2013 July – Showbams

Treasure Island single-day tickets, lineups announced

July 31, 2013 by Mike Frash Leave a Comment

Treasure Island Music Festival has announced the daily lineups and the release of single day tickets — so those who immerse themeselves soley in electronic music or rock can opt for a one day festival experience come Friday, August 2 at 10am.

Our advice: Snag a two-day pass before they are gone, and be sure to get those parking passes for a quick arrival and escape.

Saturday, October 19

As always, Saturday is packed with high-energy acts — including most of the digitally-oriented artists, including Major Lazer, Disclosure, DJ Falcon & Robert Delong. Atoms For Peace, unsurprisingly, are already gaining steam as a can’t miss live act as they hit the major festival stops in Europe this summer. Electro-pop party-starters Little Dragon, Phantogram & Holy Ghost! will also be performing Saturday.

•Atoms For Peace
•Major Lazer
•Little Dragon
•Phantogram
•Disclosure
•Holy Ghost!
•DJ Falcon
•Poolside
•Adult.
•Robert Delong
•Giraffage
•Antwon

Sunday, October 20

Looking at the Sunday lineup, the days look as similar as ever. Maybe it’s just that Sunday, traditionally the indie rock day, is flush with loud performers: Animal Collective, Palma Violets, STRFKR, Sleigh Bells, Japandroids and HAIM. Cayucas and Lord Huron promise to deliver ideal, mellow-ish Sunday sets. James Blake will melt hearts during his Sunday sunset show, and as Beck slowly releases epic 14 minute tracks to preview his new records (yes, that’s “records” plural), Treasure Island Music Festival is poised to end on a high note.

•Beck
•Animal Collective
•James Blake
•Sleigh Bells
•STRFKR
•Lord Huron
•Japandroids
•Real Estate
•HAIM
•Palma Violets
•Cayucas
•Io Echo
•Deep Sea Diver

Fitz And The Tantrums give intense energy & crowd engagement to SF

July 31, 2013 by Nikki de Martini Leave a Comment

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Nikki de Martini {Sweet Sound Bites}

People were still filing into the Fitz and The Tantrums show at The Warfield Sunday night as leading man Michael Fitzpatrick and leading lady Noelle Scaggs followed the rest of the band on stage. Under the glow of the same neon heart that graces the group’s new album, More Than Just a Dream, the show started with the brand new track “Keepin’ Our Eyes Out”. They carried an essence of unplanned-glam with a touch of platinum in their outfits. But Scaggs’ look triumphed, and how could it not with the cover-art heart embroidered on the back of her leather jacket!

The female firecracker vocalist burst out “San Francisco! How you feelin’ tonight?! You came to party right?!” in the middle of “Don’t Gotta Work It Out”, jolting a roaring response from fans. After that, all bets were off as Fitz himself tried spreading the band’s amped energy by vigorously starting an audience clap-along at the tail end of the song. And all this happened within the the second song! Their drive to fully engage the crowd and emerge everyone into their electrically emotional set was highly admirable.

Fitz and the Tantrums built momentum with exuberant banter, fervid fist pumping with fans in the front row, some mean tambourine, and a sexually charged chemistry only exes can conjure up, and it all flowed naturally — though it did seem as if they were trying to prove themselves.

Covering the Eurythmics dark hit “Sweet Dreams” later on in the set made sense, seeing as Fitzpatrick’s voice definitely has a “Sweet Dreams” quality, if you will. Situated seamlessly into the overall sound and vibe of the night, Fitzpatrick and Scaggs shared the spotlight during the neo-indie version, yet they played it safe by not straying too far from the crowd-pleasing original.

James King broke out the saxophone for “Winds of Change” as Fitzpatrick’s deep Depeche Mode-esque voice blended effortlessly with Scaggs’ velvety falsetto, creating an underlying jazzy vibe.

A good hour or so into the show, Fitzpatrick said, “You may have heard this next one, and that’s because San Francisco has been a huge supporter from the very beginning!” Sure enough, as the crowd roared in appreciation of his expressed appreciation, the cheers grew louder with the first notes of their summer smash single, “Out of My League”.

For me and every other 20-30 something present, the coolest part of the song’s introduction was how Fitzpatrick whispered Popscene into the microphone right before he began singing.

Fitz and The Tantrums played at Popscene (SF’s premiere Indie-Night Club) in 2010 when they were still finding their place in the music world, and the respect paid to the City and it’s fans who helped them get to the status the band has attained was super cool in my book.

Fitz and The Tantrums curated a setlist that balanced old and new all night — they sandwiched the funky eclectic new song, “The Walker” into two older tracks “Moneygrabber” and “News 4 You” to end the night. They raised their own bar pretty high with intense energy and a signature retro performance full of gusto from the get-go at The Warfield.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Fitz and the Tantrums, The Warfield

Best live music venues in San Francisco // Bay Area

July 30, 2013 by Kevin Quandt & Mike Frash 25 Comments

Photos by Sam Heller, Marc Fong, Maggie Corwin, James Nagel & Mike Frash

San Francisco is one of the best live music cities in the world — if an act is touring the western United States, they will most likely swing through SF. Packed into 7×7 square miles, the City by the Bay offers some kind of concert nightly. The East Bay, Oakland and Berkeley, respectively, is home to a growing number of live music options as more and more folks flee the City for better living costs.

Here are the best places to catch a show in or near San Francisco.

The Independent

628 Divisadero St. San Francisco, CA 94117
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: The Independent boasts the best sound, artist curation and lighting in the Bay Area for any room close to it’s 500-person max capacity — and you can count on 3-5 shows per week. It’s a great venue to catch artists on the rise from virtually every music genre, and already-established groups such as Phoenix, Green Day, TV on the Radio and Band of Horses have performed at this intimate musical oasis.

Best Features: The general admission venue is a conveniently-shaped square; no matter where you watch the show, the sound is stellar and you can see what’s happening on the lifted stage. The staff is professional, friendly and drinks are easy to procure. The Independent is simple and perfect, an ideal platform to witness bands and DJs live before they get bigger.

Drawbacks: Bring earplugs and sunglasses if sensitive to sound and light. Arrive early to secure a parking spot if driving — if possible, take public transportation and grab a drink nearby before the show. Get there when doors open if you need a seat.

Fox Theater – Oakland

1807 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA 94612
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: Fox Theater Oakland is a premium, large theater-style venue with a general admission floor and sizable, assigned-seated balcony overhead. The renovation of this historic site was masterfully achieved in 2009, conserving the stellar artwork and design features.

Best Features: No expense was spared in this renovation. Cool air rises from hundreds of vents in the floor, keeping attendees comfortable. The multitude of bars are fully staffed and efficient.

Drawbacks: In order to accommodate BART travelers, the venue has a pretty strict curfew, with shows ending well before midnight.

The Fillmore

1805 Geary Blvd. San Francisco, CA 94115
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: The Fillmore is nondescript from the outside, but a classic gem once you enter and climb the stairs. Expect a warm welcome, a selection of free fresh apples in the tradition of Fillmore founder Bill Graham and a free poster of the evening’s show (if the event sold out three weeks in advance usually).

Best Features: A large general admission floor area (1,200 capacity), surrounded by adult-beverage facilitators, is overshadowed by the venue’s iconic chandeliers that add a touch of sophistication to any affair. There is an additional saloon upstairs with ample seating away from the stage, and live acts will perform here on occasion before and during the opening act. Also, be sure to head upstairs to view previous show posters.

Drawbacks: If having a seat is on the agenda, arrive early and head for the poster room. Snag a seat and cozy up to the balcony rail for the best view in the house, but the best sound can be found on the floor.

*Bonus Venue: The BooM BooM RooM across Geary Blvd. is an excellent place for a pre-show martini and to keep the party going once The Fillmore has wrapped for the evening. This room focuses on jamming into the late night, often until 4 a.m.

Great American Music Hall

859 O’Farrell St. San Francisco, CA 94109
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: This historic space has been a beloved jewel for live music for well over 100 years, able to house some 600 attendees on any given night. As SF’s oldest nightclub, the Great American Music Hall can transport music fans to a more elegant era with its ornate balconies, soaring marble columns and elaborate ceiling frescoes.

Best Features: The Great American features a great variety of acts over the year and offers something for everybody. The space, sound and staff are top-notch. Opt for dinner and a show (quick tip: the food is great) to secure a seat on the balcony rail upstairs.

Drawbacks: The location is rather central to many areas of the city, though it’s not the safest in the the City. The venue’s lights are rather basic, but they aren’t needed in a room with such grand decor.

The Greek Theatre – UC Berkeley

2001 Gayley Rd. Berkeley, CA 94720
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: A seasonal venue from the Spring to the Fall at the top of the UC Berkeley campus, The Greek Theatre can pack 8,500 folks into their popular, yet infrequent concerts. Constructed after the ancient Greek theater of Epidaurus in 1903 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, this space often inspires magical performances.

Best Features: The sound from within the bowl provides incredible acoustics, but get there early for a spot in the seated steps or within the pit. If all seats are taken, get closer and stand in the general admission area as close as possible for a memorable live music experience.

Drawbacks: Don’t retreat to the grass — the magic is lost outside of the main bowl area. Getting to the venue (and back) requires walking up the campus, or driving to the top. Parking near the theater also means it will take forever to leave, and it will cost you $20 or more. Give yourself plenty of time and plan on walking. Shows won’t go past 11 p.m. due to the campus’ curfew, and be sure to head to the top of the grass for the quickest bathroom lines.

The Warfield

982 Market St. San Francisco, CA 94102
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: A 2,300-capacity theater located on Market Street, The Warfield beckons a near century-long history as a premier downtown music venue. Ornate gilding and details are found throughout this lovely space, and a recent renovation upgraded many areas in need of a little help.

Best Features: The tiered floor has become a staple for California mid-size venues like The Fox in Oakland and The Wiltern in Los Angeles, allowing an array of sight-lines for attendees. It’s in an easily accessible location with decent bars and restaurants within proximity.

Drawbacks: Mid-Market is trying to revive itself from a once-peppered history. Similar to many other “overhang” theater venues, the sound can leave a bit to be desired if in the middle or back of the general admission floor.

Bimbo’s 365 Club

1025 Columbus Ave. San Francisco, CA 94133
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: Bimbo’s 365 Club, located on the fringes of North Beach, offers one of the most unique live concert settings in SF. Red velour curtains and exquisite details lend to an entirely classy experience in this 685-capacity, theater-like live performance space.

Best Features: It’s not like any other venue in the City in regards to location and style — side rooms and bars create an ideal pre-show place to socialize and imbibe. The low stage creates an intimate atmosphere with the limited acts that grace the stage over the year.

Drawbacks: The North Beach location is not the easiest venue to reach in comparison to others, and the booking leaves much to be desired as folks love this space.

Rickshaw Stop

155 Fell St. San Francisco, CA 94102
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: This recent hot-spot hosts many up-and-coming indie acts bursting onto the scene before they graduate to larger rooms. Expect a hip crowd sipping on strong drinks in a no-frills room, enjoying heat-seeking artists from across the globe. Shows start late, even on weekdays.

Best Features: Rickshaw Stop has very dynamic booking, bringing in all sorts of parties to utilize this Civic Center area venue. The bar is efficient for a small-ish room that can fill up nicely, but not overly.

Drawbacks: It’s basically a long narrow room with a small “balcony”, therefore sight-lines can be rough for those who are vertically challenged on the main floor.

Mezzanine

444 Jessie St. San Francisco, CA 94103
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: Mezzanine specializes in up-and-coming club scene shows, hosting DJs from all over the world and bands that incorporate electronic elements into their music. Expect young people ready to party in a rectangular room that can hold up to 1,000 people.

Best Features: DJs will perform on the ‘side stage’, cultivating a dance-centric environment before and after live acts. A great choice for birthdays, bachelor parties and other special occasions, secure a table and bottle service on the floor or in a private area upstairs.

Drawbacks: Ins and outs are not permitted, and it can get a bit crunchy near the front and in the smoking area. Getting drinks can be a challenge during peak times.

Brick and Mortar Music Hall

1710 Mission St. San Francisco, CA 94103
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: An intimate, square space for live music, Brick and Mortar Music Hall in the Mission hosts concerts almost nightly, and they are always affordable. Rock, bluegrass, funk, soul and many more types of shows go down here.

Best Features: Brick and Mortar has that “neighborhood rock/club” feel — if you are in the ‘front row’, then you are basically on the stage — and it just became the new home of outcast swine-house Bacon Bacon during lunchtime.

Drawbacks: Cash only at the box office. It can get a little tight during capacity shows unless you squiggle to your left against the wall.

The Chapel

777 Valencia St. San Francisco, CA 94110
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: The newest venue in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District, The Chapel opened in 2012 and includes an attached restaurant and bar. The building was originally built as a mortuary, so the funeral home’s Chapel was converted to the music room upon renovation. There is a mezzanine above the floor level of the Chapel for bird’s-eye view observing.

Best Features: The restaurant and bar is brand-new and swanky, and the high ceilings and beams in the formerly sacred space give it a unique, striking feel for live music. More acts are booked with each passing month, and bigger names becoming more frequent too. Artists usually have a rootsy and indie sound aesthetic, but The Chapel recently had their first DJ night.

Drawbacks: It’s a great location for nightlife, but not for parking. The stage is small, and it can be tough to secure a drink at peak moments.

The New Parish

579 18th St. Oakland, CA 94612
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: This unique venue has recently sprouted up in the East Bay, and many are taking notice of their recent success. With a courtyard and large, wrap-around balcony, The New Parish offers many options for patrons to get down, watch the act or be social with friends.

Best Features: A plethora of national touring acts are opting to stay east of the bay and hold court in this ever-rising space. Securing a view of the stage isn’t terribly tough with a less traditional venue setup. Proximity to the Fox Theater makes it a popular place to keep the night going.

Drawbacks: The design of the space is unlike any other, and this has a few negatives regarding access to the bar or sound being optimal. It’s in Oakland and goes late, so not great for SF-bound BART riders.

Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

99 Grove St. San Francisco, CA 94102
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: As big an open, indoor floor space that exists in the Bay Area (not including arenas), the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium can fit 7,000 people into its vast confines.

Best Features: There’s plenty of floor space — and plenty of seats upstairs if you arrive early enough. The location adjacent to City Hall makes it easy to get to via public transportation. When the Civic Auditorium is packed and full of energy, it comes alive.

Drawbacks:
When the venue isn’t sold out, there’s an empty, hollow feel to live music here. The sound can seriously lack at times, especially from the sides. The best bet is to get in front of the large speaker banks (duh). Some acts, like Phish, bring additional sound equipment to fill out the copious space in the building.

Bottom of the Hill

1233 17th St. San Francisco, CA 94107
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: This legendary little rock club at the foot of Potrero Hill has room for 350 partygoers of varying ages. It’s a well-oiled and well-regarded space that breeds lively shows by bands of all sizes and eras.

Best Features: Not exclusively a 21-and-over club, Bottom of the Hill allows patrons of all ages the chance to enjoy a high-energy show in this wacky space. Ample parking, a large smoking section and reasonably priced drinks as well as tickets make it an ideal spot to rock out.

Drawbacks: The booking doesn’t veer terribly far off the path of rock ‘n’ roll. The lights are simple, as one might expect from a venue like this.

Cafe Du Nord

2170 Market St. San Francisco, CA 94114
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: Walking down the stairs into the main room lends the vibe of a classic speakeasy with red velour and classical seating in the back. It’s yet another historic space to enjoy some fresh artists of the 21st century in an intimate setting.

Best Features: Located rather conveniently on Market Street makes Cafe Du Nord both accessible and flush with pre-show drink options. Cafe du Nord is amazing for the fan hoping to engage with his or her favorite artists.

Drawbacks: The room has an odd shape with a bar, seating and even a pool table in the back, while the front is slightly sectioned off for live music.

Slim’s

333 11th St. San Francisco, CA 94103
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: Slim’s is located in a lively section of SOMA, and the venue hosts a vast array of lively acts for an all-ages crowd with a maximum capacity of 400. A high-ceiling room with few frills makes it a good option for dedicated fans.

Best Features: A large bar makes grabbing a beer or cocktail a snap, and they offer dinner with premium, upstairs seating if that’s your thing. The sound is just fine to accommodate either hardcore punk-rock or some of the Bay’s finest hip-hop.

Drawbacks: Oddly-placed pillars can obstruct attendees’ views and make a sold-out room that much more less appealing.

Public Works

161 Erie St. San Francisco, CA 94103
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect:
Expect two venues in one. Public Works offers a live music space and a separate room dedicated to dance music curated by some of the best DJs around. A separate ticket is needed for each option.

Best Features: The location is pretty central to most of the City. The live venue offers a balcony overhang — get there early for the best spot in the house. The staff is friendly.

Drawbacks: There are a few columns that make the live space a bit cumbersome at times, and the mobility at sold-out shows can be tough.

The Regency Ballroom

1290 Sutter St. San Francisco, CA 94109
View Current Show Listings

What To Expect: The large, well-worn ballroom with a horseshoe-shaped, wrap-around balcony and teardrop chandeliers can hold plenty of people at The Regency Ballroom. Most shows are general admission.

Best Features: There are plenty of seats to grab upstairs if sitting is a must.

Drawbacks: Shows here are infrequent, and the sound can get drowned out at times by the massive space of the ballroom, especially from the seats. Drinks are priced astronomically.

Filed Under: Best of, Best of 2013, Editor's Picks, Featured, Show Experience Tagged With: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, Bimbos 365, Boom Boom Room, Bottom of the Hill, Brick and Mortar Music Hall, Cafe du Nord, Fox Theater Oakland, Great American Music Hall, Mezzanine, Public Works, Public Works SF, Rickshaw Stop, Slims, The Chapel, The Fillmore, The Greek Theatre, The Independent, The New Parish, The Regency Ballroom, The Warfield

Your guide to all the Phish after parties in Tahoe, SF

July 29, 2013 by Kevin Raos 1 Comment

Photos by Sam Heller // Written by Kevin Raos //

Phish is currently in the middle of their West Coast swing. After slaying two nights at The Gorge, the caravan heads south to California for two nights in Lake Tahoe at Harvey’s Outdoor Arena and three nights in SF at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.

Many people will want to keep the party going long after Phish has ended — that is why we have compiled this list of after parties (and one pre-party) to keep you twirling into the wee hours of the night (morning?). Most shows have a price tag, but a couple are FREE.

Enter below for a chance to win tickets to Conspirator at Mezzanine this Saturday, August 3rd.

CONTEST CLOSED.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay in the loop for more contest giveaways.

Contest ends Friday, August 2 at Noon. The winners will be picked at random & notified by email. Your email will be kept private – we will share your email with no one. 21+ only.

Tahoe After Parties:

Tuesday, July 30th

Horizon Casino Resort
Sam Bush Band w/ Polecat
ALO w/ Magic Gravy
10:30pm
Price: $35.00
Tickets

MontBleu
Greensky Bluegrass – Blu
12:00am
Price: $25.00 advance, $30.00 day of show
Tickets

edIT w/ SubTripixxx & Coop da Loop – Opal Ultra Lounge
11:00pm
Price: $20.00 advance, $25.00 day of show
Tickets

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe
The Meter Men – George Porter, Jr, Zigaboo Modeliste, and Leo Nocentelli with special guest John “Papa” Gros of Papa Grows Funk
11:30pm
Price: $62.50
Tickets

Crystal Bay Club
FREE Reggae
10pm
Price: FREE
Info

Wednesday, July 31st

Horizon Casino Resort
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe w/ The Pimps of Joytime
Hot Buttered Rum ft. Allie Kral of Cornmeal w/ Poor Man’s Whiskey
10:30pm
Price: $35.00
Tickets

MontBleu
Emancipator – Opal Ultra Lounge
11:00pm
Price: $25.00 advance, $30.00 day of show
Tickets

Moksha ft. Jen Hartswick & Skerik – Blu
12:00am
Price: $20.00 advance, $23.00 day of show
Tickets

Tahoe Steamer
magicgravy
12:30am-3:30am
Price: $45.00
Tickets

San Francisco After Parties:

Friday, August 2nd

50 Mason Social House
Phish After Party with Garrin Benfield, Jordan Feinstein, Murph Murphy and Lucas Carlton!
11:30pm
Price: n/a
Info

BooM BooM RooM
Moksha w/ Carlos Santana Horns
9:30pm
Price: $10.00
Info
Tickets

Saturday, August 3rd

Mezzanine
Conspirator
9pm
Price: FREE?? WIN FREE TICKETS ABOVE. Or $20.00, here.

BooM BooM RooM
Polyrhythmics
9:30pm
Price: $10.00
Info
Tickets

Sunday, August 4th
Jerry Day
11:30am
Price: FREE
Info

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, Conspirator, Lake Tahoe Harveys Outdoor Arena, Mezzanine, Phish

New Music: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – Self-titled

July 29, 2013 by Molly Kish 1 Comment

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Top Tracks:
“Country Calling”
“Remember to Remember”
“When You’re Young”

Album Highlights: Far from the ‘janglin’ days of their Up from Below debut, Edward Sharpe and his merry band of Zeros offer a melancholy insight to their band dynamics on the group’s self-titled third album. Although marketed as a band emanating love, friendship and spiritual bliss, ESMZ have obviously hit some emotional potholes over the past four years. Amidst a rigorous touring schedule supporting the release of back to back albums, it’s natural for such a large group of musicians to encounter difficulties within their internal structure. Sometimes this type of turmoil can lead to exceptional musical developments and serve as a creative catalyst. On the other hand, it can result in a contrived cluster-fuck like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ third album.

Musically, the album follows suit with the previous two ESMZ releases, chock full of pop centric choral arrangements and pseudo-revivalist grandeur. Opening with what I assume will be the bands’ single, “Better Days”, they continue to bank on the recipe that has catapulted the group to mainstream success. ESMZ has done what is most familiar and continue to spread neo bohemian bliss to the masses.

The strongest tracks on this album, however, are the songs that deviate from such manufactured joy and actually touch upon their obvious grievances. “Country Calling” and “When You’re Young” manage to keep things positively upbeat and are easily two of the best crafted songs on the album. Other standout tracks include “Remember to Remember” and “They Were Wrong”, where the band ventures out of their cheesy comfort zones and not only tap into alternate musical influences, but also into some real emotional space.

Album Lowlight: Not matter how ESMZ tries to sheath persisting band issues with bouncy melodies and choral reinforcements, every song has an undertone of depression, anxiety and a sense of deflated purpose. They have built themselves into such a positive powerhouse of an act so early in their career that they have plateaued. Having found comfort and success, they’ve pigeonholed themselves into an idealistic standard, and their songwriting capabilities have become stunted. Instead of fully immersing themselves into branching out and taking creative risks with their material, they instead fall back on what they are familiar with, taking their patented sound into abhorrently over-eccentric territory.

The worst offender is a terribly clichéd second track “Let’s Get High”. Encompassing every over-the-top aspect of this band all rolled into one, the feels more like a spoof of anti-establishment protest songs from the Vietnam era than a legitimate track. Other attempts that miss the mark include “Life is Hard”, and “If I Were Free”, both of which come off as pathetic attempts at conveying the bands’ commitment to free love and genuine spirituality — they simply fall short.

Takeaway: The lack of heart behind the songwriting keeps the listener from fully investing in this LP. It’s interesting that this would be the album the LA-based collective would stamp its name on as the title because it’s the least impressive body of music it has recorded. The overall sound is deflated, superficial and lackluster. Had they focused more of their attention on exploring how to convey the messages that are resonating with listeners without caging themselves within inherent limitations, they could grow as a group.

Filed Under: New Music Tagged With: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, New Music

The Postal Service keep the nostalgia fresh with some help from Big Freedia & Baths at the Greek Theatre Berkeley

July 27, 2013 by Mike Frash 3 Comments

By Mike Frash //

The Postal Service with Big Freedia, Baths //
Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA
July 26th, 2013 //

The Postal Service played their third-ever Bay Area show at the Greek Theatre on Friday — the supergroup had previously performed at two tiny clubs, Bottom of the Hill and the Los Gatos Outhouse, respectively, in 2003 before their only record Give Up became a massive success. It was a night of nostalgia, yet The Postal Service made everything feel fresh, successfully sucking in the attention of the surprisingly youthful crowd. The audience was engaged throughout the show, a setting and mood that should be partially attributed to the night’s two openers, one that seemed completely out-of-place and another perfect.

Baths is a fast-rising electronic musician (born Will Wiesenfeld) who is touring on his excellent second record Obsidian. Baths is the ideal opener for The Postal Service — his music is more somber and moody, but his digital textures are so similar. The crunchy, industrialized beats found in “Worsening” and “Ossuary” sound related to the underlying, limping baseline in The Postal Service song “This Place Is a Prison”. Wiesenfeld and Postal Service digital mastermind Jimmy Tamborello have the same knack for atypical, Nintendo glitch production and therefore are kindred spirits.

Wiesenfeld’s live show includes another performer to help with button pushing, knob turning and electric guitar. The stage production is decidedly minimalist — both artists face each other while playing muddled, industrialized sounds from MIDI pads stacked on top of the boxed they were originally packaged in. Wiesenfeld plays the keyboard live and nails his passionate, on the brink-of-death lyrics with precision. His falsetto was on point, and all of the electronic sampling was performed live except for the driving, minimalist beats.

The audience may have been chatting away for much of Baths’ performance, but all it took was some booty twerkin’ and the first Sissy Bounce performance the Greek has witnessed to get everyone on their feet. When looking at the bill for the evening, it was hard to gauge how a Postal Service crowd would react to Big Freedia, the Queen Diva of Bounce. Bounce music is a rap-based hip-hop subgenre from New Orleans, heavy on bass with a NOLA second-line mentality — hence the booty.

If ya got it, shake it — bouncing female booty while wearing short shorts or tight spandex is virtually synonymous with bounce music itself, and Big Freedia understands this historical aspect. The Queen Diva has worked the art of booty bouncing into live production art, as her dancers know how to put on an entertaining show that is exciting and fun to watch.

The dancers performed upside-down booty rockin’ with handstands, ran the booty train with Freedia as the locomotive and climbed speakers and lighting pillars to shake that ass. It was anything but boring, either making you dance or ask yourself, “What the fuck am I watching?” The wild, random featured act was joined by Postal Service leader Ben Gibbard for some booty shakin’ to end the set — it was the final night Big Freedia opened for the headliners on this tour.

Big Freedia ended up prepping the crowd perfectly for The Postal Service, getting everyone’s attention turned toward the stage. The crowd was attentive during The Postal Service set, adding harmonious sing-alongs to the group’s biggest songs. Some of these moments were spontaneous, others were encouraged by the performers. Opening song “The District Sleeps Alone Night” elicited a perfectly blended sing-along with the line “I was the one worth leaving” — but show closer “Brand New Colony” ended the night in a most memorable fashion. They ended the concert by encouraging the audience to join them in continuing “Everything Will Change” a cappella — and those in attendance obliged Gibbard wholeheartedly. He counted out the four beats in the measure before signaling to the crowd to yell the line, and it was clear the frontman was pleased with the participation after the final notes had been played.

The set was performed tight and cleanly — the foursome is clearly honed in at this point of the tour. The mid-set cover of Beat Happening song “Our Secret” was a highlight. The track built then segued into atmospheric territory — it was a long song but ended right as it was starting taking off. Gibbard jumped into press row for the set-ending “Natural Anthem”, leaving the rest of the group to awkwardly leave the stage for the encore.

Once again, Jenny Lewis is the MVP. She’s so present in the moment while in control of her craft. Gibbard was enthusiastic and might be one of the worst dancers in live music today. But he owns his stage presence with gusto, and it makes you realize one possible reason why he shifted from electropop back to more indie-laden fare with Death Cab for Cutie.

At one point, Gibbard sincerely thanked everyone for being there, saying that “We know you have many options for your concert dollar. Thank you for not choosing Justin Bieber,” playfully referencing the Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z mega-show happening at Candlestick Park across the bay. While that comparison is weird, frankly, everyone present at the Greek must have had a couple goose-bumpy moments thinking back to a time 10 years ago when they first listened to The Postal Service.

Setlist:
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
We Will Become Silhouettes
Sleeping In
Turn Around
Nothing Better
Recycled Air
Be Still My Heart
Clark Gable
Our Secret (Beat Happening cover)
This Place Is a Prison
There’s Never Enough Time
A Tattered Line of String
Such Great Heights
Natural Anthem

Encore:
(This IS) the Dream of Evan and Chan
Brand New Colony

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Baths, Beat Happening, Big Freedia, Death Cab For Cutie, Greek Theater Berkeley, The Postal Service

WKEND MIXTAPE: Jagwar Ma (Jono Ma) – ‘Livin in the Past’ Fader Mix Tape

July 26, 2013 by 3ricshaden Leave a Comment

The Australian group Jagwar Ma released their incredible debut this year and are currently making the festival rounds on tour. Jono Ma, one-half of the group, put together this week’s mix. He incorporates the Jagwar Ma vibe with a range of artists including The Velvet Underground, J Dilla, Primal Scream, Cut Copy, The Animals, Serge Gainsbourg, The Wailers, and more.

If you like what you hear I would definitely check out the Jagwar Ma debut album.
Enjoy!

Tracklist
1. Bill Murray – Winter Prediction (Excerpt from Groundhog’s Day)
2. Sonny and Cher – I Got You Babe (Excerpt from Groundhog’s Day)
3. Jono’s Mangled Mosaic with bits and pieces from:
-3a. The Velvet Underground – Here She Comes Now
-3b. Jimi Hendrix – Living in the Past (Excerpt from Hendrix Concerts)
-3c. Lonnie Donegan – Love Is Strange
-3d. J Dilla – Nothing Like This
-3e. Serge Gainsbourg – Requiem Pour un Cour
-3f. Velvet Underground – Heroin
-3g. Primal Scream – Don’t Fight it Feel It
4. Jagwar Ma – Man I Need (Time and Space Machine Dub)
5. Cut Copy – Sun God (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
6. Mester Geraldo e Sua Bateria – Mistura No.1 (Ma’s What Love Dub)
7. Miriam Makeba – Amampondo
8. Storm Queen – It Goes On
9. A Guy Called Gerald – Voodoo Ray
10. The Animals – The Story of Bo Diddley
11. Oscar Hamond & the Majestics – Soul Finger
12. Nelson Sanders – This Love Is Here To Stay

Filed Under: Mixtapes Tagged With: Jagwar Ma

New Music: Run the Jewels (EL-P + Killer Mike) – Self-titled

July 26, 2013 by Mike Frash 3 Comments

Run the Jewels (EL-P + Killer Mike) – Run the Jewels

Top Tracks:
“DDFH”
“A Christmas Fucking Miracle”
“Run the Jewels”

Highlights: Before Killer Mike brought on El-P to produce his bangin’ 2012 album R.A.P. Music, he was mostly known as a frequent OutKast collaborator on tracks such as “The Whole World” and “Snappin’ & Trappin'”. El-P released his 2012 LP Cancer 4 Cure the exact same day as Mike’s album last year — signaling a certain syncopation beyond MC competitiveness. Fast forward one year to the present, and El-P & Killer Mike have joined forces as the best hip-hop project in years dubbed Run the Jewels, touring on their landmark new album Run the Jewels.

El-P is the sole producer of Run the Jewels, and it’s safe to say this shit will be pumped in the future. The world of sound is incorporated into tight, aurally pleasing production that feels familiar yet completely original. El-P uses everything from classic organ to Nintendo glitch sounds to electric guitar to build epic beats. Contemporary dance elements can be found interjected into the beats most often, but in a micro-sampling fashion not akin to today’s trap movement. The most groundbreaking instrumental aspect of Run the Jewels is the sole producer’s use of vocals in beat production. The opening cut “Run the Jewels” contains an echo effect on accented words until they meld into the music track, blending parts of the rhymes into the instrumentals. “Job Well Done” & “Banana Clipper” feature instrumental melody stems that are really modulated vocal beats that loop and pitch-shift with ease. The effect of rhyming over modulated vocal-based beats is striking.

The lyrics constantly paint descriptive word pictures, and frequently celebrate wide ranging drug use — “No Come Down” is hyper-catchy with the chopped up refrain “I get so high, I close my eyes like I may die” contrasting with “and I won’t come down.” “DDFH”, the best track on the record, delves into aspects of police brutality, government surveillance & the US’s unbalanced prison system with ease within one Killer Mike verse. Killer Mike breaths fire as aggressively as ever, but with his patented wink and a smile.

Lowlights: Like the rest of hip-hop, Run the Jewels embraces Molly use — pure MDMA — without hesitation. And in “Twin Hype Back”, the duo include an over-the-top date rape skit with the help of Prince Paul about putting MDMA in a girl’s drink. Paul, playing “Chest Rockwell,” goes into cheesy-creep mode by crooning “You feeling relaxed? Maybe it’s that half a molly I put in your Mountain Dew. Ya works like a charm / I’ve got your glass of Beefeater, a pack of Uno Cards / OK, how about I come over tonight and pick you up on my Segway and we go to Long John Silver.” Seemingly, this is a song-long spoof about the Rick Ross controversy, where he rhymed about date raping a girl by using Molly.

There’s a bit of contradiction between the El-P & Killer Mike’s very real celebration of drug culture and the hip-hop date rape skit that is meant as social criticism in “Twin Hype Back”. It’s obviously lampooning Rick Ross and the controversy around it. And clearly, most people that enjoy recreational drug use don’t rape people. But it’s hard to take the intention of the spoof seriously after hearing about how dope Molly, shrooms, blunts & blow is the previous eight tracks.

Takeaway: One of Run the Jewels’ greatest successes is that it can be both funny and dead serious within the same song and often within in the same flow or line at times. El-P & Killer Mike are at their strongest when spitting rhymes with meaning — regarding oppression, government hypocrisy, racism — and this is the Killer Mike influence (the same guy that made the four words “I’m glad Reagan’s Dead” a catch phrase over the past year).

But this shouldn’t detract from how fun this album is to listen to — whether the topic at hand is dead serious or downright funny. Killer Mike broaches serious topics, bringing up the “elephant in the room” whenever possible, and EL-P is a hyperactive, light-hearted goofball MC. And that really is why El-P & Killer Mike are the perfect duo. Put these two together and you have the best hip-hop album of the year so far, and one of the best overall albums of 2013.

*Win free tickets to see Run the Jewels at The Independent in San Francisco on July 31st.

Filed Under: Featured, New Music Tagged With: El-P, Killer Mike, New Music, Run The Jewels

Win free tickets: EL-P + KILLER MIKE = RUN THE JEWELS

July 26, 2013 by The Bam Team 1 Comment

**Read our full review of Run The Jewels.

Run The Jewels is the immaculate collaboration of hybrid hip-hop ‘future-shit’ embracing producer/performer El-P and the best rapper in the year 2013, Killer Mike. El-P produced the best hip hop record last year, Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music, and apparently that was just the beginning for the duo.

Their style and tone differ pretty significantly, but Killer Mike & El-P complement each other perfectly. Michael Render spits aggressive fire and often dips into issues of race and politics, while Jaime Meline (El-P) keeps things more lighthearted and fun. Together they are a stronger force to be reckoned with — they’ve got a locked in Yin-Yang thing going on that is evident in their back-and-forth song structure lyrically. El-P helms the production, which incorporates a wide range of dance influences, vocally modulated repetition that morph into beats, and instrumentation that includes electric guitar and organ interludes.

Run The Jewels is getting rave reviews so far on the current tour. Expect to hear most of Run The Jewels, the name of their collaboration and first album, but also solo cuts off of Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music & El-P songs like “Full Retard” and “Oh Hail No”.

Win 2 Free Tickets! Enter to win if you can attend this show Wednesday July 31 at The Independent in San Francisco.

Submit your full name and email address below.
Contest ends Tuesday July 30 at 5pm. The winners will be picked at random & notified by email. Your email will be kept private – we will share your email with no one. 21+ only.

CONTEST PERIOD COMPLETE

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Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: El-P, Killer Mike, Run The Jewels

2013 Outside Lands schedule announced!

July 25, 2013 by Mike Frash 2 Comments

Photos by Mark Fong // Written by Mike Frash //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 9th-11th, 2013 //

The schedule has been released for the completely sold-out 2013 Outside Lands Music Festival, meaning the schedule conflict stress has already begun. Some folks have the misplaced assumption that they can see half, or even most of the artists on the OSL bill. They are wrong. With four stages and long walks from Lands End/Sutro to Twin Peaks/Panhandle (and back), you won’t see more than 1/4 of the performers on any given day.

So, now it’s time to start dealing with this first-world festival problem by making some tough choices. But remember, you don’t have to commit! Sometimes it’s best to choose shows while at the fest based on your mood.

Here are the biggest conflicts we see on the schedule — along with the sets we are most likely to attend in bold.

FRIDAY SCHEDULE // AUGUST 9th

• Paul McCartney vs. Yeasayer, Chromatics & Pretty Lights
*Macca has a two-hour, 45-minute set!

• The National vs. Rhye vs. Zedd vs. Stanton Warriors
• Band of Horses vs. Jessie Ware vs. Twenty One Pilots vs.
• Surfer Blood vs. Wild Belle vs. Jeffrey Ross
• Smith Westerns vs. Midi Matilda

SATURDAY SCHEDULE // AUGUST 10th

• Nine Inch Nails vs. Phoenix

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs vs. The Head & the Heart vs. Grizzly Bear
• Jurassic 5 vs. Thao & The Get Down Stay Down vs. Baauer
• Young the Giant vs. Youth Lagoon
• Gary Glark Jr. vs. Milo Greene vs. Atlas Genius

SUNDAY SCHEDULE // AUGUST 11th

• Red Hot Chilli Peppers vs. Dillon Francis, Kaskade

• Vampire Weekend vs. Willie Nelson & Family vs. Matt & Kim vs. MS MR
• Dawes vs. A-Trak
• Hall & Oates vs. Trombone Shorty vs. King Tuff
*4:20 Hall & Oats set. Just sayin’
• FOALS vs. Kurt Vile and The Violators vs. Deap Vally
*Winner of worst conflict: FOALS vs. Kurt Vile

Check out our previous Outside Lands articles:
• Outside Lands 2013 Beer/Artist Pairings
• Outside Lands 2013: Ten sets not to miss
• Outside Lands Music Festival Lineup 2013: Rumors vs. Reality

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals, Outside Lands Tagged With: A-Trak, Atlas Genius, Baauer, Band of Horses, Chromatics, Dawes, Deap Vally, Dillon Francis, FOALS, Gary Glark Jr., Grizzly Bear, Hall & Oates, Jessie Ware, Jurassic 5, Kaskade, King Tuff, Kurt Vile, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Matt & Kim, Midi Matilda, Milo Greene, MS MR, Nine Inch Nails, Outside Lands, Outside Lands Music Festival, Paul McCartney, Phoenix, Pretty Lights, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Rhye, Smith Westerns, Stanton Warriors, Surfer Blood, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, The Head & The Heart, The National, Trombone Shorty, Twenty One Pilots, Vampire Weekend, Wild Belle, Willie Nelson & Family, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Yeasayer, Young The Giant, Youth Lagoon, Zedd

Futurebirds & Diarrhea Planet present SF with layered southern psych-rock

July 24, 2013 by Mike Frash Leave a Comment

Futurebirds

By Mike Frash

Futurebirds with Diarrhea Planet //
The Independent – San Francisco
July 18th, 2013 //

Futurebirds are one of the best bands to emerge out of the Athens, Ga., music scene in a while, and anyone present The Independent can attest to this notion. Guitar instrumentation was the theme of the night as featured act and conversation starter Diarrhea Planet perfectly mirrored the night’s headliners through layered Southern psych-rock.

With a name that dares you to say it out loud in front of other people, Diarrhea Planet put forth a killer set. Balancing between heavy metal and punk, yet centering around accessible hooks, the Planet would rage hard then let intricate instrumentation create a floaty atmosphere.

The Nashville-based group was there to party and make a scene, something Diarrhea Planet achieved by reinforcing their music with four guitarists and a variety of stage antics. Emmett Miller on guitar led the way with the shenanigans, climbing speaker banks to jump from and by performing on the floor of the general admission area to end the set. They had fun and left a good impression in line with the Diarrhea Planet motto: “Shred till you’re dead, or go to hell.”

Diarrhea Planet

As the stage was being prepared for Futurebirds, tunes from Kurt Vile and Tame Impala rang through the venue. This choice of pre-game music was highly appropriate — psychedelic guitar layering proved to be the hallmark sound of Futurebirds. The group features two electric guitarists, one acoustic and the all-important steel petal guitarist.

The stoic steel pedal guitarist added haunting accents to songs, even though he was the only performer onstage who seemed kind of bored. Futurebird’s music is rooted in alternative country, but every song transformed halfway through, morphing with a pleasant sound-shift into psychedelic-rock territory. For instance, “Death Awaits” is a wavy, country ballad until layered, electric guitar stomps into the third part of the song, adding Syd Barrett-like wails. The steel pedal ended up bringing the song together for the guitar-harmonized, blended outro.

Touring on their 2013 LP Baba Yaga, Futurebirds transformed almost every offering into a Neil Young-like slow burning jam, picking up the pace through layered Southern aural goodness.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Diarrhea Planet, Futurebirds, Kurt Vile, Neil Young, Tame Impala, The Independent

New Music: Fuck Buttons – Slow Focus

July 24, 2013 by Kevin J Quandt Leave a Comment

Fuck Buttons – Slow Focus

Top Tracks:
“Brainfreeze”
“The Red Wing”
“Stalker”

Album Highlights: After a lengthy 4 year wait for the third album from the Bristol duo Fuck Buttons, Slow Focus has arrived with all it’s droning brilliance. Right out of the gates, it’s not terribly tough to see that Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power have been busy collecting more circuit-bent gadgets and rare synths to create a whirling dervish of art-wave post-rock. Though trying to place this act in any genre is a bit of disservice, kind of like some of their influences like Aphex Twin and Mogwai. Alas, this sonic venture is full of exploration, easily demonstrated on the long-play opening track, “Brainfreeze”. Fans of My Bloody Valentine may eat up this thick, wall-of-sound style approach that is served up on this release, and the explorative tracks top ten minutes in some cases à la Kevin Shields, as well.

Comparisons aside, Fuck Buttons truly bring something original to the table, and the crossover nature of this release is one of the more dynamic aspects to dwell on while listening. Tracks like “Stalker” lurch close to a dance beat, but won’t allow for overt shoegazing as the song bends and limps towards a rising focal point. It’s uplifting in ways, while leaving the listener to decide if it’s the sound of apocalypse or a new beginning.

Album Lowlight: Much like their influences, Fuck Buttons won’t fit neatly into any category, therefore fans of the avant-garde will eat it up, while others may not appreciate the pioneering aspect of these two experimental Brits. Closing track “Hidden Xs” is formatted very similarly to the prior song in song structure, length of track and overall feel. “Hidden Xs” does have a more distinct “rock” feel with it’s relatively clear guitar tones, almost reminiscent of jamtronica purveyors such as The Egg. It remains to be seen whether this album has a ton of replay value, but the depth of the songs tend to make one think it will.

Takeaway: If not familiar with this act, Slow Focus is a perfectly acceptable jumping off point before burrowing into their back catalog. It’s likely that their recently announced Fall tour will garner buzz and sell out in many key demographics, so don’t sleep on Fuck Buttons in the later summer.

Hung and Power are masters of their craft, and truly sculpt aural landscapes with the best of them. One standout track, “The Red Wing”, could be a stand-in for a more ruckus take on Boards of Canada, an act that shares the same envelope-pushing ethos. All in all, these rising stars bring something truly unique to the table, a table that is increasingly overflowing with new takes on the state of electronic music, even if hidden under the moniker of post-rock.

Filed Under: New Music Tagged With: Fuck Buttons, New Music, Slow Focus

FREE SHOWS: Aesop Rock & Kimya Dawson • Hockey • Tiny Television

July 23, 2013 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Ready to witness live music at it’s best this weekend in the Bay Area?

WIN FREE TICKETS to these kick-ass shows:

Aesop Rock & Kimya Dawson @ Slims – Friday 7/26
Tiny Television @ Great American Music Hall – Friday 7/26
Hockey @ The Independent – Saturday 7/27

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay in the loop for more contests. Check out our show previews below.

CONTEST COMPLETE

Enter to win tickets to these shows by submitting your full name, email address & by choosing the show you would like to attend in the drop down. All contests end Thursday, July 25 at 5pm. Winners will be notified via email Thursday or Friday. Enter as many contests as you would like (Click “Go Back” and try for a different show after you enter once).

Aesop Rock & Kimya Dawson as “The Uncluded”
Slims ~ Friday, 7/26

Aesop Rock and longtime collaborator Kimya Dawson have joined forces to create The Uncluded. They combine forces to overlay back and forth rhymes over easy-listening acoustic guitar and xylophone melodies. Check out this one-off tour while you can.

For fans of: Feist, MF Doom, Thao & the Get Down Stay Down, El-P

Hockey
The Independent ~ Saturday, 7/27

Portland indie-dance outfit Hockey are returning to the road in support of their new LP Wyeth Is, and the group didn’t become cult favorites in UK for nothing. Do you like electro-pop influenced indie rock? Yeah? Then make your way to the Indy Saturday evening.

For fans of: The Strokes, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, LCD Soundsystem

Tiny Television
Great American Music Hall ~ 7/26

San Francisco’s very own Tiny Television are taking a big step Friday by headlining at Great Amercian Music Hall with support from The Dustbowl Revival & The Goldenhearts. Friday night promises to be a fun night of Americana, bluegrass pickin’ and alt-country swooning at Great American.

For fans of: Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: Aesop Rock & Kimya Dawson, Hockey, The Uncluded, Tiny Television

Tea Leaf Green leave The New Parish in its wake

July 23, 2013 by Kevin Raos Leave a Comment

By Kevin Raos //

Tea Leaf Green //
The New Parish – Oakland
July 20th, 2013 //

Jam veterans Tea Leaf Green returned to The New Parish last Saturday, delighting the hometown crowd with a heavy dose of new material. As Bay Area natives, Tea Leaf Green have been making a name for themselves in and around San Francisco since the late 90’s, and despite a long career and a loyal fan base, they proved that they aren’t afraid to play on their own terms.

Formed in 1996, Tea Leaf Green have been a staple on the jam scene for ages. Their face-melting guitar and hypnotic keyboards have been a cornerstone to their sound, but it was the addition of bassist Reed Mathis in 2007 that has propelled the act to new heights.

The new direction of Tea Leaf Green was on full display as they ripped through tunes primarily selected from their previous three albums, including their most recent offering, In the Wake. It was no surprise the band showcased tracks from In The Wake, playing nearly the entire new album. However, it was surprising that the band broke into almost no older material for the hometown crowd. Only two songs performed were not from a Reed Mathis album, “Baseball Jam” and “Flowers and the Devil”.

Fans expecting to hear classic Tea Leaf Green songs such as “The Garden” and “Pansperdemic De-Evolution” may have been a tad disappointed with the song selections. However, take one listen to this band and any of those thoughts will be quickly thrown out the window. It is clear Tea Leaf Green is creating some of the best music of their career and they are not afraid to put it on display with ferocity. New tracks such as “Space Hero”, “Penny Saved” and “We Aren’t Done” have become instant crowd pleasers, and they demonstrate that they don’t need to reach for deep cuts to satisfy their fans. If the dancing of the crowd was any indication, the new tracks were incredibly well-received.

If there was anything to learn from this show or the general state of Tea Leaf Green, I think it is safe to say that the impact of Reed Mathis on Tea Leaf Green is creating waves, leaving the old Tea Leaf Green in their wake (see what I did there?). Yes, Josh Clark is a beast on guitar, and Trevor Garrod will always be the main voice of the band, but it is Reed Mathis’s presence on bass that takes Tea Leaf Green’s dynamic to the next level. At any moment, Reed is apt to go on a musical interlude, leading the band through an improvisational tangent. This is something Tea Leaf Green never did prior to Mathis joining. Founding bassist Ben “Milky” Chambers left the band in late 2007 to “pursue some of life’s other passions.” Chambers will always be an integral part of the group’s history, but Chambers’ departure transformed the band from a stoner jam band into a respectable improvisational rock band. Not only is a Reed a master on the bass, but he also brings a jazz element to the table and is likely to take just as many solos as Josh Clark on any given evening.

Another point of note, Tea Leaf Green did not play the traditional 2 set show that they, and many similar bands, have a tendency to do. Instead they performed one, longer set. It could have been a venue/curfew thing, but it’s noteworthy never the less.

In closing, Tea Leaf Green still has it. They’re as musically interesting as ever and still bring the heat, even when flexing their new album. They aren’t afraid to take risks and they clearly do what they love — it shows on stage.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Tea Leaf Green, The New Parish

David Byrne & St. Vincent burn down the house in Oakland

July 22, 2013 by Dara Shulman 3 Comments

With the house lights still up at the beautiful Fox Theatre in Oakland July 21, a youthful-sounding David Byrne got on the mic backstage to greet the audience. He jovially and politely asked the audience to put their “gadgets” away; “we’ve worked really hard on this show and we’re really proud of it…you don’t need a gadget to enjoy it.” The packed house enthusiastically applauded in agreement.

The audience was regaled with booming sounds from the sousaphone, trumpets, trombones, French horn, and sax. Byrne’s voice, as strong and sharp as it was in his Talking Heads days harmonized handsomely with Annie Clark, the lead creative force behind St. Vincent. The group opened with “Who”, the opening track on David Byrne and St. Vincent’s 2012 album Love This Giant.

The show was so beautifully epic. The eight-piece marching horn section, Annie Clark’s crystal clear voice, and Byrne’s notorious quirkiness were in sync all evening — the show was more of a theatrical production than a concert. The choreography, the musicianship, the talent, the lighting; the entire production was so seamless and so much fun to watch. During the Talking Heads cover “Wild, Wild Life”, the talented horn section marched in a circle while each member gave a quick line into the mic. “I wrestle with your conscious, you wrestle with your partner.”

Byrne, clad in all white, bopped along while the band led many of the numbers. While the upbeat songs were great to dance to, it was the more mellow songs such as “Outside Space and Time” that brought the warmth and power out of the horns. One had to wonder where the sound of strings was coming from? The French horn perhaps? Each song portrayed it’s own story: the tone, choreography, and sound adapted delightfully for each number. It kept you wondering, where are we going next?

The crowd rallied and cheered during the Talking Heads songs of the evening. Byrne projected joy during a lovely rendition of “Naïve Melody (This Must Be the Place)”. The real crowd-pleaser turned out to be during the encore, when Byrne’s “Burning Down the House” literally brought the entire packed Fox to their feet to bust out some moves. They exited the stage after their second encore, a New Orleans second line-style “Road to Nowhere.”

Another striking moment happened when Clark thanked her “bitchin’ crew” for their dedication during their full year tour, as this show marked the conclusion of the US tour. Not only did she thank the road crew and band members, but gave a lovely homage to Byrne himself. She first discovered Byrne’s music after viewing Revenge of the Nerds in her youth (“Burning Down the House” was featured in a scene). She went on to explain the impact of his music and how honored she was to be on stage performing with him. To paraphrase, “Thank you David for bringing your music into the world, you have made it a better place.”

A brief personal anecdote:
I was first introduced to David Byrne and The Talking Heads in high school when I was told to listen to the Stop Making Sense album: that was a life-changer. As an avid Talking Heads fan, this was really a dream come true for me. It only got better when he played “Naïve Melody”, the song I hold so dear to my heart and walked down the aisle to at my wedding. I try to make Byrne’s lyrics my motto, “Feet on the ground, Head in the Sky.”

My husband and I had seats literally in the last row of the balcony, BB. They turned out to be the best seats in the house! Not only are the acoustics amazing from anywhere in the gorgeous Fox Theatre, but some of the numbers are almost meant to be watched as if watching a play; thus seats were nice to have. Being in the back row also allowed us to pop up and dance when the mood struck us, which was often. The show was truly a beautiful work of art — It was an honor to see David Byrne, weird and as awesome as ever.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Annie Clark, David Byrne, Fox Theater Oakland, St. Vincent

SF locals Cool Ghouls add horn section at Phono del Sol

July 19, 2013 by Nikki de Martini Leave a Comment

By Nikki DeMartini //

Phono del Sol Music Festival //
Potrero del Sol Park – San Francisco
July 13th, 2013 //

This past Saturday was a picture-perfect day to catch some rays, see local bands and grub on fare from food trucks at the third annual Phono del Sol Music and Food Festival. The festivities started at noon, and by the time Bay Area natives Cool Ghouls hit The Potrero Stage at 12:50 p.m. a small, yet-good sized crowd had gathered to catch their act. Though most people who went to watch Cool Ghouls enjoyed the set from afar atop one of the grassy knolls in Phono del Sol Park, a handful of fans got right up front where the sound quality was way better.

Coll Ghouls’ usual four-piece ensemble had an additional three-piece horn section, and after all the guys got situated, bassist Pat Thomas, lead guitarist Ryan Wong and Pat McDonald each said hello to the crowd before opening with the track most likely to be found on a summertime playlist, “Natural Life”.

The guys of Cool Ghouls are young and they look it, which is sort of surprising since their sound in is undeniably retro with a modern surf-rock twist. Within the first three songs of their set, Thomas, McDonald and Wong each took over lead vocals while their sweet harmonies highlighted every song.

Cool Ghouls filled the afternoon air with seven cool tracks off their self-titled debut EP, including “Grace” and “Queen Sophie”, in their own youthful retro fashion. Their performance paired perfectly with the unseasonably warm SF weather while their laid-back, inviting vibe created that sought-after feel festivalgoers appreciate at the beginning of a long day of music. Well played, Cool Ghouls.

Nikki de Martini spoke with Pat Thomas, bassist and singer for Cool Ghouls before their Phono del Sol set.

Showbams: I understand that the name Cool Ghouls is derived from George Clinton’s funky banter. Can you elaborate on why you chose the name Cool Ghouls and what the name means to you collectively as a band?

Thomas: Well, Pat McDonald came up with the idea. I dunno. We thought it had a nice ring to it. It rhymes. It’s ghastly. I like ghosts. I wrote a song called “Ghost Song”.

Showbams: Do you consider yourselves ghouls? Do you consider yourselves cool?

Thomas: Yes and yes.

Showbams: Are you fans of George Clinton? His music? Fashion sense? What he stands for?

Thomas: I don’t have a lot of George Clinton knowledge really. I like the whole far-out vibe that Parliament had/has. Maggot Brain is a killer album. On every road trip “Can You Get to That” gets bumped at least once.

Showbams: Congratulations on releasing your self-titled debut EP this past April. Some reviews that I’ve come across consider your sound as rather retro circa a 60’s psychedelic sound. I personally picked up on a throwback to old-school surf-rock with a modern twist. How would you say you perceive the sound of Cool Ghouls and why?

Thomas: Well, it’s pretty much impossible to imagine what other people’s ears are gonna hear when your music hits them. We just play the kind of music we’ve always played. When I’m writing or playing a Cool Ghouls song, I’m not thinking within a framework like “garage” or “60’s.” I’m just trying to channel the sounds and vibes in my brain. Certainly 60’s-type shit finds its way into what I do because all that shit is somewhere in there, in my brain. Especially with bass, Motown subconsciously finds its way into my fingers.

Showbams: I dig the cover artwork on the LP — it looks part hand-drawn/painted with a some photography up in there…who’s the artist who did the work?

Thomas: Thanks! I did the cover art myself! Yeah, it’s a canvas that I painted with watercolors. Then I taped all the other images on top. They’re all found pieces, except the rooster, which I painted. Oh, and the picture of us up in the clouds was taken by my friend Matt at one of our shows.

Showbams: Did all three of you grow up in San Francisco? If so what area of SF, and how did you meet each other?

Thomas: Well, there are four of us. None of us grew up in SF. Both Pats and Ryan grew up in Benicia, which is in the East Bay, about 40 minutes outside the city. Alex is from Sacramento. We met Alex through SF State. The other Pat, Ryan and Alex all went to SF State.

Showbams: Were your parents hippies?

Thomas: Definitely not! My parents were born about 15 years too late to be a part of the proper baby-boomer hippy generation. They went to college in the 80’s and were into Reagan. Suburban family folk. I don’t think any of our parents were what you’d call hippies. Pat McDonald’s dad probably comes the closest. He fought in Vietnam. But I don’t think he was a long-hair or anything. He had and has a passion for rock ‘n’ roll, though.

Showbams: Do you consider yourself hippies?

Thomas: I don’t think so. Although I could imagine someone might look at us and call us hippies. I like the Grateful Dead. But no, I wouldn’t call myself a hippie. I don’t really use the word “hippie” at all actually.

Showbams: What is your favorite album of 2013 so far?

Thomas: Finding the Meaning in Deference by The Mallard!

Showbams: How stoked, on a scale from 1 -10, are you guys to be on a bill with the likes of YACHT, Thee Oh Sees, K-Flay and a bunch of other independent local acts at the 3rd Annual Phono del Sol Music Festival this Saturday? Is this the first music festival Cool Ghouls has played?

Thomas: 10! Just to play a festival of this caliber … is definitely a first for us. Totally stoked. We will have a lot of family and friends there.

Showbams: If you could play with one band/artist who would it be?

Thomas: Can I choose four? Wyatt Blair, Meat Market, Corners and Froth. And if I could play with them at Brick & Mortar Music Hall, it would be a dream come true!

Filed Under: Festivals, Interviews, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Cool Ghouls, Phono Del Sol, Phono del Sol 2013, Phono del Sol Music Festival, Phono del Sol Music Festival 2013, Potrero del Sol Park

New Music: David Lynch – The Big Dream

July 19, 2013 by Molly Kish Leave a Comment

David Lynch – The Big Dream

Top Tracks:
“Star Dream Girl”
“Last Call”
“Say It”

Album Highlights:Naturally one to push creative boundaries, renaissance man David Lynch gets surprisingly lo-fi on his new 2013 album, The Big Dream. Notwithstanding his flair for the experimental, he pairs many contrasting elements that would have had the compatibility of oil and water if the album had not been a David Lynch production. On his eighth studio album — a stark contrast from his electro pop 2011 release Crazy Clown Time — Lynch takes a turn for the opiate, churning his signature synthesized vocal narratives into molasses paced rhythm and blues sections. Possessing the quality of a ketamine induced honky tonk, Lynch plays with elements of doo wop, country and blues while incorporating drum machines and ear drum rattling bass, because well…he can.

Vocals remain at the forefront of the each track and speak more as monologues rather than lyrics. Similar to that of Lou Reed, Les Claypool or Gibby Haines of Butthole Surfer fame, Lynch talk-sings through the entire record in his vaguely auto-tuned staccato-paced drone. Ranging from provocative on standout tracks like “Say It” and “Star Dream Girl” to nearly incomprehensible on the bluesy freak out jam “Sun Can’t Be Seen No More”, Lynch keeps the journey interesting, yet cohesive. Considering the inclusion of curve ball tracks like the bass heavy “Last Call” that almost have a trap vibe to it, the unified nature of this album is impressive. It Proves yet again that the artistic stamp of David Lynch is something that’s poignant enough to genre-bend with incomparable ease.

Album Lowlight: Although The Big Dream does accomplish a great feat in finding an audio space to combine such abstract musical elements, it also conversely detracts from the listening experience a bit. The album transitions effortlessly from one track to the next, however at points becomes convoluted due to Lynch’s staple vocal style. The Big Dream has a charming garage rock appeal and is unique in its production quality, but at times can be boring due to how consistent it remains throughout. The title track does little to pull in the listener and sets an indifferent pace for the rest of the record. This album has great moments that invoke a sense of nostalgia for fans of Lynch’s early work and rock purists alike, however it won’t be blowing the minds of music critics anticipating a characteristically ostentatious David Lynch.

Takeaway: At this point in his eclectic career, Lynch knows he can do just about whatever he wants successfully, a trait that allows him to take such creative risks with reckless abandon. It’s also a key element in how cohesively this album actually comes together despite its abstract musical content. In The Big Dream, we see a rather reserved effort by David Lynch, bringing his Midas Touch to the world of rhythm and blues. Incorporating contemporary bass lines and drum machines, Lynch makes a conscious effort to remain relevant enough for airplay but without compromising his integrity as a master of kitsch. Bringing old school fans back to awkward scenes in the Twin Peaks roadhouse, Lynch keeps things entertainingly cryptic in a way that only he can do.

Filed Under: New Music Tagged With: David Lynch, New Music, The Big Dream

Phono del Sol gets rowdy with Thee Oh Sees & YACHT

July 18, 2013 by Mike Frash 1 Comment

Photos by Nikki de Martini & Mike Frash // Written by Mike Frash //

Phono del Sol Music Festival //
Potrero del Sol Park – San Francisco
July 13th, 2013 //

Phono del Sol Music and Food Festival got a bit rowdy this year, but it’s not a huge surprise with local juggernauts Thee Oh Sees topping the music bill for the fest’s third incarnation. The first two years of Phono del Sol, which also took place at Potrero del Sol Park in the Mission District of SF, offered decisively mellow indie fare.

But this year, Phono del Sol curators The Bay Bridged and John Vanderslice’s Tiny Telephone took things up another notch, adding a second stage and party-starting acts YACHT, Bleached, K. Flay, Marnie Stern and Painted Palms. For the first time at Phono del Sol, people raged.

The main stage’s built-in band shell was packed tightly by the time Thee Oh Sees were ready to begin. As K. Flay continued on with her set at the Mission Stage, Dwyer grew impatient once Thee Oh Sees were ready to go. The powerless stage manager did his best to hold Dwyer off from initiating the performance, but after one false start, Dwyer said, “Fuck it” and launched the first song. Indie moshing, crowd surfing and stage diving would frame the headliners for the entire show, just as frontman John Dwyer always inspires.

Dwyer is one of the most interesting characters in music today, and his manic stage presence and antics are just as entertaining as Thee Oh Sees’ excellent post-punk sound. Dwyer spits, pounds beers, sticks his tongue out and plays his guitar near his neck, which has quickly become his iconic go-to move. And it’s obvious how he’s a local hero, drawing scores of dedicated fans that mimic Dwyer’s moves at every show The Oh Sees play.

Most of the tunes performed Saturday were from Thee Oh Sees’ relentless 2013 LP Floating Coffin, but the most entertaining highlight of the late-afternoon performance happened when Dwyer invited everyone on stage for the final two songs.

The energy transferred to the final act of the festival, YACHT. Props to the festival organizers for placing YACHT last after the headliners — there’s no better way to end a day of music then to dance your ass off. Jona Bechtolt and Claire Evans have honed their electopop jams into a tight show. Songs segued seamlessly, feigning a DJ set, as Evens commands you to pay attention and shake your booty at the same time. The set ended with “Le Goudron” and “Second Summer”, a super-fun way to bring Phono Del Sol to a close.

Filed Under: Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Phono Del Sol, Phono del Sol 2013, Phono del Sol Music Festival, Phono del Sol Music Festival 2013, The Bay Bridged, Thee Oh Sees, YACHT

Expectation game alters vibe at SORNE’s SF show

July 18, 2013 by Molly Kish 1 Comment

Photos by Edlon Christenson // Written by Molly Kish //

SORNE //
The Independent – San Francisco
July 11th, 2013 //

Echo Park’s own Morgan Sorne, aka SORNE, hit the stage The Independent last week. A sparse crowd danced loosely amidst the open dance floor half-filled with a seated section leading up to the bar. Adorned with face paint, flowing garbs and a fine sprinkling of festival residue, the scene felt more like a Burning Man decompression than a typical bill at The Independent, leading one to naturally want to abandon all expectations of what exactly was going to take place that evening.

Known for SORNE’s elaborate stage show and creative set designs, the anticipation escalated quickly waiting for him to approach the stage. Marketed as an audio/visual performance, detailing the “archetypes of the human condition,” the crowd eagerly awaited the spectacle to commence. SORNE took the stage, which remained bare, with his bandmates Kevin Naquin and Dean Cote, who accompanied on percussion and back-up vocals. Absent of any frills or stylistic grandeur, the jean-and-tank-top-clad frontman immediately broke into material off of his debut album. Those present instantaneously responded, and to my surprise could care less about whether or not the act lived up to its theatrical promise. SORNE’s energetic stage presence would be the “spectacle” of the night amidst the barren backdrop of the band’s equipment and mic stands.

The band’s talent took precedent upon acceptance that SORNE’s “epic saga” was going to be more of a straight-forward performance. Morgan Sorne’s vocals were amazing, the percussion was on point and his energy throughout the entire show was relentless. Many songs were reminiscent of Yeasayer’s All Hour Cymbals, as each song had its own charismatic charm with undertones of tribal beats and desert trance paired with electronic pop-rock.

Although great for a simple and to-the-point rock concert, it was hard to break from the anticipation of expecting something more. The concert didn’t resonate properly due to expectations based on the SORNE marketing campaign. Although SORNE is a band made up of great musicians with a refreshingly energetic stage presence, the unfulfilled feeling still remains and unfortunately will be what was remembered most about the show that evening.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: SORNE, The Independent

Usher in the Indie-an Summer with Noise Pop’s 20th Street Block Party!

July 18, 2013 by Molly Kish Leave a Comment

Written by Molly Kish //

20th Street Block Party //
Mission District – San Francisco
August 24th, 2017 //

August is a hot month for music in the Bay Area! It’s a time that caters to the concertgoer, when competing venues stack their calendars with talent harvested from festival bills circulating throughout Northern CA. Late August will fill your pockets full of ticket stubs and your complexion with some Vitamin D, marking the unofficial start to our Indian summer.

Local indie powerhouses Noise Pop and friends (Do 415, Ne Tiemas, Nomic and The Bon Vivants) are teaming up to throw one hell of a FREE food and music celebration next month. The 20th Street Block Party will highlighting the local spirit, culture, diversity and artistic collectives of the outer Mission and Dogpatch neighborhoods.

The 2013 lineup highlights some of the most creative and successful innovators in hospitality and entertainment the Bay Area has to offer. Admission is FREE and all ages are welcomed. If interested in libations, bring a valid ID or Driver’s License and the event is entirely smoke-free.

MUSIC!
A wide array of musical talent will be on display at the 20th Street Block Party. Offering a taste of talent both native and nationally recognized, this year’s bill has a little something to tickle the eardrums of just about everyone in attendance.

Two Gallants

Mac DeMarco

Quinn Deveaux and the Blue Beat Review

FOOD & DRINK!
Local businesses will be providing some incredible Food & Drinks!

• The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen
• Asiento
• Atlas Cafe
• Blowfish
• Central Kitchen
• Coffee Bar
• flour + water
• Rhea’s Deli
• Salumeria
• Sightglass
• Trick Dog
• Benders Bar & Grill
• Jay’n Bee Club

Along with deals, discounts and delectable treats, Ne Timeas Restaurant Group will also be sponsoring a Food Workshop Tent with DIY demonstrations on food preparation, pasta making, pizza tossing and creative cooking tips throughout the day.

CRAFT VENDORS!
A variety of local craft vendors will be on site engaging with the community, demonstrating their trades, sampling their products and hosting a ton of interactive activities for all ages.

• Alite
• Artspan
• The Bay Bridged
• Crossroads Trading Co.
• Insymmetry Massage
• J.Fein Designs
• Last Gasp Books
• Mission Cliffs
• Mission Creek Merchants Association
• Moxie Yoga
• Mutiny Radio
• Pretty Parlor a GOGO
• Radio Silence
• Side Stage Photo
• Southern Exposure
• TopShelf Boutique
• Z Space

AFTER PARTY!
Continuing the party into the evening hours, Mission Dispatch and NWBLK Events will be hosting an after party from 6-10 p.m. featuring continued festivities, food, drinks and music for those not ready to call it quits after the block party.

An all ages affair, with a $5 suggested donation price, one can easily saunter over to the 1975 Bryant St. location from the 20th Street Block Party for a nightcap and final bite with this current roster of participants.

• Derby Cocktail
• Fuki Truck
• Phat Thai
• Burr-Eatery
• Garden Creamery
• Grandma Jean’s Whoopie Pie

DETAILS!
The 20th Street Block Party takes place on August 24th from Noon-6 p.m. The after party goes from 6-10 p.m.

The 20th Street Block Party will be located between 19th and 20th St. in the Mission District, San Francisco, taking over the areas enclosed between Bryant and Harrison streets as well as the alleyway of Florida St.

Bike parking will be located at the main entrance of the Block Party on 20th and Harrison, with absolutely no vehicle access to the event area. Public transit is highly encouraged and available via the 27 and 12 bus lines.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 20th Street Block Party, 20th Street Block Party 2013, Mac Demarco, Noise Pop, Quinn Deveaux, Quinn Deveaux and the Blue Beat Review, Two Gallants