2015 November – Showbams

RAC validates its headliner status at Club Nokia

November 25, 2015 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

RAC with Big Data, Geographer //
Club Nokia – Los Angeles
November 20th, 2015 //

You know an artist must be destined to play in LA when their first big hit is titled “Hollywood” and another one of their songs is named after the city’s most infamous freeway.

But for André Allen Anjos, who started Remix Artist Collective (RAC) in his college dorm room as a remixing side project when he couldn’t land an internship or job in the music industry (read our interview with him here), it’s been a steady progression over the past three years. Since remixing some of indie rock’s biggest bands, the native of Portugal has written a whole album’s worth of original material and played some of the most reputable U.S. music festivals in the last 12 months.

With Friday night’s gig at Club Nokia serving as an unofficial Goldenvoice showcase thanks to opening sets from two established “solo” projects if you will — Geographer, the San Francisco indie-rock band founded by singer-songwriter Mike Deni, as well as Big Data, the electronic music project of Alan Wilkis that has taken the airwaves and charts by storm with its single “Dangerous” featuring Joywave — Anjos and his sidekicks made their return to LA for the first time in more than a year, arriving onstage well after midnight to cheers from a rather modest crowd of mostly 20-somethings.

When you think about RAC’s backstory and what it started as, it’s a relatively unique one that most contemporary artists don’t share. But while Anjos has made original songwriting more of a priority for RAC now, he also hasn’t forgot where he came from or who he was when he founded the project. Heavy hitters like “Hollywood” and “Let Go” were worked into the show as expected, but the standout moments of the night came from a short, yet dynamic list of hybrid covers/remixes that were sprinkled in here and there. RAC made sure to tap into the indie-pop well early with Two Door Cinema Club’s “Something Good Can Work” and Foster the People’s “Houdini”, but it was Joywave’s “Tongues” and ODESZA’s “Say My Name” that triggered the loudest response from fans. “3AM”, RAC’s newest track that features Colorado vocalist Katie Herzig, also made an appearance at one point, although it was Liz Anjos, aka Pink Feathers, who was tasked with delivering the pop-infused cut’s heartbreaking lyrics.

Nevertheless, for all his accomplishments so far, Anjos has plenty of more work to do. After all, with only one studio album to date (the other recording being the soundtrack to the 2010 film “Holy Rollers”), RAC is still very much in the process of learning how to play the role of headliner — and with greater opportunity comes greater expectations. That’s not to say RAC can’t or won’t live up to them, but as Anjos and his bandmates continue to gel and build more chemistry in and out of the studio, there’s reason to believe after Friday’s performance in LA that there are more good things to come from this one-of-a-kind “collective.”

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Big Data, Club Nokia, Geographer, RAC

Emancipator returns to SF with a new album and a full band at his side

November 24, 2015 by The Bam Team 1 Comment

By Kory Thibeault //

Emancipator Ensemble //
The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco
November 19th, 2015 //

Last Thursday night saw the return of Emancipator Ensemble to SF, this time in support of the recently released Seven Seas. Portland-based electronic music producer Douglas Appling, aka Emancipator, is known for his ambient, downtempo style and has garnered serious attention over the years for tracks such as “First Snow” and “Minor Cause”. One of his newest creations “Land and Sea” follows suit in this tradition. The show at The Regency Ballroom saw Appling being backed by a tight four-piece ensemble, which at times grew to six. For a fan like myself, it was a beautiful experience seeing his musical visions fleshed out.

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: Emancipator, Emancipator Ensemble, The Regency Ballroom

SF Show of the Week // GO4FREE to Oneohtrix Point Never at The Independent 11/27 (FRI)

November 24, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Written by Nik Crossman //

Oneohtrix Point Never with James Ferraro //
The Independent – San Francisco
November 27th, 2015 //

Influenced by his father’s Roland Juno-60 synthesizer and extensive collection of dubbed jazz-fusion tapes, Daniel Lopatin began experimenting with music at an early age while he fought the traumatic oddities of puberty in the early 90’s. Lopatin spent most of his twenties developing his music and in 2009 gained critical acclaim for his two-disc compilation titled Rifts. Under the moniker Oneohtrix Point Never (a verbal play on 106.7, the radio frequency of Boston station WMJX), the Massachusetts native continued experimenting and self-released two full-length albums before signing with Warp Records in 2013.

Lopatin’s sounds are influenced by his emotional state while he’s composing. His first album on Warp, R Plus Seven, has a lot of domesticity as it was written after his girlfriend moved into his apartment, making it “such a more pleasant place.” His latest LP Garden of Delete, which was released earlier this month, leans heavily on the side of aggression — an amalgamation of emotional teenage memories tuned with his environmental influences at the time (i.e. touring with Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden in 2014).

In an interview with DummyMag, Lopatin explains, “(The album)’s a bit of a memoir, in a way. I used whatever memories I have left of puberty — which isn’t a lot — and what I realized is that most of the memories I do have from that time in my life are pretty traumatic. So it lends itself to that aggressive sound.”

This Friday, Lopatin will bring his Roland Juno-60 synthesizer to The Independent with New York-based experimental musician, composer and electronic music producer James Ferraro serving as the night’s opener. Tickets are available for $22, or you could win a pair of tickets by submitting your full name and email below.

Contest ends this Friday at 3 p.m.

Follow Showbams on Twitter for more contest giveaways throughout the week. Be the first to respond to our contest tweets to GO4FREE to these shows:

• Hungry Skinny: November 24th (TUE) at Slim’s
• Nikki Lane: November 27th (FRI) at Great American Music Hall

Enter your name (First and Last) along with your email below. If you win a contest, you’ll be notified on the day the contest ends (details above).

Like Showbams on Facebook, follow Showbams on Twitter and follow Showbams on Instagram. Subscribe to our social channels for a better chance to win!

CONTEST CLOSED.

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: Great American Music Hall, Hungry Skinny, Nikki Lane, Oneohtrix Point Never, Slims, The Independent

Glen Hansard casts a spell on his SF fans

November 20, 2015 by BenJamin Wallen Leave a Comment

By Benjamin Wallen //

Glen Hansard with Aoife O’Donovan //
The Masonic – San Francisco
November 10th, 2015 //

Glen Hansard is a gem. I first discovered his music in the film “Once” as many Americans did, and I quickly became enamored with it. The music to “Once” was the first soundtrack I had bought in years, and I played it regularly on repeat.

Hansard’s gentle music felt so very real, far more real than so much of the American music that came out at the time of “Once”. Authenticity oozes from Hansard’s music, and seeing him at The Masonic, my first show there since the remodel, was a real treat.

Opening the show was Aoife O’Donovan, a singer and guitar player in the folk-rock realm. A spotlight and a guitar was all she needed to command the crowd’s attention with her soft, pillowy voice warming everyone up. The sound at The Masonic was on point for O’Donovan’s set and really showcased the venue’s acoustics. Since the show, I have been falling backwards into O’Donovan’s other work, which includes the music she creates with the Boston-based progressive bluegrass/string band Crooked Still.

Hansard took the stage with a single light blasting from aside the stage. The mood inside the room was haunting and somber as he sang with no mic, summoning the crowd to a silence. Last time I saw someone with this much power was Bonnie Raitt singing “I Can’t Make You Love Me” at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in 2013.

I am a sucker for Irish music and the voice that comes with it. I found out about The Clancy Brothers, the influential Irish folk group popular during the 60’s, while watching a Bob Dylan documentary that convinced me to listen to more folk and Irish music. There is something about the Irish that is incredibly welcoming. After visiting Ireland a few years back, I fell in love with the rolling hills, the pubs and the people. My first night waiting in a lobby for a friend had my first encounter with a drunken Irishmen. I couldn’t understand a word he said, but it was a magical moment between the number of laughs and smiles that came from both of us in that fun, yet challenging conversation. There is no doubt a great amount of love to an Irish laugh.

Listening to Hansard and his band is a soul smile. His ability to play music with delicacy and power is astounding. The night was beyond magical. The Masonic was the perfect venue for Hansard and his band. The vibe onstage felt as though you were standing on the corner in Dublin watching a street band playing music at night under street lights.

It is easy to say magic when you speak of music, but there is something also hauntingly exhausting about Hansard’s music. You can feel both the struggle and the hope dancing around, but it feels so good. You don’t ever feel alone while listening to his ballads. He must be seen live. You can listen to his music constantly at home, but that feeling you will take away from his live show will stay with you for days and weeks, like a warm sweater of good.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Aoife O'Donovan, Crooked Still, Glen Hansard, The Masonic

Noise Pop 2016: Get ready with our Spotify playlist

November 20, 2015 by Molly Kish Leave a Comment

Noise Pop //
Bay Area venues – San Francisco & Oakland
February 19th-28th, 2016 //

Noise Pop’s “early music lineup” has been officially announced and 2016’s dates are locked in. Coming to the Bay Area this February, the seminal independent music, art and cultural celebration returns for its 24th year to venues in SF and Oakland.

Highlighting some of the most innovative names in alternative rock and indie rock along with a wide variety of emerging acts from across the country, Noise Pop has become known for curating some of best breakthrough performances and most cutting-edge talent for nearly a quarter century.

Brush up on the first round of artists that have been announced for next year’s bill with our Noise Pop playlist and don’t miss your opportunity to take part in the 2016 festivities.

All tickets for currently announced events go on sale Friday, November 20th at 11 a.m. and will sell out quickly. Noise Pop badges are also available here and listed as follows:

Early Bird Badge ($145)/Regular Badge ($175): Grants access to all general admission (non-seated) concerts and special events.

Super Fan Badge ($375): Guarantees entry to all film/music/cultural events, a merchandise package, drink tickets to select events, ride-share coupons and a personal representative available for assistance during festival hours.

In the meantime, you can relive some of our favorite moments from Noise Pop 2015 here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Astronauts etc., Beacon, Cayucas, Escort, Film School, Heartwatch, Kamasi Washington, Natasha Kmeto, Noise Pop, Noise Pop 2016, Palehound, Parquet Courts, The Cave Singers, The Mountain Goats, The Thermals, Vince Staples, Wild Ones

RAC is more than just a master remixer

November 19, 2015 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Photos by Jon Duenas // Written by Josh Herwitt //

André Allen Anjos remembers what it was like to be an undergraduate unsure of his future.

More than a decade ago, he left his home in Portugal to attend Greenville College, a private, Christian liberal arts school in southern Illinois with an enrollment of only 1,100 students. It was there that Anjos would pursue his love for music, learning about the ins and outs of the business after spending his teenage years studying piano and guitar in his home country.

But it was during his sophomore year in college that he also started to become worried about the career path he had chosen for himself.

“I was starting to freak out because I was applying to all these internships — any kind of position in a studio or at a record label that I could find — and I just couldn’t get anything,” he says by phone one day last month. “I applied for everything I possibly could.”

While Anjos was hoping to get a foot in the door any way he could, he realizes now that his résumé was likely just one among a stack of thousands. So, rather than filling out more job applications, he started to focus his efforts on something else: remixing.

At the time, remixing had largely been associated with electronic dance music, a world where both DJs and producers are regularly known for putting their own unique spin on their fellow colleagues’ work. But Anjos’ remixing interests didn’t lie with EDM. Rather, they aligned more with bands that fit under the indie-rock umbrella.

“I’d love to say I had some grand vision, but it was really me just trying to get by,” Anjos says.

What started as a “very casual thing” between Anjos and a couple of online friends quickly took off three months later when their remix of The Shins’ “Sleeping Lessons” went viral. With an upbeat, electro feel to it, the track would go on to earn a spot on the band’s B-side single release for “Australia” and immediately caught the collective ear of other established indie-rock bands like Tokyo Police Club, Bloc Party and Ra Ra Riot.

It wasn’t long after that Remix Artist Collective, or RAC for short, was born out of Anjos’ dorm room as he worked tirelessly over the next several years to expand his remix portfolio, which nowadays includes some of indie rock’s biggest names, whether it be Phoenix, Death Cab for Cutie, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Two Door Cinema Club or Lana Del Rey.

“I never thought that this would still be going,” Anjos admits as he thinks back to his initial goals and aspirations for the project. “It has sort of morphed into something completely different.”

Today, RAC is much more than simply a remix side project. With a full-length album to his name and his own set of touring members, Anjos has turned RAC into a legitimate band over the last few years. He has been releasing original material ever since 2012, when he dropped his first song “Hollywood” on the Mountain Dew-sponsored label Green Label Sound, and even more, he’s turned RAC into a commercially successful act with high-profile festivals stops at Ultra and Coachella — two large-scale U.S. music festivals with very different vibes — this past spring. For Anjos, who just entered the fourth decade of his life this year, playing both festivals is already one item he can cross off his bucket list.

“It’s been a bit of a goal to be in the middle of those two worlds,” he adds in discussing RAC’s appeal to both the electronic and indie crowds that Ultra and Coachella each foster.

Yet, after years of making a living on remixing some of his favorite artists, what made Anjos want to start writing his own songs?

“It felt like the right time,” he says. “I had been writing original music for a while. It wasn’t necessarily foreign territory, but it just felt like the right time.”

Released on Interscope Records, RAC’s Strangers came out in early 2014 with singles featuring Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke and Matthew Koma, but what fans might not know is that most of the album’s songs were written in 2011 by Anjos, who employed many of the techniques he had learned from remixing to his songwriting process.

“The two go hand in hand,” he explains when it comes to creating remixes versus writing original songs. “When I sit down to write something, whether it has a vocal (part) or not, it’s still a very similar process for me.”

But in many ways, Strangers, which also includes tracks with Tegan and Sara, St. Lucia, Penguin Prison and Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, has additionally served as Anjos’ musical coming of age, one that continues to offer him new and exciting opportunities much like this Friday night’s headlining show in LA at Club Nokia that boasts openers Big Data, Geographer, filous and Karl Kling.

And with new material planned for the performance and his backing band clicking on all cylinders after playing together for the last two years, it’s a chance for Anjos to not only show RAC fans what’s next for the group, but also to prove how far he has come as an artist since his early remixing days.

“I feel really lucky,” he says while reflecting on his career so far. “Hopefully it continues.”

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Interviews Tagged With: André Allen Anjos, Club Nokia, Coachella, Coachella 2015, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2015, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2015, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2015, RAC

SF Show of the Week // GO4FREE to We Were Promised Jetpacks at GAMH 11/19 (THUR)

November 18, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Written by Nik Crossman //

We Were Promised Jetpacks with SEOUL //
Great American Music Hall – San Francisco
November 19th, 2015 //

Succeeding with their first gig at Edinburgh High School’s “Battle of the Bands” in 2003, We Were Promised Jetpacks didn’t feel like a proper band until they moved to Glasgow to play “proper gigs at proper venues.” As their sound matured, their music also became strongly influenced by Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad, two Scottish groups who shared the same label FatCat Records.

Releasing their debut album These Four Walls in 2009, these four lads from Scotland gained fame as the LP reached No. 27 on U.S. Billboard Heatseekers chart following the popularity of three singles, including “Quiet Little Voices”. In 2014, multi-instrumentalist Stuart McGachan joined the group and helped with WWPJ’s latest record Unravelling. More than a year after the release of their third full-length album, they continue to tour with 24 U.S. dates lined up for November and December.

This Thursday, these Scottish indie rockers are heading to Great American Music Hall with mysterious Montreal outfit SEOUL opening the show. Tickets are available for $25, or you could win a pair of tickets by submitting your full name and email below.

Contest ends this Thursday at 3 p.m.

Follow Showbams on Twitter for more contest giveaways throughout the week. Be the first to respond to our contest tweets to GO4FREE to these shows:

• Low: November 18th (WED) at Great American Music Hall
• Corosion of Conformity: November 18th (WED) at Slim’s
• Fever the Ghost: November 18th (WED) at Brick & Mortar Music Hall
• Gardens & Villa: November 20th (FRI) at The Independent

Enter your name (First and Last) along with your email below. If you win a contest, you’ll be notified on the day the contest ends (details above).

Like Showbams on Facebook, follow Showbams on Twitter and follow Showbams on Instagram. Subscribe to our social channels for a better chance to win!

CONTEST CLOSED.

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: Brick & Mortar Music Hall, Corrosion of Conformity, Fever the Ghost, Gardens & Villa, Great American Music Hall, Low, Slims, The Independent, We Were Promised Jetpacks

City and Colour pays tribute to the people of Paris on his latest trip to the bay

November 17, 2015 by Steve Carlson Leave a Comment

By Steve Carlson //

City and Colour with Hurray for the Riff Raff //
Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland
November 15th, 2015 //

Dallas Green, better known by his stage name City and Colour, brought an excellent backing band to Oakland last Sunday, treating a near-capacity crowd at the Fox to his unique blend of bluesy, indie-folk rock.

Green leaned heavily on his latest release If I Should Go Before You in the first half of the show, with a dark melancholy that sounded fantastic live, and then reached into his back catalog during the second half. The Canadian singer-songwriter finished with a six-song encore that was largely performed solo and opened with him dedicating a rendition of “Against the Grain” to the people of Paris in the wake of last Friday’s terrorist attacks, as Green stood in front of the French tricolor with starlights in the background.

Opening the show was New Orleans-based, indie-folk quintet Hurray for the Riff Raff, which seemed to genuinely appreciate the Sunday night crowd showing up on time and listening attentively to their set.

Setlist:
Woman
Northern Blues
Two Coins
If I Should Go Before You
Killing Time
Hello, I’m in Delaware
Wasted Love
Lover Come Back
We Found Each Other in the Dark
Sleeping Sickness
Mizzy C
The Grand Optimist
As Much As I Ever Could

Encore:
Against the Grain
Save Your Scissors
Body in a Box
Northern Wind
The Girl
Hope for Now

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: City and Colour, Hurray for the Riff Raff

Trey Anastasio Band create a beautiful blend of originals and covers at the Fox Theater Oakland

November 13, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

By Kory Thibeault //

Trey Anastasio Band //
Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland
November 6th-7th, 2015 //

It’s been a huge year for Trey Anastasio, the guitarist of Phish fame. Between a historic year for the Vermont quartet and Anastasio earning an invitation to play alongside the core four of the Grateful Dead this past summer, one might go as far to say the 51-year-old is back on top of his game.

Now that Phish’s summer tour has come to a close, Anastasio has set his focus on Paper Wheels, the latest album for his eponymous-named side project Trey Anastasio Band. While the project lacks the extended jams and darkness of Phish, it is responsible for composing some staples of Phish’s library like “First Tube” and a personal favorite “Sand”. Both tracks made an appearance during Trey Anastasio Band’s two-night run last weekend at the Fox Theater Oakland.

Trey Anastasio Band, or TAB for short, allows the guitarist a different outlet in which to explore music. The horn section composed of Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman and James Casey is a huge draw for a fan like myself. The energy created onstage from these musicians was palpable and evident in the ear-to ear-grin plastered on Anastasio’s face throughout the shows.

The two-night run at the Fox was a beautiful blend of Anastasio originals and crowd-pleasing covers, including Gorillaz’s “Clint Eastwood” and Bob Marley’s “Soul Rebel”. But the most moving moment of the weekend was a tribute to longtime Phish booking agent Chip Hooper, who is currently battling cancer in Oakland. An emotional Anastasio honored Hooper for his years of service, attributing every show Phish and TAB have played to his efforts before the band launched into a gorgeous version of “Show of Life”. It was a great pleasure of mine to witness both nights. The energy level was high, and the music was solid.

November 6th setlist

Set 1: Tuesday, Sand (Phish cover), Cayman Review, Sweet and Dandy (Toots & The Maytals cover), Magilla (Phish cover), Money, Love and Change, Greyhound Rising, Valentine, The Song, Dark and Down, Soul Rebel (Bob Marley cover), Gotta Jibboo (Phish cover)

Set 2: Alaska (Phish cover), Alive Again, Sometime After Sunset, Curlew’s Call, Spin, Invisible Knife, A Case of Ice and Snow, In Rounds, Shine, Clint Eastwood (Gorillaz cover) (with Chain of Fools quotes), Dazed and Confused (Jake Holmes cover)

Encore: Show of Life (dedicated to TAB and Phish booking agent Chip Hooper who was in a local hospital battling cancer), First Tube (Phish cover)

November 7th setlist

Set 1: Drifting, Acting the Devil (Chris Ardoin and Double Clutchin’ cover), Speak to Me, The Devil Went Down to Georgia (The Charlie Daniels Band cover), Last Tube, It Makes No Difference (The Band cover), Pigtail, Burlap Sack and Pumps, Let Me Lie, 49 Bye-Byes (Crosby, Stills & Nash cover), Night Speaks to a Woman

Set 2: Simple Twist Up Dave, Bounce, Ocelot (Phish cover), Liquid Time (Phish cover), Cartwheels, Wherever You Find It, Mr. Completely, Architect

Encore: Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later Than You Think) (Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians cover), Small Axe (The Wailers cover), O-o-h Child (Five Stairsteps cover), MacArthur Park (Richard Harris cover)

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: Fox Theater Oakland, Phish, Trey Anastasio Band

Here We Go Magic end on a high at The Indy

November 13, 2015 by The Bam Team 1 Comment

Photos by Victoria Smith // Written by Emmanuel Castro //

Here We Go Magic //
The Independent – San Francisco
November 10th, 2015 //

Here We Go Magic are your dad’s new favorite band — if he’s white, owns a yacht, loves the 80’s, is both happy and sad … and his name is Chris Martin.

The Brooklyn quartet took a while to get things rolling at The Independent, looking rather disinterested in the interested SF crowd. Seven songs into the set, however, Here We Go Magic brushed aside their shyness and showed hints of why they were Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke’s favorite band at Glastonbury in 2010.

The slow transition of energy was well-received by the Tuesday night crowd. Like most smart bands, Here We go Magic reserved their best song “How Do I Know” for last and left the stage on a high.

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: Here We Go Magic, The Independent

SF Show of the Week // GO4FREE to Bakermat at Mezzanine 11/12 (THUR)

November 11, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Written by Nik Crossman //

Bakermat with Alex Adair //
Mezzanine – San Francisco
November 12th, 2015 //

While studying psychology at Utrecht University, Lodewijk Fluttert (better known by his stage name Bakermat) began moonlighting as a DJ in his spare time. Releasing his first two EPs in 2012, Fluttert quickly made a name for himself when he integrated Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech into his title track “One Day (Vandaag)”. The hit single charted in the Netherlands (his homeland), Belgium and France upon release, and the 24-year-old was later awarded a platinum record in Germany.

Meanwhile, Fluttert’s Uitzicht EP appeared in several iTunes charts after its release in 2013 on Soundplate Records. Now with his popularity continuing to quickly grow, Bakermat continues to develop his unique electronic amalgamation of gospel, soul, jazz and blues with his latest single “Teach Me” from 2014.

This Thursday, Bakermat and British DJ, producer and remixer Alex Adair invite you to join them in an exploratory evening at Mezzanine. Tickets are available for $25, or you could win a pair of tickets by submitting your full name and email below.

Contest ends this Thursday at 3 p.m.

Follow Showbams on Twitter for more contest giveaways throughout the week. Be the first to respond to our contest tweets to GO4FREE to these shows:

• Fortunate Youth: October 13th (FRI) at Slim’s
• Soulside: October 14th (SAT) at Slim’s
• Blitzen Trapper: October 15th (SUN) at The Independent
• Born Ruffians: October 15th (SUN) at Slim’s
• Hunter Hunted: October 15th (SUN) at Brick & Mortar Music Hall
• Alvvays: October 16th (MON) at The Independent
• Bells Atlas: October 17th (TUE) at The New Parish
• The Good Life: October 17th (TUE) at Great American Music Hall

Enter your name (First and Last) along with your email below. If you win a contest, you’ll be notified on the day the contest ends (details above).

Like Showbams on Facebook, follow Showbams on Twitter and follow Showbams on Instagram. Subscribe to our social channels for a better chance to win!

CONTEST CLOSED.

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: Alex Adair, Alvvays, Bakermat, Bells Atlas, Blitzen Trapper, Born Ruffians, Brick & Mortar Music Hall, Fortunate Youth, Great American Music Hall, Hunter Hunted, Slims, Soulside, The Good Life, The Independent, The New Parish

Eagles of Death Metal prove that rock ain’t dead

November 6, 2015 by Brett Ruffenach 1 Comment

Photos by Mike Rosati // Written by Brett Ruffenach //

Eagles of Death Metal //
Great American Music Hall – San Francisco
October 26th, 2015 //

Sometimes it feels like it’s getting harder and harder to find a band that doesn’t have a laptop somehow involved in its live production. But have no fear, Jesse Hughes is here.

With a sold-out show at the Great American Music Hall last Monday, Eagles of Death Metal certainly challenged Gene Simmons’ belief that “rock is dead.” Coming to SF for the first time in five years, EODM brought a slightly older, yet no-less enthusiastic crowd with plenty of beards and flannels mixed in.

While EODM has garnered considerable popularity with Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme on drums, it was clear right from the beginning that their live appeal comes from Hughes, the band’s vocalist and lead guitarist. As EODM took the stage with Pilot’s “Magic” playing over the PA system, Hughes emerged with his trademark suspenders and mustache, exuding more energy than any bandleader could possibly manage.

Without saying much, EODM jumped into “Bad Dream Mama” to the delight of everyone in attendance. Between Dave Catching’s guitar work, Matt McJunkins’ tenor bass and Homme’s machine-like drumming abilities, EODM brings a sound so loud, so in-your-face that you can’t help but bounce around. Quickly moving into “Don’t Speak (I Came to Make a Bang!)”, the crowd was entranced by the band as Hughes guided the quartet through the show.

Sweating enough to go through more than a couple shirts, Hughes brought and maintained an energy unlike anything seen before. In between songs, he talked to the crowd about only the most important topics — the beauty of the women in SF or the drugs he may or may not have ingested prior to the show.

“Tonight is a special night,” the 43-year-old rocker said to his audience. “And ya’ll gon’ hear the litany of it soon. Can you dig it?!?!”

Hughes went on to explain that SF has a special place in his heart, as he once lived in the City and was happy to be back.

Then, like a manic Southern Baptist preacher, he told the crowd, “I love you, and I hope you have a good time tonight. Now let us dispense in the complexities of life and make it simple.”

Just like that, EODM jumped into their most recent single “Complexity”. With most of the group’s tracks coming in at under three minutes in length, the show moved rather quickly from song to song. EODM’s translation of “Whorehoppin’ (Shit, Goddamn)” from their 2004 debut album Peace, Love, Death Metal was particularly great, with Homme providing more cowbell than the most feverish Christopher Walken could possibly desire.

Not every song of EODM’s are just power chords, though. Halfway through the set, Hughes and company changed up the pace with “Already Died”, a heavier, slowed-down track that’s most notably filled with Catching’s fantastic guitar licks. But before the energy got too low, the band transitioned into “Stuck in the Metal” as the crowd went wild and didn’t stop. In the end, EODM’s setlist included more than 20 songs.

After a short set break, Hughes emerged for a solo encore during which he asked the crowd for requests. He played a solo version of “San Berdoo Sunburn” before the rest of the band came out to play a round robin of solos, which was easily the most awkward moment of the night.

EODM have the perfect style as a rock band, one that takes itself just seriously enough. As a whole, they are a hard, fast and tightly-wound production, with their silly lyrics and even sillier frontman bringing a perfect balance to what you want to see at a rock show. Closing with “Speaking in Tongues”, EODM walked off the stage at the Great American Music Hall knowing that they had accomplished what they came to do — to prove that rock ain’t dead.

Setlist:
Bad Dream Mama
Don’t Speak (I Came to Make a Bang!)
So Easy
Complexity (Boots Electric cover)
Kiss the Devil
Shasta Beast
Silverlake (K.S.O.F.M.)
Whorehoppin’ (Shit, Goddamn)
The Reverend
Cherry Cola
Got a Woman (Slight Return)
Already Died
Stuck in the Metal
Wannabe in L.A.
Save a Prayer (Duran Duran cover)
Anything ‘Cept the Truth
Miss Alissa
I Got a Feelin (Just Nineteen)
I Like to Move in the Night
I Want You So Hard (Boy’s Bad News)

Encore:
San Berdoo Sunburn
Got the Power
I Only Want You
Speaking in Tongues

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Eagles of Death Metal, Great American Music Hall, Josh Homme

Hot Chip conquer their jet lag with an energetic set at the Fox Theater Oakland

November 5, 2015 by Molly Kish Leave a Comment

Photos by Eric Palozzolo // Written by Molly Kish //

Hot Chip //
Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland
October 29th, 2015 //

Prolific UK indie-dance powerhouse Hot Chip headlined the historic Fox Theater Oakland last Thursday night. Playing one of their few scheduled U.S. non-festival stops, for a crowd full of adoring fans anxious to get the well-overdue dance party started!

Touring this year in support of its sixth studio album Why Make Sense?, the live electronic seven-piece had only played a handful of shows at indoor venues throughout North America, making this Bay Area tour stop a very special occasion.

With their layered sound and spectacular stage lighting, Hot Chip have received rave reviews from many of their U.S. festival gigs this year, standing out among some other stellar sets at Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in August (read our review of the band’s performance here). But witnessing them inside at a place like the Fox Theater, Oakland or at any small- to mid-sized venue truly accentuates the caliber of their live show.

Surprisingly enough, Hot Chip frontman Alexis Taylor and his bandmates got off to a slow start, as it took a few songs for the venue’s sound team to find the right bass and vocal levels on the boards. But once the sound levels were synced up, you could hear the crowd let out a collective sigh of relief as Hot Chip carved into the meat of their set. Even the band’s on-stage presence shifted as it transitioned into some lighthearted dance routines that featured some playful exchanges with fans.

At one point during Hot Chip’s set, Taylor went as far as to mention how they were extremely jet lagged and weren’t sure exactly how the show was going to go, but that they never had a doubt in their mind that Oakland was “going to bring it.” He went on to thank those present for invigorating him and his travel-weary sidekicks, adding that the show was one of the most enjoyable ones they’ve played on this latest tour.

With the crowd riding off the palpable energy of the performance, the band subsequently lost itself in a shared moment of pure, unadulterated bliss. In between songs, some fans shared moments of where they were when they first heard a particular track or what memories they had attributed to another. The collective peak of the show came toward the end of the set and was punctuated by a double encore, which started with their Bruce Springsteen/LCD Soundsystem mash-up (“Dancing in the Dark” to “All My Friends”) and finished with one last deep cut in “Let Me Be Him”.

Setlist:
Huarache Lights
One Life Stand
Night and Day
Love Is the Future
Flutes
Over and Over
Alley Cats
Cry for You
Shake a Fist
Need You Now
Ready for the Floor
I Feel Better

Encore #1:
We’re Looking for a Lot of Love
And I Was a Boy from School
Hold On
Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springsteen cover)/All My Friends (LCD Soundsystem cover)

Encore #2:
*Let Me Be Him

*Setlist note: “Only if it’s all going really well”

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Fox Theater Oakland, Hot Chip

With The Sam Chase & The Untraditional leading the way, The Chapel celebrates Halloween in style

November 4, 2015 by tom dellinger Leave a Comment

The Candy Butchers Bash - The Sham Chase & The Untraditional

The Sam Chase & The Untraditional

By Tom Dellinger //

The Candy Butchers Bash featuring The Sam Chase & The Untraditional, Royal Jelly Jive, The Crux and special guests Mission Delirium //
The Chapel – San Francisco
October 31st, 2015 //

Halloween just came and went this past Saturday night. The weather was perfect as the streets of SF filled early with trick-or-treating kids as well as those out to celebrate the night with some big-kid entertainment. All across the Bay Area, there were many parties and shows to get that itch scratched. One of the best was The Candy Butchers Bash, a sold-out show at The Chapel that featured The Sam Chase & The Untraditional, Royal Jelly Jive and The Crux, along with special guests Mission Delirium and a number of talented aerialists to give it that something extra that made it one of the more unique shows in Northern California.

Decked out for that All Hallows’ Eve vibe, the venue’s stage was decorated with pumpkins and strands of light bulbs over it gave the room a carnival-like feel. Royal Jelly Jive vocalist Lauren Bjelde and The Crux vocalist Josh Windmiller pulled that off together and did a fine job of decorating The Chapel properly. By the time The Crux hit the stage first, most of the crowd was on hand, dressed in costumes and ready to have a good time.

The Crux

Opening the show was the Santa Rosa-based band consisting of Josh Windmiller (vocals, guitar), Joshua Jackson (bass), Kalei Yamanoha (trumpet, accordion) and Taylor Cuffie (drums). With a style they refer to as “folk punk”, The Crux have a stripped-down, rough sound that felt like a mix of Tom Waits and Kurt Weill with a vaudevillian vibe. Windmiller is no doubt an engaging performer, as his persona and rough vocals easily connected with the Halloween audience. After a few tunes into the band’s set, he was joined by aerialist Sierra Faulkner, who performed using silk fabric as she effortlessly twisted and turned her way up the strands above the crowd to perform numerous maneuvers. Graceful, stylistic and with a bit of danger, she added fuel to the fire as the evening continued to warm up.

During the ensuing set break, brass band Mission Delirium came out into the crowd, lined up at the front of the stage and proceeded to keep the energy high as they playfully ripped through some funky tunes with blasting trombones, tuba and drums. The crowd loved it as many audience members laughed and danced with the band, signaling that the festive party and carnival vibe was in full swing at this point.

Royal Jelly Jive

Keeping the momentum going, Royal Jelly Jive hit with another one of their explosive sets. Foot stomping and swinging, they lit up the place as Bjelde tore into the band’s catalog with a fervor. With irresistibly rich grooves from the rhythm section of Felix Macnee (drums) and Tyden Binsted (bass), Bjelde and the band touched upon many of their best tunes, including “Indian George” and “Pterygophora”, both of which continued to elevate the crowd’s energy. Rich songs and compositions are the norm for this dynamic up-and-coming band, which also offers enchanting vocals from Bjelde, wide-ranging keyboard styles and sounds from Jesse Lemme Adams and an enviable, articulate horn section comprised of Robbie Elfman, Luke Zavala and Danny Cao. Also joining the band was aerialist Caroline Dignes, who performed on a hoop high above the crowd. Elegant and visually riveting, she continued to add to the carnival theme of the night.

After more shenanigans from Mission Delirium, headliner The Sam Chase & The Untraditional hit the stage with style. Introducing the band beforehand was a pair of twins with a creep factor reminiscent of those in “The Shining”, as they invited the house to enjoy The Sam Chase forever and ever … and ever. With drummer Ted Desmarais dressed as Igor from the 1974 comedy film “Young Frankenstein”, he entered the stage bent over with a massive hump (“what hump?”), and one by one, he physically moved, pushed and cajoled each member of the band to their place on the stage. The band members appeared to be in a zombie-like state as Desmarais positioned them and patiently placed instruments in their hands. It was a fine little piece of theater before the band would explode with the final entrée of the night.

The Sam Chase & The Untraditional

Though The Sam Chase & The Untraditional describe their music as “kick-ass folk” on their Facebook page, they are that and more. Many of Chase’s songs are rowdy and delivered with a weather-beaten, whiskey-colored vocal style as he and the band rolled through their catalog. It’s not surprising they’ve become a favorite among SF bands. Their songs are well-crafted — much like an artisan cocktail — and delivered with a precision that stands in contrast to Chase’s seemingly reckless, almost drunken delivery style.

For The Sam Chase & The Untraditional’s set on Saturday night, we were treated to a ride that was at times bombastic and exhilarating but also included the occasional easygoing folk tune. Chase has a tight band behind him between the aforementioned Desmarais, Dave Rapa (bass), Joshua James Jackson (trumpet), Debbie Neigher (keyboards), Devon McClive (cello) and Nikko Rios (guitar), and they all lit into the music with an infectious energy that they sustained to the very end. During the performance, we saw the return of Dignes and Faulkner to perform on the hoop together. In costume as zombies, these two aerialists were dramatic as they went through their routine, adding both elegance and a sense of danger by pushing the envelope of possibilities, all while the crowd roared with delight.

Reminiscent of the Great American Spirit Ball headlined by Royal Jelly Jive back in July (read our review of the show here), The Candy Butchers Bash has the potential to become another highly sought-after, recurring show in SF. Unique in presentation, both events delivered some of the most memorable performances I have experienced in some time. And for those who found themselves at The Chapel on Saturday night, we all know we experienced some of the very best that the Bay Area music scene has to offer right now.