell Thompson's at Juniper, what do you know?
That dude always puts on an excellent show
But Christmas Eve and Day are looking wide open
It's only two days, though — so quit your mopin'
In the days preceding 12/31
It's pretty much a nonstop onslaught of fun
On 12/29, before your head hits the pillow
You'd best check out funk-hoppers Harsh Armadillo
They'll rage Nectar's with support from Mammal Dap
They'll wake you up from your long winter's nap
ArtsRiot throws down on Saturday, 12/30
Upstate Rubdown will be keeping it dirty
And smalltalker's there to open things up
So kick back, relax and raise your cup
And then comes the big night — you know what I mean
One last night to party and wipe the slate clean
I'm talking about New Year's Eve, of course
Revelers: Prepare to shout yourselves hoarse
But a bit of advice for this crazy evening:
Have a game plan, 'cause you best be believing
That FOMO makes people act all crazy
You can't do it all, so please don't feel lazy
If you only pick one New Year's Eve activity
Don't think of it like being held in captivity
So choose and choose wisely — that's my two cents
And now, let's check out some more cool events
Sabouyouma open the evening at Nectar's
And I'm sure that there won't be any objectors
To the headlining act, the one that I speak'a
Is psychedelic, West African fusionists Barika
Have you heard "There for You"? That song is legit
It's got a dope beat and a hook that won't quit
That's sung by the indomitable Ms. Kat Wright
However, she's headlining Higher Ground that night
Ms. Wright and her soul band present a doubleheader
On 12/30 and 31. But wait, it gets better
The support bands are excellent, in fact they're none other
Than the Eames Brothers Band and the fraternal SoundBrother
Also on the bill are Julia Caesar
In 2017, they've been quite the crowd-pleaser
And just so you know, one week from today
The Seven Days music section includes a Q&A
With Wright herself, and she'll give you the scoop
About what's been happenin' all year with her group
Burlington's First Night has so much to do
It's a bona fide clusterfuck — an absolute zoo
But in the best way possible, I'm sure you'll agree
Just pick up your button, and then you'll be free
To wander in and out of so many great shows
And if you don't mind, I'd like to propose
That you check out some stuff at downtown's Flynn Center
It's always been such a fantastic presenter
Of theater and music, comedy and dance
It's a surefire win, so go on, take a glance
Up on the MainStage are Myra Flynn and co.
And after she sings, you can say hello
To Burlington's dynamite rockers Swale
They don't often perform in a room of this scale
So you might want to be there — I hope they play "Felon"
I haven't seen their set list, so there's really no tellin'
If my favorite song from their brand-new LP
Will make an appearance — I guess we'll just see
Next, Gang of Thieves are a funky punch to the scrotum
Have you heard their brand-new EP? It's called Totem
There are so many more awesome shows to attend
But now it is time for this poem to end
I hope that my picks have been enlightening
And that your holiday chaos isn't too frightening
Please remember to be safe on the night of
And if places are crowded, don't push or shove
Remember to tip your bartenders well
For servers, New Year's Eve can be living hell
Please drink responsibly — don't fall in a stupor
Lest ye run afoul of a Vermont State Trooper
If I were a superhero, my superpower would be the ability to get songs stuck in other people’s heads. Here are five songs that have been stuck in my head this week. May they also get stuck in yours. Follow sevendaysvt on Spotify for weekly playlists with tunes by artists featured in the Music section.