The best way to celebrate a new year is to leave great local shows with ears ringing.

I caught a handful of fantastic gigs ringing in the  New Year, Sunday, Dec. 31.

I stopped by Pop’s Pub first to catch the end of Uncovered’s first New year’s eve set.

Lead singer Allison Hawkins -Fehr was belting out a great cover of Tina Turner’s “ Simply the Best,” while Juno, doing double duty on sound and percussion and vocals plus Kelly Klimchuk and Danny Douglas sang harmony, holding down the rhythm on guitar and bass.

 

The Plaid Ramblers were getting the Place warmed up for the evening’s festivities with  an assortment of country hits and classic rock.

 They opened  aptly with Eric Church’s hit  “ Drink In My Hand,”

 They switched gears for the Pearl Jam version of “ Last Kiss,” and stayed in the ’90s with Lit’ s ’90s hit “ My Own Worst Enemy.”

Frontman Luke James Bruce  tried to get the crowd involved with by asking them if they felt like making love, but got little response, so they played the Bad Company hit anyway. They showed their classic rock chops with an array of classics like a solid version of Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds,” and CCR’s “ Have You Ever Seen the Rain.”

 They went back to ’90s country for a couple songs including Brooks and Dunn’s “Brand New Man,”   Tracy Byrd’s  “ Watermelon Crawl.”

 They wound s down their first set with Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” and  Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places.

 

 After that It was time to get the funk down the road at the Owl Acoustic Lounge where Adequate was holding court.

 Guitarist Josh Thorlakson has the crowd warmed up by the time band mates drummer/ vocalist  Keenan Pezderic and bassist/ vocalist Scott Mezei had rushed over from closing night of New  West Theatre/ Enmax Centre’s  presentation of “ Elf: The Musical” to ring in the new year at the Owl Acoustic Lounge.

 They began  with their always fun cover of “Shaft,” which they turned into a mish mash of ’90s rap including the Fresh Prince of bel Air theme.

 From there it was high energy, non stop, hot, sweaty and just a little big filthy ’70s  funk and disco  including some Rick James,  James Brown, Chic’s  “Le Freak” which got the audience  shimmying and shaking all over the dance floor.

 They snuck in my favourite Adequate original “ Easy Peasy,” and that’s what they made it look like.

 They played a fun cover of Rick James unsubtle ode to “ Mary Jane.”“ 

Mezei lead the trio into another apt cover “ Celebration,” with a bass solo and then added one more original “ Bike Shorts ”before taking a quick break before the midnight countdown.

 

 All the metalheads were out in force for local Iron Maiden Tribute 664: The Neighbour of the beast, who were tearing up the Slice, Dec. 31.

 

  I didn’t see Iron  Maiden mascot Eddie, or devils on stilts like last year but they had  an audience rocking and moshing to their Maiden favourites.

 

 The band celebrating their year’s anniversary rocked in the new year with the darkly apt “Two Minutes To Midnight.”

 

Happy new year. May the best thing that happened to you last year be the worst thing that happens in the next. My it be filled with peace, love and great music.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. beat Editor