Coachella – Showbams

Lo Moon are officially LA’s newest buzz band after their sold-out show at the Troubadour

November 23, 2017 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Lo Moon with Psychic Twin //
Troubadour – West Hollywood, CA
November 16th, 2017 //

If there’s one public radio station in Los Angeles that always seems to have its finger on the pulse of all things music, it’s KCRW.

The NPR member station broadcasting from Santa Monica College has long had a penchant for discovering some of today’s most buzzworthy bands, and since 1977, its signature music program “Morning Becomes Eclectic” has played an instrumental role in maintaining what has been a strong track record for years. In fact, quite a few up-and-coming acts have come out of KCRW’s own backyard, whether it has been indie-rock groups like Silverlake’s Local Natives or solo artists such as Inglewood-bred jazz virtuoso Kamasi Washington.

But the latest group from the City of Angels to catch the station’s eye has been Lo Moon, the atmospheric, yet soulful indie-electronic trio that has only officially released three songs to date. One of them is called “Thorns”, which opened their sold-out show last Thursday at the Troubadour. With KCRW sponsoring the event, Illinois native/now LA transplant Erin Fein’s dreamy, synth-pop project Psychic Twin paved the way for the evening’s headliner, as a half-empty room prior to 9 p.m. turned into a crowded one 30 minutes later.

Despite what they call home right now, Lo Moon don’t consider themselves an “LA band,” at least not yet. All three full-time members — Matt Lowell (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Crisanta Baker (bass, keyboards, vocals) and Sam Stewart (guitar, keyboards, vocals) — arrived in LA from different parts of the world and wrote most of their forthcoming debut LP that’s due out next year in Seattle, a city Lowell says helped shape the album’s overall sound.

Lo Moon, sonically, can be somewhat difficult to pin down. With a range of influences, their music has drawn comparisons to many of the UK’s biggest bands: Talk Talk, Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, Radiohead, Massive Attack and The xx, among others. That’s certainly some impressive company to be mentioned in when you get right down to it, especially for a band that took several months to unveil its second song. But Lo Moon have much more than just comparisons to hang their hat on at this point. The three-piece, for one, has inked a deal with Columbia Records and gotten the attention of former Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla, who has since signed on to produce its first full length.

Lately though, Lowell, Baker, Stewart and touring member Sterling Laws (drums) have been hitting the road with some pretty big names, including AIR (read our show review here) and Phoenix, with shows lined up next month as support for London Grammar, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and The War on Drugs. With those kind of opportunities this early in the band’s career, don’t be surprised if you find Lo Moon listed on the 2018 Coachella lineup in January.

Back at the Troubadour, Lo Moon ran through a number of tracks that we can expect to hear on their upcoming release, performing “The Right Thing” for the first time before closing the set on a high note with “This Is It”, their sophomore single that you could mistake for a Peter Gabriel song if you didn’t know any better. There’s no question Lowell and company have an affinity for synthesizers, and the limited studio material they’ve revealed so far suggests that. But what also makes them stand out is Lowell himself, who offered a poignant solo rendition on the piano titled “All In” to kick off the band’s brief encore.

Of course, as Lo Moon fans know or will come to know, the show couldn’t have ended without the song that started it all: “Loveless”. The sprawling, seven-minute anthem, which hooked a major record label, an A-list producer and listeners all over the world, is what initially put the threesome on the map, and with Laws’ drum rolls delivering one powerful crescendo after the next down the stretch, the crowd came visibly alive like it hadn’t all night. Sure, this may only be the beginning for these guys, but LA’s newest buzz band knows how to shoot for the moon.

Setlist:
Thorns
The Right Thing (live debut)
Wonderful Life
TTMYMO
Real Love
My Money
Camouflage
This Is It

Encore:
All In (Matt Lowell solo on piano)
Loveless

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Air, Coachella, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Cocteau Twins, Death Cab For Cutie, Jeff Tweedy, Kamasi Washington, KCRW, Lo Moon, Local Natives, London Grammar, Massive Attack, My Bloody Valentine, Peter Gabriel, Phoenix, Psychic Twin, Radiohead, Talk Talk, The War on Drugs, The xx, Troubadour, Wilco

SF Show of the Week // GO4FREE to Hot Chip (DJ set) at Mezzanine 11/22 (WED)

November 20, 2017 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Written by Chandler Kirkman //

Hot Chip feat. Felix Martin, Joe Goddard//
Mezzanine – San Francisco
November 22nd, 2017 //

Since forming in 2000 and releasing their debut EP Mexico, Hot Chip have remained one of today’s most distinctive and innovative bands with the way they combine indie and dance music in a refreshing manner. In addition to being known for their exciting, upbeat DJ sets and one-of-a-kind live performances, the London outfit has put out six studio albums, two mixed LPs, and both national and international radio mixes.

While Mexico launched the septet to stardom, frontman Alexis Taylor’s dreamy falsettos and Joe Goddard’s gruff vocals, plinky pianos and hypnotic, pulse-like techno beats have drawn more and more fans in worldwide. Each and every Hot Chip show feels unique, as the band’s members reinvent their original studio compositions and form an intense live improvisation that creates an energetic atmosphere.

Over the last 17 years, Hot Chip have performed in front of thousands at major music festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. The group has also received its fair share of accolades and recognition, including a Mercury Prize nomination for The Warning in 2006, a Grammy nomination for “Ready for the Floor” in 2009 and most recently, two Virgin Media Music award nominations in 2010.

Hot Chip released their sixth and most recent LP Why Make Sense? in 2015, reuniteing them with In Our Heads producer Mark Ralph as they explored a variety of sounds, from 90’s R&B to disco to post-punk.

This Wednesday, celebrate Thanksgiving one day early with a special extended DJ set from Felix Martin and Joe Goddard of Hot Chip. Tickets are available for $20, or you could win a pair of tickets by submitting your full name and email below.

Contest ends this Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Follow Showbams on Twitter for more contest giveaways throughout the week. Be the first to respond to our contest tweets to GO4FREE to these shows:

• Baio: November 21st (TUES) @ Rickshaw Stop
• Dhani Harrison: November 22nd (WED) @ The Chapel
• Lyrics Born: November 25th (SAT) @ The Independent
• Swingin’ Utters: November 25th (SAT) @ Slim’s
• Louisiana Love Act: November 25th (SAT) @ Great American Music Hall

Enter your name (First and Last) along with your email below. If you win a contest, you’ll be notified on the day the contest ends (details above).

CONTEST CLOSED.

Like Showbams on Facebook, follow Showbams on Twitter and follow Showbams on Instagram. Subscribe to our social channels for a better chance to win!

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: Baio, Coachella, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Dhani Harrison, Felix Martin, Great American Music Hall, Hot Chip, Joe Goddard, Louisiana Love Act, Lyrics Born, Mezzanine, Rickshaw Stop, Slims, Swingin' Utters, The Chapel, The Independent

Bonobo gives his new hometown a beautiful night to remember at LA’s Greek Theatre

October 4, 2017 by Josh Herwitt 2 Comments

By Josh Herwitt //

Bonobo (Live) with Bob Moses //
Greek Theatre – Los Angeles
September 27th, 2017 //

More than 17 years have passed since Simon Green dropped his debut album. In fact, the British musician, producer and DJ wasn’t even known as Bonobo at the time.

But five LPs and a plethora of other releases later, and Green has established himself as a pioneer of the modern downtempo scene. And in many ways, he’s still leading the charge.

What makes Bonobo’s music so intriguing to listen to is its detachment from any one genre. Green, rather, draws from a variety of musical styles that can be heard all over the world in creating a sound that is uniquely his own.

However, for as popular as Bonobo has become in electronic music circles, it wasn’t until he started touring with a full band in support of 2010’s Black Sands that a whole new light was shone on the project. And as the push-play EDM scene began to take hold, it was a different and refreshing way to see downtempo electronic music being performed live.

Bob Moses

The move to play with a cast of sidekicks has opened the door for Green to explore new sonic territory, and at the seemingly always-serene Greek Theatre in LA, that transformation, much like his performance up north just a few days prior (see our photos from the show here), was more evident than ever before. This wasn’t my first time seeing Bonobo perform with a band, but it did feel a little different for a few reasons. One was simply that it wasn’t at Coachella or a music festival, while the other was I hadn’t seen Bonobo perform live in his new hometown. Green, after all, moved to LA several years ago following the release of his fifth full length The North Borders in 2013, and this year’s follow-up, Migration, clearly draws inspiration from that significant change in his life as the album’s title suggests.

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. But one difference between the two electronic-leaning artists is Bonobo’s knack for working with vocalists, and British singer Szjerdene has been one of the latest as she continues to join him on the road in support of Migration, which features LA-based R&B duo Rhye and Aussie singer-songwriter Nick Murphy (fka Chet Faker). And while neither of those aforementioned collaborators made an appearance on this early fall night that in many ways still felt like summer in LA, Szjerdene and an orchestral section only added to the magic of the evening.

As Bonobo’s popularity continues to grow in the U.S. with every new album he puts out, it’s curious to think how far it could go. With his move to the states and more specifically to The Entertainment Capital of the World, you can expect him to flourish in a city that’s absolutely flooded with talent in all facets. LA has long been home to one of the biggest electronic music scenes in the world, and with the rise of satellite and independent radio — in particular, NPR member station KCRW — over the past decade, Bonobo’s music has reached many more ears across the Southland.

So, if the nearly sold-out crowd at the 5,870-seat Greek Theatre on a Wednesday night was any indication as to how far he has come, then Green picked just the right place to now call home.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Bob Moses, Bonobo, Coachella, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Greek Theatre, KCRW, Tycho

Outside Lands 2017: Our 10th anniversary awards

August 28, 2017 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Photos by Marc Fong & James Pawlish // Written by Kevin Quandt & Molly Kish //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 11th-13th, 2017 //

Outside Lands celebrated its 10th anniversary this August, and it was a weekend that we can definitively say had its share of ups, downs and unexpected twists. While many found plenty to gripe about, some took away a more positive experience, proving that music festivals and live music events are truly unpredictable even when you have some of the best in business at the helm. That said, the increasingly over-inflated market of music festivals right now can be volatile and may not be a cakewalk for concert promoters as more and more folks are drawn to large-scale events such as Lollapalooza, Coachella and Outside Lands.

Some stated that the 2017 edition of OSL lacked fireworks when the lineup dropped. Others said the lineup catered closer to the 25-35 demographic. There was no lack of opinions with regard to the acts that Another Planet Entertainment and Superfly booked, but it was clear they did have a vision and a bill that stood apart from the pack with a rare group of festival legends in The Who, Gorillaz and Metallica. Below those names led to further intrigue with the return of Queens of the Stone Age, Fleet Foxes and A Tribe Called Quest after a multiyear absence from the live arena.

But many now know that two out of those three sub-headliners were unable to perform for one reason or another, and while these sorts of things are generally out of anyone’s hands, they still take a toll on everyone involved in the days, hours and even minutes leading up to those highly anticipated sets. Alas, when you have such festival production pros who were backed by three insanely spot-on headliners, these bumps in the road can create something different than initially intended, yet equally satisfying.

So, without further ado, here are our awards from the 2017 edition of Outside Lands.

Gorillaz

Best three-time OSL performer: Hamilton Leithauser
One highlight this year was the debut of Hamilton Leithauser’s solo act on the Sutro Stage. Having played the festival in 2008 and 2012 with his primary outfit, The Walkmen, his set marked the rare occasion of an artist performing at Outside Lands for the third time, and while Leithauser did have to battle some minor sound issues, he rallied past them like the consummate professional that he is. Short of “Alexandra”, Leithauser exclusively dug into tracks from his collaborative album with fellow New Yorker Rostam Batmanglij (formerly of Vampire Weekend) by the name of I Had a Dream That You Were Mine. The spirited crooner still remains at the top of his game, and his vocal performance can’t be rivaled by even the best. One can only hope that this will not be Leithauser’s final time onstage at OSL as fans clamor to know what’s next from this crooning, indie god. -KQ

Best cameo’d performance of the weekend: Gorillaz
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. The two-hour set also saw Little Simz deliver a blistering performance of “Garage Palace” as well as a string of radio hits that included “Feel Good Inc.”, Clint Eastwood” and “Demon Daze”. With longtime fans and a new generation of contemporaries on hand, there was something truly special about seeing a packed crowd sing along with some cartoon legends. -MK

Best reason to sit in Golden Gate Park with your friends and listen to music: Real Estate
Real Estate continue to tour off this year’s stellar LP release, In Mind, and they demonstrated their live prowess at OSL with a sphincter-tight set of jangle pop. “Stained Glass” got the show started for the rather sizable crowd, which only grew over their allotted time. The Sutro Stage has become an ideal locale for mellower acts to play for slightly-more-seated audiences, and this set felt more loungey than others even though fan favorites “It’s Real” and “Green Aisles” punctuated a strong, breezy performance from Martin Courtney, Alex Bleeker and crew. -KQ

Most in need of performance pointers: KAYTRANADA
KAYTRANADA’s debut LP 99.9% was a highlight from 2016, and the Canadian producer has been continuing his victory lap with banner festival sets all around the world. While there’s no denying the infectious nature of his tracks like “Glowed Up” and “Got It Good” in a large-group setting, we yearn to get a little more out KAYTRA when he’s onstage. To be fair, he has loosened up a little and will toss a quick little dance move or hand gesture, but he still really doesn’t engage his audience much, whether it’s in the intimate confines of Mezzanine or in front of 25,000 strong at Outside Lands’ Twin Peaks Stage. Kay, like many others, was pretty stoked for A Tribe Called Quest to follow, but we all know how that ended. -KQ

Cage the Elephant

Next “big” rock headliner (TIE): Cage the Elephant and Royal Blood
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.

But Cage did have some competition at OSL, and these guys are moving at a helluva pace for the crown. Royal Blood have been one of the hottest rock acts over the past few years. I mean, their first single wasn’t even released four years ago. Royal Blood quickly rose to fame in the UK, then set their sights on Europe and lately have become the new darlings of alt-rock radio here in the U.S. with one of their newest singles, “Lights Out”. The bass-and-drums duo make a serious racket for only two blokes onstage, but they put on a show that rivals any full-band act with four or five members. Similar to Cage, the kiddos were swirling up a decent little pit in front of the stage while Mike Kerr belted out an impressive setlist with minimal effort and contributed to the low end in a serious manner. -KQ

Best use of Thai funk in a group setting: Khruangbin
Sure, many think K-bin (short for “Khruangbin”) have Thai origins with their Thai name (which means “airplane”) and their Thai funk-infused groove rock. But this rising trio that met and formed in Texas have steadily built a following based around an infectious sound that feels home both on the dance floor and at the lounge. Mark Speer on guitar is a phenom to behold; his playing style, coupled with his tone, has a true lyrical quality that’s perfect for the trio, which opted to not have a lead vocalist. It was clear that the band, like many fans in attendance, were bummed about ATCQ’s sudden cancellation, so they decided to bring one of their classics, “Electric Relaxation”, to life as drummer Donald Johnson delivered the chorus. Many chuckled and grooved to the track before the band jumped back into a set that featured “Mr. White” and “The Infamous Bill”. We can only hope a sophomore LP is not too far off. -KQ

Best use of a festival billing for a greater purpose: Solange
After a weekend marred with schedule changes and cancellations, Solange was the festival’s saving grace on Day 3. Despite starting 15-20 minutes late, she descended upon the glowing stage in a choreographed flight pattern, followed by her backing band and team of dancers, and segued directly into a soulful montage of hits from 2016’s A Seat at the Table, extending each breakdown with some interpretive dance routines. An outstanding cover of Thundercat’s “Heartbreaks + Setbacks” was seamlessly woven midway into her set before leading into an all-out dance party with deep cuts from her 2012 LP True. Solange then took a minute to touch upon the events that were happening concurrently in Charlottesville. As the only artist on the OSL bill to do so, she addressed the tragedy and utilized the stage as a final public platform before deleting her Twitter account the next day. The evening ended in dramatic fashion with the power getting shut off and the performance concluding with the crowd singing the lyrics to “Rise” in the dark. -MK

Outside Lands 2017 - Belle and Sebastian

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: A Tribe Called Quest, Above & Beyond, Action Bronson, Alt-J, Belle and Sebastian, Bleachers, Bomba Estéreo, Cage the Elephant, Coachella, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Dawes, Del The Funky Homosapien, Dr. Octagon, Electric Guest, Empire of the Sun, Fleet Foxes, Foxygen, Future Islands, GastroMagic, Golden Gate Park, Goldroom, Gorillaz, Hamilton Leithauser, Heineken Dome, How to Dress Well, Hundred Waters, James Vincent McMorrow, k.flay, Kali Uchis, Kaytranada, Khruangbin, Little Dragon, Lorde, Louis the Child, Maggie Rogers, Metallica, MUNA, Music Festival Outside Lands Music Festival 2017, Noname, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2017, Outside Lands Music Festival, Outside Lands Music Festival 2017, Queens of the Stone Age, RAC, Rag'n'Bone Man, Real Estate, Rebelution, Rostam, Rostam Batmanglij, Royal Blood, S U R V I V E, Schoolboy Q, Shovels & Rope, Sleigh Bells, Sofi Tukker, SOHN, Solange, Temples, The Avett Brothers, The Lemon Twigs, The Who, Thundercat, Tove Lo, Vampire Weekend, Vance Joy, Warpaint, Young The Giant

Five emerging artists you need to hear

August 4, 2017 by Krystal Beez Leave a Comment

Get ready to discover your new favorite artist.

1. SABRINA CLAUDIO

Who: Sabrina Claudio

Origin: Miami, Florida

What she’s about: Growing up in Miami, Claudio would eventually be drawn to pop-oriented contemporary R&B, similar to that of Mariah Carey. Despite only being on the scene for about two years, she’s already set to be the next big thing in R&B. Last year she dropped six-song EP, which has gained millions of plays and highlights her raw talent and astounding songwriting abilities. The title track “Confidently Lost“, for one, showcases the sultry vulnerability in her voice. Claudio describes the song as being inspired by her own experience being “vulnerable and lost, (but) almost like a good kind of lost.” Check out the full breakdown on Genius here, and watch her latest music video release below.

File next to: Jorja Smith. Jhene Aiko. H.E.R.

Follow: Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Spotify.

2. LITTLE SIMZ

Who: Simbiatu Ajikawo

Origin: London, UK

What she’s about: Simbiatu Ajikawo, aka Little Simz, might not be considered an emerging artist in her native London. In fact, she was named Breakthrough Artist of the Year at BBC DJ Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards in 2015. However, here in the U.S., you probably haven’t heard much of Little Simz. Well, get ready because you’re about to. In 2016, Simz dropped the phenomenal Stillness in Wonderland on her own Age 101 label. The record contains her lucid storytelling skills and speaks to her touring lifestyle while featuring collaborations with Bibi Bourelly as well as Syd and Chronixx. Most recently, the UK native released an introspective and compelling track called “Backseat” in addition to another collaboration she worked on with Bourelly that’s titled “Customz” and is a raw and unmastered gem about the highs and lows of a traveling artist. Make sure to keep an eye on Simz.

File next to: GoldLink. Kehlani. Lauryn Hill.

Follow: Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Spotify.

3. GRACE MITCHELL

Who: Grace Mitchell

Origin: Portland, Oregon

What she’s about: Arriving on the scene at the tender age of 16, Mitchell first opened eyes with her R&B influenced cover of Hall & Oates’ “Maneater”, which was on the soundtrack for “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”. Since then, she has released two EPs with standout tracks like “NoLo” and “White Iverson“, creating a sound that blends alt-pop and R&B with an air of attitude and candor — something that is truly hard to come by these days. So far this year, she has released four new songs that have me eagerly awaiting more. 2017 is going to be the year that Mitchell takes off, and if you missed her at Coachella (read our festival review here), see her perform on Friday, August 11th at Outside Lands. You can also check out her latest release below, which surely doesn’t disappoint.

File next to: Verite. Anna of the North. Phoebe Ryan.

Follow: Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Spotify.

4. AMY SHARK

Who: Amy Billings

Origin: Gold Coast, Australia

What she’s about: Better known by her stage name Amy Shark, Billings is an indie-pop singer-songwriter from Down Under. The Aussie has been an active musician on YouTube since 2014, but her career really took off last year with her single “Adore” (listen to it below). The song was voted at No. 2 on the Triple J Hot 100 (with Flume’s “Never Be Like You” coming in at No. 1) and went double platinum. It was also remixed by Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio. Shark’s personal lyrics and in-your-face chorus arm her with a uniquely emotional sound that connects and resonates with the listener — and you can’t help but want to hear it again and again. Some might think that Shark is just a one-hit wonder, but “Weekends” proves that is not the case. And judging from the response of her recent performance at Australia’s famous Splendour in the Grass festival, you are going to want to see her perform live when she arrives in the U.S. You’ve been warned.

File next to: Vera Blue. Maggie Rogers. Paramore.

Follow: Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Spotify.

5. TRANSVIOLET

Who: Sarah McTaggart, Judah McCarthy, Michael Panek and Jon Garcia

Origin: Los Angeles, California

What they’re about: This foursome will satisfy all of your indie-electropop needs. Their slick debut single “Girls Your Age” made waves in 2015 and was remixed by Twin Shadow. And this year, they’re back and ready to take over the world after releasing their explosive single titled “Kaleidoscopes” and featuring Reo Cragun, followed by their eponymous EP, which is full of exceptional songwriting and shimmery synths. You’re going to want to get to know this band, so listen to their latest single, a brooding and delicious slice of electropop goodness, below.

File next to: Halsey. Sia. XYLO.

Follow: Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Spotify.

Who is your favorite emerging artist? Let us know in the comments section below!

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, New Music Tagged With: Amy Shark, Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017, Grace Mitchell, Little Simz, New Music, Sabrina Claudio, Transviolet

Our 10 favorite shows from the first half of 2017

July 5, 2017 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Ah, where has the time gone? It wasn’t long ago — just six months, in fact — that we dished out our favorite live music acts of 2016, and yet here we are, already at the halfway point of the next calendar year.

But while these first six months haven’t been quite as tragic as they were last year, there still have been some exciting twists and turns. From Beyoncé postponing her Coachella debut to Monterey Pop celebrating its 50th anniversary, experiencing live music in California remains as enthralling and captivating as ever. So, with 2018 already looming, it’s time for us to look back at the best performances we’ve witnessed so far this year.

Here are our 10 favorite shows from the first half of 2017.

Moderat

Rather, they indulged us with one final song from III, treating our ears to the slow burn of “The Fool” as the clock neared midnight. For almost two hours on this night, Moderat transported us to another world. And for those of us who had just come back from spending three days in the desert, that’s exactly what the doctor ordered. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

Sigur Rós

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

The Flaming Lips

When it comes to live performance, The Flaming Lips are one of those bucket-list bands every live music fan should see at least once. Even as Coyne nears the age of 60, the Lips haven’t forgot how to entertain a crowd, whether it’s at a music festival or at one of their own stand-alone gigs. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

Bonobo

Bonobo’s DJ sets exemplify his eclectic taste in music, but it’s his live performances that really award him great accolades. Green is often supported by six, sometimes even more, incredibly talented musicians who help craft his music into the performance art that it truly is. -Kory Thibeault, photo by Kory Thibeault //

Ryan Adams

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. -Steph Port, photo by Steph Port

Run the Jewels

By the time El-P and Killer Mike dove into “Blockbuster Night, Part 1” and “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry” from their critically acclaimed sophomore record, the capacity crowd was fully entrenched in RTJ’s aggro-hip-hop stylings. But unlike most of the dates on their “Run the World Tour” so far, this one was loaded with top-notch special guests. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

The xx

Taking the audience on a breathtaking journey through light and sound, The xx, outfitted with their stunning new stage design, worked the title of their new album and tour “I See You” into the show. With filtered lights bouncing off rotating mirrors that were interspersed throughout the stage’s parameters, The xx used stark contrasts of chiaroscuro as well as dramatic LED screens to envelop each audience member’s sensory perception. -Molly Kish, photo by Norm de Veyra

Tool

For as long as Tool have made their fans wait for a new album, they can still sell out shows with the best of them. The prog-metal giants have cultivated a fan base whose loyalty is akin to that of Rush’s over the last 25 years, and as they debuted new, mind-blowing visuals to pair with a heavy-hitting setlist for their latest trek across North America, they once again showed that there really isn’t another band out there like them. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

Kendrick Lamar

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. “Levitating” onstage, trading lines with Future, ScHoolboy Q and Travis Scott (all of whom performed separately during Coachella) and running through the hits, Kendrick reminded us that the rap throne belongs to him and only him right now. -Josh Herwitt, photo courtesy of Coachella

Radiohead

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”. And the ensuing five-song encore, punctuated by OK Computer singles “Paranoid Android” and “Karma Police” (with the crowd singing the song’s final lyrics in unison as they walked off stage, which delivered chills down the spine), only provided further validation for making the trip out to the desert this year. -Josh Herwitt, photo courtesy of Coachella

What has been your favorite show of 2017 so far? Let us know in the comments section below!

Filed Under: Best of, Best of 2017, Editor's Picks, Featured Tagged With: Best of 2017, Bonobo, Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017, Kendrick Lamar, Moderat, Radiohead, Run The Jewels, Ryan Adams, Sigur Ros, The Flaming Lips, The xx, Tool

SF Show of the Week // GO4FREE to What So Not at 1015 Folsom 5/12 (FRI)

May 10, 2017 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Written by Lindsay Alamillo //

What So Not //
1015 Folsom – San Francisco
May 12th, 2017 //

Coachella (read our festival review here) may have come and gone, but your chance to see everyone from that desert lineup is not over! What So Not hits the Bay this weekend for a sold-out show.

Australian producer Chris Emerson began releasing music under the name Emoh Instead in collaboration with Flume back in 2011. He has since ventured off on his own under the alias What So Not and is now signed to OWSLA Records.

What So Not’s big break came in 2014 after the release of “High You Are (Branchez Remix)”, and his name has continued to soar since. His most recent EP Divide & Conquer came out in September as well as the single “Waiting” featuring RL Grime and Skrillex.

Emerson is hitting the festival circuit hard this summer (including a stop at HARD Summer), but he’s also coming to SF as part of his 2017 spring tour. This Friday, What So Not brings his unique style of combining house, hip-hop and bass to 1015 Folsom for what’s sure to be one hell of a party. Tickets are already sold out, but you could win a pair of tickets by submitting your full name and email below.

Contest ends this Friday at 3 p.m.

Follow Showbams on Twitter for more contest giveaways throughout the week. Be the first to respond to our contest tweets to GO4FREE to these shows:

• Peter Silberman: May 10th (WED) @ Swedish American Hall
• Monster Rally: March 12th (FRI) @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall

Enter your name (First and Last) along with your email below. If you win a contest, you’ll be notified on the day the contest ends (details above).

Like Showbams on Facebook, follow Showbams on Twitter and follow Showbams on Instagram. Subscribe to our social channels for a better chance to win!

CONTEST CLOSED.

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: 1015 Folsom, Brick & Mortar Music Hall, Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017, Flume, Monster Rally, OWSLA, Peter Silberman, RL Grime, Skrillex, Swedish American Hall, What So Not

After making Coachella history, Klangstof are blazing a trail for other Dutch indie bands

May 8, 2017 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Photo by Jack McKain // Written by Josh Herwitt //

Those of us who have been attending Coachella for a while know how difficult it is for artists filling early-afternoon slots to draw large crowds at the Empire Polo Club. The sun, for one, is usually scorching hot by then, and most of the acts performing between the hours of 12 and 3 p.m. are still relatively unknown.

But for some on the come up like Klangstof, who this year became the first Dutch band to ever perform at Coachella, just the opportunity to play one of the oldest and biggest music festivals in the U.S. has already paid huge dividends back home.

“We’ve never really been big in our home country,” says bandleader Koen van de Wardt, who started Klangstof as a solo project when he was 14 years old and living in Norway at the time. “Being the first (Dutch) band to play Coachella gave us that boost.”

It’s only been a little more than a couple weeks since Klangstof hit the stage for Coachella’s second weekend, but since returning home to Amsterdam, van de Wardt says the response has been palpable.

“I hope it’s a start for more Dutch bands to play big U.S. festivals,” he adds. “We have a pretty cool indie scene. I hope we’re a band that can get things going for Dutch indie culture.”

So far, they’re off to a strong start. This month van de Wardt (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) and his colleagues — Wannes Salome (keyboards, vocals), Jun Christian Villanueva (drums, programming) and Jobo Engh (guitar) — kick off a 21-date North American tour that will see them open for The Flaming Lips and Miike Snow and make appearances at other major U.S. festivals like Sasquatch!, Bonnaroo and Firefly along the way. That’s not bad for a new band with members who have only been playing together for a year.

As van de Wardt explains, turning Klangstof into a touring outfit wasn’t his intention. When he first started writing the demos for what would become — over a seven-year stretch — the group’s 2016 debut LP Close Eyes to Exit, it was simply “out of boredom.”

Yet, everything changed for van de Wardt when he uploaded “Hostage” as the first Klangstof song to his Soundcloud account in 2015. Two days later, he picked up the phone in the middle of the night to learn it was David Dann from Mind of a Genius, the London/Los Angeles-based indie label that has ZHU, Gallant, THEY. and KWAYE currently signed to its roster. Dann liked what he had heard and saw Klangstof as the next addition to his growing list of clients — and van de Wardt was more than happy to oblige to deals with Mind of a Genius and subsequently Warner Bros. Records months later.

“I never thought something like that would’ve happened,” the 24-year-old frontman admits.

It was from that point that van de Wardt had to consider something he hadn’t had to quite yet: How was he going to play his music live? He spent the next six months searching for the right musicians to join him before settling on Villanueva and Engh, two of his friends from Norway, as well as Salome, whom van de Wardt had only “met” through Facebook but knew to be one of the “top synth wizards in The Netherlands.”

“It has been a pretty weird journey because I never wrote the record as something that I was going to play live,” he says. “I just did everything myself.”

And while turning his solo project into a live band was an adjustment for van de Wardt, it’s not like he hadn’t played in bands before. In fact, just a few years prior, he had moved from Norway to The Netherlands to join Dutch indie band Moss, which he says ultimately helped him decide if he wanted to pursue music as a full-time profession or not. Even more, it gave van de Wardt the confidence to start his own project and eventually assemble his own band, the same one that he’ll bring this week to The Theatre at Ace Hotel in LA and Fox Theater in Oakland as opening support for the three-time Grammy-winning Flaming Lips.

“I feel now after one year with the band, I know what the Klangstof sound is,” he asserts.

Such a sound, with its alt-rock roots and electropop tinges, has drawn lofty comparisons to Radiohead, a group that van de Wardt cites as one of his major influences, but you can also hear hints of other prominent UK “indie” bands, from alt-J to Foals, in the finished product. Meanwhile, onstage it’s been an exhilarating experience for van de Wardt, who can’t wait to jump back in the studio with his bandmates once they’re off the road at the end of this year.

“I’m really excited to go in and record the second album because I feel like all four of us know what we’re doing and how it should be sounding now,” he says, and hearing that from van de Wardt should be music to any Klangstof fan’s ears.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Interviews Tagged With: Bonnaroo, Bonnaroo 2017, Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017, Firefly, Firefly 2017, Klangstof, Miike Snow, Mind of a Genius Records, Moss, Sasquatch!, Sasquatch! 2017, The Flaming Lips, The Theatre at Ace Hotel, Warner Bros. Records

At LA’s Mayan Theater, Moderat transport their fans to another world

April 27, 2017 by Josh Herwitt 3 Comments

By Josh Herwitt //

Moderat //
Mayan Theater – Los Angeles
April 20th, 2017 //

One of the best performances we saw at Coachella (read our review here) this year was undoubtedly Moderat’s. As nighttime fell on the expansive polo fields, the Berlin-based supergroup mesmerized the crowd inside the Mojave Tent with remixes of Jon Hopkins’ “Abandon Window” and “Eating Hooks” off their 2016 critically acclaimed LP III, which ranked as my favorite album of the year. It was one of those scintillating sets that often remind us why we keep returning to the Empire Polo Club in mid-April — and one we’ll remember for a long time.

But when Goldenvoice announced its Coachella sideshows in and around the three-day, two-weekend festival, it was natural to get excited about Moderat’s headlining show on 4/20 at the Mayan Theater in downtown LA. Comprised of Apparat’s Sascha Ring as well as Modeselektor members Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary, the trio combines elements of house, minimal techno and Intelligent Dance Music (aka IDM) into a sound that’s solely their own. Because at a time when DJs have solidified themselves as the industry’s new rock stars for now, Moderat serve as a refreshing departure from the EDM avalanche that’s become so ubiquitous over the past several years.

At The Mayan, Ring, Bronsert and Szary tailored the setlist primarily around III cuts such as “Ghostmother”, “Reminder” and “Animal Trails”, but it was older material, specifically “Les Grandes Marches” and “No. 22” from Moderat’s debut studio album, that closed the set and kept even the biggest fans on their toes. In fact, up to that point, they had yet to play a song from their sophomore full length, with the entire set stemming from their other two records. After a brief encore break though, that drought ended as they unleashed back-to-back songs from II, including fan favorite “Bad Kingdom”, which offers one of the coolest audio-visual experiences you’ll find at any concert, electronic or not (see for yourself here).

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. Rather, they indulged us with one final song from III, treating our ears to the slow burn of “The Fool” as the clock neared midnight. For almost two hours on this night, Moderat transported us to another world. And for those of us who had just come back from spending three days in the desert, that’s exactly what we needed to cure those post-festival blues.

Setlist:
Ghostmother
A New Error
Running
Running (Shed Remix)
Abandon Window (Moderat remix) (Jon Hopkins cover)
Eating Hooks
Eating Hooks (Siriusmo Remix)
Rusty Nails
Reminder
Animal Trails
Les Grandes Marches
No. 22

Encore #1:
Milk
Bad Kingdom
Intruder

Encore #2:
The Fool

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Apparat, Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017, Mayan Theater, Moderat, Modeselektor, The Mayan

The xx luminesce the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium during their three-night Fauxchella run

April 27, 2017 by Molly Kish Leave a Comment

Photos by Norm de Veyra // Written by Molly Kish //

The xx with Sampha //
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco
April 17th, 2017 //

Between their highly anticipated performances at Coachella (read our festival review here), The xx played three consecutive nights in SF at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Drawing capacity crowds each evening at the 7,000-person venue, the London trio openly expressed its gratitude for the Bay Area’s steadfast support over the years.

After Young Turks labelmate Sampha ignited a “love fest” with his standout opening set, The xx followed with an almost two-hour performance that featured emotive tracks and extended remixes from all three of their studio albums. Taking the audience on a breathtaking journey through light and sound, The xx, outfitted with their stunning new stage design, worked the title of their new album and tour “I See You” into the show. With filtered lights bouncing off rotating mirrors that were interspersed throughout the stage’s parameters, The xx used stark contrasts of chiaroscuro as well as dramatic LED screens to envelop each audience member’s sensory perception.

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.

After the show, I had a chance to catch up with all three band members as we discussed their feelings about the SF run and how it compared to the rest of their North American tour dates. While they said “it was the best run of shows that they had played,” I made sure to cheerfully reply with “you have to say that.” To no avail though, all three members of the band assured me that they were completely sincere about their statement. They expressed further gratitude for the overwhelming response they received from their Bay Area fans, which truly resonated through not only the transposed appreciation, but also the magic that was felt over the course of their three performances.

Setlist:
Say Something Loving
Crystalised
Islands
I Dare You
Lips
Sunset
Basic Space
Performance
Brave for You
Infinity
VCR
Dangerous
A Violent Noise
Fiction
Shelter
Loud Places (Jamie xx cover)

Encore:
On Hold
Intro
Angels

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017, Fauxchella, Fauxchella 2017, Jamie xx, Sampha, The xx, Young Turks

Gucci Mane brings his ‘Trap God Tour’ to the Bay

April 26, 2017 by Marc Fong 1 Comment

By Marc Fong //

Gucci Mane //
The Warfield – San Francisco
April 17th, 2017 //

If you mention trap in the context of Southern hip-hop, the first name that should come to mind is Gucci Mane.

The Atlanta native has been a busy man since being released from prison last year. Back in December, he dropped his 10th studio album titled The Return of East Atlanta Santa, which boasts collaborations with Drake and Travis Scott, and has been perfecting his live show in the meantime.

Hitting the road for his “Trap God Tour” in support of the new LP, Gucci paid a visit to SF in between his performances at Coachella and fans who made it to The Warfield on a Monday night weren’t disappointed with what they witnessed. To say the least, it was a show to be experienced and not just seen.

Setlist:
Classical (Intro)
Both
1st Day Out Tha Feds
Play Video
Back on Road
I Think I Love Her (Greg Street cover)
I Don’t Love Her
Bricks
Lemonade
Freaky Gurl
Photoshoot
Pillz (I Might Be)
Black Beatles (Rae Sremmurd cover)
St. Brick
Trap House 3
Last Time
My Kitchen
Trap House
I’m a Dog
Vette Pass By
Pussy Print
Gucci Please
Make Love
Steady Mobbin
Nuthin’ on You
Fuck 12o
Heavy
Make Tha Trap Say Aye (OJ da Juiceman cover)
Slippery (Migos cover)
Making Love to the Money
Wasted
First Day Out

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017, Gucci Mane, The Warfield

Pond invigorate a sold-out crowd at The Echo

April 25, 2017 by Rochelle Shipman Leave a Comment

By Rochelle Shipman //

Pond //
The Echo – Los Angeles
April 20th, 2017 //

Australian psych-rockers Pond stopped through LA in between Coachella dates last Thursday, playing to a sweaty, sold-out Echo. Most of the crowd looked just young enough to be out past their bedtime, but once the quintet hit the stage, they perked right up.

With a youthful, invigorating energy, Pond delivered a solid set with a few new songs from their upcoming LP The Weather — all of which their fans seemed to know already. Though lead vocalist/guitarist Nick Allbrook easily commanded the spotlight onstage with several dramatic moves, all five members — Jay “Gumby” Watson, Shiny Joe Ryan, Jamie Terry and Ginolé — impressively shared the tiny stage equally, clearly in tune with each other literally and physically.

Pond’s punchy sound and attitude is exactly what rock ‘n’ roll needs right now if it’s going to have any chance of competing with current spotlight-stealers like Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper and Frank Ocean. Pond’s new album is due out May 5th, so their current U.S. tour has just started. If you can swing it, these guys are definitely worth your time.

Our 5 favorite moments from Coachella 2017

April 24, 2017 by Josh Herwitt 4 Comments

Photos courtesy of Coachella // Written by Josh Herwitt //

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 14th-16th, 2017 //

It’s hard to believe what Coachella has become in just the eight years since I started making the drive from Los Angeles to Indio each April. At that point, Goldenvoice President and CEO Paul Tollett’s baby was already 10 years old and one of the biggest live music productions in the world. But the West Coast’s oldest music festival has changed a lot in that time, although it hasn’t always been for the better — and its 18th edition was no exception.

The most obvious change this year was the crowd size. With the capacity skyrocketing from 99,000 to 125,000, the number of people occupying the polo fields by the time the sun started sinking behind the San Jacinto Mountains felt noticeably bigger. And while the grounds were expanded, it clearly wasn’t enough to make up for a 25-percent jump in attendance. We get it, Goldenvoice — there’s more money to be made given the size of such a space, but at what cost does it have to come at? This year for the first time, the festival stood at the center of a phone-stealing crime scandal that saw one man steal more than 100 smartphones during Weekend 1. That’s the kind of news that no concert promoter big or small wants to be associated with.

Coachella, after all, produces some of the harshest critics when it comes to any music festival out there. From the rise of social media to the celebrity culture that the event fosters due to its proximity to Hollywood, Coachella has become more than just the world’s most popular — or at least the most hyped — music festival. Simply put, it’s now its own brand. Attach the word “Coachella” to any product line, and your chances of it selling are that much better (ask H&M if you don’t believe me).

But while Coachella often gets a bad rep for its overabundance of shirtless bros and teenage girls glued to their iPhones, it still delivers some of the best moments in live music year after year. So, after returning to the Empire Polo Club for the festival’s first weekend and catching as many sets as humanly possible, here are our five highlights — ordered chronologically — from 2017 (spoiler alert: Lady Gaga wasn’t one of them).

The xx

It’s amazing to think how far The xx have come since we saw them first play Coachella back in 2010. The London trio has released two LPs in that time, including this year’s I See You, which is unquestionably one of our favorite albums of 2017 so far. Serving as an excellent opener for Radiohead, their performance on the main stage was heartfelt and downright emotional, with the massive crowd eating up every word that came out of Romy’s and Oliver’s mouth. Don’t be surprised if you see them tabbed as a headliner in the future. We know how Tollett likes to put British bands (i.e. Radiohead, Muse, The Stone Roses, Blur, Gorillaz) at the top of the bill, too.

Radiohead

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”. And the ensuing five-song encore, punctuated by OK Computer singles “Paranoid Android” and “Karma Police” (with the crowd singing the song’s final lyrics in unison as they walked off stage, which delivered chills down the spine), only provided further validation for making the trip out to the desert this year.

Moderat

The Saturday lineup this year felt like one of the weaker rosters in recent memory, but one of the best sets we witnessed all weekend was Moderat’s inside the Mojave Tent as day turned to night. Last year, we caught the Berlin supergroup’s captivating performance at Lightning in a Bottle (read our festival review here), and we feel confident in saying this one was even better. At a time when it has become increasingly difficult for electronic acts to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, there’s something about Sascha Ring’s voice, paired with the dark, yet undeniably catchy production work from Modeselektor’s Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary, that makes Moderat stand out. Whether it was their remix of Jon Hopkins’ “Abandon Window” or a closing sequence that featured “Reminder” into “Bad Kingdom”, these guys never manage to disappoint.

Justice

One of the best electronic sets we’ve had the pleasure of seeing on the main stage at Coachella came from Justice in 2012. The French duo remain pretty much in a class of its own these days considering the lack of nu-disco acts in today’s music industry. Justice’s third and most recent LP Woman, which they released in November to less fanfare than what their other two records received, boasted four singles, and they made sure to indulge us during their Sunday evening slot on the expanded Outdoor Theatre. Yet, it’s the mash-ups of various Justice tracks — from “D.A.N.C.E.” to “Civilization” — Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay create for their live show that makes them such an unpredictably fun dance act time and time again.

Kendrick Lamar

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. “Levitating” onstage, trading lines with Future, ScHoolboy Q and Travis Scott (all of whom performed separately during Coachella) and running through the hits, Kendrick reminded us that the rap throne belongs to him and only him right now.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017, Future, Goldenvoice, Justice, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Moderat, Radiohead, Schoolboy Q, The xx, Travis Scott

Twin Peaks, Hinds hit The Chapel before Coachella

April 21, 2017 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Twin Peaks

Photos by Christopher Vigue // Written by Eben Benson //

Twin Peaks & Hinds with White Mystery //
The Chapel – San Francisco
April 14th, 2017 //

Twin Peaks and Hinds stopped by The Chapel this month for a two-night stint during their co-headlining tour along the West Coast that ended with two performances on Coachella’s new Sonora Stage (read our festival review here).

Hinds, for one, were sure to show off their energetic brand of garage punk in SF, where they performed in front of a sold-out crowd at a venue known for hosting a myriad of electrifying garage-rock shows. White Mystery were the first to appear onstage, blasting through a fairly short set of fuzzy psych-rock that certainly woke up the audience and set the stage for their fellow Chicagoans in Twin Peaks, but not before it was Hinds’ turn to fill our ears.

Hinds

Hinds are originally from Spain (Madrid to be exact), but at first listen, you might think they sound like they’re from Southern California. They mix in elements of classic rock ‘n’ roll and lo-fi pop, and they’re not afraid to pick up the pace if it gets folks to dance. As co-headliners on this night, a large contingency — full of singing fans and a lot of dedicated enthusiasm — was there to see Hinds play.

To close the show, indie-garage rockers Twin Peaks took the stage to a blaring applause and got right down to business, playing crowd favorites and a good portion of their 2016 LP Down in Heaven. They seemed to be right in their element in a city like SF, which has churned out a number of psych-rock artists from Ty Segall to Thee Oh Sees — and it’s clear that their legacy is in good hands for now.

Coachella releases 2017 set times & map changes

April 11, 2017 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 14th-16th & April 21st-23rd, 2017 //

Ah, it’s that time of the year again. That’s right … when Coachella attendees bemoan their biggest scheduling conflict.

The three-day, two-weekend music and arts festival unveiled this year’s set times just after 6 p.m. PT (6:02 p.m. to be exact), 13 hours earlier than last year’s schedule dropped (we like to keep tabs on that sort of stuff from year to year).

But as Coachellans experience every April, they’ll have some tough decisions to make as they head to the desert. So, if you’ll be at the Empire Polo Club this weekend or next, you can start mapping out your schedule now.

What’s your biggest conflict on this year’s schedule, and who are you most excited to see?

WEEKEND 1 SET TIMES

WEEKEND 2 SET TIMES

Unlike most years when the set times are often identical, it’s worth nothing that Weekend 2’s slightly differ from Weekend 1’s in 2017. For one, Lady Gaga’s headlining slot on Saturday got moved up 10 minutes (to 11:10 p.m.) while Kendrick Lamar’s start time on Sunday got pushed back 10 minutes (to 10:35 p.m.). Furthermore, PNL, who were scheduled to perform Sunday in the Gobi Tent both weekends, ended up being removed entirely from the Weekend 2 schedule after being forced to cancel their Weekend 1 performance due to visa issues.

MAP

Just a few hours after revealing its Weekend 1 set times, the festival disclosed this year’s map with a couple of notable changes.

As you may notice, the Mojave and Gobi Tents have switched places, with the Mojave moving closer to the Outdoor Theatre. It’s a modification that makes sense, considering that many of the festival’s buzzworthy acts in previous years have played the Mojave Tent, making the trek from the Coachella Stage or Outdoor Theatre that much farther for festivalgoers.

The other notable change is the addition of a third VIP section named “Hacienda Del Toro” in between the Gobi and Sahara Tents, as well as an updated location for the GA beer garden on that side of the polo fields, which should improve the traffic flow behind the Sahara Tent (let’s hope at least). Because as many of us veterans know from experience, that area can become a total shitshow in between sets.

We’ll report back on what worked and what didn’t once we come back to reality post-fest, but until then … Happy Coachella!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017

Outside Lands reveals 2017 lineup, headlined by Metallica, The Who & Gorillaz

April 4, 2017 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 11th-13th, 2017 //

Outside Lands is going BIG for its 10th anniversary.

The three-day music festival returns to Golden Gate Park this August with a lineup for the ages, headlined by Metallica, The Who and Gorillaz. All three headliners were mentioned among our OSL predictions this year, with Metallica pretty much becoming a sure bet last week after Ranger Dave’s not-so-subtle tweet.

Natives of the Bay, Metallica have been on the road in support of their 10th LP Hardwired… to Self-Destruct, and their headlining set at Outside Lands will come toward the tail end of their North American tour during a string of West Coast shows. The Who, on the other hand, have only a limited number of 2017 gigs planned right now, culminating with a six-night residency in Las Vegas that concludes on Friday, August 11th. With that said, we know then that Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and company will perform at OSL on Saturday or Sunday, with the latter being all the more likely. The festival, after all, has been known to schedule its “older” headliners for the Sunday night slot a la Lionel Ritchie (2016), Elton John (2015), Tom Petty (2014), Paul McCartney (2013) and Stevie Wonder (2012), and we expect The Who to get the same kind of treatment in 2017.

But for Gorillaz fans in the U.S., Outside Lands could be the one place to see the band perform this summer. The festival is one of two North American dates for the Damon Albarn-led group, which headlines its own Demon Dayz Festival in June before making a stop at Festival d’été de Québec in Quebec City a month later. The same could even be said for sub-headliner Queens of the Stone Age, considering that OSL is their first scheduled North American show this year. The same, however, definitely can’t be said for Lorde, who is making the festival rounds with Coachella, JazzFest, Governor’s Ball, FPSF, Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, Rock Werchter, OpenAir St. Gallen, Fuji Rock, Lollapalooza, Osheaga and now OSL all on her current tour schedule.

Other standout acts lined up for OSL this year include A Tribe Called Quest, alt-J, Above & Beyond, Fleet Foxes, Empire of the Sun, The Avett Brothers, Belle and Sebastian, Solange, Future Islands, ScHoolboy Q, Young the Giant, Rebelution, Vance Joy, Tove Lo, Bleachers, Little Dragon, Kaytranada, Action Bronson, Sleigh Bells, Royal Blood, Shovels & Rope, Dr. Octagon, Louis the Child, Thundercat, Dawes, Warpaint, Rag’n’Bone Man, Bomba Estéreo, Temples, Real Estate, RAC, James Vincent McMorrow, K.Flay, MUNA, Hamilton Leithauser, Sofi Tukker, Maggie Rogers, Foxygen, Goldroom, SOHN, Electric Guest, How to Dress Well, Hundred Waters, Noname and many more. Check out the poster above for the rest of this year’s bill.

Boasting six consecutive sellouts to date, Outside Lands is sure to do the same in 2017 and will once again include a full lineup of comedy performances in addition to its famed Beer Lands, Wine Lands and Choco Lands + Cheese Lands. Of course, you’d have a tough time finding much better food and drink at a music festival than what Outside Lands offers.

If you missed out on Eager Beaver tickets last Thursday, you can buy Outside Lands tickets starting this Thursday, April 6th at 10 a.m. It’s worth mentioning, though, that with the new lineup also comes increased ticket prices. Three-day GA passes are up to $375 and three-day VIP passes have climbed to $795. Shuttle passes and parking passes, meanwhile, will be sold for $48 and $255, respectively. And though the festival makes no mention of it yet, single-day tickets are usually sold at a later time.

UPDATE (June 6th): Outside Lands has unveiled its daily lineups for 2017, and not to pat ourselves on the back, but our predictions for which days the festival’s headliners would perform were right on point, with Gorillaz performing Friday, Metallica storming the stage Saturday and The Who closing things down Sunday. Check out the daily schedules below before single-day tickets go on sale this Thursday, June 8th at 10 a.m. PT.

UPDATE (July 31st): Outside Lands has announced that Queens of the Stone Age, after all, will not perform this year “due to injury” and have been replaced by Cage the Elephant. No details on the “injury” have been released at this time.

Due to injury, Queens of the Stone Age's previously announced appearance August 12 at Outside Lands has been cancelled.

— Outside Lands Help (@outsidelands411) July 31, 2017

Queens apologize for any inconvenience & we look forward to returning to the Bay Area at a later date. https://t.co/mPYv68KRod

— QOTSA (@qotsa) July 31, 2017

JUST ANNOUNCED: Cage The Elephant are performing at @outsidelandssf in San Francisco on August 12th. 🎟️👉 https://t.co/lPDUFeqHZo #ol10 pic.twitter.com/NsnYoJNW4x

— Cage The Elephant (@CageTheElephant) July 31, 2017

UPDATE (August 1st): The festival has revealed the schedule for its 10th edition. Take a peek here and start mapping out who you’ll be seeing at Golden Gate Park.

Can’t wait for Outside Lands’ 10th edition? Check out our coverage from 2016 here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: A Tribe Called Quest, Above & Beyond, Action Bronson, Alt-J, Belle and Sebastian, Bleachers, Bomba Estéreo, Cage the Elephant, Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017, Dawes, Del The Funky Homosapien, Dr. Octagon, Electric Guest, Empire of the Sun, Fleet Foxes, Foxygen, Future Islands, GastroMagic, Golden Gate Park, Goldroom, Gorillaz, Hamilton Leithauser, Heineken Dome, How to Dress Well, Hundred Waters, James Vincent McMorrow, k.flay, Kali Uchis, Kaytranada, Khruangbin, Little Dragon, Lorde, Louis the Child, Maggie Rogers, Metallica, MUNA, Music Festival Outside Lands Music Festival 2017, Noname, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2017, Outside Lands Music Festival, Outside Lands Music Festival 2017, Queens of the Stone Age, RAC, Rag'n'Bone Man, Real Estate, Rebelution, Rostam, Rostam Batmanglij, Royal Blood, S U R V I V E, Schoolboy Q, Shovels & Rope, Sleigh Bells, Sofi Tukker, SOHN, Solange, Temples, The Avett Brothers, The Lemon Twigs, The Who, Thundercat, Tove Lo, Vampire Weekend, Vance Joy, Warpaint, Young The Giant

Outside Lands 2017: Lineup locks, likely acts & long shots

April 3, 2017 by The Bam Team 1 Comment

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 11th-13th, 2017 //

Now that Ranger Dave has dusted off his uniform and is once again prepping for duty, we can speculate who will be performing at Golden Gate Park this August for a very special 10th year of Outside Lands. As festival season draws near with Coachella less than two weeks away, it’s time for us to make some predictions regarding this year’s OSL lineup. So while you work on that summer tan, we’ve got all the deets on who you can expect to see in SF in a few months.

If you have a lead or opinion, drop us a comment below.

Lock It In

Metallica – Ranger Dave basically confirmed the news via Twitter with his “nothing else matters” tweet, which has since been deleted. No worries, we have a screenshot of it here.

Empire of the Sun – Ranger Dave made it fairly obvious with this tweet.

Maggie Rogers – Another Ranger Dave tweet provides the clue for this 22-year-old singer-songwriter, whose “Color Song” is buzzy AF.

Francis and the Lights – See Ranger Dave’s tweet, and their hit single “Friends” features close collaborator Bon Iver, too.

The Temper Trap and/or Shovels & Rope – See Ranger Dave’s tweet, which sounds like a reference to The Temper Trap song “Miracle” but could also be referring to Shovels & Rope’s 2016 LP Little Seeds (the South Carolina duo also have a big gap in its tour schedule between July and August).

Sofi Tukker – See Ranger Dave’s tweet. The New York duo’s 2016 EP Soft Animals is its first and only release so far.

Action Bronson – See Ranger Dave’s tweet. We’re calling it his “Fuck, That’s Delicious: Outside Lands Edition.”

Rag’n’Bone Man – See Ranger Dave’s tweet. The English singer-songwriter included “Lay My Body Down” as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of his debut studio album Human, which he released in February on Columbia Records.

Future Islands – See Ranger Dave’s tweet. “A Dream of You And Me” is the second single off the Baltimore band’s 2014 LP Singles.

Ice-T – See Ranger Dave’s tweet referencing his 1991 album O.G. Original Gangster. But could this instead signal the return of Body Count (Ice-T’s longstanding metal band)?

Seems Likely

Arcade Fire – Awake yee gentle Canadian giants! 2011 marks the last time we saw AF top the lineup, and with new material to showcase this year, we expect — but can’t guarantee — OSL to be their banner West Coast festival slot now that we know they’re not playing Coachella or FYF Fest in LA.

The Weeknd – Abel’s tour gap in August, coupled with headlining appearances at Bonnaroo (which often shares a headliner with OSL) and then Lollapalooza, seem to lead to the obvious for his debut at Another Planet Entertainment’s premier event.

alt-J – With no Bay Area dates scheduled and a show in LA at the Shrine Auditorium on August 9th, a return to OSL seems all the more likely for these gentlemen from Leeds.

Lorde – The 20-year-old New Zealand pop star is hitting a ton of festivals this year in support of her forthcoming album Melodrama, including Coachella, JazzFest, Governor’s Ball, FPSF, Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, Rock Werchter, OpenAir St. Gallen, Fuji Rock, Lollapalooza and last but not least, Osheaga (for now). OSL would definitely be the cherry on top for an impressive festival run in 2017, though.

Fleet Foxes – The Seattle indie-folk giant fronted by Robin Pecknold is back with its first LP in six years this June, and with some down time in August and no Bay Area show on the tour schedule yet, OSL looks like a strong possibility.

Justice – The French electro masters are hitting the festival circuit rather hard, and the recent debut of their live show has the buzz-o-meter reaching critical mass. Having them close things out on the Twin Peaks stage Saturday would be ideal for launching fans into the wild night.

Wiz Khalifa – The Pittsburgh emcee has a new album coming out in 2017 and no Bay Area date scheduled. He’s also playing Lollapalooza the weekend before, making OSL a definite possibility for his NorCal tour stop.

The Avett Brothers – The Avetts are in California the week of OSL to play San Diego on August 10th and LA on August 11th, and the only next stop that makes sense would be SF. There’s this, too.

Cage the Elephant – They’re conveniently skipping SF yet hitting Sacramento this month as the only Northern California stop on their current U.S. tour that includes slots at Lollapalooza and Osheaga already lined up. OSL seems like a logical choice considering the 2017 Grammy winners last played the fest in 2009.

Young the Giant – These guys haven’t played OSL since 2013 and have a week off before heading north to play Seattle on August 11th. Plus, there’s this.

Grouplove – The colorful LA outfit is making the festival rounds this summer and playing Lollapalooza the weekend before OSL. With roughly a three-week gap in their tour schedule, there’s a solid chance they’ll be performing in Golden Gate Park — and this tweet only helps matters honestly.

Vance Joy – The Australian singer-songwriter doesn’t have a lot of 2017 tour dates booked right now, but there is this.

Warpaint – The all-female rockers recently announced more tour dates concluding at Lollapalooza. With no Bay Area appearance scheduled, even around Coachella’s two weekends, there’s a strong likelihood for their inclusion on the bill. There’s also this.

Spoon – Britt Daniel and company are touring the U.S. this summer in support of their newest full length Hot Thoughts and have a 10-day gap in their schedule, with the weekend of August 11th-13th conveniently open and preceding shows in LA as well as Colorado. Plus, with no Bay Area date scheduled yet, it only makes sense that the Austin group would return to OSL after its last appearance in 2014.

Little Dragon – The Swedish electronic band is playing shows up and down California this month to go along with its performances at Coachella, but none are in SF shockingly enough. They also don’t have any tour dates scheduled in August yet. And there’s this.

Electric Guest – The LA-based band led by one-time Berkeley native Asa Taccone was a big highlight at Noise Pop this year, but according to one Reddit user, they’ll be back in SF this August and their schedule is wide open after early May.

Looking Plausible

Gorillaz – Could OSL really be Gorillaz’s first U.S. date in almost seven years? The Damon Albarn-led group recently announced that they’ll be performing at Festival d’été de Québec (Quebec City Summer Festival) in Quebec City on July 15th.

The Who – Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend still put on a killer show, and their residency in Las Vegas around OSL time has led to this rumor circulating as they’d truly hit the classic rock billing perfectly. Plus, we think this move would fit all too well.

Queens of the Stone Age – Josh Homme and his sidekicks are making their live return this summer, and it seems incredibly possible that they’ll be back in the Bay in August as one of the festival’s sub-headliners. After all, their set would lead into Metallica quite nicely, right?

Long Shot (but could happen)

Eric Clapton – While he likely has an exclusive contract with MSG for his bi-coastal shows (his LA dates at The Forum have been postponed until September due to illness), could he end his tour in Golden Gate Park?

Daft Punk – And, of course, your obligatory Daft Punk inclusion, especially after this year’s April Fools’ joke.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Action Bronson, Alt-J, Arcade Fire, Body Count, Cage the Elephant, Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017, Daft Punk, Electric Guest, Empire of the Sun, Eric Clapton, Francis and the Lights, Future Islands, FYF, FYF Fest, FYF Fest 2017, Golden Gate Park, Gorillaz, Ice T, Justice, Little Dragon, Lorde, Metallica, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2017, Outside Lands Music Festival, Outside Lands Music Festival 2017, Queens of the Stone Age, Rag'n'Bone Man, Shovels & Rope, Sofi Tukker, Spoon, The Avett Brothers, The Weeknd, The Who, Vance Joy, Warpaint, Wiz Khalifa, Young The Giant

Coachella 2017 lineup: Lady Gaga replaces Beyoncé

February 28, 2017 by Josh Herwitt 3 Comments

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 14th-16th & April 21st-23rd, 2017 //

When Coachella announced last week that Beyoncé, who is currently pregnant with twins, wouldn’t be able to perform this April due to doctor’s orders, speculation surrounding her replacement immediately began to make the rounds. I mean, isn’t that what the internet is good for anyway?

Well, just five days later and we now officially have the answer — and all the souls of Daft Punk hopefuls have been crushed yet again.

For the festival’s 18th edition, one pop star has been replaced with another, as Lady Gaga takes Queen Bey’s spot atop Saturday’s bill. The festival made the announcement tonight, just hours after Billboard first reported the news. It marks Gaga’s first-ever performance at Coachella, which hasn’t had a female headliner since 2007 when Björk earned the honor. Radiohead and Kendrick Lamar will serve as the festival’s other two headliners this year.

Both GA and VIP passes are sold out not surprisingly, but we’ll see if the addition of Lady Gaga (and the subtraction of Beyoncé) to the lineup will have any affect on the secondary ticket market. Right now passes are hovering around $545 from what we see on StubHub. Coachella’s first weekend at the Empire Polo Club is slated for April 14th-16th; the second takes place April 21st-23rd.

Also, make sure to relive last year’s festival with our 10 favorite moments, from Sia and St. Germain to The Arcs and Silversun Pickups.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Beyonce, Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Radiohead

Goldenvoice reveals 2017 Coachella sideshows

February 13, 2017 by Josh Herwitt 4 Comments

We’re already six weeks into 2017, and for many music fans residing in California, that means Coachella isn’t all that far away. But while much of the talk around this year’s lineup has been centered on Beyoncé’s debut and more recently her pregnant-with-twins news (the jury is still out on whether it will put a wrench in her plans to perform both weekends), Goldenvoice has turned a good portion of April into a long stretch of top-notch shows, similar to what Red Bull Sound Select has done in November with its month-long “30 Days in LA” series that last year included artists like Nick Murphy (formerly Chet Faker), YG, Jhené Aiko, AlunaGeorge, Pusha T and Isaiah Rashad (look back at our coverage here).

Much like in 2016, Goldenvoice has once again released a list of sideshows that will take place at venues in the greater Los Angeles area, with a select few extending into Orange County (at The Observatory and Constellation Room), Santa Barbara County (at the Santa Barbara Bowl) and the desert (at Pappy and Harriet’s).

Florida emcee Denzel Curry will kick off the festivities on Friday, April 7th at The Glass House before LA outfit Chicano Batman close things out at the same venue on Saturday, April 29th. In between those gigs, Sampha, Banks, Jack Garratt, Crystal Castles, Francis and the Lights, Bishop Briggs, SOHN, Oh Wonder, Future Islands, Little Dragon (with Sophie Tukker), The Head and the Heart, Joseph, Kaytranada, Banks & Steelz, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Nicolas Jaar, Car Seat Headrest (with Preoccupations), Bonobo, Mura Masa (with Kamaiyah), DJ Shadow, Breakbot, Blossoms, New Order (with Poliça), Hinds (with Twin Peaks), Bonobo, Galantis, Local Natives (with Tennis), S U R V I V E, The Avalanches, Glass Animals (with Little Dragon and/or Jagwar Ma), Empire of the Sun (with Broods), Tacocat, Bastille, Roisin Murphy, Whitney, Lil Uzi Vert, Mitski, Röyksopp, Future Islands, Pond (with Ezra Furman), Moderat, Swet Shop Boyz, Floating Points (Live), HONNE (with Arkells), Daphini, Jai Wolf, Guided by Voices and Phantogram will all perform — some even more than once — inside and/or outside of LA’s city limits.

Furthermore, British independent record label Young Turks will host a special showcase for its roster of artists with performances by Ben UFO, Four Tet, Francis and the Lights, Jamie xx, Kamaiyah, Sampha and special guest PNL in Palm Springs on Thursday, April 13th. Check out the full list of sideshows in the poster above.

It’s hard to believe that Goldenvoice has found a way to top their efforts from a year ago, but the renowned concert promoter has managed to do just that. This year’s Coachella sideshows are jam-packed with alternative-electronic and indie-rock acts, with Nicolas Jaar’s headlining performance at Pappy and Harriet’s alongside Floating Points (Live) and Pond as well as Future Islands’ date at The Glass House featuring support from Car Seat Headrest as two of the bigger highlights — and no doubt there are plenty on this bill. Yet, one of the most enticing pairings has to be the Glass Animals-Little Dragon-Jagwar Ma one that’s slated to take over the Santa Barbara Bowl, arguably our favorite venue in Southern California, on Saturday, April 23rd.

Tickets for most of the sideshows go on sale here this Friday, February 17th at Noon PT with the rest of them available Friday, February 24th at Noon PT or Friday, March 3rd at Noon PT.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Arkells, BAILEN, Banks & Steelz, Bastille, Ben UFO, Bishop Briggs, Blossoms, Bonobo, Breakbot, Broods, Car Seat Headrest, Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella 2017 sideshows, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2017, Coachella sideshows, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017, Constellation Room, Crystal Castles, Daphini, Dent May, DJ Shadow, Echoplex, El Rey Theatre, Empire of the Sun, Ezra Furman, Floating Points, Four Tet, Fox Theater Pomona, Francis and the Lights, Future Islands, Galantis, Glass Animals, Goldenvoice, Goldenvoice Presents April, Goldenvoice Presents April 2017, Goldlink, Guided by Voices, Hinds, Honey Dijon, HONNE, Jack Garratt, Jagwar Ma, Jai Wolf, Jamie xx, Joseph, Julie Byrne, Kamaiyah, Kaytranada, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Lil Uzi Vert, Little Dragon, Local Natives, Lot 613, M. Geddes Gengras, Mitski, Moderat, Mura Masa, New Order, Nicolas Jaar, Nylo, Oh Wonder, Palm Springs Air Museum, Pappy & Harriet's, Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Pappy and Harriet's, Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Phantogram, PNL, Poliça, Pond, Preoccupations, Roisin Murphy, S U R V I V E, Sam Gellaitry, Sampha, Santa Barbara Bowl, SHAED, Shrine Expo Hall, SOHN, Sophie Tukker, Springtime Carnivore, SSLEEPERHOLD, Steady Holiday, Swet Shop Boyz, Tacocat, Tennis, The Avalanches, The Echo, The Fonda Theatre, The Glass House, The Head and The Heart, The Mayan, The Novo DTLA, The Observatory, The Regent Theater, The Roxy Theatre, The Theatre at Ace Hotel, Twin Peaks, Whitney, William Doyle, Young Turks

Lightning in a Bottle drops 2017 lineup with Bassnectar, Bonobo, RÜFÜS DU SOL & Kaytranada booked to headline

January 23, 2017 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Lightning in a Bottle //
San Antonio Recreation Area – Bradley, CA
May 24th-29th, 2017 //

Lightning in a Bottle regularly serves as the perfect hangover cure for those suffering from a bad case of post-Coachella blues, and once again, the famed boutique festival has delivered another strong lineup for its 14th year this Memorial Day weekend.

Headlining The Do LaB’s signature event will be Bassnectar, who last performed at LIB in 2012, along with Bonobo, RÜFÜS DU SOL and Kaytranada. Other notable acts include Bob Moses, Jhené Aiko, Bomba Estéreo, Big Wild, Weval, NoMBe, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, Richie Hawtin, Paper Diamond, Machinedrum and The California Honeydrops.

It’s also worth mentioning that Lucent Dossier Experience and William Close & The Earth Harp Collective, which both have become LIB mainstays over the past few years, will not be performing for the first time in a while. Check out the poster above for the rest of the lineup.

Weekend passes to LIB can be purchased here for $280 starting this Tuesday, January 24th at 10 a.m. And with the “transformational festival” reaching capacity in 2015 and 2016, we won’t be surprised if the 2017 edition yields the same result. As usual, The Do LaB will also offer its unique collection of art, yoga, workshops and speakers in a continuing effort to promote the ideals of sustainability, social cohesion, personal health and creative expression.

Excited for LIB now? Make sure to revisit our best and worst from last year’s fest.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Bassnectar, Big Wild, Bomba Estéreo, Bonobo, Coachella, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Jhené Aiko, LIB, LIB 2017, Lightning in a Bottle, Lightning in a Bottle 2017, Machinedrum, NoMBe, Paper Diamond, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Richie Hawtin, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, The California Honeydrops, The Do LaB, Weval

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THE LATEST

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