Goldenvoice fills up the rest of April with 2025 Coachella sideshows

Goldenvoice Presents April 2025 - Los Angeles

Ah, it’s that time of the year again … you know, when February showers bring April flowers?

We know that’s not exactly how the idiom goes of course, but with heavy storms this week bringing floods and mudslides to Southern California only a month after wildfires wreaked havoc all over Los Angeles, getting even a sliver of positive news is always nice to help uplift our spirits.

So as Coachella approaches after catching a lot of us off guard by revealing its 2025 lineup quite a bit earlier than usual, Goldenvoice has once again filled up the spring concert calendar with another list of sideshows in support of the famed music festival.

This is usually the week that Paul Tollett and company unveils those plans, and for those of you who aren’t interested in making the trek out to the desert for three days in the hot, scorching sun or quite understandably just don’t have the budget to make that happen right now, fans of live music can still have a taste — or multiple tastes if they are inclined — of Coachella all while not having to ever leave the confines of LA County.

Much like the 2024 sideshows, this year’s will be extending north to the Bay Area. After booking almost a dozen “Goldenvoice Presents April” dates in and around SF a year ago, the renowned promoter has continued the trend with 15 performances scheduled over a two-week stretch from Friday, April 4th to Saturday, April 19th during what we used to call Fauxchella before officially joining this annual series a year ago that began in 2012.

Goldenvoice Presents April 2025 - Bay Area

Also different from last April is the fact that not many sideshows will be taking place down south in San Diego after the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park and Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, among others, played host for the first time. Mostly venues owned and operated by Goldenvoice in and around LA will be used this time, with some of the farthest ones like The Glass House and Fox Theater Pomona extending east into Tollett’s old stomping grounds. Unfortunately if you enjoy a good gig out in Pioneertown at Pappy & Harriet’s (read our First Times coverage here), you will have to find another time to visit the famous biker haunt with it no longer being in the equation … at least for now.

Along with Blonde Redhead at the Belly Up in Solana Beach, kicking off the SoCal festivities on April 9th will be The Dare and Kumo 99 at The Glass House while The Go-Go’s rock The Roxy and Thee Sacred Souls headline the Fox Theater Pomona. But what really stands out right away is Basement Jaxx (Live) at The Fonda Theatre as well as Portishead lead singer Beth Gibbons at the Orpheum Theatre on what appears to be a busy April 17th. And sure, seeing Miike Snow play an 800-person room like The Glass House wouldn’t be too bad either. If we just go by past numbers, the amount of sideshows is back up to 45 in total between LA and the Bay after scheduling 35 in 2024 and 32 in 2023 (by our count, the record is still 62 in 2017) and that’s certainly a good sign for all parties involved.

Below is the list of “Goldenvoice Presents April” sideshows in SoCal:

• Blonde Redhead: April 9th (WED) @ Belly Up (San Diego)
• The Dare with Kumo 99: April 9th (WED) @ The Glass House
• The Go-Go’s: April 9th (WED) @ The Roxy Theatre
• Thee Sacred Souls with Los Yesterdays: April 9th (WED) @ Fox Theater Pomona
• Eyedress: April 10th (THU) @ El Rey Theatre
• Jimmy Eat World with Glixen: April 10th (THU) @ Fox Theater Pomona
• Alok presents Something Else: April 11th (FRI) @ Sound Nightclub
• Sparrow & Barbossa: April 12th (SAT) @ Sound Nightclub
• Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 + Los Mirlos: April 14th (MON) @ The Roxy Theatre
• Still Woozy: April 14th (MON) @ The Glass House
• Together Pangea with Prison Affair: April 14th (MON) @ El Rey Theatre
• Afrojack presents Kapuchon: April 15th (TUE) @ Sound Nightclub
• Djo with Post Animal: April 15th (TUE) @ Fox Theater Pomona
• GloRilla with Real Boston Richy: April 15th (TUE) @ The Novo
• Lola Young with Bob Vylan: April 15th (TUE) @ The Fonda Theatre
• Miike Snow: April 15th (TUE) @ The Glass House
• Speed with HiTech: April 15th (TUE) @ The Roxy Theatre
• Djo: April 16th (WED) @ The Sound (San Diego)
• DIXON + Jimi Jules + Yulia Niko: April 16th (WED) @ Sound Nightclub
• Hope Tala: April 16th (WED) @ Music Box (San Diego)
• julie + Fcukers: April 16th (WED) @ The Glass House
• Maribou State with Shermanology: April 16th (WED) @ The Roxy Theatre
• Parcels with Ginger Root: April 16th (WED) @ Fox Theater Pomona
• SAINt JHN: April 16th (WED) @ The Novo
• Basement Jaxx (Live): April 17th (THU) @ The Fonda Theatre
• beabadoobee with Pretty Sick + Keni Titus: April 17th (THU) @ Fox Theater Pomona
• Beth Gibbons with Bill Ryder Jones: April 17th (THU) @ Orpheum Theater
• Dennis Cruz + Beltran: April 17th (THU) @ Sound Nightclub
• El Malilla + Judeline: April 17th (THU) @ The Roxy Theatre
• Kneecap with Soft Play: April 17th (THU) @ The Glass House
• Medium Build: April 17th (THU) @ El Rey Theatre
• Underscores: April 17th (THU) @ Music Box (San Diego)
• Eli Brown: April 18th (FRI) @ Sound Nightclub

If you’ve got the itch to see some live music now, tickets for the SoCal sideshows will go on sale here next Friday, February 21st or Friday, February 28th at Noon PT. All of the Bay Area shows, meanwhile, have already gone on sale. Fans can also win a pair of Weekend 2 passes to Coachella as well as two Golden tickets that gives access to every “Goldenvoice Presents April” show in SoCal or NorCal (there are separate contests at the aforementioned link). Wishing you all the best of luck!

Goldenvoice Presents April 2025 - San Diego

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

The xxPhotos 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.

The xx

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

Fauxchella 2016: Coachella FOMO no mo’ in the Bay

M83 at Fox Theater Oakland


M83 at Fox Theater Oakland // Photo by Pedro Paredes

Photos by Steve Carlson, Norm de Veyra, Marc Fong, Pedro Paredes, Mike Rosati & Lisette Worster // Written by Molly Kish //

Fauxchella //
Various Bay Area venues – San Francisco & Oakland
April 13th-April 22nd, 2016 //

Paving the way for large-scale festivals all across North America, Coachella has served as an archetype in live music production since its conception 17 years ago. Throughout its storied history, Coachella’s stages have been graced with a roster of unparalleled talent. Year after year, the festival’s lineup has featured iconic performances from both artists on the verge of breaking into the mainstream and industry legends taking victory laps.

Located in the heart of Southern California’s Inland Empire, the three-day music festival now hosts back-to-back weekends at the Empire Polo Club with one of the most competitive artist lineups you’ll find anywhere. While Coachella’s location remains ideal for music fans based in California and many surrounding states, it can be a daunting task to make the trek to Indio for those living in other parts of the country. This reality has subsequently broke ground for offshoot shows up and down the West Coast, including the Bay Area and Pacific Northwest.

James Bay at Fox Theater Oakland


James Bay at Fox Theater Oakland // Photo by Steve Carlson

In reference to this, the Bay Area music scene has dubbed the calendar dates leading into and out of Coachella’s consecutive weekends as its own unofficial festival, colloquially referred to as “Fauxchella.” Featuring headlining performances from Coachella artists in and around Northern California, the roughly two-week stretch serves as a strong preview for the upcoming summer concert season with many of the top names in the business getting to test out their live show in preparation for the desert or fine-tune their skills in between each weekend of the festival. For many music fans, Fauxchella remains the most optimal time to catch these high-profile artists performing at their best inside many of the Bay Area’s most beautiful and intimate venues.

Showbams took full advantage of this year’s Fauxchella festivities as we caught a number of performances throughout the Bay Area. Take a peek at our massive collection of photos, and let us know which shows were your favorite in the comments section below.

Fauxchella Shows of the Month // GO4FREE to Hudson Mohawke, Savages or DMA’s

Hudson Mohawke & SavagesWritten by Nik Crossman //

Can’t make it to Coachella this year? No worries! We’ve got you covered with tickets to some of the best Fauxchella shows in the Bay Area.

Win a pair of free tickets to one of our Fauxchella Shows of the Month by entering your name and email below.


DMA’s: April 15th (FRI) @ The Independent // BUY TICKETS

Releasing their debut LP in February, these Aussies continue to rise on the popularity of their single “Delete”. Before heading down to the desert for their Saturday set at Coachella, DMA’s will headline The Independent the day before to showcase their unique, layered harmonies and acoustic-to-electric transitions.

Contest ends Friday, April 15th at 3 p.m.


Savages: April 19th (TUE) @ The Fillmore // BUY TICKETS

Pulling their name from the 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, this London-based punk quartet is the “closest thing to art that post-punk has offered in a while,” writes The Guardian. Their latest and second full-length album Adore Life dropped in January and peaked at No. 26 on the UK charts. In between their two sets at Coachella, Savages will make a pit stop in SF to play The Fillmore.

Contest ends Tuesday, April 19th at 3 p.m.


Hudson Mohawke: April 21st (THUR) @ Mezzanine // BUY TICKETS

Better known by his stage name Hudson Mohawke, Ross Birchard is a Scottish DJ/producer from Glasgow who started his claim to fame by becoming the youngest ever DMC UK finalist. Building on his early popularity through his work as a turntablist, he continues to win over fans with his genre-smashing, wonky approach; in 2013, he signed on to Kanye West’s GOOD Music label. If you can’t make it to Coachella, make sure to catch him in SF for a Thursday night party at Mezzanine.

Contest ends Thursday, April 21st 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:

Chuck Prophet: April 15th (FRI) @ Great American Music Hall
(((folkYEAH!))) Presents Marc & the Casuals with special guest Sean Hayes & Extra Classic: April 15th (FRI) @ The Chapel
Haelos: April 19th (TUE) @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall
Bombino: April 22nd (FRI) @ The New Parish
Keller Williams: April 22nd (FRI) @ Great American Music Hall
Bombino: April 23rd (SAT) @ The Independent
Day Wave: April 25th (MON) @ The Independent
Say Anything: April 27th (WED) @ Slim’s
Garden & Villa: April 27th (WED) @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall
Fruition: April 28th (THUR) @ The Chapel
The Sam Chase: April 29th (FRI) @ Great American Music Hall
The Slackers: April 30th (SAT) @ Slim’s
Thao & the Get Down Stay Down: April 30th (SAT) @ The Fillmore


Win-2-Tickets

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!

CONTESTS CLOSED.

Showbams_Sticker_Rectangle2

alt-J, Tycho stun a sold-out Fauxchella crowd at the Greek Theatre

alt-J


alt-J

Photos by Mike Rosati // Written by Molly Kish //

alt-J with Tycho //
Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA
April 17th, 2015 //

Stopping off in the Bay Area between appearances at both weekends of Coachella, alt-J and Tycho drew a sold-out Fauxchella crowd to U.C. Berkeley’s Greek Theatre this past Friday. Epic weather and one of the most gorgeous venues in Northern California provided the perfect “mise en scene” for the aurally encapsulating bill.

An early crowd that filled the venue to near capacity arrived to witness something quite special, as hometown favorites Tycho opened the night’s festivities. Playing a set that both the band and its fans have anxiously anticipated since the gig was announced in February, Tycho stole the show with their sumptuous production of ambient soundscapes and visual projections.

Tycho


Tycho

With the quartet on what undoubtedly was the largest tour it has ever been a part of, Tycho frontman Scott Hansen took a moment to address the fact that it was the most meaningful show and best crowd that they had ever played in front of to date. In not only making their hometown proud, Tycho also crossed another milestone off their bucket list by performing at a venue that the band members grew up frequenting and only dreamed of getting the chance to play at one day.

Riding off the crowd’s euphoria, alt-J took the stage for a powerful headlining set. The Leeds-based indie rockers emulated what one would expect to see if they were in a festival setting, bringing with them their full-scale production and pulling hits from both their 2012 debut and critically acclaimed sophomore album This Is All Yours. Despite alt-J’s massive sound and incredible light show, the crowd remained a bit subdued during their set.

alt-J


alt-J

The 2012 Mercury Prize winners echoed a semblance to that of Sigur Rós or Volcano Choir, leaving audience members entranced in a near-altered state while observing the foursome. The biggest fan responses erupted during the band’s singalong favorites “Breezeblocks”, “Fitzpleasure” and their token cover of Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day”.

Playing off the palpable energy of the crowd and intrinsic opulence of the amphitheater, both artists brought a truly unique experience to the spring concert calendar at the Greek Theatre, which seems purposefully built to entertain performances of this artistic caliber. Beautifully executed and perfectly syncopated with its surroundings, this show is one that those in attendance will definitely be talking about for quite some time.

Milky Chance prove at The Regency Ballroom they’ve come a long way in a short amount of time

Milky ChanceBy Justin Yee //

Milky Chance with Mighty Oaks //
The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco
April 15th, 2015 //

It’s amazing what a half year of touring on the road can do for a new band just breaking onto the scene. Since we first caught Milky Chance at their SF debut opening up for Chris Malinchak in October, they’ve added a third member to their live act and have become accustomed to selling out venues five times that size. For their first North America headlining tour, the Bay Area was treated to two sold-out shows at The Regency Ballroom in between their two scheduled Coachella performances.

Apparently battling a sore throat that caused the band’s Coachella set to be cut short, vocalist/guitarist Clemens Rehbein could be seen sipping honey in between songs, though the illness didn’t actually seem to affect his performance. Still, Rehbein was getting all the vocal help he needed from the crowd, which was vibing to the beat and singing along to tracks from the band’s debut album Sadnecessary. The crowd-pleasers included “Flashed Junk Mind” and hit single “Stolen Dance”, which has now racked up over 130 million views on YouTube and plenty of radio play in the U.S.

Milky Chance’s newest touring member Antonio Greger quietly stole the show with his blistering harmonica solos and guitar work. He definitely is a great addition who hopefully continues to tour with the band. Luckily we’ll be seeing the German trio again very soon at Outside Lands, so if you missed it at any of these SF shows, be sure to add them to your list of must-see acts.

Setlist:
Intro
Stunner
Fairytale
Sadnecessary
Flash Junk Mind
Given
Loveland
Sweet Sun
Indigo
Feathery
Nevermind
Running
Stolen Dance

Encore:
Becoming
Down by the River

We can’t stop loving this honeybear who goes by the name of Father John Misty

Father John MistyBy Pedro Paredes //

Father John Misty with King Tuff //
The Fillmore – San Francisco
April 17th, 2015 //

Bay Area music fans had a tough choice to make last Friday. As The Fillmore filled in to see Father John Misty, alt-J and Tycho were playing to a sold-out Greek Theatre across the bay in Berkeley.

At The Fillmore, you could overhear a few people in the audience saying that it was hard to choose which show to attend, while other FJM fans knew where their allegiances lied from the get-go, arriving at the venue early in hopes of standing in the front row.

King Tuff


King Tuff

Opening the night were garage rockers King Tuff, which proved to be an interest pairing with FJM. Though the audience wasn’t all that familiar with them, plenty of people dug their music, following lead singer/guitarist Kyle Thomas’ lead by their bobbing their heads to the beat. The band played a mix of tunes from its 2012 self-titled record and 2014’s Black Moon Spell, but the highlight of its set was “Anthem”, an appropriately-named tune given its sound. You could really tell that the three-piece was putting it all out there and enjoying every moment it was on stage.

The energy inside The Fillmore didn’t let up after King Tuff, as FJM and his bandmates opened with the first song off I Love You, Honeybear (read our community review here), which had the crowd quickly singing along. Between his power poses and stage antics, Joshua Tillman’s showmanship skills, of course, never disappoint — he could probably be a stand-up comedian if he wanted to, given the banter that ensues after each song. That, combined with Tillman’s music, make FJM one of the most entertaining shows you can see live nowadays. Yet, the question still remains: is Tillman simply playing a character?

Panda Bear, Ducktails push Independent crowd to its sensory limit

Panda BearPhotos by James Nagel // Written by Molly Kish //

(((folkYEAH!))) 10 Year Anniversary Show Series: Panda Bear with Ducktails //
The Independent – San Francisco
April 14th, 2015 //

Noah Lennox, one-fourth of the Baltimore experimental outfit Animal Collective and also known for his breakout side project and alias Panda Bear, stopped by The Independent for one of the most anticipated performances of the Bay Area’s annual #Fauxchella festivities.

Fellow Domino Records labelmate Ducktails primed the sold-out crowd with an hour-long opening set. His gorgeous, psychedelic shoegaze entranced the packed venue, with those in attendance there just as much to catch the Real Estate guitarist’s side project as they were to see Panda Bear. Even though Matt Mondanile has been known to perform with a full band, on this current tour stop we were treated to a solo set with a minimalistic stage show focused primarily on his mastery of hypnagogic pop.

Panda Bear

Lennox took the stage near midnight, bringing the late-night audience to life with several tracks off of his critically acclaimed fifth studio album Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper. He washed over the mid-size venue in a sea of noise and optical embellishments, including some standout visuals of nature, abstract art and serenely puking muses.

A somewhat challenging set for those unfamiliar with both Mondanile’s and Lennox’s intricate balance between striking and serene soundscapes, the crowd remained absorbed in the intensity of both performances from start to finish. Observably roused and on a sensory overload after having been audibly provoked into the early-morning hours, the crowd left the venue tested and changed for the better.

Fauxchella Listings 2014: San Francisco Bay Area

FauxChella-2014Photos by James Nagel // Written by Mike Frash //

With the Coachella lineup announcement on January 8th, festival season launched. And for those who love live music in the Bay Area yet won’t be traveling to the polo fields to brave likely triple-digit temperatures and three days of splendid insanity, we have Fauxchella.

Fauxchella is that two weeks of time surrounding Coachella in April where various American western locations like Phoenix, Portland and San Francisco profit off the tour runoff of artists that perform in Indio, California for two consecutive weekends.

So, instead of packing it all into one weekend, choose and select the acts you want to witness over four or five nights in April. I mean, why not? But it does take a tad bit of planning …

Read our Coachella 2014 lineup preview.

SF-Night

SHOWBAMS FAUXCHELLA WISHLIST

We hope these acts fauxchella in the Bay Area…

• Aeroplane — Wish granted
• Bombino — Wish granted
• Disclosure — Wish granted
• Factory Floor — Wish granted
• Flight Facilities — Wish granted
• GOAT — Wish granted
• Temples — Wish granted
• The Afghan Whigs — Wish granted
• The Internet
• The Replacements
•Toy Dolls — Wish granted

If you know of a Fauxchella show not listed here, leave a comment below and we’ll add it. Click the artist name to link to ticket purchase.


Friday, April 4th
Odesza — The Independent // Sold Out

Sunday, April 6th
ZZ Ward — The Independent

Tuesday, April 8th
Dum Dum Girls — The Independent // Sold Out
Pet Shop Boys — Fox Theater Oakland

Wednesday, April 9th
Neutral Milk Hotel — Fox Theater Oakland // Sold Out
Haim — The Fillmore // Sold Out

Thursday, April 10
Neutral Milk Hotel — Fox Theater Oakland
Future Islands — The Chapel
Haim — The Fillmore // Sold Out
Bastille — The Warfield // Sold Out
Aeroplane — Mezzanine (House of Mezzanine)

Friday, April 11
Neutral Milk Hotel — Fox Theater Oakland
Trombone Shorty & the Orleans Avenue — The Warfield
Classixx — The Independent

Saturday, April 12
Chromeo — The Independent // Sold Out
GOAT — Slim’s

Sunday, April 13
none yet

Monday, April 14
MS MR & Jagwar Ma — The Fillmore
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion — Slim’s
John Newman — The Independent
Bryan Ferry — Fox Theater Oakland
Temples — Great American Music Hall
Bombino — Sweetwater Music Hall
Chance The Rapper — The Warfield
Toy Dolls – Regency Ballroom

Tuesday, April 15
The Knife — Fox Theater Oakland // Sold Out
Laura Mvula — The Independent
Blood Orange — Great American Music Hall // Sold Out
Bombino — The New Parish

Wednesday, April 16
The Knife — Fox Theater Oakland
Factory Floor — The Independent
White Lies — The New Parish
Foxygen — The Chapel

Thursday, April 17
Empire of the Sun — Fox Theater Oakland
The 1975 — The Fillmore // Sold Out
*Sam Smith — Rickshaw Stop // Sold Out
Foxygen – The Independent
Queens of the Stone Age with Warpaint — Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Duke Dumont — Mezzanine
The Afghan Whigs — Slim’s

Friday, April 18
The 1975 — The Fillmore // Sold Out
Mogwai — Regency Ballroom
Motörhead — The Warfield
Flight Facilities — Mezzanine
Disclosure — Greek Theatre – U.C. Berkeley // Sold Out
Surfer Blood — The New Parish
Empire of the Sun – Fox Theater Oakland
Lana Del Rey — Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

Saturday, April 19
Ellie Goulding & Rudimental — Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Maceo Plex — Public Works
Broken Bells — Fox Theater Oakland

Sunday, April 20
Bombay Bicycle Club — The Fillmore

*Odds are Sam Smith will perform with Disclosure live at Coachella.