Photos by Emmeline Munson // Written by Kevin Quandt //
Phono del Sol //
Potrero del Sol Park – San Francisco
June 17th, 2017 //
You want your Saturday to be served up scorching hot? Well, that’s what the masses at the seventh annual Phono del Sol got, and few in attendance had any issue with the literal and figurative heat that hit Potrero del Sol Park.
This little event has blossomed into one the most anticipated festivals in SF and is a true gem for those who live in the Mission, Potrero Hill and surrounding areas. Attendees this year were treated to one of the more diverse lineups Phono del Sol has assembled in its growing history, as both local and national acts of varied styles and genres joined together under an insanely pristine sky to toast the culture that makes this place what it is.
Early-arriving patrons were treated to some of Northern California’s buzziest up-and-coming acts such as Never Young and Rayana Jay, but it was Oakland’s own Bells Atlas that began to kick things up a notch and got some toes tapping with their soulful, pop-tinged flavor.
Next up was Bay-Area-via-South-Central upstart DUCKWRTH who aptly brought his infectious dance-rap stylings and was backed by a live band rather than simply a DJ. Local legend Sean Hayes held court on the smaller Mission Stage but commanded a considerable crowd as the park’s pulse continued to raise with the headliners in sight.
Jay Som
Melina Duterte’s band goes by the name Jay Som and hails from Oakland. Do yourself a favor and remember this name: Jay Som. The Polyvinyl-signed songstress bathed the crowd at the Potrero Stage in her dreamy vocals and inanely catchy tunes that appeal to a wide-range of music fan; her songs could feel just as viable in the 90’s college rock area as they do today. Highlights from the set included a vibe-soaked rendition of “Baybee” as well as “The Bus Song”, arguably the artist’s first real “hit.”
Atlanta’s own badass punk bitches, The Coathangers, closed the smaller of the festival’s two stages with a generously ruckus helping of garage punk. The group’s three members, who all donned matching outfits, brought some seriously impressive vocal interplay as they all lent a hand in that department, complete with falsetto and the always-awesome singing drummer. The Coathangers have been doing this whole rock ‘n’ roll thing for more than a decade now, and it’s clearly evident when they deliver songs like “Down Down” with surgical precision. “Make it Right” was another set highlight as heads began to bob and nod, with fans starting to loosen up those muscles for the closing onslaught.
I’m sure many folks can recall the days when you could catch Oh Sees frontman John Dwyer playing a show in the City on a near-weekly basis. Those were exciting times, and though SF has lost one of their most prolific artists to the cheap(ish) rent of Southern California, Dwyer is still welcomed with open arms, as well as the crowd-surfing skate punks in attendance.
The newly minted Oh Sees (the band just changed its name earlier this month) took the fest’s main stage in their usual whirlwind fashion and then proceeded to tell everyone to jump the barriers and join them onstage before they desecrated the generally sleepy park. While fans saw the two-drummer format in action once again, we also saw some fresh faces onstage — and more importantly, we got some new music later in their set that bordered on something akin to amped-up Fugazi. “Contraption / Soul Desert” closed out the nine-song set, and just like that, it was done. Those in attendance took a minute to catch their breath, and we were heaved into the Mission to complete one of those perfect summer days in SF.
