We’re out to party on our last show of the year!

For us, those celebrations definitely mean some bubbles. We head out to a collaborative champagne/sparkling wine tasting in Lenox. There, sisters Mary Daire of Dare Bottleshop & Provisions and Molly Lyon-Joseph of Pizzeria Boema, along with Boema’s manager Jane Burns, help us sample some of the more interesting selections and the nuances that will make their food pairings work so well.

And although it’s the end of the year, we’re fast approaching First Night, the city-wide festival thrown by Northampton to welcome the changing of our calendars. But why is it called First Night, isn’t that a Boston thing? We talk with organizer Steve Sanderson of the Northampton Arts Council about the event’s moniker and some of the planned events, including acts Father Hotep and Love Crumbs who join him in the NEPM studios for Live Music Friday.

And speaking of music, Monte and Kaliis discuss the end theme song and accidental movie twin of a French film left off of their lists yesterday, and for which they each have an odd fondness.