New Year’s Eve is just around the corner. So, it’s time to get busy and make plans for the last night of 2018.
One of our favorite ways to ring in the new year is by taking in a concert or other show. And this being the Bay Area, there are plenty of great options — ranging from big-name headliners to talented local artists.
Here are our best bets for New Year’s Eve:
Lauryn Hill
“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” is one of the best albums of all time.
That’s our opinion — and it’s clearly one shared by many others. In a recent NPR reader poll, “Miseducation” was voted one of the greatest albums ever made by a female artist; only Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” and Carole King’s “Tapestry” – both released in 1971 – ranked higher.
Hill will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her landmark 1998 album by performing “Miseducation” on New Year’s Eve at the Fox Theater in Oakland. Hearing Hill sing such classic tracks as “Doo Wop (That Thing),” “Ex-Factor” and “Everything Is Everything” is a great way to kick off a new year.
Details: 9 p.m. Dec. 31; $99.50-$149.50; www.ticketmaster.com.
Sleep
Finally, fans can get plenty of Sleep this holiday season.
We are, of course, talking about the legendary San Jose doom-metal outfit scheduled to play a year-ending three-night stand, Dec. 29-31, at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.
It’s been quite a year for Sleep, which saw its long-awaited fourth album, “The Sciences,” finally get released on Jack White’s prestigious Third Man Records label. The album, the band’s first since 2003’s “Dopesmoker,” went on to earn rave reviews, even landing on some best-of-2018 lists.
If you like your music heavy, consider spending the last night of the year with Sleep.
Details: 9 p.m. Dec. 29-31; $50-$99.95; www.slimspresents.com.
’70s Soul Jam
Close out 2018 with some old-school soul, courtesy of The Stylistics, Chi-Lites, The Delfonics and Harold Melvin & the Blue Note, at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland.
It should be a hit-filled evening, as the Stylistics roll out such favorites as “Stop, Look, Listen,” “You Are Everything” and “Betcha by Golly, Wow” and the Chi-Lites crank out the likes of “Too Good to Be Forgotten,” “Have You Seen Her” and “Oh Girl.”
Don’t forget about the Delfonics, the Philly troupe responsible for “La-La (Means I Love You),” “Break Your Promise,” “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide from Love)” and others. And then there’s Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, with a catalog that includes “If You Don’t Know Me by Now,” “The Love I Lost” and “Hope That We Can Be Together Soon.”
Details: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 31; $49.75-$89.75; www.ticketmaster.com.
Hot Snakes
The San Diego post-hardcore act released a trio of influential albums in the early 2000s, before parting ways around 2005. The split lasted until 2011, when the band reunited and began playing some shows again. This year, the Hot Snakes finally released a new album — “Jericho Sirens” — its first full-length studio outing since “Audit in Progress” in 2004.
Hopefully, the group will showcase the new material (as well as old favorites) during its New Year’s Eve gig at Slim’s in San Francisco.
Culture Abuse and Tony Molina are also on the bill.
Details: 9:30 p.m.; $65-$89.95; www.slimspresents.com.
Maceo Parker
The funk legend is set to ring in the new year for the fifth consecutive year at the SFJazz Center in San Francisco.
The mighty saxophonist, who has collaborated with such talents as James Brown, George Clinton, Fred Wesley and Prince, will perform five shows in four nights at the venue, including two shows on Dec. 31. R&B singer-songwriter Deva Mahal opens the shows.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 28-30, 8 and 10:30 p.m. Dec. 31; $25-$105; www.sfjazz.org.
Hot Tuna
Jefferson Airplay alums Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, who have been performing together as Hot Tuna for nearly 50 years, are ready to delight fans with a year-ending three shows, Dec. 29-31, at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley.
These incredible musicians perform acoustic on the first night, electric on the second and both on New Year’s Eve.
Details: 8 p.m. Dec. 29, 7 p.m. Dec. 30, 9 p.m. Dec. 31; p.m. Dec. 31; $42-$104, www.thefreight.org.
Brian Culbertson
The multi-talented musician, who ranks among the most popular smooth jazz/R&B artists in the business, will perform four shows in two nights, Dec. 30-31, at Yoshi’s in Oakland.
Culbertson has been a major force on the charts over the years, scoring hit after contemporary jazz hit. His latest offering is “Colors of Love,” which features 13 new songs.
Details: 7 and 9 p.m. Dec. 30, 8 and 11 p.m. Dec. 31; $54.00 – $125; www.yoshis.com.
Thievery Corporation
Groove right into 2019 with some major help from the popular electronic music duo consisting of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton.
Thievery Corporation, the outfit behind such acclaimed outings as 2000’s “The Mirror Conspiracy” and 2008’s “Radio Retaliation,” performs two nights, Dec. 30-31, at the Masonic in San Francisco.
The Suffers open the first show; we’re told that there will be “special guests” on Dec. 31.
Details: 8:30 p.m. Dec. 30, 9:30 p.m. Dec. 31; $45-$75; www.livenation.com.
The Claypool Lennon Delirium
If it’s New Year’s Eve, you can bet Les Claypool is playing somewhere in the Bay Area. The Primus frontman always seems to have a gig on Dec. 31, performing with one or more of his many musical outfits.
To close out 2018, the famed bassist is bringing the Claypool Lennon Delirium — his collaboration with Sean Lennon — to the Fillmore in San Francisco.
Details: 8 p.m. Dec. 31; $75; www.livenation.com.
Greg Proops
The funnyman is back for another year-ending run at the Punch Line in San Francisco, set to perform Dec. 28-29 and 31. Many people know Proops from his work on “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” and “Drew Carey’s Green Screen Show.” On a local note, he attended both the College of San Mateo and San Francisco State University.
Details: 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Dec. 28-29, 7:45 and 10:15 p.m. Dec. 31; $25-$60; www.punchlinecomedyclub.com.
Kaskade
It might still be too early to dub Kaskade’s New Year’s Eve performance at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco an annual tradition. After all, this is still just the third year (in a row) that he’s set up shop there on the last night of the year.
But local fans surely won’t mind seeing the year out again with this house-music master, who has twice been named “America’s Best DJ” by DJ Times magazine.
Details: 8 p.m.; $99.95-$199.95; www.ticketmaster.com.
Poolside
This Los Angeles band, with a sound that has been described as “daytime disco,” headlines the Independent in San Francisco on Dec. 31. The band is supporting its latest album, 2017’s “Heat,” which follows 2012’s “Pacific Standard Time.” Amo Amo opens the show.
Details: 9 p.m. Dec. 31; $110; www.ticketfly.com.
San Francisco’s Last Laughs
Laugh the night away with Chris Redd, Michael Yo, Sam Jay, Marcella Arguello, Liza Treyger, Drennon Davis and host Ngaio Bealum, who are performing two shows on Dec. 31 at Cobb’s Comedy Club in San Francisco.
Details: 7 and 10 p.m. $35-$70; 10 p.m. $50-$60; www.cobbscomedy.com.
Anjelah Johnson
The San Jose native and onetime Oakland Raiderette saw her comedy career take off with the release of the “Nail Salon” video. She’ll back in the Bay Area at year-end to perform a stint at Tommy T’s in Pleasanton.
Details: 8 shows Dec. 28-31, including 7 and 9:30 p.m. New Year’s Eve; $35-$85; www.tommyts.com.
Shannon and the Clams
Close out 2018 with a date with this cool East Bay garage-rock/R&B/pop outfit, which is signed to Black Keys star Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound label. Shannon and the Clams perform Dec. 31 at the New Parish in Oakland.
Details: 9 p.m. Dec. 31; $40-$50, www.thenewparish.com.
Nomad Hustle
Livermore’s own Nomad Hustle — an act that blends soul, jazz and other styles — performs on New Year’s Eve at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore. The band is led by powerful vocalist Meshach Jackson:
Details: 8 p.m. Dec. 31; $20-$40; lvpac.org.
Brad Williams: The popular stand-up comedian has been performing since he was a teenager. The California native was born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, which he makes a significant part of his act. He closes the year with two shows at San Jose Improv.
Details: 7 and 10 p.m. Dec. 31; $40-$70; improv.com/sanjose.