Maybe it's just us, but New Year's Eve soirees can sometime be a bit milquetoast. Set aside all the fireworks and midnight countdowns, and i's just another party or club night. The thing that really sets the best and brightest Auld Lang Syne affairs apart from most other champagne-soaked shindigs is the sort of interesting activities and entertainment that takes place in addition to all the bottle-popping. Like, say, all the artsy and offbeat shenanigans that will ensue at Maybe 2013 Will Be Better, the annual New Year's Eve extravaganza happening at The Compound, 805 South Farmer Avenue in Tempe, on Monday, December 31.
Besides various live-art displays and a gigunda collection of work from more than 50 creatives — including such local standouts as painter Jason Rudolph Peña, the Molton Brothers, and mural king Lalo Cota — the indoor/outdoor event will feature spin gigs by four different DJs, each with their own unique sound. For instance, the always-eclectic Djentrification is likely to break out a diverse array of both rare and discovered vinyl and weird obscura during his set. Meanwhile, Pickster One (who recently returned to the Valley after his whirlwind jaunt through Europe) will be popping off with plenty of his signature moombahton and old school hip-hop mixes, Dalmation Disco will rain down rock 'n' roll debauchery, and Just Chris will serve up plenty of indie dance. The party starts at 8 p.m. Admission is $10. — Benjamin Leatherman
