Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2014 complete lineup announced, and it’s incredible

August 26, 2014 by 1 Comment

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Photos by Shawn Reiss // Written by Mike Frash //

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2014 //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
October 3rd-5th, 2014 //

The complete lineup for the 14th Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park has been announced, and feast your eyes on some of the highlights (we split acts into “Legend” and “Indie/Hardly Strictly Bluegrass” categories):

The Legends:
Emmylou Harris
Dwight Yoakam
Chris Isaak
Steve Earle & The Dukes
Rosanne Cash
Lucinda Williams
Dave Rawlings Machine
T Bone Burnett
Mavis Staples
Robert Earl Keen
John Prine
Holler Down the Hollow: A Hardly Strictly Salute to the Masters (Dickens, Hellman, Reed, Scruggs, Seeger, Watson & Winchester)
Many, Many More

Indie/Hardly Strictly Bluegrass…
Conor Brings Friends For Friday featuring Waxahatchee, The Good Life, Jonathan Wilson, Sharon Van Etten, Dawes, Conor Oberst
Ryan Adams
Tweedy
Built to Spill
Sun Kil Moon
Yo La Tengo
Social Distortion
Deltron 3030 with The 3030 Orchestra
Thao & The Get Down Stay Down
Hurray for the Riff Raff
St. Paul & The Broken Bones
Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real
Lake Street Dive
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead
Red Baraat
Cibo Matto
Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
Justin Townes Earle
The Felice Brothers
The Lone Bellow
Malawi Mouse Boys
The Sam Chase
The Aquabats! (Friday morning middle school program)
Poor Man’s Whiskey (Friday morning middle school program)
And many, many more!

Daily schedules have not been announced, but we already know Ryan Adams will conflict with the “Conor Brings Friends For Friday” lineup on … Friday. So, that’s one tough one. Oberst has been touring with Dawes this year, and Dawes has been Conor Oberst’s backing band as well, so the Rooster Stage should be a treat this year to start the fest.

This is undoubtedly one of the best HSB lineups yet. Is it too early to camp out for a prime spot? For newcomers, this fest is free thanks to the amazing gift from the late, great Warren Hellman.

Who are you most excited to see? Tell us in the comments section.

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It’s official: Jack White is the biggest rock star in the world

August 25, 2014 by 1 Comment

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Photos by David James Swanson // Written by Mike Frash //

Jack White //
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco
August 23rd, 2014 //

Severe ankle sprain, what? No big deal, the show must go on.

On a weekend with appealing festivals all over California, Jack White proved on Saturday that he’s not only a bonafide festival headliner for any occasion, but also the biggest and most essential rock star in the world.

The Jack White that showed up in San Francisco this past weekend was more focused and engaging than prior tours. He’s noticeably more upbeat and punk in how he performed than in the past, while also appearing authentic, positive, comfortable and likable.

So when the Third Man giant proclaimed, “From the Bottom of the Hill to the top of the hill” in reference to playing the tiny San Francisco club twice in 2000 with The White Stripes, he wasn’t bragging. He was stating a plain fact.

Jack White is the king of rock at this point in time, and he was magnificent on Saturday, not showing the effect of a bad ankle sprain within 24 hours of being pressured by his team to cancel the whole tour due the accident Friday night.

White is clearly on a mission to graduate to arenas after this theater-sized tour, and he’s on his way — so he’s not going to let some lower body swelling get in his way.

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What’s most appealing is how White is achieving this feat within the boundaries of his established throwback style.

White and his band appeared from behind a massive theater curtain to launch into an impactful “Sixteen Saltines”, while a television from the ‘50s sticks out in the middle of the stage to remind you that this artist, who now sports an Elvis-like haircut, could have thrived in another era from the past. Also, it reminds you that looking at a bright screen is not very fun while at a concert.

Jack White was one of the first artists to speak up about concert smartphone photos and videos, and signs were put up on his 2012 tour asking fans to keep their phones in their pockets during the show. The public backlash was pretty brutal.

To clarify his position in 2012, he wrote “the only thing that we’ve ever asked of the audience is to not take pictures or videos while holding up their camera phones, etc that block other peoples view or otherwise hinder other fans concert experiences.” The message continued, “Along with that, the bigger idea is for people to experience the event with their own eyes and not watch an entire show through a tiny screen in their hand.”

Before the show began on Saturday, someone from White’s camp spoke to the crowd, reiterating these points in a comedic way, and the crowd erupted in support and applause. A lot can change in a couple years. Also, White has hired a tour photographer to cover the show in leu of discouraging press and crowd-based photography. They’re available on White’s site after every show, and as the speaker mentioned, “You can claim them as your own.” We won’t — the tour photos are courtesy of David James Swanson.

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Labeled as grumpy, sad and controlling the past few years, White was the ambassador of fun during this show. Smooth transitions were a plenty, and songs would often play out in three to five song segments. The setlist was upbeat and energetic, slower songs were played faster than their studio recordings on most occasions, and the crowd was along for the ride, bouncing this positive energy back to the stage to fuel the frontman.

“Hello Operator” was absent of words but was filled in by an uproarious harmonica solo. The one Dead Weather song of the evening, “I Cut Like a Buffalo”, transformed into a blues meets ecstatic chaos number that was a high point of the show.

The cavernous space of Bill Graham Civic Auditorium never felt so small.

A couple quick covers were laced into the extended encore, much like what Phish has been doing for years and what Arcade Fire has been doing lately. Jimi Hendrix’s “Manic Depression” slid into the middle of “Icky Thump”, with “Message In A Bottle” emerging during “Steady, As She Goes” by The Raconteurs. This section in particular showed of White’s better than ever shredding skills.

After finishing his part of “Seven Nation Army” and successfully appealing to the audience for support with his stadium anthem, he joined in on drums to bring the show to a thundering conclusion. With the crowd going bonkers, he approached the mic one more time for a sincere thank you to San Francisco as he held his hands over his heart.

Without question, Jack White is one of the best live artists of 2014. And now with a humble, inclusive attitude, his stock should only rise further.

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Sylvan Esso continue breakout ascent at The Independent

August 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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By James Nagel //

Sylvan Esso with Dana Buoy (of Akron/Family) //
The Independent – San Francisco
August 23rd, 2014 //

One of the biggest breakout acts of the year, Sylvan Esso returned to SF over the weekend to headline a massively sold-out show at The Independent. The electropop duo elicited a palpable crowd reaction when it opened for tUnE-yArDs in June at The Fillmore, but it’s still surprising to see tickets selling for over $100 on the secondary market for Saturday’s show. Sylvan Esso’s meteoric rise in popularity should have them headlining theaters in no time, and they’ll be back to open for Foster the People at Fox Theater Oakland in early November.

If you haven’t heard their hypnotically addicting self-titled freshman effort yet, give it a listen and view photos from Saturday’s show below.

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Curtis Harding’s ‘slop n’ soul’ fusion is a recipe for success

August 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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By Justin Yee //

Curtis Harding (Opening for Jack White) //
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
August 22nd, 2014 //

Curtis Harding kicked off the first of 2 shows at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium this past Friday as the opener on Jack White’s headlining tour. Based out of Atlanta, one could describe his sound as a fusion of soul, blues, gospel and rock. However, when asked to describe his own music, he uses the term, slop n’ soul. Slop, being a southern term for leftovers, and how he incorporates the ‘leftovers’ of different musical influences into his songs.

Harding’s early career included work as back-up vocalist for Cee Lo Green on the road, adding vocal tracks to the albums Cee Lo Green & His Perfect Imperfections and The Lady Killer, and co writing material with Green.

He is also one half of a collaborative project, Night Sun, with Black Lips guitarist, Cole Alexander, which blends the sounds of garage rock with R&B.

On this night, it was all about Harding’s solo efforts and he definitely held his own in front of a growing and eager crowd. Standout songs included “Next Time” and “Keep On Shining” from his debut album, Soul Power, which released earlier this Spring. Be sure to keep an eye on him because he seems poised to do big things.

Setlist
1) Soul Power
2) Drive My Car
3) Next Time
4) Heaven’s On The Other Side
5) Castaway
6) Beautiful People
7) The Drive
8) Keep On Shining

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Epically horrible line at FYF Fest inspires Twitter gold

August 23, 2014 by 2 Comments

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FYF Fest in Los Angeles kicked off today with a new location at LA Sports Arena & Exposition Park, one of the best lineups of the year and a major logistical problem — the epic line to get in. The festival has admitted as much:

When you get to the fest before any music starts and you are handed your program two hours later, there’s plenty of time to come up with warranted hate-snark to blast on social media. Just check out the comments in response to the above tweet from FYF, and look at some interesting comments and comedy gold below.

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We’re all just Fucked Up, after all

August 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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Photos by Pedro Paredes // Written by Kevin Quandt //

Fucked Up with Tijuana Panthers, The She’s //
The Independent – San Francisco
August 19th, 2014 //

Just the other day I was having a discussion with a buddy who was explaining his overwhelmingly preference for live band concerts, as compared to a live producer. He went on to discuss his love for a good frontman, or woman, and I fully agreed with this observation. Alas, he did not make it to Fucked Up at The Independent this past Tuesday to witness one of the most authentic frontmen in the business.

The masses came early to The Independent on this evening as a variety of rock bands were holding court — The She’s took the opening slot while Long Beach natives Tijuana Panthers handled the second slot. Tijuana Panthers brought an enjoyable amalgam of scuzzed-out surf punk that seemed to be received well. But folks were here to see the six-headed art-core beast that many have come to cherish as Fucked Up. By the time each member was ready to launch into the opening song, “Paper the House”, it was hard to ignore that legendary Fucked Up singer, Damian Abraham, looked like half the man he used to be. Abraham later explained he had lost 120 pounds over the past year or so, which received a blast of applause. Yet, this was not the only characteristic of the band that has changed as they, and we all, get a little older.

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2009 was a great year for Fucked Up as all their hard work in the early years was paying off in dividends as their banner release, The Chemistry of Common Life, garnered universal praise, eventually leading them to winning the Polaris Music Prize. Now, five years later, they have released a few more well-received albums, most recently Glass Boy, which relies heavily on themes of aging in the punk scene. How does one grow old while holding onto their youthful ideals of rebellion? Well, for this band of punks, they keep on blasting brutal music into the ears, and eyes, of devote fans who keep on returning as they too grow a little more grey and develop just a few wrinkles.

But enough of that sappy shit, as Fucked Up brought their pummeling sound on this evening. Within only a few minutes the three-guitarist band launched into fan favorite “Queen of Hearts” as Abraham paced around on stage reciting phrases of lyrics with blistering intensity. It’s this characteristic that keeps one foot well-rooted into hardcore punk, while the band has recently floated towards a slightly less-hardcore sound, overall. Luckily those who were early fans were treated to some of the older, more raw songs like “Police” — chants of “I can’t stand the police” were included.

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Now, it’s hard to not say that Abraham is the show here. Not only because he is a musical madman who would rather be in the pit with his fans than on the stage with his longtime band, but also because frankly, the rest of the band seemed aloof at times. Sure, all but one help in the vocal department, but trying to compete for attention with Abraham would be a futile effort. The frontman, now shirtless (which is tradition), was cruising all over The Indy like a whirlwind. First, he was up in the seats on house right, and the next thing you know, he is having a full-blown mock-luchadore wrestling match with a fan in front of the stage. I kid you not.

“I Hate Summer” and “The Other Shoe” were highlights of the set. Each song seemed punctuated by Abraham’s off-the-cuff banter where he remarked on everything from the lack of pot smoking in the club to his newfound love for Olive Garden. And, it’s with this spontaneity that keep fans returning, tour after tour, even if we are just a bunch of aging punks.

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Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2014 proving to be as diverse as ever

August 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2013Photos by Shawn Reiss // Written by Mike Frash

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
October 3rd-5th, 2014 //

The 14th incarnation of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is shaping up to be one of the finest offerings yet, especially if the four rounds of medley preview clues are any indication.

Adept at balancing legends, local Bay Area acts and fast-rising talent, the curation team for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass never disappoints the hundreds of thousands of music lovers that show up for the free event.

The HSB website has shared the traditional four medleys that preview many of the acts that will play, and variety is the key word (listen below). Returning legends include Emmylou Harris, Chris Isaak, Lucinda Williams, Shawn Colvin, Dave Rawlings Machine and Buddy Miller.

But take a look at the standout indie, rock and neo-soul acts announced so far, including a dash of hip-hop and punk:

• Ryan Adams
• Sun Kil Moon
• Deltron 3030 with The 3030 Orchestra
• Social Distortion
• Yo La Tengo
• Thao & The Get Down Stay Down
• Jonathan Wilson
• St. Paul & The Broken Bones
• The Sam Chase
• Cibo Matto
• Malawi Mouse Boys

History tells us the complete lineup will be announced after the four rounds of medleys — it could come as early as next week!

Watch webcasts, read our survival guide and view our photos from Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2013.







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Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2013

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Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2013

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Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2013

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2013

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2013

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Death from Above 1979 start new chapter with LA warm-up gig

August 19, 2014 by 1 Comment

death-from-above-1979_optBy Josh Herwitt //

Death from Above 1979 //
Troubadour – West Hollywood, CA
August 14th, 2014 //

It hasn’t been an easy ride for fans of Death from Above 1979.

Just two years after the release of its highly acclaimed 2004 debut You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine, the Toronto-based, dance-punk duo disbanded after Sebastien Grainger (drums, vocals) and Jesse F. Keeler (bass, synths, backing vocals) agreed that they could no longer work together.

With creative and stylistic differences pulling them apart, Grainger and Keeler went their separate ways. While Grainger would go on to start his own solo project — signing with the Omaha-based label Saddle Creek Records in the U.S. under the name Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains — before later forming the band Deserts (formerly Bad Tits) with Tangiers guitarist and singer Josh Reichmann, Keeler achieved plenty of commercial success and fanfare in teaming up with his close friend Alex Puodziukas (aka Al-P) to create the electronic duo MSTRKRFT.

It wasn’t until early 2011, though, that Grainger and Keeler decided to give things another try, speaking to each other for the first time in five years and reuniting for a scintillating performance on Coachella’s main stage that April. By September of the following year, DFA 1979 had written new material for the first time in almost eight years, but there was still no guarantee things would last.

Early last summer, the two-piece canceled its appearance at Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City because it had been struggling to write new music together. Merely a month later, Grainger and Keeler axed more shows, this time in Europe due to a “medical emergency,” but left their fans with an ounce of hope after revealing on Facebook not long after that a new album was indeed on its way.

Yet, it wasn’t until a year later that fans would actually hear new music from DFA 1979. Releasing its first single “Trainwreck 1979” early last month, the band disclosed more details about its second full-length The Physical World at the same time.

So, if last Thursday night’s warm-up show in LA for DFA 1979’s upcoming North American/European tour this fall was supposed to make up for lost time, well then, mission accomplished.

Despite the show’s announcement coming a little more than two weeks before the gig, the band sold out the Troubadour just minutes after tickets went on sale. And for those of us who were lucky enough to be in attendance, DFA 1979 treated its fans to a night they won’t forget for a long time.

Playing material from The Physical World for the first time in a live setting, Grainger and Keeler ripped through an epic 21-song performance, playing almost every track from both albums. They stepped on stage and immediately put the pedal to the metal, blasting off with the blistering “You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine” before turning to their newer cuts like “Right On, Frankenstein!,” “Virgins,” “Crystal Ball” and “Government Trash,” which they officially released to the masses yesterday.

For a band that incorporates just bass guitar, drums, vocals and occasionally keyboards, you’d think that DFA 1979’s sound could only stretch so far. But at the Troubadour, Grainger and Keeler proved that the tracks from The Physical World are every bit as good as they play out on the record. And having listened to the new album, which will drop September 9th, already numerous times, I can say that with the utmost confidence. Distorted? Yes. Heavy? Yes. But with this show also marking my third time seeing DFA 1979, it’s hard to find more raw energy coming from solely two musicians in a recording studio or on a stage.

When it came time for the encore, Grainger and Keeler took us back in time, playing all five songs from You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine — including the finale “Do It!,” which was originally released on their 2002 EP Heads Up — with the same ferocity that first took the music industry by storm nearly a decade ago when they joined 90’s alt-rock giants Nine Inch Nails and Queens of the Stone Age on tour.

While certainly a lot has changed for DFA 1979 since then, they’ve never forgotten how to get the blood pumping fast through their fans’ veins.

Setlist:
You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine
Cheap Talk,
Right On, Frankenstein!
Turn It Out
Blood on Our Hands
Cold War
Virgins
Crystal Ball
Government Trash
Going Steady
Gemini
Nothin’ Left
White Is Red
Trainwreck 1979
Always On
The Physical World

Encore:
Little Girl
Black History Month
Romantic Rights
Pull Out
Do It!

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Tame Impala ‘plagiarism’ coverage grasping for straws, clicks

August 18, 2014 by 1 Comment
Tame Impala performing as The Spice Girls on Halloween 2013 in San Francisco.

Tame Impala performing as The Spice Girls on Halloween 2013 in San Francisco.

UPDATE 8/20: Hats off to Rolling Stone‘s Jason Newman, who actually took the time for some investigative journalism to follow up with the Rata publishers. They said that “It was a joke,” and Rolling Stone got a hold of Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, who replied, “This is a joke, right?” Now, Pablo Ruiz is considering legal action thanks to the music media noise machine that spread the non-story on Monday.

Rolling Stone reported, “Ruiz told ESPN Radio that he would be interested in performing with the band when they play BUE Fest in Buenos Aries on November 24th.” So, maybe Tame Impala and Ruiz can join together for “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” > “Océano” > “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”, have a laugh and move on. Read our original On The Media report below:

Music blogs overshadow Tame Impala’s mini tour announcement with borderline slander.

Consequence of Sound, arguably the best U.S. music blog over the past couple of years, ran a story today reporting that another blog from South America has accused Tame Impala of plagiarism. Pitchfork picked up the story an hour later, and like a pack of flies on shit, many other music outlets followed suit from there, pointing to the CoS story.

Suddenly the headline is: Tame Impala are accused of stealing “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”. In an age when headlines matter more than content, accusations like this stick in the hearts and minds of consumers longer than one news cycle.

So, who really made this accusation? CoS points to the “Chilean news site” Rata, a small music blog from Chile. Online media entities are the ones accusing here, not an individual, an artist or a record label. This source article seems to be satirical in nature, much like The Onion. The article claims “the discovery happened at a gathering where musicologists analyzed songs from different eras, and made this conclusion.” The video then, also made by Rata, offers “proof”:

Apparently those familiar with former pop star Pablo Ruiz have been joking about this similarity for a while now, but one could also argue that Pablo Ruiz plagiarized Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba”. That doesn’t make it true just because someone said it or put it on the Internet.

I mean, come on, there’s evidence of Kevin Parker’s first demo of “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” as he’s working through the songwriting process here:



All of this is a bit of a low blow considering Tame Impala announced a tour today, which visits New York, California and South America, including a stop at BUE Fest in Buenos Aires, Argentina. So, perhaps this is all a tie-in to promote the tour, but that sure would be testing the notion that “all publicity is good publicity.”

This is also a classic example of the echo chamber that is the music news industry at this point in time. One outlet reports, everyone else regurgitates the same thing with a link to the “source”, deferring journalistic integrity to the news breaker, all to get the article up ASAP before the East Coast finishes the work day. And so it goes …

Here’s hoping Tame Impala arrive in November at the Fox Theater in Oakland ready to road test some new material.

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First City Festival returns to Monterey for second edition

August 18, 2014 by 2 Comments

First City FestivalPhotos by Marc Fong // Written by Molly Kish //

First City Festival //
Monterey County Fairgrounds – Monterey, CA
August 23rd-24th, 2014 //

Goldenvoice’s second annual First City Festival returns to the idyllic Monterey County Fairgrounds this weekend with two full days of music, performance art, crafts and more. Following up a successful inaugural year, the beautiful 22-acre setting hosts three outdoor music performance areas and a vaudeville stage, the Unique USA Marketplace, a curated vinyl record Beat Swap Meet and a full-scale carnival.

Enter our contest below for a chance to win free tickets!

With such a fantastic roster of both well-known and buzz-worthy acts, we recommend you get to the fairgrounds early to really take in all that the festival has to offer. Beyond local vendors, artisan food and alcohol selections and a county fair’s worth of carnival rides and games, here are the toughest decisions we’ll be making after considering the musical talent on the bill this weekend.

First City Festival lineup

CONFLICTS

Saturday:

Tokyo Police Club vs. Midlake (4-5:15 p.m.)

Wrapping up the final leg of their summer tour, Tokyo Police Club will get the crowd rowdy in this late afternoon slot, pulling bounce-along favorites from their garage-pop discography to go along with new tracks from their latest album Forcefield, which was released this past March. In contrast, folk-rock veterans Midlake will be making their West Coast festival debut this year sans lead singer Tim Smith. The band has been promoting its latest album Antiphon — and first release on ATO Records — with the new lineup to create a “rebooted progressive rock” sound. In following suit with their most recent string of performances, Midlake very well could break out some acoustic material, too.

Best Coast vs. Tanlines (5:20-6:30 p.m.)

In this Day 1 pop throwdown, which team are you on? This is a crucial decision, setting up what inevitably will be the mood you will choose to embrace going into the remainder of the evening. Will you be shuffling a pair of dance shoes or gazing listlessly at them covered in the rodeo’s dust? If you’re feeling the need to bust a move, Tanlines has got you covered. Bringing their infectious, experimental dance music to the festival side stage, this Brooklyn-based duo will have the audience on fire. Call and response with calypso-infused pop, Tanlines’ Jesse Cohen and Eric Emm provide the perfect combo of guitars, vocals and various percussion instruments to invigorate an early-evening crowd before it readies itself for a big evening ahead. If you anticipate the evening’s headliner Beck to have a more melancholy setlist and feel like taking a breather from the crowds, carnival and other stimulus surrounding the first day of the festival, let Best Coast lead singer and guitarist Bethany Constantino’s croon lull you into a mellow mindset. Performing on the main stage, this also could be a good power move, setting yourself up for a spot front and center for the rest of the evening performances.

FCF SCENESunday:

Future Islands vs. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (4-5:15 p.m.)

This is arguably the worst conflict of the weekend for the rage-faced dance enthusiast with quite possibly two of the most similar acts billed consecutively on the lineup. Both bands play to the overly enthusiastic crowd member demographic, and although mildly different in style, each evoke such passion and excitement with their respective fan bases that they would be equally disappointing acts to miss out on. H ailing from Detroit, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is the electric duo of Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott who bring a soulful blend of funk, pop and cross-genre songwriting to the stage. Their stage presence and range as a pair of performers is something that not only speaks to the crowd, but also calls for participation and will no doubt get the early-evening audience active by moving their weary feet. Future Islands, on the other hand, are the wild-card act on not only this bill, but just about any festival roster. Gaining mainstream fame with their incredible electro-rock body of work and after this past year’s impressionistic performance on the “Late Show With David Letterman”, lead singer Sam Herring danced his way into the hearts and curiosities of a nation. Beyond Herring’s guttural howls and spastic stage presence, the band has had great success playing festivals worldwide in executing some of the most memorable sets. Those who show up should be excited to be a part of a performance that everyone around them will remember as a special moment in their lifetime of concert experiences. Whether the crowd sits idly dumbfounded or actually commits to losing itself in the music, this set is sure to be a highlight of the festival and is one we look forward to catching.

Create your custom schedule here!

ATTRACTIONS

Beat Swap Meet:

A traveling record swap meet, Beat Swap Meet features dozens of invited record collectors and dealers from all over the U.S. and beyond. They’ll be selling everything from blues to funk to hip-hop to jazz to metal to punk to reggae to rock to soul, with World 12’s and 45’s on vinyl.

Monterey Carnival:

You will have full access to rides and games with your purchase of a festival ticket.

Unique USA Marketplace:

Take some time to visit this marketplace where furniture, art and fashion designers sell goods, all of them made in the U.S.

First City Festival

GENERAL INFO

With the gates opening at noon and set times starting as early as 1 p.m., we recommend getting there with ample time to park and jump in what undoubtedly will be a line wrapping around the fairgrounds’ perimeter.

First City Festival map

Parking is available with shuttles to the fairgrounds at the neighboring Monterey Peninsula College, located at 980 Fremont Street, Monterey, CA 93940.

First City Festival location

Other options include parking around the neighborhoods surrounding the venue and walking a short distance to the festival location. The locals are generally friendly and accommodating, but be sure not to block anyone’s driveway. There will also be a free bike and skateboard valet near the festival’s front entrance.

If you have any issues with your tickets, you should contact Front Gate Tickets at 888-512-SHOW or on their website. We also recommend taking a peek at the festival’s list of “Dos and Don’ts” before you arrive.

Win-2-Tickets

To win a pair of tickets to the festival, enter below. You must like Showbams on Facebook and follow Showbams on Twitter to be eligible to win.

Submit your full name and email address.
Contest ends Tuesday, August 19th at 3 p.m. Winners will be picked at random & notified by email. Your email will be kept private — we will share your email with no one.

CONTEST CLOSED.

First City Festival

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ANTEMASQUE sell out GAMH with Le Butcherettes

August 18, 2014 by 1 Comment

ANTEMASQUE_postPhotos by Pedro Paredes // Written by Scotland Miller //

ANTEMASQUE with Le Butcherettes //
Great American Music Hall – San Francisco
August 12th, 2014 //

The harsh aftermath that are the days following Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival was soothed by a special sold-out Tuesday at the Great American Music Hall. Two bands that are sure to draw crowds wherever they go, ANTEMASQUE and Le Butcherettes, delivered a power-packed night of music complete with dropped jaws and torn vocal chords.

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On support of their new album entitled Cry Is for the Flies, Le Butcherettes is fronted by vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Teri Gender Bender and drummer Lia Braswel, with production support from Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. They are billed as a garage-punk band from Mexico and rely heavily on the simplistic formula that is “screw you, I’m gonna play what I want.”

This tactic of sonic shock rock is accompanied by Gender Bender’s politically-charged lyrics and her onstage antics, which included a bloodied kitchen apron, a broomstick crucifixion, a deep-throat of the microphone and a bit of crotch-first crowd surfing. To put it lightly, this girl is an eye-catcher on stage and will certainly make you a fan after a live performance. She even hit the bass player in the face with her shoe from across the stage! The energy that emanates from this group is shocking and undoubtedly best appreciated live.

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A new project called ANTEMASQUE emerged earlier this year from longtime friends and familiar duo Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala, formerly of The Mars Volta and At the Drive-In. They are also joined by fellow TMV drummer David Elitch, as well as efforts from the Red Hot Chili Peppers legend Flea. Originally intended to release only a few singles in April of this year (“4AM”, “Hangin’ in the Lurch” and “People Forget”), the project evolved into the digital release of a 10-track self-titled album (read our review here) released in July with a subsequent quick two-week tour, finishing up with two shows in Los Angeles. They put a progressive spin on blues rock and punk music in a way that feels very new, which admittedly is a holy grail in the music industry. Fans of The Mars Volta shouldn’t be disappointed with this new material, but instead should recognize the new direction of these talented musicians.

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At the exact moment of conclusion of Le Butcherettes’ opening set, the crowd immediately elbowed their way closer to the tiny stage at The Great American. A giant mass of cookie-cutter faces with stretched earlobes, flannel over shirts, IPA T-shirts, corduroy jackets, fedoras and beards all pushed forward to get a closer look at their heroes. It’s amazing the ferocity that such artists can evoke in their fans. It was refreshing to see. Not only was the reception of this performance accepted with nothing but screams of elation, but every single lyric for every song was also spouted by the vast majority of the audience. This might not be much of a notable occurrence, if it weren’t for the fact that most of this music has only been available to the public for a matter of about five or six weeks.

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The setlist consisted of about an hour of material not quite encompassing the entirety of their self-titled release. The energy level achieved by the opening act never let up. Some of the highlighted performances came during a vibrantly charged rendition of “Hangin’ in the Lurch,” and a ripping guitar solo and jam session during “Providence.” There were a few moments of story time where Cedric explained how his grandmother was responsible for his being allowed to sing as a kid, and a quick comment about how ANTEMASQUE as a band were able to defy the music reviewers and make some music that was “all proggy prog prog” and didn’t have “a bunch of crazy time changes,” but these moments were offset by the pure magic that this pairing of musicians produced.

The sounds of ANTEMASQUE are different enough from that of their previous works, which sets this project apart from being just another time waster. Music fans will surely enjoy this act if they are ever lucky enough to see it in person.

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The best of Outside Lands 2014

August 15, 2014 by 3 Comments

1.OutsideLands2014_postPhotos by Pedro Paredes, Benjamin Wallen and Marc Fong // Written by Molly Kish //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 8th-10th, 2014 //

With so much to offer this seventh year of Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, the celebration of music, food, art and everything in between was at an all-time high! Boasting a packed lineup of diverse performers, culinary innovators and artists, Golden Gate Park hosted a wonderland of possibilities. Here are our favorite features from this year’s extravaganza.

Read our daily recaps from Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
View artist photography by Pedro Paredes below.

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TOP SETS FROM THE WEEKEND

With a lineup of more than 70 diverse performers, naming the best shows of the weekend is at best an exercise in personal point of view. With opinions running rampant on headliners, under cards and buzz-worthy acts, we instead choose to focus on what caught our attention as some of the most memorable performances of the weekend for better or worse.

How do your favorites match up with our top sets and moments from the weekend? Leave your comments, opinions and personal picks below!

Most Controversial Headliner: Kanye West
Most Explosive Dance Performance: Flume
Biggest Crowd of the Weekend: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Biggest Local Draw: Atmosphere
Best Rock Performance: Deer Tick
Best Hip Hop Performance: Run the Jewels
Breakout Artist of the Festival: Lucius

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Best Crowd Engagement/Dance Moves: Cut Copy
Best Use of Stage Design/Props: The Flaming Lips
Heineken Haus MVP: Gorgon City
Loudest Sing Along: The Killers
Best Comedy/Improv Performance: Improvised Shakespeare Company (with guest Patrick Stewart)
Best Quote: “You’re gonna tell your kids about this!” -Kanye West

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TOP TACTICS TO KEEP THE GROUP TOGETHER

A festival at maximum capacity can already be hard to navigate, especially with large groups of various paced members, and Outside Lands is no exception. With the innumerable obstacles present in the park’s terrain, even the most seasoned shepherd will at some point find difficulty in herding their festival flock.

This year, especially with the stricter rules regarding what attendees can bring in concerning poles, flags, hoops, etc., the Outside Lands crowd got creative with their tracking skills.

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Innovative Beacons/Totems: No pole, no problem! Although the presence of PVC pipes still managed to make their way into the masses, people got pretty imaginative with their signage and “find us here” monuments. Ginormous balloons (even full bouquets of them by weekend’s end) soared hundreds of feet in the air, flocks of Flabongos bounced together above the crowd all weekend and cardboard cutouts of Hodor, crying Kim Kardashian and poop emojis received praise from the crowd. Even those with a history flag waving kept the tradition alive amidst the pole ban by finding the biggest stick within Maclaren Pass to wave their banner high.

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Festival Wear: Fickle weather kept the costumed crowd members on their toes this past weekend, with temperatures fluctuating as quickly as a set change, Karl the Fog intermittently reared his mischievously muggy head. Outside Lands is an atypical festival in the sense that it fails to adhere to most counterparts’ “clothing optional” fashion guidelines, so attendees have to get creative in the Bay Area when it comes to group uniforms — and this crowd didn’t fail. Most effective use of costumes this year included creepily monochromatic “balloon people” with fully inflatable body suits and face masks, a storm trooper masked duo (made out of cereal boxes) donning a “show us your taun-tauns” sign and flocks of animal onesies.

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TOP OUTSIDE LANDS FOOD MOMENTS

With almost as much excitement revolving around the fare of Outside Lands as the music and art portions of the festival, this year’s attendees were treated to an exorbitant amount of delicious options to satiate their palette. Marrying the festivals’ live entertainment with culinary prowess, a lot of the action took place on this year’s inaugural debut of the GastroMagic stage and surrounding food “lands”. Some of our favorites included:

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Big Freedia’s and Brenda’s French Soul Food “Bounce Brunch”: This was where fans of Southern cooking and the transgender twerking sensation, the “Queen Diva” herself, were treated to an early Saturday afternoon, interactive mini set. Freedia took the stage with her co-ed twerk team and two members of Brenda’s French Soul Food, coerced the crowd to join her on stage and twerk for made-to-order beignets. Almost immediately, lines formed to strut in front of the audience for the piping-hot pastries, with the restaurant staff joining in on the fun, tapping their powdered sugar dispensers along to chants of “Shake for your beignets…”

8.Bacon-Flight Photo via Pop Sugar.

Bacon Bacon Lands flights: For the truly decadent, this year’s Bacon Lands covered all the delicious meat-candy bases. Most often seen floating throughout the park via the Bacon Bacon flights, the well-known Bay Area food truck offered a skewered sampling of three various types of cured fat, packaged as a between set “meat-sicle” snack comprised of everyone’s favorite part of our piggy friends. The aroma wafting from this “land” was hypnotic, coaxing weary festivalgoers rummaging through Maclaren Pass to the magical pork stand tucked away in the trees. Surpassing all of its other neighboring “lands”, this location easily had some of the most enthusiastic lines with patrons salivating for their chance at some greasy goodness on the go.

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Macgyver Mini Bars: While we at Showbams do not condone attempting to smuggle in anything restricted by Outside Lands (or any festival for that matter), we have to acknowledge the attempts both successful and foiled. By the weekend’s end, security was a force to be reckoned with, but what seemed like an ocean of alcohol still made its way inside. Even in a setting that one can traverse the fairgrounds openly with some of the world’s best beer and wine while adorning a legal ID wristband, people got ingenious with their covert booze operations, tipping authorities off to some of the greatest sneaking-in secrets in the festival’s history.

Beyond hiding alcohol in legal food boxes, wrappers and the obvious camel back and thermos containers, many used the park’s topography to literally bury their liquor treasures. There were hollowed out loaves of bread, burrito wrapped liters, creepy nether-region containers and more. Some successful showoffs even boasted about it to local press and spattered social media with their accomplishments.

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TOP “ONLY IN SF” OUTSIDE LANDS ATTRACTIONS

Digital Detox, Camp Grounded Analog Zone and Sober Lands: In an attempt to reunite the festivalgoer with the true concept of what a music festival essentially is/used to/should be, Outside Lands brings a truly “unique” experience to the forefront with its campaign to “disconnect to reconnect” with these three features. Attempting to remove attendees from the digital noise of the modern world and get back to a simpler, more organic festival experience, Digital Detox and Camp Grounded Analog Zone provide the opportunity to drink tea in a yurt while making arts and crafts, playing board games, meditating, face painting or writing love letters on a typewriter to leave on a missed connection board sans social media and telephones.

If you’re not a fan of partying with the inebriated masses, Sober Lands had you covered. With meetings scheduled throughout the day, the tent offered a place of solace for those looking to clear their head between smushing up against sweaty booze-soaked bodies all day amidst the craziness of the typical festival crowds.

11.Art Chillin

Outsider Art and The Barbary: This year’s art program, curated by Jeben Berg and the legendary SF art publication Juxtapoz Magazine, brought an incredible roster of talent to the festival forefront. Between the live graffiti art, painting, theater and insane installations, the visual art at this year’s festival was better than ever before. From the individual wall panels lining the polo fields to Dennis Mcnett’s incredible sculpture piece, even Ranger Dave got in on the fun with his larger-than-life welcoming statue next to the North Side entrance/Sutro Stage.

Along with the stunning visuals, Dr. Flotsam’s Hell Brew Revue dominated the Barbary area, causing mischief throughout the McLaren Pass with his frolicking band of Carny Bastards. Very rarely could you make the mission through the woods without encountering a circus sideshow of random clowns playing “bowling for drunks”, whips cracking, roots revival hoe-downs and odd Nordic funeral processions clouding up the overpass. It wasn’t something most would consider having to navigate around at a sold-out music festival, but when in SF, one better come prepared for more than just cold weather and marathon-style walking.

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Outside Lands superjam features comedic guests, MC Hammer

August 14, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Superjam_postBy Marc Fong //

Kool & the Gang with special guests //
The Independent – San Francisco
August 10th, 2014 //

Sunday night’s Kool & the Gang show at The Independent promised a slew of special guests, and most were of the comedic variety. Barbary Tent standouts from Outside Lands — Craig Robinson, along with the stars of Silicon Valley, Thomas Middleditch and T.J. Miller — helped get things going. Robinson got in on the musical action, and the Bay Area’s very own MC Hammer helped throw it down with Kool & the Gang.

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LA gets a taste of Down Under thanks to Jagwar Ma, Flume

August 12, 2014 by 1 Comment

Jagwar Ma & Flume


Australia’s Jagwar Ma (left) and Flume (right) played to big crowds in LA last week.

By Josh Herwitt //

Over the past five years, Australia has become a hotbed for electronically-tinged music, and Los Angeles got to experience that first hand last week from two of the country’s biggest up-and-coming acts in 2014.

Headlining the Twilight Concert Series‘ fifth annual “Australia Rocks the Pier” show, Sydney psych-dance trio Jagwar Ma returned to Southern California for the first time since packing the Gobi Tent on Coachella‘s opening day back in April. And with a rather youthful crowd flocking to the Santa Monica Pier on Thursday night, Gabriel Winterfield (vocals, guitar), Jono Ma (guitar, beats, synths, production) and Jack Freeman (bass, vocals) ran through a large chunk of their 2013 debut Howlin’. Having played Lollapalooza in Chicago and Osheaga Music and Arts Festival in Montreal the weekend before, the band has maintained one of the most rigorous touring schedules this summer.

Yet, you wouldn’t have known it from the way Winterfield and Freeman jumped around on stage while Ma manned the decks, pumping life into each song through a number of synths and drum machines. What makes Jagwar Ma such an intriguing act right now is the way it can stretch out its songs and make the most of its relatively limited catalog — much like we reported after the band’s set at Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival on Saturday.

But what was just as impressive to see was Jagwar Ma’s ability to maintain an element of surprise even with Howlin’ being almost a year old now, as it doled out covers of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and Nirvana’s “All Apologies” after winning over the audience earlier in the night with fan favorites like “Uncertainty” and “Man I Need.” For those who hadn’t heard anything from the Aussie outfit until arriving at the beach that night, they couldn’t have asked for a much better introduction to a band that has sold out shows all the across the globe at this point.

Meanwhile, it’s hard to say that there’s an artist who has created more buzz for himself in the last year than 22-year-old Australian prodigy Harley Streten — or as his fans better know him, Flume. Streten, who started making music at the age of 13 after discovering a production software disc in a box of cereal, released his self-titled debut in late 2012 and a year later, found himself winning awards for “Best Male Artist” and” Best Independent Album” in his home country.

Since then, Streten’s newborn success has only continued to spread across the Pacific Ocean and into the states, where the shift toward electronic music is more apparent than ever these days. By the time he played Coachella this year, he had already proven to be too popular to be performing in a tent, evidenced by the thousands of festivalgoers who were spilling outside of the Gobi’s canopy for his 50-minute set.

Opening the first of three sold-out shows at Club Nokia on Friday night, Streten proved to not be in any rush, strolling out on stage almost 30 minutes after his expected 11 p.m. start time. If he was told that showing up late was the “cool thing to do” when you play in LA, it’s not — not when you have fans that waited in line as early as 4 p.m. for a chance to stand up front.

Maybe that didn’t matter to Streten, though. After all, he seems to be everywhere of late, squeezing in sets last weekend at Splash House in Palm Springs on Saturday and Outside Lands in SF on Sunday (read our report, which included some hilarious tree dancing) between his three headlining gigs Friday, Saturday and Monday in LA.

At Club Nokia, he was absolutely adored by the 18-22 demographic that dominated the dance floor. He broke out the hits early, getting the crowd moving to his infectious single “Holdin’ On” before dropping some hip-hop on the crowd compliments of “On Top,” which features New York rapper T.Shirt.

However, for as catchy and well-produced as Streten’s tracks are, there’s still something about paying to watch a so-called “musician” stand behind a laptop — without anyone knowing what he’s truly doing — that feels somewhat disingenuous. That’s not to say that technology has no place in today’s music scene, but in an industry that has become increasingly dependent upon live performance to survive economically, very little about Flume’s show felt “live.”

If there was one element of the 75-minute show that stood above everything else, it was undoubtedly the visual component, which featured original video clips synced to each track. As cool as that was, it wasn’t anything worth spending $90-100 on, which is what tickets were being resold for on StubHub as well as Craigslist (retail ticket prices were $20-40, plus service fees).

With Jagwar Ma and Flume leading the way, there’s certainly plenty of promise for the future of music in the land Down Under. Whether both acts can continue living up to the hype that they’ve garnered from their debut albums, well, that remains to be seen.

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Outside Lands Day 3: Flume draws massive crowd, inspires tree dancing

August 11, 2014 by 3 Comments

Outside-Lands-2014_post
Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Mike Frash //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 8th-10th, 2014 //

When we wrote about Flume possibly playing Outside Lands this year in our artist rumors article, we mentioned the Australian DJ could headline this year, a divisive point that got some folks questioning our claim. Based on the crowd that showed up and the high level of sustained excitement on Sunday, that possibility isn’t too far away for Harley Streten. Sure, CHVRCHES’ cancelling their set caused some massive swelling at the east end of the festival for Flume, but many of the disappointed must have found a new favorite.

Australian producer Harley Streten weaved together a crowd-pleasing set that had a saturated Twin Peaks field bouncing along with hands up for the duration, all in the 3 p.m. hour on Sunday. In the past year, Flume’s set has become more sophisticated, led by a restrained approach that intermingles hip-hop, trap, R&B and rap. The drops are inverted in their intensity compared to traditional EDM, offering slight delays and unpredictable syncopation.

Flume has helped to create and capitalize off music’s popular trend toward marrying dance music and hip-hop, and his ability to curate a festival-sized mega party cannot be questioned at this point. Fortune favors the bold …

Add in remixes, including Major Lazer’s “Get Free” & Lorde’s “Tennis Court”, while throwing back to Friday with a rework of Disclosure’s “You & Me” and “Insane” with Killer Mike’s verses, and even the uninitiated were pulled into the excitement. Streten was also able to bring in “Touched” by What So Not, his new duo with Emoh Instead.

And did I mention how packed it was? Twenty minutes before Flume was to start there was nowhere to go. Some folks had to resort to tree dancing … for mostly hilarious results (watch the video above). While the conservationist in me says raging out a tree for an hour isn’t right, it was pretty funny — but not to Ranger Dave. According to a user on a Reddit thread titled FLUME FUCKING KILLED IT, “Apparently he got fined, and just posted his ticket on Facebook.” So think twice before trying this next year.

Some shows, per usual, were very crowed this year. Perhaps too crowded. Atmosphere’s show on Saturday left no room to breath. Capital Cities looked really packed. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis easily outdrew Tom Petty. So, would you pay a little more money if Outside Lands sold less tickets? Or do you prefer the masses like penguins huddling to keep warm in the winter, or maybe just going to where the crowds aren’t.

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• Woods are the most quintessential California band that is not from here — they call Brooklyn home. The group curates the Woodsist Festival down the road in Big Sur, their most famous song before this year was “Cali in a Cup”, and they felt right at home in the confines of Golden Gate Park early Sunday. When they played their new song “With Light And With Love” — one of the best songs of 2014 — the spirit of the Grateful Dead performances from the late ‘60s felt present on what used to be Speedway Meadow.

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• Jenny Lewis, sporting a snazzy technicolor dream-coat that matches her new album cover for The Voyager, delighted with a slew of new cuts from the record along with some Rilo Kiley joints.

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• A buzzy yet not overwhelming crowd came together for Spoon, who released their addictive new record They Want My Soul the Tuesday before Outside Lands. There are a bunch of future classics to be found in the new material that was played, including “Inside Out”, “Do You” & “Outlier”, and the new jams mixed in seamlessly with songs such as “I Turn My Camera On” and “I Summon You”. Britt Daniel looked inspired after four years on break from Spoon with Divine Fits. Watch for Spoon to have a big year, and give the new album a listen if you haven’t yet.

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• You certainly can’t say The Flaming Lips aren’t trying. They seem to change from year to year, and when the Lips form a set that centers around Wayne Coyne’s voice as they did at Outside Lands, it can feel uninspired at times and triumphant at others, but our heroic muscle man gives 100 percent the entire time amongst psychedelic spectacle. Their Halloween show from 2013 in SF made my top 10 shows list last year because they took the opposite approach with Coyne’s voice, modulating it into an electronic instrument, and gone were the hyper happy Yoshimi songs, the cheerleaders, the confetti cannons and human hamster ball. All of it. Instead, the Halloween show was a glorious drone-filled, psychedelic freak out, reflecting the studio work they’d released the past two years.

Coyne and company realize a festival set is different than a normal show, so they have tried to find middle ground. The Flaming Lips leader wore a muscle body suit as if he was skinned, the cheerleaders are now put in rainbow, sun and earth costumes, while songs like “Do You Realize?” and “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” were played with a dystopic, bleak tone. So, by having a setlist of lighter hits that were played through a jarring lens, nobody got what they really wanted. On a positive note, the Flaming Lips are keeping it weirder than ever, and many of the extended whiffs of Pink Floyd’s languid guitar hit the spot.

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• We weren’t that excited about The Killers or Tiësto to finish the festival, but we’re ready to eat our hat. I went to Tiësto since I firmly believe it’s best to say goodbye with a dance party, leaving it all on the field. The Dutch DJ was far less anthemic than anticipated, dropping some surprisingly powerful bass that speaks to his progressive nature behind the dials. Lands End was going bonkers. The overall reaction to The Killers from various press and social media websites has been very positive — Another Planet Entertainment and Superfly Presents have got their fingers on the pulse of what works for entertaining the masses at Outside Lands. We’re already looking forward to the schedule for year No. 8 in 2015.

What was your favorite act on Sunday? Did you see the dude in the tree at Flume? Tell us your story below.

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Outside Lands Day 2: HAIM take another step toward the top

August 10, 2014 by 1 Comment

HAIM_postPhotos by Marc Fong // Written by Mike Frash //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 8th-10th, 2014 //

Saturday brought a more celebratory tone to Outside Lands Music and Arts Festiva despite the typical August fog’s return to SF’s Golden Gate Park. Following Kanye West’s exciting Friday set that was marred by multiple man-baby moments, it was time for smiles to become contagious and for the communal spirit of the fest to take flight.

No one led this Day 2 transition better than HAIM. “I want to see babes on babes on babes. Totem pole!” demanded ESTE FUCKING HAIM of the Outside Lands crowd, and oblige they did. An effective festival technique, Alana, Danielle and Este quickly counted as festivalgoers doubled up toward the sky like a meerkat looking for a predator. And by the time the awesome threesome blasted into “Forever”, the crowd had been primed by funny, engaging banter.

More importantly, they are remarkably talented at what they do. HAIM fucking rocks live. They elongate and have adapted some of their songs, like “Forever”, for the better. Before introducing “The Wire”, Danielle prepped the audience for the call and response of “Right!”. Full buy-in permeated the Lands End stage as most everyone joined in the fun.

If HAIM continue to write undeniably catchy songs while retaining their fierce attitudes, the sky’s the limit. The atypical vocal phrasing never gets old, and I hope they continue to create music that develops around their quirky approach to modern pop while re-purposing the familiar. These Los Angeles-based sisters could be headlining big festivals in 3-5 years.

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• Jagwar Ma displayed noted improvement since their show last year at The Independent, the group has expanded their sound further on stage, stretching out the vocal mantras into delirious territory. Jano Ma’s production showed shades of Nine Inch Nails, balancing Moog synthesizer and a squelchy analogue sound.

• Big Freedia was everywhere Saturday. The Queen Diva brought a taste of NOLA to the new GastroMagic stage, allowing proactive patrons to cook up a beignet while they got there bounce on. Then, Freedia was at the Soundwave tent, and finally for her proper set at the Panhandle Stage. Ass Everywhere!

• SF-based graphic designer-turned-musician-turned-full-band Tycho had a prime spot mid-day at Twin Peaks, but it’s unclear if Scott Hansen’s minimalist approach translates in a big, open field at a festival. While the crowd energy was low as expected, it was a solid set accompanied by a new, intriguingly odd video component.

• The Sutro Stage was alive with an intimate crowd for Deer Tick. Screaming fans belted out lyrics and danced with interlocked arms to the group’s raucous, twangy Southern rock.

• Duck Sauce is refreshing for embracing the absurd, boiling down dance music into explosions of bass with melodies as obnoxious as “Gangum Style” or happy hardcore. But A-Trak and Armand Van Helden have pinpointed the perfect equation for a ridiculously good time, making sure not to ever get too jarring or obvious. When looking for a raging, good time in a festival setting, nothing may be more fun than Duck Sauce. Quack.

• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are just about as “legend” as it gets, and tracks from Petty’s 2014 LP Hypnotic Eye were laced throughout the main stage headliner’s set. “Friend of the Devil” was covered, a nod and a wink to the Grateful Dead’s home turf, while “American Girl” finished of the night on a high note.

• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis at Twin Peaks was way more crowded than Tom Petty’s show. Macklemore brought out Mary Lambert for the GBLT anthem “Same Love”, which included a wedding proposal well-suited for SF.

What was your favorite show or moment on Saturday? What are you looking forward to Sunday?

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Outside Lands Day 1: Kanye West rants like a petulant child

August 9, 2014 by 4 Comments

OSL-2014-POSTPhotos by Marc Fong // Written by Mike Frash //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 8th-10th, 2014 //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival has graduated to the upper tier of festivals in its seventh year, selling out within 24 hours and packing in SF’s Golden Gate Park on Friday afternoon much earlier than past iterations. And for the first time, the Lands End main stage featured rap and electronic-oriented music, drawing a youthful crowd usually reserved for Justice or Pretty Lights at the Twin Peaks stage.

But more than imagined and expected, Friday’s headliner Kanye West showed that he behaves like a petulant child, launching into mini temper tantrums throughout the night, amidst an inspiring show the crowd was digging. His performance confirmed everything his detractors spout —- that he’s a narcissist to the point that he truly believes it’s a form of art.

Yes, I understand that this is what Kanye does. It was expected. It’s still a buzz kill, almost a tactical time killer.

“I want you to tell your kids about this night,” he said. This advice came amongst one of the four rants that cut off songs at their best moments, stopping all the natural momentum so Kanye could drop all sound and preach. It’s reminiscent of Andy Kaufman’s “challenge the audience” mentality, getting people to question why they came in the first place.

There were moments of complete crowd elation, but when the encore was over by 9:50 p.m. (10 minutes before last call), you have to ask, did he give it his all? Kanye is the ideal artist of this generation —- innovating to push the lines of contemporary pop while being completely self-absorbed.

Should Kanye give up the rants for the sake of entertainment or will you be telling your kids about it? Leave a comment with your favorite rant line, your top show of the day, a link to your photos or video.

“Imma need y’all to make a bigger circle!”

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Get your grub on: Outside Lands 2014 food guide

August 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Wine LandsWritten by Molly Kish and Jeannine Boisse //

With Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival hitting Golden Gate Park this weekend, it’s time to break down the best food and attractions this year’s festival has to offer.

In a city that’s equally recognized for its food and beverage industry as it is for its nightlife and entertainment options, Outside Lands has made quite the impression on the festival circuit as the best menu across the board for featured artisan fare. Besides our favorites from previous years, which have quickly become a staple among OSL foodies, 2014 brings an impressive roster of brand-new, local flavors to the festival’s grounds.

Along with several locally curated booths, including Wine Lands, Beer Lands and Chocolands, the festival has stepped up its food game significantly this year with the introduction of the GastroMagic area. For the first time ever in OSL history, the festival presents a fully interactive culinary stage located directly in the middle of the grounds and co-curated by Chefs Feed. Featuring world-renowned chefs paired with top musical talent from the festival’s lineup, GastroMagic offers three full days of delicious collaborations. With everything ranging from Saturday’s Bounce Brunch featuring Big Freedia and Brenda’s French Soul Food to Sunday’s Mezcal Mambo Limbo, this stage will be an epicurean spectacle, heightened that much more by Baconland’s savory flights and roaming resident magician Jon Armstrong. For a full lineup of GastroMagic’s scheduled events, go here.

To further wet your palette, here is our breakdown of the top tastes at Outside Lands 2014.

View the 2014 schedule and create your custom grid to share with friends!
View our 2014 beer/artist pairings!

AQ Restaurant & BarEatery: AQ Restaurant & Bar
Dish: Highbrow Spaghetti and Sloppy Joe’s with all the fix in’s

New to the festival’s food scene and definitely catching attention, the SF foodie crowd is sure to dig this dish. I don’t know a better place than OSL to test out a new highbrow take on classic comfort foods.

Freshroll Vietnamese Rolls & BowlsEatery: Freshroll Vietnamese Rolls & Bowls
Dish: Bánh Mì Sandwich

If or when the sun shines bright over OSL, a savory and spicy bánh mì will make for the perfect lunch. Make sure to pair it with a seasonal session from Beer Lands or a refreshing hard cider.

homeroomEatery: homeroom
Dish: Gilroy Garlic Mac and Cheese

Given the location of the festival and the tendency for Karl the Fog to barge in at any time, this dish is essential to keeping warm. Homeroom knows how it’s done in the mac and cheese world. Just keep some breath mints handy in case of garlic breath.

il Cane RossoEatery: il Cane Rosso
Dish: Griddled French Toast

Don’t forget about brunch on Outside Lands’ account. Let il Cane Rosso provide the eats and Wine Lands provide the bubbly.

Señor SisigEatery: Señor Sisig
Dish: California Sisig Burrito

Hangover Helper #1! Sometimes we forget that us Bay Area locals have easy access to some of the best burritos ever. If you’re playing tour guide to any out-of-towners, show them what a real burrito is about. You owe them that much.

Southpaw BBQ & Southern Cookin'Eatery: Southpaw BBQ & Southern Cookin’
Dish: Smoked Brisket Sandwich

BBQ + Beer Lands = Success. Pair your sandwich of smoky, juicy, pork brisket with a local craft IPA.

Spicy PieEatery: Spicy Pie
Dish: Slice of pepperoni, jalapeños and pineapple

Hangover Helper #2! Because, duh! Spicy Pie will likely save your life at some point during the weekend when you find yourself a little too drunk or just losing energy. On Saturday evening, make sure to grab a giant slice with pepperoni, jalapeños and pineapple.

StrawEatery: Straw
Dish: Sweet Potato Tots with Blackberry BBQ Sauce

Tots are an Outside Lands food staple. Period. These tots are delightfully crispy, and the blackberry BBQ dipping sauce is magical.

Three Babes BakeshopEatery: Three Babes Bakeshop
Dish: Apple and Chocolate Pecan Pies

Another newbie to the OSL food scene, these pies are picture perfect. Flaky and rich with organic fruit = win. This is a wonderful alternative to Chocolands when you find you’re in need of a wholesome dessert.

Wise Sons DeliEatery: Wise Sons Deli
Dish: Pastrami Cheese Fries

Hangover Helper #3! These are the best fries at OSL — and possibly the world. Grab a fork and don’t think about calories because they’re worth it. With just the right amount of salty, cheesy and spicy flavors, this will be your perfect breakfast on Sunday morning when you need the extra kick.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Five emerging artists you need to hear

August 5, 2014 by 6 Comments

Five emerging artists you should hear this AugustWritten by Krystal Beez //

Get familiar with these five emerging artists.

1. ELLIPHANT

Elliphant

Who: Ellinor Olovsdotter

Origin: Stockholm, Sweden

What she’s about: Inspired by Scandinavian pop and the Jamaican-influenced dance scene in Sweden and Denmark as well as London’s dubstep scene, Elliphant’s music is a global potpourri of electrifying rhythms and powerful, yet raw, chants. “Down On Life” is her most “traditional” song, while her more recent singles, “Only Getting Younger” and “Revolusion”, resemble the efforts of her Mad Decent associates M.I.A and Maluca much more. Elliphant is currently on tour supporting the fabulous Charli XCX. Catch them both at Slim’s in San Francisco on Saturday, October 25th. Get your tix here.

File next to: M.I.A., Mapei, Maluca.

Follow: Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Spotify.

2. SEINABO SEY

Seinabo Sey

Who: Seinabo Sey

Origin: Stockholm, Sweden

What she’s about: Seinabo Sey is of both Swedish and Gambian descent — a fact that is reflected in her music, which is an accessible blend of Swedish pop, R&B and African rhythms. At just 23, Sey made a big splash across the blogosphere with her debut single “Younger” and is currently recording her debut album in Stockholm. With crisp production coming from fellow Swede Magnus Lidehall (Mapei, Veronica Maggio), Sey’s powerhouse vocals are always the focus of each track. Hopefully we get more tracks from this emerging pop/soul artist in the very near future.

File next to: Ella Eyre, Marlene, Mapei.

Follow: Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Spotify.

3. ZELLA DAY

Zella Day

Who: Zella Day

Origin: Arizona

What she’s about: Zella Day first appeared on the scene a few years ago with her sparse and organic cover of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army“. Since then, Day released the single “Sweet Ophelia” and began drawing comparisons to Lana Del Rey. The Arizona native picked up a guitar at a young age, capturing inspiration from the Arizona scenery, Western films and personal experiences to create a raw sound that doesn’t really fit into one specific genre. Currently, Day is in the studio working on her debut EP, and if her single and B-side “1965” are any indication, then we can expect some charming indie pop to hook us. Until then, check out her newest release “East of Eden” below.

File next to: Lana Del Rey, Broods, Betty Who.

Follow: Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Spotify.

4. SNAKEHIPS

Snakehips

Who: Oliver Lee and James Carter

Origin: London, England

What they’re about: If you need a more laid-back soundtrack for the summer, then look no further than Snakehips. The London duo make music at that sweet spot where the 90’s R&B of yesterday meets the technology of today. They’ve topped The Hype Machine charts with remixes of Banks, Wild Belle and The Weeknd, and they are getting ready to take over. Think Disclosure, but at reduced speeds. Check out their newest single below, featuring the always lovely vocals of Sinead Harnett, who has previously been featured on tracks by Rudimental and Disclosure and is another artist to watch out for in 2014.

File next to: Disclosure, Cyril Hahn, Kidnap Kid.

Follow: Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Spotify.

5. ZHU

Zhu

Who: Steven Zhu?

Origin: Current location is California (LA/SF)

What he’s about: Zhu is the mysterious producer behind the Outkast mashup “Moves Like Miss Jackson“. You won’t find any pictures of him on his website or on Facebook. His EP Nightday is out now on iTunes, and you can listen to it on Soundcloud. Zhu issued the following statement about keeping his identity hidden: “Many are wondering why I chose to release my music anonymously. I am my own ghostwriter. As a society, we become more attached to the creator than to the creation. Music is faceless. My music is for a new generation—one in which people appreciate art for its intrinsic value—Generation WHY.” His chill, deep house and “letting the music speak for itself” vibes have got people intrigued, and he is set to be one of the biggest breakout acts in 2014. And now you know everything there is to know about Zhu — for now.

File next to: Moon Boots, Disclosure, Duke Dumont.

Follow: Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Spotify.

Which emerging artists are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!

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

PHOTOS: Shabazz Palaces at The New Parish 7/29

August 1, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Shabazz PalacesBy Kory Thibeault //

Shabazz Palaces //
The New Parish – Oakland
July 29th, 2014 //

Shabazz Palaces dropped by The New Parish this week for two nights to celebrate the release of their second-full length album Lese Majesty. Serving as an unofficial record release party, Tuesday night’s headlining show marked an important moment for the experimental hip-hop collective out of the Pacific Northwest. After catching the attention of the renowned Sub Pop Records back in 2011, Ishmael Butler — who some may know as “Palaceer Lazaro” or “Butterfly” during his time with Digable Planets — and Tendal “Baba” Marair have built a fan base that has grown far and wide since its 2011 debut Black Up. Kory Thibeault was in Oakland to catch the duo’s second show before Butler and Marair headed north for their native Seattle.

Shabazz Palaces

Shabazz Palaces

Shabazz Palaces

Shabazz Palaces

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: ,
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