Live Music Reviews

Jus†ice are masters at playing with an audience’s expectations, particularly at The Warfield

November 7, 2012 by Mike Frash 2 Comments

Jus†ice //
The Warfield – San Francisco
November 4th, 2015 //

Jus†ice have gotten really good at remixing themselves. In fact, the French duo Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay may be the best button pushers in the game. They don’t simply play tracks from their two albums and singles; they mash two songs together or even mix in sounds from a third song throughout the mash-up.

For example, halfway through the opening song “Genesis,” the duo sample in “Civilization” as a preview but instead of fully launching into the Audio, Video, Disco lead single, they overlayed “Helix” in slowly until it fully took over. “Civilization” finally took center stage a few songs later.

Anyone unfamiliar with Jus†ice’s tracks would take Jus†ice’s live show as one big set of unpredictable builds & drops, rock, metal & industrial crunch sounds, and a variety of beats that keep it all moving. But to those who know the group’s catalog, it’s clear that Gaspard and Xavier seriously like to fuck with audience expectations. They only use songs, sounds and remixes they created, but they throw it all into a bouillabaisse of sound.

Ultimately this creates an unpredictable experience that keeps your mind active and your feed moving, and it all adds up to a memorable event. Throw in a group of like-minded friends, and you can’t go wrong.

Show Notes:

• This was the third time Jus†ice visited the Bay Area this year, and it’s most likely the last trip through the bay supporting Audio, Video, Disco. After seeing a shortened 20 minute set at Coachella, then nearly getting crushed to death at Outside Lands, this double redemption show delivered exactly what I was looking for.

• It’s a good choice for Jus†ice not to play “D.A.N.C.E.” in it’s original form, and their newest remix of their most popular song was a nice treat.

• “Stress” is used as it always has, as a critical bridge from the first two-thirds of the show into the final phase. The tension from the song builds and builds, sirens flash, until it finally gives way to the euphoric anthem “We Are Your Friends”, which appeared three or four times throughout the evening.

Jus†ice steps up the tention for the set bridging track “Stress”

• The encore lasted for about 25 minutes, and “On’n’On” into “Phantom, Part 2” was downright devilish. Jus†ice came on at 9:15 p.m. sharp and it was all over by 10:40 p.m. They had a long goodbye at the front of the stage as “Parade” played.

• The lighting artist is pretty much the third member of Justice, and he looked busier than Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay most of the night.

• Xavier de Rosnay still smokes cigarettes like they never went out of style.

Setlist:
The Star-Spangled Banner Intro
Genesis
Helix (‘Civilization’ mixed in as intro)
Phantom, Part 1
Civilization (‘Newjack’ mixed in as intro)
Canon
D.A.N.C.E (Rehearsal Version)
D.A.N.C.E (Justice Remix Version)
Horsepower (Large portion of ‘DVNO’ mixed in as intro)
New Lands (Samples of ‘Let There Be Light’)
Stress
Waters of Nazareth (Featured large elements of ‘We Are Your Friends’)
Audio, Video, Disco (Also incorporated elements of ‘We Are Your Friends’)

Encore:
On’n’On
Phantom, Part 2 (Remix incorporating elements of the Soulwax Remix and ‘We Are Your Friends’)
Parade (Played while they said goodbye and left)

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Coachella, Coachella 2012, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2012, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2012, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2012, Jus†ice, Justice, The Warfield

White Fence continues the psychedelic garage trend in SF

November 6, 2012 by Kevin J Quandt 1 Comment

Photos by Michael Frash at the Bonfire Sessions 9.30.12

San Francisco is clearly leading the way in the psychedelic garage movement that has been sweeping indie rock for the past few years. Whether it’s Wavves’ bratty surf rock, or the twisted antics that are the Black Lips, it is evident that the talent in the Bay Area is taking it way further. The likes of Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall and the Fresh and Onlys have been garnering national attention, and the latest group to step up to the plate is Tim Presley, popularly known as White Fence.

Riding the critical success of his recent double release Family Perfume Vol. 1 and 2, Presley brought his ever-changing band members to a well attended show at the Rickshaw Stop last Friday evening. Support act The Mallard brought some local flavor to a mixed bill with yet another take on the fuzzed-out genre. White Fence shared the headlining duties with another buzzed act, Twerps, hailing from Australia.

Twerps have been making the international loop rather frequently touring behind a successful self titled album. Their sound leans more on a 90s alternative-grunge coupled with some breezy reverb as demonstrated on song, “Dreamin,” a crowd favorite.

White Fence came on stage quickly, and jumped out the gates with a heater, “Swagger vets & Double moon.” However, as Presley has expanded his guitar and drums duo into a four piece, there have been numerous personnel changes, and new rhythm guitar player was not in time with the Presley. Luckily, this issue alleviated early in the set. Having been a key member of former psych-wave group, Darker My Love, Presley is desperately trying to get his sound the full attention that it deserves.

The sound at these shows leans between the shredding blitz guitar style, a la John Dwyer of Thee oh Sees, and the heavy use of slide giving a bluesier feel. This, coupled with Presley’s tendency to sing in a style akin to 60s garage-punk made popular by Syd Barrett, makes White Fence’s sound stand out in rising tide of Bay Area rock. “Enthusiasm” lived up to it’s name, full of power chords and the English-style of swagger that the thin front man serves up so well.

A favorite track, “Sticky Fruitman Has Faith,” had Presley gyrating near his amp to create the perfect feedback for a truly assaulting solo that went on an odyssey, something this Phish fan couldn’t help but smile at. It’s wonderful how much life Presley injects into these songs, as the jangly cassette-tape quality of their recordings are traded in for piercing, well-delivered garage rock.

Having recorded and toured with Ty Segall this past year, one but can’t wonder how far Presley will take his deep songbook once he finds a band that can keep up with his mad genius process which unravels on stage for the lucky few.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: The Rickshaw Stop, White Fence

Greensky Bluegrass throw down at The Mint

November 6, 2012 by Pete Mauch Leave a Comment

By Pete Mauch //

Greensky Bluegrass //
The Mint – Los Angeles
November 2nd, 2012 //

Greensky Bluegrass stormed into The Mint in LA on Friday and delivered a tasty set of foot-stompin’ originals and clever cover songs that you wouldn’t normally expect at a bluegrass show. There’s something special about this quintet from Kalamazoo, Michigan because you feel immediatly connected with them as if they’re playing on your back porch. Anders Beck, who plays the dobro, could easily be a comedian on the side. His banter in between songs is priceless. Greensky Bluegrass is a force to be reckoned with on the bluegrass scene, and they proved it once again at The Mint.

Freshly shaven Paul Hoffman on Mandolin delivers songs with great passion and skill. His mandolin playing is delicate yet his voice bellows out thoughtful lyrics. I particularly liked his playing on Greensky’s original “Old Barns.” This powerful tune evokes the feeling of listening to your grandfather telling stories about the good ol’ days, and Hoffman played it beautifully. One of my favorite songs, “All Four,” which is the last track off their newest album Handguns was also a highlight of the set. “I’d Probably Kill You” is fun little number that was sung by Dave Bruzza that is probably about an ex-girlfriend who drove him nuts, and it features a great mandolin solo by Hoffman.

Another great part of the band is their beautiful harmonies, which are well thought-out and add to their unique sound. Guitarist Dave Bruzza has a deep voice that compliments Hoffman’s softer tone. Bruzza was sporting a mullet leftover from Halloween night when they played an all 80’s cover show in San Francisco at The Independent. It seemed to fit right into the bluegrass scene and of course Anders had to point that out with his witty stage banter. Now, Beck may be a jokester, but when it comes to the Dobro he is very serious. His addition to the band just a few years back really adds great depth and texture.

One of my favorite parts of a Greensky Bluegrass’ show is their amazing choice of covers. Fresh off the Halloween covers show, I figured they had some new cuts that they wanted to share to this LA crowd. They ended the first set with “Second that Emotion”, originally by Smokey Robinson, and it was well-received. Grateful Dead’s “West L.A. Fadeaway” also made an appearance, much to the delight of this West LA crowd. Greensky even dared to take on Pink Floyd’s classic rocker “Time” in great bluegrass fashion, and they conquered it. Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” ended the night, and they rocked this classic tune out, and before I knew what hit me, the night was over. Greensky Bluegrass is the real deal, and their show guarantees a great night out on the town.

“You Can Call Me Al”:

“I’d Probably Kill You”:

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: grateful dead, Greensky Bluegrass, Paul Simon, Pink Floyd, Smokey Robinson, The Independent, The Mint

Electric Guest ignite The Independent

November 5, 2012 by Kevin Raos Leave a Comment

Photos by Mike Frash // Written by Kevin Raos //

Electric Guest //
The Independent – San Francisco
November 2nd, 2012 //

Indie/electro/dream/neo-psych/chillgaze/wave-tronica/pop sensation Electric Guest showed Friday night at The Independent that pure talent can still ascend you quickly to stardom.

In a music world filled with so much synth, it seems just about anyone can make a hit record with a keyboard and a laptop. Just look at, say, any DJ. However, Electric Guest demonstrated musical prowess and a refined ability to write a captivating pop song, and it was all materialized by front man Asa Taccone.

Singer, songwriter and mastermind behind Electric Guest, Taccone had the capacity crowd enchanted every moment he was onstage. His fluid dance moves and infectious smile attempted to distract the audience from his immaculate voice, to little success.

Asa Taccone’s voice alone is worth an entire paragraph, perhaps an entire article. Weaving effortlessly in and out of falsetto, Asa’s voice was soothing and inspiring. A master with the mic, Asa would cup the microphone to create a reverb effect that echoed through the expanses of The Independent.

Asa’s vocals were on display to the marveling crowd, who showed their complete and utter adoration of the band during the short but sweet set. A Bay Area local, Taccone showed his love for the audience, not only with the mandatory Los Angeles jab, but also by telling stories of times spent in SF.

One of these times was while recording their recently released album, Mondo. Record producer Danger Mouse and the band reached a creative standstill, and in order to reignite an inspirational spark Danger Mouse and Asa Taccone took a trip to SF, where they spent over a week doing whatever it is people do to regain their creative mojo.

It must have worked. They returned from SF and continued to create one of the best electro-pop albums of the year.

“Troubleman” was a highlight of the show, and we were told this was a song that came from a trip to SF with Danger Mouse.

For as many good things I have to say about this show, I must say it was very short. Taccone commented when returning from the encore break, “we only have 10 songs and we just played nine of them,” before kicking into their encore song. Before they find some more creative juices, a cover or two might bolster their repertoire nicely. Taccone definitely has the vocal ability to pull off Michael Jackson. Just sayin’.

In the end, the crowd got exactly what it was looking for: an upbeat dance party to some well-crafted pop songs.

It’s worth noting the opening band No. These kiwis probably had a longer set than Electric Guest and were great, blending rock and electronic. It’s equally astounding that they have rights to the twitter handle @NO!

All in all, Electric Guest killed it, but left the crowd thirsting for more. I eagerly anticipate their sophomore offering.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Electric Guest, NO, The Independent

The Kid’s are alright: Disclosure make first SF appearance at The Independent

November 2, 2012 by Kevin J Quandt 4 Comments

Photos by Mike Frash // Written by Kevin Quandt //

Disclosure //
The Independent – San Francisco
October 30th, 2012 //

Patient fans of progressive electronic music were rewarded this past week, as the Lawerence brothers brought their up-and-coming act, Disclosure, across the pond. It has been a banner year for Guy, 21 and Howard, 18 with a positively received EP entitled The Face and a handful of blistering singles and remixes. This successful tour is only one brick in the foundation of an act set to make the transition from underground to the mainstream. Sure the progressive blend of UK deep house with two-step garage is not going to reach the disgusting popularity of Avicii or Swedish House Mafia, but their uncanny production of truly forward tracks has gained them accolades beyond the “big guys” of popular electronic music. San Francisco’s The Independent was a lucky recipient of only a handful of dates from the young duo.

The evening’s crowd stacked in early as the traditional venue was transformed into a club atmosphere while local DJ’s set the night’s vibe spinning funky house and left-leaning beats. Sleazemore represented the Lights Down Low crew while promoter/bass producer Dials deviated from his standard wobble to play a quicker tempo set than usual. Dials wrapped up and made way for Disclosure around 11:30 p.m., a risky venture on a school night.

As the Surrey, UK, natives strolled out to their array of Midis, synths and drums you could tell they were enthusiastic about these well attended US dates, their first trek on American soil. They opened the set with “Control,” a track indicative of their two-step garage hybrid, full of blips and chopped up female vocals care of one Ria Ritchie. The underground electronic music fan in me couldn’t help but hear elements of jungle and deep house married with a shuffled two-step beat. From there they cleanly mixed into the tracks “Blue You” and “My Intention is War” offered from the Carnival and I Love…That You Know EPs respectively.

“Boiling Point” came next, which received a nice cheer from the crowd, displaying that they know the nooks and crannies of the limited releases. This track leans closer to the deep UK house sound pioneered by Ministry of Sound and Sonar Kollectiv in the previous decade, with it’s sexy full-vocal stylings of Sinead Hartnett. Standout live track “Tenderly” had the younger Lawerence pounding out drum sequences from a portable pad, while Guy held down the bulk of the keys in a penetrating UK funky mix.

The middle of the set featured a few remixes including a nod to garage pioneers, Artful Dodger, and a tweaked out rendition of Jessie Ware’s “Running.” Throughout the set the brothers utilized a small drum set between their two unique rigs, adding even more to their live delivery. It appeared the younger, and noticeably energetic, Howard took the reigns on the rhythm side of things, while Guy fingered out some serious melodies and leads on keys.

As the set came to a draw with “What’s in Your Head and Flow,” the devote crowd was still in attendance just getting their dance moves honed. Alas, the lads announced the next track would be the encore and launched the into blistering anthem, “Latch.” This searing club banger is a bit of a departure from the past 60 minutes of 2-step garage and UK funky deep house. Sam Smith’s angelic vocals are mainly left intact while the BPM has been slowed to Vegas after-hours pace, perfect for hands in the air and hands on your partner. It’s infectious and catchy tracks like these that will likely catapult these blokes from the UK underground to Ibiza/rave mainstays. Many, like myself, look forward to a banner year for Disclosure with the inevitable release of an LP, international tours and festival gigs.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Disclosure, The Independent

Bob Dylan at the Hollywood Bowl … warts and all

October 30, 2012 by Pete Mauch 3 Comments

By Pete Mauch //

Bob Dylan //
Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles
October 26th, 2012 //

Bob Dylan came to The Hollywood Bowl on Friday night and played a solid 15-song set that contained many raspy growls, bluesy harmonica solos and not-so-quiet sing-alongs. The 71-year-old living legend managed to put together a fine little show, despite having a frog in his throat the entire time on stage.

Any Dylan fan these days should know to expect the raspy voice, very little guitar playing and unusual song arrangements from his shows. Knowing this, I went in with an open mind and a sense of amazement that I was actually seeing Dylan. He has played the Bowl three times before this show, the first time being all the way back in 1965 when he was just 25 years old, back in 1965 was when he first plugged in and went full electric at the classic Newport Folk Festival.

He opened the show with the upbeat classic “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”, which I’ve always loved, and it was a great way to get things rolling. Dylan traded off between his mic stand and his piano the entire night. Not once did he care to pic up a guitar, which I felt was odd, but he does have Charlie Sexton on guitar duty. I was glad to hear “Tangled Up in Blue” early in the set. It had a nice bluesy solo by Dylan on harmonica, which was well-received by the crowd.

Being the enigmatic figure that he is, Dylan didn’t make good use of the many big screens at the Bowl. Instead of focusing in on his playing or at least giving us different perspectives on the screen, all they showed was a zoomed-out view of the stage. I’ve been to many shows at the Bowl, and these screens really do help with the overall show experience, so I felt bad for the many fans in the upper tiers. Dylan and his band continued with a standout version of “The Levee’s Gonna Break”, as he growled to the crowd in his raspy voice, which by this time had cleared up a bit.

Dylan has done a decent job of switching up songs this tour, except for his finale, so I was glad to hear “Desolation Row” and the swirly rocker “Highway 61 Revisited.” Dylan’s four-song finale was quite fun, as it consisted of classics of “Ballad of Thin Man”, “Like a Rolling Stone”, “All Along the Watchtower” and the stripped-down encore featuring “Blowing in the Wind”. It’s quite impressive knowing he penned all these songs, and I feel privileged to have seen him perform them live. I also found it pretty amusing to watch people try and sing along with Dylan because his arrangements and vocal phrasing are very different today then they were in all his classic albums.

Dylan is arguably the greatest American songwriter of our generation. Go see him live … warts and all.

Setlist:
You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
To Ramona
Things Have Changed
Tangled Up in Blue
The Levee’s Gonna Break
To Make You Feel My Love (Billy Joel cover)
Cry a While
Desolation Row
Highway 61 Revisited
Love Sick
Thunder on the Mountain
Ballad of a Thin Man
Like a Rolling Stone
All Along the Watchtower

Encore:
*Blowin’ in the Wind

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Bob Dylan, Hollywood Bowl

Interactive summer camp with Dan Deacon at GAMH

October 26, 2012 by Mike Frash 5 Comments

By Mike Frash //

Dan Deacon //
Great American Music Hall – San Francisco
October 23rd, 2012 //

Dan Deacon has perfected the art of the interactive live experience. While his music thrives on the concept of stress and release, his chaotic sounds lean toward stress. So, to release the more intense tonal aspects of his music, Deacon became the best live music camp counselor ever.

Deacon incorporates interactive activities into his show and controls the lighting from his sound-board of mayhem. There might not have been two consecutive songs until the encore, and his stage banter is engaging and hilarious. He clearly has improv chops, and in the first 10 minutes he made reference to “The Lion King”, “Austin Powers” and the film “BIG” — and none of it seemed planned. The video imagery projected on the back screen also added to the nostalgia, which all helped take us back to that special summer a long time ago.

The way Deacon controls his show through his music, video/lighting and interactive activities adds up to a thoroughly enjoyable experience if you’re there to take part in it. Much like camp, if you sit on the side, don’t make friends and forget to have fun, then this show was probably too much. Deacon’s comedy, musical skills and mood-setting ability by skillfully controlling the show’s pace & aesthetics transported every willing participant back to Summer Camp.

And by doing all this, Deacon proved he’s an interactive super-genius.

WARM-UP STRETCHES
The night began with a game of “Simon Says.” We were instructed to point at the ceiling, at a part of the detailed Great American Hall decor that represented “everything you hate about yourself.” Then, as we pointed, we were told to bend our knees and move away from that part of the ceiling, as far away as we could possibly go.

After chasing those personal demons, we counted down from 10 to zero but were not allowed to say “seven.” Instead of seven, the campers were supposed to name their favorite Lion King character. Deacon then gave three reasons why some people would say “seven.” The countdown started, and not a single person said “seven.” This set a very loyal tone for the rest of the night. Deacon then launched into “Of the Mountain.”

CAMP DANCE-OFF COMPETITION

Next it was time to find that certain someone for the Camp Dance. Counselor Dan told the audience to push back to the edges of the room and create a large circle. It was dance-off time. With the house lights on, he called out two campers to be the first dance-off competitors.

After 10 seconds, the dancers would tag someone else, and if you were tagged you had to jump in and dance to the music. After three minutes of this, Deacon yelled “EVERYBODY!” and killed the house lights, and the empty circle filled in quickly to finish the song. Then, Counselor Dan continued with the new standout track “Lots”.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING

Deacon had his brother and his synth-mate’s brother lead a split audience in body-language mimicry. Each side of the split room had one of the brothers leading them, and if the leader waved his hand, so did you. It turned into Fellini-esque new-age dance art. The Deacon brothers’ side was obviously more in synch, but all that matters at camp is that you give it a good effort, and most campers did.

TEAM BUILDING EXERCISE

The most memorable part of this experience was the human tunnel into The Tenderloin. Counselor Dan had everyone move up to the front left of the venue as he picked two campers create a “London Bridges” arch by connecting their hands above their heads. One at a time, every single person in the venue went through the human tunnel, out the front doors of the Great American Music Hall, and around the block until you reached the end of the human tunnel. Then, you added to it and watched others go by.

The smartest campers waited to go last, and were treated to a private show and had a longer tunnel ride.

People on the streets and at nearby hotels didn’t quite understand this camp activity, but those engaged in it were loving it.

The human tunnel was so fun I screamed like a girl scout.

Upon arriving back in the venue, there was a trance-like vibe moving circular, and every camper had both their hands on other people’s heads. Everyone was doing it.

CAMP POLITICS
The hands on heads section transitioned back to music, and Counselor Dan introduced some subtle political imagery.

See if you can find the political references in this video about halfway through.

One of the only serious moments Counselor Dan had during the show was his pre-encore speech, which was mostly about Prop 37 in California. A “Yes” vote for Prop 37 would require most genetically modified foods to be labeled as such. It’s good to know Counselor Dan cares about what we eat, but in all seriousness, this is a great reason to go vote November 6th.

MULTIMEDIA WORKSHOP

The most innovative technology concept Counselor Dan has is letting the campers use their cell phones as part of the light show. Deacon has developed an interactive cell phone app that uses the audience’s phones as part of the lighting.

About 1/4 of the crowd was using the app, and it emitted sound and variable colors of light from phone to phone. Counselor Deacon had a momentary technical difficulty, but Deacon pulled a classic camp counselor move by leading a call and response song that was quite entertaining.

At the peak part of the song “True Thrush,” some phones were strobing white light to enhance the craziest part of the lead single from Deacon’s new LP America.

SAYING GOODBYE TO CAMP IS THE HARDEST PART

Counselor Deacon finished the show with most of the USA Suite, and the video imagery added lots to Deacon’s messaging. At this point, the camp-like experience felt a bit exhausting, and all the activities made time feel stretched. There were so many memorable moments, like the action packed days many summers ago, and this enhanced the Dan Deacon live experience.

Part of this formula’s success is that the activities displaced you, forced you to meet new people, and kept things interesting. At most shows you’re stuck in one spot. Without even trying, most show-goers ended up in at least five or six different spots throughout the evening. The interactive nature, use of nostalgia and pop culture, and full audience participation makes a Dan Deacon show as memorable as the best summer camp.

Selist:
The Crystal Cat
Of the Mountain
Konono Ripoff No. 1
Lots
Crash Jam
Guilford Avenue Bridge
Snookered
True Thrush
Biggie Hat Was Ice Cream Time
Wham City
USA I: Is a Monster
USA II: The Great American Desert
USA IV: Manifest

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Dan Deacon, Great American Music Hall

Ultraísta reveals Nigel Godrich’s influence on Radiohead & his star-making ability

October 24, 2012 by Mike Frash 3 Comments

By Mike Frash //

Ultraísta //
The Independent – San Francisco
October 22nd, 2013 //

The accomplished Nigel Godrich came to SF on Monday to perform at a very undersold Independent with his new synth- and loop-heavy trio Ultraísta.

Godrich has produced every Radiohead album since OK Computer and tours with the group as their unofficial sixth member. He’s also in Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke’s side project Atoms for Peace along with Ultraísta drummer Joey Waronker and has produced albums for U2, Pavement and Paul McCartney, amongst others. His work with Ultraísta continues the musical sound he has developed with Yorke over the last 5 years, but his biggest accomplishment with his new group is recruiting newcomer Laura Bettinson.

Bettinson exudes a confidence and swagger that is youthful and real, and her hypnotic voice plays as an instrument, much like Yorke’s, and it matches her strikingly attractive look. But, the night was not perfect by any means. Upon the first notes of the night, Nigel had to abort the opening song due to a technical issue. They pleaded for 3 minutes, left the stage, and restarted. They came out to 100, maybe 150 people total. The projector, which plays as the one and only (and extremely effective) visual effect, went off kilter for the first couple songs. You could tell there was a slight bit of frustration with Bettinson.

After a lukewarm applause, or the fact that not many turned out the night of a Giant’s pennant clinching game, a presidential debate & pouring rain, she said “It’s very quiet. It’s like playing in someone’s living room.” That got a certain perturbed audience response, but she replied “It’s not a bad thing!” Bettingson’s subtle frustration didn’t really matter, as her stage presence, sex appeal and technical proficiency with her vocals & dexterity in looping them packaged well.

Ultraísta has no overhead lighting in their live show, and they defer to a stage-facing projector that exhibits flat light, and this replicates their music videos. They project a technicolor kaleidoscope of drenched light directly onto Bettingson, and it makes for a washed out yet very cinematic aesthetic. But the lighting effect ultimately starts to feel familiar as you adjust to it, and it lines up with the repetition of the vocal loops, synth & rhythm. It all adds up to a live musical experience that puts you into a trance.

This repetitious formula is one that reflects Yorke’s solo LP The Eraser and the most recent Radiohead album The King of Limbs, and it reveals Godrich’s influence on Yorke and the gang.

Ultimately Ultraísta is a band with much potential. They played a 7 or 8 song set that wasn’t over an hour. It seemed they didn’t play a full show since there weren’t many people present, and because they didn’t get a huge reaction throughout the night. But Ultraísta has a leg up with Nigel Godrich on board leading the ship; it ensures they can secure venues and people will usually come. But to get bigger, they need to make the people that do come to see them perform leave the show with a sense of discovery, and then feel the need to tell their friends. This didn’t exactly happen on Monday night, but the group most likely could ‘wow’ their audience on a different night.

Two things were confirmed watching Ultraísta’s set: Godrich is the influence that we all think he is on Radiohead, and Bettinson is a star in the making — with or without Ultraísta.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Atoms for Peace, Laura Bettinson, Nigel Godrich, Paul McCartney, Pavement, Radiohead, The Beatles, The Independent, Thom Yorke, U2, Ultraísta

A fully-packed Fillmore can’t stop the party after Bombay Bicycle Club

October 24, 2012 by Molly Kish 1 Comment

Photos by Chaya Frash // Written by Molly Kish //

This past Friday, the streets outside of The Fillmore were lined with the usual mix of eager concertgoers, ticket seekers and subsequent scalpers collecting inflated profit on the up sell on the sold-out show. This is a very typical scene for the start of a weekend.

However, to my surprise and to that of the headlining act, it was one that was otherwise unanticipated. Then, there is the venue, known for booking big-name talent with the ability to fill their space that’s suited for 1,200 people, who may have had clearer foresight into the evening.

I definitely was surprised that a band from overseas, who lack commercial radio airplay and have limited stateside coverage, could execute such a feat. I had interviewed bassist Ed Nash from Bombay Bicycle Club three days earlier, and upon thinking back on the interview, it became apparent that this is a running theme throughout Bombay Bicycle Club’s charmed career.

The show Friday night was jam-packed with people from all different walks of life, further enhanced by no age limit on the ticket. Enthusiastically attentive during the opening act, the crowd showed energy that was in anticipation of the London group’s set. As if playing The Fillmore wasn’t an already overwhelming experience, the BBC fan base that evening made sure that this was a night the boys would remember. The crowd enthusiasm, which included screeches of joy as a new song began, was something that lead singer Jack Steadman commented on several times throughout their set to humbly acknowledge and to show their appreciation for their loyal audience.

Preceding the encore, the band called up a someone from their entourage to confirm “in all sincerity, this show was easily the best of the tour so far.” This very typical, applause-friendly comment most band’s fall back upon, was actually very plausible for this Fillmore show, and probably sincerely meant. Especially considering that after the show-pinnacle, three song encore with the house lights on, I experienced something that in all my years of show-going made even a normal Friday at The Fillmore stand out for me.

Possibly as a result of the all-age crowd or more likely the kinetic energy that Bombay Bicycle Club brought with them to the venue, one-fourth of the sold-out audience decided that the party wasn’t over. Amidst an otherwise terribly obnoxious disco-laden setlist meant to clear even the most excited of concert goers, a full-on, post-show dance party ensued. Large group circles formed and conga trains ran throughout, all of which only seemed second nature in the moment and was being further encouraged by the boy’s whom were watching from the balconies.

You could tell by the genuine delight on the group’s faces and by the fact that they were recording the event on their phones that this must have been a rare occurrence. It was a moment that otherwise unanticipated, cohesively falls into place and further accentuates the delightfully laissez-faire celebrity of Bombay Bicycle Club.

Earlier in the week before the show at The Fillmore, Showbams spoke with Nash over the phone about the band’s name, bold recording decisions and what performing at the London Olympics was like.

Showbams: Starting out in 2006, I know you guys got your name from a chain of Indian restaurants, hence Bombay Bicycle Club. Did they ever catch onto that or has it just persisted as an homage or running joke?

Nash: Well, They actually took us for a free meal about 4-5 years ago, the owner found out that there was a band with the same name. We were about 16 or 17 and weren’t doing anything particularly worthwhile at the time, so yeah he took us out for a meal and had a chat and actually they’ve closed down now. They’ve stopped doing Bombay Bicycle Club now, so I think we’ve won that war. Yeah, we’re first on Google and I don’t think there’s a restaurant anymore.

Showbams: In 2006, you guys were entered into Virgin Mobile’s “Road to V” contest and won and have been going really full throttle into your career as a band since. Who initially decided to enter into the contest?

Nash: That was Jamie, our guitarist. A friend of his recommended he enter so he did and then completely forgot that we’d been entered into it. We got this email probably a couple of months later saying that we’d won and we thought it was a joke. None of us knew what it was. Then, we looked it up and were like, “Oh, oh, this is for real. I guess we should probably do this.” But for a while, we thought it was a joke. We didn’t know what we were doing.

Showbams: The prize was an opening spot at V Fest. Was that nerve-wracking?

Nash: I think it might have been more nerve-wracking had we done it later on in our career or if we were in a different place. We were literally 16 years old having the funnest time of our lives. The thing was that all of the other bands in that competition took it so seriously, and it was like their big break. We were just these silly little kids who went mucking around, and we were amazed we were getting free beer backstage at the fest and things like that. It was all just a very surreal, hilarious experience for us. I don’t think we realized how much of a big deal it was for us.

Showbams: Over the next few years, the band was involved in numerous festivals, revues and even headlining performances like the Levi’s “One to Watch”, which was broadcasted all before you even recorded your first full-length album. Did this affect the writing process for you guys at all?

Nash: Not really. After we did the “Road to V”, we went back to school for two years and finished up our A Levels, kind of the equivalent of high school. I think when we finished “Road to V”, there was quite a bit of hype then about the band, but that died down pretty quickly afterward. We could’ve taken advantage of that, left and recorded the album then, do things that way, but we wanted to kind of lay low and write the songs that we think we could write, but didn’t have and think about the album. We’re going to record more and do it when we were ready to do it. I think by the time we got around to recording the album, the “Road to V” hype had died down, obviously we had done some other things, but that initial part of it died down a bit and we were ready to make the album we wanted to make. I think that had we not gone off the “Road to V” a success, I wouldn’t be here talking like this right now. It wouldn’t have been the best route.

Showbams: The band’s album Flaws was recorded shortly thereafter but in a different fashion. You guys opted to do a completely acoustic sophomore effort, which is kind of a big gamble and a bold choice for your second album. What made you decide to go that route?

Nash: Again, kind of looking back, it was a very unexpected thing to do, and I think a lot of people thought we were crazy for doing it. That album pretty much came around, we were recording some B-sides for the first album, literally like B-sides and they were acoustic because it was always something that we used to be into before doing tours. We realized that we had a large amount of acoustic songs and thought they were better than just B-sides and could stand alone. We recorded this album ourselves over the course of that year and then released it. In our minds at the time, it wasn’t really a second album — it was just something that we did that was fun on the side. We didn’t think anyone would pick up on it. Then, people ended up picking up on it more than they had the first album, which was great and that’s it. It became something bigger than we intended it to.

Showbams: This past year, you released your new album A Different Kind of Fix and rounded off the album with a later adding pf “Beg” for its final release this past July. Why did it get left off the initial LP?

Nash: Man, I don’t know. I kind of regret not putting it on the album the first time around. I think all of us did. At the time, we felt it didn’t fit with the actual sound of the album, even though we loved the song. So, we all realized this and wanted to have a proper release for it, but I think it probably should’ve gone on the album the first time around. That’s one little thing I regret.

Showbams: You also were part of the closing performance at the London Olympics in Hyde Park. How was it being a part of such a large-scale event?

Nash: That was absolutely incredible, for more than one reason actually. We started the band in London, all of us grew up in London. I went to a few shows in Hyde Park when I was a kid, you know. It meant a lot to be involved in something that close to us all. The other part of it was the direct lineup of bands that I have always loved, some of my favorite bands were playing like Blur, The Specials and New Order. It kind of blew my mind that we were amongst those people. It was pretty crazy.

Filed Under: Featured, Interviews, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Bombay Bicycle Club, The Fillmore

Van She curate a dance party at Rickshaw Stop

October 22, 2012 by Mike Frash 1 Comment

By Mike Frash //

Van She //
Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco
October 18th, 2012 //

Van She played a quick, upbeat set at Rickshaw Stop last Thursday. The Aussie electronic dance-rock group is currently touring on their excellent 2012 album Idea of Happiness and started the show with their title track, which is arguably the best song on the album.

The group seemed slightly reserved, but there wasn’t a down moment during the entire show. The weeknight dance party was on, and the crowd obliged. Another standout song from their album and show is “Jamaica”, which features synths, siren sounds and a groovy beat that adds to the lyrics “You’ll be dancing strong” to reinforce what was happening at Rickshaw Stop.

By the time the last song of the night was announced, it became apparent the set had flown by. Van She’s sound represents the contemporary musical zeitgeist in 2012, mixing catchy lyrics with dancy beats and EDM sounds. But they do it all live, not relying on pre-made digital music. Effects were certainly added to live instruments, but it was far from a button-pushing environment.

It all works well together, and it would not be surprising to see this Australian Quartet get much bigger on the strength of their 2012 LP Idea of Happiness and since they have proven to SF they are a strong live act.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Rickshaw Stop, Van She

David Byrne & St. Vincent create a giant sound in SF

October 19, 2012 by Kevin Raos 1 Comment

Photos by Pete Mauch // Written by Kevin Raos //

David Byrne & St. Vincent //
SHN Orpheum Theatre – San Francisco
October 15th, 2012 //

It all started with a gentle rain.

That was the sound we were greeted with upon entering the Orpheum Theater on a Monday night for a special evening with David Byrne & St. Vincent. Byrne, known for his work in the Talking Heads, and Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, created a fluid blend of two distinct, but very complimentary, musical styles and sounds.

Sitting in our seats, the rain began to intensify, building up to lightning and thunder until the storm finally subsided. After the storm had passed a sense of calm came over the theater. The lights dimmed, and out came the band. Immediately they kicked into “Who,” the single from their recently released collaborative album Love this Giant. Hearing this live gave me a greater appreciation for this song, and the entire album for that matter.

Live, the songs off Love This Giant had more depth, more intensity and felt more inspired. Maybe it was our particular evening, but the entire show had the audience on the edge of their seat, if not dancing in the aisle. A highlight was “I Am an Ape,” which, to me, was easily the best performance of a song off Love This Giant the entire evening.

A pattern began to develop early in the show: a song or two from Love This Giant, followed by a selection from Byrne and Clark’s previous musical ventures. After “Who” and “Weekend in the Dust” they played “Save Me From What I Want,” a track off St. Vincent’s 2009 album Actor. This bold selection made it obvious this was not going to be “The David Byrne Show,” but rather a celebration of both the musicians on stage. In fact, during several songs David Byrne was merely another member of the band, blending himself with the complex choreography prominent the entire evening.

The crowd knew they were in store for some classic Byrne/Talking Heads tracks, and were treated to several including “Strange Overtones,” “Like Humans Do,” “This Must Be the Place,” “Road to Nowhere” and “Burning Down the House.”

St. Vincent’s music clearly isn’t as well-known as David Byrne’s, however her applause was no less appreciative as the attentive audience ate up tracks such as “Save Me From What I Want,” “Marrow,” “Cheerleader,” “Cruel” and “The Party.”

David Byrne didn’t disappoint on stage banter this evening either. Before starting “I Should Watch TV” Byrne described all the music in his house as either being Fiction or Nonfiction, and that the next selection would be from the Nonfiction section.

Annie Clark spoke about the first time she was exposed to Byrne’s music, when she was a child watching the film Revenge of the Nerds, with the song “Burning Down the House.”

Byrne also had a sense of humbleness throughout the evening, giving the band and Annie much due credit. Mostly brass, the 10-piece backing band included many talented musicians, which Byrne never missed an opportunity to thank. Byrne introduced the band and spoke for a moment about each member’s side project or the full-time band they play in.

Byrne and Clark’s chemistry on stage was also very apparent. The entire evening the two weaved in and out of the planned choreography mixing in their own style of dance, Byrne sometimes looking very puppet-like in his movements, something Talking Heads fans are very familiar with.

It was clear from the outset that they wanted to create a special environment. A sanctuary of music and dance. Everything from the lighting, the stage setup, the choreography and the song selection was very deliberate, choreographed and rehearsed. This band practiced endlessly, and it showed.

Their mutual appreciation and admiration for each other shined through by the constant respect they had for one another’s music. Together Byrne and Clark, and their band, explored all styles of music, from the classics to the recently released. They even squeezed in a theremin duel.

If you have the opportunity to see this once in a life time spectacle, please do yourself a favor and indulge.

Setlist:
Who
Weekend in the Dust
Save Me From What I Want (St. Vincent cover)
Strange Overtones (David Byrne cover)
I Am an Ape
Marrow (St. Vincent cover)
This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (Talking Heads cover)
The Forest Awakes
Optimist
Like Humans Do (David Byrne cover)
Lightning
Lazarus
Cheerleader (St. Vincent cover)
Lazy (David Byrne cover)
I Should Watch TV
Northern Lights (St. Vincent cover)
The One Who Broke Your Heart
Outside of Space and Time

Encore:
Cruel (St. Vincent cover)
Burning Down The House (Talking Heads cover)

Encore 2:
The Party (St. Vincent cover)
Road to Nowhere (Talking Heads cover)

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: David Byrne, David Byrne & St. Vincent, SHN Orpheum Theatre, St. Vincent

The Lumineers play to 120 lucky folks at The Chapel

October 18, 2012 by Molly Kish 2 Comments

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Molly Kish //

The Lumineers //
The Chapel – San Francisco
October 11th, 2012 //

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival just closed out its 12th year with more than 250,000 attendants, three days of music from a wide variety of globally recognized artists and some impeccable weather to boot at Warren Hellman’s annual event.

Focusing on the latest and greatest in contemporary and traditional country, rockabilly, soul, brass and any slight derivative of the genre, crowds spanned throughout the entire Hellman Hollows portion of Golden Gate Park for a full weekend of bluegrass bliss. One of the standout acts that brought a fully packed Rooster Stage to its collective feet was Denver folk quintet The Lumineers.

Production-wise, the band is known for their stripped-down, vocally saturated and exceptional acoustic performances. While this can be hard to do on bigger stages, they accomplished it with ease and they won the enthusiastic attention of a fully packed Saturday afternoon crowd.

Hailed by many as one of the weekend’s favorites, The Lumineers proved their sound and talent could transcend the difficulties present within the setting of a large-scale festival. Beyond allowing them to reach a whole different level of notoriety, it left many fans in anticipation for their next return to the Bay Area. Fortunately, I was able to catch it front an center during the soft opening of what is properly being referred to as “The Preservation Hall West” that’s officially called The Chapel.

The brand-new venue that’s still under construction and located in the heart of the Mission District in San Francisco is one with a particularly interesting backstory. Beyond being named after the official West Coast home of New Orleans’ own Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the building itself is a converted mortuary built in 1914. The stage, which played host to a slew of Hardly Strictly talent for the remainder of the weekend that included Elvis Costello, Steve Earle, Buddy Miller and Allison Moore, is sans an alter and directly in the middle of what used to be the resident chapel.

Now underneath 40-feet wooden beamed ceilings and surrounded by the barren walls, an incomplete venue sits with a stage elevated about eight feet above floor level. Because of all this, the room has a beautifully organic stereo quality. This scope of sound perfectly complemented the intimate nature of the private Lumineers show to close out the venue’s first full week of operation.

Right when I found out about this show, I jumped upon the opportunity to see them in such a gorgeous space. With a crowd maxing out at about a 120-person guest list, audience members were treated to a show most would only be lucky enough to catch in the context of a wedding or band’s debut performance.

Although a newer face in commercial radio, The Lumineers didn’t play an amateur show, highlighting material off their 2012 self-titled debut along with some acapella songs and a teaser of an unannounced track during the encore. Wesley Shultz’s humble presence as the group’s frontman charmingly absorbed the crowd while Jeremiah Fraite’s drums and Neyla Pekarek’s cello bled beautifully into perfect cohesion with their visceral backup vocals. Stelth Ulvang and Ben Wahamaki remained in the offstage areas, ducked behind the velvet curtains until their aid was needed on tracks featuring the piano, mandolin, accordion and bass.

The Lumineers’ sound, although self described as folk rock in the vein of traditional roots revival, is one that transcends a typecast amongst listeners. The crowd this evening, completely diverse in background and reason for attendance, hung on every lingering note, extended bridge and crowd participatory moment that was brought to the stage.

Whether languidly entranced, swaying back and forth to Shultz’s acapella crooning of “Dead Sea” or bursting with energy that saw him jump at the invitation to scream along the chorus of “Hey Ho”, the band decidedly made the evening an especially participatory experience for everyone in attendance. Shultz even went as far as to candidly suggest that everyone limit the recording to keep the evening as it was intended to be: a private moment to be shared between them and the audience.

The band ended by thanking everyone for their support through radio play and downloads. They cheekily added the casual reminder that said hits were part of a larger collection of music they were proud to share by purchasing their entire album. Constant discourse, hugs and sentimental moments shared through the band members’ playful nature and glances at each other resonated a relatable quality that The Lumineers have but amidst another setting could get lost in the moment.

The sound, personas and overall ambiance that The Lumineers brought to the deconstructed venue was perfect for the Preservation Hall West’s first week of performances. This intimate gathering worked as a seamless transition, but the scene was completely different than their incredibly impressive appearance at HSB 2012.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Allison Moore, Buddy Miller, Elvis Costello, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Steve Earle, The Chapel, The Lumineers

Robby Krieger’s Jazz Kitchen serves up a hot dish at Saint Rocke

October 16, 2012 by Pete Mauch 3 Comments

By Pete Mauch //

Robby Krieger’s Jazz Kitchen //
Saint Rocke – Hermosa Beach, CA
October 14th, 2012 //

Hermosa Beach played host to Robby Krieger’s Jazz Kitchen at Saint Rocke on Sunday night and played a refreshing set of jazz fusion. Kreiger, who is known as the guitarist for The Doors, leads a group of All-Star musicians from various bands, such as Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention and War.

On this particular night, the band seemed really loose on stage like they were just jamming in their garage, but it stayed tight enough to bring the heat when it needed to. Krieger’s Jazz Kitchen includes Frank Zappa alumnus and Hammond B3 player Tommy Mars on keys, Arthur Barrow from Zappa’s band on bass, Larry Klimas from War on horns and Tom Brechtlein of Chick Corea fame on drums.

Going into this show, I figured the set would be heavy on Doors songs, but it was just the opposite. This band played an array of originals as well as a couple Frank Zappa songs that were quite unexpected, yet very welcomed. Mars on the Hammond B3 is quite the treat. He plays the Hammond very aggressively with a loose style that compliments this jazz ensemble.

Krieger’s guitar style hasn’t changed much since his days with The Doors. He still rocks out on his Gibson SG that he made famous many moons ago. And of course, his Flamenco style of playing is still heavy in the mix, especially when he brings his slide out.

I was very impressed with the band’s jazzy take on “Riders on the Storm” to close out the night. Krieger’s signature licks were shining on this version as were Tommy Marsas’ while he pounded away ever so gently on the Hammond.

I found it quite refreshing that a living legend like Krieger, who could very easily just cover Doors songs all night and get a bigger reaction, would create such new and delightful music that is relevant today. I applaude Robby Krieger’s Jazz Kitchen and give them the Showbams approval.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Robby Krieger, Robby Krieger's Jazz Kitchen, Saint Rocke, The Doors

Steve Kimock Band at The Mint LA

October 15, 2012 by Pete Mauch Leave a Comment

The Steve Kimock Band came to LA on friday night and played to a packed house at The Mint. The Band, which features legendary keyboardist Bernie Worrell from Parliament Funkadelic and The Talking Heads, played a very eclectic set that weaved in & out of many genres with ease. Andy Hess and Wally Ingram are the backbone of this band, as they were seriously locked into each other all night. Andy Hess was laying deep bass grooves as Ingram kept things pretty loose behind the kit. There was also a live artist painting a beautiful chinese dragon that gave the show a nice vibe.

Steve Kimock Band really covers a lot of ground as they play so many different styles of music. One of my favorite moments of the night was a fun little reggae number that showcased Wally Ingram’s diverse style. Steve Kimock, with his arsenal of guitars, seems so relaxed on stage, even at the most climatic moments. I really enjoyed the band’s take on The Beatles “Come Together,” especially Kimock’s guitar work. They segued into a New Orleans-style song that had Bernie Worrell howling at the crowd like a street perfomer on Bourbon Street.

For the second set, the band invited a talented saxophone player to join them, which added great texture. This set was full of wailing guitar solos trading off with blistering sax leads followed by amazing organ work by Worrell. The highlight of the show for me was the cover of “Take Me to The River.” Originally by Al Green but made famous by The Talking Heads, Bernie Worrell showcased his vocals once again on this take. The Saxophonist and Worrell really shined on this song as they traded off solos with Kimock.

This is a really fun band to see and I hope Kimock keeps this outfit together, but I know it will be hard because Worrell is known to move on to different projects pretty regularly. The Steve Kimock band gets the Showbams approval.

Video of “Take Me to The River” Thanks to Tree Sister From PT

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Steve Kimock, Steve Kimock Band, The Mint

The Presets return to the US with new tracks and sound

October 13, 2012 by Mike Frash 1 Comment

The Presets stormed The Independent in San Francisco Friday night for their first US show in four years. For those unfamiliar with the duo, you won’t be for long. Their last album “Apocalypso,” went triple platinum in their native Australia, and last week they headlined “Big Day Out” over Justice. Their new live show melds dance beats and drops, live instrumentation, apocalyptic Aussie-charm vocals, and a killer light and video show that will satisfy most contemporary music fans.

They played all 10 tracks from their new album “Pacifica,” and they added musical elements, layering synth or percussion, to most songs. It was slightly disappointing to learn the vocal loops from some songs, like the opening lines in “Promises,” are digitized live. But the well-crafted songwriting and strong live vocals from Julian Hamilton make up for any deficiency. When Hamilton delivered the line “Am I the only one I still believe in?,” it rang true as one of the main themes of the album, from “Youth in Trouble” to “Fall Epic.”

And they treated many of their hits from “Beams” & “Apocalypso” the same way; they would play a song relatively faithfully, like “This Boy’s in Love,” then launch into an extended dance groove that had every single person getting down. The feeling in the crowd was very club-like, and it makes sense. Their live show transcends any pop domination, as Hamilton starts songs by delivering a groove or beat digitally, and from there he creates the song’s melody and vocals live and Kim Moyes adds live drums or he would come to the front of the stage to add more synth.

The overall experience was overwhelming for all the senses in a very good way. Toward the end of the set, the Australian duo played “My People” to the explosion of the 450 person crowd. It serves as a ‘We are your friends’ rallying cry, and the track was placed at about the same spot as Justice places their song. But let’s be honest – The Presets are actually musicians.

The encore ended with “Kicking & Screaming,” and when Hamilton proclaimed “When I was Young,” a couple things became clear. Hamilton & Moyes have gotten older, their audiences has gotten older (at least this night at the 21+ Independent), and they’ve innovated and grown as live performers by combining baseline button pushing with incredible live vocals and instrumentation that build to huge EDM drops at times. At the same time, Hamilton’s vocals & on-stage demeanor keep the music accessible to a larger audience. “Kicking and Screaming” was performed for at least 10 minutes, and it was a perfect finale.

The Presets are only touring in the US for two weeks right now, so if possible, it’s strongly suggested to check them out on this first leg of their tour. Bigger venues and festivals are in their immediate future, so it felt special to see them in the friendly confines of the intimate Independent. The Presets are a must see group live.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: The Independent, The Presets

Dancin’ in the streets of LA with Furthur at the Greek

October 10, 2012 by Pete Mauch Leave a Comment

By Pete Mauch //

Further //
Greek Theatre – Los Angeles
October 5th-6th, 2012 //

Night 1

Furthur took the stage Friday night at the beautiful Greek Theater in Los Angeles and proceeded to play an inspired show full of surprise guests and timeless songs. The Greek Theater is easily my favorite outdoor venue in Los Angeles. It’s nestled right in the mountainside of Griffith Park and gives you the feel of seclusion, which is exactly what I want when I see a Furthur show.

This particular night the sky was a dark shade of purple and had amazing patchy clouds that made me think of the song “Cream Puff War.” One of my favorite parts of attending a Furthur show is the family of deadheads who truly hear the music the way it is supposed to be heard. It had been a year to the day that Furthur graced the stage at the Greek, and I was reeling with anticipation because the shows last year were absolutely wonderful.

Due to my day job and Los Angeles traffic, I walked in late and caught the tail end of what seemed like a blistering “Brown-Eyed Women”. After “Brown-Eyed Women”, I turned to my bug-eyed neighbor and asked him what I missed, and he enthusiastically said “Truckin'” and “Smokestack Lightning.” I immediately gasped as I’ve always loved “Smokestack”, but I didn’t worry because there was still plenty of show left for this young deadhead.

Next came a Bob Weir tune “Money for Gasoline”. I was pleasantly surprised with this version because I can usually do without this song, but Weir pulled it off quite nicely with a lot of help from the backup singers, Sunshine Becker and Jeff Pehrson. Furthur then decided to tackle the George Harrison song “Any Day”. Lead guitarist John Kadlecik took lead vocals on this track. It was my second time hearing this cover, and I will surely welcome it anytime. Bassist Phil Lesh then treated us to a beautiful take on “Peggy-O”. Lesh is usually not very strong with his vocals, but he absolutely nailed “Peggy-O”.

Furthur then invited Jonathon Wilson on stage to play guitar and sing on “Mission in the Rain”. A lot of Deadheads recognized Wilson from the Jerry Garcia tribute show “Move Me Brightly”, put on by Weir back in August. I’m usually not a big fan of special guests, but Wilson did a great job on this Garcia tune, especially with his vocals. As Wilson walked off stage, Lukas Nelson walked on and played a countrified rendition of Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released”. Nelson is the son of the legendary Willie Nelson, and you can tell that the apple does not fall far from the tree. Nelson then led Furthur into a fiery take of “Althea”, which is one of my all-time favorite Dead songs. So, when Lukas Nelson took lead vocals, I was at first put off. But by the end of the song, he had the band and the crowd completely hanging onto every note. Drummer Joe Russo was obviously moved because he was bouncing behind his kit like I’ve never seen before. I haven’t seen that much energy on a Furthur stage in a long time.

After a lengthy set break, Furthur started things off with the famous segue of “China Cat Sunflower” into “I Know You Rider”, known simply by Deadheads as “China Rider”. “China Cat Sunflower” is one of those songs that just makes you smile. There is something about this song that puts you into your happy place, and this version definitely did that for me. Furthur transitioned beautifully into “I Know You Rider”, which had everyone in attendance singing along.

Furthur wasn’t ready to take a breather just yet, so they segued right into a rather lengthy and psychedelic version of “Cassidy”, which had some serious legs to it and clocked in around 15 minutes. Kadlecik and Jeff Chimenti on keys were feeding off each other while Lesh and Russo stayed locked into the rhythm. “Cassidy” is rarely a highlight of a Further set, but tonight it was just that.

Another highlight of the show was the classic combo of “Scarlet Begonias” into “Fire on the Mountain”. It was 20 minutes of pure bliss for these ears. “Scarlet” was fired up from the get-go, and it had all the players in the band locked in. They transitioned flawlessly into a raging “Fire on the Mountain”, and Furthur must of known the crowd needed a break because next came an angelic take on “Standing on the Moon”. It is impossible to compare Weir’s take on this song to Garcia’s, but I will say that Weir did one hell of a job on this version. His vocal phrasing was on point, as was his guitar playing. My hat goes off to Weir for even trying to sing that song.

Next came a very unexpected, second-set “Shakedown Street” that brought the disco funk to the Greek Theatre. My friends and I always joke that “Shakedown” will be the opener of the show, but we very rarely expect it late in the second set. It was a very welcomed treat to hear it at this point in the show. It was also really fun to sing “Don’t tell me this town ain’t got no heart” because everyone thinks that LA is fake and has no real soul. But as an Angeleno, I can verify LA and the Greek were full of heart this past weekend.

Furthur invited Wilson and Nelson both back on the stage for a fun singalong of Van Morrison’s “Gloria”. This version had Weir rapping about baseball playoffs in between verses that gave the crowd a good laugh. They ended the night for me in a confusing way as I thought the encore was for sure “Cosmic Charlie”, but after the intro, they slammed right into “Revolution” by The Beatles. All in all, it was a fantastic night at the Greek Theatre as I looked forward to getting back to the Greek for Night 2.

Set I:
Truckin’
Smokestack Lightning
Brown Eyed Women
Money For Gasoline
Any Road
Peggy-O
Mission in the Rain (with Jonathan Wilson)
I Shall Be Released (with Lukas Nelson)
Althea (with Lukas Nelson)

Set II:
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider
Cassidy
Passenger
Mountain Song
Scarlet Begonias
Fire on the Mountain
Standing on the Moon
Shakedown Street
Gloria (with Johnathan Wilson and Lukas Nelson)

Encore:
Revolution (with Johnathan Wilson and Lukas Nelson)

Night 2

After walking in late the night before, I made sure my crew was on time and ready to dance to some Grateful Dead music. Furthur once again started just after 7 p.m., and they got right into things with “Golden Road”. I love this song for many reasons, one of them being that this was the first Grateful Dead song I ever heard back as a kid. This is the opening track on Skeletons From the Closet, and its a show opener for a reason because it gets the party started — and that’s exactly what happened when they opened with it on Saturday night. Furthur moved right along with a great version of “Music Never Stopped” to keep the dance party going. Weir took the lead vocals on this one, and he delivered them quite nicely while Kadlicek was on point with his lead-guitar riffs. Furthur then decided to go into the classic cover of “Dancin’ in the Street” that had the Greek going nuts. It was really fun to have these three songs all in row to start the first set. It’s almost like we were treated to three opening songs, and I thought that was pretty special.

At first, it seemed like Furthur was going to transition into “Just a Little Light”, but I must of heard a tease of some sort. Anyway, they went into a Ryan Adams cover called “Let It Ride”. I wasn’t all that surprised by this selection because last year Furthur covered Adams twice in LA. Adams once toured with Phil Lesh back in 2005, so I’m sure Lesh was giving his friend a nice gesture. “Let It Ride”, in my opinion, is a perfect song to place in the middle of Dead songs. It has lyrics that have great imagery of rivers, ferry boats and sailors that many Grateful Dead songs have, too.

Furthur then transitioned beautifully into “The Wheel”, and that had the crowd roaring because this version was smoking. Russo and Lesh were feeding off each other the whole night per usual, but they seemed especially locked in during “The Wheel”. After that scorcher, Furthur then segued right into the fun singalong “Dire Wolf”. This song invokes the feeling of drinking whiskey and sitting around the campfire all night. As they were playing this, I couldn’t help but think about the dire wolf skulls they have on display just a couple miles away at the La Brea tar pits. Furthur then closed the set off with a fun, bouncy version of “Loose Lucy” and a very passionate “Touch of Grey” that had the LA crowd singing the chorus of “I will Get By”. I really enjoyed this first set, especially the opening three songs.

The second set got started with the classic Weir combo of “Lost Sailor” and “Saint of Circumstance”. I personally wasn’t that enthralled with “Lost Sailor” as the second set opener since they played it last year at the Greek, and it just wasn’t very exciting out of the gate. “Saint of Circumstance” was played beautifully, and it brought the energy back to the show before they went into the song of the night, which was “Unbroken Chain”. The Lesh-penned song was raucous from the start, and the band seemed to feed off that energy because this version was amazing from start to finish. I really enjoyed Lesh’s bass lines on this song while Kadlicek complimented him perfectly. I’d highly recommend this version to any Deadhead.

The classic “Uncle John’s Band” came next, and it’s always a treat to these ears. It was soon after “Uncle John’s Band” when I heard the bass thumping of “The Other One”. Lesh absolutely destroyed this song on bass as Weir and company belted out the lyrics. After the enormous “The Other One”, Weir led the group in another great rendition of “Let It Grow”. This song has really grown on me over the years, mostly because Furthur absolutely nails it every time. They then brought the high energy down with a beautiful take on “Comes a Time” that was truly needed as I found myself drenched in sweat from dancing.

Furthur brought the house down with the powerful trio of “Help on the Way”, “Slipknot” and “Franklin’s Tower”, better known as “Help, Slip, Frank”. The “Slipknot” was absolutely breathtaking as they weaved perfectly into “Franklin’s” and kept the momentum throughout. It was a great way to end a gigantic set. Lesh did his donor rap to remind everyone to be a donor because it saved his life, and then he went on to sing his signature song “Box of Rain”, which is such a beautiful song and was a perfect way to cap off an already amazing weekend of music. Long live Grateful Dead music.

Set I:
Golden Road
Music Never Stopped
Dancing in the Streets
Let it Ride
The Wheel
Dire Wolf
Loose Lucy
Touch of Grey

Set II:
Lost Sailor
Saint of Circumstance
Unbroken Chain
Uncle John’s Band
Other One
Let It Grow
Comes a Time
Help on the Way
Slipknot
Franklin’s Tower

Encore:
Box of Rain

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: bob weir, Further, grateful dead, Greek Theatre, joe russo, phil lesh

Father John Misty, The Dodos & Geographer set a dreamy tone on Treasure Island

October 3, 2012 by Mike Frash Leave a Comment

Bay area music fans were treated to an intimate mini-music fest on Treasure Island Sunday evening courtesy of Jansport, and a combination of immaculate weather, free BBQ, beers and good vibes established a dreamlike good time. While the perks and schwag were nice, most people were there to see local acts The Dodos, Geographer, White Fence & “a special appearance from Father John Misty.” The view wasn’t too bad either.

White Fence

Most people were walking in to the psychedelic distortion-pop duo White Fence. They came and went like ghosts in the night, as most attendees didn’t acknowledge the group at the beginning, middle or end of the set. Still, White Fence’s sound matched up perfectly with the kickback feeling and served as a suitable opener for the next three acts.

Geographer

The sunset show featured San Francisco’s Geographer. The trio continued the surreal & floaty feeling with their unique take on dream pop; Nathan Blaz’s cello adds such layered emotion to every song, and when matched with Michael Deni’s vocals and his litany of sound-making devices, good things happen. And in an era where it’s ok for bands to have electronic drums, Brian Ostreicher does a fine job.

Deni mentioned that he was bummed he couldn’t make it to Treasure Island Music Festival in two weekends, but he basically said this was the next best thing. Most people who made it to Treasure Island Sunday night would probably agree.

Father John Misty

Once Father John Misty, aka John Tillman, arrived on stage it was clear he was not with his band. The very special appearance meant that he was performing a solo acoustic set. The term “special appearance” is absolutely appropriate, as Tillman performed just about every track off his 2012 album “Fear Fun.” Without his backing band, his sharp lyrics hung in the air to pin-drop silence. He seemed less in character compared to the spotlight loving aura he usually performs with. It seems like Tillman has fully embraced his Father John Misty persona to the point that it is him now, and he is confident and entertaining.

During “Only Son of the Ladiesman,” he sang the lyrics “I’m a steady hand, I’m a Dodger fan,” which elicited huge boos from the SF crowd. Father John then added the line “I don’t care about baseball.” “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” was haunting with just voice and acoustic strums and was a clear set highlight. During the song “Everyman Needs a Companion,” the lyric “I never liked the name Joshua” felt more haunting & confessional than ever. Without the backing band’s presence & rhythm, and with the intimate crowd presence, Father John Misty offered a glimpse of why he left guaranteed success as the Fleet Foxes drummer to strike it out on his own. The man was not meant to be on the back part of the stage. This intimate set was one for the ages.

The Dodos

Holy shit this set threw people for a loop. The Dodos have been away for a bit, and the duo comprised of Meric Long and Logan Kroeber debuted new songs and a new sound, which seems to be somewhere between Cloud Nothings and the Japandroids’ new albums. The Dodos are about to reveal themselves as a a building wall of sound that is very danceable when they head out on tour with Calexico this month.

Since only a couple tracks from their first three albums were played, the set was a bit of a blur. Maybe the free beers had something to do with that. But the set featured mostly songs with fast beats, and the duo have clearly abandoned their folk roots for now. It felt perfectly acceptable for the night to end on an upbeat note.

Jansport should be commended for putting on an excellent, free music experience that wasn’t overly “corporate” to the indie crowd that was lucky enough to enjoy this evening on Treasure Island.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Father John Misty, Geographer, The Dodos, White Fence

Animal Collective consume the Fox Theater Oakland with musical chaos & an incredible set design on their ‘Centipede Hz’ tour

September 28, 2012 by Molly Kish 3 Comments

By Molly Kish //

Animal Collective with Micachu & The Shapes //
Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland
September 21st, 2012 //

Nearly a week after Animal Collective’s first of two nights in Oakland, I am still reeling from what we got to witness last Friday at the Fox Theater. The show was my first time seeing the Baltimore quartet live, and I tried but in no way could have been able to mentally prepare for the concert spectacle, which the band has come to be known for over the past 12 years.

The current tour highlighting their ninth LP Centipede Hz is one that showcases venues indicative of their veteran status. With appearances scheduled for Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago and Big Day Out in Australia plus shows at various museums and large-scale music halls throughout the band’s European stretch, I felt fortunate to have caught them in such a beautiful location like the Fox.

Upon entering the theater’s lobby, you could feel the electricity in the air. With the venue reaching capacity and opener Micachu & The Shapes finishing their set, AC fans started scampering wildly through the hallways further heightening the anticipation ever present amongst the crowd. Although opinions are subjective on where the best place to view the stage is at this theater, I chose to opt for general admission.

After entering into the lower level and further positioning myself above the swarming bodies in the pit, I could not have felt any better about my position and subsequent immersion within the masses. The demographic ranging from burners still shaking off playa dust to UC undergrads dressed to the nines, I immediately was entertained by the diverse range and obscurely wide spectrum of responses the show inevitably was about to evoke.

As a longtime AC fan, I had my preferences for the potential setlist ahead. Knowing that they were going to obviously focus on cuts from “Centipede Hz” I previewed the tracks beforehand extensively. As for the rest of the audience, those not familiar with the new material were definitely thrown for a loop. They hit us hard with four brand-new tracks back to back with a dizzying array of vocal ranges and improvisational jam sessions, immediately setting the tone for the rest of the evening’s plan to desensitize even the most seasoned concertgoers.

The complex electronic arrangements interlaced with tribal drum beats, pulsing baselines and static noise conclusions to most of the songs on their new album, making way for near-perfect transitions between the opening tracks “Rosie Oh”, “Today’s Supernatural” and “Wide Eyed.” Once Animal Collective had asserted their presence, the band shifted over into more lighthearted material, with the next song “Applesauce” from Centipede HZ serving a playful homage to the simplicities of childhood. This led straight into the funk-driven A-side off of their eponymous 7″ single “Honeycomb”, which got a great response from the partially disseminated crowd.

Laughing I turned to a girl whom I’d been watching through my peripheral vision. Deducting she felt the same way I did through her abhorrent body language directed at the current surrounding crowd of underage hipster hookers, I reassured her that the band’s playlist will clear out the amateurs soon enough — a notion that was only further punctuated by the next song, an old-school crowd favorite in “Lion In A Coma” from 2009’s Merriweather Post Pavilion. Sending the pit into a frenzy, the prevalent sound of the didgeridoo vibrated skin off of anyone within 100 feet of the stage while the entire crowd amidst screaming the chanted chorus was bouncing along in a cohesive pogo clusterfuck.

Subsequently in the same pop-centric manner came two more tracks from the 2012 release in “Moonjock” and “Father Time”, which effortlessly segued into the show’s second half. Both songs continued in the same vein as dance-driven, lyrically decipherable and melodic gems with opportunities for vocal improvisation and band interaction. Though the boys were almost lost amongst the musical chaos, set design and incredible light show during the first half of their set, they had taken full command of the stage — and their audience — by this point. Dancing with each other and losing themselves in the moment, you could tell that they were enjoying their performance as well as spatial capacity contributing to their vantage point from the stage.

Slowing down the dance party briefly, the band then transitioned into “New Town Burnout” — another track off of Centipede HZ — that creates a strong, jam-based musical atmosphere, further aiding in the dispersal of those strictly present for the high-energy commercial AC hits. It was clear that the hardcore fans were amped, and rightfully so — because not only were they aware of the dynamic ending of the song, but correspondingly the possibility of it escalating into a full-blown party block.

As anticipated, the music blended perfectly into another new song “Monkey Riches”, which in turn becomes more of an extension of the predecessor and was perfect to go with the evening’s crowd dynamic, allowing for truly fervent fans to be front and center for the explosively climactic cut “Brothersport”. Beyond the mind-blowing light show and overwhelming intensity of the screaming crowd sing-along, Animal Collective took it even further by playing the extended bridge version of the song, leaving every person present at that moment feeling as though they might combust with unprecedented excitation during the monster buildup midway through.

The concert then ended with the crowd marching to the beat of “Peacebone”, an old favorite from 2007’s Strawberry Jam. In no way could they have finished on such an upbeat and obviously unfinished note, and shortly thereafter they remedied any thought of that with an encore of “Cobwebs” into “My Girls” before wrapping up with “Amanita” to reach a mellow conclusion, using two older, popular tracks known for their mainstream appeal and one of the quieter songs on Centipede Hz to round it all out.

Beyond the incredibly professional execution of their performance and incomparable musical talent, the set design for this tour was one derived from beautiful nightmares and hit the nail right on the head for that perfect AC ambiance. The band staged itself dead center in the middle of giant teeth with Burton-esque inflatable tentacles growing around them at all angles, intermittently dispersed among glowing, floor-based stalagmites. All of which only was further accentuated by various psychedelic images being projected on their surface along with a rainbow’s worth of light fixtures. Needless to say, they didn’t spare on the design budget while still managing to create a remarkably unique and encapsulating experience.

Ultimately I left the Fox not only satisfied, but also hungry for more as I chatted with friends on the BART ride back home about how we were going to try and find tickets for the following night’s performance. If they delivered that magnitude of a show the first night, what more could they have in store for the second date?

Although I didn’t in fact make it back out, I can’t wait for them to come back and grace the Bay Area with their presence once more. I am surprised I have waited so long to see them in the first place, and now I will be confirming my future reservation for all upcoming performances within my vicinity. If you get a chance to check them out in a town near you, be sure to do so with an open mind and sense of adventure. For all those who are already fans, don’t let yourself miss them … it’s an experience like no other.

Setlist:
Rosie Oh
Today’s Supernatural
Wide Eyed
Applesauce
Honeycomb
Lion in a Coma
Moonjock
Father Time (New Song? Intro)
New Town Burnout
Monkey Riches
Brother Sport (Extended Bridge)
Peacebone

Encore:
Cobwebs
My Girls
Amanita

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Animal Collective, Big Day Out, Fox Theater Oakland, Micachu and the Shapes, Pitchfork Music Festival

Django Django is djust getting started

September 26, 2012 by Mike Frash Leave a Comment

By Mike Frash //

Django Django //
The Independent – San Francisco
September 25th, 2012 //

Django Django’s afternoon flight to SF from Los Angeles was canceled Tuesday, and they were forced to cancel their Amoeba SF appearance, but made it in time for their headlining show at The Independent.

Lead singer/guitarist Vincent Neff made clear this was the band’s first trip to SF, and to the US, and he was super grateful and bright-eyed all night. He could not stop comparing SF favorably to LA. During “Skies Over Cairo”, Neff free rhymed shit-talk about LA and for the third time of the night, spoke favorably about SF. It’s a classic gimmick — he was probably talkin’ smack about Phoenix last night.

But Django Django is no gimmick. Their tone and style rides a robotic, digital line yet is still perfectly human and relatable. Their use of repetition, from their name to their vocal riffs, is far from annoying. They exude whiffs of Devo and Talking heads, but it all feels incredibly contemporary. At one point, Neff was playing coconut shells straight out of Monty Python, while drummer/producer David Maclean streamlined cowbell. But to contrast that very organic and odd groove, synth operator Tommy Grace intruded the jam with lazer beam sounds that ultimately joined the beat.

They are already masters at setting and controlling the tone of the show. Early on, Neff warned the audience a slow Willie Nelson song was coming. It was Django Django’s slower song “Hand of Man”, but the expectations they set convinced everyone to clap along. The venue was pretty close to capacity, and every person in the house wanted to be there.

Django Django is led by Neff, but their success is a sum of their parts. Their two biggest songs, “Default” and “Hail Bob”, are driving tracks that thrive on repetition. They are timeless and clean on the record, but they didn’t perform their biggest songs slickly live. They did extend these tracks into trance-y dance jams, and that was rewarding enough.

The British foursome clearly has a penchant for seeking innovative sounds and not sticking to the norm. To start one song, Neff said, “Are you ready to go somewhere?” He wasn’t saying, “Do you want to leave?” He was saying, “Let us take you somewhere. Let us help you lose yourself.” Their sound is refreshingly psychedelic and familiar, a dichotomy that works remarkably well live.

Before ending the set, Neff said, “We only have one more song.” The crowd booed and was ready for more. He continued, “We only have one album! We hope this won’t be our last American tour … We’ll come back again.” They did come back for an upbeat and satisfying encore. Django Django will continue to gain steam as they tour on their self-titled album, and their best album is most likely still ahead of them.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Django Django, The Independent

For Wilco at the Greek, cool dads ‘still like rock ‘n’ roll’

September 25, 2012 by Mike Frash 1 Comment

By Mike Frash //

Wilco //
Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA
September 22nd, 2012 //

Wilco made their second swing this year through the Bay Area, this time gracing the Greek Theatre Berkeley with their presence for two nights last Friday and Saturday. As usual, they played balanced sets from their collection of eight albums. Many songs were repeated both nights, including “Impossible Germany,” which Nels Cline absolutely thrashed on lead guitar both nights.

Saturday was much more crowded than Friday night, even by Jeff Tweedy’s admission. Tweedy thanked the people who returned Saturday for “bringing their friends,” and he commented that there was much less weed being smoked Saturday, which picked up after he made the comment. About five songs later, Tweedy said that the “folks from last night would have liked this song” and promptly went into “I Must Be High”.

Saturday’s show began with three tracks off Wilco’s newest album The Whole Love and started with the slow, drawn-out “One Sunday Morning”. The song set a uniquely bittersweet tone to the two-hour-and-15-minute show. “Art of Almost” followed, and it picked up the pace considerably. When it got to the seizure-inducing part of the song (watch here), not a person in the pit was moving. But that’s not to say the crowd of 30- to 50-year-olds weren’t along for the ride.

Two songs later, one of the night’s biggest highlights, “Misunderstood”, the entire crowd yelled the line “if you still like rock ‘n’ roll”, and this was screamed as if it were 1998. It was an endearing moment, though; group singalongs and indie rock don’t really go together much anymore.

The set ended on a strong note with “Shot in the Arm” and “On and On and On.” The eight-song encore Saturday night didn’t include many fan favorites, and the crowd was treated to more countrified tunes like “Christ for President” and “Dreamer in My Dreams.”

The 11 p.m. curfew always comes quickly at the Greek, but most concertgoers probably needed to get home to relieve the babysitter, if they didn’t bring their kids to the show. Not that I blame them for bringing their children because Wilco truly delivers for every age group.

Setlist:
One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend)
Art of Almost
I Might
Misunderstood
Company in My Back
You Are My Face
Impossible Germany
Capitol City
Born Alone
Jesus, Etc.
Say You Miss Me
Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway(again)
Whole Love
I Must Be High
Walken
I’m the Man Who Loves You
Dawned on Me
Shot in the Arm
On and On and On