Friday 30
UMOJA You know what's funny? That Umoja isn't playing on, like, Umoja. (The first day of Kwanzaa was four days ago.) We're not sure if they planned on this gig being smack-dab in the middle of Kwanzaa, but nothing says "Harambee" like an Afrobeat jam session a few days after Christmas and the night before New Year's Eve. Although gigs by Umoja have never been undertaken with much regularity, they seem to have gotten a lot scarcer lately, so any opportunity to see this outfit is looking like a good one. The very fact that a city as theoretically homogeneous as Orlando can cough up a group of local weirdos who love nothing more than a 30-minute Fela-style groove is instantly encouraging for those of us who insist that said homogeneity is little more than a persistent stereotype. Actually witnessing said 30-minute groove is the sort of thing that simply makes us happy to be alive. (with Ivoir Spectacular; 9 p.m. at Will's Pub; $5; 407-898-5070)
22ND ANNUAL NEW YEAR'S EVE CAMPOUT For a change of partying pace, get down with Mother Nature in the company of outdoor-loving tree huggers and the like at the annual Central Florida Trail Association's New Year's Eve Campout in the oh-so-spooky Ocala National Forest you never know what'll be drawn to your campfire, never mind your pup tent. This friendly group sets up on Friday afternoon and stays pitched through Monday, with oodles of activities potluck dinner, day hikes, paddle trip on the Silver River and a traditional New Year's Eve send-off. (Friday-Monday at Doe Lake Campground, Forest Road 573, Ocala National Forest; contact Rachael and Lou Augspurg for maps and information, 352-669-2898, lourayfl@hotmail.com)
Saturday 31
CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE What we just said about the offerings at bigger venues? Well, we weren't talking about Hard Rock. OK, sure, we know that the idea of sitting around listening to a glorified cover band play Back in Black and Physical Graffiti may not rank high on the Vice magazine to-do list, but, if you think about it, there is something perversely subversive about letting this event serve as your NYE soiree. Why? Well, just like the J.C.'s gig, this show is about actual fun, rather than the pretense of fun. You and your pals spread out across one of the tables, indulge yourself in the dinner buffet (which you know will be about a thousand times better than the one served up at your local pub), order a round or twelve of drinks and then spend the next couple of hours singing your drunk asses off. (Which will be really easy, since the band is so good, you'll feel like you're singing along to the album.) It's the kind of event that, if your expectations are calibrated correctly, could wind up being the sort of tradition that makes you look forward to rather than mortally dread end-of-the-year festivities. (6:30 p.m. at Hard Rock Live; $37 for concert, $65 for concert and buffet; 407-351-5483)
CYPRESS COVE NUDE YEAR'S EVE PARTY Partiers must be members of Cypress Cove or guests of members to get inside this clothing-optional, anything-goes Nude Year's Eve party. The theme is "Dancing Through the Decades" with music by Charlie D & The Things, DJ Riptide and the Nude DJs (naturally). Everybody knows that naked people love to dance it's just what they do when they get those restrictive threads off their bodies. But that doesn't mean it's dirty dancing, just good, clean, au naturel fun. There's no need to sweat buying that fancy outfit you can't afford, which means that there's more money in your pocket, er, in your wallet, for drinks and more drinks. (8:30 p.m. at both Lakeside and Cheeks lounges at Cypress Cove Nudist Resort & Spa, Kissimmee; members only; 407-933-5870)
Contributors: Jason Ferguson, Steve Schneider, Lindy T. Shepherd
music@orlandoweekly.com