Many people love the holidays for different reasons. Christmas means family, friends, giving and receiving. Here in Colorado its usually around when our skiing gets pretty good and things tend to quiet down as students are off of classes and folks get a few days away from their jobs to spend time with those who matter. For many, the best time about the Holidays in New Years Eve. No matter what your up to, it needs to be exceptional. In Colorado, New Years usually means great music.

Electro-funk artist Eliot Lipp has been touring for over 8 years now, bringing his bass beats, expert melodies and unique live shows to festivals and concert venues all across the United States and beyond (hopefully soon he’ll venture into space!). As electronic music evolves, so does Eliot Lipp.His live shows are well-known as rhythmic, melodic and bass-heavy; and they typically span all of his albums along with some tasteful electro-jamming and rad remixes.

As far as ways to start off 2013, you can’t do much better than Yonder Mountain String Band at the Boulder Theater. Mixing a balanced setlist that featured a little bit of everything with the inimitable Darol Anger on the fiddle made for a tasty New Year’s Eve stew.

When Yonder Mountain String Band gets the chance to play in Boulder, Colorado, they don’t pull any punches. The supposed “warm-up” show at the Boulder Theater the night before New Year’s Eve was filled with high-energy performances and dazzling musicianship that left the capacity crowd satisfied and happily exhausted by the time the music stopped at 1:30.

It really has been quite a journey for Colorado’s String Cheese Incident. There are small and humble beginnings for these fellas who have now gone on to influence a solid generation of bluegrass-fusion bands. Michael Kang, Bill Nershi, Michael Travis, and Keith Moseley talk about how in the beginning they would play unplugged next to the ski lifts at Telluride and Crested Butte, Colorado, hoping to score a free lift ticket and gain some local clout.

A New Year’s Eve Party is much like the Super Bowl. A highly anticipated hyped event that rarely lives up to preceding tension. The event must live up to the crowds expectations and tote a larger than expected production. If you don’t end up there, or if game time doesn’t deliver the goods, disappointment is naturally amidst. Luckily us Coloradan’s here on the Front Range we have a super rare opportunity to end our year with; the chance to spend three nights with an iconic Colorado musical entity.

DeadPhish Orchestra, yea, it’s exactly what it sounds like. If you’ve never heard of them and aren’t attracted by the name immediately don’t dismiss them quite so soon, because they probably have something your craving. Whether its complex jams topped with screaming guitar climaxes or the simple tunes that everyone can enjoy, DPO can and will provide the best of both worlds.

On a night in the Rockies that provided us such amazing music, there were many decisions to make as to which show to choose.

Music often invokes a different emotion or nostalgia in everyone. Not only do these emotions or feelings warm our hearts, but they keep us wanting more. Groups such as Elephant Revival have no problem unlocking these emotions within us, and do so in an impressive yet joyful fashion.This 5-piece acoustic or “transcendental” folk band comes to Fort Collins to play a New Years Eve show at the Aggie Theatre. By playing a mix of folk, bluegrass and americana this group truly creates an innovative heart-felt sound.

The Victor Wooten Band put on a show featuring four bassists, all switching up on multiple instruments at various times during their set, along with a vocalist with a truly, truly unforgettable voice plus two extremely talented drummers.  Their set was as unique as it was enjoyable. If rhythm sections float your boat, you better be prepared for a musical tsunami with this bunch.