No-cover New Year’s Eve

Looking for budget-friendly New Year’s Eve parties? These free shows promise big fun.

• Count down to the new year with the Time Machine Dance Party. DJed by Ben Lovett, there’s a new musical decade each hour, starting with the ’70s at 10 p.m. Ring in 2016 between the ’80s and ’90s — make of that what you will. Hopefully we all get to party like it’s 1999. Held at The LAB. Lexavebrew.com

• One of Asheville’s smallest venues boasts one of the hottest New Year’s Eve lineups. 5 Walnut — whose crowds spill out onto the street on an average weeknight — will turn over the floor to glam-blues rockers Pleasure Chest, from 6 to 8 p.m., followed by bombastic one-man band Shake It Like a Caveman, 8-10 p.m. 5walnut.com

• DJ Molly Parti spins s celebratory soundtrack at The Market Place, starting a 6 p.m. marketplace-restaurant.com

Pour Taproom offers a complimentary Champagne toast, free food and a dance party. pourtaproom.com

Urban Orchard hosts a dance party and promises Highland Brewing Co.’s Cold Mountain on tap. urbanorchardcider.com

• If you recall rock and country-blues band Tennessee Hollow, then you know exactly how awesome it is that local musicians Dave Dribbon and Chris Budro are reuniting that group for a special show at French Broad Brewery. 6-8 p.m. frenchbroadbrewery.com

Highland Brewing Co. suggests that craft brew fans Ring in the New Beer with the launch of a new West Coast Style IPA and music from DJ Marley Carroll. Music from 8:15 to 10 p.m. highlandbrewing.com

• The free Phuncle Sam show in Pisgah Brewing Co.’s taproom is an annual tradition. Join the party for Grateful Dead covers, a balloon drop and Champagne toast. 9:30 p.m. pisgahbrewing.com

• “Are you a disenfranchised loner and think you might stay in? We welcome you,” says the Facebook invite for New Year’s Eve with The Jangling Sparrows, held at Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria. “Do you wanna kick out with a fun band? This is the place to be,” the band, led by singer-songwriter Paul Edelman, promises. “We’re really going to have fun — no sh*t! And we’ll have a few surprises up our sleeves.” 9 p.m.

• If your New Year’s resolution is to rein in the spending, you can start with a free show at Ben’s Tune-Up. “This will be a happy, happy, fun time,” promises local indie-folk band Matt Townsend & the Wonder of the World, which will play two sets including originals and “a heretofore rare event in our shows: covers.” 9 p.m. benstuneup.com

• R&B band Blood Gypsies promise a soulful start to the new year. They’ll start playing at 10 p.m. at Foggy Mountain Brew Pub. foggymountainavl.com

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About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

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