Animal Collective

Avey Tare of Animal Collective gives us a peek into his process with an explosion of sounds & colors at a sold-out Lodge Room

May 18, 2023 by Rochelle Shipman 1 Comment

Avey Tare //
Lodge Room – Los Angeles
May 13th, 2023 //

There’s something to be said about Avey Tare’s unapologetic capability to just be himself. It’s a center-stage trait that has always been a driving force behind experimental-pop band Animal Collective, and that also rings true on the plethora of solo pursuits he has blessed us with. The multi-instrumentalist born David Michael Portner brought his trademark ingenuity to life at LA’s Lodge Room last Saturday, the sold-out cherry on top of a two-month, cross-country tour.

On his phenomenal new album 7s, Tare takes the listener on a familiar mystical underwater journey — deep thoughts accompanied by a soft guitar, whimsical and vulnerable to a degree that nearly makes you blush. Despite that, it was still a bit surprising to see him step onstage and deliver the entire show completely alone (not to mention flawlessly, obviously). He navigated a maze of pedals, keys, strings and cables like the seasoned mastermind that he is, perhaps unironically singing, “Alone in a field I wonder how it is explained / That a person comes into the field of making sound and putting it together …” I found myself staring at the answer as he strummed a guitar and baring his entire soul onstage. In Tare’s case at least, it’s apparent that this person simply has no other choice but to make sound and put it together.

For the amount of instruments and equipment that he had onstage with him, nothing could hide the fact that Tare’s most valuable instrument is himself. Yes, his ability to play guitar and keyboards as well as to sing (and so on) is an essential part of his musical persona; however, they almost pale in comparison to his capability to express himself through nothing more than his very own body. Sound pulses through his veins just like blood runs through ours. It comes out in so many forms during a show — from measured yelps and head-to-toe shrieks to excerpts of heavy, rhythmic breathing. In those moments it appears he has surrendered all control and accepted pure freedom, finding his truest self (and borderline speaking his own language). His authenticity resonated with the capacity audience every time, garnering cheers and echoes that only grew each time his fits got wilder.

Tare was stationed right in front of the 7s album cover and flanked by two alligators, switching between acoustic and electric guitars just as seamlessly as the neon lights overhead changed palettes. He hardly looked up except to spare a modest grin from time to time, almost as though he forgot the audience was there, and he barely spoke except to express gratitude.

Nevertheless, the energy in the room was buzzing throughout the entire set, folks pushing up against the stage desperate to be within shrieking distance of Tare. He seemingly had something for everyone, touching on all different corners of his solo catalog and even throwing in a quick version of “Chocolate Girl” in honor of the Animal Collective classic Spirit They’re Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished, which was recently reissued.

Under the glow of the star-shaped chandelier inside this stunning, funny little masonic lodge on the outskirts of LA, for an hour and a half Tare gave us a peek into his process. It was an explosion of sounds and colors, a pure and absolute balm for the soul. It felt like a perfect summer night, even though it was the middle of May — nonsensical, yet peaceful and not unlike Tare himself.

Setlist:
Midnight Special
The Musical
Lips at Night
Hey Bog
Ghost of Books
Neurons
Ms. Secret (acoustic)
Coral Lords (acoustic)
Mystical
Invisible Darlings
Saturdays (Again)
Chocolate Girl (Animal Collective song)

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Photos Tagged With: Animal Collective, Avey Tare, Lodge Room

The Bam Team’s 5 Favorite Shows, Albums & Songs of 2022

December 30, 2022 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

After seeing what the live music industry endured the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 was certainly a step in the right direction. For many artists and bands, this year marked the first since 2019 that they had the opportunity to step onstage — and that was a victory in and of itself.

While we aren’t completely out of the woods yet considering the coronavirus is still very much a part of our lives, there’s no signs of us returning to those dark and dire days of 2020. The shows simply must go on, and we are all better for it whether you’re a musician or just a fan.

Now as we turn to 2023 with cautious optimism, it’s time for us to share our annual “Best of” lists as we have done since this blog first began (see our 2021 picks here). We’ll be quick to admit we didn’t catch every show or hear all of the albums released in the past 12 months, but looking back on the year that was can not only be fun but also challenging with so much great music to consider.

So, without further ado, Showbams presents The Bam Team’s five favorite shows, albums and songs from 2022.

Listen to The Bam Team’s favorite songs of 2022:

Tool at Viejas Arena // Photo by Josh Herwitt

Josh Herwitt // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2022
1. My Morning Jacket at Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO – August 26th-27th
2022 will go down as easily one of my favorite years for live music. So many of the artists and bands I love toured after being forced to sit on the sidelines for at least two years, and as I look back on all of the shows I was fortunate enough to witness, it would be a shame to not mention the ones that aren’t already included here, whether it was Eddie Vedder, Baroness, Royal Blood, Interpol and The Shins at Just Like Heaven, Jack White (two nights), The Kills, Puscifer on my big day, Fleet Foxes, Big Gigantic Telefon Tel Aviv, Moderat, Khruangbin and Arctic Monkeys — plus Lorde — at the debut of Primavera Sound LA, The Mars Volta, Bonobo, Foals, Modest Mouse performing The Lonesome Crowded West from start to finish to celebrate the LP’s 25th anniversary or The Smile closing out their North America tour. But this year’s No. 1 spot once again goes to My Morning Jacket, which have become my top live band over the last decade among some very stiff competition (see the rest of the bands listed below to get a better idea). With back-to-back dates in SoCal at the Santa Barbara Bowl and Hollywood Forever (read our review here) serving as a preview for what would come the following week, the Louisville-bred rockers left no stone unturned in their return to Red Rocks. If there was ever an act to catch — not once but twice — at the legendary amphitheater after visiting it more than a dozen times in my life so far, this was the one for me and MMJ proved it over two sold-out gigs with no repeats as always.

2. The War on Drugs at Shrine Auditorium – Los Angeles, CA – February 26th
3. Pearl Jam at The Forum – Inglewood, CA – May 6th
4. Tool at Viejas Arena – San Diego, CA – January 19th
5. Nine Inch Nails at Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA – September 13th

Top 5 Albums of 2022
1. The Smile – A Light for Attracting Attention
It wasn’t until last year during a surprise performance for the concert video “Live at Worthy Farm” when we first learned of the latest side project from Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner. But after putting out six singles off their debut LP that came out back in May, it was clear the three-piece wasn’t messing around. Across all 13 tracks on A Light for Attracting Attention, it’s safe to say there isn’t one worth skipping, reaffirming why Yorke remains one of the best songwriters out there in the last 30 years. And with him and Greenwood switching off between guitar, bass and synthesizer among a bevy of other instrumentation including vocoder, piano and harp, their talents are as palpable as they have ever been before. After all, hearing Yorke croon “Don’t mess with me” toward the beginning of “The Smoke” is an edict — literal or not — many would have a tough time disputing at this point.

2. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
3. Jack White – Fear of the Dawn
4. My Morning Jacket – MMJ Live Vol. 2: Chicago 2021
5. Bonobo – Fragments

Top 5 Songs of 2022
1. The Mars Volta – “Graveyard Love”
For fans of The Mars Volta, it has been a long wait since Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala hit the studio to record new material. Even with the project’s two constant members on good terms these days, it took more than a decade before anything would enter our earholes. But despite many of the prog-rock tendencies it demonstrated on earlier albums dating all the way back to 2003’s seminal De-Loused in the Comatorium, the duo’s seventh studio effort delves unexpectedly into new sonic territory. With a pop aesthetic running through it that surprisingly sees no song surpass the five-minute mark, The Mars Volta will undoubtedly be looked at as a departure from the days of “Cygnus…Vismund Cygnus” and “Cassandra Gemini” when Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala were captivating At the Drive-In fans as well as new listeners. Nevertheless, its second single “Graveyard Love” stands tall as some of their best work to date and reminds us that these guys haven’t lost what made them so uniquely special.

2. The Smile – “Thin Thing”
3. Jack White – “Eosophobia”
4. Interpol – “Toni”
5. Moderat – “EASY PREY”

Andrew Pohl // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2022
1. Yard Act at Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA – April 21st
Funny story about this show … I had been hearing a lot of buzz about Yard Act, and I had only listened to one song played a few times on KEXP, which I really dug. I had been on the Rickshaw Stop’s email list, and the venue ran a contest for free tickets. I happened to win so I took a chance and opted to see Yard Act’s show that same week. Wanting to familiarize myself with their material more, I immediately dove head first into their album and was totally hooked, so I felt really good about this turn of events. I hadn’t been to a gig at Rickshaw Stop in many years and was eager to visit again, so it felt great to be back in a packed room again for an intimate evening of punk rock. The opening act Buzzed Light Beer fell a bit flat in my humble opinion, but once Yard Act took the stage, the room started buzzing with life. Lead singer James Smith’s command of the crowd is very nonchalant, but he also knows he has you hanging on every word. The set was fun and well-executed, and the UK quartet was clearly on its “A” game after a lengthy run of shows and in between weekend performances at Coachella. Much to the chagrin of those in attendance, Smith kept referring to the audience as “San Diego” (LOL), though he did tell us that he had some mushrooms the night before, so … you know. To round things out, Smith offered to do a magic trick during the last song of Yard Act’s set before their encore and coaxed fans to hand over any loose bills they had, which he pocketed and took backstage. As it turns out, he actually gifted the money to the bar staff, which I felt was a nice touch and very much on-brand.

2. THE FEST 20 – Gainesville, FL – October 28th–30th
3. Coheed & Cambria at Greek Theatre Berkeley – Berkeley, CA – August 14th
4. Bauhaus at The Masonic – San Francisco, CA – May 22nd
5. The Velvet Teen at Arlene Francis Center – Santa Rosa, CA – June 17th

Top 5 Albums of 2022
1. Pilot to Gunner – Hail Hallucinator
Brooklyn indie rockers Pilot to Gunner hadn’t put out an album for a decade, and to be honest, I hadn’t really paid much attention to them prior to Hail Hallucinator. The name was always out there and I had friends who were really into them, but I never got around to checking out their music for one reason or another. And not unlike many other bands that came before them (i.e. Seaweed, Far, The Murder City Devils), I am bummed that I was so late to the party. They are absolutely fantastic, and this record was easily my most listened-to during 2022. From start to finish, the 10-track LP hit all the marks for me in terms of stellar songwriting, original-sounding guitar work that still feels familiar and vocals carrying the torch of the early 2000’s indie/emo revival sound ala Hey Mercedes and Jimmy Eat World all while not completely aping either group. “Drop the Sun”, “We’re Blasting to Masses”, “Total Rager” and “Escape Season” are among its best tracks, but I simply love all of them from beginning to end.

2. Thee Sacred Souls – Thee Sacred Souls
3. Yard Act – The Overload
4. Soul Glo – Diaspora Problems
5. High Vis – Blending

Top 5 Songs of 2022
1. 3rd Secret – “I Choose Me”
The supergroup 3rd Secret surprised the music world when their debut self-titled LP arrived in mid-April. Comprised of members from Nirvana, Soundgarden, Hater and Giants in the Trees, the album is a tour de force brought to you by grunge and alt-rock royalty. Its lead single “I Choose Me” turns things up and right out of the gate you can’t help but feel a little washed over with nostalgia from guitarist Kim Thayil’s signature riffage in addition to the thundering cadence courtesy of bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Matt Cameron. What makes the song — and the album — stand out to me, however, is the work of co-vocalists Jillian Raye and Jennifer Johnson. The pair deliver gorgeous singing atop the otherwise gritty instrumentation, harkening back to what made so many 90’s albums awesome with a beautiful balance of dark and light. I kept coming back to this song a lot throughout the year, and it made me really reflect on just how incredible the music that came out of the Pacific Northwest was when I was growing up. To hear this collection of musicians conjuring up those aural ghosts through a contemporary filter was not only refreshing, but also something that I was really looking for in 2022.

2. Yard Act – “The Overload”
3. Thee Sacred Souls – “Can I Call You Rose?”
4. Cave In – “New Reality”
5. High Vis – “0151”

Animal Collective at Greek Theatre // Photo by Rochelle Shipman

Rochelle Shipman // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2022
1. PUP at The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – April 21st
Two years and one full length after this show was originally supposed to occur, LA finally got to see PUP perform on their “Thank Fucking God” tour. Worth the wait would be a major understatement here as the Canadian punks transported us back to pre-pandemic times like nothing had ever happened — we were touching, we were screaming, we were moshing again! The night had such an innocent air to it. Despite the delay, 2019’s Morbid Stuff felt fresher than ever (and it still does).

2. Yaya Bey at Cafe Erzulie – Brooklyn, NY – June 16th
3. Animal Collective at Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – May 20th
4. Vince Staples at The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – August 23rd
5. Bright Eyes at Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – June 23rd

Top 5 Albums of 2022
1. Lando Chill – if im being honest
The multi-hyphenate who’s based out of LA quietly dropped this mixtape early in the year, and it stood strong in my top spot from the start. With a sharp wit and silky delivery, Chill tears through pages of his diary without cutting a single corner. Thank God for vulnerability.

2. Smino – Luv 4 Rent
3. Pusha T – It’s Almost Dry
4. Yaya Bey – Remember Your North Star
5. Open Mike Eagle – Component System with the Auto Reverse

Top 5 Songs of 2022
1. Steve Lacy – “Bad Habit”
An earworm for the ages! This impossibly catchy tune took over TikTok and catapulted Mr. Lacy into the spotlight that he was born to occupy, whether he was ready for it or not. The cherry on top of his banner year was the singer-songwriter’s old iPhone (aka his instrument) landing on display in the Smithsonian.

2. Lando Chill – “guess”
3. Leggy – “Lipstick on the Mic”
4. Pusha T – “Brambleton”
5. Channel Tres – “Acid in My Blood”

Filed Under: Best of 2022, Editor's Picks, Featured Tagged With: 3rd Secret, Animal Collective, Arctic Monkeys, Arlene Francis Center, At the Drive-In, Baroness, Bauhaus, Big Gigantic, Bonobo, Bright Eyes, Buzzed Light Beer, Cafe Erzulie, Cave In, Channel Tres, Coheed & Cambria, Eddie Vedder, Far, Fleet Foxes, FOALS, Giants in the Trees, Greek Theatre, Greek Theatre Berkeley, Hater, Hey Mercedes, High Vis, Hollywood Forever, Interpol, Jack White, Jimmy Eat World, Jonny Greenwood, Just Like Heaven, Just Like Heaven 2022, Kendrick Lamar, Khruangbin, Lando Chill, Leggy, Moderat, Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Open Mike Eagle, Peaches, Pearl Jam, Pilot To Gunner, Primavera Sound LA, Primavera Sound LA 2022, Primavera Sound Los Angeles, Primavera Sound Los Angeles 2022, Pup, Puscifer, Pusha T, Radiohead, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Rickshaw Stop, Royal Blood, Santa Barbara Bowl, Seaweed, Shrine Auditorium, Smino, Smithsonian, Soul Glo, Soundgarden, Steve Lacy, Telefon Tel Aviv, THE FEST 20, The Fonda Theatre, The Forum, The Kills, The Mars Volta, The Masonic, The Murder City Devils, The Shins, The Smile, The Velvet Teen, The War on Drugs, Thee Sacred Souls, Thom Yorke, Tool, Trent Reznor, Viejas Arena, Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl, Vince Staples, Yard Act, Yaya Bey, YouTube Theater

Animal Collective haven’t forgotten how to be delightfully weird, delivering a manic mind melt at LA’s Greek Theatre

May 23, 2022 by Rochelle Shipman 1 Comment

By Rochelle Shipman //

Animal Collective with SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE //
Greek Theatre – Los Angeles
May 20th, 2022 //

It’s safe to say that a lot has changed in the world over the last two years, but there’s one thing that has thankfully remained the same about Animal Collective: they’re still weird as shit and delightful as all hell.

Their triumphant display at the Greek Theatre felt like a long-awaited psychedelic hug, a comforting two hours of pure and manic mind melt. Animal Collective’s music can be somewhat divisive, so to be with 5,000 of your newest friends at a concert screaming along to some of your most treasured songs … it never gets old, even if you don’t know exactly what it is that they’re saying all the time. In fact, that only adds to the beauty of it since they formed more than two decades ago.

Friday’s headlining performance in LA all the sweet spots. The last pre-pandemic tour or two had each member of Animal Collective tucked behind rightful, yet artful individual podiums, which decorated the stage and elevated the show in its own right. But after a chaotic couple of years for all of us, it felt really good to have all four of them together on the same stage, instruments spread about, baring it all in front of a live audience with nothing except a few cables and some keyboards separating them. It was a solid reminder that these guys make these stunningly intricate songs with their own human hands after all.

Avey Tare (David Portner), Deakin (Josh Dibb) and Geologist (Brian Weitz) pivoted back and forth from strings to keys and synths, rarely looking up and never missing a beat, while just watching Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) coo and harmonize from behind his drum kit damn near felt like a privilege. And yet, they hardly exchanged so much as a glance at each other, somehow bringing an even more impressive layer to the group’s already-electrifying catalog.

The setlist was perfect, the visuals were on point as ever and the band was tight on this night. Animal Collective are never loose per se — their music literally doesn’t allow it — but they glided through each song with such a familiar air of ease. In the handful of shows I’ve been lucky enough to catch over the years, they tend to use their live shows to test out brand-new material and dip into older songs — both beloved favorites and those that don’t always get to see the light of day. Given the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years, it’s safe to say that their 11th and newest studio album Time Skiffs didn’t exactly get that same pre-release tour treatment. This show made up for that, not only with the band righteously tearing through the bulk of the nine-track LP that dropped in February, but also with the packs of “Time Spliffs” rolling papers available at the merch table (right next to the safe abortion access information).

In addition to the Skiffs and one or two new songs, Animal Collective offered cuts from Centipede HZ, Strawberry Jam, Merriweather Post Pavilion and two songs off ODDSAC. They didn’t touch Painting With or any of the fantastic singles from the EPs surrounding it, and they didn’t dig into anything pre-Strawberry Jam. As a Strawberry Jam purist, I again felt privileged to be there. Not only did we get to hear “Chores”, but we got a fiery encore of “Unsolved Mysteries” right into a raucous rendition of “For Reverend Green” to close out a four-song encore.

Within seconds of the house lights flickering on, someone in front of me lamented the absence of “My Girls”. He turned around and said, “I don’t get it. That was such a weak ending. Why wouldn’t they play their biggest hit?” To clarify (and as I confirmed by the look on his friend’s face), “For Reverend Green” was not a weak ending. It was, in fact, exhilarating. And it’s nothing against that dude — it was his first Animal Collective show. He’ll probably enjoy the next one more because he won’t be expecting it, and maybe he’ll even be surprised.

Animal Collective didn’t play “My Girls” partially because that guy expected it. They don’t champion their biggest hit in a way that many bands would. They’re not there to play the hits, and it’s clear at this phase in their career that they don’t have to be. Their live stage time is and always has been cherished among them, reserved for the songs they feel like sharing with fans and nothing else. For us, it’s just a privilege to bear witness after all these years.

Setlist:
Passer-By
Bluish
Gem and I
Wide Eyed
Prester John
Cherokee
In the Flowers
Working
Strung With Everything
We Go Back
Chores
Applesauce

Encore:
Screens
No More Runnin
Unsolved Mysteries
For Reverend Green

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Animal Collective, Avey Tare, Deakin, Geologist, Greek Theatre, Panda Bear, SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE, The Spirit of the Beehive

Desert Daze 2019: Another intriguing lineup loaded with must-see performances takes over Lake Perris

October 8, 2019 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Photo by David Evanko // Written by Kevin Quandt & Pete Mauch //

Desert Daze //
Moreno Beach – Lake Perris, CA‎
October 10th-13th, 2019 //

After settling into a new location last year, Desert Daze aims to dial in a festival that continues to gain steam and win over rock fans around the globe, beckoning them to come to the shores of Lake Perris. This self-proclaimed “anti-festival” has impressed with their eye-popping artist roster, interactive art and smorgasbord of workshops and otherworldly experiences for all you intergalactic space rangers making the drive from Los Angeles or any of the surrounding hubs across Southern California.

We have a deep love for Desert Daze and want to be your pre-fest sherpas, so we have broken down the best music, camping and food options ahead of this weekend’s festivities.

Stereolab

Music

Let’s jump head first into the real meat of Desert Daze, and that’s its cutting-edge lineup of all things rock, psychedelia, garage, noise, experimental, North African-desert Tuareg blues-pop guitar and so on. Between the festival’s trio of lakeside stages, there should be little downtime for the savvy listener, so we’ll happily offer up a few of our picks and tell you why you should order that chicken tikka wrap a little later on.

Artist: Frankie and the Witch Fingers
Set date/time: Friday, 2:15-3 p.m.
Location: The Block

These LA psych rockers are truly having an amazing year. After unloading their most cohesive and energetic album to date in ZAM, they have found themselves touring non-stop supporting their killer new release. They are currently on a 37-date tour that sees them opening for ZZ Top and Cheap Trick on seven of those dates, with their Desert Daze set coming right smack dab in the middle of their run with both legendary rockers, so we’d imagine that they’ll be fired up to play to their own crowd. This should be an extremely high-energy set that won’t let you take a breath because Frankie and the Witch Fingers are pure psychedelic bliss right now. -PM

Artist: Stereolab
Set date/time: Friday, 6:35-8:05 p.m.
Location: The Moon

Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier are finally bringing their electro-leaning indie pop back to the western side of the country and should be firing on all cylinders after a nearly decade-long break. Having witnessed one of their first reunion shows at Primavera Sound, I can confirm Stereolab’s laid-back vibe is still delivered with precision as they work classics like “French Disko” and “Brakhage” as well as others from Dots and Loops into the setlist. We can’t think of a better act to catch during Friday’s magic hour. -KQ

Artist: Altın Gün
Set date/time: Saturday, 2:40-3:40 p.m.
Location: The Moon

This Anatolian psych-folk group that calls Amsterdam home has been blending traditional Turkish music and psychedelic melodies to great avail. Their most recent release Gece finds this experimental outfit playing around with time signatures and quick, fierce changes that keeps their listeners wanting more. Their Desert Daze slot in the early afternoon Saturday is really going to get the day rolling. -PM

Shintaro Sakamoto

Artist: The Locust
Set date/time: Sunday, 12:45 a.m.-1:35 a.m.
Location: The Theatre

Shit! This set is not for the faint of heart and will surely be one of the most brutal (looks over shoulder for Lightning Bolt) and thrilling performances for those brave souls still awake after Devo, Ween and Flying Lotus (3D) hit the main stage. Expect a handful of masked musicians bending every boundary of rock music to their back and call, a feat that hasn’t transpired for close to five years. Desert Daze founder Phil Pirrone clearly has the Midas touch whenever it comes to reuniting bands or flying in rarities from around the world. -KQ

Artist: SASAMI
Set date/time: Sunday, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Location: The Block

Domino artist Sasami Ashworth has been having a moment since the release of her self-titled debut LP back in March. Some veteran Desert Daze attendees might recognize Ashworth from her days as a former touring member of the LA band Cherry Glazerr, which played the festival in 2016 at its previous location The Institute of Mentalphysics. Since departing Cherry Glazerr, she has quickly cultivated a following under the moniker SASAMI that swoons for her unique brand as a guitar-wielding indie songstress. For now, she has toured with her contemporaries, received blessings from Mitski and expanded to larger international tours. -KQ

Artist: Shintaro Sakamoto
Set date/time: Sunday, 7:45 p.m.-9 p.m.
Location: The Block

Japanese composer Shintaro Sakamoto is making his U.S. debut at Desert Daze 2019, and we couldn’t be anymore excited to see him perform on Sunday. Sakamoto has been active in his home country for 30 years, most notably with psych rockers Yura Yura Teikoku, but you will see a softer side to him than with his prior band. Sakamoto at The Block during sunset with the Mad Alchemy light show behind him is an absolute must-see! We should hear plenty of tracks off 2014’s Let’s Dance Raw and 2011’s How to Live with a Phantom, too. -PM

Camping

There’s nothing easier than pitching a tent only a few hundred yards away from any festival site, and Desert Daze continues to excel in this area. Moreno Beach’s plush grounds have it all: trees, campside parking, free hot showers, permanent bathrooms and even a camping-exclusive stage area called The Mystic Bazaar.

The Bazaar features a mind-expanding array of programming, including, but not limited to, Modular Sound Baths, Vinyasa Pranayama yoga and various forms of meditation (check out the full schedule here). Plus, plenty of camping options to fit your liking are available here.

The Marketplace

Whether your home base will be offsite or you’re calling Lake Perris home for a long weekend, you’ll want to do some light shopping, quench your thirst or carb load for Animal Collective’s blistering show on Friday. Desert Daze always prints a whopping selection of show- and artist-specific posters and they’re always sold at affordable prices, so an early trip to the merch tent is a must. And if boutique wares are your preference, a healthy variety of vintage sellers, craft jewelers and visionary designers are strewn about the groves and shoreline. Bring some cash because you won’t be disappointed with what you find.

For all of your consumption needs, Black Fin Sushi, Flavors of East Africa and Good Times Ice Cream are just the beginning of options that will be available onsite. Don’t forget to look at the full listing here to see if your local favorites will be making the trip out to Moreno Beach.

Lastly, make sure to grab your Desert Daze 2019 passes here and we’ll see ya on the other side.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Al Lover, Altın Gün, Alvvays, Anika, Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, Automatic, Big Business, Blackwater Holylight, Blanck Mass, Cheap Trick, Connan Mockasin, Crumb, Desert Daze, Desert Daze 2019, Devo, DIIV, Dumbo Gets Mad, Dungen, Faye Webster, Flying Lotus, Flying Lotus (3D), Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Fred Armisen, Froth, George Clanton, Jakob Ogawa, Jerry Paper, Jessica Pratt, JJUUJJUU, Jonathan Bree, Khruangbin, Kills Birds, Klaus Johann Grobe, Lightning Bolt, Lumerians, Mad Alchemy, Mdou Moctar, METZ, Mitski, Moses Sumney, Nick Hakim, Parquet Courts, Part Time, Particle Kid, Post Animal, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Pussy Riot, SASAMI, Sessa, Shintaro Sakamoto, Stereolab, Surfbort, Temples, The Black Angels, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, The Flaming Lips, The Institute of Mentalphysics, The KVB, The Locust, The Paranoyds, Triptides, Trupa Trupa, Viagra Boys, Wand, Ween, White Fence, Winter, Wu Tang Clan, Yura Yura Teikoku, ZZ Top

Our favorite performances from 2017

December 29, 2017 by The Bam Team 1 Comment

2017, where the hell did you go? It just felt like the other day that we were ringing in a new year, and yet, here we are again as we plow straight ahead into 2018.

But before we officially put a bow on 2017, it’s time for us to revisit the past 12 months at Showbams. This year, we had the opportunity to capture many amazing moments in live music, and while we couldn’t pay homage to every single performance we witnessed, we made a conscious effort to include a wide range of talent spread across the industry.

Whittling down our list, though, was not that easy. Those who didn’t make the cut but still deserve to be mentioned here include the following artists, DJs and bands (in alphabetical order) whom we either covered at their own show and/or at a music festival this year:

21 Savage, The Accidentals, Action Bronson, Alice Cooper, Alina Baraz, alt-J, Amber Mark, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, Animal Collective, Atlas Genius, The Avalanches, The Band Perry, Beach Slang, Belle and Sebastian, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Bleachers, Blonde Redhead, Bob Moses, Car Seat Headrest, Cate Le Bon, Cigarettes After Sex, Circles Around the Sun, City of Caterpillar, The Coathangers, Claude VonStroke, Chris Robinson, Con Brio, Conor Oberst, Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile, Crystal Castles, The Crystal Method, Daniel Caesar, Dawes, Dead Meadow, Deafheaven, Deep Purple, Diet Cig, DIIV, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dr. Dog, Dr. Octagon, Duke Dumont, Eagles of Death Metal, Electric Guest, Emancipator, Emily King, Empire of the Sun, Foxygen, Future Islands, Gabriel Garzón-Montano, Gatecreeper, Girl Talk, Gone Is Gone, Grizzly Bear, Gucci Mane, Hamilton Leithauser, Hazel English, Hinds, The Hip Replacements, Hiss Golden Messenger, How to Dress Well, Iggy Pop, Isaiah Rashad, Jack Johnson, Jagwar Ma, Jamestown Revival, Jamie Isaac, Jay 305, Jen Cloher, Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas, Jessie Ware, Jim James, JR JR, Julie Byrne, Julien Baker, Justice, Karen Elson, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, KAYTRANADA, Kelis, K. Flay, Khalid, Khruangbin, Kilo Kish, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Kurt Vile, La Femme, LANY, Lauv, L.A. Witch, Lettuce, Lil Yachty, Little Dragon, Lo Moon, Lorde, Lord Huron, Miike Snow, Milky Chance, Minus the Bear, Mister Heavenly, MØ, Mondo Cozmo, Neon Indian, Nicki Bluhm, Norah Jones, North Mississippi Allstars, NVO, Oh Sees, OK Go, Once and Future Band, Pallbearer, The Palms, Passion Pit, Peaches, Perfume Genius, Petit Biscuit, Phoebe Bridgers, Playboi Carti, Pond, Porcelain Raft, PRAYERS, The Radio Dept., Real Estate, The Revivalists, Royal Blood, Sampha, ScHoolboy Q, Sheer Mag, serpentwithfeet, Silversun Pickups, Sleep, Sleigh Bells, SOFI TUKKER, Solange, Spiritualized, Styles P, Sunflower Beam, Talib Kweli, Tank and The Bangas, Tash Sultana, Tei Shi, Temples, Tennis, Tennyson, Thou, Thundercat, TOBACCO, Touché Amoré, Tool, Tove Lo, Travis Scott, Twin Peaks, Ty Segall, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Vagabon, Vance Joy, Vic Mensa, Warpaint, Weezer, White Fence, Woods, YG, Young the Giant.

Now, it’s time for The Bam Team to present our favorite performances from 2017.

The Bam Team’s 5 Favorite Shows, Albums & Songs of 2017

Listen to The Bam Team’s favorite songs of 2017:

Run the Jewels

Date: February 1st
Location: Shrine Expo Hall – Los Angeles

Yet, in just four years, Run the Jewels have already reached hip-hop’s mountaintop with their politically charged lyrics and hard-hitting beats. Just take last Wednesday’s sold-out show in LA for example. With the duo’s third studio album still only a few weeks old, 5,000 or so fans poured into the spacious Shrine Expo Hall to watch El-P and Killer Mike fuck shit up (for lack of a better term). And that’s exactly what they did after opening sets from The Gaslamp Killer, Nick Hook, Gangasta Boo and CUZ. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

BADBADNOTGOOD

Date: February 23rd
Location: The Fillmore – San Francisco

As one of the bands to take the coveted headlining spot for NoisePop25, BADBADNOTGOOD seemed as — perhaps more — excited as all of the fans who made it to their sold-out show at The Fillmore. Combining consummate instrumentation with classic MC-style showmanship led by drummer Alexander Sowinski, the Canadian jazz-rock quartet has mastered the art of keeping the audience guessing where they’re going. -Brett Ruffenach, photo by James Pawlish

Spoon

Date: March 7th
Location: Apogee Studio – Santa Monica, CA

In total, Spoon performed five songs from the new record, including “First Caress” to open a brief encore that left us eager for more. But as the five-piece rocked “Rainy Taxi” from 2014’s They Want My Soul to close, I couldn’t help but think to myself that this is one band I never should have slept on. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Larry Hirshowitz

Sigur Rós

Date: April 8th
Location: Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA

Now a trio, Sigur Rós have been delivering goosebumps for over two decades — and it’s a delight to hear Jónsi’s voice-as-an-instrument this clear, this powerful and as confident as ever. It would be a wonderful treat to check in on this outfit every 5-10 years going forward and realize they are still going strong. -Mike Frash, photo by James Nagel

DREAMCAR

Date: April 9th
Location: Great American Music Hall – San Francisco

Fresh off a stop at Berkeley’s Hearst Greek Theatre the night before, Adams showcased some older favorites and a slew of new tunes from his 16th and latest studio album Prisoner, which came out in February. SoCal fans were treated to some extended full-band jamming, a couple of solo acoustic performances and Adams’ usual witty banter over the course of the evening.
-Jared Stossel, photo by Jared Stossel

A Perfect Circle

Date: April 13th
Location: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco

In the world of rock supergroups, there are few that have sprung up in the last few decades that can hold a candle to A Perfect Circle. From the onset, APC have been a powerhouse on the senses, combining members from bands such as Tool, The Smashing Pumpkins, Failure, Primus and more over the years. Their body of work has been met with high praise across the board, and they have been able to solidify themselves as one of the most unique and tenured groupings out there, as opposed to bands like Zwan and Velvet Revolver. -Andrew Pohl, photo by Mike Rosati

Radiohead

Date: April 14th
Location: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Weekend 1 – Indio, CA

Yes, the sound problems (all three instances) put a real damper on what was easily one of the most anticipated performances of the weekend. This was the third time Goldenvoice called on Radiohead to headline Coachella, and for one of rock’s most important bands over the last 30 years, it certainly wasn’t a charm as the saying goes. In that moment, it was pretty hard not to feel bad for Thom Yorke, who could only make light of the situation by cracking a joke even if it wasn’t supposed to be one — or so he claimed. But Radiohead more than made up for it with a masterful setlist that opened with A Moon Shaped Pool cuts “Daydreaming”, “Desert Island Disk” and “Ful Stop” before circling back to older hits such as “Everything in Its Right Place”, “There There”, “Idioteque” and even “Creep”. -Josh Herwitt, photo courtesy of Coachella

Kendrick Lamar

Date: April 16th
Location: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Weekend 1 – Indio, CA

All hail, King Kendrick! Or should we say “Kung Fu Kenny?” The Compton rapper reached hip-hop’s mountaintop more than two years ago with his Grammy-winning masterpiece To Pimp a Butterfly, but headlining Coachella was still on his to-do list. In fact, it was only the second time he had ever been booked to perform at Coachella after being listed on the last line of the 2012 poster. Closing out the fest is no short order for any artist, let alone one who dropped his new album less than 48 hours before taking the stage, but K-Dot lived up to the billing with a show that provoked as much thought as it entertained. -Josh Herwitt, photo courtesy of Coachella

The xx

Date: April 17th
Location: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco

Playfully alluding to their material’s emotional sentiment, Romy Madley Croft (vocals, guitar) and Oliver Sim (bass, vocals) managed to entrance all of us with their tension-filled gazes and syncopated dance moves. Prolonging vocal arrangements, especially during their accelerated live interpretation of “Infinity”, were also stunning to witness. About halfway through the set, Jamie Smith (beats, MPC, production), aka Jamie xx, took the lead and transformed the room into a giant disco party thanks to an onslaught of consecutive dance hits before finishing with “Loud Places” from his 2015 solo LP In Colour. -Molly Kish, photo by Norm de Veyra

Moderat

Date: April 20th
Location: Mayan Theater – Los Angeles

Moderat subsequently circled back to III, performing “Intruder” before exiting the stage to a rousing applause. Yet, when the house lights didn’t come on right away, the suspense began to build once again. Less than a minute later, the three-piece reemerged, giving the audience more than its money’s worth. Two-encore shows are usually reserved for high-profile groups with extensive catalogs like Radiohead, but Moderat have never played by any rules. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

The Flaming Lips

Date: May 9th
Location: The Theatre at Ace Hotel – Los Angeles

The Lips, of course, made sure to play that song, and even though it was without Watts, it still proved to be an unforgettable moment due to the fact that Coyne rode a life-size unicorn from one end of the stage to the other as he belted out lines like “Yeah, there should be unicorns / The ones with the purple eyes / It should be loud as fuck / Hope the swans don’t die” to open the tune while wearing a big smile across his face. If that’s not psychedelic to you, then I don’t know what is. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

Ryan Adams

Date: June 3rd
Location: Greek Theatre – Los Angeles

Jay Som

Date: June 17th
Location: Potrero del Sol Park – San Francisco

Melina Duterte’s band goes by the name Jay Som and hails from Oakland. Do yourself a favor and remember this name: Jay Som. The Polyvinyl-signed songstress bathed the crowd at the Potrero Stage in her dreamy vocals and inanely catchy tunes that appeal to a wide-range of music fan; her songs could feel just as viable in the 90’s college rock area as they do today. Highlights from the set included a vibe-soaked rendition of “Baybee” as well as “The Bus Song”, arguably the artist’s first real “hit.” -Kevin Quandt, photo by Emmeline Munson

AIR

Date: June 23rd
Location: The Masonic – San Francisco

AIR’s live performances focus on capturing the crisp, detailed production style that the duo has honed over two decades. It’s a vibrant, textured sound. Centered around acoustic guitar, synthesizers and the breathy timbre of the duo’s immaculate harmonized vocals, the use of live drums helped round out the contrast between both the artificial and acoustic sounds in songs like “Cherry Blossom Girl”. -Brett Ruffenach, photo by Steve Carlson

PLANETARIUM

Date: July 21st
Location: Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland

PLANETARIUM’s music, which channels Stevens’ reflections on astronomy, science and even the intricacies of human consciousness, is a fusion of styles from all four band members that evokes feelings of unity. The group’s performance was accompanied by otherworldly visuals that filled the backdrop as it traversed the Solar System with quite a few emotionally charged songs inspired by the planets and other celestial bodies like “Neptune” and “Jupiter”. -Norm de Veyra, photo by Norm de Veyra

The Drums

Date: July 21st
Location: The Fillmore – San Francisco

By the time The Drums took the stage, the intimate venue was packed to the brim with fans. The Brooklyn outfit made as much of an impression as it did when frontman Jonathan Pierce and company exploded onto the scene in 2009 with their initial EP Summertime! From then on, it became glaringly obvious with their eccentric band members and seemingly effortless style that they possessed an energetic presence. And at their SF show, it didn’t take long for the capacity crowd to fall into a groove as the venue’s whole atmosphere lit up. -Jacqueline Moore, photo by Jacqueline Moore

Miguel

Date: July 23rd
Location: Annenberg Space for Photography – Los Angeles

Once the sun set and Miguel stepped onstage, the audience was transported somewhere else entirely. Born and raised in LA, the 31-year-old’s silky-smooth voice floated through the cool evening breeze over the twinkle lights in the trees, giving the impression of an island retreat rather than a concert in the park. -Rochelle Shipman, photo by Rochelle Shipman

The War on Drugs

Date: August 5th
Location: Apogee Studio – Santa Monica, CA

Granduciel’s raspy voice, as well as his driving (no pun intended) guitar rhythms and reverb-laden riffs, are largely what separates The War on Drugs from the rest in a crowded indie-rock scene, but the sum of the band’s parts — Charlie Hall (drums), David Hartley (bass), Anthony LaMarca (guitar, keyboards), Robbie Bennett (keyboards) and finally Jon Natchez (saxophone, keyboards) — also creates a sound that while familiar, still feels uniquely different. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Larry Hirshowitz

Gorillaz

Date: August 11th
Location: Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, Golden Gate Park – San Francisco

Easily one of the most anticipated acts of the weekend, Gorillaz’s Humanz tour made its West Coast debut on Day 1 at OSL. After a six-year hiatus, expectations ran extremely high for this headlining performance. On previous tours, the band’s members had played second fiddle to the cartoon projections of their alter egos onstage, but everyone was visible this time around. Several collaborators from Gorillaz’s previous albums, including Kali Uchis, Yukimi Nagano and Del the Funky Homosapien, came out to join them, and the Damon Albarn-led group still pulled some even bigger surprises with cameos appearances from De la Soul and Pusha T. -Molly Kish, photo by James Pawlish

Cage the Elephant

Date: August 12th
Location: Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, Golden Gate Park – San Francisco

While the cancellation of Queens of the Stone Age was a blow a week prior to the event, the replacement that was lined up more than delivered a blistering set of rock ‘n’ roll. Cage the Elephant are now being widely considered festival-headliner material, and frontman Matt Shultz is making a strong claim for that accolade as he continues to elevate his stage act to near-Mick Jagger levels of pomp and energy. “Come a Little Closer” and “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” received hearty sing-alongs from a decidedly youthful crowd as Cage have become a favorite of Generation Z. -Kevin Quandt, photo by Marc Fong

J.I.D

Date: September 9th
Location: Day N Night Fest, Angel Stadium – Anaheim, CA

While the headliners thrilled as expected, it was at the side “Day” and “Night” stages where the festival’s biggest highlights were generated. J.I.D, the rising Atlanta rapper who is signed to J. Cole’s Dreamville imprint, absolutely thrilled during his set. Dazzling with his rapid-fire and agile flow, J.I.D showed off his ability to command a crowd with songs such as “General” and “EdEddnEddy” before jumping into the crowd for the tempo-changing hit “Never” that left the crowd chanting for “one more song!” -Joseph Gray & Rochelle Shipman, photo by Rochelle Shipman

SZA

Date: September 9th
Location: Day N Night Fest, Angel Stadium – Anaheim, CA

Saturday, meanwhile, featured the vintage gospel spirit and warm vibes that have elevated Chicago emcee Chance the Rapper to superstardom. Earlier in the day, SZA, this summer’s breakout star, delivered her first festival performance since the release of her well-received debut album Ctrl. Swaying, spinning and singing her raw emotions and shortcomings while coming of age, the Top Dawg Entertainment songstress didn’t disappoint. -Joseph Gray & Rochelle Shipman, photo by Rochelle Shipman

Bonobo (Live)

Date: September 27th
Location: Greek Theatre – Los Angeles

The real reason things felt different this time around, though, was the music. Extending and reimagining his tracks for easily one of the largest crowds he has ever performed in front of, Bonobo followed an uplifting opening set from Canadian electronic duo Bob Moses with an array of soothing sounds that paired beautifully with his lighting setup and entrancing stage production in the same way Scott Hansen (aka Tycho) creates an awe-inspiring audio-visual experience during his live-band performances. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

Coldplay

Date: October 4th
Location: Levi’s Stadium – Santa Clara, CA

Coldplay took the stage shortly before 9 p.m. as a video montage of fans who introduced them as “the biggest band in the world” played onstage. While I’m pretty sure there are a few other artists or groups from their side of the pond (ehem, U2) who might take issue with that claim, they certainly did nothing during their electric, almost two-hour performance to dissuade that sort of thinking. Chris Martin and company, in fact, wasted no time getting down to business, flooding the stadium with confetti and firing off pyrotechnics at a steady clip while opening with “A Head Full of Dreams” and subsequently all throughout the night. -Steve Carlson, photo by Steve Carlson

Broken Social Scene

Date: October 26th
Location: Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland

Here’s the thing about BSS — after 15 years, the web of musicians that makes up the collective have created their own individual projects, from Metric to Stars to Feist to Do Make Say Think to Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton. And while many of the band’s members who have gone on to find success in their own solo careers didn’t happen to join the group on this particular tour, the sense of professionalism built into the BSS live experience remains prevalent. Every person who stepped onstage demonstrated consummate abilities in their own realms, never missing a beat or a note. -Brett Ruffenach, photo by Norm de Veyra

Filed Under: Best of 2017, Editor's Picks, Featured Tagged With: 21 Savage, Action Bronson, AFI, Air, Alice Cooper, Alina Baraz, Amber Mark Beach Slang, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, Animal Collective, Annenberg Space for Photography, Apogee Studio, Atlas Genius, BADBADNOTGOOD, Belle and Sebastian, Best of 2017, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Bleachers, Blonde Redhead, Bob Moses, Broken Social Scene, Cage the Elephant, Car Seat Headrest, Cate le Bon, Chris Robinson, Cigarettes After Sex, Circles Around the Sun, City of Caterpillar, Claude VonStroke, Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coldplay, Con Brio, Conor Oberst, Courtney Barnett, Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile, Crystal Castles, Daniel Caesar, Dawes, Day N Night Fest, Day N Night Fest 2017, Day N Night Festival, Day N Night Festival 2017, Dead Meadow, Deafheaven, Deep Purple, Diet Cig, DIIV, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dr. Dog, Dr. Octagon, DREAMCAR, Duke Dumont, Eagles of Death Metal, Electric Guest, Emancipator, Emily King, Empire of the Sun, Fox Theater Oakland, Foxygen, Future Islands, Gabriel Garzón-Montano, Gatecreeper, Girl Talk, Gone Is Gone, Gorillaz, Great American Music Hall, Greek Theatre, Greek Theatre Berkeley, Grizzly Bear, Gucci Mane, Hamilton Leithauser, Hazel English, Hinds, Hiss Golden Messenger, How to Dress Well, Iggy Pop, Isaiah Rashad, J.I.D., Jack Johnson, Jagwar Ma, Jamestown Revival, Jamie Isaac, Jay 305, Jay Som, Jen Cloher, Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas, Jessie Ware, Jim James, Jr. Jr., Julie Byrne, Julien Baker, Justice, k.flay, Karen Elson, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Kaytranada, Kelis, Kendrick Lamar, Khalid, Khruangbin, Kilo Kish, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Kurt Vile, L.A. Witch, La Femme, LANY, Lauv, Lettuce, Levi's Stadium, Lil Yachty, Little Dragon, Lo Moon, Lord Huron, Lorde, Mayan Theater, Miguel, Miike Snow, Milky Chance, Minus the Bear, Mister Heavenly, MO, Moderat, Music Festival Outside Lands Music Festival 2017, Neon Indian, Nicki Bluhm, No Doubt, Noise Pop, Noise Pop 2017, Noise Pop 25, Noise Pop Festival, Norah Jones, North Mississippi Allstars, NVO, Oh Sees, OK Go, Once and Future Band, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2017, Outside Lands Music Festival, Pallbearer, Passion Pit, Peaches, Perfume Genius, Petit Biscuit, Phoebe Bridgers, Phono Del Sol, Phono del Sol 2017, Phono del Sol Music Festival 2017, Playboi Carti, Pond, Porcelain Raft, Potrero del Sol Park, PRAYERS, Real Estate, Royal Blood, Run The Jewels, Ryan Adams, Sampha, Schoolboy Q, serpentwithfeet, Sheer Mag, Shrine Expo Hall, Sigur Ros, Silversun Pickups, Sleep, Sleigh Bells, Sofi Tukker, Solange, Spiritualized, Spoon, Styles P, Sufjan Stevens, Sunflower Beam, Talib Kweli, Tank and the Bangas, Tash Sultana, Tei Shi, Temples, Tennis, Tennyson, The Accidentals, The Avalanches, The Band Perry, The Coathangers, The Crystal Method, The Drums, The Fillmore, The Hip Replacements, The Masonic, The National, The Palms, The Radio Dept., The Revivalists, The War on Drugs, The xx, Thou, Thundercat, Tobacco, Tool, Touché Amoré, Tove Lo, Travis Scott, Twin Peaks, Ty Segall, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Vagabon, Vance Joy, Vic Mensa, Warpaint, Weezer, White Fence, Woods, YG, Young The Giant

ID10T Fest takes over the Silicon Valley tech bubble

June 30, 2017 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Girl Talk

By Gina Lopez //

ID10T Music Festival + Comic Conival //
Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA
June 24th-25th, 2017 //

The tech bubble of Silicon Valley just got popped with the inaugural ID10T Music Festival and Comic Conival at Shoreline Amphitheatre last weekend. Because between music, comics and comedy, cosplay and clubbing, ID10T had it all.

So, who were the brains behind this festival phenomenon?

Actor, stand-up comedian, former KROQ DJ, musician, podcaster, television host, writer and Nerdist founder Chris Hardwick.

The comic conival element of ID10T included art/collectibles vendors, artist demonstrations and comic book creator panel discussions. During the panel on breaking into comics, comic artist and writer Phil Hester encouraged aspiring comic artists to “just get out there and get to work — don’t wait for anyone’s permission.” It was good advice for anyone who was hoping to make their dreams a reality. Other insight came from comic book artist and illustrator Morgan Beem, who explained to us that “it’s about telling good stories.”

Good stories were shared by the stars of “Stan Against Evil”, “Portlandia”, “Animaniacs” and more. Creator of “Stan Against Evil” and “The Simpsons” writer Dana Gould revealed that his favorite episode to write was “Goo Goo Gai Pan” from Season 16, in which the Simpson family travels to China to adopt a child because it is based on his experience adopting his own child.

Similarly, Portlandia star and producer Carrie Brownstein expressed her desire that through her work she is “connecting with people and doing something meaningful.” Brownstein and Portlandia co-star Fred Armisen announced that this upcoming season will wrap up the eight-year series. That’s right — you heard it first here on Showbams (or maybe somewhere else). A little fun fact from ID10T: Armisen’s favorite character to portray is the goth.

Weezer

Speaking of which, do you remember when goth was a trend back in the 90’s? Then perhaps you remember watching the cartoon “Animaniacs” on weekdays after school. “Animaniacs” voice actors Rob Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche, accompanied by “Anamaniacs” composer Randy Rogel, wowed festival guests at the panel stage tent as they performed the cartoon’s memorable songs, injecting a sense of youth into many ID10T guests.

As for the music, the dance stage featured Madeon, Zeds Dead and Jai Wolf as festivalgoers danced like they were at a dance club. The festival’s main stage boasted an eclectic mix of sounds from experimental pop and punk to funk and soul. Opening acts included Crystal Castles, Ron Gallo, Tank and the Bangas and others, and The Mowgli’s set was colorful … much like lead vocalist Katie Jayne Earl’s outfit.

During Car Seat Headrest’s set, there was no resting thanks to their headbanging tunes. Lord Huron, on the other hand, captivated fans with a hypnotizing set. Then OK GO led the crowd in a therapeutic sing-along during their performance of “This Too Shall Pass”. Experimental-pop band Animal Collective channeled a primal vibe throughout their show, performing with Dada and surrealist-inspired stage props, while TV on the Radio reminded their fans who put the “unk” in punk and funk.

Weezer headlined the festival on Saturday night, performing songs from their large catalog to a packed amphitheater of dancing fans who pledged their allegiance to the great “Flying W” as it was raised on Day 1.

Meanwhile, the second and final night of ID10T featured headliner Girl Talk. With a balloon drop and dance party featuring a group of fans onstage, it was a fitting conclusion to the two-day event.

For one weekend, ID10T turned Silicon Valley into Music and Comic Conival Valley. And with the festival’s success, this will surely be an annual event.

ID10T Music Festival + Comic Conival 2017

ID10T Music Festival + Comic Conival 2017 - Carrie Brownstein & Fred Armisen

ID10T Music Festival + Comic Conival 2017 - Car Seat Headrest

ID10T Music Festival + Comic Conival 2017 - The Mowgli's

ID10T Music Festival + Comic Conival 2017 - Animal Collective

ID10T Music Festival + Comic Conival 2017 - Crystal Castles

ID10T Music Festival + Comic Conival 2017 - Lord Huron

ID10T Music Festival + Comic Conival 2017 - Chris Hardwick

ID10T Music Festival + Comic Conival 2017 - OK Go

ID10T Music Festival + Comic Conival 2017 - TV on the Radio

Filed Under: Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Animal Collective, Car Seat Headrest, Crystal Castles, Girl Talk, ID10T, ID10T 2017, ID10T Fest, ID10T Fest 2017, ID10T Music Festival, ID10T Music Festival + Comic Conival, ID10T Music Festival + Comic Conival 2017, ID10T Music Festival 2017, Jai Wolf, Lord Huron, Madeon, OK Go, Ron Gallo, Tank and the Bangas, The Mowgli's, TV on the Radio, Weezer, Zeds Dead

Noise Pop 2017: Celebrating 25 years of Bay Area indie culture

February 16, 2017 by Molly Kish Leave a Comment

Written by Molly Kish //

Noise Pop //
Bay Area venues – San Francisco & Oakland
February 17th–27th, 2017 //

Marking its 25th anniversary this month as the West Coast’s premiere independent music and arts festival, Noise Pop returns to take over more than 30 clubs, theaters and art spaces in the Bay Area. With residencies at various locations in SF and Oakland, the festival officially kicks off with its 2017 film series and art exhibits leading into 11 days of live musical performances from nationally recognized and locally curated acts.

This year’s roster includes members of Animal Collective, Vince Staples, BADBADNOTGOOD, Dawes, Kelis, Hudson Mohawke, Ty Segall and more, Noise Pop continues its legacy as one of the nation’s leading purveyors of independent music, culture and arts.

To help you navigate this year’s Noise Pop lineup, we have locked in our top picks for the fest’s happy hours, art shows, film series and concerts. Check out our full list of favorites below and prepare yourself for what’s to come!

Art Shows

• The Flavors of Noise Pop: February 1st-March 7th @ Mission Bowling Club

Films

• Festival (featuring Q&A with director Michael Raspatello and panelists Allen Scott, Jordan Kurland & Kevin Arnold): February 17th (FRI) @ Swedish American Hall (8 p.m., $12, All Ages)

• The Art of Listening: February 17th (FRI) @ Roxie Theatre (6:30 p.m., $12, All Ages)

• My Buddha Is Punk: February 18th (SAT) @ Artists’ Television Access (2 p.m., $12, All Ages)

Happy Hours

• Tricycle Records Presents Hot Toddies, Great Apes & Brasil: February 23rd (THU) @ Bender’s Bar & Grill (5 p.m., 21+)

• Different Fur Presents: OCD, Trash Vampires & Phosphene: February 24th (FRI) @ Bender’s Bar & Grill (5 p.m., 21+)

Other Events

• Sunday Smörgåsbord: February 26th (SUN) @ Swedish American Hall (FREE RSVP, 21+)

Schedule:
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. — “Showga” Yoga Set to Live Music (by Everyone Is Dirty’s Sivan Lioncub)
12-6 p.m. — 1-2-3-4 GO! Pop-Up Vinyl Store
12-6 p.m. — Vinyl Tapestry Part II: The Scarpati Brothers Rock Photo and Art Show
1-3 p.m. — The MailChimp Brunch Time Happy Hour
3-4 p.m. — Noise Pop Live Podcast
4-6 p.m. — Litquake: I Thought It Sucked

Cloud Nothings

Music

• Cloud Nothings with Itsaca, Never Young, Kid Trails: February 20th (MON) @ The Independent (7:30 p.m., $20, 21+)

• Weyes Blood with Half Waif, 20 Minute Loop, Young Moon: February 21st (TUES) @ Swedish American Hall (7 p.m., $15, All Ages) // WIN TICKETS

• Hazel English with Elsa Y Elmar, Tanukichan, Maggie y/o: February 21st (TUES) @ Rickshaw Stop (8 p.m., $12, All Ages) // WIN TICKETS

• Diet Cig with Plush, Joyride!, Shutups: February 22nd (WED) @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall (7 p.m., $15, 18+)

• Desert Daze Caravan Festival featuring Temples, Night Moves, Deap Valley, Froth, JJUUJJUU: February 22nd (WED) @ The Chapel (7 p.m., $34, All Ages) // WIN TICKETS

• The Palms with The Young Wild, Warbly Jets, NYRE: February 22nd (WED) @ Rickshaw Stop (8 p.m., $12, 18+)

• Kelis with Rayana Jay, Cellus: February 22nd (WED) @ 1015 Folsom (10 p.m., $10, 21+) // WIN TICKETS

• PWR BTTM with Chaos Chaos, Soar, The Total Betty’s: February 23rd (THU) @ Starline Social Club (21+, SOLD OUT)

• Tash Sultana with Monster Rally, John Cashman, Affectionately: February 23rd (THU) @ Swedish American Hall (All Ages, SOLD OUT)

• BADBADNOTGOOD with Hodgy, London O’Connor: February 23rd (THU) @ The Fillmore (18+, SOLD OUT)

• Crocodiles with AJ Dávila, Hot Flash Heat Wave, NRVS LVRS: February 23rd (THU) @ Bottom of the Hill (7:30pm, $15, All Ages) // WIN TICKETS

• Kevin Abstract with Bearface, Hugo, Hobo Johnson: February 23rd (THU) @ The New Parish (8 p.m., $18, 21+) // WIN TICKETS

• Barclay Crenshaw with AABO, Chiller Whale, Jackson Waites, Roeviscious: February 23rd (THU) @ 1015 Folsom (10 p.m., $15, 21+) // WIN TICKETS

Hanni El Khatib

• Hanni El Khatib with The Buttertones, The Molochs, Innovative Leisure DJs: February 24th (FRI) @ The Chapel (7 p.m., $20, All Ages)

• Matt Pond PA with Before the Brave, Hideout, The Bye Bye Blackbirds: February 24th (FRI) @ Bottom of the Hill (7:30 p.m., $16, All Ages)

• Deafheaven with This Will Destroy You, Emma Ruth Rundle: February 24th (FRI) @ The Independent (8:30 p.m., $20, 21+)

• Hudson Mohawke with Francios K, Teklife, DJ Spinn, And Taye, Jay Daniel, Seven Davis Jr., Benji B. & Judah: February 24th (FRI) @ 1015 Folsom (10 p.m., $20, 21+) // WIN TICKETS

• Vince Staples with Kilo Kish: February 25th (SAT) @ Fox Theater Oakland (7 p.m., $30, All Ages)

• Tennis with Hoops, Great American Canyon Band & Owl Paws: February 25th (SAT) @ Great American Music Hall (18+, SOLD OUT)

• MSTRKRFT with Maniacs, MPHD, NVO: February 25th (SAT) @ Mezzanine (9 p.m., $25, 21+)

• The Radio Dept. with Germans, The Bilinda Butchers, Future Shapes: February 25th (SAT) @ The Independent (7:30 p.m., $25, 21+)

• Grandaddy with Minihorse, N.Lannon, Goon: February 26th (SUN) @ Bimbo’s 365 Club (7 p.m., SOLD OUT, 18+)

• Radical Face: February 26th (SUN) @ The Fillmore (8 p.m., $25, All Ages)

• Ty Segall with Shannon and the Clams, White Fence, Axis: February 27th (MON) @ Fox Theater Oakland (6 p.m., $25, All Ages)

Download the Noise Pop mobile app to get special updates, including details on Noise Pop After Hours performances, and create your own customized schedule here. Super Fan Badges are still available for purchase here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 1015 Folsom, 20 Minute Loop, AABO, Affectionately, AJ Dávila, Animal Collective, Artists' Television Access, Avey Tare, Axis, BADBADNOTGOOD, Barclay Crenshaw, Bearface, Before The Brave, Bender's Bar & Grill, Bimbo's 365 Club, Bottom of the Hill, Brick & Mortar Music Hall, California Academy of Sciences, Cellus, Chaos Chaos, Chiller Whale, Cloud Nothings, Crocodiles, Dawes, Deafheaven, Deap Valley, Desert Daze Caravan Festival, Diet Cig, Elsa Y Elmar, Emma Ruth Rundle, Fox Theater Oakland, Froth, Future Shapes, Germans, Goon, Grandaddy, Great American Music Hall, Half Waif, Hanni El Khatib, Hazel English, Hideout, Hobo Johnson, Hodgy, Hot Flash Heat Wave, Hudson Mohawke, Hugo, Innovative Leisure, Itsaca, Jackson Waites, JJUUJJUU, John Cashman, Joyride!, Jujuujjuu, Kelis, Kevin Abstract, Kid Trails, Kilo Kish, London O'Connor, Maggie y/o, Matt Pond PA, Mezzanine, Minihorse, Mission Bowling Club, Monster Rally, MSTRKRFT, My Buddah Is Punk, N.Lannon, Never Young, Night Moves, Noise Pop, Noise Pop 2017, NRVS LVRS, NYRE, Plush, PWR BTTM, Radical Face, Rayana Jay, Rickshaw Stop, Roeviscious, Shannon and the Clams, Shutups, Soar, Starline Social Club, Sunday Smörgåsbord, Swedish American Hall, Tanukichan, Tash Sultana, Temples, The Bilinda Butchers, The Buttertones, The Bye Bye Blackbirds, The Chapel, The Fillmore, The Molochs, The New Parish, The Palms, The Radio Dept., The Total Betty's, The Young Wild, This Will Destroy You, Ty Segall, Vince Staples, Warbly Jets, Weyes Blood, White Fence, Young Moon

The Bam Team’s 5 Favorite Shows, Albums & Songs of 2016

December 29, 2016 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Danny Brown at The Regency Ballroom // Showbams’ Photo of the Year, by James Pawlish

Time flies when you’re having fun, right? Well, while we’re still wondering where the past 12 months have went, 2016 proved to be bittersweet for the entire music community. With David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Paul Kanter, Phife Dawg, Merle Haggard, Prince, Leonard Cohen, Sharon Jones and most recently George Michael all leaving us too soon, it’s been a rough ride to say the least. But amid all the heartbreak, we experienced plenty of amazing moments in music from January to December, and now it’s time for us to once again unveil our annual “Best of” lists just like we did in 2015.

So, without further ado, Showbams presents The Bam Team’s five favorite shows, albums and songs from 2016.

The 25 Best Live Music Acts of 2016

Listen to The Bam Team’s favorite songs of 2016:

Jim James at Orpheum Theatre // Photo by Josh Herwitt

Josh Herwitt // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2016
1. LCD Soundsystem at Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Weekend 1 – Indio, CA – April 8th
When reports started swirling around this time last year that LCD Soundsystem would reunite to headline Coachella a few months later, it was a chance to relive that one time I saw them on the same polo fields six years earlier — the only time I was lucky enough to see James Murphy and company in action before they called it quits way too early. And while band reunions at Coachella are starting to feel like a gimmick these days, LCD had already played a couple of warm-up shows back home in New York by the time they stepped foot on the main stage for their highly anticipated headlining set at the Empire Polo Club. They didn’t perform any new material like some fans may have hoped they would, but rather a setlist laced with hits that also included their live debut of David Bowie’s “Heroes” as well as a nod to fellow headliner Guns N’ Roses. And as the final words to “All My Friends” left Murphy’s mouth that night, I walked away still buzzing from what I had just witnessed.

2. Radiohead at Shrine Auditorium – Los Angeles, CA – August 8th
3. Jim James at Orpheum Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – December 9th
4. Temple of the Dog at The Forum – Inglewood, CA – November 14th
5. Pretty Lights (Live) at Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA – November 10th

Top 5 Albums of 2016
1. Moderat – III
With so many excellent albums being released each year, picking a favorite is never an easy task — but this year felt even more difficult than usual. And although I’ll admit I didn’t have time to hear every LP that dropped in 2016, it was hard not to choose Moderat’s latest studio effort after much thought and consideration. Time after time, I found myself coming back to III after countless listens. From the record’s opening track “Eating Hooks” to its initial single “Reminder”, the Berlin trio seems to get better and better with each release. As difficult as it can be to describe Moderat’s music, there’s something about the way Sascha Ring’s emotive vocals pair perfectly with the supergroup’s haunting melodies that makes III‘s repeatability incredibly strong. I guess the third time really is the charm for these three gents.

2. Jim James – Eternally Even
3. Anderson .Paak – Malibu
4. Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
5. Kendrick Lamar – untitled unmastered

Top 5 Songs of 2016
1. Jim James – “Here in Spirit”
My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James often receives praise for his unique singing style, but the Louisville native’s songwriting chops remain equally impressive. On his sophomore solo album Eternally Even, James takes a more political stance than what he devised for his 2013 debut Regions of Light and Sound of God. What results is some of James’ most poignant and inspiring material to date, including the soulfully psychedelic cut “Here in Spirit” that bats third in the LP’s nine-track lineup. With lines like “No compromise / But willing to sacrifice / Believe what you want / Go on and be who you are / Go out and get what you want” to open the song, James empowers his listeners to not sit on the sidelines and instead, speak up for what they believe in. He might not be able to solve the world’s problems, but “Yim Yames” knows how to make you think about the issues that matter.

2. Moderat – “Reminder”
3. Glass Animals – “Youth”
4. Tycho – “Division”
5. Run the Jewels – “Legend Has It”

Brainfeeder at Fox Theater Oakland // Photo by Marc Fong

Molly Kish // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2016
1. Brainfeeder at Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland, CA – September 15th
This showcase featuring artists from Flying Lotus’ label, including himself, was an experience to behold. No matter who you went to see on this night, eyes were opened and brains were fed — so to speak — thanks to the sonic diversions that continue to make Brainfeeder one of the most important players in shaping the future of music.

2. Danny Brown at The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, CA – October 11th
3. James Blake at Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland, CA – October 17th
4. Erykah Badu at The Warfield – San Francisco, CA – November 15th
5. Black Madonna at Public Works SF – San Francisco, CA – November 18th

Top 5 Albums of 2016
1. Anderson .Paak – Malibu
Elevating the current state of hip-hop by ultimately bringing it back to its jazz roots, Malibu finally brought Anderson .Paak the credit he sorely deserved. The 16-track album boasts an intricately curated, eclectic roster of recording, production and songwriting talent. Easily the most important sophomore full-length release of the year, Malibu opened a brand-new door to a musical stratosphere that .Paak was born to commandeer.

2. Kendrick Lamar – untitled unmastered
3. Kanye West – The Life of Pablo
4. The Avalanches – Wildflower
5. A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service

Top 5 Songs of 2016
1. Solange – “Cranes in the Sky”
Another career-skyrocketing release of 2016 that was introduced to the world through this single, “Cranes in the Sky” helped bring attention to “the younger Knowles sister” as a force to be reckoned with. Amidst a track list of powerful ballads and political anthems, this song delivers a personal testimony of introspection that humanizes Solange in a way most artists are too afraid to convey. The track, which was delivered through a series of avant-garde music videos, shook the world of modern soul and R&B with one of 2016’s most influential power moves.

2. Chance the Rapper – “All Night”
3. Blood Orange – “Best to You”
4. Kaytranada – “LITE SPOTS”
5. Flume – “Never Be Like You” feat. Kai

YG at The Wiltern // Photo by Joseph Gray

Joseph Gray // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2016
1. Kanye West at The Forum – Inglewood, CA – November 1st
Prior to its bizarre, abrupt ending that included a long-winded tirade critical of Beyoncé and some outspoken support for President-elect Donald Trump, Kanye West’s “Saint Pablo Tour” was a once-in-a-lifetime party. Seriously. In LA, the show featured a floating, illuminated and spaceship-like stage that traveled back and forth — while raging youngsters moshed below — to give everybody a great view of their favorite contradiction and/or superhero, who was later hospitalized due to a reported “psychiatric emergency.” With the elevated platform, a smiling and dancing West manned through his conflicts, happiness and faith, reminding us of why he provides the unmistakable feel-good vibes that only he can bring.

2. Young Thug at The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – May 16th
3. Isaiah Rashad at Echoplex – Los Angeles, CA – November 14th
4. Jhene Aiko at Avalon Hollywood – Los Angeles, CA – November 21st
5. YG at The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA – November 29th

Top 5 Albums of 2016
1. Anderson .Paak – Malibu
The unearthed gem on rap legend Dr. Dre’s long-awaited Compton opus a year prior, Southern California rapper, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (he really does it all) Anderson .Paak kicked open the door to his fully-formed world of warm, unbridled expressiveness and raspy soul with Malibu. Brilliantly combining funk and jazz-filled triumphs (“Come Down”) and hip-hop’s reflective grit (“The Season/Carry Me”) with distinct and sprawling elegance (“Room in Here”), .Paak unquestionably put his mark on 2016. A detailed dot (just like the one in .Paak’s moniker), you better not forget it because Malibu proved that you have to pay attention to everything his name is attached to.

2. A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service
3. Young Thug – Jeffery
4. NxWorries – Yes Lawd!
5. Kanye West – The Life of Pablo

Top 5 Songs of 2016
1. A Tribe Called Quest – “We the People…”
In a year drenched in political prejudices and panic for many citizens in the U.S., Q-Tip roared through the darkness over the funkiest of synths: “We don’t believe you ’cause we the people / Are still here in the rear / Yo, we don’t need you.” A message that echoed even louder after the presidential election, one of the standouts tracks from their celebrated final LP We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service invigorates a culture seemingly under attack more than ever.

2. Anderson .Paak – “Come Down”
3. Kanye West – “Real Friends”
4. Anderson .Paak – “Room in Here” feat. The Game & Sonyae Elise
5. Kendrick Lamar – “untitled 07 | 2014 – 2016”

Radiohead at Outside Lands 2016 // Photo by by James Pawlish

Brett Ruffenach // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2016
1. Kanye West at T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV – October 29th
In some ways, there’s an unspoken hierarchy to the live-concert experience. The structure is simple — the closer you are to the front of the stage, the better your experience is, the bigger the fan that you are. Only the “rail riders” are the truest fans. In my experience seeing Kanye West’s “Saint Pablo Tour” in Las Vegas — a performance that ended up being one of his last uninterrupted shows prior to a breakdown and a subsequent cancellation of several future dates — he not only completely destroyed the hierarchy, he reinvented what a concert can be. Under a floodlight-filled sky, he spent 90 minutes on a floating stage playing a nonstop show that brought out a level of hype in the crowd I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before. On the floor, underneath the stage, you are instantly a part of the performance. As the stage moved back and forth across the arena, West captured a sense of connection with fans, making it nearly impossible to not scream every damn word to every damn song. It was an emotional roller coaster filled with adrenaline (“Black Skinhead”, “Father Stretch My Hands”), joy (“Waves”, “Fade”), swagger (“Can’t Tell Me Nothing”, “Heartless”) and some transcendent moments so intense during reworked songs like “Only One” and “Ultralight Beam” that many in the crowd (myself included) couldn’t help but be brought to tears. I’ve never seen a concert like this one and will probably never see something like it again. But for those 90 minutes as I jumped and sang with my brothers and friends, there was no world outside of Kanye’s floating stage. It’s a memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life as Kanye proved to us there is no hip-hop artist in the world doing what he’s doing.

2. LCD Soundsystem at Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Weekend 1 – Indio, CA – April 8th
3. Beyoncé at Levi’s Stadium – Santa Clara, CA – May 16th
4. Tame Impala at Greek Theatre Berkeley – Berkeley, CA – September 3rd
5. Air at Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival – San Francisco, CA – August 6th

Top 5 Albums of 2016
1. The Avalanches – Wildflower
I really enjoy albums that can be experienced as one cohesive piece. Twelve years in the making, The Avalanches’ Wildflower is best experienced in one listen from start to finish. Using a near-plethora of samples from both ends of the musical spectrum, the Australian plunderphonics pioneers wove together a soundscape that’s not only textured and groovy, but also just plain old fun. From “Because I’m Me” and “Frankie Sanatra” to “Subways” and “If I Was a Folkstar”, the feel and experience of listening to Wildflower simply fills me with joy. After a year like 2016, it’s something we all needed.

2. Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
3. Beyoncé – Lemonade
4. Anderson .Paak – Malibu
5. The Range – Potential

Top 5 Songs of 2016
1. Radiohead – “Present Tense”
In a serene moment watching Thom Yorke and Co. play a live rendition of “Present Tense” at Outside Lands, I first thought to myself that this may be one of Radiohead’s best tracks. Ever. Their stripped-down rendition featuring Johnny Greenwood solidified that thought. “Present Tense” seems to capture all of the things I find most appealing about Radiohead: complex and beautiful chord progressions, subtle and complimentary percussion, and melancholy lyrics and ambient sounds creating a sense of space that no other band I know is capable of producing in a studio or on a stage. It’s an introspective song that blooms into a plea for a return to what was once had with “in you I’m lost …” That melody gives me goosebumps every time.

2. Blood Orange – “Best to You”
3. Brian Eno – “Fickle Sun (iii) I’m Set Free”
4. Hundred Waters feat. Chance the Rapper – “Show Me Love”
5. DJ Shadow feat. Run the Jewels – “Nobody Speak”

Anderson .Paak at South by Southwest 2016 // Photo by Rochelle Shipman

Rochelle Shipman // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2016
1. Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals at South by Southwest – Austin, TX – March 18th
Anderson .Paak played 13 shows in three or four days at SXSW this year. The Pandora show was one of his last ones, so he and his bandmates had their set down to blind perfection and played their hearts out to 150 new fans as the sun went down. Austin was falling in love with .Paak right in front of his eyes, electrifying his performance and even bringing him down into the audience to crowd surf. When he wasn’t behind the drums, he spent the rest of the show dancing on the monitors in between the barrier and the stage, seemingly as close to is fansh as possible. He was just grateful to be there, and it spilled from every ounce of his body. I’m going to be completely honest: I went to SXSW this year to see .Paak because I knew once he played it, tickets to his shows would be impossible to get. Six months later, $30 tickets to his show in San Francisco at The Fillmore resold for upwards of $400. If you didn’t have another way to get into that show or rent to pay, it was worth it. The energy that comes out of .Paak while he’s performing is charming, infectious and unmatched. He splits his time roaming every inch of the stage and behind his drum set, often singing and rapping without missing a beat. At .Paak’s December show at the Hollywood Palladium in LA, Stevie Wonder came out not to sing, but to tell the crowd what a big fan he is. So basically, Stevie Wonder dropped by. OK, Anderson … we see you.

2. Conor Oberst at The Cathedral Sanctuary at Immanuel Presbyterian Church – Los Angeles, CA – December 17th
3. Chance the Rapper at Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival – San Francisco, CA – August 7th
4. Islands at Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery – Los Angeles, CA – June 9th
5. Animal Collective at Scala – London, UK – September 8th

Top 5 Albums of 2016
1. Anderson .Paak – Malibu
Anderson .Paak has put out a lot of material, even before he was Anderson .Paak and went by Breezy Lovejoy. There are gems sprinkled throughout his early releases, but his latest studio album has a funky backbone that lets .Paak explore aspects of his range that he never shared before. It resulted in a rhythmic, emotional journey that’s flirty, genre-defiant and fun as fuck. Malibu nearly ruined music for me because nothing else is it.

2. Vince Staples – Prima Donna
3. Conor Oberst – Ruminations
4. Gallant – Ology
5. Noname – Telefone

Top 5 Songs of 2016
1. Childish Gambino – “Redbone”
I like Childish Gambino. I’ve always liked Childish Gambino. But the first time I heard his song “Redbone”, every hair on my body stood up and started grooving. It happened the second time and the third time, and even the 643rd time. And this dude is singing about peanut butter chocolate cake with Kool Aid, but because of how he’s singing about it, it’s somehow OK. I made a playlist with only this song on it 20 times over and it was still too short.

2. Anderson .Paak – “The Waters”
3. Sonder – “Too Fast”
4. Danny Brown – “Really Doe” feat. Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul & Earl Sweatshirt
5. Mac Miller – “Dang!” feat. Anderson .Paak

Tame Impala at Greek Theatre Berkeley // Photo by James Pawlish

Andrew Pohl // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2016
1. The Cure at Shoreline Amphitheater – Mountain View, CA – May 26th
I saw a ton of amazing shows this year, but seeing The Cure for the first time on my birthday topped them all. For more than three hours I got to catch Robert Smith and company churn out hit after hit, and hanging out with some of my best mates only added to the splendor. A setlist that spanned their entire career on a beautiful evening was just what I needed for my 38th trip around the sun.

2. Tool at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco, CA – January 7th
3. At the Drive-In at The Warfield – San Francisco, CA – June 4th
4. Tame Impala at Greek Theatre Berkeley – Berkeley, CA – September 3rd
5. Temple of the Dog at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco, CA – November 11th

Top 5 Albums of 2016
1. A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service
This is the album that we needed, and it was delivered at the right time, in the right way. For a year that had taken so much away from the music world, ATCQ surprised everyone with an LP that delivered a vibrant, thoughtful and politically charged gift to the masses. No guys, thank YOU for your service (RIP Phife Dawg).

2. Mitski – Puberty 2
3. David Bowie – Black Star
4. Mall Walk – Funny Papers
5. Tycho – Epoch

Top 5 Songs of 2016
1. David Bowie – “Lazarus”
Oh, Bowie … even on the eve of your own passing, you knew how to pull out all of the stops and push your art to the limit. A true showman and artist to the end, this song encapsulates all that is raw, beautiful and bizarre about our beloved Ziggy Stardust. Its somber tone is met with a sexy, sinister groove, which leaves you with a sense of unease and is honestly perfect in my opinion. Thank you, sir. RIP.

2. Bob Moses – “Tearing Me Up”
3. Savages – “Evil”
4. Zack de la Rocha – “digging for windows”
5. Deep Sea Diver – “Secrets”

Filed Under: Best of 2016, Editor's Picks, Featured Tagged With: A Tribe Called Quest, Ab-Soul, Air, Anderson .Paak, Animal Collective, At the Drive-In, Best of 2016, Beyonce, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, Blood Orange, Bob Moses, Brainfeeder, Brian Eno, Chance The Rapper, Childish Gambino, Chris Cornell, Coachella, Coachella 2016, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Conor Oberst, Danny Brown, David Bowie, Deep Sea Diver, DJ Shadow, Earl Sweatshirt, Flume, Flying Lotus, Fox Theater Oakland, Gallant, Glass Animals, Greek Theatre Berkeley, Guns N' Roses, Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Hundred Waters, Islands, Jim James, Kanye West, Kaytranada, Kendrick Lamar, LCD Soundsystem, Mac Miller, Mall Walk, Masonic Lodge, Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Mitski, Moderat, My Morning Jacket, Noname, Orpheum Theatre, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2016, Outside Lands Music Festival 2016, Parliament-Funkadelic, Pearl Jam, Pretty Lights, Radiohead, Run The Jewels, Santa Barbara Bowl, Savages, Scala, Shoreline Amphitheatre, Shrine Auditorium, Solange, Sonder, Tame Impala, Temple of the Dog, The Avalanches, The Cathedral Sanctuary at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, The Cure, The Forum, The Range, The Warfield, Tool, Tycho, Vince Staples, Zack de la Rocha

Albums you’ll want to hear in 2016

January 6, 2016 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Written by Josh Herwitt //

Now that we’ve said our goodbyes to 2015, it’s time to start looking ahead to 2016 and what lies ahead when it comes to new music. Although it’s still rather early and new albums are sure to be announced after this writing, there’s plenty of ear candy that’s already set to be released in 2016.

Here are 10 upcoming albums (in chronological order by release date) that you’ll want to hear and could very well end up being on some “Best of 2016” lists in another 12 months.

David Bowie – ★ (Blackstar)

Release date: January 8th
Record label: RCA/Columbia

The 20th studio album from Ziggy Stardust will be one of the first to hit stands in 2016, and although the 68-year-old legend has said that his touring days are over, Bowie is still capable of making an intriguing record, much like he did in 2013 with The Next Day. From what we’ve heard on ★, be it the 10-minute title track or in recent weeks “Lazarus” (the song that Bowie is also using in his off-Broadway musical by the same name), we’re eager to hear the rest.

Tortoise – The Catastrophist

Release date: January 22nd
Record label: Thrill Jockey

It’s been more than six years since Tortoise last released an album, but the Chicago post-rock outfit will unveil The Catastrophist, led by first single “Gesceap”, later this month. Featuring vocal contributions from Yo La Tengo’s Georgia Hubley and Todd Rittmann of Chicago bands U.S. Maple and Dead Rider, the new LP was inspired by music closely tied to Chicago’s jazz and improvised music scenes that the city commissioned the band to write back in 2010.

Ty Segall – Emotional Mugger

Release date: January 22nd
Record label: Drag City

Segall announced his eighth studio album by mailing a VHS tape to Pitchfork less than two months ago, and if that wasn’t eccentric enough, the prolific garage rocker followed it up with a dedicated website for the LP, which includes a hotline number to call and two videos — one that shows him and the band wearing baby masks and another that sees him playing a doctor while explaining what “emotional mugging” is. Despite Emotional Mugger not extending quite as long as Segall’s previous solo effort Manipulator did, many of the track names are worth a chuckle, from “Breakfast Eggs” to “Baby Big Man (I Want a Mommy)”.

Bloc Party – Hymns

Release date: January 29th
Record label: BMG

Long known for pioneering a sound that bridged the gap between indie rock and electronic music, Bloc Party return in early 2016 with their fifth studio album and their first with new members Justin Harris (bass, keyboards) and Louise Bartle (drums). Debuting material from Hymns, including newest single “The Good News” at FYF Fest (read our festival review here) in August, the British quartet will also offer a deluxe edition of the LP with four bonus tracks.

St. Lucia – Matter

Release date: January 29th
Record label: Columbia

Jean-Philip Grobler released the debut LP for his Brooklyn-based, synthpop project St. Lucia toward the end of 2013, and late this month, the South African native will unveil his follow-up to When the Night. If you were curious as to how Matter will sound in comparison to his first full length, Grobler has a geographical analogy to describe both: “If the last album sounded like the tropics, this album is the desert.”

Black Moth Super Rainbow

Release date: N/A
Record label: N/A

Thomas Fec has become well-regarded in indie-electronic circles for his work as Tobacco over the last several years, but for more than a decade, he has also served as the frontman of Black Moth Super Rainbow, the Pittsburgh psych-rock group that’s preparing to drop its sixth studio album later this year. As BMSR fans await the LP’s official release, the band surprised many in mid-November by streaming its new mini-album Seefu Lilac, which features “neon flavored outtakes from a 6th album that doesn’t yet exist.”

Animal Collective – Painting With

Release date: February 19th
Record label: Domino

After streaming new material on loop at Baltimore’s BWI Airport the day before Thanksgiving, Animal Collective are now just a few weeks away from the release of their 10th studio album. Taking some much-needed time off after its latest tour so that David Portner and Noah Lennox could focus on their own side projects, the band refined its songwriting approach for Painting With, removing the long, ambient passages that were often synonymous with their previous LPs and also collaborating with Welsh musician John Cale and multireedist Colin Stetson.

Wild Nothing – Life of Pause

Release date: February 19th
Record label: Captured Tracks

Jack Tatum remains the brains behind his indie-rock/dream-pop project Wild Nothing, having been its founder and lone songwriter since 2009. Feeding off the success of 2012’s Nocturne, Tatum consciously wanted to reinvent himself as a musician while recording Life of Pause in Los Angeles and Stockholm with producer Thom Monahan, and if his double-sided single “To Know You”/”TV Queen” is any indication, we’re starting to see what he means.

Poliça – United Crushers

Release date: March 4th
Record label: Mom + Pop

Poliça lead vocalist Channy Leaneagh may have been pregnant last year, but you wouldn’t have known it from the way this Minneapolis synthpop group has continued to work in the studio. In following up its successful sophomore effort Shulamith from 2013, the five-piece takes a more political approach on its third full-length album United Crushers, which boasts first single “Lime Habit”.

Charles Bradley – Changes

Release date: April 1st
Record label: Daptone Records

You have to wonder if Charles Bradley was a Black Sabbath fan growing up as a kid, because his new album Changes draws plenty of inspiration from the legendary heavy metal group’s Vol. 4. While his cover of the famous Sabbath hit serves as the LP’s title track, the “Screaming Eagle of Soul” continues to win us over with his rags-to-riches story (Bradley was at one time homeless before becoming a cook and working various odd jobs) and his undying charisma.

The following artists and bands are expected to release new albums in 2016 but have yet to confirm an official release date and/or an album title:

AlunaGeorge
ANTEMASQUE
Band of Horses
Beck
Blink-182
Chairlift – Moth
Chromatics – Dear Tommy
Crystal Castles
Death Grips – Bottomless Pit
Deftones
Diddy – No Way Out 2
DJ Premier – Last Session @ 320
Drake – Views From the 6
Frank Ocean
Gary Numan
Gorillaz
GZA – Dark Matter
Haim
James Blake – Radio Silence
Kanye West – SWISH
Kings of Leon
LCD Soundsystem
Lupe Fiasco – Drogas
M.I.A. – Matahdatah
M83
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Major Lazer – Music Is the Weapon
Mark Kozelek
Metallica
Metronomy
Modest Mouse
My Morning Jacket
No Doubt
Pete Yorn – Arranging Time
Radiohead
Rihanna – Anti
Spiritualized
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Killers
The Strokes
Zeds Dead

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, New Music Tagged With: AlunaGeorge, Animal Collective, Antemasque, Band of Horses, Beck, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Blink-182, Bloc Party, Chairlift, Charles Bradley, Chromatics, Crystal Castles, David Bowie, Deftones, Diddy, DJ Premier, Drake, Frank Ocean, Gary Numan, Gorillaz, GZA, Haim, Kanye West, Kings of Leon, LCD Soundsystem, Lupe Fiasco, M.I.A., M83, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Major Lazer, Mark Kozelek, Metallica, Metronomy, Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, New Music, No Doubt, Pete Yorn, Poliça, Radiohead, Rihanna, Spiritualized, St. Lucia, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Killers, The Strokes, Tortoise, Ty Segall, Wild Nothing, Zeds Dead

Treasure Island Music Festival 2013: Top sets

October 22, 2013 by The Bam Team 4 Comments

Photos by Marc Fong

Treasure Island Music Festival delivered one its best artist lineups in recent years October 19 & 20, allowing fans to immerse themselves in some of the best progressive dance and indie rock today. The festival seemed louder this year (that’s a good thing), and a sold out Saturday raged harder than most other TIMF days in the past. Sunday featured many acts with a tendency to inspire dancing and earplug use more than past Treasure Island Sundays (that is also a good thing).

Thoughts of lovely Indian Summer evenings were washed away by cold evenings, something that was on the mind of many artists. In the world of live music, artists are forced to choose style over function in relation to the idea of look versus comfort. Brian King from Japandroids must wear his white t-shirt and Alexis Krauss from Sleigh Bells has to show some leg, but fest-goers can wrap themselves in emergency blankets, furry costumes and bundles of layers. So we had that going for us.

View our show reviews below, including eight performances named TOP SET, along with hundreds of artist and scene photos.

Saturday ~ October 19, 2013

Atoms For Peace ~ TOP SET
Saturday • Bridge Stage • 9:25pm

Thom Yorke does not like “playing at sea”, so don’t hold your breath in regards to Atoms For Peace playing SS Coachella anytime soon. Thom might not win any new fans with his ‘witty banter’, but the infectious cacophony he produced with Flea, Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker and Mauro Refosco was difficult to ignore, or stand still to. Barrage is one word that comes to mind as you are pummeled by bass and drums at almost every moment, and it’s evident Flea loves the challenge of bringing the most complex afro-funk bass lines he humanly can. Atoms can’t slow down, they go hard the whole show. Hell, even the originally sedate UNKLE track “Rabbit in Your Headlight” had a rousing pulse to it. This is where Yorke wants to be, this is the sound that he wants to produce, especially as he brings his hyper-rhythmic love over into his primary project. -Kevin Quandt

Phantogram
Saturday • Tunnel Stage • 8:35pm

Phantogram are back on the road, road testing new material from their new self-titled EP and a forthcoming long player, and they closed out the Tunnel Stage Saturday with a rocking psychedelic dance party. “Black Out Days” packs a punch as powerful as “Don’t Move”, which closed out the set. “Nothing But Trouble” and “Howling at the Moon” (song titles unconfirmed) were two tracks the band unveiled despite commenting that they probably should not be playing them. Despite a few technical glitches and unwanted feedback, Sarah Barthel’s voice was flawless and the new material received a big response, adding up to one of the many highlights Saturday night. -Kevin Raos

Little Dragon
Saturday • Bridge Stage • 7:40pm

Swedish electro-pop group Little Dragon continues to mature with age. Performing on the big stage towards the end of the night, they were certainly granted the respect that they deserve. Having just wrapped the recording of their fourth studio album due in the spring, Little Dragon was eager to demonstrate their evolved sound to the eager crowd, giving older songs a new, sonically swirling spin while debuting a new song or two. Fronted by the talented vocals of Yukimi Nagano, Little Dragon sounded as good as ever on the island. -KR

Holy Ghost! ~ TOP SET
Saturday • Tunnel Stage • 6:50pm

The largest act off DFA Records to be part of the bill since LCD Soundsystem, Holy Ghost! kept the “dance bar” raised high during their Sunset shift on Saturday at the Tunnel stage. Predominately playing tracks off their recently released 2013 album Dynamics, the New York disco distributors started a dance party almost immediately as the first notes hit the audience’s ears. Electrifying the crowd with new sing along favorites “Dumb Disco Ideas” and “Dance a Little Closer,” the Bay Area got a taste of what these boys will have on deck for their just announced New Year’s Eve headlining show at The Independent. -Molly Kish

Major Lazer
Saturday • Bridge Stage • 5:55pm

For a festival act, it’s hard to top the energy that Diplo and the Major Lazer crew bring to the stage. Riding a tsunami of booty clapping trap music into the rest of the evening’s insane line up, the crowd lost their collective minds witnessing the onstage antics and bone shattering bass lines of Major Lazer’s early evening set. Vuvuzelas blared, sirens rang and between the acts’ revamped hype-man roster, twerk army and Diplo’s human hamster ball, the festival escalated quite rapidly into full-throttle rage mode. -MK

DJ Falcon
Saturday • Tunnel Stage • 5:10pm

French DJ & producer Stéphane Quême, aka DJ Falcon, had a prime time slot on paper, but his audience was rather small. It looked like most folks were taking a breather or getting food between Disclosure and Major Lazer. While there was plenty of space at the Tunnel Stage for DJ Falcon, it was filled out by dance-heads that had to keep the train moving. The set ended with Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” into “Give Life Back to Music”, but the set would have had a bigger impact by ending with his own Random Access Memories cut “Contact”. -Mike Frash

Disclosure ~ TOP SET
Saturday • Bridge Stage • 4:20pm

The brothers Lawrence returned to the Bay Area for their second ever show, exemplifying how much things can change in the course of a year. Disclosure attracted the most dense and one of the most mentally immersed crowds of the weekend — it’s safe to say the UK duo are the most popular electronic act on the planet at the moment. From the moment these two fans set the tone of the show by sharing a lollipop, Guy and Howard Lawrence performed most of the tracks off their landmark first LP Settle, adding live drum and bass instrumentation. “Help Me Lose My Mind” was especially effective at slowing down the BPMs late in the set while keeping emotions high. If they could manage to bring along the likes of Jessie Ware, Aluna Francis, London Grammar & Sam Smith on tour with them to sing in the flesh, Disclosure would pack in arenas from Sydney to San Francisco. -MF

Poolside
Saturday • Tunnel Stage • 3:35pm

Poolside curated a mellow, island vibe that suited the bright afternoon sun at the Tunnel stage. Ultra-catchy songs like “Why You Wanna”, “Do You Believe” and “Slow Down” deliver seductive mantras that are hypnotic, yet keep you swaying to the beat. A bonus Poolside highlight came for those that were lucky enough to stick around after Atoms for Peace had finished for an intimate Poolside DJ set on the way out. -KR

Danny Brown
Saturday • Bridge Stage • 2:45pm

This late addition to the lineup was embraced, even if we had to lose the UK rarity that is Tricky, and his early Saturday showcase allowed him to span his releases more fully, primarily with the release of Old. A long intro built hype nicely, and by the time Danny Brown sauntered onto stage, the youthful crowd was revved up and eating from the MCs hand for the remainder of a high-energy set. Highlights included “Radio Song” and “Monopoly” off XXX. The sky’s the limit for Brown as he settles into his newfound ‘King of Weird’ title. -KQ

Robert DeLong
Saturday • Tunnel Stage • 2:00pm

21st century one man band Robert DeLong inspired early movement from the audience with his danceable, percussive beats. Equipped with an array of musical toys, DeLong demonstrated his ability to create deep layers of sound with only the use of his two hands. Robert DeLong is clearly a drummer at heart, however he takes his music to another level, synchronizing his beats through the tip of his drum stick. DeLong continues to build smart and innovative beats in a live environment, surpassing many of his ‘button-pushing’ peers in technique and output. -KR

ADULT.
Saturday • Bridge Stage • 1:15pm

Goth electro rockers ADULT. warmed up the main stage in a big way Saturday. Dressed in all black with a heavy dose of leather, singer Nicola Kuperus and beatmaker Adam Lee Miller, were battling the heat of the sun the entire set. Kuperus commented on her desire for the sun to go away and contemplated refuge under the stage. Kuperos, however, found relief from the sun during the final two songs when she jumped into the audience to perform at crowd level. Kuperos eventually found a patch of shade to the left of the stage under a tree to close out the set. -KR

Sunday ~ October 20, 2013

Beck ~ TOP SET
SUNDAY • Bridge Stage • 9:25pm

Beck emerged for his Sunday headlining set about 25 minutes after the printed time, but he more than made up for it by playing a collection of upbeat material to help “keep us warm” well past 11pm. All in all, the set was a greatest hits showcase — the Bay Area weekend warriors still rocking on the island heard “Devil’s Haircut”, “Loser”, “E-Pro”, “Girl”, and to end the night “Where It’s At”. New songs like “I Won’t Be Long” and “Defriended” didn’t get played, but the final show of the fest did see one of the only guest appearances of the weekend. Beck treated the Bay to the live debut of “Let’s Get Lost” from the Twilight:Eclipse soundtrack, enlisting Alexis Krauss from Sleigh Bells for the wonderful duet. This surprise was only topped when Beck reminded us he was ‘bringing that quiet storm’ during “I Wanna Get With You (And Your Sister, Debra)”. Beck showed, yet again, that he is one of the coolest guys in music. -MF

Sleigh Bells
SUNDAY • Tunnel Stage • 8:30pm

Alexis Krauss and Derek E. Miller closed down the Tunnel Stage on a bitterly chilly Sunday evening. Though many in the crowd, and likely on stage, weren’t too cold for too long as the energy levels rose quickly as thick riffs and bombastic beats came rushing from off the Bay. “Comeback Kid” and “Tiger Kit” were early highlights in the set. Showbams contributors were commenting that Sleigh Bells has become a quintessentially solid festival band that all can enjoy and head-band along to. Even though it was the second to last set of the event, it would’t be the last time Alexis graced the stage on this night. -KQ

Animal Collective ~ TOP SET
SUNDAY • Bridge Stage • 7:40pm

Ramping up the “weird” during the festival’s most surreal performance, Animal Collective pulled out rare cuts and old classics for their Sunday night set on the Bridge Stage. Bringing along their all-consuming, giant mouth set design from the Centipede HZ tour this past year, the boys blew the minds of the early evening crowd with their intense visuals, spasmodic stage show and extended psychedelic jam session. Shying away from the radio hits, Animal Collective delved deep into their catalogue for a surprising set list with songs like “The Purple Bottle”, catering to an audience full of devoted fans and impressed noobs. A bold scheduling call for the traditionally more mellow of the two days, Animal Collective fulfilled the TIMF diversity quotient while properly mind-fucking the withstanding festival-weary crowd. -MK

Japandroids
SUNDAY • Tunnel Stage • 6:50pm

It’s hard to fathom how many miles on the road Brian Davis and David Prowse have racked up since the release of Celebration Rock. Treasure Island was their last show in the continent for a while, but they continue on to far off places before taking their well-earned break. In the meantime, the Canadian duo did their best to shake off the brisk wind by blazing through songs like “The Night of Wine and Roses” and “Fire’s Highway”. The enthusiastic crowd bopped along in a combination of adoration and warmth. -KQ

James Blake ~ TOP SET
SUNDAY • Bridge Stage • 6:00pm

James Blake‘s sound fit the moment exquisitely as the sun began to disappear behind a long band of fog that threatened to take over Treasure Island. Blake now tours as a trio, wisely adding live percussion to enhance his dreamy soundscapes. Confident yet mostly stoic, Blake’s measured vocals hung in the brisk fall air to mostly pin-drop silence. The progressive nature of the 25-year old’s music suddenly feels so familiar since Blake blasted into the worldwide music scene four years ago. Maybe its a product of his influence, or just the fact that his heavenly voice, modulated or not, blends so well with his post-dubstep-based production. This set elicited gasps of joy from the throngs of female fans along the stage rail, and the ending of “Overgrown” had an orgasmic effect on a couple of people near me. Set placement of songs was ideal — “Retrograde” and “The Wilhelm Scream” bookended the performance perfectly, and “Voyeur” stole the show, igniting an extended dance session. James Blake is simply a legend in the making. -MF

Real Estate
SUNDAY • Tunnel Stage • 5:10pm

Sunday afternoons don’t get much more ideal than sail boats as a backdrop, sun in our eyes and Real Estate churning out their breezy style of surfed-out indie rock. However, this set was not a showcase of previously released material, but rather a showcase of new material, and even a new touring keyboard player. Even with a few brand new songs filling their set, Real Estate still managed to represent both of their stellar releases. “Green Aisles” was especially strong as a large palm tree behind the stage swayed along with the crowd. -KQ

STRFKR
SUNDAY • Bridge Stage • 4:20pm

STRFKR sees you’re confetti cannons and giant hamster ball Diplo and ‘raises you’ a crowd surfing astronaut and an army of blow up dolls! STRFKR pulled out all of the stops for their over the top afternoon performance. Pulling from their four full length albums, the boys were out there to get the crowd moving. While catching the last glimpses of sunlight on the Bridge Stage, the band executed one of their most polished Bay Area performances to date amongst a complete shit show of on stage distractions and “hype animals.” Dancing furries, a sumo wrestling battle and simulated oral sex/bestiality provided humorous stage antics for the second half of the set. Depending on your mindset during this point in the weekend, the show either came off as unnecessary overcompensation or one of the best shows Sunday. -MK

HAIM ~ TOP SET
SUNDAY • Tunnel Stage • 3:35pm

How is it possible that the spunky LA-based sister trio HAIM has never played a proper set in San Francisco until TIMF? Well, if life is about first impressions, the Bay Area is smitten. Part of HAIM’s success lies in their equal value and contributions to the group — Este, Danielle & Alana Haim share singing duties, adorable stage banter and the ability to play their instruments magnificently. Most of all though, it’s HAIM’s fearless and passionate approach to everything they do that is most memorable. They are all very comfortable on stage, as seen through their ‘in the moment’ mentality, responding to calls from the crowd and telling people to throw their food on stage for a mid-set snack. “Honey and I” got a stripped down treatment that worked well, something the ladies said they did specially for SF. Asking if we were ready to dance, HAIM launched into “Forever”, and TIMF obliged. This international sensation has finally played the other end of their home state, and HAIM is likely to play theater-sized venues next time they are back. -MF

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: ADULT., Animal Collective, Atoms for Peace, Beck, Danny Brown, Disclosure, DJ Falcon, Giraffage, Haim, Holy Ghost, James Blake, Japandroids, Little Dragon, Major Lazer, Phantogram, Poolside, Real Estate, Robert DeLong, Sleigh Bells, STRFKR, Treasure Island Music Festival

Treasure Island Music Festival: Seven reasons to go big

June 12, 2013 by Kevin Quandt & Mike Frash 8 Comments

The seventh annual Treasure Island Music Festival returns October 19-20, and the top-notch lineup is as strong as ever. The acts slated to perform are so good, we suggest that you go big. ‘Going Big’ can mean a lot of things here: Getting a two-day VIP pass, taking in every single set and even riding the Ferris Wheel after a couple of Spicy Pies all count. For the first year, only two-day GA, VIP & parking passes are available for purchase, and there is no guarantee single day passes will be sold.

In honor of the seventh iteration of this quintessential Bay Area Festival, here are seven reasons to go big.

1. Now that is a headliner!

Atoms for Peace

Short of Radiohead, there are few acts as highly sought after as Atoms for Peace. Besides the group’s resounding star power with Thom Yorke and Flea, not to mention Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker and percussionist Mauro Refosco, Atoms are not constant touring machines like some acts on the bill such as Major Lazer or Sleigh Bells. AMOK’s release was months ago, but is still on constant rotation for many (including this writer), but it’s anyone’s guess how some of these dynamic songs will transcribe to a large, live format.

Band members have been leaking footage of their rehearsals on YouTube, and dropping some seriously exciting nuggets of possibility that make their second touring cycle even more thrilling. Case in point: the video of Thom performing 1998’s heralded UNKLE collaboration, “Rabbit in Your Headlights”. Not only is this an amazing track that Radiohead never attempted, but it pretty much confirms the inclusion of non-Atoms material on stage this run. Will the rehearsed Hail to the Thief B-Side “Paperbag Writer” be present on this tour? Well, guess you’ll have to be on the island to see if the Bay Area is graced with one, or more, of these contemporary gems.

2. “All the best Saturdays are spent dancing!”

The Dance Sets – Disclosure, Holy Ghost, DJ Falcon, Major Lazer, Robert DeLong, Phantogram, Poolside

Per the usual, TI will be split stylistically into two days with Saturday being dominated by all things dance and electronic music, so no moping about or standing with your hands in your pockets. Atoms for Peace will close the first day, but the pulsating lead up to the headliners will generate lots of buzz before the final act even struts out. Disclosure finally return to the Bay after their premier show last fall, and with a highly regarded debut record in June, they are sure to gain new fans and get festivalgoers of all ages into a frenzy with their patented house-oriented 2-step/garage hybrid. Holy Ghost! is the newest DFA Records darlings who have been selling out shows and turning heads this spring, even before releasing their much anticipated sophomore effort, Dynamics. Their deep synth-laden take on disco-pop is infectious, so don’t miss this duo. French producer DJ Falcon is yet another act who has been garnering a great deal of attention with his work on Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories – he produced the intense, final track “Contact”. Expect a set heavy on house tunes, and one wouldn’t be remiss in hoping to dance to some Daft cuts during his time slot.

Major Lazer and Robert Delong will also get the spotlight on Saturday. Major Lazer is backed by the big name that is Diplo, not to mention a sizable stage production, and Robert DeLong is a rising star in his own right. Diplo melds the sounds of the Caribbean into a bass-heavy conglomeration, while DeLong takes his EDM sensibility and mixes in alternative rock influences, creating something partially poppy, but fully pleasing on the dance floor. Each act will showcase the cross-pollination that dance music is currently embracing.

3. “Logistics matter, folks.”

The venue/setup/schedule

Sure, at first glance the idea of reasonably large festival on the less-than-oft-visited island halfway across the Bay Bridge may seem like a logistical nightmare, but after six years the folks at Another Planet Entertainment and Noise Pop have this event running like a well-oiled machine. For driving patrons, on site parking passes are available, but the sheer majority will be making the pilgrimage to Treasure Island via luxurious busses that are plentiful and organized. The Civic Center will the be launching-off point this year for the second time, as I suppose APE is hopeful the Giants make the playoffs, leaving AT&T park as an unviable option. Once on TI, life is easy – everything is contained and well laid out – making the best use of an otherwise small green-strip of grass facing downtown San Francisco. Lastly, TI’s site says that there will be a carpooling option coming soon, so there may be even more ways to pack onto this tiny rock.

Scheduling music for a large-scale music festival is never an easy venture, and this dubious responsibility is bound to create gripes while pleasing others equally. Alas, this is not an issue at Treasure Island as there is no overlap between artists on the two stages, making any competition a moot point. Another way of saying this is that you can literally see every act, every song and every moment that happens, making it vastly appealing after making grueling decisions at Coachella, Outside Lands and other massive music festivals throughout the summer.

4. “The coolest Scientologist in the World is a headliner.”

Beck

It seems fitting that Beck Hansen stands atop the lineup this year, as he has been rather fond of the Bay Area recently with both a tour warm-up show in Santa Cruz and a feature at Davies Symphony Hall, with both appearances shedding more light on his paper-bound “album”, Song Reader. Beck and band will be heading out in the summer to shake off those touring cobwebs, while likely testing out loads of new tunes of the acoustic variety as part of the Americana-rama tour alongside Bob Dylan and Wilco. “Defriended” is a brand spanking new track on the electronic side of things (view it above), and is chock full of bizarre beats, assaulting drum flourishes and Beck’s characteristic croon soaring high overhead. The increase in Beck news has many music fans eagerly awaiting a new record, and it appears Beck is working on a second album for late 2013 that will be the proper follow-up to 2008’s Modern Guilt. It’s safe to say that the festival will be closed out on Sunday in a show-stopping manner that only Beck can provide.

5. “Sunday was made for rocking!”

The Rock Sets – Japandroids, Sleigh Bells & Palma Violets

Just as Saturday leans towards the cutting edge of electronic music, the rock-leaning acts will likely take to the stages on Sunday. Japandroids, Sleigh Bells, and Palma Violets are three superb groups that will surely bring some seriously needed guitar-driven energy to the masses. Japandroids have been touring furiously behind last year’s heralded release, Celebration Rock, and will thrive in an afternoon slot to those looking for blistering anthemic rock and roll. Similar to Japandroid’s minimal band member formula, singer Alexis Krauss and guitarist Derek Miller combine forces as Sleigh Bells, and after a few months missing from the live circuit they are ramping up again. Their play on dance-noise-punk is slightly electrified and heavy on gripping guitar riffs – Sleigh Bells is sure to get a strong reaction from the crowd. Palma Violets are a newer name that many may have glanced over with the lineup release. These exciting British young’uns are making waves with their patented play on harder-edged Brit-rock, accompanied by a raucous stage presence to match their catchy debut album.

6. “The ideal sunset show.”

James Blake

James Blake’s songs can be enhanced by listening to them at special moments. Fire up “The Wilhelm Scream” at 2am after partying all night or listen to his cover of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You” in the early morning for example. But no James Blake live music scenario could possibly be better than an early evening set on Treasure Island with the sun starting to fade behind Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. With golden hour rays of light bathing upon a mellow Sunday crowd, could Blake’s post-dubstep crooning go down in any better environment? The 21st century troubadour released a more cohesive album with his sophomore effort Overgrown in April, and he’ll have this new material ingrained in his psyche by October after playing it live throughout 2013. It doesn’t matter how many red bulls, beers or unknowing friends tempt you to go to the Silent Disco during this set – get close for this one and absorb the mellowed bass blasts.

7. “It all comes back to the Indie sets.”

Animal Collective, Lord Huron, HAIM

Indie rock is always a genre that’s represented at Treasure Island Music Festival, but it’s less present than prior years. Animal Collective and their delirious, neo-psychedelia can be classified in many ways: Certainly they have indie influences present in their sound, but they also purvey elements of experimental freak folk and electronic noise pop that sways between the concepts of repetition and ambience. In a word, Animal Collective is unique, and they curate a live experience that makes it easy to float away from the daily grind. LA-based Lord Huron are pure indie with an Americana bent, and their rolling tunes inspire feelings of big open spaces – perfect for TIMF. Haim, one of the biggest up-and-coming acts around, will make their Bay Area debut at TIMF. The all-female group from Southern California have played in Los Angeles over 20 times, but never for their neighbors to the north. Haim has drawn comparisons to Fleetwood Mac, but their quirky back beat and fast paced lyrics translate to a fascinating contemporary mix of pop, R&B and indie rock.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Festivals, Treasure Island Music Festival Tagged With: Animal Collective, Atoms for Peace, Beck, Cayucas, Disclosure, DJ Falcon, Haim, Holy Ghost, io echo, James Blake, Japandroids, Lord Huron, Major Lazer, Palma Violets, Phantogram, Poolside, Robert DeLong, Sleigh Bells, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2013

Treasure Island Music Festival 2013 predictions

May 13, 2013 by Kevin Quandt & Mike Frash 5 Comments

Treasure Island Music Festival‘s 2013 lineup will be unleashed Tuesday (May 28th), so it got us thinking: Who will perform at the festival on the bay October 19th-20th? This scenic festival usually offers about 25 acts over two days and is conflict-free — no sets overlap.

Our predictions are based on simple research; we take a look at artists that fit into Treasure Island Music Festival’s curation history who also happen to be touring in or around October. Be warned — this is pure speculation. The confirmed lineup will be released Tuesday morning after Memorial Day weekend.

UPDATE: The lineup was announced May 28th, and it’s a good one. We got a handful of artist predictions correct, and remember to snatch up those early-bird tickets when they go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.

Atoms for Peace

Thom Yorke and his band of merry players are the first and most glaring treat that is likely to headline Saturday’s traditionally dance, hip-hop and electronic-friendly bill. Their particular tour route puts them right in the Bay Area after a pair of instant sellout shows in Southern California. It appears Thom will will bring the group of Flea, Nigel Godrich, Mauro Refosco and Joey Waronker to stay consistent with this project’s past. Rich rhythmic arrangements and lush synths are certain to keep patrons dancing well into a, hopefully, warm Indian Summer night with the cityscape as one of the best backgrounds a fan can ask for. Their 2010 Fox Theater shows were well received and at capacity, so tickets for Treasure Island this year could go quickly. AMOK received high praises a few months back, and now with a deeper bag of songs to pull from, one can only be thrilled at this lauded fall tour finishing in the Bay.

The Cure

It was rather surprising that this name didn’t appear on the Outside Lands lineup, but what better veteran rock act is there to close out Sunday evening? Though Robert Smith won’t be touring a new record, he will likely have a few tricks up his sleeve after a multi-year tour hiatus, except for a handful of European festivals in 2012. The Cure will be active in October, performing at Austin City Limits, and it’s been nearly a decade since they played the City proper, so what better time than October?

Queens of the Stone Age

Giddy up! Josh Homme and his crew of stony musicians are back for more after a hiatus from touring with his most-famous project to date. With their forthcoming release …Like Clockwork arriving in June, it’s sure to be a busy second half of 2013 for QOTSA as the California band books festival after festival, getting these new tracks into the ears of anxious listeners. One other aspect that we have to look forward to is the inclusion of John Theodore (ex-Mars Volta) as QOTSA’s new drummer, sure to propel the pummeling drive of the Hommes’ quintessential stoner hard rock.

Animal Collective

The psychedelic, seizure-inducing LSD flashback of a freakout known as Animal Collective would be a fine fit in TIMF’s scope of artists, and they could possibly headline at this point. They have been touring with Dan Deacon and were forced to cancel a block of dates in March due to Avey Tare’s mondo case of strep throat. Many of these shows have been rescheduled for October, and there is a noticeable gap on their tour docket from October 18th-23rd. AC will also be performing at other music festivals like Austin City Limits and Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit, making a TI performance even more logical.

Kendrick Lamar

California native Kendrick Lamar has only set foot in San Francisco/Oakland once since releasing his instant classic LP Good Kid, Mad City, and TIMF has provided at least one marquee hip-hop name on the lineup the past three years with Public Enemy, Dizzee Rascal & Die Antwoord (zef-hop?). Let’s hope this continues with a victory lap performance from the Dr. Dre protégé, which seems logical. Lamar will continue a hectic tour schedule through the summer, then he’s on board to perform at Austin City Limits the two weekends prior to Treasure Island.

James Blake

Much like Atoms, James Blake has some shows scheduled in the southern region of the state, and one can only make the educated leap that Blake will be featured at Treasure Island this year. With a constantly rising stock, Blake continues feverishly touring his latest release Overgrown, and it’s his year to bring his unique post-dubstep take on soulful balladry to a wider audience. His sunset slot time at FYF in LA last fall was superb, and one can only imagine the beauty of Blake’s set on the tiny rock in the San Francisco Bay. His crossover style makes it difficult to decipher which day he will be featured, but then again that’s one of the best aspects of music today — genre lines are being blurred more and more each year, and Treasure Island Music Fest embraces this quality so well.

Death Grips

From San Francisco house parties to mid-tier festival act in a short amount of time places this highly-buzzed band square in the crossfires of Treasure Island. An extensive summer tour leaves Northern California off the itinerary, and therefore the Bay Area is likely to get some love come fall. Their brutal stage show has been turning heads, along with their shock-tastic media attention, whether it’s pissing off their label or putting out pornographic album art. Plus, they hail from Sacramento, so it would be a proper nod the region.

Disclosure

Treasure Island has always prided themselves on booking forward thinking, up-and-coming acts, so it would make sense to snatch up the UK two-step/house amalgam that is Disclosure. Having not returned to the Bay Area since the young lads’ banner SF premier last fall leads me to believe this would be an ideal spot to showcase the producer/brother pair. Furthermore, it would be their first under-21 show in the region and would be a perfect warm-up to Atoms for Peace on Saturday.

OTHER LIKELY PERFORMERS @timfsf
MIA
Dan Deacon
Dinosaur Jr
Foxygen
John Talabot
Palma Violets
The Shouting Matches
Savages
Paper Diamond
Phosphorescent
Haim
Autre Ne Veut
Iceage
Mikal Cronin
White Arrows
Social Studies

Filed Under: Festivals Tagged With: Animal Collective, Atoms for Peace, Autre Ne Veut, Dan Deacon, Death Grips, Disclosure, Foxygen, Haim, Iceage, James Blake, John Talabot, Kendrick Lamar, MIA, Mikal Cronin, Palma Violets, Paper Diamond, Phosphorescent, Queens of the Stone Age, Savages, Social Studies, The Cure, The Shouting Matches, TIMF, TIMF 3013, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2013, White Arrows

Coachella 2013: Predictions, wishes & rumors vs. reality

January 14, 2013 by Mike Frash 7 Comments

By Mike Frash //

With a casual tweet, festival season is about to begin. Anticipation over the imminent 2013 Coachella lineup is building, and recent history shows the festival lineup could come this week.

Do you have your accommodations set? Hopefully your ticket is taken care of, because Coachella 2013 could already be close to sold out.

Presale ticketing for this year’s Coachella sold out within hours of going on sale both weekends last May, and it was the first time pre-sale sold out in such a quick fashion. The Coachella 2012 general on-sale sold out within an hour for both weekends a year ago, and if you weren’t ninja-quick at getting into the waiting room, you were shit out of luck. Take all this into account, and there might be a very limited amount of tickets available after the 2013 lineup drops. Is it possible Coachella 2013 is completely sold out from presale ticketing?

Headliners: Reality vs. Rumors
The headliner rumors arrived early this year, with speculation over The Rolling Stones and Daft Punk dominating the conversation. At this point The Rolling Stones seems like the more likely of the two to be headlining, even though they haven’t played a whole lot of festivals since Altamont in 1969. Besides, Coachella rumors about Daft Punk and David Bowie playing Coachella are a yearly running gag at this point — we’ll believe it when we see it. Bowie even has a confirmed album coming out in the spring, but his bandmates are saying Ziggy has ruled out performing live … forever.

Reunions are a big part of Coachella’s top-notch lineups, and last year saw the regrouping of At The Drive-In, Pulp and Refused. This year it looks like The Postal Service and My Bloody Valentine could happen. Blur would also make sense since they reunited at the Olympics last year. Black Sabbath was reportedly on board to headline last year until they had to pull out at the last moment, and they have a new album coming out in June. Outkast would be the perfect hip-hop headliner, but that seems unlikely with Big Boi pushing his new LP. Wu-Tang Clan seems like the most likely rap act to play the main stage, but are they big enough to headline one of the three days each weekend?

Last year saw The Black Keys headline Friday along with Swedish House Mafia, and most people thought The Black Keys weren’t worthy of headliner status. But Coachella is good at king-making groups and artists, elevating them to the top level simply by making them headliners. Goldenvoice could repeat last year’s Friday concept by crowning Phoenix, The xx or Mumford and Sons headliners while putting deadmau5 on the top line to satiate the EDM masses.

Reality (likely headliners):
The Rolling Stones, The Postal Service, deadmau5, My Bloody Valentine, Black Sabbath, Pearl Jam, Phoenix, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wu Tang Clan, No Doubt, Mumford & Sons, The xx

Rumors (probable wishlist-fiction):
Daft Punk, Outkast, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails (How to Destroy Angels is likely)

Artists to see before they get big:
Last year, Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Death Grips, Azealia Banks, First Aid Kit, and lots of other artists performed at Coachella before getting exponentially bigger by the end of 2012. Possible contenders for 2013 include Angel Haze, AlunaGeorge, FIDLAR, Foxygen, Wilde Belle, & Earl Sweatshirt, although the hype for Earl is already tremendously loud.

Best EDM acts most likely to not perform in the Sahara Tent:
• deadmau5
• Bassnectar
• Tiesto
• Simian Mobile Disco
• Andy Stott
• Nicolas Jaar
• Dan Deacon
• John Talabot
• Disclosure
• Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

Artists most likely to return for second consecutive year:
Kendrick Lamar and Dawes, because Dawes somehow plays every festival.

Headlines we’d like to see:
“Frank Ocean, Tyler The Creator join Earl Sweatshirt’s first solo set”
“Progressive-house trend baffles Sahara tent candy-kids”
“Thom Yorke, Bradford Cox & Trent Rezner play a combined 9 sets each weekend”
“Katie Perry attends Coachella again, never considered for performing duties.”

Plausible Acts We’d Like to See:
Alabama Shakes
alt-J
AlunaGeorge
Andy Stott
Angel Haze
Animal Collective
Atlas Sound
Atoms for Peace
Bassnectar
Bat for Lashes
Beach House
Ben Howard
Big Boi
Bjork
Black Sabbath
Blur
Cloud Nothings
Chromatics
Crystal Castles
CHVRCHES
Dan Deacon
Divine Fits
Disclosure
Die Antwoord
Django Django
Ducktails
Earl Sweatshirt
Father John Misty
Fiona Apple
Frightened Rabbit
Grimes
Grizzly Bear (Added 1.17.13)
Haim
Hot Chip
How to Dress Well
James Blake
Jamie Lidell
Japandroids
Jessie Ware
John Talabot
Jim James
Kendrick Lamar
Kishi Bashi
Killer Mike
Local Natives
New Order
Nicolas Jaar
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Major Lazer
Matthew Dear
Mumford & Sons
Passion Pit
Penguin Prison
Phoenix
Pretty Lights
Sigur Ros
Skrillex
Spiritualized
Stars
STRFCKR
Tame Impala
The Faint
The Joy Formidable
The Knife
The Postal Service
The Rolling Stones
The Walkmen
The xx
Toro Y Moi
TNGHT
Ty Segall
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Vampire Weekend
Warpaint
Wavves
Wild Belle
Wild Nothing
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yeasayer
Yo la Tengo
!!!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: !!!, Alabama Shakes, Alt-J, AlunaGeorge, Andy Stott, Angel Haze, Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, Atoms for Peace, Bat for Lashes, Beach House, Ben Howard, Big Boi, Bjork, Black Sabbath, Blur, Chromatics, Cloud Nothings, Coachella, Coachella 2013, Crystal Castles, Dan Deacon, Die Antwoord, Disclosure, Divine Fits, Django Django, Ducktails, Earl Sweatshirt, Father John Misty, Fiona Apple, Frightened Rabbit, Grimes, Haim, Hot Chip, James Blake, Jamie Lidell, Japandroids, Jessie Ware, Jim James, John Talabot, Kishi Bashi, Local Natives, Major Lazer, Matthew Dear, Mumford & Sons, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Nicolas Jaar, Passion Pit, Penguin Prison, Phoenix, Sigur Ros, Spiritualized, Stars, STRFCKR, Tame Impala, The Faint, The Joy Formidable, The Postal Service, The Rolling Stones, The Walkmen, The xx, Toro Y Moi, Ty Segall, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Vampire Weekend, Warpaint, Wavves, Wild Belle, Wild Nothing, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Yeasayer, Yo la Tengo

Showbams’ best shows of 2012

December 23, 2012 by The Bam Team 2 Comments

Showbams contributors name their favorite shows of 2012.

Showbam contributors reflect on the best concerts they went to in 2012 & list their favorite shows.

2012 has been a top-notch year for live music, and the Showbams team has witnessed some great acts that have come through California in the last 11 months. Take a look at our contributor’s favorite shows of 2012.

What was your favorite concert in 2012? Let us know in the comments below.

The xx at Treasure Island Music Festival

Mike Frash – San Francisco

1. Sigur Ros @ Outside Lands Music Festival 8.11.12
Leaving Metallica for Sigur Ros to end the second day at Outside Lands was a torturous decision. Metallica was a warzone spectacle, but i stuck to my guns and headed to the Twin Peaks stage. I’m glad I did. Jonsi now conducts a mini orchestra, and the eerie SF fog lowered on command to the slow builds & crescendos. It was a spiritual show that effected me more than any other concert in 2012.

2. Japandroids @ The Independent 6.14.12
Brian King and David Prowse brought ecstatic energy to the sold out Independent in June the week after Celebration Rock was released. Brian King understands how to control the pace of his set, offering fun pre-song statements that prepare you for what’s next. Their songs are vibrant live – it doesn’t sound like only two people are playing instruments. They truly seem to live the life they glorify on their 2012 album – still drinking, still smokin, and full of hyperactive desperation.

3. Phish Night 3 @ Bill Grahm Civic Auditorium 8.19.12
The highly anticipated phish three-show SF run in August started off a bit slowly. Saturday’s show left me a little bummed about Phish due to some sloppy play (“Split open and melt”) and what felt like a lack of enthusiasm. I was questioning why I still see Phish live heading into the last show of the weekend. My lowered expectations combined with a killer show quashed those thoughts. Crosseyed > Light > Sneakin’ Sally > Crosseyed was some of the best Phish I’ve ever heard, “Boogie on” redeemed Stevie Wonder’s omission of the song at Outside Lands the week before, “Meatstick” made me really happy, and the San Francisco-mentioning “Ride Captain Ride” made a surprise encore appearance. The show was pure bliss.

4. The Rapture @ Coachella 4.13.12
5. The xx @ Treasure Island Music Festival 10.14.12
6. The Presets @ The Independent 10.12.12
7. STS9 @ High Sierra Music Festival 7.5.12 & 7.6.12
8. Head and the Heart @ Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 10.6.12
9. Tame Impala @ The Fillmore 11.15.12
10. My Morning Jacket @ The Greek 9.15.12

Honorable Mention:
Father John Misty at Jansport Bonfire 9.30.12
Of Monsters & Men at The Independent 3.22.12

My Morning Jacket performing at The Wiltern in September

Pete Mauch – Los Angeles

1. My Morning Jacket @ The Wiltern 9.13.12
MMJ capped off the best 3-night run I saw this year with this stellar closing show complete with a Horn section. This is a big statement for a band I knew I loved but wasn’t fully convinced about until this night. Highlight: “All Night Long” & “Movin On Up” with Horns

2. Phish @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 8.19.12
Phish played a terrific 3-night run, and topped off by an amazing Sunday night show that proves that Phish is still top of the Jam Scene. Highlight: Light > Sneakin Sally Through the Alley

3. Ryan Adams @ Walt Disney Concert Hall 2.17.12
Ryan Adams, an acoustic Guitar, and a Piano is all this show contained, and it was truly special. Adams’ classic songs stripped down with his raspy croons is all I needed to make this a top show of the year. Highlight: “Rescue Blues” on Piano “Holy Diver” on Guitar

4. Trey Anastasio and LA Philharmonic @ Walt Disney Concert Hall 3.10.12
5. Neil Young and Crazy Horse @ the Hollywood Bowl 10.17.12
6. Charles Bradley and The Menahan Street Band @ UCLA Royce Hall 11.29.12
7. Radiohead @ Coachella Music Festival 4.21.12
8.Trombone Shorty @ the Key Club 2.11.12
9. Wilco @ the Palladium 1.24.12
10. New Multitudes (Tribute to Woody Guthrie) @ the Mayan Theatre 3.7.12

Honorable Mention:
Phish at Long Beach Arena 8.15.12
String Cheese Incident at Greek Theatre Berkeley 7.14.12
Roger Waters The Wall at the LA Coliseum 5.21.12
Umphreys Mcgee (True Hollywood Stories Acoustic Show) at the House of Blues 3.16.12

The Faint performing in November at The Regency Ballroom

Molly Kish – San Francisco

1. Radiohead @ HP Pavilion 4.12.12
After merely catching glimpses of them while shoved against thousands of festivalgoers at Outside Lands 2008, I was determined to catch Radiohead the next time they came through the Bay Area. The sound, visuals, performance and energy of the evening were electrifying. Although I was extremely lucky to have been viewing the concert from the sixth row, the entire crowd looked as though they were just as lost in the moment as I was. The band’s enigmatic stage presence, fully developed set composition and career spanning choice of material made for one of the most collectively impressive concert experiences that I have ever had the opportunity to be a part of.

2. Kishi Bashi/Of Montreal @ Slim’s 3.22.12
As a long time Of Montreal fan, I was ecstatic to get the opportunity to interview their opening act and latest addition to the line up (Kishi Bashi) the night of their performance at Slim’s. It wasn’t only for the sake of getting a personal perspective on the band, but also due to the fact that this would actually be my first time catching them performing live. The entire show and evening that followed was everything I could’ve wanted for my first experience seeing Of Montreal. Accompanied by three screens of psychedelic visuals, various costumed extras, balloon drops, props and whole score of vaudevillian rivalry, the band took the crowd and venue by storm. During the encore to top it off, I was able to reconnect with Kishi Bashi and ended up initiating an after-party with the entire band, crew and record label affiliates at an industrial themed “dark carnival,” taking place across the street at local dive bar Butter. Several jello shots, deep fried twinkies and contortionist carnie-prompted dance battles later, I looked around and felt assured that I had enough material to develop my own personal “Of Montreal” concert story contender.

3. The Presets @ Treasure Island Music Festival 10.13.12
Completely blown away by their performance the night before, I was overwhelmed with excitement and intrigue to see how the Presets could accomplish translating such energy to a festival setting. Anyone who had caught their Treasure Island Music Festival opener at the Independent instantly was taken over by sensory recall as they broke into song almost right where they left us hanging less than 24 hours earlier. Almost in homage to those who witnessed them destroy their previous set, they picked the dance party up right where they left off, only this time kicking it up about ten notches with the accompanied stage show, visual intensity and professional grade sound of seasoned professionals. Completely upstaging their more commercially recognized headliner and showing the younger generation how it should be done, they stole the show and were easily the stand out act of the 2012 TIMF. To this day I still find myself saying that I wish I could continually be going to a Presets show, based off of the concert experience I had at these two performances.

4. Dan Deacon @ The Great American Music Hall 10.23.12
5. Against Me! @ The Catalyst 9.10.12
6. The Faint @ The Regency Ballroom 11.18.12
7. Justice @ The Fox 11.4.2
8. Metallica @ Outside Lands 8.10.12
9. Animal Collective @ The Fox 9.21.12
10.The Shins @ The Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium 4.22.12

Honorable Mention:
Yeah Yeah Yeah’s @ The Creator’s Project SF 3.17.12
Cold War Kids @ The Bottom of the Hill 3.5.12
Dr. John @ The Independent 8.17.12
Girl Talk @ Sasquatch 5.25.12

David Byrnes & St. Vincent performing in October

Kevin Raos – San Francisco

1. David Byrne & St. Vincent @ the Orpheum Theater 10.15.12
This is my number one show of 2012 for a couple of reasons. First off, Love this Giant, the recently released collaborative album between Byrne and St. Vincent, was a major disappointment. One of my most anticipated albums of the year ended up being one of the most disappointing. All was redeemed, however, when I saw these songs performed live. The accompanying brass band and the chemistry on stage breathed new life into was I felt was a stale album. Playfully executed and precisely choreographed, these songs shined live.

Secondly, I am a huge David Byrne fan and was able to check a big one off my bucket list of musical artists. Byrne’s career needs no introduction and this evening we were treated to a few Talking Head’s classics such as “Burning Down the House,” “This Must Be the Place,” and “Like Humans Do.”

This show was simply a once in a lifetime experience.

2. Phish @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 8.19.12
A three night run at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium was capped off with a masterful performance by jamband kings, Phish. The final night of the run was easily the best night as the band flexed their improvisational muscles in a blistering 2-set performance, highlighted by covers of the Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless” and Robert Palmer’s “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley.”

3. Sigur Ros @ Outside Lands 8.11.12
Sigur Ros on my birthday to cap off an unbelievable festival day? How could it possibly get any better? It can’t really.

4. Les Claypool’s Duo De Twang @ Terrapin Crossroads – San Rafael 10.4.12
5. Keller Williams, Steve Kimock & Kyle Hollingsworth ft. Bernie Worrell, Wally Ingram & Andy Hess @ Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Music Festival 10.7.12
6. Miike Snow / Penguin Prison @ Fox Theater Oakland 4.12.12
7. Washed Out @ Mezzanine 5.4.12
8. Electric Guest @ The Independent 11.2.12
9. The Album Leaf / Blackbird Blackbird @ Bottom of the Hill 9.30.12
10. Citizens! Lescop, Housse de Racket, Tomorrow’s World @ The Rickshaw Stop 10.12.12

Honorable Mentions:
Zee Avi @ New Parish 9.28.12
M83 @ The Fillmore 4.22.12

Japandroids performing in 2012

Eric Shaden – San Francisco

1. D’Angelo @ HOB – Los Angeles 7.4.12

2. Passion Pit @ Rock en Seine – Paris 8.26.12

3. Starfucker @ the Independent 1.7.12

4. Stevie Wonder @ Outside Lands 8.12.12
5. Miike Snow + Penguin Prison @ The Fox Oakland 4.12.12
6. A.Skillz + Krafty Kuts Presents Tricka Technology @ Mighty 6.1.12
7. Aaron Freeman (Gene Ween) @ the Independent 10.19.12
8. Japandroids @ the Independent 6.14.12
9. Guns n’ Roses @ Bridge School Benefit 10.21.12
10. Kid Koala Vinyl Vaudeville Tour @ Independent 11.4.12

The Lumineers performing at The Chapel in August

Marc Fong – San Francisco
1. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros @ Slim’s 3.25.12
It’s not often I gush like a school girl (only about once or twice a week), but seeing ESatMZ at Slim’s was panty dropping. Can I say that? Well, I just did. It was a secret/private show so Slim’s was overcrowded. I stood center stage close enough to see the dirt on Alexander’s suit. The sound was great and the band always puts on a damn fine show.

2. The Lumineers @ The Chapel 10.11.12
LIVE 105 brought the Lumineers to newly opened Chapel in SF and the band didn’t disappoint. The venue was the perfect size for the band and like most of the other bands on this list, the Lumineers had fun playing and it made for a great show.

3. Kronos Quartet @ Greek Theater 10.5.12
Okay, it was really Amon Tobin’s deal, but Kronos opened and performed beautifully. Being a long time fan, it’s not a surprise these openers made my list. Great music from great performers. And The Greek Theater in Berkeley was the best venue to see them. (And most other shows.)

4. Willie Nelson and Family @ The Fox Oakland 3.15.12
5. Of Monsters and Men @ Independent 5.22.12
6. Fun. @ The Independent 5.28.12
7. Sage Francis @ Independent 3.17.12
8. Steve Aoki @ Bill Graham 1.21.12
9. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros @ The Fox Oakland 5.12.12
10. AVICII @ Bill Graham Civic 6.28.12

Tame Impala at The Fillmore in November

Kevin Quandt – San Francisco

1. The Walkmen @ The Independent January 20th & 21st
These 10th Anniversary shows were a Walkmen fan’s wet dream as they played their first album in full among multiple sets and configurations including a horn section. Over 30 songs of Hamilton Leithauser and company churning out their own brand of rock and roll to devote fans from across the States.

2. Refused with the Hives & the Bronx @ The Warfield 4.18.12
Having seen their Coachella show a week prior, the anticipation was less palpable, yet the reigning post-punk champs delighted a more rowdy and dedicated crowd with a spirited set for the masses who patiently waited a decade to witness.

3. Trey Anastasio and The Los Angeles Philharmonic @ Walt Disney Concert Hall 3.10.12
Dressing up for a show is fun, especially when Trey is at the helm of philharmonic symphony in one of the best rooms to hear, and see, music in. From the playful rendition of “Guyute” to the half hour “Time Turns Elasctic,” this night had the packed concert hall re-charmed by Ernest and his recharged song book.

4. Tame Impala @ The Fillmore 11.15.12
5. Phish @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 8.19.12
6. Woods and White Fence @ The Chapel at Preservation Hall West 10.17.12
7. Howlin Rain @ The Independent 2.18.12
8. Radiohead @ The Santa Barbara Bowl 4.12.12
9. Father John Misty & Har Mar Superstar @ Bottom of the hill 5.5.12
10.Mala @ Yoshi’s San Francisco 6.23.12

Festival sets:
Sigur Ros @ Outside Lands 8.11.12
Future Islands @ FYF 9.1.12
Flying Lotus @ Coachella 4.14.12

Justice performing at The Warfield in November

Sean Little – San Francisco

1. Justice @ The Warfield 11.4.12
What else is there to say about Justice that hasn’t already been said. They came, they saw, and they melted faces with an amazing set the blew fans away and converted first timers alike. At least half my friends decided to go last minute (tickets were still available because it was a Sunday) and all of them became huge fans. Some of these friends are not into electronic music of any kind either, so that really says something. It was one of those rare shows where you leave euphoric and can’t stop saying “wow” to the people you went with.

2. Florence & the Machine @ Coachella 4.15.12
The only other performer I’ve ever seen that commanded an audience like Florence did was Snoop Dogg back in 02 at the Smoke Out (stop-you’re not better than me so put that eyebrow back down). It was one of the rare festival sets where everyone felt really in tune with the performer and each other, singing along and knowing when to interact with each other and the songs. She was absolutely amazing, and the set was a dark horse highlight to my festival as I didn’t expect her to command the audience like she did. She’s truly a presence.

2ManyDJ’s @ Regency Ballroom
I saw them about this time last year but fuck it, it still counts. If you have never seen them live then go. Even if you don’t like electronic, go. Even if you hate music go. If you want to be schooled in what real DJs as performers can do, you have to go. They blend the most amazing remixes, edits, mashups and drops all together with a mindblowing set of animated artwork, based on the song that is being played behind them. I won’t even try to explain because it won’t work.

Filed Under: Best of 2012, Featured Tagged With: A.Skillz, Aaron Freeman, Against Me!, Animal Collective, AVICII, Best Concerts of 2012, Charles Bradley, Citizens! Lescop, Cold War Kids, D'Angelo, Dan Deacon, David Byrne & St. Vincent, Dr. John, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Electric Guest, Father John Misty, Flying Lotus, Fun., Future Islands, Girl Talk, Guns N' Roses, Head and the Heart, Howlin Rain, Japandroids, Keller Williams, Kid Koala, Kronos Quartet, Les Claypool, M83, Mala, Metallica, Miike Snow, My Morning Jacket, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, New Multitudes, Of Monsters and Men, Of Montreal, Passion Pit, Phish, Radiohead, Refused, Ryan Adams, Sage Francisc, Sigur Ros, Starfucker, Steve Aoki, Steve Kimock, Stevie Wonder, STS9, Tame Impala, The Album Leaf, The Faint, The Hives, The Lumineers, The Presets, The Rapture, The Shins, The Walkmen, The xx, Top Shows of 2012, Trey Anastasio, Trombone Shorty, Washed Out, White Fence, Wilco, Willie Nelson and Family, Woods, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Zee Avi

Animal Collective consumes the Fox Theater for their “Centipede Hz” tour 2012

September 28, 2012 by Molly Kish 3 Comments

Nearly a week after their September 21st Fox Theater performance, I am still reeling from the first night of Animal Collective’s double header in Oakland. The Friday night show was my first time experiencing the band live. 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 twelve years. The current tour highlighting their ninth full length release, “Centipede Hz” is one that showcases venues indicative of their veteran status. With appearances scheduled for the Pitchfork Music Festival, Australia’s “ Big Day Out” as well as various museums and large scale music halls throughout it’s European stretch, I felt fortunate to have caught them in such a beautiful location as the Fox Theater, Oakland.

Upon entering the theater’s lobby, you could feel the electricity in the air. With the venue reaching capacity and opener Micachu and 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 couldn’t have felt better about my position and subsequent immersion w/in 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 long time fan, I of course had my preferences for the potential set list 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. Hitting hard w/four brand new tracks back to back in a dizzying array of vocal ranges and improvisational jam sessions, the band immediately set the tone for the rest of the evening ‘s plan to desensitize even the most seasoned concert goers. The complex electronic arrangements interlaced w/tribal drum beats, pulsing baselines and static noise conclusions to most of the songs on the new album, made way for near perfect transitions between the opening tracks “Rosie Oh,” “Today’s Supernatural,” and “Wide Eyed.” After asserting their presence, the band shifted over into more lighthearted material, with the next song off of “Centipede HZ,” the playful homage to the simplicities of childhood, “Applesauce.” This led straight into the funk driven A-side off of their 7” of the same name “Honeycomb,” which got 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 play list will clear out the amateurs soon enough. A notion which was only to be further punctuated by the next song on the bill, an old school crowd favorite from 2009’s Merriweather Post Pavillion, “Lion In A Coma.” Sending the pit into a frenzy, the prevalent sound of the didgeridoo vibrated skin 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. Following after in the same pop centric manner, two more tracks from the 2012 release, “Moonjock,” and “Father Time,” which effortlessly segued into the shows second half. Both songs, continuing in the same vein of dance driven, lyrically decipherable, melodic gems with opportunities for vocal improvisation and band interaction. Whereas the boys were almost lost amongst the musical chaos, set design and incredible light show in the first half, at this point they took full command of the stage and subsequently their audience. 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 view point from on stage.

Slowing down the dance party briefly, the band then transitioned into “New Town Burnout.” Another track off of “Centipede HZ,” the song creates a strong jam based musical atmosphere furthermore aiding in the dispersal of those strictly present for the high energy commercial AC hits. At this point the hardcore fans were amped and rightfully so, because not only were they aware of the dynamic ending of the said track but correspondingly the possibility of it escalating into a full blown party block. As anticipated the cut blended perfectly into another song off of the new album, (which in turn becomes more of an extension of the predecessor), “Monkey Riches.” Which at that point in time was flawlessly correspondent w/the crowd dynamic of the evening, allowing for truly fervent fans to be front and center for the explosively climactic track of the evening “Brothersport.” Beyond the mind blowing light show and overwhelming intensity of the screaming crowd sing along, the band 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 w/unprecedented excitation during the monster build up mid song.

The concert then ended with the crowd marching to the beat of “Peacebone,” an old school crowd favorite from the 2007 album, “Strawberry Jam.” In no way could they have culminated on such an upbeat and obviously unfinished note, which shortly there after they remedied with an encore of “Cobwebs,” into “My Girls,” finishing the night off w/ “Amanita.” Solidly coming to a much more mellow conclusion, through two older tracks known mostly for their mainstream appeal and one of the few mellower songs off of the new album to round it all out.

Beyond the incredibly professional execution of their performance and incomparable sound/musical talent. The set design for this tour was one derived of beautiful nightmares, hitting the Animal Collective ambiance nail right on the head. 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 w/a rainbow’s array 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 Theater that night not only satisfied but hungry for more, talking 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 closing Northern California date? Although, I didn’t in fact make it out for the second evening, I can’t wait for them to come back and grace the Bay Area with their presence once more. I’m surprised I’ve waited that long to have seen them in the first place and now an only 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.

Check out the full set list for the September 21st show w/soundbites.

For further info and artist interviews done by yours truly, click here.
-Molly Kish

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Animal Collective, band, centipede hz, concert review, fox theater, indie rock, music, oakland., pitchfork, tour

New Music Tuesday: Animal Collective • Cat Power • Stars • Jens Lekman • Bob Mould • The Fresh & Onlys

September 4, 2012 by Mike Frash Leave a Comment

Every Tuesday, we focus on new music releases by naming our top tracks and supplying the latest videos for select albums.

Animal Collective – Centipede Hz.

Top Track: “Today’s Supernatural”

Cat Power – Sun

Top Track: “Ruin”

Stars – The North

Top Track: “Hold on When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It”

Jens Lekman – I Know What Love Isn’t

Top Track: “I Know What Love Isn’t”

Bob Mould – Silver Age

Top Track: “The Descent”

The Fresh & Onlys – Long Slow Dance

Top Track: “Presence of Mind”

Filed Under: New Music Tagged With: Animal Collective, Bob Mould, Cat Power, Jens Lekman, New Music, Stars, The Fresh & Onlys

Best tracks of 2012: August

August 31, 2012 by Mike Frash Leave a Comment

Showbams presents the best tracks of 2012 ➜ updated daily, through August 31st. We’ll be updating this list weekly, and the list will surely change significantly by the end of September.

Notable September releases include Animal Collective, Cat Power, Bob Dylan, A$AP Rocky, St. Vincent & David Byrne, The Avett Brothers, The xx, The Presets, Band of Horses, Mumford & Sons, Calexico, Django Django, Grizzly Bear and many more.

Subscribe to this Spotify playlist and follow along until the final ranking at year’s end.

Filed Under: Best of 2012, Featured Tagged With: A$AP Rocky, Animal Collective, Band of Horses, Bob Dylan, Calexico, Cat Power, Django Django, Grizzly Bear, Mumford & Sons, Spotify, St. Vincent & David Byrne, The Avett Brothers, The Presets, The xx

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Best tracks of 2012: August

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SHOW REVIEWS

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Run the Jewels leave no stone unturned in LA, capping off their 10th anniversary tour with a fourth & final night at Hollywood Palladium

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