Headstash

Countdown To 2012

Every Sunday, we’ll feature an article by a columnist on the Headstash staff who will give you a personal take on themes within our scene, including anything from jam bands to electronica acts and environmentalism to drug reform.

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Countdown To 2012

For our community, summer festivals are obviously the meat and potatoes. It’s where bands are fostered, friendships are created and new stories of adventure and debauchery emerge from faraway farms, hills and forests around the country.

But there exists a delicious side dish to that main course – a holiday that holds its own level of majesty and grandeur.

It’s the holiday that builds it up, counts it down and pushes us out into a new day: New Year's Eve.

From the outset, New Year’s shows and their accompanying runs are isolated and elevated in how they’re presented. They’re not batched into winter tour, not quietly appearing on “upcoming events” calendars unannounced.

As early as October, New Year’s announcements start trickling in, but weeks or months before, rumors start flying. Everything seems to hinge on where the band played last year, what someone’s “inside source” told them and, of course, where Phish is going to be.

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Inevitably, we start building our New Year’s plans early. The true fan and his crew already know where they’ll be by the time November 1 comes around. And by Thanksgiving, travel plans are booked and hotels are locked. The hyping process begins.

And what’s hype without the right people? Ultimately, one of the things we love most about our favorite bands is the nationwide party posse that we develop through years of tours and festivals.

STS9 fan living in California? See you in Atlanta. From D.C. and live for Umphrey’s? St. Louis, here we come! We’re willing to travel to ring in the next year with our favorite bands, knowing full well we’ll be surrounded by many of our closest “show” friends from around the country when it comes.

Much like Halloween – another spectacle of a holiday – everyone who’s out is on the same page: leave your cares and worries at home, because tonight, we’re partying.

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Unlike October 31, however, there’s a different energy and a different level of sophistication. New Year’s Eve is special because we’re the classiest, sexiest versions of ourselves. Away with the graphic tees, on with the button down. Sparkly dresses and classy coats galore.

All of this, of course, leads up to the music. There’s nothing like a good New Year’s show. There’s an air of intensity and excitement that is just never matched on any other night of the year – and it shows on stage. The multiple nights leading up to New Year’s Eve are filled with that anticipatory energy. Every song matters, because every song played is one less candidate for the countdown. 

There’s a lot to be excited about this December 31. Whether you’re in Colorado for Pretty Lights, Chicago for Biscuits, New York City for Phish, or wherever, if you’ve been to a New Year’s show before, you know exactly what you have to look forward to. If you don’t have plans, make some. New Year's Eve is a holiday made for a party. Live it while you can.

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Alan VanToai is a co-founder of Headstash and the head of partnerships and marketing. Contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .