Deap Vally – Showbams

Desert Daze locks in The War on Drugs, Kamasi Washington & Toro y Moi as headliners for 2021

July 21, 2021 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Desert Daze //
Moreno Beach – Lake Perris, CA‎
November 12th-14th, 2021 //

As the live music industry slowly returns to form this summer amid the COVID-19 pandemic, our attention has already turned to the fall with the hope that some of our favorite artists and bands will once again be touring and performing all across California and the West Coast in the coming months.

And for almost the past decade now, Desert Daze has continued to serve as one of the Golden State’s premier boutique music festivals, even after leaving its Joshua Tree roots for the more spacious confines of Lake Perris a few years ago.

But after taking 2020 off with coronavirus cases spiraling out of control in the U.S., the three-day event presented by Moon Block and Knitting Factory Entertainment is finally ready to welcome fans back to Moreno Beach in November with a scaled-down roster that still leans heavily into psych-rock as The War on Drugs, Kamasi Washington and Toro y Moi each get set to make their headlining debuts at Desert Daze’s ninth edition.

The lake is calling ☎️ it’s for you. Desert Daze pre-sale, exclusive to email subscribers, starts tomorrow at 10am PT. General onsale starts Friday, 7/23 at 10am PT. Limited Tickets + Camping Passes available. pic.twitter.com/mueNgegatY

— Desert Daze (@desertdaze) July 21, 2021

One of the big highlights on this year’s lineup is no doubt The War on Drugs with the fest representing the Grammy winners’ first and only show slated in 2021, but also Washington — a virtuosic jazz saxophonist whose hometown performance at the Hollywood Bowl last weekend for KCRW’s World Festival series saw him team up with Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo to celebrate the forthcoming release of The Metallica Blacklist compilation with a nine-minute version of the heavy metal band’s track “My Friend of Misery” — and Toro y Moi following his appearance at Porter Robinson’s sold-out Second Sky Music Festival in Berkeley this September.

Of course, we would be remiss to not mention a strong undercard that boasts Tim Heidecker & Weyes Blood, Devendra Banhart, Japanese Breakfast, Ty Segall, Andy Shauf, Yves Tumor, DIIV, The Budos Band, Crumb, Moon Duo, Sudan Archives, The Black Angels, Deap Vally, Pachyman, Kikagaku Moyo and many more so make sure to mark your calendar and peep the poster above for the rest of the scheduled acts.

Three-day and single-day passes to Desert Daze will be available to purchase here for $225 and $75 during a 12-hour presale that starts this Thursday, July 22nd at 10 a.m. PT before the general public on-sale begins the next day at the same time. And with a limited capacity this year to allow for some more COVID-19 safety measures, you can bet tickets won’t be around for very long. Good luck, Desert Dazers!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Andy Shauf, billgazer, Chaz Bear, Crack Cloud, Crumb, Deap Vally, Desert Daze, Desert Daze 2021, Devendra Banhart, DIIV, Fear of Death, Fever Dream, GEESE, Japanese Breakfast, JJUUJJUU, Kamasi Washington, Kikagaku Moyo, Knitting Factory Entertainent., La Luz, Lake Perris, Mad Alchemy, Moon Block, Moon Duo, Moreno Beach, Pachyman, Porter Robinson, SASAMI, Second Sky Festival, Second Sky Festival 2021, Second Sky Music Festival, Second Sky Music Festival 2021, Slim Reaper, Snake Chime Zen, Spellling, Sudan Archives, The Black Angels, The Budos Band, The War on Drugs, Tim Hei, Tim Heidecker, Tim Heidecker & Weyes Blood, Toro Y Moi, Ty Segall, Warped Visions, Weyes Blood, Yves Tumor, Zachary Rodell

Our favorite performances from 2018

December 29, 2018 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Holy smokes, 2018 … you were a blur. Maybe it’s just us, but this year really did fly right by.

Before we officially say hello to 2019 though, it’s time for us to revisit the past 12 months at Showbams. Every year we have the great privilege of witnessing some amazing moments in live music, and this year was no different. While we can’t touch upon every performance we covered in looking back at the year that was, we still managed to see a wide variety of talent over the course of 2018.

Whittling down our list is never 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), all of whom we either covered at their own show and/or at a music festival this year:

Aaron Neville, A.CHAL, Alanis Morissette, Alina Baraz, Allen Stone, Amen Dunes, Aminé, A Perfect Circle, Ari Lennox, A$AP Rocky, Aquilo, BADBADNOTGOOD, The Bangles, Belle & Sebastian, The Beta Machine, Billie Eilish, BØRNS, Carly Rae Jepsen, Cashmere Cat, Childish Major, Chromeo, CHVRCHES, Cigarettes After Sex, Cloud Nothings, Cuco, Cut Snake, CyHi the Prynce, Daniel Caesar, Deap Vally, Destroyer, Diet Cig, Drab Majesty, DRAM, The Dustbowl Revival, Erykah Badu, Fantastic Negrito, Future, Garbage, George Fitzgerald, Gomez, Gov’t Mule, Great Grandpa, Griz, The Growlers, Gucci Mane, HAERTS, H.E.R., Hot Flash Heat Wave, Ibeyi, Iggy Pop, Irma Thomas, Isaiah Rashad, Jaira Burns, Jamie xx, Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, Jhené Aiko, John Maus, Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band, Joywave, JPEGMAFIA, Jungle, Kailee Morgue, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Kamasi Washington, Kauf, Kelela, Kikagaku Moyo, Kings of Leon, Kopps, Laff Trax, Lion Babe, Lizzo, Lophile, Lord Huron, Los Lobos, Lucy Dacus, Margo Price, Miguel, Mija, Milk Carton Kids, ModPods, Moses Sumney, The Mother Hips, Mura Masa, Neil Young, N.E.R.D, North Mississippi Allstars, ODESZA, Pale Waves, Paula Frazer and Tarnation, Phantogram, Pharoah Sanders, Pixies, Polo & Pan, POND, Portugal. The Man, The Pretenders, Quicksand, Ravyn Lenae, Rivers Cuomo, The Revolution, Robert Plant, Rory Phillips, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Sabrina Claudio, Salt-N-Pepa, Santigold, Sasha Sloan, Seu Jorge, Shakey Graves, Shame, Shana Falana, Sharon Van Etten, Silk City, Sleigh Bells, Snoh Aalegra, Soccer Mommy, The Specials, The Spook School, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Tame Impala, Tenacious D, Third Eye Blind, Tinashe, together PANGEA, TV on the Radio, Tycho, Typhoon, Uniform, Wafia, Waxahatchee, The Weeknd, Wet, William Tyler, Will Varley, Yen Yen, Zedd

Now, it’s time for The Bam Team to present our favorite performances from 2018.

The Bam Team’s 5 Favorite Shows, Albums & Songs of 2018

Listen to The Bam Team’s favorite songs of 2018:

Cut Copy

Date: March 3rd
Location: Exposition Park – Los Angeles

For those in LA who missed Cut Copy 10 months ago when they visited the Shrine Expo Hall with De Lux, Palmbomen II and Cooper Saver also on the bill, their headlining performance last Friday at The Wiltern was another chance to dance the night away upon hearing several classics such as “Need You Now”, “Free Your Mind”, “Future”, “Hearts on Fire” and to close, “Lights & Music”. In fact, the last time that we caught them back in March, a mini downpour erupted at Shaun White’s Air + Style (read our festival review here), but it didn’t phase them. Who said playing — and dancing — in the rain isn’t fun anyway? -Josh Herwitt, photo courtesy of Air + Style

Washed Out

Date: March 4th
Location: Exposition Park – Los Angeles

In what was easily the most visually stimulating (and pleasing) show we witnessed at Expo Park, Ernest Greene, who performs under the moniker Washed Out, entranced a completely packed crowd at the smaller Summer Stage with a slew of trippy visuals and his chilled-out tunes. We had been wanting to see Washed Out in SoCal for several months now, ever since Greene released the project’s third LP Mister Mellow last year, and after missing his gig with Nick Murphy at the Shrine Expo Hall in October, we were glad to finally hear him play “Hard to Say Goodbye” (one of our favorite songs of 2017) and “Feel It All Around” live as any loyal “Portlandia” fan would be. With Toro y Moi venturing away from the chillwave movement he helped pioneer, it’s up to Greene to lead the charge, and so far, he has done one hell of a job. -Josh Herwitt, photo courtesy of Air + Style

Phoenix

Date: March 4th
Location: Exposition Park – Los Angeles

After what we thought was an underwhelming way to wrap up Day 1, Air + Style closed with a bang thanks to Phoenix’s energizing, 16-song set. The French indie-pop outfit have headlined Coachella before, and it was more than worthy of that billing for this occasion. Kicking things off with the opening track “J-Boy” from their sixth studio album Ti Amo that dropped back in June, Thomas Mars and company gave us exactly what we wanted to hear: a hit-ladden show featuring singles like “Lisztomania”, “Trying to Be Cool”, “Too Young” and “1901”. No, there wasn’t a Daft Punk or R. Kelly appearance — not that we expected one — but Phoenix put an exclamation point on an otherwise successful weekend. We may not have known the quartet could rock that hard after the last time we saw them, but we definitely do now. -Josh Herwitt, photo courtesy of Air + Style

Moby

Date: March 26th
Location: Apogee Studio – Santa Monica, CA

His guitar playing, meanwhile, may be just as impressive, if not surprising to some. Less than two weeks before Moby stepped into Bob Clearmountain’s diminutive recording studio, I was fortunate enough to catch him the final of his three shows at The Echo, and it was there as he performed a variety of songs from Everything Was Beautiful, and Nothing Hurt, Play and a few other albums, that I fully realized just how talented he is with a black Gibson SG in his hands. He may be an electronic musician, but unlike a lot of them today, Moby is a musician in every sense of the word. While his vocals at times sound more like spoken word than actual singing, he has found more than capable sidekicks in Julie Mintz (keyboards, vocals) and Mindy Jones (vocals) to assist him in that department. Jones’ ranging voice, in particular, is one that suits his music well, and when you hear her sing, her pipes elevate the song to a whole new level. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Brian Feinzimer

The War on Drugs

Date: April 13th
Location: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Weekend 1 – Indio, CA

Weeks before The War on Drugs released their fourth LP A Deeper Understanding last year, we were fortunate enough to hear Adam Granduciel and company perform a handful of cuts from the new album in an intimate setting for KCRW. It was then and there that we knew the follow-up to 2014’s Lost in a Dream was another masterpiece, and that impression was only validated when A Deeper Understanding won the Grammy for “Best Rock Album” just a few months ago. On Day 1 of Coachella, the Philadelphia band brought some of those same songs we witnessed at Apogee Studio to life, though sadly, this time “Holding On” wasn’t part of the setlist. But we did get to experience “An Ocean in Between the Waves” in all of its glory, and we still have yet to come across another piece of music in more recent years that will make you want to play air guitar as much as the seven-minute track from Lost in a Dream does. Who said rock was dead? -Josh Herwitt, photo courtesy of Goldenvoice

Jamiroquai

Date: April 13th
Location: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Weekend 1 – Indio, CA

Thirteen years. That’s how long it has been since Jamiroquai last performed in the U.S. With that in mind, there was no way we were going to miss Jay Kay and the rest of his sidekicks in favor of The Weeknd’s headlining performance (sorry, Abel), and after what ended up being close to a 90-minute set from the London nu-funk/acid jazz group, we had no regrets about our decision. The only regret we have is that they ran out of time and didn’t get to play their smash hit “Virtual Insanity” in its entirety, and you could tell Jay Kay felt bad about it as he jumped down from the stage to greet some overjoyed fans after wrapping the show up with “Love Foolosophy” from 2001’s A Funk Odyssey. But while Weekend 2 attendees got the full version of the Travelling Without Moving single, we were treated to a massive surprise when Snoop Dogg came out to rap on “Dr. Buzz” with a huge blunt in his hand. It was the kind of collaboration you never expect to see, except at Coachella of all places. -Josh Herwitt, photo courtesy of Coachella

Eminem

Date: April 15th
Location: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Weekend 1 – Indio, CA

While we can’t say that we were completely thrilled with Goldenvoice’s choices for this year’s headliners, we were excited to see Eminem finally play Coachella (he had never performed in an official capacity before) and close out the festival on Sunday night. Sure, his newest album Revival didn’t exactly receive rave reviews from critics when it dropped at the end of 2017, but watching one of hip-hop’s most talented emcees run through his hits all while bringing out 50 Cent and Dr. Dre was undoubtedly THE highlight from Day 3. For this “stan,” just crossing Em off my concert bucket list would have been enough to send me home with a smile. Fortunately for those of us who were there though, the real Slim Shady lived up to the hype and more. -Josh Herwitt, photo courtesy of Coachella

Big K.R.I.T.

Date: April 19th
Location: Echoplex – Los Angeles

At Echoplex, we were treated to the “rapper” and the man himself as bass-heavy party starters like the title-track opener and “Confetti” from 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time got everyone hyped, while Atlanta’s T.I. came out to perform his verse on “Big Bank”. After singling out one excited fan, who was wearing a shirt with a giant picture of his face, during the easygoing “1999” and paying homage to Southern rap pioneers UGK, Big K.R.I.T. took the latter half of his hour-long set to connect with the crowd. -Joseph Gray, photo by Joseph Gray

Soulwax

Date: April 19th
Location: The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles

While Soulwax’s recorded music has always been perfectly enjoyable, in person it becomes something else entirely. Their new, three-drummer lineup was the ideal format to hear new tracks like “Is It Always Binary” while giving older tracks such as “KracK” a newly textured and complex sound. Sitting stage right, drummer Victoria Smith, for one, offered the group some serious personality thanks to her animated facial expressions. -Zach Bourque, photo by Zach Bourque

NxWorries

Date: June 16th
Location: The Queen Mary – Long Beach, CA

I fall somewhere in the middle between those two age groups, so it was fitting that the uber-talented rapper/singer/drummer Anderson .Paak had just walked onto the “Free Your Mind” main stage when I showed up. .Paak, 32, wore a smile as expressive as his music, packaged with a bright nautical-themed ensemble. He effortlessly impressed with standouts “Suede”, “Another Time” and “What More Can I Say” off Yes Lawd!, his 2016 LP with Los Angeles hip-hop producer Knxwledge as part of their collaborative project NxWorries (pronounced “No Worries”). The duo’s set would eventually culminate in a playful dance-off between women, which fans showed their appreciation for before .Paak and Knxwledge said their goodbyes. -Joseph Gray, photo by Joseph Gray

The Roots

Date: June 16th
Location: The Queen Mary – Long Beach, CA

However, anticipation for The Roots kept me at the main stage. It proved to be a wise decision, as their nearly hour-long performance reminded me why the Grammy-winning band is still so revered after more than three decades. Black Thought got the crowd riled up with a 10-minute barrage of lyrical proficiency that so many have come to know as his “Hot 97 Freestyle” after it hit the internet in December and quickly went viral, while his bandmates exuberantly jumped with sousaphones and guitars during “You Got Me” and a number of other hits. But providing a jolt like he only can, the one and only Busta Rhymes showed up for a quick-but-memorable performance of “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See” and “Pass the Courvoisier, Part II”. -Joseph Gray, photo by Joseph Gray

Melvins

Date: July 16th
Location: Great American Music Hall – San Francisco

I’m far from an expert on this kind of thing (because I’m not), but I didn’t expect to see the Melvins perform with the amount of energy that they showcased. For a band that has been touring and putting out new material for the past 35 years, they performed as if everything depended on it. You weren’t going to catch “King Buzzo” standing in one place for too long, with his signature fro whipping in the wind from the fans that were on the stage, McDonald and Pinkus holding it down on their own instruments, and Crover beating the living hell out of his drums. Fans were ready to receive the band and responded to the various sonic blasts coming from the amplifiers. During the thrashy songs, they formed a brutal pit, and during the sludgier songs, they lit up joints and bobbed their heads to the music. -Andrew Pohl, photo by Mike Rosati

Glassjaw

Date: July 20th
Location: Observatory OC – Santa Ana, CA

Glassjaw’s show covered their entire discography, and very few fan favorites were left off the setlist. While it was to be expected that newer tunes like “Shira” and “New White Extremity” would rock, it was staggering how well their older songs held up in a live setting. Palumbo’s voice, though slightly less manic than it once was, is still unmatched in its vocal range and shear intensity. -Zach Bourque, photo by Zach Bourque

Weezer

Date: August 8th
Location: The Forum – Inglewood, CA

That’s not to say that Cuomo isn’t a talented musician. In fact, quite the opposite is true. The Harvard grad shreds without question, something I never really realized until he uncorked a number of guitar solos, whether it was during “Buddy Holly” to open Weezer’s performance or “Say It Ain’t So” (with a snippet of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”) to put a bow on the show. And while there aren’t many lead singers who can do both, Cuomo certainly remains among some elite company, with Jack White, Trey Anastasio (Phish), Jim James (My Morning Jacket) and Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) also immediately coming to mind. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

Florence + the Machine

Date: August 11th
Location: Golden Gate Park – San Francisco

There was a bit of controversy surrounding Saturday’s main slot as Florence + the Machine officially made the move to full-blown festival headliner. Some festivalgoers had their own doubts after FYF Fest 2018 was canceled with a near-identical top billing, but Florence and her bandmates proved, many times over, that she is more than capable of commanding any stage as her energy is unlike many others. She debuted a brand-new show, which featured “June” in the opening slot and was book-ended by “Big God” and “Shake It Out” for a two-song encore. -Kevin Quandt, photo by Norm de Veyra

Janelle Monáe

Date: August 12th
Location: Golden Gate Park – San Francisco

The incomparable Janelle Monáe was a tad late to take the stage, as she was fighting off a stomach bug, but when she did, she captivated the masses with a suite of tracks from her most recent release Dirty Computer and tossed in a fair amount of costume changes over a nearly hour-long set. Monáe proved that she’s easily one of the best in the business at the moment and will only continue to climb upwards. -Kevin Quandt, photo by Norm de Veyra

Deafheaven

Date: August 18th
Location: The Wiltern – Los Angeles

Fortunately, Deafheaven haven’t bowed to convention or criticism. Their fourth studio album Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, which ANTI‐ released last month, is their arguably their most experimental to date, spanning more than an hour over seven songs. There’s a sense of angst and nostalgia in the music that leans far more positive and hopeful than their previous work. There are still echoes of black metal at times, but you can feel this is a band that’s embracing its differences instead of defending them. -Zach Bourque, photo by Zach Bourque

Jack White

Date: August 19th
Location: Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA

Yet, for as eclectic and wide-ranging as White’s output has been over two decades, it’s the unpredictable nature of his live shows that makes them so intriguing to see. This time, we were treated to a rare cover of The Stooges’ “T.V. Eye” from their 1970 album Fun House, as well as a number of fan favorites, from set closer “Ball and Biscuit” to an eight-song encore that featured “Icky Thump” (with some amusing “Icky Trump” messaging), “Steady, as She Goes” (with a snippet of Richard Berry’s 1955 song “Louie Louie”), and of course, what has easily become the biggest stadium anthem in the world, “Seven Nation Army”. And though the show didn’t conclude without a few hiccups during some of White’s improvised playing between songs, he hasn’t lost his unique ability to surprise an audience — whether it means bringing out his mother in Detroit to perform “Hotel Yorba” with him or covering Pearl Jam’s “Daughter” in Seattle — at any given moment, especially when we all aren’t staring down at our phones. -Josh Herwitt, photo courtesy of Jack White

David Byrne

Date: August 22nd
Location: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco

As the show progressed into his songs “Here” and “Lazy”, Byrne’s band joined him onstage. The light changed and filled in the stage, giving the audience a happier tone and providing a seamless transition into a Talking Heads interlude. Then, later on during “Blind”, one of the more stunning visual elements was made possible by a simple lamp that was placed in front of the band, casting whirling shadows on the strands of beads hanging behind them. -Tim O’Shea, photo by Tim O’Shea

The National

Date: September 20th
Location: Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles

Right before that final aforementioned single, they brought out Phoebe Bridgers to help them perform “Sorrow” from 2010’s High Violet, as Berninger and the 24-year-old singer-songwriter, who said during her brief opening set that The National were her favorite band, traded vocals on the tune they once played 105 times in a row, with the performance at an art installation in New York lasting all of six hours. We weren’t quite as fortunate to get that kind of show in LA, as The National opted for one of their more traditional, two-hour events. But whether you’ve been a fan from the start or one like myself who arrived rather late to the party, The National continue to make some of the most compelling music in rock, expanding their fan base with each and every album they release. That’s the sign of any good band these days, and though there’s only a handful of others that could even say the same right now, The National should take comfort in knowing they’re one of those select few. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

Grizzly Bear

Date: September 23rd
Location: Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles

Similarly, the gig also marked one of Grizzly Bear’s last performances in support of their fifth LP Painted Ruins, which they released last year on RCA Records, and having already played a two-night run at The Wiltern back in December, this was more of a victory lap than a coming-out party. Unfortunately for us, the five-piece had to cut things short due to the venue’s strict Sunday night curfew, ending on a rather sudden note. That’s just part of the deal at the Bowl, though. For those of us who have to work on Monday morning, it’s actually more of a blessing in disguise than a disservice to the overall concert experience as we’ve come to realize. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

Courtney Barnett

Date: October 5th
Location: Greek Theatre – Los Angeles

When she wasn’t sharing the spotlight with Waxahatchee, Barnett was sharing it equally with the rest of her stellar backing band, but it was mostly just difficult to take your eyes off of her. Everything she does feels casual, from her outfit to her guitar playing, slinging her instrument around like it was an extension of herself. Even her delivery of the wrenching reality that the 30-year-old Australian singer-songwriter articulates so well is casual, singing like the end of the world isn’t a mere 22 years away. -Rochelle Shipman, photo by Rochelle Shipman

Greta Van Fleet

Date: October 6th
Location: Glen Helen Regional Park & Festival Grounds – San Bernardino, CA

By the time we got through security and stepped inside the gates, Manchester Orchestra had just finished their 45-minute set on the main stage, which essentially was the 65,000-person Glen Helen Amphitheater that was constructed back in 1982 for the first US Festival. Next up was Greta Van Fleet, and boy, do these kids know how to rock. Zeppelin clearly runs deep in these four Michiganders’ veins, as they showcased songs off their forthcoming debut album Anthem of the Peaceful Army with frontman Josh Kiszka commanding the stage and offering his best Robert Plant impression. He even dresses the part, sporting some tight, white jeans with a water-colored blouse and necklace of feathers while his brothers Jake and Sam wore vests or shirts that looked like what you would find at a vintage clothing store. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

Foo Fighters

Date: October 6th
Location: Glen Helen Regional Park & Festival Grounds – San Bernardino, CA

As the Foos left the stage for their encore break, we waited patiently for them to return. The crowd, by now, had been taken for a two-hour ride with Grohl firmly at the wheel, pumping adrenaline into our veins with every minute that passed as the Foo Fighters know how to do so well during their usual two-and-a-half-hour jaunts. The video screens on each side of the stage were black until suddenly some backstage footage appeared showing Grohl with Krist Novoselic and what looked like Joan Jett. All of that would end up coming true in the last 30 minutes of Cal Jam 18, but it was a six-song encore with Grohl on drums, Novoselic on bass, the Foo Fighters’ Pat Smear on guitar and Deer Tick frontman John McAuley on both vocals and guitar as Kurt Cobain’s fill-in who got us hyped. Nirvana fans have waited 25 years for a reunion since Cobain’s sudden passing, and when you put it in perspective, it will probably go down as one of the year’s biggest surprises, even at a time in music when many industry experts say that rock now stands in the shadows of hip-hop and EDM. -Josh Herwitt, photo by Josh Herwitt

Pusha T

Date: October 13th
Location: Middle Harbor Shoreline Park – Oakland

But U.S. Girls were the highlight of the weekend for us. A nine-piece experimental pop act, they put on a stunning 45-minute set that culminated in an entrancing rendition of “Time”, the closing track on their critically acclaimed studio effort In a Poem Unlimited, that lasted more than 10 minutes. The energy, instrumentation and vocal capabilities were absolutely stunning. Easily one of this year’s most exciting new acts, and we can’t wait to catch them again soon. -Brett Ruffenach, photo by Brendan Mansfield

U.S. Girls

Date: October 14th
Location: Middle Harbor Shoreline Park – Oakland

Filed Under: Best of 2018, Editor's Picks, Featured Tagged With: A Perfect Circle, A$AP Rocky, A.CHAL, Aaron Neville, Air + Style, Air + Style 2018, Air + Style LA 2018, Alanis Morissette, Alina Baraz, Allen Stone, Amen Dunes, Amine, Aquilo, Ari Lennox, BADBADNOTGOOD, BØRNS, Belle & Sebastian, Best of 2018, Big K.R.I.T., Billie Eilish, Carly Rae Jepsen, Cashmere Cat, Childish Major, Chromeo, Chvrches, Cigarettes After Sex, Cloud Nothings, Courtney Barnett, Cuco, Cut Copy, Cut Snake, CyHi the Prynce, Daniel Caesar, David Byrne, Deafheaven, Deap Vally, Destroyer, Diet Cig, Drab Majesty, DRAM, Eminem, Erykah Badu, Fantastic Negrito, Florence & the Machine, Foo Fighters, Future, Garbage, George Fitzgerald, Glassjaw, Gomez, Gov't Mule, Great Grandpa, Greta Van Fleet, GRIZ, Grizzly Bear, Gucci Mane, H.E.R., HAERTS, Hot Flash Heat Wave, Ibeyi, Iggy Pop, Irma Thomas, Isaiah Rashad, Jack White, Jaira Burns, Jamie xx, Jamiroquai, Janelle Monáe, Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, Jhené Aiko, John Maus, Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band, Joywave, JPEGMAFIA, Jungle, Kailee Morgue, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Kamasi Washington, Kauf, Kelela, Kikagaku Moyo, Kings of Leon, Kopps, Laff Trax, Lion Babe, Lizzo, Lophile, Lord Huron, Los Lobos, Lucy Dacus, Margo Price, Melvins, Miguel, Mija, Milk Carton Kids, Moby, ModPods, Moses Sumney, Mura Masa, N.E.R.D., Neil Young, Nirvana, North Mississippi Allstars, NxWorries, Odesza, Pale Waves, Paula Frazer and Tarnation, Phantogram, Pharoah Sanders, Phoenix, Pixies, Polo & Pan, Pond, Portugal. The Man, Pusha T, Quicksand, Ravyn Lenae, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Rivers Cuomo, Robert Plant, Rory Phillips, Sabrina Claudio, Salt-N-Pepa, Santigold, Sasha Sloan, Seu Jorge, Shakey Graves, Shame, Shana Falana, Sharon Van Etten, Silk City, Sleigh Bells, Snoh Aalegra, Soccer Mommy, Soulwax, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Tame Impala, Tenacious D, The Bangles, The Beta Machine, The Dustbowl Revival, The Growlers, The Mother Hips, The National, The Pretenders, The Revolution, The Roots, The Specials, The Spook School, The War on Drugs, The Weeknd, Third Eye Blind, Tinashe, Together Pangea, TV on the Radio, Tycho, Typhoon, U.S. Girls, Uniform, Wafia, Washed Out, Waxahatchee, Weezer, Wet, Will Varley, William Tyler, Yen Yen, Zedd

Deap Vally unleash a full-on assault at The Chapel

November 19, 2018 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

By Mike Rosati //

Deap Vally with Shana Falana //
The Chapel – San Francisco
November 12th, 2018 //

LA indie-rock duo Deap Vally assaulted Bay Area fans at The Chapel with their grungy riffs and garage-heavy sound last Monday.

Lindsey Troy (guitar, vocals) and Julie Edwards (drums, vocals) played songs from both of their albums — 2013’s Sistrionix and 2006’s Femejism — as well as two new ones that they released this year. Toward the end of the set, someone dressed as a dinosaur joined them onstage for “Bring It On”, their latest track to get the music video treatment, with friends, family and military veterans filling the room.

Serving as support were New York-based shoegaze band Shana Falana. The two-piece have two studio LPs to their name, both on the indie label Team Love co-founded by Bright Eyes leader Conor Oberst, and are currently touring the U.S. through early December.

Setlist:
Baby I Call Hell
Bad for My Body
Little Baby Beauty Queen
Get Gone
Smile More
Heart Is an Animal
Walk of Shame
Teenage Queen
Gonna Make
Critic
Bring It On
End of the World

Encore:
Grunge Bond
Royal Jelly

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: Deap Vally, Shana Falana, The Chapel

Goldenvoice announces 2018 Coachella sideshows

February 14, 2018 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

It’s Valentine’s Day, so what could be a better way to celebrate love — or least your love for live music — than with a whole slew of newly announced shows?

Well, with Coachella’s 19th edition just a couple of months away, Goldenvoice has done it again, assembling another massive list of April sideshows at various venues all across the greater Los Angeles landscape, including some in Orange County (at The Observatory and Constellation Room), Santa Barbara County (at the Santa Barbara Bowl and The Arlington Theatre) and the desert (at Pappy & Harriet’s).

Sister trio HAIM kick off the festivities with their headlining performance at arguably our favorite Southern California venue, the Santa Barbara Bowl, on Saturday, April 7th before things ramp up the ensuing week with Kali Uchis, Chromeo, Tyler, the Creator, St. Vincent, Portugal. The Man (with Cherry Glazerr), Perfume Genius (with Big Thief), Princess Nokia, PVRIS, Marian Hill, Fleet Foxes, Carpenter Brut, Tash Sultana, The Drums & Alvvays (with Fazerdaze), alt-J (with BØRNS), Migos, The Bronx, Greta Van Fleet, A Perfect Circle, Yaeji, Angel Olsen, Jessie Ware, BROCKHAMPTON, First Aid Kit, Japanese Breakfast (with Snail Mail), Kelela, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Buscabulla (with The Marías), Priests, MØ, Jorja Smith & Tom Misch, ODESZA, Miguel, Boogarins (with B Boys & Señor Kino), Ron Gallo, Moon Boots (Live), The War on Drugs, Jungle, Soulwax, Petit Biscuit, 6lack, Aurora, Motor City Drum Ensemble (with Talaboman), Los Ángeles Azules, The Drums, Hayley Kiyoko and Elohim all playing — some even more than once — inside and/or outside of LA’s city limits.

Unlike last year’s sideshows, which included a special showcase at the Palm Springs Air Museum the night before Coachella’s first weekend featuring several artists from British independent record label Young Turks, Goldenvoice has opted not to go down that route again. The two gigs that mirror that mini festival the closest both take place on Thursday, April 19th, as Motor City Drum Ensemble performs at the Palm Springs Air Museum with Talaboman and Los Ángeles Azules invades the Riverside County Fairgrounds with Cuco, Helado Negro and Ocho Ojos just one day before Coachella Weekend 2 commences at the Empire Polo Club. Check out the full list of sideshows in the poster above.

Year after year, Goldenvoice seemingly continues to outdo itself with more and more shows in and around Coachella, and this April the renowned concert promoter has done its best to give music fans in Southern California a little bit of everything, from electro funk and indie folk to hip-hop and alternative R&B. But at first glance, the 2018 sideshows that stick out the most to us include the following: Chromeo at the El Rey Theatre, St. Vincent at The Orpheum Theatre, Perfume Genius (with Big Thief) at The Mayan, Fleet Foxes at the Warner Grand Theater, Tash Sultana at the Fox Theater Pomona, The Drums & Alvvays co-headlining (with Fazerdaze) at Pappy & Harriet’s, alt-J (with BØRNS) at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Migos at The Observatory, A Perfect Circle at The Arlington Theatre, Japanese Breakfast (with Snail Mail) at The Roxy, The War on Drugs at the Fox Theater Pomona, Jungle at Pappy & Harriet’s, Soulwax at The Fonda Theatre, 6lack at The Novo and Portugal. The Man (with Chicano Batman and Deap Vally) at the Santa Barbara Bowl.

Tickets for most of the sideshows go on sale here this Friday, February 16th at Noon PT with the rest of them available on Friday, February 23rd at Noon PT or Friday, March 2nd at Noon PT.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 6lack, A Perfect Circle, Alt-J, Alvvays, Angel Olsen, AURORA, B Boys, BØRNS, Big Thief, Boogarins, Brockhampton, Buscabulla, Carpenter Brut, Cherry Glazerr, Chicano Batman, Chromeo, Coachella, Coachella 2018, Coachella 2018 sideshows, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2018, Coachella sideshows, Constellation Room, Cuco, Deap Vally, El Rey Theatre, Fazerdaze, First Aid Kit, Fleet Foxes, Fox Theater Pomona, Goldenvoice, Greta Van Fleet, Helado Negro, Japanese Breakfast, Jessie Ware, John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, Jorja Smith, Jungle, Kali Uchis, Kelela, Los Angeles Azules, Marian Hill, Migos, Miguel, MO, Moon Boots, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Ocho Ojos, Odesza, Palm Springs Air Museum, Pappy & Harriet's, Perfume Genius, Petit Biscuit, Portugal. The Man, Priests, Princess Nokia, PVRIS, Riverside County Fairgrounds, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Ron Gallo, Santa Barbara Bowl, Shrine Expo Hall, Sigrid, Snail Mail, Soulwax, St. Vincent, Talaboman, Tash Sultana, The Arlington Theatre, The Bronx, the Creator, The Drums, The Echo, The Fonda Theatre, The Glass House, The Marías, The Mayan, The Novo, The Novo DTLA, The Observatory, The Orpheum Theatre, The Regent Theater, The Roxy Theatre, The Theatre at Ace Hotel, The War on Drugs, Tom Misch, Tyler, Warner Grand Theater, Yaeji

Noise Pop 2017: Our top moments from the festival

March 3, 2017 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Temples

Photos by Norm de Veyra, James Pawlish, Kory Thibeault, Laura Tsu, Lisette Worster, Geoff Hong, Karen Goldman, Sarah Felker, Christopher Vigue & Jacqueline Moore //

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

Over the last 25 years, Noise Pop has gone from being the axis of arts and entertainment in the Bay Area to an iconic celebration of independent culture worldwide. Expanding each year to include a film program, photography retrospectives and live podcasts, the festival continued to cover more new ground this year with the introduction of a day-long event that featured a yoga program, dramatic readings, live performances and a record fair.

Spanning 11 days, Noise Pop 25 drew record crowds, selling out shows and festival badges faster than ever before with several intimate, one-off performances that gave its headliners carte blanche to demo their impending festival sets for this spring and summer. Noise Pop kept the lineup eclectic and fans on their toes; we never truly knew what to expect from the 2017 roster of talent.

In a matter of almost two weeks, The Bam Team frequented many Bay Area venues to catch a number of Noise Pop performances. Find out below which were our favorites, and make sure to tell us which ones were yours in the comments section.

Dawes

One of the first things Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith said when he came out onstage was, “We’re trying to be the hardest working band in America, and we’re going to prove that to you right now.” Sure, it was a bold statement, but from a band that has set out on a tour playing both its opening and main set, it was also logical. Dawes’ latest release We’re All Gonna Live, a live album follow-up to their 2016 LP We’re All Gonna Die, was a perfect lead-in to an all-out, balls-to-the-walls tour. Some bands you just have to see live to really appreciate, and Dawes is one of those bands. The real showstopper, though, was a surprise guest appearance by Lenny Goldsmith, as the show ended with the crowd finishing out the last verse of “All Your Favorite Bands” a capella to close out a three-hour set. I got the sense that everyone would have gladly taken another three hours, and if there was no curfew at The Fillmore, Dawes probably would have happily played another three hours as well. – Keeley Pedersen

Electric Guest

Performing one of the most sold-out Noise Pop shows this year at The Independent, Electric Guest played a soulful set that covered both of their studio albums as frontman Asa Taccone, the Berkeley native, intermittently took time between songs to give praise to the SF audience. He mentioned how it was sort of a homecoming for him and that he always enjoyed engaging such responsive audiences and at venues that allowed him to “bring life” to the band’s body of work. Though it was the first show with new touring members of Electric Guest, the crowd welcomed the novice arrangement with open arms. Kicking off the festival with a mid-week groove, the lineup kept audience members dancing and pumped them up for the marathon week ahead. – Molly Kish

Hazel English

Hazel English is not your everyday rocker chick with loud, pungent sounds. She’s smooth, delicate, powerful and poised. She is also a whirlwind with either very loyal fans or those looking to discover her. But it was easy to make out in the crowd at Rickshaw Stop who the true fans were as they swayed to her music, gently singing her songs word for word without overpowering her sense of stride. Whether attendees knew of her before the show or came to discover some new music, she pulled them into her calmness and radiated a ghostly sound. Unveiling both of these qualities, English brought a mid-week breath of fresh air. Feet on the floor and eyes half closed, everyone looked like they were there to liberate themselves with her drifty sound. – Jacqueline Moore

JJUUJJUU

Desert Daze Caravan

After attending Desert Daze last year, it was a sheer delight to see the event and its organizers grow to a point where they could bring a hand-selected group of artists to SF and other West Coast cities. While JJUUJJUU and Froth warmed up the crowd at The Chapel, it wasn’t until Deap Vally began to pummel us with their thick, blues-rock fuzz that the evening started to truly take shape. Who Sold My Generation was a highlight release in 2016 from Night Beats, and on this night, the Seattle upstarts certainly won over more fans as their infectious stage presence, coupled with their weighty take on garage rock, could be akin to acts such as Black Angels and even Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Temples closed the show out, taking the daring route by opening their set with new material from their upcoming sophomore release Volcano. Though the capacity crowd was receptive to the handful of fresh tracks, it was songs such as “A Question Isn’t Answered” that ignited some vicious headbanging. – Kevin Quandt

Diet Cig

For their Noise Pop show at Brick & Mortar Music Hall that came in the middle of the work week, Diet Cig put on a hyperactive, energetic performance. The New York indie-rock duo got the sold-out crowd properly pumped up as they blazed through tracks from their forthcoming debut LP after local outfits Shutups, Joyride and Plush kicked off the evening with great sets. – Norm de Veyra

The Palms

A lineup featuring California-based talent from both the north and south ends came to SF’s Rickshaw Stop for one night during Noise Pop 25. Local act Nyre got things started with their reverberating brand of garage rock echoing throughout the venue, and LA outfit Warbly Jets followed by delivering their catchy alt-rock songs. The Young Wild, meanwhile, amplified the crowd’s enthusiasm with their upbeat, indie-pop tunes. As the evening drew to a close, The Palms took the stage, showcasing their poignant songwriting and frontman Ben Rothbard’s irreproducible voice. – Laura Tsu

Kelis

Seeing Kelis at Noise Pop proved to be something special. Even though it ended up being an early night at 1015 Folsom, it felt like any other late event that I’ve been to there. What was surprising was how many mashups she did with her own songs as DJ Nikki Beatnik and DJ Rashida had the room shaking, literally. Amid magical mashups featuring Migos, Daft Punk and more, the highlight of the night was definitely a remix of Gorillaz feeding into a couple verses and loops of “my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard” before hearing the James Bond theme song. My biggest question going into the night was why someone would tattoo a portrait of someone else on their body (Kelis was married to Nas, who infamously tattooed her face on his arm). But walking out of 1015, I realized that she had me singing along and pulled in by her energy, dancing like crazy during her entire set. I guess I get it now. – Lisette Worster

Tash Sultana

For one of its Noise Pop shows, Swedish American Hall played host to 21-year-old Australian native Tash Sultana, best known for her musical multi-tasking, dynamic vocals and her story. At just 17, she slipped into a drug-induced psychosis. From there, she began busking, finding her way back to reality through music. It has been said that Sultana’s ultimate musical goal is to teach herself to “play every instrument ever made,” and the sold-out crowd certainly got a taste of her wide range of instrumental talent as Tash incorporated guitar, trumpet, mandolin and pan flute into her set, beautifully laid over her self-generated beats. This is a one-woman show reminiscent of the most talented street musicians you’ve ever seen — the kind that make you sit and watch for a while, the kind that compels you to throw $20 into their guitar case as you walk by. That raw presence has not left her to this day as she steps onto stages around the country and soaks in praise of her completely engaged audiences. – Hailey Hosler

Deafheaven

As one of the strongest Noise Pop bills with Emma Ruth Bundle, This Will Destroy You and Deafhaven, the three acts combined to make for a perfect sequence of post-rock into black metal that few tours are able to accomplish. This Will Destroy You, a band that commands silence as well as it does noise, found the right kind of audience for a Friday night, as fans stood entranced by the constantly inflating and deflating sense of space that their sound occupied. “Dustism”, in particular, made for a breathtaking performance by the five-piece from SF. Following TWDY, Deafheaven kicked the energy into high gear. From New Bermuda track “Baby Blue” to the title track on their 2013 LP Sunbather, the Deafhaven experience live is chaotic and calm, melodic and cacophonous all at once. Led by vocalist/conductor/hype man George Clark, the band has a remarkable ability for creating the loudest, fastest noise and melding it with beautiful guitar melodies and fascinating song compositions. After a week of live music, this night was a real highlight of Noise Pop 25. – Brett Ruffenach

Julien Baker

It’s pretty cool to see a musician take the stage alone and draw the kind of intense attention from an audience that Julien Baker can. I can’t recall a time when I’ve seen so few cell phones out and so little chatter in the crowd. After we got warmed up with brief sets from Bobey and Miserable, Baker stepped onstage and immediately had every eye and ear in the room locked on her. Opening with “Blacktop”, Baker’s set was mostly comprised of material from her 2015 release Sprained Ankle, though she peppered in a couple of new tracks from her upcoming album much to the delight of the audience. When someone in the audience shouted “YOU ROCK!!!”, she keenly replied, “Oh good. I’m always nervous that I have lost my punk cred,” which got a good laugh. She claimed that she was nervous to see such a large crowd (which was also confirmed by a friend of mine who spoke with her backstage), but that didn’t stop her from putting on a powerful performance, showcasing her prowess as a guitar player and her range as a vocalist. – Andrew Pohl

Crocodiles

NRVS LVRS, a band originating from SF with a powerful sound, turned enough heads to fill up the floor at Bottom of the Hill and were followed by another SF outfit in Hot Flash Heat Wave, maintained their strong sound and keeping fans stoked. AJ Dávila subsequently energized the crowd even more with the help of some members from Crocodiles, the San Diego-based band who headlined the night and kept the good vibes rolling. – Christopher Vigue

Tennyson

Luke and Tess Pretty, the sibling duo behind Tennyson, delivered an electrifying performance at the Brick & Mortar Music Hall for Noise Pop. Opening support came from Qrion, Julia Lewis and Starfari, who brought out rapper Niko Brahman. However, the young Canadian electronic duo absolutely stole the show with their upbeat and bouncy performance. Tess crushed it on the drums while Luke displayed his talents on the keys and synthesizer. Those in attendance were lucky to witness Luke show off his live vocals, which he hasn’t done on previous tour stops due to illness. The performance was chock full of fun samples that fans have come to expect from Tennyson: dripping water, animal noises and the instantly recognizable alarm clock sound on their popular track “Lay-by”. Tennyson truly did not disappoint, delivering one of the most high-energy sets of Noise Pop 25. – Geoff Hong

Matt Pond PA

It’s funny when one single person or band can have control over an entire crowd. And This is exactly what Matt Pond PA did so perfectly. Not only have I never experienced a band play six rather slow, soft songs in a row while keeping the crowd at a hush, but have full awareness of each breath, stroke of a cello or pluck of a guitar. He delivered such intensity that you could actually see it in the eyes of crowd members. People were there for Matt Pond PA, and it was so evident in the way the audience danced, sang and laughed along with his entire set. This crowd knew him, and if they didn’t, they were a fan by the end of the night. ‘Specks’ was the crowd’s absolute favorite song of the night. The energy was high and bodies were moving! – Jacqueline Moore

The Family Crest

There may be few things that are more enjoyable than a good ol’ fashioned, foot-stomping dance party on a Saturday night. Those who made it to the Swedish American Hall for The Family Crest’s headlining show were in for a treat. The SF seven-piece kept the energy and spirits high as the crowd enthusiastically roared its approval during an hour-long set. Even though it felt short, the band delivered a fun and loose performance. – Norm de Veyra

The Frights

If you weren’t present for The Frights’ show at The Chapel, you were certainly missing out. Four indie bands played for an eclectic group of fans that ranged from the grungiest of teens to the hippest of dads. SF’s Dinosaurs opened the show and were followed by The Regrettes from SoCal. The Garden, hailing from Orange County, kept things going with a strange blend of what fans call “vada vada,” and the drummer took the opportunity to front flip twice into the crowd of ecstatic kids. To complete the night, The Frights hit the stage, performing a good number of their pop-rock songs and even taking the time to bust out a sick cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”. Safe to say, the show had something for everyone during what was a great night for celebrating music and genre diversity. – Courtney Blodgett

The Radio Dept.

Tickets to see Swedish band The Radio Dept. at Noise Pop sold out swiftly once their first U.S. tour since 2011 was announced last year, which also included the release of their follow-up to 2010’s Clinging to a Scheme. Their show at The Independent showcased plenty of new songs from Running Out of Love along with their beloved back catalog. Playing precisely, their set flowed organically with fully robust sentiment. With SF-based bands Future Shapes and The Bilinda Butchers opening things up in addition to the spunky duo that is Germans, it was a night to remember. – Laura Tsu

BADBADNOTGOOD

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. Their setlist covered some older tracks but mostly focused on their latest album IV, including a dizzying rendition of “Lavender”, a track that was made in collaboration with electronic producer Kaytranada. Throughout the set, it was clear that the audience shared just as much enthusiasm as the band did in sharing an evening at the storied SF venue as one member in the crowd earnestly yelled, “Hey, you’re doing a great job!” in between songs — and a great job they did. As I grabbed my apple and poster on the way out, it reminded me why we should be so thankful for nights like these at The Fillmore. – Brett Ruffenach

The Hip Replacements

The Mother Hips are one of those acts who have been a Bay Area staple, having shared their indie-folk tunes for 27 years since forming in 1990. Due to an ongoing injury, frontman Tim Bluhm was unable to perform, so to switch things up, Greg Loiacono, John Hofer and Scott Thunes invited Bob Reed (Overwhelming Colorfast, Oranger), Johnny Irion and Dave Zirbel (San Geronimo) to join them. They played a mixture of songs by The Mother Hips and The Replacements, calling themselves The Hip Replacements on this night, which also featured an opening set from Scary Little Friends, the psychedelic-rock trio comprised of Chris Jones, Jon Payne and Charlie Knote. Since they formed in early 2013, the band has been recognized by KQED Arts and The Deli Magazine SF. – Karen Goldman

Tennis

The anticipation and excitement was high at the Great American Music Hall for the return of Denver indie-pop outfit Tennis. Just weeks before the release of the husband-and-wife duo’s fourth LP, the sold-out crowd was offered a glimpse of what is to come as Alaina Moore and Patrick Wiley performed the newest singles from their forthcoming Yours Conditionally. Also, props must go to twin-brother duo The Mattson 2. The late addition to the Noise Pop lineup made the most of their time by delivering a wildly entertaining and raucous set just prior to Tennis taking the stage. – Norm de Veyra

Radical Face

This was by the best performance I saw at Noise Pop. The crowd was so excited before Radical Face even walked onstage, and my jaw was left wide open by the end. The band knew how to build up each song and slow them down in just seconds. The entire show felt like a cinematic adventure, as if lyrics were unneeded and all that the crowd wanted was the beautiful sounds they were making. Conversations about suicide, domestic abuse, loneliness and depression were some of the issues discussed in between songs, which made this show truly remarkable because the band was able to share so much with us. But they also counteracted these serious issues with jokes and laughter. You could tell that Radical Face are a brotherhood. Needless to say, everyone in the audience left The Fillmore with a radiance on their face and I know that I wasn’t the only one leaving with a warm feeling inside. – Jacqueline Moore

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals Tagged With: AJ Dávila, BADBADNOTGOOD, Crocodiles, Dawes, Deafheaven, Deap Vally, Desert Daze Caravan, Deviation, Diet Cig, Electric Guest, Emma Ruth Rundle, Fine Points, Froth, Germans, Great American Canyon Band, Hazel English, Hot Flash Heat Wave, Hudson Mohawke, JJUUJJUU, Joyride!, Julien Baker, Kelis, Matt Pond PA, Middle Kids, Mothers, MSTRKRFT, Night Beats, Nine Pound Shadow, Noise Pop, Noise Pop 2017, Noise Pop 25, NRVS LVRS, NYRE, Owl Paws, Plush, Qrion, Radical Face, Rogue Wave, Shutups, Starfari, Tash Sultana, Temples, Tennis, Tennyson, The Family Crest, The Frights, The Hip Replacements, The Mattson 2, The Mother Hips, The New Up, The Palms, The Radio Dept., The Young Wild, This Will Destroy You, Warbly Jets

Noise Pop 2017 Shows of the Week // GO4FREE to Weyes Blood, Desert Daze Caravan, Kelis & more

February 20, 2017 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Written by Molly Kish & Brett Ruffenach //

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

Noise Pop is officially here, and the Bay Area is serving as home to some of the world’s best independent artists this week. There’s so much to see and hear in some of our favorite bars and venues — and we want you to get out there and participate!

While most Noise Pop shows are sure to sell out, we have you covered with tickets to a wide variety of them. Pick your favorite show from the list below and enter to win tickets.

Hint: Those who directly tweet @showbams or tag us on Instagram with their personal requests will have that much better of a chance of winning!

Contests for all weekday shows end at 3 p.m. on the day of show. Contests for all weekend shows end at 3 p.m. this Friday.

Weyes Blood: February 21st (TUE) @ Swedish American Hall // BUY TICKETS
GunkTVRecords founder as well as longtime Ariel Pink collaborator Weyes Blood brings her ethereal edge to the Swedish American Hall. Accompanied by Half Waif, Young Moon and a celebration of 20 Minute Loop’s record release and 20th anniversary, this singer-songwriter showcase will be one for the books. – MK

Contest ends this Tuesday at 3 p.m.

Hazel English: February 21st (TUE) @ Rickshaw Stop // BUY TICKETS
Females are holding it down on Tuesday at Rickshaw Stop as Aussie-turned-Oakland-resident Hazel English gets top billing thanks to her interspersed, dreamy and melodic vocal abilities. Joined by sister artists Elsa y ElMar, Tanukichan and Maggie Y/O, the lineup offers a stacked bill that beautifully spans indie rock, shoegaze and pop. – MK

Contest ends this Tuesday at 3 p.m.

Desert Daze Caravan: February 22nd (WED) @ The Chapel // BUY TICKETS
Desert Daze, the innovative psychedelic-rock festival that took place last October in Joshua Tree, is bringing a special showcase to Noise Pop that’s led by UK experimental-rock outfit Temples, who bring their 60’s vibes to The Chapel alongside intriguing up-and-comers like psych-R&B group Night Beats and the fast-and-fierce female rock duo Deap Vally. – BR

Contest ends this Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Kelis: February 22nd (WED) @ 1015 Folsom // BUY TICKETS
Kelis is one of New York’s most famous female hip-hop acts over the last decade. Best known for her 2006 smash hit “Milkshake”, Kelis is surely one of the bossiest artists to take the stage at Noise Pop this year. Grab your diamonds and grills, folks. – BR

Contest ends this Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Julia Holter (solo): February 22nd (WED) @ Swedish American Hall // BUY TICKETS
Singer, songwriter, director, composer and artist, Julia Holter continues to wear a number of different creative hats. Headlining a show full of baroque pop and ambient music, she’ll be joined by Midnight Sister, Madeline Kenney and Doncat for what should be a unforgettable night at the Swedish American Hall. – MK

Contest ends this Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Moon Duo: February 23rd (THU) @ The Chapel // BUY TICKETS
Portland-based psychedelic-rock group Moon Duo combine the entrancing nature of shoegaze with the transcendent feeling of psych-rock and enough flange to satisfy even the most ardent Tame Impala fans. Touring in support of their new album Occult Architecture Vol. 1 & 2, Moon Duo’s visceral synth and entrancing guitar work is surely not something to miss. – BR

Contest ends Thursday, February 23rd at 3 p.m.

Japanese Breakfast: February 23rd (THU) @ Rickshaw Stop // BUY TICKETS
Thursday is all about avant-garde folk, with a roster featuring experimental fusions of pop, indie rock and world music. Philadelphia’s own Japanese Breakfast (born Michelle Zauner) headlines the show, which includes opening acts Miya Folick, Dante Elephante and Flying Circles for what is easily one of Noise Pop’s most unique lineups. – MK

Contest ends this Thursday at 3 p.m.

Barclay Crenshaw: February 23rd (THU) @ 1015 Folsom // BUY TICKETS
As it turns out, Claude VonStroke’s real name is even cooler than his fake one. From the man behind the Bay Area’s favorite record label Dirtybird, Barclay Crewshaw is a new project that turns from VonStroke’s thumping upbeat house beats that we’ve come to love to the exciting world of experimental hip-hop, sometimes known as West Coast bass. His production skills are out of this world as he takes you on a spacious, booming and psychedelic journey that’s sure to satisfy any bass head’s appetite. – BR

Contest ends this Thursday at 3 p.m.

Crocodiles: February 23rd (THU) @ Bottom of the Hill // BUY TICKETS
Hitting Bottom of the Hill with a wave of garage rock and punk, Crocodiles will be hitting the stage for a raucous warm-up on the final leg of their cross-country tour. They’ll be taking the stage alongside Hot Flash Heat Wave and NRVS LVRS, making it one of Noise Pop’s strongest and most compelling bills. – MK

Contest ends this Thursday at 3 p.m.

Kevin Abstract: February 23rd (THU) @ The New Parish // BUY TICKETS
Kevin Abstract is a jack-of-all-trades. Filmmaker, writer, singer and songwriter, Abstract has managed to achieve quite a bit before he celebrates his 21st birthday this year. With a smooth flow and pop sensibility, he’s sure to deliver a powerful performance at The New Parish. – BR

Contest ends this Thursday at 3 p.m.

Deviation: February 24th (FRI) @ 1015 Folsom // BUY TICKETS
With a lineup featuring Hudson Mohawke, Francois K, Teklife, Seven Davis Jr., Jay Daniel, and Benji B and Judah performing back to back, it’s hard to capture how much good music will be blaring through 1015’s numerous rooms during Deviation. Hudson Mohawke is likely the main draw for all future-beats fans, but it’s Teklife and BBC Radio 1’s Benji B who you should really stick around for. This should be a good one. – BR