-
Wolf Alice has Berkeley howling for more
What’s better than the high of the first day of tour? Maybe it’s living it twice in the same night. London rockers Wolf Alice kicked off their U.S. tour with a pair of literally back-to-back sold-out shows at Cornerstone in Berkeley. The band broke into its first set with the ambient, “Heavenward,” opening track off 2017’s Visions of a Life. Instantly, they shifted into...
-
Broken Social Scene give Oakland a sonic masterpiece
Unlike its name, Broken Social Scene in concert is an experience that leaves you feeling the opposite of broken. You leave feeling whole, and your heart, full. The Canadian collective played at the Fox Theater in Oakland last Thursday. Their set included a handful of new songs from Hug of Thunder, along with the group’s many hits. Opening with the high-spirited “KC Accidental,” the...
-
The Used kicks off fall tour at The Masonic
It’s always a treat to hear new material from artists you grew up listening to. This is just the case for The Used fans. The Utah-based rockers just put out a new record, The Canyon, their first (of fresh content) since 2014. To celebrate, The Used set off on a fall tour with its first stop at The Masonic in San Francisco last Friday....
-
City and Colour serenades San Francisco -The Masonic, 9/23
It’s officially fall, and although it’s still sweltering in the Bay Area, City and Colour sure made it feel like autumn in San Francisco. Dallas Green, the creative force behind the alias, brought his renowned folk sound to The Masonic last Saturday, transforming the venue into a cozy night in. Green took the stage with just a shaker in hand and began “Sensible Heart.”...
-
Deerhoof at Great American Music Hall, 9/21
From flowers, to basketball, to the very specific trumpet musical notation “con sordino,” Deerhoof can make a song about anything and have it sound out-of-this-world good. The San Francisco experimental rock group played a hometown show at Great American Music Hall last Thursday, and it was high energy all-around. This was my first time catching Deerhoof live, but I know that they mix up...
-
Manchester Orchestra at The Regency, SF, 9/16
Manchester Orchestra sold out The Regency Ballroom last Saturday as they continued their A Black Mile to the Surface tour. You could feel the immense presence of the crowd, not just from everyone’s body heat insulated by the venue, but also from each fan’s audible excitement. Despite Manchester Orchestra’s current run to celebrate their fifth studio album, the Atlanta-based indie rockers performed tracks from...
-
(Sandy) Alex G at The Warfield, SF, 9/11
I first heard (Sandy) Alex G when I saw him play at a guitar shop in San Jose. He opened for Elvis Depressedly and my friend’s band, Leer. Compared to the mix of shoegaze and screamo, Alex G had a muted sound that made itself memorable with its nostalgia for Elliott Smith melancholia and fuzzy 90s alternative riffs. Three years later and now I’m...
-
Mew brings comforting sounds to The Fillmore, SF, 8/22
Mew fans know that listening to the music is an experience in itself. Mew’s sound is multi-faceted with layers of polyrhythmic and powerful instrumentals, juxtaposed by steady but sweet falsetto vocals. The myriad sounds are captivating and catchy, though sometimes unpredictable. Often, they boast unexpected song structures, all the more adding to their allure. And just when you thought you were mentally prepared to...
-
PREVIEW: Mew at The Fillmore, SF, 8/22
Before MEW’s last North American tour in 2015, U.S. fans waited at least six years for a chance to catch the Danish rock band in person. But Mew, whose music carries the same marvel and extravagance of a blue moon, is indubitably an experience worth waiting for. Luckily, it only took two years for Mew to return to the States this time around. They’ll...
-
Dashboard Confessional, The All-American Rejects, and The Social Animals at The Masonic, 7/14
Things got emotional at The Masonic on July 14, but not necessarily in a sad way. Dashboard Confessional and The All-American Rejects played the second night of their co-headlining tour, both bringing out old favorites and some new songs too. Both acts riled up the crowd through their own unique energy, with Dashboard Confessional frontman Chris Carrabba taking full command of the stage, and...
Comments 0
