By Caitlin Donohue
Bell ringing ceremony Swing hard at the 2,100-pound 16th-century Japanese bell in this Civic Center museum – ringing its mass is said to wash away the peccadillos and misdeeds of the year that’s been. A great chance to absolve thyself and learn a little at this ritual and talk by experts on the significance of the Japanese new year. 11:30am-1:30pm, $12 museum admission. Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin, SF. www.asianart.org
Playland-Not-At-The-Beach
NYE For a pittance that wouldn’t buy you a hotdog and Coke at Disney Land you can play arcade games and pinball machines all night long (“all night” as far as the kid-endowed set is concerned, anyway.) Playland is putting on the NYE glitz with a complimentary sparkling cider toast and yes! A “quiet room” for those unable to stay up ’til midnight will be available on-location. 8pm-12:30am, $25. Playland-Not-At-The-Beach, 10979 San Pablo, El Cerrito. www.playland-not-at-the-beach.org
Honey Soundsystem + Sunset + Public Works NYE The commingling of these three party crews should yield a New Year’s Eve crowd that is dance-ready as it is attractive. Detroit’s Matthew Dear is the featured DJ person. Bring your too-cool date here and win your bid for a midnight pash. 9pm-4am, $40. Public Works, 131 Erie, SF. www.publicsf.com
Champagne Showers Oh nothing, just your standard cover-free, bubbly-soaked evening at our city’s premier lesbian dive. The Lex never fails to deliver sloppy good times and tonight’s bash with 94.9 FM DJs Footy and Jeanine Da Feen should be full of the amazing memories you’ll have forgotten by the time the sun rises. 9pm-2am, free. Lexington Club, 3464 19th. St., SF. www.lexingtonclub.com
Danny Brown Sick of hip-hop? It’s too boring, too samesies, and rappers have no respect for Bob Dylan? You’re awful. But I have the best NYE concert ever for you – Danny Brown, whose wacky voice wacky hair wacky lyrics should make you rethink your somewhat outmoded ideas about music, with Traxamillion and Flatbush Zombies warming up the crowd. 9pm, $45–$85. Mezzanine, 444 Jessie, SF. www.mezzaninesf.com
