Pearl Street Nightclub in Northampton is New Year’s Eve Party Central on Friday 12/31 with two floors of dancing, live bands, and DJs. Rubblebucket, Alchemystics, Bella’s Bartok in the Ballroom. Purity Supreme DJ’s in the Clubroom.

People can claim to know where “the party” is on New Year’s Eve in Northampton and they may have some convincing arguments. Here’s ours. The party is at Pearl Street Nightclub with two floors of fun and dancing;  live music upstairs in the ballroom at 9PM from Rubblebucket, The Alchemytics, and Bella’s Bartok and at 10PM, that movable feast for the feet, Purity Supreme’s Wooly Bully with Soul, Garage, Funk, and Motown sounds from Cashman and Snack Attack, cut and pasted from the Basement to the Pearl Street Clubroom for even more funk per square foot.

Rubblebucket are one of the most exciting groups to come out of Boston; a genre-mashing maelstrom of hot-blooded West African funk rhythms and scorching soul melodies unlike anything that’s come before it. Touring incessantly, they won the 2009 Boston Music Award for “Best Live Act." With its unique, afro-beat inspired sound, they were chosen by SPIN as a Must-Hear Artist from CMJ 2009 and were spotlighted in Relix Magazine's Artists On The Verge. Comparisons having been drawn to Talking Heads, Stereolab and Fela Kuti. Their banging horn sounds and dance beats provide a backbone for the mesmerizing vocals of lead singer, Kalmia Traver.  Rubblebucket Orchestra is not your mamma’s foot-tapping funk band. These guys are a flat-out “move everything” kind of groove.

The Alchemystics have moved crowds in dancehalls, theaters, clubs, festivals and campuses across the Northeast since 2004. Reggae, Hip Hop, Dub and Soul are the foundations of their uniquely modern and uplifting style; irresistible grooves, evocative lyrics and stirring harmonies inspire high spirits and uninhibited dancing in any setting. Stray quotes: “They played on Sunday in the barn and brought the house down. Their stage presence was incredible.”  “The Alchemystics. Holy hell. The place was packed, jamming reggae jam crazy dance party was going on.  It was out of control, great beats, high high energy…. they literally blew my head off.”

Bella's Bartok (above) play eastern European, folk-rock and rockabilly, neatly packaged into an eight (sometimes 16-person) band, all clad in ties, cowboy hats, headscarves, Converse sneakers and suitjackets. It's safe to say this hodgepodge of highly talented musicians are hard to classify but they call themselves an "acoustic gypsy punk circus band." Fronted by Asher Putnam, Bella's Bartok has played shows all over the Western Mass., as well as a recent gig at the Bulgarian Bar in NYC on a bill with Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello.

In the Pearl Street Clubroom at 10PM Purity Supreme presents Wooly Bully. Soul Garage Funk Motown. No Cover!

Tickets for Rubblebucket in the Ballroom are $15 in advance or $20 at the door and there is NO COVER for Purity Supreme in the Clubroom. Tickets can be purchased at Northampton Box Office, 76 Main Street, 413-586-8686, or buy online at IHEG.com