ALO spread out at San Franciscos The Independent the weekend for a three day New Years Eve celebration. The festivities began on December 29 with a two set performance that featured sing-a-longs like BBQ, Waiting for Jaden, Walls of Jericho and Maria. Adam Topol, who plays drums with ALOs old college friend Jack Johnson, enhanced the group at various points throughout the night, as did TV on the Radio saxophonist Dave Ralike. In addition, a number of guests stopped by the groups second performance at the Independent on Sunday, including ALO drummer David Brogans Evil Farmer bandmate Ari Gorman, saxophonist John Wooley (who also added flute on The Womb), keyboardist Jordan Feinstein and the infamous San Francisco personalities Guadalajara Joe and Armando Telemundo. Drummer Inkx also helped the group through a full version of the Grateful Deads Help on the Way/Slipknot!/Franklin’s Tower suite.

Fittingly, ALOs New Years Eve performance itself doubled as a San Francisco celebration of sorts. Wavy Gravy served as the evenings MC and delivered his famous Nobody For President minute during the groups first set. Then at the start of ALOs second set the self-proclaimed hippie-icon, flower geezer led the crowd in a New Years countdown from the stage that led into a powerful version of Peter Gabriels Sledgehammer that featured a pair of backup singers and local guitar hero Sean Leahy. Soon after, Bill Kruetzman took control of the kit and Brogan switched to drums for a version of Jerry Garcias They Love Each Other that wrapped around Bill Withers Use Me. Finally, at the end of the night, the group closed its encore with an extended segue that included Sexo y Drogas, Monday, BBQ and Auld Lang Syne.