New Year’s Disco at the Uptown to kick off groovy new year, featuring DJ from Tri-Cities
There’s a lot to celebrate on New Year’s Eve, closing the chapter on this year’s successes, shedding this year’s failures, and reflecting on everything in between.
You might celebrate the local music scene in Tri-Cities, which has catapulted back into the spotlight in recent years. Between local bands putting in work to record new music and book new gigs, to organizers starting new festivals and revamping classic venues, there has been a lot of movement lately.
Celebrate the first full-scale musical festival to come to Tri-Cities, which sold out the Uptown Theatre with headliner Afroman. Or celebrate the many bands that have now played on the updated Ray’s Golden Lion stage, whether for the first time ever or the first time since reopening.
Or maybe you’ll be celebrating the Dec. 31 release of the latest single from easyday, a local indie band making waves in the community. “That Sinking Feeling” is the first song written by all four band members and has been played live at local venues in anticipation for this release.
No matter what you celebrate at the end of this year, you can take your festivities back to the Uptown strip, where many of the year’s local music feats took place, for a night reminiscent of a classic disco.
This year, attend the New Year’s Disco brought to you by Unleashed Entertainment and Tri Town Get Down. Serving as both an event to bring in the new year and a halfway point to the 2024 Tri Town Get Down (TTGD) festival, it is sure to be a high-energy night.
New Year’s Eve at Richland’s Uptown
A ticket for the night gets you into two venues, The Emerald of Siam and the Uptown Theatre. The night’s events are split between the two venues, with The Emerald serving as The Funk location with Portland’s Super Secret Band and the Theatre serving as The Disco location with DJ priestess.
For starters, priestess is based in Spokane and is the resident DJ at Night Owl downtown. But, she was raised in Tri-Cities and attended Hanford High School. She performed at the inaugural Uptown Get Down festival (now Tri Town Get Down) in June 2023, as a DJ at the after party.
She says her set is aimed at a “fun, lighthearted throwback vibe” that anyone and everyone can dance to. priestess is most looking forward to the countdown, and she told the Herald she’s excited to ring in the new year with disco.
Super Secret Band self-identifies as a “time-traveling space jazz” group. They headlined several small festivals in the region throughout 2022. If you haven’t heard of the band, it’s because they are so “super secret,” that concert attendees aren’t even supposed to talk about the band, “unless of course they were doing so to tell people not to tell anyone else about the band,” as stated on their website.
New Year’s Disco attendees will be able to visit one venue, and then the other, or bounce back and forth as desired. The Emerald will be open to all ages until 11 p.m., but the Theatre will remain an all-ages event through the night.
“Tri Town Get Down is committed to creating inclusive, all-age events that unite the community through the power of music and celebration,” stated the TTGD press release. “The ‘New Year’s Disco’ exemplifies this mission, offering an experience that transcends generations and provides a space for people of all ages to come together and enjoy the magic of New Year’s Eve.”
New Year’s Disco festivities
On top of the funky artists performing at the locations, there will be additional activities and surprises throughout the night, including a cash drop at midnight.
The event’s dress code is “disco, whatever that means to you,” according to TTGD founder Caleb Brown. There will be judges checking out attendees’ outfits all night for the costume contest.
The New Year’s Disco kicks off at 8 p.m. Tickets are available online at $20 for general admission and $50 for VIP.
“To show our appreciation for their tireless dedication, healthcare workers and students with valid ID will receive a discounted admission rate with promo code HEALTHCARE and STUDENT, or at the door with valid ID,” states the TTGD press release.
