WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31 2014 >>>

1. Yeah, right, like you need the Weekly Volcano tonight. However, there's that thing you told yourself you were going to investigate or learn about or take a class to study further, and yet you've never really gotten around to it. Oh sure, you bought that book two years ago and had a fascinating conversation with that guy who is sort of already doing the thing you would love to learn about, but that was last year, and you were a bit drunk and so was he. So here you are just looking at your shoes going, "Hmm, another year and I still don't know squat about Taoist philosophy/chakra bingo." Now 2015 is looking you right square in the Forever 21 T-shirt and saying, "All right then, so what have we here? Are you ready to make the best of me and take me out and ply me with wine and soft and gentle yet commanding words, or shall I just shrug and sigh and watch you wither and whimper and say hey maybe next year for sure?" Or simply hie thee to the Weekly Volcano's listings, honeychile, scan our nightlife calendar, peruse of NYE party list and then party away your paltry ideals.

2. Of course, the big NYE party is First Night Tacoma. To wit ...

3. Oh, sure, the South Sound breweries like to party on NYE ...

4. Stand-up comedian Jon Reep is best known as the "That thing got a Hemi?" guy in Dodge commercials, and more recently as the winner of the fifth season of Last Comic Standing on NBC. He's spending his NYE at the Tacoma Comedy Club.

5. New Year's Eve is all about letting go of the past and embracing the future. Jazzbones certainly isn't letting go of its blues, jazz and rock live music past, but it's embracing country music tonight. After making it all the way to the top 10 in the 2013 version of The Voice, Duvall, Washington, native Austin Jenckes has been touring the nation. The big, bearded dude with a soulful, charismatic voice will join Enumclaw country music heroes Aces Up for a big hoedown at 8 p.m. in Jazzbones.

LINK: Wednesday, Dec. 31 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area