The Regency – Showbams

Goldenvoice fills up the rest of April with 2025 Coachella sideshows

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.

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!

Julian Casablancas+The Voidz toil in the shadows of SF

By Marc Fong //

Julian Casablancas+The Voidz with Connan Mockasin //
The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco
November 9th, 2014 //

Julian Casablancas+The Voidz stormed The Regency Ballroom on Sunday with an 80’s look and a refreshingly sweaty, fun sound. Casablancas, best known as the frontman for The Strokes, stayed mostly hidden in the shadows, but that didn’t keep him from putting on a great show. He slithered around in the dark and bathed in the shade as he sang tracks off the recently released Tyranny.

While Casablancas’ distinctive voice is present like it is for The Strokes, it didn’t dominate the project’s overall sound. You knew you weren’t listening to The Strokes, but there was definitely a hint of them in there somewhere. There’s no question Casablancas exudes a more experimental, noise-rock sound for his solo performances that’s rowdy and all over the spectrum, yet still remains a damn good break from the polished alt-rock vibes of The Strokes.

The band — which you would certainly call the cops on if they were hanging out at your kids’ park — were brassy and grimy, invoking a sweltering New York summer afternoon that was not only authentic and dirty, but also well-executed. And even if they looked a little creepy, The Voidz were fun and paired well with Casablancas.

If you’re expecting to hear The Strokes, I don’t recommend a Julian Casablancas+The Voidz show. But if you want something with more punch and dirt, you will find it here with Mr. Casablancas and the gang.

Just make sure to leave your kids at home.