The Daily News picks for what to do, see and tune into Dec. 30- Jan. 1

TOURS

HAUNTED HOUSE PARTY

Should very old acquaintance be forgot, book a 75-minute reservation for the Colonial-era Powel House's end-of-year "Toast with a Ghost" tour. Organizers guarantee you'll experience at least one of the following spirits: deceased dignitaries, dead debutantes, champagne (or sparkling cider). Ages 13 and up.

Powel House, 244 S. 3rd St., $25. 8 and 9 tonight; 9 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. tomorrow (8 p.m. tomorrow tour sold out). 215-413-1997 or 215-413-7000, www.ghosttour.net.

CASINOS

JUMP START

Tomorrow night you won't be able to swing a swizzle stick in Atlantic City without hitting a New Year's Eve bash in a casino. But for fans of neo-soulsters Fitz & The Tantrums, the party starts tonight as the snappy combo out of Los Angeles that somehow makes zippy pop without a guitar (think sax and organ) headlines at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.

One Borgata Way, 9 tonight, $35 and $29.50, 866-900-4849, theborgata.com.

MUSIC

THURSDAY ON FRIDAY

Post-hardcore veterans Thursday have outlived many of the bands that they influenced (when was the last time you heard from the Used?) by doing what many in punk subgenres refuse to do: grow up. Alas, the band recently announced on its website they would be going on indefinite hiatus due to personal issues, despite releasing the well-received "No Devolucion" earlier this year. As many say goodbye to the band that soundtracked their angst-ridden childhoods, there's new music to be discovered. The openers Screaming Females and locals Mewithoutyou point to a bright future.

Theater of the Living Arts, 334 South St., 6 tonight, $20, 215-922-1011, livenation.com.

FEAT DON'T FAIL

Country-rock legends Little Feat have been riding their reputation since frontman/heart and soul Lowell George overdosed in 1979, but that shouldn't discount the sprawling band's live show. While Little Feat has seen many members come and go, its current incarnation features many from their heyday, including original member Bill Payne.

Scottish Rite Auditorium, 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood, N.J., 8 tonight, $29-$47, 856-858-1000, Collingswood.com.

A CIRCUS TRIP

Giving Americana a psychedelic twist is new-folkster Gandalf Murphy and Slambovian Circus of Dreams. After returning from a tour of the U.K., Murphy and company are set on ringing in the New Year a day early in Philly. Along with tunes from their newest album "The Grand Slambovians," expect Murphy to amp up the holiday spirit in the trippiest way possible.

World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 6 tonight, $22, 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com.

THRASH TALK

Sure, you could spend New Year's Eve getting inappropriately drunk at a friend's house and stumbling your way home. Or you could do that at the Level Room along with some of Philly's best music makers.

Bleeding Rainbow - once known as Reading Rainbow - along with Eternal Summers, Creepoid, Slutever, Arc in the Round and Pink Skull ring in 2012 the only way they know how: By thrashing their way through energetic live sets that will get you pumped about the coming new year. Don't shy away from the price - most of these bands usually play for less than $10. The free beer will be flowing all night long.

The Level Room, 2102 Market St., 8 p.m. tomorrow, $25, Partsbooking@gmail.com, phonographicartssouthphilly.tumblr.com.

HART ATTACK

We never understood why blues-based singer-songwriter Beth Hart didn't blow up alongside the likes of Fiona Apple and Tori Amos. Maybe it's because those singers rested on their vulnerability while Hart has always been about her own raw power. She takes over the Blockley Pourhouse with a New Year's Eve show and an intimate brunch on New Year's Day.

$175 will get you tickets to both Hart-warming experiences.

The Blockley Pourhouse, 3801 Chestnut St., 7 p.m. tomorrow, $135; noon, Sunday, $45, 215-222-1234, theblockley.com.

LET'S GO FISHING

Most kids don't get the benefit of staying up to the wee hours of midnight to celebrate the New Year. And, parents, we get that sometimes it's hard for you to keep your eyes open, too.

That's where Trout Fishing in America comes in. Instead of ringing in the New Year, they'll usher in the New Noon, with a countdown to 12 p.m. on Dec. 31.

Trout Fishing in America has been around since 1979, with 15 albums to date. They've endured not just because little ones love them, but because they are genuinely hilarious, appealing to parents without pandering.

It will be impossible to leave this holiday show without humming some of their biggest hits, like "What I Want is a Proper Cup of Coffee," "My Hair Had a Party Last Night" or "18 Wheels on a Big Wheel."

World Café Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del., 11 a.m. tomorrow, $14-16, 302-994-1400, worldcafelive.com

THEATER

COMEDY OF MANNERS

Silent comedy group Tickle Toe takes on the world of etiquette, circa 1950, in its new production "Pumpernickel and Marmalade: A Book of Etiquette." The five-person cast works in silence, without props, and in this, their third production, they use their offbeat physical humor to expose the foibles of the '50s, when social success was by the book. For example, what will a young couple do when their maid suddenly disappears in the middle of the dinner party they are hosting?

Walnut Street Theatre, Studio 5, 825 Walnut St., 8 tonight, 2 p.m. tomorrow, $16 kids, $24 adults, 215-991-6484.

FUTURE SHOCK

It's 2059 and Earth has been destroyed. "Village: An Afro Futuristic Fable (in Stories, Dance, Music and Media" depicts the way forward after the apocalypse. What better way to face the new year and celebrate Kwanzaa? GRIOTWORKS, the black storytelling organization, presents this mixed media play, written and directed by GRIOTWORKS founder Jos Duncan.

Community Education Center, 3500 Lancaster Ave., 7 tonight, $20 in advance (until 4 p.m.), $25 at the door. 215-387-1911.