HOT LIST THINGS TO DO
See what else is going on around town with the Post-Gazette's online events calendar (and you can post your own information) at www.post-gazette.com/events
NEW YEAR’S EVE
Ugh. It’s still 2020, so most likely you’re staying at home, maybe with takeout food and the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.
First Night @ Home
If you were a regular at Highmark First Night Pittsburgh, you can continue that tradition virtually.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will stream First Night Pittsburgh 2021 @ Home, an hourlong arts event on KDKA-TV with Pittsburgh Today Live hosts Heather Abraham and David Highfield, online at TrustArts.org/ FirstNight.
It begins at 11 p.m. and will include the Williams Sing-Off, Ice Creations, Steel Town Fire, a countdown to midnight, fireworks and the raising of the Future of Pittsburgh Ball.
NYE TV
Pittsburgh’s own Billy Porter, Jennifer Lopez, Miley Cyrus, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are among the stars of the network specials Thursday:
Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2021 (8 p.m., WTAE): Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner Billy Porter (“Kinky Boots,” “Pose”), who hosted New Year’s Eve festivities in New Orleans last year, joins Ryan Seacrest and Lucy Hale in New York’s Times Square to cover the evening’s activities, including the iconic dropping of the ball at midnight. Performers include Jennifer Lopez, Miley Cyrus, Megan Thee Stallion, Cyndi Lauper, Nelly and Jimmie Allen.
New Year’s Eve: Escape From 2020 (8 p.m., WPXI): Carson Daly (“The Voice”) returns
to host NBC’s coverage of New Year’s Eve events from Times Square in New York City, joined by co-hosts Stephen “tWitch” Boss and Amber Ruffin, star of Peacock’s streaming “The Amber Ruffin Show.” Performers from across the country include Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Jason Derulo, Kylie Minogue, Pentatonix, Goo Goo Dolls, AJR, Busta Rhymes featuring Anderson .Paak, Chloe x Halle, CNCO, Bebe Rexha featuring Doja Cat, and Sting featuring Shirazee.
FOX’s New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2021 (8 p.m. WPGH): Ken Jeong and Joel McHale team up to toast the highs and roast the lows of 2020 in this New Year’s Eve special, in which they’ll make a special point of celebrating individuals who somehow helped make a demanding year a little bit easier for everyone else. As usual, it airs in two parts, with a break in between for local newscasts. Jeong and McHale, who starred on “Community” together and also co-host “The Darkest Timeline” podcast, welcome several surprise celebrity guests and some of the year’s top musical acts.
Kiss Goodbye
Once known as “the hottest band in the
land,” Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Kiss will kiss 2020 goodbye with a concert from The Royal Beach at Atlantis Dubai.
The spectacle will be filmed with more than 50 cameras and 360-degree views, and they are promising numerous world record attempts for the largest-ever pyro display.
It begins at 9 p.m. Tickets start at $39.99 at www.Kiss2020Goodbye.com
Polar Beat
Icelandic rock bands Sigur Ros and Kaleo will play Polar Beat, a livestream under the spectacular Northern Lights, with fireworks.
The music artists (and guests) will be transformed into avatars for the night via Icelandic tech innovators OZ and Snapchat.
“The world’s biggest concert stage is born,” Georg Holm, bassist of headliner Sigur Ros, said in a statement. “As artists, we are excited to participate in this groundbreaking discovery and medium, bringing people from around the world to a dramatic and spectacular setting. This marks a breakthrough for creators around the world.”
It will be streamed at 6:30 p.m. on www.newyear.is. To sign up for free, go to
www.newyear.is and register with your Snapchat account.
Welcome to the Jungle
For a little Texas-style blues-rock, fans can check out The Jungle Show, a holiday tradition for the past five years at Antone’s in Austin.
The previously filmed concert features guitar greats Billy Gibbons, Jimmie Vaughan and Sue Foley with drummer Chris Layton and organist Mike Flanigin. The name was derived from the B.B. King song “The Jungle.”
“For five consecutive years we’ve looked forward to putting The Jungle Show together between Christmas and New Year’s Eve,” Gibbons said. “It’s been a great way for all of us to cap the old year and bring in the new in rockin’ style. Despite the reality of 2020, we were determined to keep our streak going so we’ve decided to go viral — the good kind of viral — and offer The Jungle Show to the world beyond Austin.”
Those purchasing tickets can choose to view the event at various starting times and view it again for 48 hours after starting the film. Tickets are $25 at JungleShow.tv.