The Bam Team

SF Show of the Week // GO4FREE to DeVotchKa at GAMH 1/14 (THUR)

January 12, 2016 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

DeVotchKa with Barrio Manouche //
Great American Music Hall – San Francisco
January 14th, 2015 //

Start with Nick Urata on theremin, bouzouki, guitar and piano, throw in Tom Hagerman on accordion and violin, add Jeanie Schroder on sousaphone, upright bass and flute, and finally round it out with Shawn King on percussion, trumpet and organ. Put them all together, and you have DeVotchKa, a multi-instrumental and vocal ensemble from Denver.

Starting as a backing band for burlesque shows, the quartet gained an underground following while touring the U.S. in support of its self-released albums. But the band’s following turned more mainstream when its song “How It Ends” was featured in the trailers for the 2005 film “Everything Is Illuminated” and for the video game “Gears of War 2” a few years later.

In 2008, Boston alternative newspaper The Phoenix tabbed DeVotchKa as the “Best New Band from Colorado”, and their hit “How it Ends” climbed to as high as No. 101 on the UK Singles Chart. From scoring the 2006 film “Little Miss Sunshine” to performing covers of Siouxsie and the Banshees, they continue to produce a unique sound with their incredible musicianship.

This Thursday, the four-piece lands in SF to play the Great American Music Hall with opening support from Barrio Manouche, the Spanish gypsy-jazz group. Tickets are available for $26, 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:

• Ghost Parade: January 13th (WED) at Brick & Mortar Music Hall
• Blockhead: January 15th (FRI) at The New Parish
• The Seshen: January 16th (SAT) at The New Parish
• The Go! Team: January 18th (MON) 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: Barrio Manouche, Blockhead, Brick & Mortar Music Hall, DeVotchKa, Ghost Parade, Great American Music Hall, The Go! Team, The New Parish, The Seshen

Bay Area music fans ring in 2016 at The Big One

January 8, 2016 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Photos by Josh Miller & Erin Milgram // Written by Molly Kish & Kevin Quandt //

The Big One //
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco
December 31st, 2015 //

2016 descended upon SF in epic fashion at Another Planet Entertainment’s New Year’s Eve celebration, aptly titled “The Big One”. With more than 17 musical acts, live art installations and three separate galleries of entertainment at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, partygoers were showered by a psychedelic flurry of confetti and balloons during The Flaming Lips’ midnight countdown and continued partying into the early-morning hours.

We were on the scene to revel in what easily was the Bay Area’s wildest NYE 2015 party, and here are our favorite highlights from the night.

The Flaming Lips

When one considers bombastic artists to ring in a New Year or perform at any major party holiday, The Flaming Lips likely come to mind, as the Oklahoma City psych-rock band has created one of the most over-the-top displays in the music industry. This evening was no exception as frontman Wayne Coyne started the evening atop a structure that could be described as some warped, LED octopus. “The Gold Mountain in our Madness” opened the Lips’ set as the energy in the room quickly lifted from the mellow vibes of Tycho that came before. The mercury continued to rise as the midnight hour approached. A cover of the Miley Cyrus collaboration “Evil Is But a Shadow” was the first track to greet the attendees in 2016, and though some were bummed we didn’t get an appearance from Miley, the celebratory atmosphere was in full swing. -KQ

Ratatat

Ratatat kept feet moving with their unique amalgamation of dance rock, which left many to decide between head-banging and crushing dance moves. “Pricks of Brightness” and “Loud Pipes” were early highlights from this Brooklyn duo, who saw a tremendous return to form in 2015 with the release of Magnifique. Props should be given to Another Planet Entertainment and HUSHconcerts for slotting in this live duo over a big-name DJ. Moves like this make us hopeful for The Big One in the coming years. -KQ

Tycho

The late cancellation from XXYYXX left some attendees in Larkin Hall a tad disappointed, but an extended set from Scott Hansen, popularly known as Tycho, kept revelers in the mood for continued dance-floor high jinks. As this DJ set stretched into its second hour, Hanson shifted to a style more akin to the beat-bass stylings of the original slated artist. This move may have even thrown some for a loop, as they could have easily assumed it was XXYYXX at the helm. -KQ

Shigeto

Ghostly International recording artist Shigeto (born Zachary Shigeto Saginaw) held his own in Larkin Hall while being pitted against the downtempo soundscapes of Tycho in the venue’s main room. Serving as the perfect transition between his labelmate Scott Hanson’s ambient performance and The Flaming Lips’ onslaught of maniacal theatrics, Shigeto’s stripped-down live show was a welcomed choice for those attendees looking to ramp it up a notch before the NYE midnight countdown. He performed at ground level to an intimately devoted crowd and layered his jazz-infused electronic beats over mind-blowing live percussion, switching back and forth in real time between manning his mixing board and pounding away feverishly on his full drum kit mere inches away from the audience. -MK

Gramatik

After a mind-melting, ball-dropping performance from The Flaming Lips, the audience was reinvigorated by the ax-wielding electronic giants Ratatat, followed by Slovenia-born and Brooklyn-based producer Gramatik. Heavy bass lines and spine-tingling beats filled the main auditorium as Denis Jašarević, in prime position to close the night’s festivities out on a high, took over the main auditorium with his signature glitch-hop bangers. Although much of the crowd had thinned by the time this early-hours set commenced, true ragers were in rare form and ready to “womp” their way into 2016. Dropping a slew of hits, including his single “Native Son” featuring Raekwon, Gramatik kept his audience moving all the way until 3 a.m. Crowd members sprawled throughout the entire auditorium, dancing and laughing until the final bassline thumps knocked the remnants of glitter, confetti and balloons from the rafters. -MK

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Another Planet, Another Planet Entertainment, Gramatik, HUSHconcerts, NYE, NYE 2015, Ratatat, Shigeto, The Big One, The Big One SF, The Big One SF 2015, The Flaming Lips, Tycho

SF Show of the Week // GO4FREE to The Big One at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 12/31 (THUR)

December 29, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Written by Nik Crossman //

The Big One //
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco
December 31st, 2015 //

With 2015 coming to an end, let’s take a moment to reflect on all the incredible music we’ve experienced over the last year. From our Top 25 live music acts to The Bam Team’s five favorite shows, albums and songs of 2015, there was no shortage of great musical memories in 2015.

So, what better way to end this amazing year and ring in the New Year than with 17 incredible artists at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium?

Presented by Another Planet Entertainment and HUSHconcerts, The Big One brings you a mini-festival with main-stage, warm-up performances from homegrown talent like Tycho and Geographer before The Flaming Lips explode into 2016. On two side stages, Ratatat, Gramatik, Gigamesh and many more will support the celebration. Check out the poster above for the full lineup.

The Bam Team is truly honored and excited to offer our readers an opportunity to earn free admission to this brand-new vision of New Year’s Eve spectacle. Tickets are available for $95, 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:

• Con Brio: December 30th (WED) & December 31st (THUR) at The Chapel

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: Another Planet, Another Planet Entertainment, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, Christopher Willits, Geographer, Gigamesh, Gramatik, HUSHconcerts, Kraak & Smaak, KRAKINOV, LATE NIGHT RADIO, Motion Potion, Pumpkin, Ratatat, Shigeto, The Big One, The Big One SF, The Flaming Lips, THRIFTWORKS, Tycho, WILL CLARKE, Worthy

The 25 best live music acts of 2015

December 28, 2015 by The Bam Team 3 Comments

Around this time last year, we shared our 25 favorite live performers of 2014 after spending the past 12 months covering many excellent bands, musicians and DJs. So, with 2015 almost in the books, we thought we would give the same exercise another try, except this year, we made the call to exclude any artists we named in 2014. What fun would it really be to list them two years in a row anyway?

In the end, it wasn’t an easy task whittling down our list to 25, but some tough decisions had to be made. Those who didn’t make the cut but still deserve to be mentioned here include the following artists and bands (in alphabetical order) who we either covered at their own show and/or at a music festival this year:

AlunaGeorge, Ariel Pink, BADBADNOTGOOD, Bad Religion, Battles, Beirut, Belle and Sebastian, Big Grams, Billy Idol, Black Lips, The Black Keys, Blonde Redhead, BØRNS, BROODS, Built to Spill, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Chet Faker, Chromeo, City and Colour, Classixx, Cold War Kids, Dâm-Funk, Damien Rice, Death Cab for Cutie, Dengue Fever, Django Django, Dr. Dog, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Failure, The Flaming Lips, Flight Facilities, Goldroom, Glen Hansard, The Glitch Mob, Gorgon City, Holly Herndon, Interpol, Israel Nash, James Bay, Jeff Tweedy, Jenny Lewis, The Jesus and Mary Chain, JMSN, Jose Gonzalez, Jurassic 5, Kanye West, Kindness, King Tuff, Marina and the Diamonds, Miami Horror, Milky Chance, Modest Mouse, Morrissey, MS MR, Les Sins, Lotus, Natalie Prass, Neon Indian, ODESZA, Of Montreal, Oneohtrix Point Never, Panda Bear, Penguin Prison, Phantogram, Portugal. The Man, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Purity Ring, Ratatat, Royal Blood, San Fermin, Shlohmo, Slow Magic, SOHN, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, STRFKR, Surfer Blood, Talib Kweli, Tame Impala, Tennis, Toro y Moi, Tycho, Umphrey’s McGee, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Vintage Trouble, Vulfpeck, Widespread Panic, YACHT.

Now, without further ado, The Bam Team presents our 25 favorite live performers of 2015.

The Bam Team’s 5 Favorite Shows, Albums & Songs of 2015

Listen to The Bam Team’s favorite songs of 2015:

25. Lord Huron

The audience reacted with just as much enthusiasm during classic Lord Huron tunes as they did in hearing brand-new material, especially during fan favorites like “She Lit a Fire” and back-to-back rockabilly-tinged jams “The World Ender” and “Fool for Love”. At this point, the crowd had not only warmed up to Lord Huron’s infectious stage presence, but also gave into their buoyant vibes as mini dance parties broke out throughout the venue. -Molly Kish, photo by Steve Carlson

24. Puscifer

Maynard James Keenan and friends have established themselves as not just a group of musicians who play songs on stage, but rather an assemblage of entertainers that provide their viewers and fans with something they may not have ever seen before — a true experience. Paying homage to the likes of Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd and the glory days of the rock opera, Puscifer have a very special way of combining their music with a stage show that offers so much more than just music. -Scotland Miller, photo by Mike Rosati

23. Viet Cong

Once the appetizer had been digested, Viet Cong were taking the stage and beginning a theme of quirky banter that eased the crowd into the blistering set as opposed to bombardment. Within the first few chords, it was evident that continued time on the road found the band at the peak of perfection. -Kevin Quandt, photo by Diana Cordero

22. Kate Tempest

This decade will likely be known for the death of “genre,” the end of how groups have been contained into categories like R&B or rap since the birth of record labels. And with dance music on the rise, digitized conventions are creeping into pop, rap and indie music on the regular. With music more accessible than ever and for free, listeners are willing to experiment with their auditory material — and amalgamation is the natural result. Tempest represents this change as much or more than anyone as we enter the smack-dab middle of this decade. And that includes Kanye West, Sylvan Esso or Run the Jewels. -Mike Frash, photo by James Nagel

21. Deerhunter

Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox talked about how he decided on the way over to the island that he wouldn’t play many songs, how he took ayahuasca on Saturday night in LA and he was surprised at how reserved the TIMF audience was. He said we were “polite like the Japanese.” Bradford, that’s what we call “respect” — and you’ve earned it. -Mike Frash, photo by Marc Fong

20. Faith No More

It can be hard to know what to expect from a crew like Faith No More and their eccentric, yet prolific members. The entire stage was dressed in white, from the curtains to the amplifiers to the mic stands. Lining the entire length of the stage and any flat surface that would support them were thousands of dollars worth of beautiful, fresh flowers. The abundance of purples and pinks, reds and yellows created a very comfortable and soothing, yet incredibly eerie feeling as to what was about to happen next. Once the setup was complete and the lights dropped, the crowd was let in to the stark contrast that is the weird world of Faith No More. -Scotland Miller, photo by Greg Ramar

19. Sufjan Stevens

Stevens spoke of the need for community in the throes of grief, and the audience ably did their part to help him through this very public grieving process. At the end of the main set, a young woman crashed the stage to offer a bemused Sufjan something (a hug? words of love and encouragement?), and it seemed wholly appropriate, as if the audience needed in some small way to collectively reach out to the man after he bared his soul so openly. -Steve Carlson, photo by Steve Carlson

18. Allen Stone

In many ways, Stone’s ideological stance on technology shapes not only his set as a performer but also his fan base. Watching an Allen Stone show, one can feel certain that all pretenses will be left at the door and those surrounding you will be committing their full attention to the music. Midway through Stone’s set, the venue was completely under his charismatic spell. The audience actively followed the Seattle-born frontman’s lead as he prompted a group participation “2-step” and rolled through crowd favorites from his self-titled LP and latest album Radius. -Molly Kish, photo by Tom Dellinger

17. The Kills

Mosshart, tall and slender, strutted her way through just about all of it, displaying a bravado that exudes both sex and confidence, while Hince handled his axe like a bona fide rock star, eventually playing some slide guitar during the gritty, blues-infused track “Pots and Pans” that got the crowd roaring after it was over. After all, it’s that blues/garage-rock overlap, along with the chemistry exhibited between Mosshart and Hince onstage, that makes The Kills such a captivating rock ‘n’ roll act to see live these days. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

16. The Chemical Brothers

Directly following their dramatic entrance to a recording of Junior Parker’s epic “Tomorrow Never Knows”, the duo kicked off their career-spanning set with crowd favorite “Hey Boy, Hey Girl” from 1999’s Surrender. They launched into a full-blown frenzy from that moment on, and the UK dance legends went hard (no pun intended) throughout the rest of their two-hour performance, debuting live remixes of new material from their 2015 release Born in the Echoes while interspersing nostalgia-inducing EDM classics off their seven previous albums. -Molly Kish, photo by Justin Yee

15. Eagles of Death Metal

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. -Brett Ruffenach, photo by Mike Rosati

14. Florence + the Machine

Welch lapped around the inside ring of the bowl, stopping briefly at the sound stage. What a cool moment. -James Nagel, photo by James Nagel

13. Sturgill Simpson

Simpson has stage presence, that is without a doubt. The conviction of his voice bolsters his words as he describes a life of highs and lows, trials and tribulations. This was evident on renditions of songs like “Turtles All the Way Down”. If there is a song to capture your attention and convince you of Simpson’s talents as a songwriter, this is one of them. Just like that of his predecessors, he writes music that goes against the grain of popular country music. It may be defined as “outlaw country,” but I personally feel it is music that resonates with a wider audience than that of its counterparts. -Kory Thibeault, photo by Kory Thibeault

12. alt-J

The 2012 Mercury Prize winners echoed a semblance to that of Sigur Rós or Volcano Choir, leaving audience members entranced in a near-altered state while observing the foursome. The biggest fan responses erupted during the band’s singalong favorites “Breezeblocks”, “Fitzpleasure” and their token cover of Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day”. -Molly Kish, photo by Mike Rosati

11. Hot Chip

In recent years, only ever getting the chance to see the outfit in stripped-down DJ sets or as part of side projects/collaborations, the afternoon crowd full of die-hard, nu-disco fans were not disappointed as the UK dance veterans set the polo fields ablaze. Refraining from any slow builders, Hot Chip performed an hour-long set of career-spanning bangers, keeping the crowd moving with hit after hit, that seamlessly blended into one another. The set procured one of the most viral dance party moments of the festival, with the audience spiraling into a collective bliss as it came to a close. -Molly Kish, photo by Josh Herwitt

10. Dan Deacon

One of the toughest things to do in the world of electronic music is to sound organic, to imbue a sense of heart into the digitized nature of ones and zeroes. The Baltimore native accomplishes this through his hilarious and improvisational free-form, stand-up comedy, which thrives on wandering non sequiturs. And he mirrors this by adapting his insane-train of sound to meet and exceed the energy in the room. The “America” suite finished off the show with an extended doom metal quality that gave a sense that no aesthetic boundaries can contain Deacon’s sense of musical exploration. -Mike Frash, photo by Pedro Paredes

9. FKA twigs

British singer-songwriter Tahliah Debrett Barnett, better known as FKA twigs, has been all the rage lately after performing at Coachella in April, and she closed out FYF in style, donning an elaborate burgundy- and gold-colored robe for her Sunday night set. Just the week before, the 27-year-old fiancée of actor/musician Robert Pattinson released her brand-new EP M3LL155X, and with it receiving high marks from a number of music outlets, there were quite a few fans who stuck around after 11:30 p.m. on a “school night” to watch her perform some of them, including the opening track “Figure 8”, “In Time” and “Glass & Patron”. FKA twigs might be one of the most compelling live acts out there right now, and after scheduling Purity Ring to close out The Lawn the night before, FYF seemed to make a point of letting women rule that stage in the late-night hours this year. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

8. Empire of the Sun

As Steele belted out “Alive”, the hit single off the band’s sophomore studio album Ice on the Dune, to close things out, he brought the audience to a transcendent place of exhilaration. Crowd members embraced and danced amongst a like-minded family of people lost in the moment, even if it involved intergalactic creatures dancing in colored smoke and a crowned Emperor playing without his bandmate on stage. EOTS shows are a special kind of magic that regardless of the material’s absurd nature, translate into an experience unlike anything else. -Molly Kish, photo by Steve Carlson

7. My Morning Jacket

Though it was more than understandable to see the band play a large majority of The Waterfall for its first performance at the Santa Barbara Bowl in almost four years, there were plenty of other deep cuts mixed in over the next two hours, from “Bermuda Highway” to “Mahgeetah” to “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2”. After all, it’s no secret that My Morning Jacket have always been good to their most loyal and dedicated fans, and in once again taking song requests as part of their “Spontaneous Curation Series,” they made sure to dig up many of the classics from their seminal album Z, including “Wordless Chorus” and “Off the Record” one after the other in the middle of a loaded, four-song encore. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

6. Jamie xx

Throughout his tour, Smith has refused to compromise his individual style for the sake of appeasing either extreme of his now commercially hybrid audience. Whereas those familiar with his early XL Records mixtapes were satiated by his intermingling of Gil Scott-Heron and Idris Muhammad samples between hits, his newfound post-In Colour fans experienced equally breathtaking moments with the crowd hitting peak energy levels during the encore chorus of “Loud Places” amidst the glow of a warped-speed, neon-green strobe light. Other notable moments included the near-religious choral drop of “Gosh” that escalated the packed house to spiritual levels of enthusiasm, bathed in the glowing sparkle of Smith’s staggeringly iridescent ceiling to floor disco ball and stage lights. -Molly Kish, photo by James Nagel

5. Elton John

The star-spangled legend sat at his majestic piano as the sun went down on Sunday and moved the crowd with his brilliant playing. The adoring audience hung on every word and joined in singing his most popular hits. Walking off stage quickly after his last song, the audience demanded more and Elton happily obliged. With rumors of Lion King songs being played at past performances, some doting fans wanted a second encore to the tune of “Circle of Life”. While he didn’t indulge the Lion King fans, his stellar performance was a perfect ending to an amazing weekend at Outside Lands, leaving everyone’s festival tank full of love. -Nik Crossman, photo by James Nagel

4. Father John Misty

Father John (Sassypants) Misty has his festival game on point, and he has progressed his I Love You, Honeybear songs into epic plateaus since premiering them in the Santa Cruz mountains last February. He spewed banter like an Stephen Colbert-esque contrarian, saying, “Look at these suckers with their hair blowing all over the place.” And as he approached the mic for more improv-snark later on, Tillman paused to say, “Sorry, I have nothing to say. Ha.” FJM was speechless for once, but granted, it might have been set up for “Bored in the USA”, a song that should be considered an American classic at this point. -Mike Frash, photo by Pedro Paredes

3. Kendrick Lamar

As Kendrick Lamar’s incredible performance began to wrap up with his newest single “Alright”, a group of fans in the crowd proceeded to lift someone up in a wheelchair, who, if I recall correctly, was the same guy who had his photo famously taken at Outside Lands in 2013. Kendrick took notice and called him out — his sense of sincere appreciation for a place like the Bay Area was written all over his face. -Brett Ruffenach, photo by Marc Fong

2. Caribou

Described by fellow musician Dan Deacon as “one of the most brilliant acts touring right now” just before their set, Caribou lived up to the hype. Starting with “Our Love”, the four-piece band led by Dan Snaith perfectly set the stage for the next hour — a series of tightly wound compositions that, as the song progresses, expand in rhythmic complexity before reaching a climax that will get even the most tired Sunday afternoon crowd moving. Heavily augmenting its live performances from its studio recordings, the band’s live rendition of “Jamelia” in particular was a highlight of the set. Caribou is a band not to be missed. -Brett Ruffenach, photo by Justin Yee

1. D’Angelo & The Vanguard

One of the most anticipated sets of the entire weekend was none other than D’Angelo’s — and for good reason. The R&B/neo-soul singer-songwriter hadn’t put out an album in 14 years until he suddenly dropped his 2014 masterpiece Black Messiah last December, so you knew that getting the rare opportunity to see Michael Eugene Archer work a crowd at FYF would be something special. Sounding more like a youthful James Brown than a wannabe Prince (we still don’t totally understand where those comparisons are coming from), D’Angelo and his eight-piece backing band The Vanguard took the audience for a ride as they doled out new and old hits. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

Filed Under: Best of, Best of 2015, Editor's Picks, Featured Tagged With: Allen Stone, Alt-J, Bad Religion, Battles, BØRNS, Beirut, Belle and Sebastian, Best of 2015, Big Grams, Billy Idol, Black Lips, Blonde Redhead, Broods, Built To Spill, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Chet Faker, Chromeo, City and Colour, Classixx, Cold War Kids, D'Angelo, D'Angelo and the Vanguard, dam-funk, Damien Rice, Dan Deacon, Death Cab For Cutie, Deerhunter, Dengue Fever, Django Django, Dr. Dog, Eagles of Death Metal, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Empire of the Sun, Failure, Faith No More, Father John Misty, FKA twigs, Flight Facilities, Florence & the Machine, Glen Hansard, Goldroom, Gorgon City, Holly Herndon, Hot Chip, Interpol, Israel Nash, James Bay, Jamie xx, Jeff Tweedy, Jenny Lewis, JMSN, Jose Gonzalez, Jurassic 5, Kanye West, Kate Tempest, Kendrick Lamar, Kindness, King Tuff, Les Sins, Lord Huron, Lotus, Marina and the Diamonds, Miami Horror, Milky Chance, Modest Mouse, Morrissey, MS MR, My Morning Jacket, Natalie Prass, Neon Indian, Odesza, Of Montreal, Oneohtrix Point Never, Panda Bear, Penguin Prison, Phantogram, Portugal. The Man, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Purity Ring, Puscifer, Ratatat, Royal Blood, San Fermin, Shlohmo, Slow Magic, SOHN, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, STRFKR, Sturgill Simpson, Sufjan Stevens, Surfer Blood, Talib Kweli, Tame Impala, Tennis, The Black Keys, The Chemical Brothers, The Flaming Lips, The Glitch Mob, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Kills, Toro Y Moi, Tycho, Umphrey's McGee, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Viet Cong, Vintage Trouble, Vulfpeck, Widespread Panic, YACHT

The Bam Team’s 5 Favorite Shows, Albums & Songs of 2015

December 22, 2015 by The Bam Team 2 Comments

Caribou at The Fillmore // Showbams’ Photo of the Year, by Justin Yee

Ah, where did 2015 go? It felt like we were just ringing in a new year a couple months ago. But with another year in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to once again doll out our annual “Best of” lists. Much like we did in 2014, we heard a lot of music this year, whether it was at a show or at a festival, at work, on the bus or in our cars. From established headliners who continue to amaze us to emerging artists who rekindled our excitement for new music, our collective lives were filled with one musical memory after another over the past 12 months.

So, without further ado, Showbams presents The Bam Team’s five favorite shows, albums and songs from 2015.

The 25 Best Live Music Acts of 2015

Listen to The Bam Team’s favorite songs of 2015:

Tycho at Lightning in a Bottle // Photo by Josh Herwitt

Josh Herwitt // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2015
1. Jack White at Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Weekend 1 – Indio, CA – April 11th
There’s a reason why Mr. White was named our No. 1 live music act of 2014 around this time last year, and it’s not because he’s simply a guitar god. The Detroit native and former White Stripe is much more than that now, as he has proven with the kind of clever, genre-swirling songwriting that permeates his two solo albums Blunderbuss and Lazaretto. But witnessing White perform live almost feels like a musical right of passage in and of itself, reminding us that while inventive, mainstream rock ‘n’ roll may be harder to come by these days, it’s still far from dead. On this warm, spring night in the California desert, he imparted on us that “music is sacred” — not just with his words in between songs, but also with every ferverous note that he struck on his fret board. From the moment White appeared on the festival’s main stage, his 20-song, headlining set was bold and powerful, even if it would serve as one of his last shows for a while.

2. My Morning Jacket at Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA – October 11th
3. Modest Mouse at Hollywood Forever – Los Angeles, CA – August 21st
4. Tycho at Lightning in a Bottle – Bradley, CA – May 24th
5. The War on Drugs at Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Weekend 1 – Indio, CA – April 10th

Top 5 Albums of 2015
1. My Morning Jacket – The Waterfall
When My Morning Jacket announced that they would be releasing a new studio LP in May after nearly a four-year layoff, their longest between albums since forming in the late 90’s, I wasn’t sure if they could top what they had devised on 2011’s Circuital. But these Louisville rockers, rather, did just that, putting together a flawless record that opens with the inspiring “Believe (Nobody Knows)” and concludes with the gloomy, yet poignant “Only Memories Remain”. In between it all, frontman Jim James continues to build off his 2013 solo album, showing what a thoughtful songwriter he has become — knowing when to step on the gas pedal and when to ease off of it. With an already impressive catalog highlighted by 2005’s Z, it’s hard to definitively say that The Waterfall has taken over the throne as MMJ’s best album now, but there’s no doubt it belongs in the conversation.

2. Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear
3. Silversun Pickups – Better Nature
4. Jamie xx – In Colour
5. Tame Impala – Currents

Top 5 Songs of 2015
1. My Morning Jacket – “Tropics (Erase Traces)”
It’s only fitting that my favorite album of the year also boasts my favorite song of the year. The penultimate track on My Morning Jacket’s The Waterfall is an absolute rocker that gradually builds from the opening, Led Zeppelin-esque guitar lick before peaking midway through for a chilling finish. There might not be a better example in MMJ’s catalog that demonstrates how well Jim James and Carl Broemel play off each other, and if the two guitarists haven’t already, then they’ve certainly cemented themselves as one of rock’s best one-two punches by now.

2. The Weeknd – “The Hills”
3. Modest Mouse – “The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box”
4. Battles – “The Yabba”
5. Tame Impala – “The Less I Know the Better”

The Chemical Brothers at The Armory // Photo by Justin Yee

Molly Kish // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2015
1. Jamie xx at Bimbo’s 365 Club – San Francisco, CA – July 31st
Whereas those familiar with his early XL Records mixtapes were satiated by his intermingling of Gil Scott-Heron and Idris Muhammad samples between hits, Jamie xx’s newfound, post-In Colour fans experienced equally breathtaking moments with the crowd hitting peak energy levels during the chorus of “Loud Places” amidst the glow of a warped-speed, neon-green strobe light. Another notable moment included the near-religious choral drop of “Gosh” that escalated the packed house to spiritual levels of enthusiasm, all while bathed in the glowing sparkle of Jamie Smith’s staggeringly iridescent, ceiling-to-floor disco ball and stage lights.

2. The Chemical Brothers at The Armory – San Francisco, CA – November 30th
3. Kate Tempest at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – May 20th
4. Kishi Bashi at Palace of Fine Arts Theatre – San Francisco, CA – January 30th
5. Caribou at The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA – March 1st

Top 5 Albums of 2015
1. Jamie xx – In Colour
Acclaimed London-based producer and half of electronic powerhouse The xx, Jamie Smith (aka Jamie xx) broke the mold this past year with his stunning solo debut In Colour. Earning top accolades within the music industry, including a 2015 Mercury Prize nomination and a Grammy nomination for “Best Electronic/Dance Album”, In Colour featured both individually conceptualized strokes of production ingenuity as well as many of the biggest contemporary-crossover hits this year. Smith explored his dubstep, house, garage and trip-hop influences on In Colour to deliver a genre-spanning masterpiece, highlighting his illustrious career as an electronic composer while setting the standard for the current and future state of EDM.

2. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
3. Tame Impala – Currents
4. The Weeknd – Beauty Behind the Madness
5. Lord Huron – Strange Trails

Top 5 Songs of 2015
1. Jamie xx – “Loud Places”
As part of a track list that included some of 2015’s most groundbreaking and genre-defining hits, “Loud Places” holds its own as a standout cut on Jamie xx’s monumental solo debut In Colour. It comes in toward the latter half of the UK producer’s LP and enlists the gorgeously haunting vocals of Romy Madley Croft, one of Jamie Smith’s partners in The xx and a longtime collaborator of his. Amid a packed roster of acclaimed vocalists, emcees and iconic samples, Croft’s contributions, while paired with a full choir, help manifest the lyrical content of the song while evoking a near-religious experience for its listener.

2. Tame Impala – “Let It Happen”
3. Robyn – “Love Is Free”
4. Kendrick Lamar – “King Kunta”
5. FKA twigs – “In Time”

Tame Impala at Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival // Photo by James Nagel

Brett Ruffenach // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2015
1. Four Tet b2b Floating Points at Public Works SF – San Francisco, CA – May 3rd
Sparked by their set at Plastic Peoples in London earlier in the year — a set, coincidentally, that was named “Best of the Year” by THUMP a few days ago — SF’s own DJ Dials was kind enough to bring Kerian Hebden and Sam Shepherd, better known as Four Tet and Floating Points, to Public Works last May. Starting early in the evening, the two well-established English producers put on a scorching, non-stop, six-hour, vinyl-only DJ set. Kicking off the evening with over an hour of early-70’s Brazilian samba and steadily moving from there to all forms of funk, big band, soul, jazz and of course their own eclectic catalog of music, the two DJs seamlessly moved between tracks, bringing up and down the energy at just the right point to keep you guessing what’s going to happen next. After dozens and dozens of shows and DJ sets this year, I always keep thinking back to this one because it wasn’t only a chance to see an artist I like play their music — it was a chance to see two artists I like play the music that they love, and do it on an absolutely killer sound system.

2. Kendrick Lamar at Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland, CA – November 10th
3. Tame Impala at Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival – San Francisco, CA – August 8th
4. Jamie xx “In Colour” album release show at Church of St John-at-Hackney – London, England – July 16th
5. Nicolas Jaar at Symbiosis Gathering – Oakdale, CA – September 19th

Top 5 Albums of 2015
1. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
Kendrick wins. No contest. At this point, there’s nothing I can say that will be new or not already over-analyzed by the blogosphere over TPAB. All I can say is that TPAB is one of those rap albums that, just like Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010, expanded my understanding of what a rap album can be. From the very start you hear Lamar’s voice in the genius, FlyLo-produced “Wesley’s Theory” — a track that I think is among the greatest album openers ever — to the closing conversation with 2Pac in Mortal Man, TPAB is among the most ambitious and thoroughly conceptualized productions I have had the pleasure of hearing (and seeing) in my life.

2. Tame Impala – Currents
3. Nicolas Jaar – Nymphs I-IV
4. Jamie xx – In Colour
5. Beach House – Depression Cherry

Top 5 Songs of 2015
1. Pumarosa – “Priestess”
“Priestess” is a seven-minute, punk-meets-disco dance party that starts as an observation and ends as a declaration. Its declaration? To dance. Its lyrics (for instance: “Cut from clay and stone / Electricity flows through your spine and shoulders/In the night when we’re alone”), its visceral rhythm and undeniably entrancing, three-minute instrumental closing out the track (DAT SAX) are what make it an easy choice for my favorite of the year. In a culture engulfed in consumerism, celebrity and over-consumption, “Priestess” reminds us all that dancing is free. Dancing can be a protest. Dancing can be a celebration. Dancing is whatever you make of it. “Priestess” is a track that reaches into your soul and forces you to do one simple thing: dance. That’s something we all need in our lives every once and a while.

2. Kendrick Lamar – “Wesley’s Theory”
3. Jamie xx – “Gosh”
4. Tame Impala – “Eventually”
5. Nicolas Jaar – “Swim”

High Sierra Music Festival 2015 - The String Cheese Incident

The String Cheese Incident at High Sierra Music Festival 2015 // Photo by Benjamin Wallen

Benjamin Wallen // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2015
1. Greensky Bluegrass at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – November 1st
Many bands get bigger and play bigger shows. Every now and then, you get to see them in a smaller venue with a more “intimate” feel. This was that show. Following a crazy night at the Fox Theater Oakland celebrating Halloween, the band crossed the Bay Bridge to play a birthday show for its dobro player Anders Beck at The Independent. It was a “Greatest Hits” setlist of all the songs I loved the most: past, present and future. The show was definitely intimate and filled with energy, and Greensky ended the night with some acoustic tunes. I think it says a lot about a band that can pack a big venue and then play a smaller venue and still the heat. This is my favorite band these days. They are consistently great and just too much fun.

2. String Cheese Incident at High Sierra Music Festival – Quincy, CA – July 3rd
3. The Sam Chase at High Sierra Sierra Music Festival – Quincy, CA – July 3rd
4. Jeff Austin Band at Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA – April 26th
5. The Devil Makes Three at Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland, CA – February 3rd

Top 5 Albums of 2015
1. Della Mae – Della Mae
These girls are damn talented as much as they are cute. I stumbled upon these five girls from Nashville while at The Chapel a few years back, and they were just damn good. Then, I heard that they were nominated for a Grammy and only beaten by the legendary Del McCoury Band. These ladies can pick and tick and get the crowd jumping. For Della Mae, powerful songs and epic throw-down jams are just par for the course. This album was Kickstarter-funded, which I was happy to contribute to, and continues the revival of bluegrass for the younger generation and modernizing the sound with the energy of youth. I find myself playing this album more and more each day from start to end — it’s just that good.

2. The Dustbowl Revival – With a Lamp Shade On
3. Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear
4. Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers – Loved Wild Lost
5. Jackie Greene – Back to Birth

Top 5 Songs of 2015
1. Jackie Greene – “A Face Among the Crowd”
I have been a Jackie Greene fan since I moved to SF almost 10 years ago. This song I heard a number of years ago when Greene was uploading hotel room solo tracks on the road. This song was put up on Father’s Day for Greene’s dad and was a touching song. Creepily sitting in a hotel room, you can feel the emotion. Hearing it on a record in my home is just heaven. After some of those really tough days in life, I come home, put this song on while listening on my best pair of headphones and zone out — let all the crap from the day that doesn’t mean shit just fade away. This song does that for me, and as a music lover, finding this type of song is like finding gold on the street.

2. The Dustbowl Revival – “Standing Next to Me”
3. The California Honeydrops – “When It Was Wrong”
4. Father John Misty – “I Went to the Store One Day”
5. Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers – “Mr. Saturday Night”

Father John Misty at Treasure Island Music Festival 2015 // Photo by Marc Fong

Andrew Pohl // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2015
1. Father John Misty at Treasure Island Music Festival – San Francisco, CA – October 18th
Of all of the performers on Day 2 at the festival, Father John Misty held my attention the most. A stellar performance, hitting all of the right points, which gave me good reason to believe that he may in fact be one of the best frontmen of the last 10 years.

2. Hum at Slim’s – San Francisco, CA – September 18th
3. Fat Wreck Chords 25th Anniversary at Thee Parkside – San Francisco, CA – Aug 22nd & 23rd
4. Refused at Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA – May 28th
5. alt-J at Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA – April 16th

Top 5 Albums of 2015
1. Tame Impala – Currents
From top to bottom, this is an album that I can listen to over and over without feeling burnt out (and believe me, I have). I appreciate the fact that on this album, they steer clear of too much “jam” and keep it straight forward. I can’t help but move my feet when I hear some of the tracks on Currents.

2. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
3. Failure – The Heart Is a Monster
4. Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear
5. God Is an Astronaut – Helios/Erebus

Top 5 Songs of 2015
1. Tame Impala – “The Less I Know the Better”
From the first time I heard this track, I knew it was the best song of the year. Infectious as hell, you cannot stop your body from getting into that groove.

2. Grimes – “Kill V. Maim”
3. Father John Misty – “Bored in the USA”
4. The Velvet Teen – “All Is Illusory”
5. Viet Cong – “Continental Shelf”

Viet Cong at Rickshaw Stop // Photo by Diana Cordero

Kevin Quandt // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2015
1. Viet Cong at Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA – March 5th
Viet Cong were easily one of the most brilliant bands in 2015 as they shook up South by Southwest (even when their drummer had a broken arm), generally not caring about the whole band-name fiasco and releasing a stellar debut LP. The brooding studio work from this Canadian outfit turned out to be way more accessible on the live stage as bassist/singer Matt Flegel bounced between playful banter and pile-driving post-punk.

2. Caribou at The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA – March 1st
3. Todd Terje (Live) at Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Weekend 1 – Indio, CA – April 10th
4. Kendrick Lamar at Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland, CA – November 10th
5. BADBADNOTGOOD at FYF Fest – Los Angeles, CA – August 22

Top 5 Albums of 2015
1. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
No surprises here, as truly this was objectively the best album of the year. With expectations high from his growing fan base, Lamar delivered an LP that had it all: crushing singles, a bold concept and a clear message. The smorgasbord of genres and vibes TPAB lays out for the listener further shows that K-Dot’s bag of tricks has no end in sight.

2. Protomartyr – The Agent Intellect
3. DJ Paypal – Sold Out
4. Tame Impala – Currents
5. Archy Marshall – A New Place to Drown

Top 5 Songs of 2015
1. Tame Impala – “Let It Happen”
This track was our first taste of Currents, and it got fans salivating in no time. “Let It Happen” was the perfect amuse-bouche with Kevin Parker’s vision shifting a bit toward synths over his trusty Rickenbacker guitar, which slightly became the resounding chatter behind the LP. Oh yeah, and there was the “record skip” in the middle of the track that we all went mental over.

2. Ought – “Beautiful Blue Sky”
3. The Weeknd – “Can’t Feel My Face”
4. DJ Spinn – “Dubby” (feat. DJ Rashad & Danny Brown)
5. Deerhunter – “Snakeskin”

Filed Under: Best of, Best of 2015, Editor's Picks, Featured Tagged With: Archy Marshall, BADBADNOTGOOD, Best of 2015, Caribou, 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, Deerhunter, Della Mae, DJ Paypal, DJ Spinn & DJ Taso, Father John Misty, FKA twigs, Fox Theater Oakland, FYF Fest, FYF Fest 2015, Great American Music Hall, Greensky Bluegrass, High Sierra Music Festival, High Sierra Music Festival 2015, Hollywood Forever, Jack White, Jamie xx, Jeff Austin Band, Kendrick Lamar, Kishi Bashi, Lightning in a Bottle, Lord Huron, Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, Nicolas Jaar, Ought, Outside Lands 2015, Outside Lands Music Festival, Outside Lands Music Festival 2015, Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, Protomartyr, Rickshaw Stop, Robyn, Santa Barbara Bowl, Silversun Pickups, String Cheese Incident, Symbiosis Gathering, Symbiosis Gathering 2015, Tame Impala, The California Honeydrops, The Chemical Brothers, The Dustbowl Revival, The Fillmore, The Independent, The Weeknd, Todd Terje, Todd Terje and the Olsens, Viet Cong

SF Show of the Week // GO4FREE to Baauer at Mezzanine 12/18 (FRI)

December 15, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Written by Nik Crossman //

Baauer with Djemba Djemba and DJ Dials //
Mezzanine – San Francisco
December 18th, 2015 //

Best known for his hit song “Harlem Shake”, Harry Bauer Rodrigues (aka Baauer) bounced around the world during his adolescent years before his family settled in Connecticut and he began producing dance music at the age of 13. Baauer started making a name for himself in 2012 while remixing well-known artists, from Nero and Flosstradamus to No Doubt and First Aid Kit. After signing with LuckyMe records, he received critical acclaim for “Harlem Shake”, winning “Dance Song of the Year” and “EDM Song of the Year” at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards.

This Friday, Djemba Djemba and DJ Dials will warm up the crowd at Mezzanine before Baauer unleashes his booty-poppin’ builds and drops that we have come to know and love over the past few years. Tickets are available for $20, 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:

• Fritz Montana: December 16th (WED) at Slim’s
• Ghostface Killah: December 18th (FRI) at The New Parish
• Death Angel: December 18th (FRI) at Slim’s
• Crocodiles, Wymond Miles & Paul Bergmann: December 20th (SUN) at The Chapel

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: Baauer, Crocodiles, Death Angel, DJ Dials, Djemba Djemba, Fritz Montana, Ghostface Killah, Mezzanine, Paul Bergmann, Slims, The Chapel, The New Parish, Wymond Miles

The California Honeydrops are creating quite a buzz in their hometown

December 8, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

By Kory Thibeault //

The California Honeydrops with Deva Mahal //
The New Parish – Oakland
December 3rd, 2015 //

One of Oakland’s finest, The California Honeydrops took over The New Parish last Thursday and were greeted by an enthusiastic hometown crowd for the first of two sold-out nights. In fact, this was the first time I have seen a line wrapped around the block to see a band at the East Bay venue.

The California Honeydrops are touring in support of their latest release A River’s Invitation, an album that is well worth a listen … or 10. Next time they come back to the Bay Area, be sure to buy your ticket early for an amazing evening of music.

Hailing from Brooklyn by way of Hawaii, experimental soul artist Deva Mahal, the daughter of longtime blues musician Taj Mahal (born Henry Saint Clair Fredericks), opened the show.

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: Deva Mahal, The California Honeydrops, The New Parish

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

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

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

SF Show of Week (Halloween edition) // GO4FREE to Passion Pit & RAC at The Masonic 10/30 (FRI)

October 28, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Written by Nik Crossman //

Passion Pit with RAC, Coleman Hell, Aaron Axelsen //
The Masonic – San Francisco
October 30th, 2015 //

Releasing Passion Pit’s third studio album Kindred in April, frontman Michael Angelakos finally steps into the light and pulls back the veil of anonymity that he so carefully crafted with the band’s first two albums. Passion Pit’s sophomore album Gossamer quickly gained popularity when it debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 in 2012. While Angelakos’ quixotic nature is not absent in Kindred, it is more refined without the distancing reverb and esoteric lyrics that were prevalent in the group’s previous releases. Passion Pit has been promoting their latest album on tour since its release and brings the tour to a close this week in SF at LIVE 105’s Scream Scene 2015.

Meanwhile, think of your favorite rock, indie, electronic and dance artists — and Remix Artist Collective (RAC) has likely remixed one of their songs. From The Shins to Death Cab for Cutie to Kings of Leon to Lana Del Rey, RAC expands their sound while maintaining the integrity of a song’s original structure. Developing RAC in 2007, André Allen Anjos set out to redefine how songs were remixed, using analog keyboards and tape machines to create his signature sound and steer away from the typical club/dance remix. While RAC initially gained popularity from Anjos’ remixes, the band released its first original song “Hollywood” in 2012 with the help of Penguin Prison’s Chris Glover and a second original track “Let Go” in 2013 that features Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke and MNDR (aka Amanda Lucille Warner).

This Friday, Passion Pit and RAC will storm into The Masonic with Coleman Hell and Aaron Axelsen providing support. You can buy tickets for $50, 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:

• Wand: October 29th (THUR) at Brick & Mortar Music Hall
• Awolnation: October 29th (THUR) at The Masonic
• Ceremony: October 29th (THUR) at Great American Music Hall
• Roky Erickson: October 31st (SAT) 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: Aaron Axelsen, Awolnation, Brick & Mortar Music Hall, Ceremony, Coleman Hell, Great American Music Hall, Live 105, LIVE 105's Scream Scene 2015, Meg Myers, Passion Pit, Roky Erickson, Scream Scene, Scream Scene 2015, The Fillmore, The Masonic, Wand

Vulfpeck bring the funk to a sold-out Slim’s

October 27, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

By Kory Thibeault //

Vulfpeck with Hibbity Dibbity //
Slim’s – San Francisco
October 18th, 2015 //

Forming a few year ago in Ann Arbor, Mich., Vulfpeck is a four-piece funk band that earned national attention last year when it released a silent album, entitled Sleepify, on Spotify as a way to fund an admission-free tour.

Now based in Los Angeles, Jack Stratton (keyboards, drums), Theo Katzman (guitar, drums), Woody Goss (keyboards) and Joe Dart (bass) just dropped their first full-length album Thrill of the Arts, which includes contributions from David T. Walker, Charles Jones and Blake Mills, earlier this month and have been touring in support of it since.

Coming to SF just nine days after the LP’s release, Vulfpeck performed for a sold-out crowd at Slim’s on a Sunday night with fellow funksters Hibbity Dibbity opening the show.

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: Hibbity Dibbity, Slims, Vulfpeck

YACHT headline The Independent a day after giving ontological birth to new album

October 23, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

By Eric Palozzolo //

YACHT //
The Independent – San Francisco
October 17th, 2015 //

YACHT released their sixth and latest studio album I Thought the Future Would Be Cooler just a day before rocking The Independent in SF. Following an action-packed first day at Treasure Island Music Festival (read our festival review here), the gig served as a late-night show for the fest (YACHT was not on this year’s lineup). Meanwhile, the ex-Portland/now-Los Angeles band made up by lead singer Claire L. Evans and multi-instrumentalist Jona Bechtolt brought plenty of energy to the stage while debuting new material for its SF fans.

Filed Under: Featured, Photos, Treasure Island Music Festival Tagged With: The Independent, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2015, YACHT

Albert Hammond, Jr. riffs the night away on the eve of Treasure Island Music Festival 2015

October 22, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

By Victoria Smith //

Albert Hammond, Jr. with Day Wave //
The Independent – San Francisco
October 16th, 2015 //

Albert Hammond, Jr. has made a name for himself beyond playing guitar and keyboard in the indie-rock goliath The Strokes. But with the release of his latest full-length album Momentary Masters this past July, the 35-year-old Los Angeles native continues to balance life as a double agent, refusing to blend the sound of his solo career with that of his primary outfit. The night before Treasure Island Music Festival, Hammond took the stage in SF after Jackson Phillips’ Oakland-based project Day Wave opened the show.

Filed Under: Featured, Photos, Treasure Island Music Festival Tagged With: Albert Hammond Jr, Day Wave, The Independent, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2015

20 moments we won’t forget from Treasure Island Music Festival 2015

October 22, 2015 by The Bam Team 3 Comments

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Mike Frash, Molly Kish & Anthony Sanchez //

Treasure Island Music Festival //
Treasure Island – San Francisco
October 17th-18th, 2015 //

There is no question Treasure Island Music Festival has one of the best locations and views in live music.

But Mother Nature had some things to say about the environment around the fest this year. For one, the drought has chased away the lovely grass that’s been present in years past. And with winds from 10-20 mph, it got a bit more dusty than usual. You can’t control the weather, and the grounds this year were a brutal reminder of how much California needs some damn rain.

Other than that, it was status quo for the Festival in the Bay — good times and no festy FOMO. Here are 20 moments and sets that will be ingrained in our brains.

The biggest news from Treasure Island Music Festival: The National have emerged as true festival headliners. Known for their pensive lyrics and sorrowful tone, The National injected their songs with accelerated BPM and an uplifting layering of melody, making the experience all the more magnificent. The setlist was still heavy on Trouble Will Find Me and High Violet songs, but it all felt new, more grateful, inspiring and majestic than before. Many of the highlights were one-offs and new cuts: Laura Mayberry duetted with a very present Matt Berninger on “I Need My Girl”, a cover of “Peggo-O” and with a shout-out to Bob Weir and new song “Checking Out” (it was called “Roman Candle” when they played it in Los Angeles earlier in the weekend). The effort was A1 all around, and we left wanting more.

Run the Jewels completely reigned over the crowd, flowing over heavy-hitting beats by El-P with a lively performance we all expected, willing all hands in the air. Yet another example of El Producto and Killer Mike bossing, per usual.

Father John (Sassypants) Misty has his festival game on point, and he has progressed his I Love You Honeybear songs into epic plateaus since premiering them in the Santa Cruz mountains last February (read about it here). He spewed banter like an Stephen Colbert-esque contrarian, saying, “Look at these suckers with their hair blowing all over the place.” And as he approached the mic for more improv-snark later on, Tillman paused to say, “Sorry, I have nothing to say. Ha.” FJM was speechless for once, but granted, it might have been set up for “Bored in the USA”, a song that should be considered an American classic at this point.

Easily one of the most opinion-generating sets of the weekend, FKA twigs left everything she had on the Bridge Stage for a captive audience of conflicting critics. Washing over the sizable crowd backed by dramatic stage lights and eerily haunting vocals, the pint-sized powerhouse tangoed her way through a fog-laced set alongside fellow voguing backup dancers and band. Even with her set pushing the avant-garde limits for a good portion of the TIMF crowd, FKA twigs undoubtedly left an impression on everyone in attendance and held her own as headliner support in a considerably stacked bill.

Giving the last performance in support their already-classic Lost in the Dream, The War on Drugs end an album cycle with a few questions in mind. Can they get better from here, and could they headline festivals next time around?

Panda Bear delightfully assaulted the festival-weary crowd’s senses with a mind-melting IDM exclamation point. He treated his crowd to one last collectively-uncomfortable group moment, brought on by delightfully weird music and intense background visuals designed by Danny Perez.

Fresh off the release of their second studio album, CHVRCHES‘ Lauren Mayberry commanded the stage with a palpable enthusiasm and chops of a veteran frontwoman. Her epic vocals cut through the encroaching fog as she danced wildly around the Bridge Stage.

Ex Hex served up the best shred-dueling guitar moment during their amazing mid-day slot on Sunday.

Hudson Mohawke demonstrated the kind of talent and energy that keeps him on speed dial for the likes of Drake and Kanye West, firing off club bangers in a set replete with custom lighting and live drummers.

Armed with a full roster of touring vocalists, the UK electronic duo Gorgon City blew the Saturday afternoon crowd away with soulful renditions of “Unmissable” and “Real”. Set highlights including numerous extended versions of crowd favorite album cuts and easily the best midday dance party of the weekend, spurred by an audience-rousing rendition of “Here for You”.

Viet Cong‘s Matt Flegal mentioned, “We had Sunday afternoons in mind when we wrote this stuff” with juuuuust a dash of irony. Maybe “Sunday Afternoon” would be a solid choice for the group’s new name? Maybe not, but drummer Mike Wallace is the heartbeat of this excellent doom-indie act.

When you look at the TIMF 2015 lineup, Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) is the fish out of water with their jam-band roots. But Sound Tribe got the love from a dance-happy crowd on Saturday, one that was there largely for the mau5.

Big Grams impressed with their live debut to close out the Tunnel Stage on Saturday. How could the combo of Big Boi and Phantogram not bring the fire? Plus, Run the Jewels guested for “Born to Shine”.

Vampire Weekend bassist Baio and his early-riser electronic set was replete with a Eurythmics cover “Here Comes the Rain Again”.

Cashmere Cat (pictured above) breezed through an electrifying set of R&B-infused trap sensations while Bob Moses set the tone on Saturday, moving the crowd as they watched the projected overcast clouds head back over to SF, leaving the island awash in sunshine and vibes.

Jose Gonzalez stretched out his best hits with multiple drummers and an idyllic TIMF sound for the festival’s second day. You know a set is good when it goes by that quickly.

Shamir (pictured above) showed sass and chops beyond his years — and why he’s a 2015 breakout act. Meanwhile, damn, Ought sure is proficient, and they unveil beauty through repetition and punk mentality. Their purposeful presence and pointed music makes you think their best is yet to come.

Deerhunter‘s Bradford Cox talked about how he decided on the way over to the island that he wouldn’t play many songs, how he took ayahuasca on Saturday night in LA and he was surprised at how reserved the TIMF audience was. He said we were “polite like the Japanese.” Bradford, that’s what we call “respect” — and you’ve earned it. Those who expected lots of new material from the group’s wondrous new album, Fading Frontier, left the island bummed out. Others like myself, who got on the Bradford Cox express train without hesitation, enjoyed a wandering, masterful set that took cues from the sentiment of The War on Drugs as well as the psychedelic repetition of Panda Bear. Cox even thanked these two bands by name before wrapping up.

So, what were your favorite moments from TIMF 2015?

Treasure Island Music Festival 2015 - FKA twigs

Treasure Island Music Festival 2015 - CHRVCHES

Treasure Island Music Festival 2015 - Ex Hex

Treasure Island Music Festival 2015 - STS9

Treasure Island Music Festival 2015 - Run the Jewels

Treasure Island Music Festival 2015 - Shamir

Treasure Island Music Festival 2015 - Deerhunter

Treasure Island Music Festival 2015 - Gorgon City

Treasure Island Music Festival 2015 - Father John Misty

Treasure Island Music Festival 2015 - The War on Drugs

Treasure Island Music Festival 2015 - Viceroy

Treasure Island Music Festival 2015 - Panda Bear

Treasure Island Music Festival 2015 - Lower Dens

Treasure Island Music Festival 2015 - Deadmau5

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals, Treasure Island Music Festival Tagged With: Baio, Big Boi, Big Grams, Bob Moses, Cashmere Cat, Chvrches, Deerhunter, Ex Hex, Father John Misty, FKA twigs, Gorgon City, Hudson Mohawke, Jose Gonzalez, Ought, Panda Bear, Phantogram, Run The Jewels, Shamir, Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9), The National, The War on Drugs, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2015, Viet Cong

SF Show of the Week // GO4FREE to DIIV at The Fillmore 10/22 (THUR)

October 21, 2015 by The Bam Team 1 Comment

Written by Nik Crossman //

DIIV with No Joy, Sunflower Beam //
The Fillmore – San Francisco
October 22nd, 2015 //

“Everyone in the band is a water sign, that’s why the name ‘Dive’ really spoke to us,” Zachary Cole Smith, the 30-year-old mastermind behind Brooklyn indie-rock band DIIV, said in a 2012 interview following the release of the group’s debut album Oshin.

DIIV began as Smith’s solo project in 2011, releasing three singles before forming a live band alongside guitarist and childhood friend Andrew Bailey, bassist Devin Ruben Perez, drummer Ben Newman and keyboardist Colin Caulfield. In an acid-induced 5 a.m. text followed by a phone call to Smith, Perez explained why the Nirvana song “Dive” was really about them and why their astrological water signs mattered.

After releasing Oshin in 2012, the band toured in support of its debut album and Smith continued writing, creating more than 150 songs in just two years. DIIV’s live performances contain hits from Oshin along with several of these 150 unreleased songs. In September, DIIV released “Dopamine”, the first single from Is the Is Are, their second album which is set to come out in November.

This Thursday, the current five-piece invites you to an intimate evening with them at The Fillmore after No Joy and Sunflower Beam kick things off. at. Tickets are still available for $20, 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:

• MUTEMATH: October 21st (WED) at Brick & Mortar Music Hall
• No Bunny: October 22nd (THUR) at Leo’s Music Club
• Joyce Manor: October 24th (SAT) at Slim’s

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, DIIV, Joyce Manor, Mute Math, No Bunny, No Joy, Slims, Sunflower Beam, The Fillmore

Garage rock collides with indie pop as Black Lips, Ariel Pink drop by Bimbo’s 365 Club

October 20, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Black Lips

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

Black Lips & Ariel Pink //
Bimbo’s 365 Club – San Francisco
October 14th, 2015 //

Black Lips exploded into SF’s hidden gem of Bimbo’s 365 Club, creating an unlikely contrast of a spit-in-your-face, garage-rock band in a club that would be suited for the rat pack.

Garage punk to its core and looser than geese, the Atlanta five-piece consisting of Cole Alexander (vocals, guitar), Jared Swilley (vocals, bass), Oakley Munson (drums, vocals), Zumi Rosow (vocals, saxophone) and Jeff Clarke (guitar, vocals) seemed to be a bit tame for a band with a reputation for putting on high-energy, unpredictable and anything-goes gigs. That was until the crowd filed into the room and they played the sought-after song “Katrina”.

Finally, it was the Black Lips again giving the show everyone expected: crowd surfers, shirt losers and Alexander catching his own spit from the air. Being true to their lyrics, they ended with “Bad Kids” and earned the sea of beer that was chucked at them from below.

Thus began the weirdest intermission and largest exodus of smokers or mere fresh air seekers exiting out front, leaving just four souls holding fort in front of the stage.

Ariel Pink

It would be pretty entertaining and informative to see somebody like astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson debate with Ariel Pink. Somewhere between the lines of Pink’s songwriting, there is a bottled-up genius, and nobody but a genius could write such strange songs except for maybe R. Stevie Moore, whom Pink made a 61-track double EP with in 2011 entitled KuKlux Glam.

Pink’s set began uncertain of direction with many of us eagerly wondering when they would play a more recognizable favorite. Suddenly, as if it were never going to happen, the band broke into “Number in My Phone” and “Only in My Dreams” to wake us up from any confusion.

Pink’s backing band is the perfect blend of an American Apparel ad mixed with Hedwig and the Angry Inch ensemble, with Ariel holding their passports for ransom to ensure full dedication. They are clearly from Los Angeles, but in a great way. During “White Freckles” large-pupiled fans jumped at the chance to mosh like it was its only opportunity, knocking over drinks, people and innocence in the process.

Pink’s ever-endearing shyness made it unclear whether he enjoyed his time onstage or not. Between the set’s last song and the encore, which seemed like an eternity in terms of show standards, half the audience left thinking he and his band wouldn’t return. When they finally did though, the true believers who stuck around were treated to a four-song encore that included “Four Shadows” and a “goodnight” from one of modern music’s biggest weirdos.

BLACK LIPS

Setlist:
Sea of Blasphemy
Family Tree
Modern Art
Justice After All
Dirty Hands
Go Out and Get It
O Katrina!
Make It
Boys in the Wood
Funny
Drugs
Ghetto Cross
Not a Problem
You’re Dumb
Smiling
Raw Meat
Bad Kids

ARIEL PINK

Setlist:
Dinosaur Carebears
One on One (Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti song)
Nostradamus & Me (Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti song)
Bright Lit Blue Skies (The Rockin’ Ramrods cover)
Put Your Number in My Phone
Only in My Dreams (Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti song)
West Coast Calamities (Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti song)
Menopause Man (Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti song)
Baby (Donnie & Joe Emerson cover)
White Freckles
Lipstick
Not Enough Violence
One Summer Night
Netherlands (Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti song)

Encore:
Negativ Ed
Goth Bomb
Four Shadows
Dayzed Inn Daydreams

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Ariel Pink, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Bimbo's 365 Club, Black Lips, Donnie & Joe Emerson, Donnie Emerson, Joe Emerson, The Rockin' Ramrods

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BLACK LIPS

ARIEL PINK

SHOW REVIEWS

Back in SoCal after 16 months, Jack White dips into his bag of tricks for sold-out shows at Fox Theater Pomona & Hollywood Palladium

Tomahawk return to the stage for first time in 13 years & put a bow on their summer tour with two sold-out nights in LA at The Belasco

Two years after their BeachLife Festival headlining slot was canceled, My Morning Jacket return in 2026 to deliver some sweet redemption

What the world needs now is more Fcukers & their sold-out show at The Observatory only served as further proof

Silversun Pickups come out swinging with power & precision to kick off their ‘Tenterhooks Tour’ for a sold-out crowd at The Observatory

PHOTOS

After co-producing the new Queens of the Stone Age album, Michael Shuman flaunts his solo project GLU for a hometown crowd in LA

Tyler Ramsey & Carl Broemel showcase their beautiful collaboration ‘Celestun’ at Lodge Room just a few weeks after the album’s release

STS9 take over The Bellwether in LA for two nights to celebrate 20 years of ‘Artifact’ & the release of their new album ‘Human Dream’

FESTIVALS

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