Live Music Reviews

ANTEMASQUE sell out GAMH with Le Butcherettes

August 18, 2014 by Scotland Miller 1 Comment

Photos 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Antemasque, Great American Music Hall, Le Butcherettes

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

August 12, 2014 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

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.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Australia, Club Nokia, Flume, Jagwar Ma, KCRW, Los Angeles, Santa Monica Pier, Twilight Concert Series

Jimmy Cliff delivers positive vibes to sold-out Fillmore

July 25, 2014 by Molly Kish 2 Comments

Photos by Pedro Paredes // Written by Molly Kish

Jimmy Cliff //
The Fillmore – San Francisco
July 19th, 2014 //

Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff took the stage at The Fillmore this past weekend as vibrant as ever. Filling the sold-out auditorium with an ocean of positivity, he treated the eclectic crowd to a first-person account of roots-rock history and a career-spanning setlist from his 50-plus years as a musical icon.

Joyfully skipping out onto the stage to start his set, Cliff exuded the youthful enthusiasm of a performer more than half his age. The 66-year-old performer’s energy was infectiously transmitted as the crowd welcomed him with uproarious cheers and applause. Positioning himself in the center of the stage and straddling a larger-than-life bongo while being surrounded by his entourage of band members and backup vocalists, Cliff broke out directly into an acoustic medley of “Bongo Man/Rivers of Babylon”. Instigating almost an immediate venue-wide singalong, he quickly set the tone for the crowd’s participatory expectations the rest of the evening.

High off the euphoric stage presence of Cliff with a thickening haze floating through the legendary theater, the crowd wholeheartedly jumped right into the spirit of the evening’s comprehensive setlist. Taking things up a notch, Cliff decided after his acoustic opener to delve straight into back-to-back hits “King of Kings” and “Miss Jamaica” from his early days as a ska pioneer. Abandoning diffidence and collective lack thereof rhythm, the packed auditorium put forth its best effort to “skank” along with the reggae legend as he and his animated backup singers demonstrated various moves from the Jamaican dancehall era step by step. Sloppy attempts gave way to slippery floors, which were used to slide around in unison as attendees recoiled back into simply belting out lyrics at the top of their lungs during an ecstatic rendition of “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and Cliff’s well-known cover of Cat Stevens’ “Wild World”.

The most notable moments of the performance happened when Cliff lent some personal history to the material he chose to play that evening. About halfway through the set, he started taking extra time before each song to fill the audience in on the composition’s relevance — not only his career as a musician, producer and political figure, but also to give background on the time and place it was written, the social commentary it provided and its relevance to pop culture. Performing an updated version of his 1968 protest song “Vietnam”, Cliff delivered a powerful rendition aptly titled “Afghanistan”, replacing the original lyrics with commentary relevant to the modern-day state of affairs in the Middle East.

Cliff also took some time to offer a little insight on his experience outside of his personal recording efforts, stating that he had quite the legacy “breaking in new artists”. It was during this time that Cliff segued into a portion of the evening’s performance where he literally shifted the concert into a mini “storytellers” set, playing snippets of hits from Desmond Decker, Bob Marley, Johnny Nash and Sam Cooke that he either had a part in producing, writing or promoting. Aware of his latest artistic courtship with Bay Area native and Rancid singer/guitarist Tim Armstrong, I couldn’t help but hold my breath for a possible dream collaboration live on stage to cap off this section of the show. Instead though, Cliff brought it on home with staples like “The Harder They Come” and “I Can See Clearly Now”, followed by a crowd singalong to “One More” off of Rebirth, his 2011 full-length collaboration with Armstrong.

In true superstar fashion, Cliff remained side stage, post set reveling in the crowd’s unrelenting chanting. After merely a few minutes of down time, he returned to perform not one, but two separate encores on this night. With exit music softly cooing through the speakers and the house lights at a dim, the crowd only partially dispersed with over half of the venue still hoping that Cliff would have more after nearly playing for 2 1/2 hours — and he didn’t let them down. Taking the stage for the final time, Cliff ended the evening with a rousing rendition of “Wonderful World, Beautiful People”, introducing his band one by one before saying his final goodbye to us.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Jimmy Cliff, The Fillmore

The Infamous Stringdusters let loose at Terrapin Crossroads

July 17, 2014 by The Bam Team 1 Comment

By Kory Thibeault //

The Infamous Stringdusters featuring Phil Lesh, Nicki Bluhm and The Terrapin Family Band //
Terrapin Crossroads – San Rafael, CA
July 12th-13th, 2014 //

There truly is something special going on at Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael. This is not the first time I have spoken of it, nor will it be the last. Of course, being under the ownership of music legend Phil Lesh, it comes as no surprise their calendar of events is pretty rock solid. The artists who roll through Terrapin certainly attract a niche audience, extremely fitting for the intimate 250-person capacity the venue holds.

This past weekend was definitely intimate. The Grammy-nominated Infamous Stringdusters proved their worth in selling out a two-night run, with Friday billed as a “ramble” featuring Phil Lesh in the flesh. In the spirit of Levon Helm’s famous rambles, the Stringdusters took the stage for a high-energy show, first only to accompany Lesh and later The Terrapin Family Band for an All-Star, Grateful Dead-oriented closing set. “He’s Gone,” was an expected highlight, as the Stringdusters often cover the track, but this bustout was only the beginning. The quick picking intensified throughout the set, breathing new life into Dead classics. Particularly special on Friday was an extended jam of “The Wheel” > “Turn on Your Lovelight” > “Cumberland Blues”, which was a serious treat for everyone involved, especially the Terrapin community who frequents evenings such as these.

Saturday’s show featured two sets from the Stringdusters, a perfect opportunity to debut material off their new album Let It Go. While the LP lends itself more to the poppy side of this bluegrass outfit’s repertoire, the extended jams they performed proved this recent endeavor is far from a pop album. Trickled throughout the set were dark space jams, which brought great depth to the otherwise cut-and-dry tracks and moments that proved just as enjoyable for the band as it did for the audience. As an added treat, the Stringdusters invited Nicki Bluhm onto the stage to grace us with her exceptionally gorgeous voice. If this kind of exuberance and experimentation continues, they will undoubtedly have a fruitful career ahead of them.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Infamous Stringdusters, Nicki Bluhm, phil lesh, Terrapin Crossroads, The Terrapin Family Band

Mac DeMarco dazzles sold-out Great American Music Hall

July 11, 2014 by The Bam Team 1 Comment

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

Mac DeMarco with Calvin Love, Juan Wauters and Holy Shit! //
Great American Music Hall – San Francisco
July 8th, 2014 //

Mac DeMarco can do little wrong at this current time as he skyrockets the indie charts, likely to make the jump to the next level any week here. Returning to the City, both of his gigs at the Great American Music Hall sold out within days. Over the course of Tuesday’s show, his third studio album Salad Days was well-represented as he wove between albums and various cover songs. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves with so many up-and-coming acts being featured on this night. So, light up a smoke, rock your favorite 5-panel hat and let us tell you about it.

Uruguayan singer Juan Wauters was the first act to hit the stage. Equipped only with his trusty acoustic guitar and his charismatic ways, he quickly engaged with an audience that seemed a bit shy at the beginning. However, the growing masses ended up cheering enthusiastically after each song. Covering tracks from his impressive solo debut N.A.P. North-American Poetry, he was soon joined on stage by a small band that helped his folk-oriented ballads get a very unique sound, a bit more dirty and gravitating toward garage folk.

By the time Calvin Love had wrapped up a stellar set, the youthful crowd was chomping at the bit to get down and weird to the “jizz jazz” — how the 24-year-old DeMarco (guitar, lead vocals) likes to describe his music — stylings that included Peter Sagar (guitar), Pierce McGarry (bass) and Joe McMurray (drums). The band was tuned and ready to go before its set time, so the quartet said “fuck it” and launched into its most recent title track, “Salad Days”.

DeMarco’s fans screamed in sheer delight as he transformed himself into some sort of pop-slacker, earning hoots and howls from a bevy of females in the crowd. His rise to King Weirdo status has been swift, and it’s been for good reason. His likeability, coupled with his unique playing style, is pretty damned infectious, after all. “Blue Boy” and other more recent cuts were featured early on before drawing into his back catalog, pleasing the longtime fans with “I’m a Man” and “Rock and Roll Night Club”.

As the evening carried on and the crowd got more rowdy, DeMarco lit up a crowd-pleaser in the form of “Ode to Viceroy”, a tender tribute to his favorite brand of Canadian cigarettes. As is tradition with DeMarco’s shows, the crowd tossed smokes onstage and even lit ’em up, likely much to the chagrin of the Great American Music Hall. Yet, it’s unpredictable moments like these that have made the British Columbia native’s shows so sought after these days.

The dual-cover encore started with a nod to the Bay Area in the form of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” before bringing up the opening bands and friends, including Mikal Cronin, for a singalong to Neil Young’s “Unknown Legend”. DeMarco asked the crowd to “take a knee for Neil”, and all obliged as the majority belted out the song’s lyrics with a deep passion for the moment — because certainly, it was a good one.

As we watch DeMarco climb from underground slacker to bonafide indie celebrity, one can only wonder when he’ll peak, but if I know one thing, it won’t be soon that more are joining the “cult of weird” he reigns over.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Calvin Love, Great American Music Hall, Holy Shit!, Juan Wauters, Mac Demarco

Sharon Van Etten’s comedic banter surprises at The Indy

July 2, 2014 by Mark E. Ortega Leave a Comment

Photos by Pedro Paredes // Written by Mark E. Ortega //

Sharon Van Etten with Jana Hunter //
The Independent – San Francisco
June 30th, 2014 (Monday) //

Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Sharon Van Etten sure smiled and laughed a lot on Monday night for someone who features heartache prominently at the forefront of her songwriting.

This could have been due to a combination of things. It was her second straight sold out night at The Independent, she’s riding the wave of critical acclaim of her fourth studio release Are We There, and she has managed to prove wrong those who doubted her early on.

Despite her songs being so often daunting and bleak in nature, Van Etten was able to break up the heaviness with the levity of her between song banter. One crowd member shouted to Van Etten that she should do standup comedy, to which Van Etten responded, “So you’re saying my music career is over,” to even more laughter.

Though the SF crowd sometimes got a little carried away with their commentary throughout the show, Van Etten was always able to reel them back in.

Songs from her new release are much fuller in comparison to earlier Van Etten offerings and the benefit was instantly felt when performed with her talented band. “Afraid of Nothing” kicks off her new album and it did a brilliant job of setting the tone for the night as the set starter.

Backup vocalist and Jill of all trades Heather Woods Broderick brings out the best of Van Etten as a backup vocalist when the two harmonize. This was apparent on every song, the lone Van Etten solo song being “I Know” in her encore.

Van Etten has said in interviews she hopes she doesn’t get too much bigger, and she seemed right at home in the cozy confines of The Indy.

At one point in the set, Van Etten asked an audience member to share a news story tidbit, and the audience member asked if Sharon had heard about the exchange student in Germany who got stuck in a vagina sculpture. After relaying the story, Van Etten said, “Speaking of vaginas, this next song is called ‘Break Me’”.

Van Etten continued moving through her set, throwing in a couple of old numbers; “Save Yourself”, “Don’t Do It”, and “Serpents” were among them. “Don’t Do It” featured Woods Broderick set up some ghostly vocals in the background as Van Etten kicked things off with her guitar. Though a deeply dark and depressing song in its lyrical content, the crowd couldn’t help but bob their heads to Van Etten’s pleas to a friend to not self-inflict some damage.

“You enjoy sucking on dreams / so I will fall asleep with someone other than you / I had a thought you would take me / seriously and listen but..” Van Etten sang in “Serpents”. An ode to an ex-lover that didn’t believe Van Etten had the talent to make it, Van Etten proved she won that battle on Monday night having sold out a good-sized venue a second consecutive night.

Before closing her set with her new single “Every Time The Sun Comes Up”, Van Etten preceded the song with a story about how it was written while stoned with her band and asked the crowd if anyone had any weed to throw it up on stage and she’d swap them with a setlist. That was truly rock n’ roll and a good one to end the night.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Sharon Van Etten, The Independent

Fuck Buttons evolve live performance, toy with the traditional

July 1, 2014 by Kevin J Quandt Leave a Comment

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

Fuck Buttons with Total Life //
The Independent – San Francisco
June 27th, 2014 //

An evening of non-traditional, also known as experimental, music was presented to a radical crowd that hinges itself upon the progressive more than the the mainstream. There is hardly a ‘beat’ to dance to. There are no massively recognizable samples. Basically, there is noise summoned from the depths of circuitry heaven, or hell for some, molded and formed into intricate pieces that challenge both the producer and the listener. The Independent pulsated to various frequencies on this given Friday night that featured full blown drone music from the opener, Total Life, and an updated set from UK act, Fuck Buttons.

Ah, the thrill of drone music as you ease into a well earned weekend. Kevin Doria is Total Life and he has paired music down to it’s simplest element of sustained tone in a manner which would make John Cage smile, while simultaneously making the masses cringe. Many in the crowd couldn’t handle the ultra-exploratory nature of his singular sounds that shifted only the slightest amount as he masterfully filled the room with individual notes.

Fuck Buttons would expand on this singular thought in a more methodical manner, as is to be expected form this heralded duo of button pushers, knob twiddlers and forward thinkers. On this evening, Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power jumped out of the gates, opting for immediate immersion over introduction. The opening featured Hung hollering into a mic that, in turn, sounded like something reminiscent of a whale call. The duo eased into a set that featured incredible tempo and one of the best visual shows in a while, accompanied the smorgasbord of electronic styles that were served up.

Similar to the Caribou, Fuck Buttons stand out in a sea of artists that could be categorized in the same vein, yet the majority fall short of something special, unlike the aforementioned. There were moments of gut-rumbling distorted bass and more upbeat segments that could best be described as ‘dark disco’. This particular tour is more accessible to new fans as a layer of their drone-music past seems to have been shed as portions of the show could have fit in perfectly with the likes of the Low End Theory crew. The preciseness of their sound is truly something to behold, nay, experience.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Fuck Buttons, The Independent, Total Life

tUnE-yArDs eye nonconformity through a glorious lens in SF

June 9, 2014 by Mike Frash 1 Comment

Photos by Pedro Paredes // Written by Mike Frash //

tUnE-yArDs with Sylvan Esso //
The Fillmore – San Francisco
June 6th, 2014 //

“It’s 2014 and we’re playing at the fucking Fillmore!” declared Merrill Garbus early in the set Friday as her eyes flickered with excitement. Known for her commanding gaze, the captivating centerpiece of tUnE-yArDs has fully embraced an eyeball motif in support of the incredibly addictive Nikki Nack. Garbus is surrounded by large eyes on stage, the show poster from the Fillmore features a piercing globular organ growing off a plant where a flower would normally be, and in the joyfully-insane video for “Water Fountain”, almost every shot contains artificial eyes or Garbus’ remarkable optical dexterity.

Accented makeup and glitter frame her sight, an innovative vision and expressive perspective that makes it difficult to take your eyes off her. tUnE-yArDs’ focus on eyes as a motif suitably reflects Garbus’ immaculate confidence and control amid pervasive themes of subverting conformity and growing paranoia, curating a transformative live music experience in the process — just don’t call her the “Real Thing”.

This night felt like a genuine two-for-one deal with fast-rising Sylvan Esso opening. Empowering female vocals and effective repetition was the connecting force between both duos this night, & the first act to perform inspired palpable crowd reactions with their minimalist-glitch approach. Singer Amelia Meath’s voice sparkles with the tone of Feist and the intonation of Regina Spektor, while Nick Sanborn’s live production hits the sweat spot of trending sound in 2014 — the wobbles and looping vocals are somehow familiar and fresh all at once. “H.S.K.T.” provided the most fun, upbeat action in the set, and “Coffee” was a strong example why this is a group to watch going forward.

Sylvan Esso’s engaging stage presence willed the audience to listen, and their expressive body language convinced most folks to move to the music instead of chat, a fate that befalls opening acts more than not. Often exhibiting mid-song patience, taking in each moment of downtempo ambiance, Sylvan Esso was an ideal pairing with tUnE-yArDs, further proven when Meath joined Merrill Garbus during tUnE-yArDs’ encore performance of the vocal-heavy “Rocking Chair”. Poised to break out much bigger in this viral music climate, Sylvan Esso should catapult upward as demand will likely dictate.

The song selection for the tUnE-yArDs set unsurprisingly focused on cuts from Nikki Nack, as almost every track from the record got attention. Flanked by female backup singers, Garbus relies less on looping than in the past, yet this cathartic repetition is still the backbone of most songs. Bringing in additional vocal support allows for a more organic approach to live production than past tours, letting Garbus focus on her powerful stage presence.

Technical precision is one of tUnE-yArDs’ biggest strengths, yet there’s still room for exploratory, drawn out moments. “Powa” extended into incredibly chaotic territory for the song’s outro. “Stop That Man” went on a risky journey that easily paid off with its industrial beats and overwhelming reverb vocals. Many new songs, including “Water Fountain” and “Sink-O”, jump into the refrain right away, contorting traditional strong structure in a way that makes the songs feel like pop music from the future. So many of these new songs give an intended feeling of anxiety, as if you’re being watched.

Driven by percussion, vocals and ecstatic hyperactivity, tUnE-yArDs win with a lighthearted, quirky mentality that skewers conformity. “Real Thing” blissfully critiques the notion of what a woman is supposed to look like while embracing true self. “Why are you afraid about pants size ten? Humadum, rumadum/ They’re chosen girls/ While you worry about chest size 6/ They’re winning the tricks…Ugly one be you, who you are.” Garbus goes out on the proverbial limb, bearing herself for all to see. It’s leadership like this that sets tUnE-yArDs apart.

This show had all the indications of an essential live performance; the music was thoroughly impacting, and the crowd was completely immersed and wide-eyed throughout, taking in tUnE-yArDs’ breathtaking sonic concoctions.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Sylvan Esso, The Fillmore, tUnE-yArDs

Mahgeetah and Incan Abraham make a trek to far off places

June 5, 2014 by Kevin J Quandt 1 Comment

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

Incan Abraham, Mahgeetah with Jordan Klassen //
Neck of the Woods — San Francisco
June 3rd, 2014 //

“I never come to the Richmond,” Mahgeetah’s enigmatic frontman Ryan Fisher jokingly quipped to the crowd. A fair observation, but the comment shined a brighter light onto those who made the pilgrimage to the ‘nether regions’ of San Francisco. Along with Canadian folk-rockers, Jordan Klassen, and LA popsters, Incan Abraham, it was Mahgeetah who left the biggest impression on a decent sized, midweek crowd at the still new-to-many venue that goes by Neck of the Woods.

Klassen and cohorts delivered an energetic set of high-country indie-pop, with a male/female vocal delivery that felt both genuine and original. It was Mahgeetah who took the stage next, the stage’s King-of-Limbs backdrop created a unique setting for this quartet to re-take the stage after a few months in the studio. Expect an impressive EP to drop this year – a follow-up to 2012’s full-length release, Heavy Baby.

On this night, the dedicated crowd was treated to a smattering of old and new. “Creature of Habit” was passionately belted out by guitarist JJ Mellon, a standout on the their LP that has become a treat on stage. Longtime favorite tune, “Long Shot”, was another highlight as the slow build from Fisher and band burst with energy and groove comparable to White Denim. The rhythm section, featuring Tim Tyson on bass and Alex Swain on percussion, has always been a strong suit for this San Francisco act, and tonight showed no exception. All hail Mahgeetah as they continue to be an important piece in the local music scene.

Incan Abraham closed out an increasingly fogged-in Clement Street evening Tuesday night. Having played a show with Mahgeetah down in their home turf, it was time for Incan to bring their patented LA-tinged pop to the City. One characteristic that stood out quickly was the melodic harmonizing taking place between the respective singing. Also, an added element of rhythm lended a more-dance oriented feel to their set compared to the previous acts.

Incan do represent a solid piece in the ever increasing Los Angeles/Silver Lake indie sound – in the vein of acts like Local Natives and Voxhaul Broadcast. All in all, they got the dwindling crowd moving on a tricky night, in a place that might as well been across a bridge or a tunnel.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Incan Abraham, Jordan Klassen, Mahgeetah, Neck of the Woods

The Faint light up The Indy for a Doom Abuse “danse” party

June 5, 2014 by Molly Kish 1 Comment

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Molly Kish

The Faint with Reptar, Darren Keen //
The Independent – San Francisco
June 1st, 2014 //

The Faint returned to the Bay Area this past Sunday, bringing their electrifying brand of “danse-punk” to the Independent in SF for a three night run. Celebrating the release of their long-awaited 2014 album Doom Abuse, the Omaha, Nebraska natives took the intimate venue by signature laser storm with help from opening acts, Reptar and Darren Keen.

Last time the electronic powerhouse came through the Bay Area in 2012, they were celebrating the 10-year anniversary re-issue of their seminal Saddle Creek album, Danse Macabre. Previously filling a venue more than three times the size of the Independent, it was no surprise that this year’s Doom Abuse triple night tour stop was a near-immediately sold out.

Known for their high energy performances and mesmerizing stage show, the foursome commanded the packed venue of combustible fans shouting along to a set list pulling from the band’s illustrious catalogue of over 15 years-worth of material. Todd Fink kicked off the evening with a howling rendition of “Animal Needs”, a brand new track off of their 2014 release. Accompanied by support from Jacob Thiele on vocals and keys, Clark Baechle’s inimitable drumming and the guitar ingenuity of Dapose, the band burst onto the stage and quickly into a full-throttle assault of classic hits and crowd favorites.

Their penetrating light show and disorienting visuals washed over the voracious crowd, who remained in constant motion throughout the entire performance. Highlight tracks included recently dropped single “Evil Voices”, a scream along mid-set delivery of “Dropkick the Punks”, and the distorted, symbiotic pairing of “Scapegoat” and “Worked Up So Sexual” to close out the initial set. Exiting the stage for a brief moment, The Faint returned for an encore of “Lesson from the Darkness”, “Paranoiattack” and “Glass Danse”, thrashing along with the sea of die-hard fans, punctuating the night with a raging dance party.

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

Chet Faker plays to sold-out Roxy in LA

June 3, 2014 by Josh Herwitt 5 Comments

By Josh Herwitt //

Chet Faker with Sweater Beats //
The Roxy Theatre – West Hollywood, CA
May 29th, 2014 //

It’s amazing how quickly things can change for aspiring artists in today’s music industry.

Just ask Chet Faker.

It was only a little more than three years ago that the relatively unknown singer, songwriter and producer from Melbourne, Australia, struck Internet gold with his cover of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity,” propelling him to No. 1 on the Hype Machine charts in a matter of days.

Fast forward to now, and the word has officially gotten out about 24-year-old Nicholas James Murphy, who continues to pack venues across the U.S. following the release of his debut LP Built on Glass (read our review here) in April.

But what is it about Chet Faker that has made him such a must-see act all of a sudden?

To be honest, I’m not quite sure. Because for all the hype Murphy has garnered over the past few months, something felt missing when he took the stage at The Roxy Theatre last week.

Headlining the second of two sold-out nights in LA, Murphy warmed us up with older cuts like “I’m Into You” and “Terms and Conditions” from his 2012 EP Thinking in Textures before eventually digging into Built on Glass. And although it was refreshing to see him create new adaptations of “Blush” and “1998,” the energy never seemed to reach a threshold inside the diminutive Sunset Strip club.

With an arsenal of production equipment sprawled across the table and his Rhodes piano off to his right, Murphy attempted to recreate many of the melodies that won me over less than two months ago when I first sat down to listen to Built on Glass.

Yet, it was not long before I realized that Murphy’s music, as refreshing and soulful as it is, may not be best suited for a live setting after all. There are some artists whose studio work far surpasses their live shows, and while that’s not to say that the disparity for Murphy is totally transparent, it’s certainly noticeable.

For someone whose music is as refreshing as Murphy’s, it’s still hard to enjoy watching a musician turn knobs and press buttons, regardless of his true talents. That’s not to take anything away from Murphy’s vocal capabilities, but it felt slightly ironic for him to candidly share some of his thoughts on the current state of the music industry.

“Lots of people are spending lots of money to see some dude press play and jump around on stage,” he told the crowd midway through his 75-minute set, bridging the gap from one song to the next.

That obviously wasn’t the case at The Roxy, but at the same time, Murphy didn’t appear to be putting on a clinic in musicianship, either. Instead, he would go on to perform “No Diggity” all by himself, dashing my hopes for the guitarist and drummer he had brought on tour to join him for the Grammy-winning tune.

Still, Murphy couldn’t get past the song’s first verse before stopping to tell his fans to put away their camera phones.

“I give you permission to look around you, and if someone next to you has a phone out, to knock it out of their hands,” he said, even if no one actually followed his advice.

It was a strange request from a man whose fans have become so gaga over him lately that one of them even screamed, “I want to lick your beard!”

Thankfully for some of us, there would be no beard licking on this night.

Rather, we were treated to an alternate version of “Drop the Game,” a track Murphy worked on with fellow countryman Flume for their Lockjaw project last year.

But there were also standout tracks from Built on Glass — “Gold” and “Melt” are two that immediately come to mind — that we never got to hear. Murphy at least saved one of his best for last, stripping down his hit single “Talk Is Cheap” to just piano and vocals during his one-song encore.

It was a somewhat anticlimactic ending to a performance that proved just how hard it can be to make it as a solo act — and even more, keep the flame burning bright.

For Chet Faker though, that could be easier said than done.

VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO SHOW.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Chet Faker, Sweater Beats, The Roxy Theatre

Deap Vally’s hard-rockin’ sound is gritty, raw fun

June 3, 2014 by Nikki de Martini Leave a Comment

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Nikki de Martini //

Band of Skulls with Deap Vally //
The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco
May 22nd, 2014 //

The little ladies of Deap Vally brought big, bluesy rock sounds to The Regency Ballroom when they opened for Band of Skulls last month.

The LA-based duo took the stage in SF looking like “bandaides” straight out of Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous as they rocked a bohemian hodgepodge of ruffles, feathers, leather and lace. Yet their bold music emulated the 1970’s rock ‘n’ roll bands of which the movie is based.

Fans cheered as the hard-rockin’ grunge-sludge heard throughout their debut album, Sistrionix, roared off the stage, engulfing the room with gritty, raw fun.

Ripping massive guitar and pounding-heavy drums hit the crowd, leaving them head-banging and toe-tapping along to every outspoken song.

Shouting hardly ceased as the set rolled on and grew louder when Lindsey told fans how happy they were to be back in SF, showcasing their fun loving wit by adding “it just smells better…if you know what I mean.”

The pairing of Lindsey Troy tearing it up on guitar with her deep, almost raspy, vocal range combined with her redheaded counterpart Julie Edwards killing it on the drum kit is comparable to the likes of The White Stripes. Like The Stripes, Deap Vally are two passionate musicians, playing undisputable garage-blues rock, making a lot of enjoyable noise while being damn good at it.

Deap Vally left San Francisco more than ready to keep rockin’ with the headlining act, Band of Skulls.

Next time they hit the road, it should likely be as headliners.

VIEW PHOTOS FROM BAND OF SKULLS IN LA.

Deap Vally setlist:

1) Baby I Call Hell
2) Gonna Make My Own Money
3) Ain’t Fair
4) Lies
5) Grunge Bond
6) 6 Feet Under
7) Walk of Shame
8) End of the World

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Band of Skulls, Deap Vally, The Regency Ballroom

Elbow charms packed Wiltern in return to LA

June 2, 2014 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

Elbow with John Grant //
The Wiltern – Los Angeles
May 28th, 2014 //

If you’ve ever seen Guy Garvey in action before, you may already know that the Elbow frontman enjoys engaging with the band’s fans quite a bit.

The 40-year-old Mancunian, after all, has never been shy when it comes to sharing his feelings with an audience during a live performance.

But with the English alt-rockers wrapping up their 12-date, North American tour in LA last week, Garvey was in quite the mood at the historic Wiltern.

“You have such a beautiful country here,” he proclaimed at one point in between songs.

It would be just one of several compliments Garvey would pay us over the course of the night, though none would be bolder than when he declared that the almost two-hour show was the quintet’s favorite of the tour “by far.”

Whether it was just another lesson in crowd-pleasing from Garvey or actually a statement of sincerity, it’s hard to know for sure. But from the permanent smile plastered across Garvey’s face, I wanted to believe he meant every word he said.

Of course, it’s not all that often that Elbow gets to visit Southern California, with its last appearance coming more than two years ago in support of 2011’s Build a Rocket Boys!

So when Garvey and his four bandmates — Mark Potter (guitar, backing vocals), Craig Potter (keyboards, piano), Pete Turner (bass, backing vocals) and Richard Jupp (drums, percussion) — do get the chance to play in LA these days, they make sure to leave their fans with some lifelong memories.

On this latest pit stop, the 2008 Mercury Prize winners were in town to showcase the newest material in its catalog by way of The Take Off and Landing of Everything (read our review here), still plenty ripe after its mid-March release on Concord Records.

But Elbow’s sixth full-length studio album and its new record label haven’t been the only developments of late for a band whose members have all experienced significant changes in their personal lives — whether it’s been children, romance or breakup — over the past couple of years.

Garvey, for one, has had plenty of emotional baggage to overcome after splitting up with his girlfriend of 10 years during the making of The Take Off and Landing of Everything, prompting him to even rewrite some of the lyrics he had prepared for the 10-track LP.

Yet, at the nearly sold-out Wiltern, you wouldn’t have ever known that from listening to Garvey, as he dedicated song after song to the crowd — including one to a couple on its first date — and later graciously offered his gin and tonic to an overzealous woman standing in the first row.

The band, meanwhile, navigated its way through a 15-song setlist that was highlighted more by a few favorites off The Seldom Seen Kid (“The Bones of You” and “Grounds for Divorce”) than by anything from The Take Off and Landing of Everything. Elbow, in fact, only played a total of four songs from its new album, spending just enough time introducing cuts like “Charge” and “Real Life (Angel)” before reacquainting us with its older, more established work.

That may not have been more evident than during the Manchester outfit’s encore, which opened with the deliberate, yet sorrowful “Lippy Kids” and climaxed into hit single “One Day Like This” for the final push of the evening. For those who were in attendance, it marked a special moment for a band that has emerged as one of the UK’s most successful rock acts for close to two decades now.

Because if this was all the Elbow we were going to get for the next two or three years, it was everything we could have possibly wanted.

Setlist:
Charge
The Bones of You
New York Morning
Real Life (Angel)
The Night Will Always Win
Fly Boy Blue/Lunette
The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver
Great Expectations
Scattered Black and Whites
Mirrorball
The Birds
Grounds for Divorce
My Sad Captains

Encore:
Lippy Kids, One Day Like This

VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE OAKLAND SHOW.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Elbow, Guy Garvey, The Wiltern

FOALS, Cage the Elephant and the art of the co-headlining gig

May 21, 2014 by Mike Frash 2 Comments

Written by Mike Frash // Photos by James Nagel //

FOALS, Cage the Elephant with J Roddy Walston & the Business //
Fox Theater — Oakland, CA
May 20th, 2014 //

FOALS and Cage the Elephant have more in common than it appears at first glance. Both acts have three studio albums, with their first arriving in 2008, and they continue to tour on their massive 2013 efforts. Both alternative rock groups continue to gain in popularity — no less than two Cage the Elephant songs continuously emit from local radio airwaves, while FOALS straight-up headline huge festivals back in the UK. They’ve been sharing the top of the bill since beginning this tour in early May, as the co-headliners have zigzagged across the US together on their way to Sasquatch! Music Festival. So, who goes first when they co-headline a theater show?

Based on the reaction of the crowd, it could have gone either way, as the thrilling performances sparked rabid fan reaction, a palatable excitement that’s often been missing in rock music the past decade. Tickets were sold with FOALS at the top of the bill, and despite marketing efforts that had Cage the Elephant on top, FOALS would be the final act of the night. The dual headliners got it all going after a scorching, way-too-short set from J Roddy Walston & the Business.

Cage the Elephant’s take on rock is rooted in familiar garage-blues stylings, as seen through the recent success of their single “Come a Little Closer”. Virtually every song they perform live is intrinsically catchy and radio-friendly — Cage the Elephant purvey glossy pop that also dabbles in punk & funk. But first and foremost, the Kentucky-based group give a live show that is an ecstatic spectacle, led by captivating lead singer Matthew Shultz. A spark-plug of a front man, he was able to launch himself flying-squirrel-style into the crowd, swim through the sea of people with ease, then get back onto stage and regain composure faster than seemed humanly possible.

The folks at the Fox Theater Tuesday loved every minute of the performance, and for good reason. The band is at its best when delving into upbeat rock crescendos, with lights matching the music and action suitably, and Cage the Elephant exert tons of effort for their adoring fans. Frankly I can’t remember the last time a rock show generated such unbridled enthusiasm, where hands went up without asking and patrons sang-along throughout, losing themselves in the moment.

Shultz is bonafide rock star, and he throws around charisma somewhat akin to Mick Jagger (not to confuse comparable energy with songwriting). Shultz is someone who’s not only comfortable on the pedestal, but he can also impressively swim into a sea of fans to do a goddamn handstand for five plus seconds to end the set, only to casually flop down with a satiated grin on his face.

FOALS signaled a major tonal change from Cage the Elephant; the UK math rockers’ music is darker and more moody, cerebral yet constantly calling out for kinetic energy. FOALS’ live set is rather relentless, where clapping to the build up and pogoing to extended dance-punk freak-outs are the norm.

Lead singer & guitarist Yannis Philippakis was as focused as ever Tuesday, delivering a typically impassioned performance. Though, it’s the guitar work from Jimmy Smith that truly elevates FOALS on stage — the way he’s able to nimbly and tightly play his guitar as if it were a percussive instrument, often on the off-beat or with atypical syncopation, never disappoints. Songs were almost evenly pulled from FOALS’ three studio records; the main set was bookended with “Prelude” & “Inhaler” from Holy Fire, “Spanish Sahara” perfectly slowed things down for a mid-set emotional overload, and an elongated “Two Steps, Twice” brought the house down per usual to end the show. The only complaint: twelve songs didn’t feel like enough.

And that is the drawback of a co-headlining show like this one — you’re only going to get festival-length sets instead of a proper 90 plus minute show. But FOALS and Cage the Elephant are at the top of their game, exhibiting how very excellent they are in a live setting, in their own unique ways.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Cage the Elephant, FOALS, Fox Theater Oakland, J Roddy Walston & the Business

Connan Mockasin wants you to drink the Kool-Aid

May 20, 2014 by Kevin J Quandt 4 Comments

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

Connan Mockasin with Kirin J Callinan, Liam Finn //
The Independent – San Francisco
May 15th, 2014 //

Many local music fans heard mumblings of a show that happened at the Bottom of the Hill last January by some guy from New Zealand who basically had an overpacked room eating out of the palm of his hand. Come to find out that this mysterious, international impresario goes by the name Connan Mockasin, announcing not too long after his San Francisco debut, that he’d be back to conquer larger spaces. Well, that has come and gone and a query still lingers from last Thursday at the Independent: What did I just experience?

Once spirited rocker Liam Finn had wrapped up, opener Kirin J. Callinan was about to ready to flick the dial from odd to weird as he pummeled the unassuming midweek crowd with a smorgasbord of various psyched-out sounds that held the tight rope of brilliant or awful in a most suspenseful manner. As Kirin and his merry band of misfits blazed through material that felt better suited as a Nine Inch Nails support act some 20 years ago than as an opener for a Warholian doppelgänger known for saccharine-tinged art-pop. Nevertheless, Kirin was wildly unchained and mildly entertaining as he poured on effect after effect, eventually crafting some form of primal eclecticism that got away with being music…If only for tonight.

Well, no cups of mysterious red liquid were passed to the healthy-sized crowd as the cast of characters, I mean players, were introduced to the crowd before the shamanistic Connan finally made his entrance. As the first strums of chorus-heavy guitar filled the air, not to mention some thick plumes, a warmness fell over the room and most people’s worries seemed to leave them as the swirling nature of Mockasin’s psychedelic tone became spotlight for the next hour and change. His custom Straocaster, re-shaped into a teardrop, was star as the New Zealand-born artist cruised through extended versions of some of his most popular songs such as an early set rendition of “It’s Choade My Dear”. The smoothness of the sound created an atmosphere that could be described at both lulled and chill, though the audience was attentive while they slightly levitated off the concrete floor.

One aspect of Connan’s live show that was pleasant was his lack of vocal effects which are heavily represented on both previous releases, Dolphin Love Forever and Caramel. The latter being aptly named as the onomatopoeic nature of the word ‘caramel’ also describes the confectionary gooeyness of certain songs that are certain to get stuck to the roof of your brain. This lack of vocal effects gave the sound a slightly different direction as the music and performance became the focus, eventually pulling up crowd members for some awkward fun.

“I’m the Man, That Will Find You” had the vibe of Pink Floyd-inspired porno funk and was easily one of the highlights of the night as the band weaved in and out of the song as a small cast of characters upped the weirdness on stage, if just a few more degrees. “Do I Make You Feel Shy?” also stood out as one of the more impressive cuts as Connan crooned, “I’ll be the boy of your dream, My ever lusty world…”, this all laid over the sublime tone that Connan has mastered rather impressively.

With all this said, it’s about time that the US markets pay a little more attention to this dream-psych export that has made waves in a handful of international markets, and for good reason. Sure, the likes of Ariel Pink and Animal Collective are hailed as gods in the genre, but Connan has something a little more unique to offer us. Hell, if Radiohead give him an opening slot on a tour, you know they are doing something right. We just warn you to be wary of mysterious drinks offered by people who look like they could be extras in The Matrix.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Connan Mockasin, Kirin J Callinan, Liam Finn, The Independent

Broods, Meg Myers showcase emerging talent at The Indy

May 15, 2014 by Mark E. Ortega Leave a Comment

Photos by Pamela Garcia Aguirre // Written by Mark E. Ortega //

Broods with Meg Myers, Max and The Moon //
The Independent – San Francisco
May 13th, 2014 //

Tuesday night, burgeoning singer/songwriter Meg Myers played her first gig at The Independent in SF as she set the stage for brother-sister New Zealand synthpop duo Broods later that evening.

Myers took the stage in what seemed to be one of those low cut H&M black t-shirts and a pair of shorts that were short enough to where some questioned whether she was wearing any at all. The only noticeable bit of color being her red lipstick, Myers delivered a heartwrenching eight-song set that highlighted her vocal range and her capturing stage presence.

Myers opened the show with “Adelaide”, a dark song with an infectious melody that gets stuck in your brain quickly. The hook “I don’t wanna cry about it / I don’t wanna fight about it / I just gotta let go, I just gotta let go” sounds almost out of a Taylor Swift chart-topper, but Myers delivers it with a different kind of angst than Swift ever could manage.

Myers showed range as she tackled an assortment of difficult songs to sing. “Make a Shadow” sounds like it could’ve been written for Dolores O’Riordan during the heyday of The Cranberries. Myers delivered gut punches one after another with songs like “Say Nothing”, “Monster”, “Desire”, and “Curbstomp”.

“Desire” helped land Myers in my top five female vocalist uses of the word “fuck” with the line “Baby, I wanna fuck you / I wanna feel you in my bones”, which had both male and female crowd members swooning.

Myers closed her set emphatically with the extremely demanding “Heart Heart Head”, which builds to Myers screaming the song’s chorus “You’re in my heart, in my heart, in my head” before finally letting loose with a series of screams that brought the passionate and dark performance to a close.

New Zealand sibling synth-pop group Broods delivered a brief but catchy set as they begin to close their North American tour.

With the emergence of young talent Lorde from the region, others have been looking to New Zealand for any similarly talented musicians with the kind of command and ceiling that Lorde has shown in the past 12 to 18 months.

A few years senior to Lorde at 19 years of age, Georgia Notts showed there’s hope for her and brother Caleb Nott to achieve that level of success yet on Tuesday night. With a variety of ballad-type songs as well as tracks that had a large portion of The Indy making use of what little space they had at the sold out show to dance, Broods is definitely a band on the rise.

Comparisons between Georgia and singer Imogen Heap have been made for good reason. The song “Sleep Baby Sleep” sounds right out of the British singer’s catalog. The ballady “Taking You There” sounds like a stripped down Of Monsters and Men song in the best way and shows a different element to their sound than the dance songs that first brought most people’s attention to Broods.

Thrilled and at times seemingly dumbfounded at the reality of a sold out crowd in San Francisco, it was obvious that Broods were enjoying every moment of their 12-song set. They fed off the audience and Georgia seemed to make it a point especially to connect with as many audience members as she could, flashing her eyes at them while belting out their set.

Broods closed their set with “Bridges”, easily their most recognizable tune at the moment. “And we’re burning all the bridges, watching them go up in flames”, sang Georgia. On this night, bridges were only built as Broods established they have a solid fan base in the Bay Area already.

Meg Myers

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Broods, Max and The Moon, Meg Myers, The Independent

Atmosphere celebrate album release in LA

May 15, 2014 by Josh Herwitt 4 Comments

By Josh Herwitt //

Atmosphere //
The Roxy Theatre – West Hollywood, CA
May 8th, 2014 //

Hip-hop took over The Roxy Theatre last week with the return of Atmosphere, hot off the release of its brand-new album Southsiders less than 48 hours old.

The alternative hip-hop group’s seventh studio record, which follows 2011 success The Family Sign, debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart with 23,159 copies sold in the U.S. during its first week.

Not bad for a hip-hop act that has never won an award in its 25-year run.

It’s hard to believe sometimes that rapper Sean Daley (aka Slug) and DJ/producer Anthony Davis (aka Ant) have been making music together for almost that long, but it may be even harder to believe that Slug has been writing music for Atmosphere since the age of 16.

In that period of time, the Minneapolis native has also founded independent record label Rhymesayers Entertainment with Davis, Musab Saad and Brent Sayers, as well as the Rhymesayers imprint Women Records with Nick Carter (aka Murs). He’s even collaborated with a host of other MCs for side projects like Furs (with Murs), The Dynospectrum, Deep Puddle Dynamics and The Orphanage.

Yet, this night belonged to Atmosphere and the arrival of Southsiders, which took Slug and Ant more than three years to make. The 16-track LP (not including four bonus songs) boasts singles “Kanye West” and “Bitter,” and they made sure to perform the former early on at the diminutive Sunset Strip club. The room, subsequently, went apeshit when they did, losing itself in Ant’s catchy beat and hanging onto every word that came out of Slug’s mouth, particularly the track’s “put your hands in the air like you really do care” hook. It was all part of a 90-minute set that included other classics like “GodLovesUgly” from 2002’s God Loves Ugly and “Trying to Find a Balance” from 2003’s Sevens Travels — not to mention “Sunshine” from Sad Clown Bad Summer 9 (2007) and “Yesterday” from When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold (2008).

From the sold-out crowd’s roar after every song ended, you would have thought we were in Minnesota. But after more than two decades on the scene, it was clear that Atmosphere’s following in LA is as strong as ever. It’s why the group already has plans to return in a few months for two back-to-back shows (Sept. 5-6) at the Hollywood Palladium. For Slug and Ant, it will be a busy summer of touring throughout North America, with festival stops at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Squamish in British Columbia and Outside Lands in San Francisco on the docket. And with so much material in their catalog, it’s not hard for them to keep audiences entertained.

What’s different about Atmosphere from other contemporary hip-hop acts, though, is its message and tone. The music that the group creates nowadays feels like — for lack of a better term —happy hip-hop, even if it requires Slug to repeatedly ask his fans to smile in between songs.

After all, Daley’s life seems to be all about the pursuit of happiness these days, and while it hasn’t always been easy for things to remain that way, he’s managed to keep his message primarily positive as he enters middle age.

Because from the number of smiles he flashed at The Roxy, you can tell that he’s pretty happy himself.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Atmosphere, Southsiders, The Roxy Theatre

Tycho take a big step forward in LA

May 12, 2014 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

Tycho with Gardens & Villa //
The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles
May 7th, 2014 //

It wasn’t that long ago that I stumbled upon Scott Hansen and his musical project Tycho.

At the time, I had heard good things about the San Francisco-based act, but I had yet to take the time to find out for myself.

So, when I learned last spring that Tycho was tabbed as the opening act for a Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) show I had already been scheduled to cover, I knew I had to make the most of my opportunity.

And boy, am I glad that I did.

Because since that night more than a year ago, I have come to realize that Hansen’s foray into music deserves just as much praise as the photography and design work he produces under his ISO50 moniker. In fact, when I saw Tycho perform just a few months later at the boutique festival Lightning in a Bottle, it only validated those initial feelings I had at the Hollywood Palladium.

Fast forward to this month, and Tycho’s appeal has only continued to grow among the masses. With the release of its fourth full-length album Awake in March, the four-piece band — Hansen (guitar, bass, synthesizers, programming, visuals), Zac Brown (bass, guitar), Rory O’Connor (drums) and newest member Joe Davancens (bass, guitar, keyboards, synthesizers) — packed The Fonda Theatre for two sold-out performances, showcasing both new and old material after Santa Barbara’s Gardens & Villa warmed up the crowd with its unique brand of indie-synth rock.

But what may be most impressive about Tycho is the way Hansen continues to captivate electronic-leaning audiences without any of the EDM flare that so many big-name DJs abuse these days.

After all, Hansen’s music is not to be confused with the EDM tsunami that’s taken the music industry by storm over the last five years. Rather, these are ambient soundscapes rooted in techno, with dashes of IDM and downtempo sprinkled throughout. Unlike the deep thud of house, trap or dubstep, these are moments of introspection and inspiration metamorphosed into rich, sonic layers and textures.

It’s fitting, then, that Hansen’s visuals — from sweeping, majestic landscape shots of nature to more traditional geometric shapes — pair perfectly with the mood his music affords listeners.

This is nothing new for Hansen, though. He’s been working at his craft for over 10 years, starting with his self-produced EP The Science of Patterns back in 2002. But a lot changed for Hansen in 2008 when he left Merck Records and signed a deal with Ghostly International, paving the way for 2011’s Dive, which garnered critical acclaim while drawing comparisons to chillwave artists like Washed Out and Toro Y Moi.

As its successor, Awake feels very much like an extension of Dive, and we were treated to a majority of the eight-track LP at The Fonda, along with a few cuts from 2006’s Past Is Prologue.

Of course, if there were any grievances to air, it was that Hansen and his sidekicks didn’t play quite long enough. For an hour and 15 minutes, they hypnotized a room full of fans with one ambient groove after another, taking us on a short vacation from Planet Earth in the process. As we would later find out when the house lights came back on, the only problem with that was it had to eventually end.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Gardens & Villa, ISO50, Scott Hansen, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9), STS9, The Fonda Theatre, Tycho

The surreal world of Nels Cline on display at The Chapel

May 12, 2014 by tom dellinger 1 Comment

By Tom Dellinger //

Nels Cline Singers //
The Chapel — San Francisco
May 9th, 2014 //

This past Friday, a packed house of fans spent a few hours in the unique sonic world of guitarist, Nels Cline, for his appearance at The Chapel. Cline has a lengthy discography and is perhaps best known for his work with Wilco, which he joined in 2004, though he also performs with his other bands, the Nels Cline Trio and the Nels Cline Singers. He’s been selected as one of the top 100 guitar players of all time by both Spin and Rolling Stone magazines and it’s not likely that anyone in attendance at this show would take issue with that. Appearing with Nels were drummer Scott Amandola, bassist Trevor Dunn and percussionist, Cyro Baptista, who has been referred to as “the mad scientist of Brazilian percussion.”

To enter the unique world of Nels Cline is to enter a musical sphere where virtually everything is possible. It’s a dynamic realm filled with flights of seemingly non musical soundscapes blended with great rhythmic colors and textures provided by his rhythm section. Nels is remarkably resourceful in his approach to guitar and is open to all manner of exploration. He makes use of an extensive array of electronic devices that he uses as tools to color his work and coupled with his physical techniques on the guitar, he takes the listener on an exhilarating ride where nothing is predictable. In addition to brilliant guitar playing in the traditional sense, he also employs the use of tools such as chopsticks, a spring, and a small self contained mic/speaker he uses to vocalize right into the pickup of the guitar.

His compositions are all about movement. Often, they are soundscapes of squelches, clicks, feedback, looping dense drones, jarring passages on guitar and anything else one could pull out of the “kitchen sink” that somehow find a rhythmic context when combined with the work from Scott, Cyro and Trevor. Throughout the evening, one could find themselves in a comfortable, more traditional section of a composition, and in an instant, be launched into an aural world filled with sonic flights of fancy as surreal as any dream. It was a night of moving in and out of that dream-like world, only to reluctantly wake up at its conclusion.

True innovators in the world of guitarists are few and far between and Nels is most certainly in that realm. It is his restless, artistic curiosity and creativity that places him there and we were very fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience his music in such a fine intimate setting.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Nels Cline, Nels Cline Singers, The Chapel

Why ‘Morrissey was attacked in San Jose’ story is overblown

May 9, 2014 by The Festival Lawyer 3 Comments

By The Festival Lawyer //

Morrissey //
City National Civic – San Jose
May 7th, 2014 //

God Dammit, San Jose. This is why we can’t have nice things.

After months of speculation as to whether he would pull the ultimate Morrissey and cancel the very first show of this tour, Morrissey not only showed up in San Jose but gave an inspired live performance.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Morrissey show without controversy and chaos. During his encore, Moz was performing the song, “One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell” when fans began a stage invasion. To be honest, this isn’t a particularly unexpected occurrence. Although not exactly a Justin Bieber concert, storming the stage pretty much happens at EVERY Morrissey show.

However, this time, there was a “rush and a push” and a figure got thrown off the stage and tumbled backwards into the audience. For a moment, I thought San Jose was going to be the answer to the Rock and Roll trivia question “In what city did idiots accidentally kill Morrissey?” But I quickly realized it was one of the audience members being pushed back into the crowd by security. Morrissey himself had already been whisked backstage.

The show ended in confusion, with the music stopping abruptly and the lights suddenly coming on. I heard some scattered booing and then people slowly filed out. There was a vague feeling among audience members that we had all been cheated somehow. In other words, it was the quintessential Morrissey ending to a Morrissey concert.

You can see some of the chaos here in this fan-made video:

I was told by someone I trust that Morrissey was actually knocked to the ground and that he and the band took the incident quite seriously. So much so that Morrissey stayed in the Green Room until after the venue was totally cleared and he was escorted out to his bus.

The ending was really a shame given how well the show had gone. Morrissey had cancelled the last 6 (!) shows in the Bay Area and had not performed here since 2009. In fact, a whole lot of Bay Area Morrissey fans passed on the show. Most feared another no show and worried that Morrissey was just trying to find a new and more elaborate way to troll us.

Those who risked it and came were rewarded by seeing Morrissey in rare form. His band sounded tight and his voice was wonderful and expressive. He seemed relaxed and …dare I say it?….happy. I don’t mean Pharrell level happy but at least Morrissey level happy.

During his performance of the song “Speedway” it almost felt like Morrissey was trying somehow to apologize to the Bay Area for past snubs. He held a fan-made sign over his heart while reaching out to the crowd and singing, “In my own strange way, I’ve always been true to you.” If not an actual apology it was at least a “It’s a new tour and a new album, let’s move forward” type of moment with the audience.

Morrissey seems to have a more direct political urgency to his shows these days. Playing a song like “The National Front Disco” (about a young man’s drift into racism and extremism) seemed like an especially timely choice given the huge week that racists had last week. (Cliven Bundy, Donald Sterling, random dude throwing banana at soccer player et al)

After singing the final lyrics to “Ganglord” (“Protect and serve, but what they really mean is get back to the ghetto”), Morrissey remarked, “You know it’s true..” He seemed to want to make sure audiences realized that he wrote the song about police brutality in a “non-fiction” kind of way.

But of course, Morrissey’s biggest political cause has always been Animal Rights. He played the Smiths classic, “Meat is Murder” while some pretty shocking images of animals being slaughtered were flashed behind him. But I suppose shocking was the point.

Oddly, fans leaving the venue were greeted by two street vendors selling…wait for it…hot dogs wrapped in bacon. It was like some kind of crazy irony cherry topping off the sundae of the performance. I didn’t order one even though they smelled fucking delicious. It just seemed disrespectful after what I had just seen and heard. (PS did I mention they were wrapped in bacon?…bacon freaking hot dogs!)

Speaking of bacon, Morrissey performed an astonishing version of “Life is a Pigsty”. Morrissey once said that writing songs for The Smiths was like “setting his diary to music.” A song like “Life” has that same kind of personal intensity. At one point, Morrissey implored the audience, “Can you stop the pain?” while falling to his knees as if he couldn’t handle the emotions being expressed. In fact, much of the set list focused on the darker, more brooding songs of his back catalogue.

Morrissey also debuted 3 new songs from his album. The best of the bunch I thought was “World Peace Is None of Your Business”.

Overall, Morrissey was terrific. If I had any complaint, it was about his set list. I almost felt a kind of strain from the audience. It was like we were enjoying what we were hearing but hoping for one of those “I can’t believe he is playing this song” type of moments.

Of course I could be attributing my own feelings to that of the audience. I had already alerted the concert goers around me that I had a short list of about 5 classics songs in my head that would cause me to “lose my shit” if he played them.

Morrissey did open with “Hand in Glove” and later played the beautiful Smiths song “Asleep”. It’s a Smiths song that he has never performed live as a solo artist before. (In terms of nerd love, Smiths fans hearing a new Smiths song being performed live is roughly equivalent to the joy Star Wars fans get upon hearing news of a new Star Wars movie.) But this was very much NOT a “Greatest Hits” type of show.

All in all it was a great night. Unfortunately, it was overshadowed a bit by the actions of a few knuckleheads. As a person who considers music their happy place, it sucks when someone cuts short a great show through their own jackassery. Serious downgrade for the audience.

But as Nick Laquintano, who performs with The Smiths/Morrissey Tribute Band This Charming Band, points out, this kind of thing happens A LOT:

Of course you never want to downplay any incidences of violence at live shows, but I do feel as if I’ve seen much crazier stage invasion situations at past Morrissey shows that didn’t get anywhere near the press attention this one is getting. In particular I remember a show in Modesto back in 2007 that was really scary as people were jumping on stage from all angles and it all ended with Morrissey getting clotheslined by somebody. I don’t remember hearing much about that incident after it happened. Either way it is a shame what happened in San Jose and thank goodness no one got hurt.”

That was my reaction to the incident as well. Headlines like “SHOW CUT SHORT AS MORRISSEY ATTACKED BY FAN ONSTAGE” miss the point entirely. I’m not trying to say that what happened wasn’t serious. This kind of thing shouldn’t happen. Live performers should always be safe. But longtime fans recognize there is a segment of Morrissey fans who are kind of like drunken St. Bernards. They want to show their love, but somehow just end up knocking you down as you open the door and accidentally rip your work suit instead. Dumb.

Fortunately, no one was hurt. And since no one was hurt, I would file this under The Festival Lawyer’s concert rule that, “Any ending to a concert that leaves you with a good story is by definition a good concert.”

Setlist:
Hand in Glove
That’s How People Grow Up
Ganglord
Speedway
I Have Forgiven Jesus
World Peace Is None of Your Business
I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris
Yes, I Am Blind
The Bullfighter Dies
Life Is a Pigsty
Everyday Is Like Sunday
Earth Is the Loneliest Planet
Trouble Loves Me
Meat Is Murder
First of the Gang to Die
The Youngest Was the Most Loved
I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday
The National Front Disco
Asleep
One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: City National Civic Auditorium, Morrissey, San Jose

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