Each year, over 12,000 people descend into the heart of DTLB to ring in the new year, Downtown Long Beach Alliance (DLBA) will continue that tradition by hosting the largest party in town as it welcomes a plethora of the world’s finest musicians to take part in a three-stage, three-block festival in the heart of Downtown located on Pine Avenue between 1st and 4th Streets.
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings were originally slated to headline, but sadly, Ms. Jones passed away last month after a battle with pancreatic cancer. To keep the spirit of soul and funk alive, we’re proud to announce St. Paul and the Broken Bones will be co-headlining this year along with Citizen Cope.
Buy TicketsThe high voltage, Birmingham, Alabama-based St. Paul and the Broken Bones will ignite the stage with blazing ‘60s soul fire – daubed with latter-day influences like Sly Stone, David Bowie, and Prince — combined with lead vocalist, Paul Janeway’s impassioned singing and writing. Sea of Noise, their second full-length album, marks a quantum leap in sound and style for the band.
Well-known for their feverish live shows, co-founder and bass player, Jesse Phillips noted to Relix magazine, “There’s a modern energy and edge and immediacy to the music that younger folks can latch on to, so there is a cross-demographic appeal—especially when somebody sees the live show, where we’ve got all these elements with the retro and the modern vibes present at once.”
Co-headlining blues and folk outfit Citizen Cope has long been respected in the music industry, composing for everyone from Santana to Pharoahe Monch. Breaking through the pop culture barrier with “Let the Drummer Kick” from his self-titled debut in 2002, Citizen Cope has continued to rule the airwaves and audiences alike with his meld of hip-hop, folk, and blues.
The lineup is rounded out by Australian indie-electronic duo Cut Copy with a DJ set, electro-dance master Big Data, reggae songstress Hirie, house DJ Plastic Plates, and Latin soul group Boogaloo Assassins. Joining them are The Delta Bombers, DJ Paul V., DJ Taharba, and Sizwe the DJ. And just added to Pine Ave, DJ Jeremiah Red from KROQ.
The festivities will kick off at 8PM on Saturday, December 31 and culminate with a midnight countdown, followed by celebration and dancing until 2AM. $40 pre-sale tickets for the concert-style street party by clicking here and available through December 25. Following that, tickets will be $50 online as well as available at the gate on the day of the event.
DLBA has again teamed with the Knitting Factory Entertainment, partner and talent booker for New Year’s Eve, to establish an exciting line-up for the night.
The LA Metro will offer free fares on New Year’s Eve from 9:00PM thru 9:00AM New Year’s Day. While Long Beach Transit will offer free rides from 5:00PM New Year’s Eve until 2:30AM New Year’s morning
And if you’re looking for a family-friendly celebration, don’t miss the DLBA’s fireworks spectacular featuring live music and more, at the Waterfront from 6pm-10pm.