CRSSD kicks off festival season on the West Coast

March 7, 2016 by 1 Comment

CRSSD Festival 2016Photos by Felicia Garcia, Skyler Greene, Glenn Silva & Gabe Tiano // Written by Josh Herwitt //

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
March 5th-6th, 2016 //

This past weekend officially signaled the beginning of festival season as several major music festivals across the country hit the ground running, including both Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival and AURA Music Festival in Florida.

Out here on the West Coast, CRSSD Festival returned to San Diego’s picturesque Waterfront Park, serving as the perfect warm-up for Coachella with the renowned desert festival only six weeks away. CRSSD, which was started by Southern California promoters FNGRS CRSSD and Goldenvoice last March, originally presented itself as an indie-electronic music festival with Empire of the Sun and Chromeo leading the way as headliners (read our review here). But last October for its second edition, CRSSD turned its attention toward more rock-centric acts like The Flaming Lips and TV on the Radio for top billing while targeting a number of electropop bands, including St. Lucia, AlunaGeorge and Big Data, to also play over two days.

Boasting a more electronic-focused lineup this spring, CRSSD welcomed back Seattle duo ODESZA, who climbed to headliner status in leading a Saturday bill that featured sets from Cirez D (aka Eric Prydz), Gesaffelstein, John Hopkins, Ryan Hemsworth, Ben UFO, Poolside and Damian Lazarus. While 2016 marked the second straight year that Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight performed on the festival’s main stage, Sunday’s card saw two sets (DJ and live) from North London garage duo Gorgon City as well as the CRSSD debuts of Claude Von Stroke, Hi-Lo, Tycho and headliner Chet Faker. After returning to its indie-electronic roots for this latest installment, it will be interesting to see if CRSSD continues down the same path it’s on after two sold-out days or once again tries to bring more rock-based bands into the fold.

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Metric, Joywave drop a double dose of electro rock on their fans at Hollywood Palladium

March 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Metric


Metric

By Josh Herwitt //

Metric with Joywave //
Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles
February 25th, 2016 //

Coincidence or not, Toronto’s music scene was surprisingly well-represented in LA last week. The Great White North’s largest city has been its largest cultivator of electronic music since the early 2000’s, boasting some of EDM’s biggest and brightest names, whether it’s DJs and producers like DeadMau5 or live improvisational bands like Holy Fuck, who we saw debut brand-new material from what will be their first studio album in six years last Thursday night (read more about the show here). But if Holy Fuck’s hour-long set at Los Globos was simply there to serve as the undercard for Toronto’s aural invasion in LA over a brief 24-hour period, then the main event belonged to a different Queen City quartet the following night: Metric.

The indie/new wave four-piece fronted by Broken Social Scene’s Emily Haines has been at it for almost two decades now, with six studio albums to boot, including 2015’s Pagans in Vegas that dropped this past September. But with their last visit to LA seeing them perform only nine songs as opening support for Imagine Dragons at The Forum, Metric had yet to play a proper show in LA since unveiling Pagans. And as evidenced by the near-capacity crowd at the Hollywood Palladium last Friday for the band’s first headlining performance in quite a while, dating all the way back to 2012, many fans were ready to get their weekend started as they arrived early to catch Joywave’s opening set.

Joywave


Joywave

For as mainstream as Metric have become — and it’s only fitting considering that Haines and guitarist James Shaw originally named the group “Mainstream” when it first formed in 1998 as a duo — Joywave have garnered their own commercial success in their rather short career, though much of it can been attributed to “Dangerous”, the Big Data hit that peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. But the electronic-inspired, indie-rock act that calls Rochester, N.Y., home harnessed that momentum to write and release its debut LP How Do You Feel Now? on Hollywood Records, so it only seemed appropriate that Joywave were here in Tinseltown to perform material from the album.

Evidently, frontman Daniel Armbruster came ready for the moment, bringing what felt like a Red Bull’s worth of energy to the stage while working the crowd in between songs with some unorthodox, yet comedic stage banter. He mentioned the group’s upcoming performance at Coachella this April and joked about LA being the ninth-most-privileged city to hear its new track from the Alice in Wonderland movie that’s due out May 27th. In the end, it was one of those exceptionally strong sets from an opener — even with only 45 minutes to work with — and we can only wonder what Armbruster and his sidekicks could do with another album or two under their belt and their own headlining gig at a large LA venue like The Palladium.

Metric


Metric

When it came time for Metric to take the stage, the audience had been properly warmed up and was hungry for more. To kick off their 23-song set that lasted almost two hours, Haines, Shaw, bassist/keyboardist Joshua Winstead and drummer Joules Scott-Key transported us all the way back to 2003 with “IOU” from their debut album Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? But while it was fairly safe to assume that at least part of the reason why they were embarking on a 24-date tour across the U.S. was to support their latest album, Metric only unveiled a handful of songs — five to be exact — from Pagans.

Instead, the Canadian rockers put together a career-spanning performance, whether it was “Empty” from 2005’s Live It Out, “Raw Sugar” from 2007’s Grow Up and Blow Away, “Sick Muse” from 2009’s Fantasies or “Youth Without Youth” from 2012’s Synthetica. Yes, singles like “Dead Disco”, “Poster of a Girl”, “Monster Hospital”, “Help, I’m Alive”, “Front Row”, “Stadium Love” and their most recent hit “The Governess” were left off the setlist, yet that didn’t stop them from throwing in a few wrinkles, including an a cappella intro for “Hustle Rose” and some audience assistance for “Dreams So Real”, the latter of which didn’t quite deliver as planned.

Nevertheless, it was these slight deviations that kept fans on their toes throughout the show, proving that Metric are more than just the sum of their studio cuts. Their four-song encore continued along that path, as Haines and Shaw performed an acoustic rendition of “Gimme Sympathy” before Winstead and Scott-Key made their return and closed things out with the group’s 2012 single “Breathing Underwater”. And with all four members singing their hearts out until the night’s very last note, it was easy to see why Metric have become the critically acclaimed band that they are today.

Setlist:
IOU
Help I’m Alive
Youth Without Youth
Twilight Galaxy
Cascades
Raw Sugar (a cappella intro)
Hustle Rose (a cappella intro)
Too Bad, So Sad
Artificial Nocturne
Dreams So Real (audience participation)
Blind Valentine (instrumental intro)
Sick Muse
Collect Call
Other Side
Black Sheep
Synthetica
Combat Baby (a cappella portion)
Gold Guns Girls
The Shade

Encore:
Empty
Celebrate
Gimme Sympathy (Emily & James acoustic)
Breathing Underwater

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Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors take a victory lap at The Chapel

February 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Drew Holcomb and the NeighborsBy Steve Carlson //

Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors with Sean McConnell //
The Chapel – San Francisco
February 25th, 2016 //

The last year has been pretty good to singer-songwriter Drew Holcomb. Since releasing the critically lauded LP Medicine in early 2015, which debuted at No. 47 on the Billboard 200, he has toured extensively with his band The Neighbors in support of the record (including a visit to The Masonic in SF last summer to open for NEEDTOBREATHE), launched his own vinyl record club called Magnolia Record Club and continued to host the successful Moon River Music Festival in Memphis, which he founded two years ago. By this point, late in the album cycle for Medicine, you could expect that it might feel like a bit of a victory lap for Holcomb and his band when they came to town last Thursday night to perform at The Chapel — and it certainly felt that way for the capacity crowd by the end of the night.

Starting things off was folk/country artist Sean McConnell, who has had his share of success as a songwriter for such country superstars as Tim McGraw and Martina McBride. Now based in Nashville, McConnell quickly won over the audience with his sentimental, soulful ballads, including the show-stopping “Shotgun”, which he noted was recently recorded with Buddy Miller and Christina Aguilera for the ABC television series “Nashville”. But the highlight of McConnell’s set came with the rollicking “Save Our Soul”, a good old-fashioned, take-you-to-church country song that repeats the refrain “we all need a good second coming/a rebirth of rock ‘n’ roll/I can hear the guitars humming/someone save our soul”. It’s hard to imagine a better song to play at The Chapel, and the crowd happily responded with foot stomping and hollering aplenty. McConnell mentioned that he hasn’t toured much on the West Coast but hopes to more in the future.

Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors

After a short break, it was Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors’ turn to lead the faithful, and it’s safe to say he didn’t disappoint. The crowd was clearly well-acquainted with Holcomb’s music and showed the band plenty of love early and often. As one would expect, the setlist leaned heavily on material from Medicine, but also featured a number of cuts off 2013’s Good Light, including the album’s title track and a beautiful solo rendition of “What Would I Do Without You” during the encore. Holcomb also dug deeper into his catalog to unearth “Hallelujah”, which he paired nicely with a few bars of Counting Crows staple “Mr. Jones”. A few songs later, he gathered with his bandmates around a ribbon mic for hushed renditions of “Ain’t Nobody Got It Easy” and “Fire and Dynamite”, which were highlights of the night.

Late in the set, Holcomb opened the floor up to requests, which led to two more tracks off of Good Light: “Tennessee” and “Another Man’s Shoes”. The latter showed off Holcomb’s good nature as he struggled through the song (which he admitted to not having played in awhile), mixing up verses and forgetting lyrics, but he did it with both laughter and self-deprecation throughout. As the night came to a close and Holcomb launched into his final number, the lighthearted, call-and-response tune entitled “Here We Go”, he warned the audience with a grin that “the next three-and-a-half minutes are going to be fun!” Judging by the singing and dancing that took place over those three and a half minutes in addition to the thunderous and sustained applause as the band took their bows, he was undoubtedly right.

Setlist:
American Beauty
Tightrope
Good Light
Nothing But Trouble
Avalanche
Hallelujah > Mr. Jones (Counting Crows cover)
You’ll Always Be My Girl
When It’s All Said and Done
I Like to Be With Me When I’m With You
Live Forever
Ain’t Nobody Got It Easy
Fire and Dynamite
Tennessee
Another Man’s Shoes
Shine Like Lightning

Encore:
What Would I Do Without You
Here We Go

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Holy Fuck keep things weird in their return to LA

February 26, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Holy FuckPhotos by Marv Watson // Written by Josh Herwitt //

Holy Fuck with Finding Novyon, Gossamer //
Los Globos – Los Angeles
February 25th, 2016 //

Toronto has built a reputation for fostering up-and-coming electronic music artists over the years. As Canada’s largest metropolis, it has been home to EDM heavyweights Deadmau5 and Zeds Dead while other dance-heavy acts out of The Queen City like MSTRKRFT, Crystal Castles and Keys N Krates have all carved out their own loyal fan bases.

But among those notable names is Holy Fuck, the Toronto four-piece that has rather quietly been creating electronic music for more than a decade with traditional instrumentation in addition to using such miscellaneous (and humorous) instruments/non-instruments as toy keyboards, toy phaser guns and even a 35 mm film synchronizer.

Holy Fuck

Returning to LA for the first time since playing The Roxy Theatre in 2014 (see our photos from the show here), keyboardist/producer Brian Borcherdt, keyboardist/producer Graham Walsh, bassist Matt “Punchy” McQuaid and drummer Matt Schulz hit the diminutive stage at Silver Lake’s Los Globos for another installment of Red Bull’s Sound Select series after opening sets from Innovative Leisure labelmate Gossamer and Minneapolis rapper Finding Novyon.

It should go without saying that when the quartet performs live, it knows how to keep things sounding weird. And on this Thursday night, that appeared to once again be the case, as the band debuted brand-new single “Tom Tom” off its forthcoming LP Congrats while also mixing in some older favorites (i.e. “Red Lights” and “Latin America”) from its seminal third album Latin. It’s been quite some time — close to six years, in fact — since Holy Fuck have released any new music, and we can’t say we aren’t excited to hear some new tunes this coming May.

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With Nicki Bluhm joining them at The Fillmore, The Infamous Stringdusters kick things into overdrive

February 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment

The Infamous StringdustersBy Benjamin Wallen //

The Infamous Stringdusters feat. Nicki Bluhm with Della Mae //
The Fillmore – San Francisco
February 20th, 2016 //

The Fillmore welcomed Charlottesville’s Infamous Stringdusters to SF for a fun-filled night of bluegrass tunes last Saturday, and opening the show was Della Mae. These ladies from Boston have been delivering quality music for bluegrass lovers across the U.S. and around the world. In fact, their self-titled third LP was my favorite album of 2015.

Della Mae is what we all love about bluegrass, a perfectly tight group playing with roots and wisdom shining through on every song. “Old souls” would be a great way to describe their sound, but it’s also richly filled with life and energy. The last time I saw Della Mae they filled The Chapel, and this time they returned to a packed Fillmore — not a bad way to make your return to SF if you ask me. Although the six-piece lost out on a Grammy to the legendary Del McCoury in 2014, I imagine we will see them back up on the pedestal again sooner than later.

Della Mae


Della Mae

The Infamous Stringdusters, meanwhile, brought the heat and along with it, Bay Area favorite Nicki Bluhm to sit in on a few songs. Bluhm, the singer-songwriter who hails from Lafayette, Calif., and has collaborated with Chris Robinson, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Warren Haynes, Grace Potter, The Avett Brothers, Keller Williams and Galactic, proved to be a great fit, blending in perfectly with the group’s “jamgrass” sound — something different from the more traditional Americana rock/soul she usually cooks up as a solo artist — like the perfect amount of spice.

The Stringdusters blazed The Fillmore and whipped up a great double set that was incredible to witness. The last time I saw these guys was at Winter Wonder Grass in Lake Tahoe almost a year ago, and they definitely kicked it into overdrive at The Fillmore. I cannot wait to get back out to see them soon, and if they come through your town, make sure you don’t miss them.

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Noise Pop 2016: Daily picks & flavors of the week

February 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Noise Pop 2016Written by Molly Kish //

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

Noise Pop 2016 is here! To get you ready for all the Noise Pop festivities throughout the Bay Area, we present our daily picks and flavors of the week.

Plus, make sure to brush up on this year’s bill with our Noise Pop playlist and don’t miss your opportunity to take part in the festivities.

GO4FREE: Win tickets to Noise Pop 2016 shows all week here!

Monday, February 22nd

Noise Pop 2016 - David Bowie Tribute Party

Ziggy Stardust Tribute Party with Everyone Is Bowie: February 22nd (MON) @ The Independent, 8 p.m., 21+ (SOLD OUT)

Paying respect to the Star Man himself, film and concert enthusiasts alike can trip out to “The Spiders from Mars” at The Independent for David Bowie tribute night. The venue will be participating in the Noise Pop film series by showing a digitally remastered version of “Ziggy Stardust and “The Spiders from Mars”. After the screening, make sure to stick around for a live performance from Oakland’s own conceptual tribute band Everyone Is Bowie, including visuals by local film production company White Light Prism. There’s even a pre-party at San Franpsycho (505 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117) with live screen printing, face painting, a Bowie costume contest and free beer (yes, you read that right) from Mavericks Brewing Company.

Tuesday, February 23rd

Metric


Metric

Metric with Joywave: February 23rd (TUE) @ The Masonic, 8 p.m., All Ages // WIN TICKETS

No strangers to the the Bay Area music scene and Noise Pop’s illustrious history, 15-year-old indie-rock veterans Metric headline The Masonic on Tuesday with support from New York dance-pop quartet Joywave. Serving as one of the main headliners at this year’s festival, Metric is one band you’ll want to catch early in the week — and we have a pair of tickets just for you.

“Fucked Up But Beautiful” (Noise Pop art reception): February 23rd (TUE) @ Bender’s Bar & Grill, 5 p.m., 21+

Celebrating the flawed and accentuating the negative, “Fucked Up But Beautiful” showcases some of the work of the Bay Area’s most prominent independent artists that was never meant to be seen. Marred by sundry, footprints, bent corners and beer spills, Bender’s Bar & Grill will be hosting a full gallery of glossy disasters, which in turn have taken on a new appreciation of their own. Stop by Bender’s to reflect on mistakes and check out the labors of unrequited love from Amy Jo, Boss Construction, Bureau of Print Research and Design, Crosshair, The Decoder Ring, Drug Factory Press, Alan Forbes, Furturtle Prints, Kollective Fusion, Lil Tuffy, Methane Industries, PinkBikeRalph, Powerslide Design, Tooth and more.

Wednesday, February 24th

Andrew Jackson Jihad


Andrew Jackson Jihad

Wild Ones, Palehound with Two Sheds, False Priest: February 24th (WED) @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall, 7 p.m., 21+ // WIN TICKETS

Spanning the spectrum of everything Noise Pop, this lineup includes Wild One’s heavy synth and ethereal R&B, singer-songwriter Ellie Kemper’s solo project Palehound and local modern rock outfit False Priest. If you’re looking to shake things up on Wednesday and truly get a full taste of the Noise Pop 2016 lineup, stop by the intimately accommodating Brick & Mortar Music Hall and check out this exceptional lineup.

Andrew Jackson Jihad with BATTLEHOOCH, Owl Paws: February 24th (WED) @ The Chapel, 7 p.m., 21+

Maybe you’re looking to let loose mid-work week? If being an adult has got you down, come through The Chapel on Wednesday night and get weird with the prominent wild card’s of Noise Pop 2016. Are you into the collective craze of Andrew Jackson Jihad’s folk-punk antics or daydreaming of being swaddled in the illustrious locks of Grant Goodrich, the bass player of SF’s own BATTLEHOOCH? Regardless of your motivation, we recommend you get there early for Owl Paws’ set and go pile-driving into the second half of your work week.

Thursday, February 24th

Kamasi Washington


Kamasi Washington

“Gin N Jazz” feat. Kamasi Washington in conversation with David Katznelson: February 25th (THUR) @ Swedish American Hall, 4 p.m., 21+ (RSVP required)

As part of Noise Pop 2016’s “HQ Culture Hour” series, Bay Area music veteran and Birdman Recording Group founder David Katznelson will be chatting with saxophonist Kamasi Washington about all things jazz over gin libations sponsored by UK independent spirit purveyor Sipsmith. Signed as an accomplished protégé and part of the label’s early roster while playing as a teenager in The Young Jazz Giants, Washington has a storied history with plenty to discuss about the origins and ever-growing complexities of jazz in mainstream art and culture. Touching upon Washington’s roots, recording process and musical journey, this conversation will be a great opportunity to get an in-depth look at the band leader outside of his sold-out show later that evening.

Antwon with Alexander Spit, Unlikely Heroes: February 25th (THUR) @ The New Parish, 8 p.m., 21+ // WIN TICKETS

This lineup depicts a hometown love letter to Bay Area hip-hop. Throwing down this Thursday is a full lineup of performers looking to turn up The New Parish in Oakland. Bay Area native and world-renowned lyrcist Antwon headlines the night with his cross-over brand of indie hip-hop and will be supported by locally raised rapper and producer Alexander Spit. Kicking off the party will be SF Battle of the Band’s winner Unlikely Heroes, the hip-hop/punk outfit that promises to get the crowd pumped up.

Friday, February 26th

Parquet Courts


Parquet Courts

Parquet Courts with Chris Cohen, The World: February 26th (FRI) @ The New Parish, 8 p.m., 21+ // WIN TICKETS

Want to go to the heaviest lineup Noise Pop has to offer? Are you into sludgy, low-fi garage rock and sweaty, eardrum-rattling rock shows? No? GTFOH! But seriously, if you’re looking to do something Friday night that will leave you invigorated (more than likely wet and quite possibly with a couple of mystery bruises), look no further. The New Parish is hosting the dream lineup of prog rock and punk with Parquet Courts headlining a sold-out show with openers Chris Cohen and Emotional. If you slept on the opportunity to tear it up this Friday, you’ll still have a chance to go for free on us. Stay tuned!

Beacon with Natasha Kmeto, Running in the Fog, Frugal Father: February 26th (FRI) @ Bottom of the Hill, 8 p.m., 21+

Besides getting the chance to see some of the most promising up-and-coming artists right on the cusp of a major breakthrough, one of the perks of going to Noise Pop is that all the show are being hosted in venues that are known and loved throughout SF’s music scene. This Friday, darkwave electronic duo Beacon will take over the shoulder-grazing space of Bottom of the Hill for a truly special, one-off performance. With Beacon debuting material off of their brand-new EP, this guaranteed dance party with support from Natasha Kmeto, Running in the Fog and Frugal Father will be bursting at the seams inside this favorite venue among punk and hard-rock locals.

Saturday, February 27th

Escort


Escort

Escort with MOBLEY, COLLAJ, Push the Feelings DJs: February 26th (FRI) @ Rickshaw Stop, 8:30 p.m., 18+

Pulling influences from the legendary discos in New York, Chicago and Detroit while claiming the headlining spot on Noise Pop’s Saturday night roster at Rickshaw Stop is Brooklyn’s very own Escort. Hailed as a type of “disco orchestra” with a live show comprised of anywhere between a 5-11-piece roster, the East Coast “funktronica” outfit will be debuting new music from there yet-to-be-released sophomore album. Supported by Austin trip-hop artist MOBLEY, SF’s COLLAJ (formerly 8th Grader) and Push the Feelings DJs, this will be one of the fiercest dance parties of the entire weekend.

Song Exploder podcast with Carly Rae Jepsen: February 26th (FRI) @ Swedish American Hall, 2:30 p.m., All Ages (RSVP required)

Continuing its second year as a part of Noise Pop, Hrishikesh Hirway hosts his live storytelling “Song Exploder” podcast from the confines of the Swedish American Hall this Saturday with Carly Rae Jepsen. Dissecting her latest album Emotion and the creative thought process behind composing lead single “I Needed You”, Jepsen will sit down for a candid interview with Hirway that will lead into her performance that evening at The Warfield.

Sunday, February 28th

DIIV


DIIV

DIIV with Dirty Ghosts, Creative Adult, Fine Points @ The Independent, 7:30 p.m., 21+ (SOLD OUT) // WIN TICKETS

Closing out the festival this year with a final punctuation of raw indie-rock talent, Sunday night’s bill at The Independent highlights some of the biggest names on this year’s lineup. Headlining the showcase will be DIIV, a side project from the former members of Beach Fossils and Smith Westerns, celebrating the release of their critically acclaimed new album Is the Is Are. Paired with local female-fronted rock powerhouse Dirty Ghosts and North Bay punks Creative Adult, this show will be having you question the validity of your Sunday and whether or not a lineup of this magnitude holds much relevance when accessing your upcoming work week.

See the full list of Noise Pop 2016 events here, and you can still purchase festival passes here. Keep it here at Showbams and on our Twitter account here throughout the week for a chance to win tickets to this year’s shows.

2016 Noise Pop - full lineup

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Beats Antique, Lettuce join forces at Club Nokia to bring electronica and funk together for one night

February 18, 2016 by 2 Comments

Beats Antique


Beats Antique

By Josh Herwitt //

Beats Antique, Lettuce with Lafa Taylor //
Club Nokia – Los Angeles
February 12th, 2015 //

It’s not often that you see a modern funk band sharing the stage with an electronic music act on the same night, let alone a weekend night in LA.

For that reason, it was hard to deny when last Friday’s co-headline show featuring Lettuce and Beats Antique was first announced that it felt like somewhat of an odd pairing between two well-established groups that have made their mark in very different ways. While Lettuce have inevitably cultivated jam-band fans with their tie to funk/jazz trio Soulive (keyboardist Neal Evans and guitarist Eric Krasno are members of both groups), Beats Antique have built their own unique audience, one that frequents Burning Man, Lightning in a Bottle and other “transformational” events put on by The Do LaB.

Lettuce


Lettuce with Nigel Hall

But if there’s one constant running through both bands’ music, it’s their ability to make their fans move. Sure, funk might not be what’s trendy among mainstream music fans these days, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a group of musicians cooking up a better batch of funk than Lettuce. If anything, the No. 1 position on Billboard‘s U.S. Jazz Albums chart that their fourth studio album Crush earned firmly stamps the band’s place in today’s music scene. And even with Lettuce performing sans Krasno — to some fans’ dismay — on this night, the collective threw down one groove after another, as bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes and drummer Adam Deitch laid the foundation for Adam Smirnoff’s guitar licks or the band’s three-piece horns section to take center stage. That, of course, was all before Nigel Hall stepped onstage and grabbed the mic for the group’s final songs, letting it all hang out during a cover of Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Gratitude” in memory of the late Maurice White, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 74.

When it came time for Beats Antique to join the party, the Oakland-based trio quickly made its presence known, as multi-instrumentalist David Satori, drummer Tommy “Sidecar” Cappel and belly dancer Zoe Jakes often do, with a performance that makes you feel like you’re at the circus or at the very least, a psychedelic-inspired carnival. Pair that with their own take on neo-gypsy electronica and tribal fusion dance, and you get the whole experience of a Beats Antique show. Jakes started off the set by riding a stationary bicycle high above the ground and eventually grabbed ahold of a bass drum for the group’s ensuing song, pounding away with both arms as if she were leading her own marching band onstage. Joined by frequent guest musician Sylvain Carton (baritone sax, clarinet), Beats Antique dove deep into their catalog, one that’s starting to near the 10-year mark believe it or not.

Beats Antique


Beats Antique

The highlight of the night, though, was no doubt the encore, which saw Deitch and Lettuce’s horns section jump back onstage for a couple more tunes. It didn’t take long for the highly sought-after Deitch — the Berklee College of Music graduate who has also produced hip-hop tracks with 50 Cent, Redman, Talib Kweli and Xzibit and now splits his time between Lettuce, Pretty Lights and Break Science, the latter being the Brooklyn electro/hip-hop/soul duo he formed with keyboardist/producer Borahm Lee in 2009 (read one of our show reviews here) — and Cappel to capture some of the spotlight, as the two drummers battled it out on the skins while exchanging a few smiles and laughs along the way. As surprising as it was to see these two bands teaming up for the very first time, it was a special moment for the fans who stuck around until the early-morning hours, one that they will likely not forget.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Alessia Cara has a promising career ahead of her

February 17, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Alessia CaraBy Steve Carlson //

Alessia Cara with Kevin Garrett, Craig Stickland, Leaf //
The Fillmore – San Francisco
February 11th, 2016 //

Toronto-area native and YouTube sensation Alessia Cara, 19, brought her soulful pop to The Fillmore last week in support of her debut LP Know-It-All, and the sold-out crowd was ready and eager for what proved to be a long and diverse night of music. The show featured no less than three opening acts, each with a completely different musical style from the others — truly a fitting lineup for the legendary Bill Graham’s former home.

First up was New York-based female rapper Leaf, who confidently hit the stage with a pair of dancers and later showed off the range of her talent by pulling out an acoustic guitar for a Justin Bieber singalong, which, unfortunately for her, fell a bit flat with the reserved crowd. Next was singer-songwriter Craig Stickland (not to be confused with the late country singer Craig Strickland), who stood and delivered a powerful set of soulful tunes with only the help of his acoustic guitar. And finally, there was Brooklyn soul-pop balladeer Kevin Garrett, who has toured alongside X Ambassadors and James Vincent McMorrow in the last year, arriving with a teddy bear look-alike in hand to serenade the audience with his own brand of smooth falsetto and downtempo, mellow pop.

Alessia Cara

With the stage clear for the night’s headlining act, Cara and her band arrived and proceeded to put on an energetic, hour-long set featuring every track from her debut album, culminating with the wildly popular single “Here” at the end of the main set. She paced back and forth across the stage like a caged animal, belting out her empowering hits with a confidence that went far beyond her age. But that’s not to say her youth didn’t show at times. When reflecting on the history of the legendary Fillmore, for example, Cara name-checked a few of the many famous acts who had played there, starting with … Coldplay. (She quickly redeemed herself with mentions of Jimi Hendrix and several others.) Thankfully, the appreciative crowd was more than happy to forgive her.

Setlist:
I’m Yours
Wild Things
Four Pink Walls
Overdose
Stars
Outlaws
Seventeen
Stone
River of Tears
Scars to Your Beautiful
Here

Encore:
Sweater Weather (The Neighbourhood cover)
My Song

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Troye Sivan proves that he is well beyond his years at the Fox Theater Oakland

February 15, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Troye SivanBy Steve Carlson //

Troye Sivan with Allie X //
Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland
February 8th, 2016 //

There’s something devilishly unassuming about Troye Sivan. Maybe it’s his svelte, boyish appearance, which doesn’t immediately scream “pop star.” Or, maybe it’s his candor and approachability, his willingness to share his intimate thoughts and fears from the stage.

Whatever it is, once Sivan took the stage at the Fox Theater Oakland last Monday as part of his 44-date “Blue Neighbourhood Tour,” he immediately erased any doubts one might have had about his readiness for the spotlight.

Allie X


Allie X

Opening the show was enigmatic Canadian-turned-Los Angeleno songstress Allie X (born Alexandra Ashley Hughes), who also happened to co-write many of the songs on Sivan’s debut LP Blue Neighbourhood. Taking the stage in sunglasses and a dress that could best be described as oversized loofah material, Hughes showed off impressive theatricality with a style that seemed like a cross between Charli XCX and a Disney princess. One of the benefits of opening for an artist like Sivan is that you’re sure to have a full house early, as most of the die-hard fans had lined up early in the day, and Allie X made the most of the opportunity and was well-received in return.

Shortly thereafter, Sivan, cloaked in fog and and backlit by a spotlight, kicked off the night with the haunting track “Bite” off his new album, and things only got better from there. The sold-out venue, comprised of at least 80 percent teenage girls by this reviewer’s estimation, was nearly euphoric by the time the South African-born Australian’s energetic opening song was done, and the energy didn’t let down for the entire set. It wasn’t unusual to even witness grown adults racing back to their seats from the bar at various points in the set as the opening notes of other numbers were being played. That’s the kind of effect Sivan seems to have over people already.

Troye Sivan


Troye Sivan

It’s really quite amazing to think that Sivan has only been at this touring thing for a relatively short period of time. Although he’s dabbled in acting and music going well back into his teens and has been a YouTube sensation for several years (he boasts almost 4 million subscribers), he’s relatively inexperienced as a live performer. Sivan only began touring this past October, but he is much more polished and confident onstage than his age and experience would imply. His tight backing band, which includes Miley Cyrus’ keyboardist, probably helps with that, as they provided a solid sonic backdrop for his vocal talents. Given the fast start Sivan is off to, it’ll be very interesting to watch his career develop over the next few years.

Setlist:
Bite
for him.
Fools
Heaven
Suburbia
Cool
Too Good
Wild
Love Yourself (Justin Bieber cover) (acoustic)
Happy Little Pill (acoustic)
Ease
DKLA
Talk Me Down

Encore:
Lost Boy
Youth

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: , ,

The Independent serves as the perfect setting for Baio’s moody electropop

February 11, 2016 by Leave a Comment

BaioBy Marc Fong //

Baio //
The Independent – San Francisco
February 3rd, 2016 //

It wasn’t long ago that Baio, the solo project from Vampire Weekend bassist Chris Baio, came through the Bay Area.

Back in October, Baio made his SF debut, performing on the first day of Treasure Island Music Festival. Undoubtedly, TIMF was a great place for Baio to debut his live show for the Northern California crowd. The crème of the indie/hipster/backpack hip-hop scene, after all, definitely would have remissed not performing at the Bay Area’s premiere indie-pop festival. The oxymoron notwithstanding, TIMF does bring out some amazing acts which aren’t quite “there” in today’s music scene.

Baio happened to be one of those acts. Sure, he’s best known for his contributions with Grammy-winning Vampire Weekend, but the 31-year-old record producer is capable of a lot more. And though the audience may have chanced upon Baio at TIMF the first time, the smarties took note and kept an eye out for his return.

Baio

Unfortunately for Baio, tickets were still on sale the night of his show at The Independent last Wednesday. But, that’s OK. At TIMF, Baio was on point, even if his shining talent seemed to get lost in the glare of the sun and the overwhelming size of even the festival’s second stage.

In a more intimate environment like The Independent however, Baio’s moody electropop fit perfectly. Looking sharp in a white blazer, the Bronxville, N.Y., native opened his set slow and steady. His sound, for one, is a lot more dreamy than Vampire Weekend’s more dance-driven songs. Combine that with his mind-bending visuals onstage, and Baio’s live show the second time around was a slow, chill ride through an electronic soundscape.

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STS9’s stunning live show transports their Bay Area fans to a magical world

February 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment

STS9By Marc Fong //

STS9 //
Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland
January 29th, 2016 //

“Livetronic” act Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) played more than just an awe-inspiring set at the Fox Theater Oakland last Friday, performing amidst a stellar light show that made the overall experience both ethereal and fantastic.

The last time the five-piece from Santa Cruz by way of Atlanta visited the Fox (read our review here), it was clear that bassist Alana Rocklin, who joined the band in early 2014, had sparked a creative revival for STS9 after the sudden departure of former bass player David Murphy.

STS9

STS9 offer a progressive dance beat that is both earthy and technologically-driven. In essence, their stunning live show transports an audience to a magical world filled with chill beats and booty-shaking rhythms.

The performance, which spanned more than three hours in length and featured no opening acts, included a 70’s-inspired light show that only added a layer of visual stimulation. After all, an STS9 show is something every live music fan should witness at least once in their life.

Set 1: MOD > Modular > MOD > Grow, Love Don’t Terrorize, Kaya > What Does Your Soul Look Like (DJ Shadow cover) > Click Lang Echo, Orbital, When the Dust Settles

Set 2: Walk to the Light, Hi-Key, Golden Gate > Looking Back on Earth, Totem, Awesome feat. Cool Kids (STS9 Remix) > The Unquestionable Supremacy of Nature, Rent

Encore: You Don’t Say

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Dan Deacon vs. The Fillmore: Crowd thoughts from a sold-out show in SF

February 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Dan DeaconPhotos by James Nagel // Written by Molly Kish //

Dan Deacon //
The Fillmore – San Francisco
January 29th, 2016 //

The man, maestro and frenzy-inducing frontman Dan Deacon returned to the Bay Area last Friday to take over a sold-out Fillmore.

Following our coverage of Deacon’s ever-growing fan base over the past few years, we have documented several of his intense performances at both mid-size venues and large-scale music festivals. With the release of last year’s critically acclaimed Glass Riffer — escalating not only Deacon’s complexity as a musician, but also his reputation as a major player in the experimental and electronic music scenes — we had the opportunity to see him this time in one of the West Coast’s most historic theater’s, at capacity.

Regardless of space or context, a Dan Deacon show is unlike any other, currently selling out spaces of such magnitude. At the same time, the venues Deacon chooses to stage his unique, interactive performances plays a huge role in an audience’s translation of his music. So, who better to give us some perspective on Deacon’s latest SF show than the members of a sold-out audience? Check out our crowd responses and photo gallery below.

Did you go to the show? Leave your thoughts in the comments section, and the best answer will receive a pair of tickets to one of our next giveaways.

Dan Deacon

“It appeared to be a tougher task for DD to pull off his crowd antics in a bigger space than usual. The only engagement game that really worked was the high fives one. But a sold-out house was as enraptured as ever, bouncing and smiling along to the hyperactive, comedic bliss of a genius musical madman.” – Mike Frash, 33

“The show did not live up to my high expectations built on tales of invigorating and complete crowd participation. It seems The Fillmore was too large of a venue for those on the perimeter to see and engage with the activity of those folks centered under the disco ball. I got a taste of coordinated crowd movement when each side rushed through each other, palms up and open for high fives.” – Julie Mullen, 30

“As a first time ‘Dan Deaconer,’ I was pretty mesmerized by how the show was set up. Using the power of the crowd to unite one another was a fun and unique experience you don’t get from every show. I would say it was a blast.” – Trevor Laehy, 27

“Without fail, Dan provides magical and mind-bending experiences to captivate his audience and bring people together into one harmonious, bad-ass dance circle.” – Danielle Mansfield, 30

“Dan Deacon is epic. He has that rare ability to emotionally tie a crowd together: to one another, to the experience and to the music itself. He’s brilliantly creative and weird, and you can’t leave a show not feeling stoked to be weird, too!” – Roxanne Mansfield, 25

“Dan Deacon at The Fillmore was an electronica- and light-fueled dance frenzy where friends and strangers were free to get down and get weird.” – Amy Lightstone, 33

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Santa Cruz’s The Devil Makes Three return to the Fox Theater Oakland to rock a packed house

February 4, 2016 by Leave a Comment

The Devil Makes ThreeBy Marc Fong //

The Devil Makes Three //
Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland
January 23rd, 2016 //

Formed on the shores of Santa Cruz, Calif., more than a decade ago, Americana outfit The Devil Makes Three played two shows at the Fox Theater Oakland last month, nearly a year after their headlining gig at the historic Bay Area venue (read our review here). The trio, whose sound is equal parts bluegrass, old time, country, folk, blues, jazz, ragtime and rockabilly, rocked a packed house on the second of two nights.

For nearly two hours, fans enjoyed TDMT’s unique sound, a sound which over time has only gotten better. With guitarist Pete Bernhard, upright bassist Lucia Turino and guitarist/tenor banjo player Cooper McBean back at it, the band was on point, sounding well-rehearsed and not stale or bored. TDMT not only played some great music, but also had a fun party vibe that kept everyone dancing during the whole show.

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Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats bring the energy of gospel and folk to The Fillmore

February 4, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night SweatsPhotos by Steve Carlson // Written by Brett Ruffenach //

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats with Paper Bird //
The Fillmore – San Francisco
January 27th, 2016 //

Many great live performers are great because of one thing: energy. Energy, however, doesn’t come in just one form. It doesn’t just require dancing across a stage, clever banter with the audience or “turning it up to 11.” Sometimes, energy can be patient; energy can be humble.

Indeed, given the right context, this type of showmanship can be more powerful and garner more enthusiasm than any impressive guitar solo or dance move could muster. This type of energy was put on display last week by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, who played a pair of sold-out shows at The Fillmore.

As the warm glow of The Fillmore’s trademark chandeliers dimmed and Rateliff’s seven-piece band took the stage on the first of two nights in SF, the crowd — with an age range spanning multiple generations of live music fans — greeted them warmly. Opening with a organ-led jam session, the band’s frontman eventually followed behind.

Hailing from Hermann, Mo., Rateliff has a look that I would liken more to the bouncers who work at Zeitgeist in The Mission than a gospel/folk/rock bandleader. After quickly thanking the crowd for joining him on this night, Rateliff and his sidekicks jumped into “I Need Never Get Old”, the opening track from the band’s recently released self-titled album. In the first minute of the song, the three strongest elements of Rateliff’s live show — the organ, a horns section comprised of a booming tenor sax and trumpet and the group’s vocal talent — were made quite clear.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

While the band played through the majority of its new album, one key difference between its studio and live renditions is the way the live performances are led by an extremely talented organist, filling every open space between The Night Sweats’ tight rhythms and their soaring harmonies. During “I’ve Been Falling”, a mid-tempo, blues-meets-soul ballad about a man pleading for forgiveness to a lost lover, Rateliff gave the classic Hammond organ sound plenty of room to shine during a captivating solo. With the end of the set nearing, Rateliff played “Wasting Time” with its cascading, nostalgic sound balancing perfectly between all of the band’s components.

The septet closed with its instant earworm of a single “S.O.B.” — a song, even described by Rateliff himself, that is more of a joke than a serious take on heartbreak — and the crowd howled while singing along all the way until the end. As Rateliff and company walked off stage, fans enthusiastically continued to sing the opening melody of “S.O.B”, getting louder and louder until The Night Sweats returned to the stage and jumped into a groovy cover of The Band’s “The Shape I’m In”.

Rateliff, subsequently, joined the rest of his backing band and wrapped up the set, expressing sincere gratitude to the crowd for spending the evening with them. The singer-songwriter is a performer who is not shy, but he is humble. His enthusiasm and gratitude is clear, and it’s also authentic.

As a band on the rise, especially with two upcoming appearances at Coachella and a number of other music festivals this year, it’s clear that Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats have found the right kind of energy to offer to a crowd: one of passion, one of talent and one of gratitude.

Setlist:
I Need Never Get Old
The Intro
Look It Here
I’ve Been Failing
Howling at Nothing
Parlor
Out on the Weekend
Mellow Out
Shake
Thank You
Trying So Hard Not To Know
Wasting Time
S.O.B.

Encore:
The Shape I’m In (The Band cover)
What I Need

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Julia Holter digs into her latest album at The Chapel

February 3, 2016 by 1 Comment

Julia HolterBy Pedro Paredes //

Julia Holter with Circuit des Yeux //
The Chapel – San Francisco
January 31st, 2016 //

A sold-out crowd descended upon The Chapel on the final night of January for Julia Holter, the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter who has collaborated with other musicians such as Nite Jewel, Linda Perhacs, and Michael Pisaro in the past.

It’s always nice when The Chapel sells out. It’s a small and cozy venue, and when the place is at capacity, you can really feel the room’s energy.

Circuit des Yeux


Circuit des Yeux

Opening the show was Circuit des Yeux, Chicago native Haley Fohr’s solo project. When the venue’s lights went out and Fohr quietly stepped on the stage with her 12-string guitar, there wasn’t much of a reaction from the crowd. Fohr appeared rather shy and didn’t interact with her spectators a whole lot, but she let her hypnotic music do the talking — and consequently, the audience was blown away by the end of her set. Fohr has a very unique voice with a deep baritone, and at times, she created distorted sounds by increasing the intensity of her vocals and using other noises/shouts to bring her sound to another level, turning the volume up and then down like the tide rolling in and out.

Holter arrived onstage next with a few sidekicks, including a double bass player, drummer and violist, the latter of which also contributed some impressive backup vocals throughout her performance. Much to the audience’s delight, the ensemble played a majority of material from Holter’s latest LP Have You in My Wilderness, which received favorable reviews and was one of my favorite albums in 2015, along with some songs from her previous records. Holter’s songs are multi-layered, well-produced and full of arrangements, and with her band in sync, her SF performance was one that definitely delivered.

Setlist:
Horns Surrounding Me
Silhouette
Marienbad
In the Green Wild
Feel You
Betsy on the Roof
Everytime Boots
Don’t Make Me Over (Dionne Warwick cover)
Night Song
So Lillies
City Appearing

Encore:
Vasquez
Sea Calls Me Home

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CRSSD shares second phase of Spring 2016 lineup

February 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment

CRSSD Festival Spring 2016 lineup

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
March 5th-6th, 2016 //

After releasing the first phase of its 2016 lineup in late December, CRSSD Festival in San Diego has added the remaining artists to the bill.

Among the new artist additions for CRSSD are Swedish DJ/producer Eric Prydz (aka Cirez D, one of his two stage names that the festival refers to him as), English electronic music duo Bondax, London-based house/techno DJ Damian Lazarus, English producer/musician Jon Hopkins, Swiss techno/house duo Adriatique, Canadian DJ/producer Ryan Hemsworth and Los Angeles “Daytime Disco” duo Poolside. Other acts named as part of the festival’s Phase II lineup include Tom Trago, Lane 8, Walker & Royce, Kidnap Kid and REZZ.

CRSSD Festival 2016 - Phase II lineup

CRSSD made a big splash in its debut last spring and followed it up with another go-around this past October. Now, it will return to Waterfront Park this March for its third edition with a lineup that leans even more heavily toward electronic music than before.

Check out the poster above for the entire Phase II lineup. The 21-and-over event has GA tickets available here for $135 before increasing to $145 and then $155.

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Goldenvoice announces 2016 Coachella sideshows

January 25, 2016 by 1 Comment

Coachella 2016 sideshows

Each and every April, Goldenvoice puts on a number of sideshows all around Southern California in support of the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

2016 will be no different, and the renowned concert promoter has unveiled its list of shows that will take place at various venues in and out of the greater Los Angeles area, one of which includes the rustic, Westernized Pappy & Harriet’s in little-ole Pioneertown near Joshua Tree.

The sideshows will kick off on Friday, March 25th in LA at the El Rey Theatre, where London electronic music producer Sophie will take the stage, and will continue through Monday, April 25th with Years & Years headlining The Fonda Theatre. In between those, Goldenvoice will welcome performances by Goldroom, Courtney Barnett, Silversun Pickups (with FOALS), Mbongwana Star, Bob Moses, Savages, AlunaGeorge, The Kills (with The Big Pink), Skepta, Rhye (with Ibeyi), AlunaGeorge, M83, The Arcs, Rancid, The 1975, James Bay, Beach House, Museum of Love, Christine and the Queens, Death Grips, Miike Snow, The Heavy, The Front Bottoms, The Last Shadow Puppets, Deerhunter (with Unknown Mortal Orchestra), Matt & Kim, Of Monsters and Men, Lapsley, St. Germain, Ex Hex, Snakehips, Grimes, The Damned, Nosaj Thing, BADBADNOTGOOD, Parov Stelar and more. Check out the full list of sideshows in the poster above.

As in past years, these sideshows will extend outside of LA’s city limits, with The Glass House and The Fox Theater in Pomona once again playing host to quite a few of them in addition to the aforementioned Pappy & Harriet’s. April 14th’s pairing of Silversun Pickups and FOALS on the night before Coachella Weekend 1, for example, looks particularly appealing, while The Kills’ April 18th date at the Mayan Theater with The Big Pink and LA Witch stands out as one of our other must-see shows on Goldenvoice’s lineup. Of course, there’s also Miike Snow at The Fonda Theatre on April 20th and BADBADNOTGOOD, one of our favorites from FYF Fest (read our review here) last year, hitting The Roxy Theatre on April 22nd. Much like Coachella and its own lineup, there’s a lot to choose from here, though that’s not exactly a bad problem to have if you’re a live music fan in Southern California.

Tickets for most of the sideshows go on sale here this Friday, January 29th at Noon PT or next Friday, February 5th at Noon PT.

Goldenvoice

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Ty Segall shows us how to rock — and rock hard

January 20, 2016 by 2 Comments

Ty Segall & The MuggersBy Josh Herwitt //

Ty Segall & The Muggers //
Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles
January 15th, 2016 //

If there’s one thing Ty Segall knows how to do well, it’s work — even if making loud, guitar-driven rock music might not seem like work to some.

At the young age of 28, the California native has already played in a handful of bands — most of which are comically named — like The Traditional Fools, Epsilons, Party Fowl, Sic Alps and The Perverts, and nowadays you can find him moonlighting between Broken Bat, GØGGS and most notably Fuzz, which released their sophomore LP this past fall.

Yet, it’s Segall’s prolific solo career that has earned him the most attention from critics and fans alike, one that will see him drop his eighth studio album Emotional Mugger in as many years this week, almost a decade after befriending John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees and releasing his self-titled debut on Dwyer’s label Castle Face Records.

Ty Segall & The Muggers

But if there’s another thing Segall knows how to do well, it’s rock — and not just rock, but rock hard (and that might be an understatement).

Playing the first of two sold-out nights in his hometown of Los Angeles, Segall and his band, appropriately named “The Muggers” for this current tour, shredded their way through track after track on his forthcoming album. The riffs were heavy, the sound was crunchy and the atmosphere was pure, unadulterated rock ‘n’ roll.

It’s also fair to say that Segall knows his fans and the way they respond to his music pretty damn well, because in retrospect, he couldn’t have picked a better venue for the occasion than the standing-room-only Teragram Ballroom. When Segall and his bandmates took the stage just after 11 p.m. on Friday night and ripped into the opening track “Squealer” from Emotional Mugger, the crowd, a mix of mostly hipsters in their 20’s and the occasional dad fan, lost its collective mind.

Ty Segall & The Muggers

Segall, after all, has no problem with dads. In fact, he reminded us several times to go home after the show and make babies, either “with someone you love or with someone you don’t care about.” As strange and funny as that might sound, Segall’s absurd stage banter was all part of the show, particularly once you realize that he chose a creepy baby doll to grace the black-and-white cover of Emotional Mugger (to perpetuate the theme, Segall wore a baby-face mask at the beginning of the show). At one point in between songs, he even spat in his hand and walked off stage to give it to his girlfriend. How sweet of him, right?

But Segall is no doubt a showman himself, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who expends as much energy onstage as he does in merely 90 minutes. His passion simply rubs off on his fans, who wasted little time climbing onstage and taking the plunge into a sea of hands for a couple of minutes. Segall, of course, also got in on the action at one point, as his shows are often known to feature crowd surfing from both band and audience members, and he made sure to take the mic stand with him while he horizontally slithered across the room.

When it comes to Segall and his live show, there’s really no way to sugarcoat it — the guy is an animal, ready to rip, claw and bite (or just spit) his way through a performance. And in many ways, it’s refreshing to see a musician who has little to no filter when he takes the stage. Just like his music, which borders on garage rock and glam rock and intertwines psychedelic and punk elements into it, his shows are raw and full of emotion. So, if that was his plan, to mug us of our own emotions for at least a short while on this cold, winter night, well then mission accomplished, Ty.

Setlist:
Squealer
California Hills
Emotional Mugger/Leopard Priestess
Breakfast Eggs
Diversion
Baby Big Man (I Want a Mommy)
Mandy Cream
Candy Sam
Squealer Two
The Magazine
Thank God for Sinners
They Told Me Too
You’re the Doctor
The Crawler
Spiders
Manipulator
Feel

Encore:
Finger
The Feels
The Singer

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Lightning in a Bottle unveils 2016 lineup

January 20, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Lightning in a Bottle 2016 lineup

Lightning in a Bottle //
San Antonio Recreation Area – Bradley, CA
May 25th-30th, 2016 //

Returning to San Antonio Recreation Area for a third straight year, Lightning in a Bottle will once again take place over Memorial Day weekend — and this year’s bill is as strong as ever.

Led by headliners Chet Faker, Grimes and Jamie xx, the famed boutique festival that began more than 15 years ago as a birthday party among friends (and who would eventually start The Do LaB, a Los Angeles-based event production company) in the Santa Ynez Mountains will also feature performances from Big Gigantic, Moderat, Ibeyi, Emancipator Ensemble, Four Tet, Tourist, Cashmere Cat, Guy Gerber, Tokimonsta, The Polish Ambassador, Alina Baraz, Josh Wink, Hundred Waters, Lee Burridge, Minnesota and G Jones (B2B), Pimps of Joytime, Mija, Rubblebucket, PANTyRAiD, The Russ Liquid Test, AndHim and many more.

Furthermore, The Do LaB will welcome back the LA avant-garde circus act Lucent Dossier Experience and William Close & The Earth Harp Collective, which both have become LIB mainstays over the years. Check out the poster above for the rest of the lineup.

Tabbed as the “Greenest Festival in America” each of the last five years, LIB offers more than just live music on three different stages, with art, yoga, workshops and speakers all playing a crucial role in maintaining the festival’s identity, which centers around sustainability, social cohesion, personal health and creative expression. The word has certainly gotten out about LIB since its early beginnings, as last year’s festival, which boasted Australian DJ/producer Flume as its main headliner and included sets from SBTRKT, ODESZA, RL Grime and Tycho, was the first reported sellout in its longstanding history.

Weekend passes to LIB can be purchased here starting at $270, and the festival reports that 50 percent of them have already been sold, leaving us to believe another capacity crowd will be descending upon Bradley, Calif., this May. If you’re getting excited for LIB after reading this, make sure to check out our coverage from 2015.

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With SnowBall canceled again, why does Colorado still not have a large-scale music festival?

January 15, 2016 by 1 Comment

SnowBall Music FestivalWritten by Josh Herwitt //

Ever since I started visiting Denver on an annual basis to attend concerts at the world-famous Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, it was easy to see just how important live music was to the state of Colorado. From rock to electronic to hip-hop, there has never been a shortage of shows in The Centennial State, which still boasts one of the best live music scenes in the country today.

Which brings me to yesterday, when a random thought came over me as to when SnowBall Music Festival would be releasing its 2016 lineup. The three-day fest, which I attended from 2011-2013, was forced to cancel its 2015 edition but assured fans that it would be returning in 2016 and specifically to the mountains, where it all started in Avon, Colo.

Yet, after taking a look at SnowBall’s Facebook page, I quickly noticed that no updates had been posted to it since January 2015, when the festival announced that it would not be taking place that same year. With almost a whole year of no news, it was strange to not see anything by now, so I decided to comment on SnowBall’s last Facebook post, asking when its 2016 lineup might be released.

Snowball Music Festival 2013

Within 30 minutes of posting my comment, the festival released an official statement on their Facebook page, stating that SnowBall had been canceled for a second straight year and would not be returning to the mountains in 2016 after all. The news, of course, didn’t shock me, as I expected at this point it wouldn’t be happening considering that there were no updates on the festival’s social media channels for nearly a year.

But as I continue to think about the live music landscape in Colorado, it continues to surprise me that the state has yet to host its own large-scale music festival on a year-to-year basis. With comparable U.S. cities like Seattle, Austin, San Francisco and Las Vegas all holding their own unique music festivals, it’s hard to understand why Denver hasn’t jumped on board by now. Add in the fact that AEG Live, which produces the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in conjunction with West Coast concert promoter Goldenvoice each April, is a subsidiary of the Denver-based Anschutz Corporation, and it’s even more perplexing when you stop and think about it.

That’s not to say that Colorado doesn’t have its fair share of music festivals already — Global Dance Festival, Sonic Bloom, ARISE Music Festival and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival are all still in circulation — but none of them feature an eclectic bill of artists that garners national attention like Sasquatch!, Austin City Limits, Outside Lands and Life Is Beautiful all do. Riot Fest, which returned to Denver for its third year last August, is the closest thing Colorado has to a large-scale music festival, except it also throws separate editions in Toronto and Chicago, where the multi-day punk fest was born. In fact, when SnowBall debuted in 2011 with Pretty Lights, Bassnectar and The Flaming Lips serving as its headliners, there was hope among the festival’s organizers and fans that it could eventually develop into something bigger. But with SnowBall’s future looking rather bleak now, it’s unclear whether a large-scale music festival will ever make its home where the columbines grow.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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