Carnival of Soul

ANNALEIGH ASHFORD AND SETH SIKES Known for paying ebullient homage to timeless luminaries including Judy, Liza and Bernadette, Sikes will hail the new decade with nearly century-old tunes in “Twenty ’20s Songs for 2020,” set for 7 p.m. and featuring a seven-piece band. At 11 p.m., stargazers can catch latter-day dynamo Ashford, who has twinkled brightly in Broadway roles ranging from Lauren in “Kinky Boots” to Dot in “Sunday in the Park with George” to Sylvia, a dog (with Matthew Broderick playing her human), in “Sylvia.” Ashford, who will be joined by Will Van Dyke and the Whiskey 5, promises “a little glam rock, glitter, gay magic and some singalongs.” All tickets to her show include a two-course meal, open bar and dessert buffet, with an after-show dance party. Ringside and premium seats entitle each party of two to a half-bottle of champagne and individual dessert platters during the dance party. At Feinstein’s/54 Below, Manhattan; 646-476-3551, 54below.com. (Elysa Gardner)

SANDRA BERNHARD AND JUSTIN VIVIAN BOND The clever-as-ever Bond will greet revelers traumatized by recent headlines in “Out With the Old,” a program predicated on the notion that “Glamour is resistance!” Accompanying “Auntie Glam,” at 7 p.m. are Matt Ray on piano, Nath Ann Carrera on guitar and Claudia Chopek on violin. Fellow iconoclast and nightlife mainstay Bernhard will mark her 10th anniversary offering defiant merriment with “Sandy’s Holiday Extravaganza — A Decade of Madness and Mayhem” featuring the Sandyland Squad Band at 9 and 11 p.m. At Joe’s Pub, Manhattan; 212-967-7555, joespub.com. (Gardner)

BIRDLAND BIG BAND WITH VERONICA SWIFT The rising young vocalist Veronica Swift was 21 when she came within a hair’s breadth of winning the 2015 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. Since then, her startling command and improbably mature delivery have made her a cause célèbre among fans of traditional jazz, and landed her on stages with some of the music’s finest improvisers. She’s become a frequent presence at Birdland, and for New Year’s Eve she will play with the club’s resident big band, which is led by the saxophonist David DeJesus. At 8 and 11 p.m., Birdland, Manhattan; 212-581-3080, birdlandjazz.com. (Giovanni Russonello)

CHRIS BOTTI Can you really blame the Blue Note for bringing back Botti — the seraphic, reverb-drenched, synthesized-strings-surfing trumpeter — year after year for a holiday residency? This is his ideal domain. At 7 and 10 p.m., Blue Note, Manhattan; 212-475-8592, bluenote.net. (Russonello)

REGINA CARTER QUINTET An historian of the violin as well as a classically trained virtuoso, Carter is as likely to wail on a jazz standard as she is to dive into early American fiddle repertoire or offer a tribute to the Italian classical violinist Niccolò Paganini. On New Year’s Eve she’ll perform with a quintet that features Carla Cook on vocals, Nat Adderly Jr. on piano, Chris Lightcap on bass and Alvester Garnett on drums. At 7:30 and 10:30 p.m., Jazz Standard, Manhattan; 212-576-2232, jazzstandard.com. (Russonello)

CITYFOX ODYSSEY For 27 hours, beginning at 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, you can lose yourself inside the annual Cityfox Odyssey house music extravaganza. The anchor set is by a reunited Sasha & Digweed, who in the 1990s and 2000s were at the forefront of the rise of progressive house. The event also features Hot Since 82, Ida Engberg, Stephan Bodzin, a collaborative set between Âme and Dixon, and many more. At Avant Gardener, Brooklyn; 347-987-3146, avant-gardner.com. (Jon Caramanica)

CLUB CUMMING 2020 NEW YEAR’S EVE BALL The East Village nightspot whose owners include Alan Cumming serves up an “old-school/new school/queer variation” of a year-end gala, with host Shayna Blass and her band joined by the sleek Australian export and cabaret fixture Kim David Smith, the Bowie channeler Michael Tee and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Alexis Michelle. Festivities begin at 9 p.m., with DJ Bright Light Bright Light on duty after the ball drops, joined by the Brolesque Boys dance troupe, go-going till 4 a.m. At Club Cumming, Manhattan; 800-838-3006, clubcummingnyc.com. (Gardner)

DISCO BISCUITS If Phish isn’t your preferred jam-band scent, perhaps try the Disco Biscuits, whose approach to the form is much more synthetic. Their New Year’s Eve performance will be the final show of a four-night stand. At 9 p.m., PlayStation Theater, Manhattan; 212-930-1950, playstationtheater.com. (Caramanica)

NATALIE DOUGLAS With her annual “A Very Natalie New Year,” Douglas will once again bring her warm, playful presence and sultry, exuberant singing to old and new songs. She’ll be joined this year by Brian Nash, the musical director for Douglas’s celebrated tributes to Joni Mitchell, Barbra Streisand, Cher, Shirley Bassey and pop’s two great Stevies: Wonder and Nicks. Performances are set for 7:30 and 10:45 p.m. At the Duplex, Manhattan; 212-255-5438, theduplex.com. (Gardner)

GOV’T MULE Warren Haynes, the guitarist, singer and songwriter who leads Gov’t Mule, has been a member of both the Dead and the Allman Brothers Band. In Gov’t Mule he upholds the Southern rock tradition, slinging muscular guitar riffs and singing about the lessons of a long, hard road; a song by Jimi Hendrix or the Police might easily slip into the set. On Dec. 30 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 31 at 9 p.m. at the Beacon Theater, Manhattan; 212-465-6500, msg.com/beacon-theatre. (Jon Pareles)

MACY GRAY She is part soul-music traditionalist, part iconoclast; part pop singer, part rasp. Nothing Gray has done in the past two decades has matched the universal appeal of her debut album, “On How Life Is” (which included the chart-topping smash “I Try”), but she has stayed rather faithful to the sound she sketched out there: a mix of take-no-crap attitude and dreaminess, full of contagious choruses, jazz flourishes and hints of Caribbean rhythm. If you’re good with that, her most album, “Ruby,” delivers the goods. She will play selections from that record and hits from her back catalog at 7 and 10:15 p.m. At the Iridium, Manhattan; 212-582-2121, theiridium.com. (Russonello)

CARLOS HENRIQUEZ A bassist, Henriquez is one of the youngest and most indispensable members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He plays with discipline and focus, mixing the rhythmic sophistication of Afro-Caribbean dance music with the swinging power of jazz’s big-band tradition. At Dizzy’s, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s intimate club, he will present an all-star, nine-piece band featuring the trumpeters Michael Rodriguez and Terell Stafford, the tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana, the trombonist Marshall Gilkes, the flutist and vocalist Jeremy Bosch, the pianist Robert Rodriguez, the drummer Obed Calvaire and the conguero and vocalist Anthony Almonte. At 7:30 and 11 p.m., Dizzy’s Club, Manhattan; 212-258-9595, jazz.org/dizzys. (Russonello)

‘HOT & FUN NEW YEAR’S EVE’ Jenny Gorelick and Zach Teague host this showcase featuring some of the buzziest up-and-coming comedians of 2019 — Mary Beth Barone, Jared Goldstein and Rachel Pegram all made shortlists for industry showcases from Comedy Central, Just for Laughs and the New York Comedy Festival. Also look for a performance from the drag queen Junior Mint. At 7:30 p.m., Union Hall, Brooklyn; 718-638-4400, unionhallny.com. (Sean L. McCarthy)

ETHAN IVERSON TRIO For almost two decades Iverson was the pianist in the Bad Plus, one of jazz’s most popular acts — and one of its most heterodox — which played every New Year’s Eve at the Village Vanguard. That tradition disappeared when Iverson left the band at the start of 2018, but perhaps he will begin an annual custom of his own around the corner at Zinc Bar. This show is dedicated to the romantic songbook of Burt Bacharach; Marcy Harriell will handle vocals, with Corcoran Holt on bass and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums. At 9 and 11 p.m., Zinc Bar, Manhattan; 212-477-9462, zincjazz.com. (Russonello)

THE JESUS LIZARD AND PROTOMARTYR Two generations of grinding, asymmetrical, abrasively virtuosic post-punk are on this double bill. The Jesus Lizard, formed in 1987 and intermittently reunited since a breakup in 1999, is fronted by David Yow, who snarls, mutters and screams lyrics full of humanity’s darker impulses; sooner or later, he usually launches himself into the audience. Protomartyr, formed in 2010, puts Joe Casey’s more openly literary, spoke-sung lyrics upfront as the band’s riffs blast, writhe, toll or entwine. At 10 p.m., Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn; 888-929-7849, bowerypresents.com/venues/brooklyn-steel. (Pareles)

DAVID JOHANSEN After years of trotting out his swinging alter ego, Buster Poindexter, Johansen will mark this New Year’s Eve by honoring the era that launched his seminal band New York Dolls and other glam and proto-punk players. Hosts for the early ’70s-inspired “New York, New NYE 2020” include the photographers Mick Rock and Kristin Gallegos (who won’t be snapping pics) and the rock clothing boutique owner Jimmy Webb, with local D.J.s on hand following Johansen’s performance. A premium bar is available to all from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., with hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and bottles of vodka or champagne on offer to seated guests. At the Roxy Hotel, Manhattan; 212-519-6464, roxyhotelnyc.com. (Gardner)

KASKADE This 48-year-old D.J. and producer is a veteran of progressive house music, a style that over the last two decades has come in and out of favor, and then back in again, but hasn’t changed much. At 9 p.m., Terminal 5, Manhattan; 212-582-6600, terminal5nyc.com. (Caramanica)

MARILYN MAYE Decades come and go, but Maye’s effervescence has proved as enduring as her devout following. The 91-year-old phenom will deliver her “New Year’s Eve Extravaganza!” at 7 and 11 p.m. At Birdland Theater, Manhattan; 212-581-3080, birdlandjazz.com. (Gardner)

MURPHY’S LAW The rowdy, riotous and sometimes uproarious side of New York hardcore is best embodied by Murphy’s Law, scene survivors since the early 1980s. With Enziguri, the Avoiders, Bowhead and End of Hope. At 7 p.m., Gold Sounds Bar, Brooklyn; 718-618-0686, goldsoundsbar.com. (Caramanica)

SIDNEY MYER As the longtime booking manager of Don’t Tell Mama, Myer championed more than a few cabaret darlings; lately his own star has been rising, buoyed by his piquant delivery of tunes and tales drawn from vast experience. Myer will be accompanied by the music director Tracy Stark on piano and Matt Scharfglass on bass, with shows beginning at 8 and 10:30 p.m.; each seating includes a three-course dinner and a half-bottle of prosecco per person. At Pangea, Manhattan; 212-995-0900, pangeanyc.com. (Gardner)

‘NEW YEAR’S EVE!’ The Stand comedy club relocated in 2019 to a larger spot in Union Square, and celebrates the year’s end with shows upstairs and downstairs. Among the performers on the late shows: the SiriusXM stalwart host Ron Bennington, the married couple Rich Vos and Bonnie McFarlane, and Shane Gillis, who you may recall as a new cast member of “Saturday Night Live” for all of one weekend in September. At 6:30, 7, 8:30, 9, 10:30 and 11 p.m., the Stand, Manhattan; 212-677-2600, thestandnyc.com. (McCarthy)

‘NEW YEAR’S EVE SPECTACULAR’ Carolines on Broadway offers comfort from the cold just a few blocks north of Times Square, while allowing late-show patrons outside sidewalk access for the ball drop. Performers inside include Tyler Fischer, who won the “New York’s Funniest” competition this year, alongside some of his fellow finalists: Xazmin Garza, Caitlin Peluffo, and Michael Rowland. The later show also includes a D.J. and dancing after midnight. At 7:30 and 10 p.m., Carolines on Broadway, Manhattan; 212-757-4100, carolines.com. (McCarthy)

‘NEW YEAR’S EVE AT THE COMEDY CELLAR’ This Greenwich Village mainstay has expanded to multiple rooms to accommodate this decade’s comedy boom, with comedians bouncing back and forth from the MacDougal Street and West 3rd Street locations. Among performers on the late shows: Dan Naturman, who’ll return to “America’s Got Talent” for this January’s showcase of “The Champions,” Sam Morril, whose voice could be heard telling jokes on the big screen in “Joker,” and the longtime Cellar regulars Keith Robinson and Dave Attell. At 8, 8:15, 10:15, 10:30 p.m., Comedy Cellar, Manhattan; 212-254-3480, comedycellar.com. (McCarthy)

‘NEW YEAR’S EVE WITH THE GOTHAM ALL-STARS’ Ryan Reiss, who provides warm-up for the audiences at “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” anchors this lineup of regular in-house talent for the long-running comedy club on 23rd Street. Also featuring Kevin Dombrowski, James Goff, Veronica Mosey, Daniel Tirado and Nathan Macintosh. At 8 and 10:30 p.m., Gotham Comedy Club, Manhattan; 212-367-9000, gothamcomedyclub.com. (McCarthy)

JOHNNY O’NEAL TRIO O’Neal is a masterly performer whose sparkling piano runs and blustery blues singing can tap your nostalgia while keeping you acutely awake to the present. And you’d better be: Whether singing a jazz standard, covering Whitney Houston in a stride-jazz style or improvising a risqué blues, he expects full-blooded participation from the crowd. An avowed pleaser, O’Neal maintains something of an avuncular presence over Mezzrow and its sister club, Smalls, throughout the year. He will ring in the new decade with Mark Lewandowski on bass and Itay Morchi on drums. At 9:30 p.m., Mezzrow, Manhattan; 646-476-4346, mezzrow.com. (Russonello)

PHISH At year’s end, Madison Square Garden belongs to Phish for four nights, with hours of whimsical, head-bopping songs and open-ended, light-fingered jams. Yet all that music is nearly overshadowed by a single moment: Phish’s annual midnight New Year’s stunt. What will it be this year? The shows are sold out, but Phish also offers live webcasts; an elaborate assortment of packages is at phish.com. On Dec. 28-30 at 7:30 p.m. at Madison Square Garden, Manhattan; msg.com. (Pareles)

CHRIS POTTER A tenor saxophonist of unimpeachable command and restless creative instinct, Potter this year released “Circuits,” a fine album featuring a new trio with James Francies on keyboards and Eric Harland on drums. To a degree, this new outfit marks a return to the kind of expansive jazz-funk experimentation that Potter first tried out in the mid-2000s, with his quartet Underground. But there’s something new going on here, partly thanks to the casual brilliance of Harland’s spacious grooves and the acoustic-electric textural play that is Francies’s specialty. At 9 and 11 p.m., Village Vanguard, Manhattan; 212-255-4037, villagevanguard.com. (Russonello)

‘PREGAME WITH GETHARD AND FRIENDS’ That’s Chris Gethard, as in the erstwhile host of “The Chris Gethard Show,” which began in a basement beneath a Gristedes before reaching TV heights from 2011-2018 on Manhattan cable access, Fusion and later truTV, all via Funny or Die. Gethard, who continues to host the podcast “Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People,” will welcome Martin Urbano and Meg Statler, both cast in the newly revamped “National Lampoon Radio Hour.” This show has a guaranteed end time of 9 p.m. At 7 p.m., Littlefield, Park Slope, Brooklyn; littlefieldnyc.com. (McCarthy)

PRIESTS This may be the last chance to see Priests, a three-piece indie-rock band from Washington that has focused on the sharpest legacies of post-punk: knotty, kinetic, tightly wound songs that spiral toward Katie Alice Greer’s impassioned questions and declarations: “No it’s not for anyone/and I can’t wait until it’s done,” she sings in “Nothing Feels Natural.” (The band has announced a hiatus after this show.) Also on the bill: the Brooklyn band Russian Baths, which juxtaposes airy melody and churning dissonance, and Anina Ivry-Block from the lo-fi post-punk band Palberta. At 9 p.m., Rough Trade NYC, Brooklyn; 718-388-4111, roughtradenyc.com. (Pareles)

‘QED’S NEW YEAR’S EVE SPECTACULAR’ Christian Finnegan is not just married to the owner of Astoria’s top comedy club; he’s also the year-end headliner. You may recognize Finnegan from his recurring appearances providing levity to the news on MSNBC, or from his previous stint as a cast member on VH1’s “Best Week Ever.” He’ll be joined onstage at Q.E.D. by other comedians, including Usama Siddiquee, Sam Morrison, Courtney Fearrington and Lauren Hope Krass. At 8 and 10 p.m., Q.E.D., Astoria, Queens; 347-451-3873, qedastoria.com. (McCarthy)

THE RUB One of the most reliable dance parties in Brooklyn for well over a decade, the Rub returns to the Bell House with guests ItsParlé and Hasan Insane (DJ Ayres and DJ Eleven are its resident D.J.s). Expect the eclectic and the energetic. At 10 p.m., the Bell House, Brooklyn; 718-643-6510, itstherub.com. (Caramanica)

ALEX SENSATION The star D.J. on La Mega 97.9, one of New York’s top Spanish-language radio stations, headlines this party at the most prominent Latin-music nightclub in Queens. With DJ Mad, DJ Aneudy, DJ Prostyle and DJ Lobo. At 10 p.m., La Boom, Queens; 718-726-6646, laboomny.com. (Caramanica)

SLAVIC SOUL PARTY! Founded in the early 2000s by a troupe of New York jazz musicians fascinated with the Balkan brass tradition, Slavic Soul Party! has gradually expanded its repertoire, using Barbès — a bar in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with an intimate performance room in the back — as its testing ground. (The nine-piece ensemble holds down a weekly residency there.) Its most recent album was a reworking of Duke Ellington’s famous “Far East Suite,” recorded at the club. At 10 p.m., Barbès, Brooklyn; 347-422-0248, barbesbrooklyn.com. (Russonello)

SLEIGH BELLS (D.J. SET) The rise of 100 gecs this year triggered at least a little nostalgia for Sleigh Bells, the duo that erupted out of Brooklyn a decade ago with quasi-arty jock jams. “Gonna blast plenty of big, delicious hits, a few deep cuts and whatever else feels right,” the band said. At midnight, Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn; 718-963-3369, brooklynbowl.com. (Caramanica)

THE STROKES Since their 2001 debut album, the Strokes have been both a throwback and a distillation of leather-jacketed New York City guitar rock, from the Velvets to the New York Dolls to the Ramones to Glenn Branca: lean, driven, jaded but desperately romantic. Pop may have sidelined guitar-driven rock, but live musicianship and tautly structured songs endure. The elaborately casual, downhearted indie-rocker Mac DeMarco and the punky Spanish band Hinds — with the Strokes among their influences — open the show. At 8:30 p.m., Barclays Center, Brooklyn; barclayscenter.com. (Pareles)

KT SULLIVAN AND MARK NADLER Individually and as a duo, Sullivan and Nadler have been charming cabaret audiences for years with their witty, loving showmanship. To ring in the new decade, they’ve put together a set harking to the Roaring ’20s, which according to Nadler will feature tunes by “Gershwin, Porter, Kern, Berlin — all of them rummies. Just to name a few.” Back, side, mid-dining and premium dinner seats include a prix fixe four-course dinner and a complimentary glass of champagne at midnight; ringside dinner seating adds an open bar. At Beach Café, Manhattan; 212-988-7299, thebeachcafe.com. (Gardner)

TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE/NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS Trombone Shorty has been a local hero in New Orleans since his days as a brass-band child prodigy, and his music is infused with the city’s heritage, from early jazz to R&B to funk to hip-hop. His band, Orleans Avenue, plays marathon, danceable sets that intersperse his own tunes with anything from “St. James Infirmary” to hip-hop. Luther and Cody Dickinson, who lead the North Mississippi All-Stars, immersed themselves in Mississippi traditions reaching back to Delta blues and rural fife-and-drum music; those backbeats and guitar licks drive their own songs and jams. Devon Gilfillian opens. At 9 p.m., the Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, N.Y.; 914-937-4126; thecapitoltheatre.com. (Pareles)

STEVE TYRELL A prolific interpreter and promoter of American standards — as a singer, producer and, in recent years, radio host — Tyrell has been holding court during the holiday season since the great Bobby Short shuffled off his mortal coil. For his 15th anniversary year, Tyrell will again mix pop standards, from Gershwin to Bacharach, with holiday classics. A black-tie gala, with seating beginning at 8 p.m., provides a four-course prix fixe menu and post-show dancing with the Peter Duchin Orchestra, as well as an autographed copy of one of Tyrell’s albums. At Café Carlyle, Manhattan; tickets must be reserved by calling 212-744-1600; cafecarlylenewyork.com. (Gardner)

WAVVES The San Diego band led by Nathan Williams warps the tuneful stomp of California surf-rock with punk distortion, sudden tangents and lyrics that mix slacker nonchalance with acute self-consciousness. It all stays catchy. The show plus an open bar from 8-10 p.m. At Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn; 718-599-5800; babysallright.com. (Pareles)