Mon. Jan. 31

Well, Boston’s official celebration of New Year’s Eve is called “First Night,” and Boston was the first city to have one of these – 32 years ago. Now, they’re everywhere. But just like the American Revolution started here, so did this, so take pride in the hometown and venture outdoors and pray that it’s cold enough for the ice sculptures to stand up but warm enough so that you don’t freeze your butt off, walking about. First Night was conceived as an alternative to the getting-drunk-off-your-arse revelry that has traditionally been a part of the evening, and its drawn millions of people to the city over the years, people who agree that an arts celebration is not a bad way to start the year and/or New Year’s Eve is “amateur night” for drinkers. There are so many different kinds of events and so many highlights. A button for admission to everything costs $15 in advance and $20 day of – available at Store 24, Tedeschi’s, Star/Shaw’s and various other spots. As to what to do when – it starts at 1 p.m. and climaxes with fireworks at midnight (of course) you definitely want to check their website, www.firstnight.org but we’ll give you a sampling of our selections:
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic with Oral Moses doing “Extreme Spirituals” at Emmaneul Church 6 – 6:45 p.m. and 7:45 – 8:30 p.m. We saw this show at Berklee Peformance Center earlier in the year and it’s astounding: avant-garde gospel music. Bass-baritone Moses sings well-known spirituals and 19th century art songs and BSOM twists them in ways that are complementary and groundbreaking. You hear familiar songs in new ways, so that you’re taken back in time and thrust forward, too. It sounds like it wouldn’t work, and it more than works.

Harry & the Potters at the Hynes Convention Center. 9:30 – 10 p.m. Yes, a theme band based on J.K. Rowling’s fantasy world and a new genre of music called “wizard rock.” The local duo has been doing this for a while now, basing their idea that the Harry Potter from Year 7 and Year 4 have formed a rock band. H and the P’s
Downbeat 5, outdoors on the steps of the Boston Public Library, 10- p.m. – midnight. Garage rock at its finest out of the garage and at the library. Imagine that!First Night Drum Central at Hynes Auditorium, Room 302, 7:30- 11 p.m.  A range of rhythms from African to Brazilian as they blast into the new year in a way that should get your whole body shaking.
Cul de Sac, Hynes Auditorium, Room 200, 1:30-2:15, 2:45-3:30 and 4 – 4:45. These instrumental aces play both regular gigs and write original soundtracks to films and they’re peforming the latter this night to two short animated Christmas films, Raymond Briggs’ classic “The Snowman,” a film that’s had us in tears (honestly) and “Carrousel Boreal,” a 1958 film from Wladyslaw Starewicz.

David Parker and the Bang Group doing “Annie’s Got a Gun” at John Hancock Hall, 9:30-10 and10-30- 11 p.m. David Parker – son of Robert and Joan – has this provocative and fun dance troupe – they did “NutCracked’ – and now they’re turning their eye to Irving Berlin’s classic (and some would say proto-feminist) ode to the wild west. Parker’s idea is to play with the classics, and give them twists that will certainly provoke you to think.
Revolutionary Snake Ensemble at the Parkman Bandstand on the Common 10 p.m. – midnight. Ken Fieldh – who you’ll also find playing with Birdsongs – takes this horn-laden funky New Orleans-styled band to the Bandstand and we can promise you the costuming will be in the spirit of the season.
Donal Fox doing “Mashups in Blue” at the Emmanuel Church 9 – 9:45 and 10:15 – 11 p.m. Composer Fox likes the idea of genres colliding – and making sense. Here. He’s mixing Bach, Monk, Robert Schumann, Coltrane and more. We talked to Fox earlier this year about Boston and its classical music scene, of which he’s a part. He said that even if the quality in Boston is high the question is whether it reaches the general public. At Boston Symphony Orchestra, for instance, they’re often creating pre-show packages to attract new patrons. The way Fox sees it, the noise level of information is higher than ever now and classical groups have to change the methods of how they communicate with the audience. In Europe, he says, the musicians work hard, play and the audience figures it out. In America, people are used to not having to work as hard to get it. There’s another problem. Many classical groups are dependent on corporate underwriting and Boston has lost its headquarters status for many companies. Fox believes one trend working against the arts is how comfortable we are. He says that’s not meant as a blanket condemnation, but to note there is a trend of retraction, of conservative programming. That, he says, is fueled by financial reality, the threat of bankruptcy or level of debt: Classically minded people are thought not to go hear what they don’t know. Ultimately, Fox says, classical music companies might become completely safe and un-adventurous because they can’t afford to take risks. That could have a snowball effect and turn classical music into a museum phenomenon.