FINALE BANDS!! Countdown to Midnight!
Your New Year Starts Here! This year's finales will be held indoors, so whatever the weather you can see in the New Year in style! The venues open at 11:00 PM and all the festivities at both venues begin at 11:15, culminating with a countdown to midnight. Space is limited, so a Finale ticket (no extra cost to button-holders) is required to get in. PICK UP YOUR FINALE TICKET by showing your FNM button at the Portola Plaza ticket booth (look for the signs!) after 8:00 PM. Both bands also have an earlier set, so you will have the opportunity to enjoy both bands.
Special surprise guests may be dropping in to join the bands at either venue - you never know what might happen at a First Night finale! At either venue, whether you want to be on your feet dancing or just sitting back and enjoying the tunes, you can guarantee a fun and exciting time into the New Year! Have fun, and have a Happy New Year – First Night style!
THE COFFIS BROTHERS
at the Golden State Theater
With two songwriters, six albums, and more than a thousand shows under their belt, The Coffis Brothers have earned their reputation as modern-day torchbearers of all-American rock & roll. A sound caught halfway between amplified Americana, acoustic folk, roadhouse R&B, and electrifying roots music, crafted by a pair of California-born siblings sharing the stage since childhood, and the five piece band filled out by Kyle Poppen (guitar), Aidan Collins (bass), and Cory Graves (drums). "This is what we do, and we're giving ourselves license to evolve and get better at it, too" says Jamie, who was raised in the Santa Cruz Mountains of northern California alongside his mother — a children's musician — and his younger brother Kellen. Decades after Jamie and Kellen made their childhood stage debut, their musical bond has only grown stronger, sharpened by hundreds of live shows as much as their shared DNA.
It will be a night of dancing and fun!
LATIN JAZZ COLLECTIVE with John Nava
in the Serra Ballroom
The Latin Jazz Collective with John Nava is a high energy, eleven piece Latin Jazz ensemble that received a standing ovation from a full-house crowd at the 2017 Monterey Jazz Festival. Led by percussionist John Nava, saxophonist Stu Reynolds, and drummer Martin Binder, the band creates a rich and eclectic blend of original compositions and highly acclaimed standard Jazz arrangements steeped in authentic Latin rhythms. LJC members have shared the stage, recorded, and performed with the likes of Carlos Santana, Pete Escovedo, The Yellow Jackets, Malo, Kim Stone (Rippingtons), Wayne Wallace, and many other well-respected artists from around the world. Members of LJC maintain active performance schedules as band leaders, arrangers, and music educators throughout the Central Coast and Bay Areas.
Just let the rhythms dance you into 2025!