Folsom season has started and already many can’t sit still — mostly because of the welts on their tuckuses. But they can still dance! Even the ones suspended in cellophane cocoons. Here’s a quick rundown of recommended parties at which to whip it good. (Everybody loves a link dump! Especially when I’m this hungover. )
THURSDAY
>>THE TUBESTEAK CONNECTION:The original down and dirty Tenderloin bathhouse disco revival weekly party at Aunt Charlie’s Lounge — courtesy of DJ Bus Station John — is always a special place at Folsom. 10pm-2am, $5.
>>TOUCH OUR JUNK: All the cool kids are getting together at fabulously sleazy Tenderloin gay strip club Nob Hill Theaterfor a fun little romp. 8:30-11pm, $7.
>>CUB CAMP: I hung out with the nasty Torontonian cuties throwing this party at the Lookout last night, and they are truly nasty and truly cute! 10pm-2am, $7.
>>TWIN PEAKS PARTY: Just throwing this in as a wild card — but they are turning the Showdown bar into a Twin Peaks set and an Angelo Badalamenti band is playing, with free pie. Lynchy! 10pm, free I think.
FRIDAY
>>STEAM: Awfully cute DJ Harry Cross from Chicago turns out this fun, charitable, and, yes, steamy wet towel-themed party at Powerhouse. Some hot straight boys! 9pm-2am, $8.
>>BEARRACUDA: Ugh, bears! I love ’em, even though they’re the popular kids. And I actually have a great rip-roarin time at this huge party at Public Works. 9pm-4am, $20 advance.
>>PEGASUS 3: The city’s neatest menswear store, Sui Generis, is having its annual mixer, sure to be a hot beard-a-palooza. 7-10pm, free.
>>HYSL: “Handle Your Shit Lady!” Scandalous-sounding party at the Lookout with Two Dudes in Love DJing. 9pm-2am, $3.
>>SOME THING MANLY: The great Drag Queen of Soul, Juanita More, pays thribute to James Brown, Elvis, and other manly musical men at this awesome art-drag dance party. With 1000 other queens at the Stud. 10pm-4am, $8.
SATURDAY
>>LUTHER: Great techno party from the infamous entity known as Luther, sure to sizzle your cockles, and those of hundreds of other cool sexies.10pm-4am, $15-$20.
>>DARK ROOM: Dark electronic body music and a cast of future-goth performers (including electro punky High Functioning Flesh) make this the dress-up party dungeon you’re looking for. 9:30pm-2am, $7.
>>RAIME: Dark UK electronic duo will beat you into submission with an audio-visual experience to die for, at Balancoire. 10pm-2am, $15.
>>INFAMOUS UNIFORM PARTY: The dykealicious Lexington Club orders you to dress up and have hot grrrls. 9pm-2am, free.
SUNDAY
>>DEVIANTS: Hard-drivingRussian techno hottie DJ Boris headlines this, THE party for hip Folsom people into music and sweaty dancing — not just strutting and preening. Two venues, large outdoor space, soul grooves from Hard French, plus a ton more dirty stuff, of course. Of course! 4:30pm-2am, $25-$35.
>>GLORY HOLE: During Folsom Street Fair and after, large and lovely space Tank 18 is hosting a wild party with DJs from lovely disco-revival party Go Bang! and more (including my hot friend Juan — someone pick him up already!). Full bar! 1-10pm, $5.
The band Negative Standards is essentially a crust art project.
While maintaining d-beat chords and sludge-like breakdowns, the Oakland-based group makes use of non-instrumental noise and videos created by the band’s bassist, Will, during shows.
And as a quartet that blends elements of crust, doom metal, and noise; Negative Standards sticks out like a sore thumb in the endless sea of fellow crusty brethren and fuzzy lo-fi that exists in the East Bay.
Anonymity is key for the band. Negative Standards sticks to Roman numerals in place of song titles and prefers not to have band members names attached to the project. While being interviewed, the guys chose to keep it on a first-name basis.
So, for housekeeping purposes, the band is as follows: Al on guitar, Will on bass/video, Max on drums and noise, and Will — who wasn’t interviewed — on vocals and non-instrumental noise.
According to Will, the choice to maintain anonymity is to let the music speak for itself.
“From the beginning, the idea was to present each recording as a coherent whole, rather than just a collection of unrelated songs, and doing it this way somewhat anonymizes the individual components,” Will says. “Another effect is that the lyrics, music and samples have to speak for themselves, not having been distilled into a name or a slogan.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYApseTorGQ
The band makes the conscious decision to only play all-ages shows to battle the age-old problem of gentrification in the Bay Area.
Drummer and non-instrumental noise creator, Max, expands on this idea: “Gentrification and the attendant cultural colonialism of bars and ‘the underground’ is threatening the existence of DIY all ages spaces in the East Bay more with each passing year,” Max says. “It makes sense that, as a band, we would want to resist the destruction of the cultural environment that has made our existence possible.”
Guitarist Al recalls going to Berkeley’s world-famous all-ages punk venue, 924 Gilman when he was growing up. Al believes that without all-ages venues such as the Gilman, bands like theirs would not exist. Everybody has a starting point, and Al credits the Gilman as his.
“If it weren’t for this place, I wouldn’t know most any of my current good friends, let alone be in this band,” Al says. “I think it’s important to support the future punks instead of shutting them out because you want to drink.”
The band credits the Bay Area for having a thriving scene with the likes of fellow bands such as Noothgrush,Permanent Ruin, Ordstro and Vaccuum. But like most to all existing punk scenes, there exists various isms.
“Seeing the amount of misogyny, transphobia, and racism that goes totally unchecked within some corners of our supposedly ‘radical’ scene can be pretty disheartening, but there’s also some incredible people working against those normative tides,” says Will.
Negative Standards, however, is leaving the sub-cultural hub of Oakland to embark on a European tour, playing with the likes of European punks Bacchus and Throwers.
“Vendetta Records from Germany put out our LP and hooked us up with Timo from Alerta Antifacista Records, who busted his ass to put this tour together for us,” Al says. “I’m incredibly excited. I’ve never travelled in Europe before and am looking forward to it greatly.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnNPxLnRGVo
The band also has a split LP with doom band Whitehorse coming out on Vendetta Records in October.
Most of the band remains extremely cordial and modest, lauding other bands and the proverbial scene at large (for the most part). But as mentioned before, this band sticks out amongst others and Max is sure to break the tide.
“Fuck this false modesty,” Max says. “I defy you to name another local band that has both a totally gnarly wolf AND an outlandishly colored manatee on their van’s dashboard.”
You can catch this band at its upcoming going away show at the Oakland Metro. As the Oakland Metro site states, “no turds allowed.”
Negative Standards With Ordstro, Sutekh Hexen, Filthchain, Xenotaph Thu/26, 7pm, $7 Oakland Metro 630 3rd Street, Oakland (510) 763-1146 www.oaklandmetro.org
This week, two sparkly dark singer-songwriters you should already know and love will return to SF on separate voyages: Zola Jesus (Thu/26 at Palace of Fine Arts) and Chelsea Wolfe (OK, technically she’s here next Monday). If only Grimes* were dropping by in these next seven to eight days, we’d have a triumvirate of goths-who-wow-now.
But beyond the Zola Jesus/Chelsea Wolfe lovefest, there’s also a totally free (with RSVP and soul-offering) Nick Waterhouse show, plus Islands, Double Duchess with Magic Mouth, Teenage Bottlerocket with the Queers, British teen folk-rocker Jake Bugg, and more!
*It appears Grimes is mostly popping up in Europe and Mexico this season, alas.
Here are your must-see shows:
Islands After the fall of cult lo-fi indie project the Unicorns came the continuation of that sound in the band Islands, formed in the mid-aughts. Both were the creation of prolific, Twitter-friendly singer-guitarist Nick Thorburn. But that’s all ancient history by now. Islands just released fifth album Ski Mask on Manque Music, another step in Thorburn’s sonic evolution. In a recent interview, Thorburn described the record as “A little harder, a little deeper, a little faster and a little darker.” In a recent Tweet, Thorburn lamented, “The moms has perfected the art of ‘brunch drunk,’” and listed his favorite Baldwins in descending order. Tue/24, 9pm, $18 Chapel 777 Valencia, SF www.thechapelsf.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWVFrLvpvzg
Double Duchess The best bet for your Wednesday night is a nervy all-night dance party with “high energy indie electro-hop” duo Double Duchess (Krylon Superstar and davO), soulful Portland rockers Magic Mouth — whose influences include THEESatisfaction, Gossip, and Erykah Badu — and Seattle electro-poppers Glitterbang. Go bang! Wed/25, 8pm, $8 El Rio 3158 Mission, SF www.elriosf.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awPpHIoCC3E
Zola Jesus Darkly operatic singer-songwriter Zola Jesus is always a compelling force live, but this should be an extra-special showing. Not only is the Russian-American musician performing at the Palace of Fine Arts, but she’s bringing legendary Australian composer J.G. Thirwell (aka Foetus) and a string quartet. It’s the live incarnation of her most recent album, Versions, which is a collection of her songs arranged for a quartet by Thirwell, a departure for Jesus, who usually works in the synths and keyboards realm. The intensity of the strings live matched to Jesus’ striking, goth Kate Bushian vocals will likely make for a night of passionate high highs and moody, tearful lows (fans were actually moved to tears at the New York appearance). Thu/26, 8pm, $25 Palace of Fine Arts 3301 Lyon, SF www.palaceoffinearts.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV9O17Fy7Wk
Nick Waterhouse Rooky Ricardo’s-bred revivalist rock‘n’roller Nick Waterhouse is traveling back through the city from which he launched his solo musical career tonight. (The early rhythm & blues besotted singer-guitarist moved back down to Southern California a few years back.) And the bespectacled former SF-er will be joined on stage by currently local rockers Cool Ghouls. The whole thing is free as it’s one of those promotional events — this time for Vans — which means you must RSVP, and get there early to ensure entry. But hey, free show plus merch (stickers for our binders? One can hope!) Fri/27, 8pm, free with RSVP at vans.com/RSVP Slim’s 333 11th St, SF www.slimspresents.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJruQmdlU10 Teenage Bottlerocket and the Queers “Joey Ramone? Dead. Dee Dee Ramone? Definitely dead. Johnny Ramone? So dead. Pop-punk that takes more than a couple pages out of the Ramones’ catchy, three-chord song book? Not so dead. That being said, most of the guys from the Ramones are dead, but its musical style lives on in many bands today such as pop-punk mainstays Teenage Bottlerocket and the Queers. Co-headlining a show at Bottom of the Hill, both bands have a lengthy catalog of snotty pop-punk anthems and cheesy love songs that are undeniably catchy. Also on the bill are Midwest pop-punks the Copyrights, who released an album of rarities and b-sides called Shit’s Fucked on It’s Alive Records earlier this year.” — Erin Dage Sat/28, 9:30pm, $15 Bottom of the Hill 1233 17th St, SF www.bottomofthehill.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtGIVp91Zyg Jake Bugg “The year 2012 was a big one for Jake Bugg. At age 18, he could finally vote, enlist in the army, buy things over the telephone…and he had the No. 1 album in the UK. The Nottingham native has been writing songs on his acoustic guitar since age 12. Now, at the ripe old age of 19, Bugg is working on another album and is coming across the pond to share his thoughtful, catchy folk tunes with the colonies. Bugg has been called a new Bob Dylan, which may be a bit of a stretch (there can only be one) but the fact that the comparison has been made at all speaks volumes about his extraordinary talent. Plus, he’s feuding with One Direction. Two thumbs up.” — Haley Zaremba With honeyhoney Sun/29, 8pm, $15 Fillmore 1805 Geary, SF (415) 346-6000 www.thefillmore.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY0oPg1h8fQ Chelsea Wolfe There’s always been this animalistic thread woven throughout Chelsea Wolfe’s output, and Pain is Beauty is no exception. (Indeed, Wolfe described her newest LP as a “love-letter to nature.”) The LA-via-Sacramento artist’s powerful soprano hollers are matched to ethereal whispery echoes, maintaining a balance between lightness and darkness. Her previous release, 2012’s Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs, was, obviously, acoustic, but the sparse record is still deeply unsettling. With Pain is Beauty, the singer-songwriter returns to a darker, grittier sound. And yet, there’s a more electronic twist on her early doomy experimental guitarwork (as with breakout 2011 record Apokalypsis), bursting with both synths and strings this time, without missing the black-hearted emotional core rooted in all living things. Mon/30, 8pm, $15 Great American Music Hall 859 O’Farrell, SF www.slimspresents.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGCsZ0X9_8c
Things I know right now: I’m far from the only one who knows all the words to Yaz’s Upstairs at Eric’s, OK Computer is much better as a conceptual drag performance, and the 12-inch version of “Mountains” by Prince is one of the best extended jams ever committed to vinyl.
The third thing I know from being a record nerd (it’s also impossible to prove to you, since the Purple One spends all his time on Youtube yanking down his music). But the first two revelations came courtesy of the stunning San Francisco Album Project, a talented group of drag performers, stage technicians, theatrical personages, and tasteful club kids. Every two months they take on an entire album, presenting it as a stage extravaganza, embellished with special effects and original dialogue. It’s brilliantly nuts, and not the albums you’d expect at all from a bunch of colorful queens.
After conquering Yaz and Radiohead (standing room only, btw), the SFAP is about to scale the purple peak and slide under the cherry moon:The troupe will present Prince’s “Parade” — the soundtrack to his 1986 movie Under the Cherry Moon, including the original version of my beloved “Mountains” — in its entirety on Sun/22 at the Chapel.
I asked Nathan Rapport and Bobby Barber, “album curators” of SFAP, to give me the lowdown on the project, and what to expect this Sunday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oemJ8eVneXo
SFBGSFAP seems like the kind of “eureka” idea that should have happened already, especially in SF — but no one really rubbed two drag sticks together to form a drag flame. How did the project come about?
Bobby Barber The San Francisco Album Project came about after about a year’s worth of on-and-off discussion between Nathan and myself about the state of the San Francisco drag scene. He and I both love what Trannyshack’s still achieving at the DNA Lounge – there are some sublime and thoroughly entertaining performances being created there to this day – but the venue and the interests of its audience don’t lend themselves very well to concepts and ideas that Heklina & Co. used to stage back when Trannyshack was at The Stud.
Some of our favorite shows ever at Trannyshack were evenings dedicated to an entire album (Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors, David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Pink Floyd’s The Wall), and it always seemed an idea that had endless possibilities. It’s from that very concept created and shepherded by Heklina, Peaches Christ, and Vinsantos that Nathan and I are now attempting our variations on. Since I work for Peaches Christ Productions, I knew I had the resources available to at least a fund a few initial shows, provided I could find an appropriate venue. As soon as we saw The Chapel, Nathan and I knew it had to be there; it’s perfect. We brought Precious Moments (Michael Soldier) on board because we knew we had to have not just a seasoned Old Guard Trannyshack performer as one of the producers, but also because Precious thought up one of the old album-centered shows at Trannyshack back when it was at The Stud (Rumors). Precious has been indispensable not just as one of the performers in the troupe, but also as a director of the shows.
http://vimeo.com/70395055
SFBGYou really “go there” with these performances — special effects, drag-robot suicides, emotional resonance, all manner of stage trickery. What are you trying to achieve? BB First and foremost Nathan and myself want to honor what we think is incredible music. We want to give it an interpretation that it’s not often given.
Secondly, Precious, Nathan and I are attempting to create a “drag show” that is structured differently than most other shows around town. One could argue that the content of the San Francisco Album Project is the same as other shows, and it is in several ways. But we believe that by framing the show as a narrative, by not having an emcee, by not having dancing before or after the show, and by having our DJs spin music that creates the vibe of a ‘listening party’ rather than a club, we’re creating a frame that makes the experience of the performances feel more theatrically holistic than a traditional drag show.
Lastly, The San Francisco Album Project is an experiment on our part in the collaborative process. Nathan and I are very interested in the idea of artistic collaboration: whether it’s possible – why it works – why it doesn’t – what it means to different people. The performers themselves come to the table with their own idea for the song they’ve chosen. It’s up to Precious, Nathan and myself to weave these together and find a story within the group’s ideas. Also, how does a medium like drag performance operate or manifest under the pressure and/or freedom of collaboration…?
An album in and of itself is already a finished and finely tuned work of art, carefully molded by the original artist(s) who created it. What happens when a group of drag queens come in and deconstructs said album, this finished work of art, only for the purpose of re-presenting it as they see fit? Ultimately this is an act of spiritual reverence.
SFAPUnlike the Tranyshack albums you mention above, which were already not your usual drag fare, the albums you’re doing are even more unexpected. How are the albums chosen?
BB Nathan and I chose the first twelve albums ourselves over two months of back-and-forth arguing. By no means are the albums chosen our favorite albums of all time, but rather ones we find strike that perfect balance between intelligence, entertainment, popularity and drag potential. They are all iconic, but for different reasons. Some are albums that carry meaning across a large part of entire generation. Some are considered canonical, seminal, “the best the artist has done,” and those facts alone have led Nathan and I to choose certain titles.
Parade was decided for a few reasons. After doing Yaz’s Upstairs at Eric’s, and Radiohead’s OK Computer, Nathan and I knew we had to do an album that we think is an artist’s best, not the most well-known. Besides, Purple Rain is already done to perfection by Peaches Christ every other year, and the songs on 1999 are too long for drag queens. Also, the real-life story behind the creation of Parade lends itself well to what The San Francisco Album Project is trying to achieve, or rather, is experimenting with. Prince’s collaboration with Wendy and Lisa reached its fever pitch with this album. Overworking, conflicting egos, frustrating machismo, and the tour which resulted from it brought about the end of their work together, thereby ending what I believe is one of the great partnerships in modern rock and roll, and forever destroying the glorious potential of what music Prince, and Wendy and Lisa might have continued creating together.
SFBGCan you share any exciting specifics about Sunday’s performance?
BB Well the show is built around the theme/story I just referenced: the relationship between Prince, Wendy and Lisa. It’s to be used as a frame around our fantasies in regards to the collaborative process. A myth has been created about their break-up, not just between Prince fans and the music press of the time, but now also on our stage. We’ve expanded notions of the obvious troubles that arose not just due to Prince’s fame and resulting ego, but also difficulties that could come about when men and women collaborate together, as well as straights and queers.
The narrative of the show is interspersed with ‘impressions’ on these themes, as some performers have come up with numbers that deviate from the direct story told on stage, instead having come up with their own musings in regards to these ‘troubles’ I mentioned above.
I can promise that the numbers run, at least, the same gamut of emotions that the album Parade does itself. I think we have a great sense of humor about it all, and I believe it’ll come across in Sunday’s show.
SFBGCan you tell us what album’s next?
BB Well not all the way down the line, but I can tell you that the next show is based around Roxy Music’s first self-titled album from 1972. It’s scheduled for Sunday, November 10th at The Chapel.
Blouse, may have ditched the synths and drum machines of its 2011 debut self-titled album with new Captured Tracks full-length, Imperium, but the sound remains as hazy and dreamy as ever. Now it’s just backed by rippling reverb and distortion.
The misty Portland, Ore. dreampop trio makes siren calls that would entice a shipwrecked sailor, floating endlessly in a gurgling oceanic abyss. See? Wistful. Check first single, “A Feeling Like This” or next track “No Shelter” for that particular mental imagery. It’s all there, the swashing of fuzz, the wide open minimalism à la xx, the delicate, teetering vocal tracks, and an uneasy feeling of isolation.
I asked Blouse frontperson Charlie Hilton about the band’s new album, the local Portland music scene, going synth-less, and the albums they bonded over:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlxjGFaQKu4
SFBGHow did Blouse first come together?
CH Three years ago, I moved to Portland from LA and met Patrick in an intro design class at PSU. We became friends almost immediately and he started giving me rides home from school. We were always talking about music, about the bands we’d been involved in, about what we liked. Eventually we decided to play together in my living room a few nights a week.
I’d been writing since middle school, so I shared some of my recent work with him. We also worked on new songs, recording them on Garageband as we went, until his friend Jake heard the demos and thought we should all record together. Jake had produced some really great records, and he and Patrick had been in bands together in the past.
We felt a weird kind of urgency to do something together, so we went to a place called Jackpot Studios for two days, hung out, and worked on the songs. We decided on a band name, finished two tracks, and posted them on the Internet. It was only a couple of months later that we signed with Captured Tracks.
SFBGWhat songs or albums by other artists have you bonded over as a group?
CH The Dream Syndicate, Days of Wine and Roses. I had never met anyone who loved that record like I did, and then I saw it propped up at their house. It’s funny how that can make you trust a person.
SFBG Why the shift from synths to a more guitar-focused sound on new album, Imperium?
CH We like guitars a lot and it was fun to see what we sounded like without the synths, to see whether or not we could remain ourselves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPOgGgDyNGo
SFBGCan you tell me about writing the song “No Shelter” off Imperium?
CH I was feeling really terrible at the time, for no reason. My husband and I had just bought a cabin in the mountains, and all I wanted to do was be there, away from everything and everybody. I was getting very addicted to this place in the forest, and I realized that I was using it to escape the dread inside me. Writing that song was just about coming to terms with that feeling, recognizing that it was there and that I couldn’t really get away from it.
SFBGWhat inspired first single “A Feeling Like This?”
CH A mushroom trip in a white room.
SFBGDo you feel part of a Portland music community? Who are your closest contemporaries music-wise, in Portland and beyond?
CH Yes. I have so many friends in bands that I love. Wampire, WL, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Industrial Park, Hausu, Vice Device, Concrete Floor, Litanic Mask — just to name a few.
SFBGWhat’s the most common misconception about Blouse?
CH That we all live together in the warehouse where we record music. I don’t mind if people keep thinking that. It sounds fun. But no, we don’t really. There’s no shower.
SFBG Anything you’re looking forward to on this West Coast tour?
CH I’m from LA so I always love going home to play Part Time Punks. Michael Stock was my favorite DJ when I lived there, so it was an absolute pleasure to meet him and do a session with KXLU last year. We’ll be doing another one this time. I’m excited.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZq1xRzlCxg
SFBG Is there anything else you’d like people to know about your band?
CH We’re very Polish.
Blouse With Social Studies, Feathers Sat/21, 9:30pm, $12 Bottom of the Hill 1233 17th St, SF (415) 626-4455 www.bottomofthehill.com
After explaining that the next song would be about how there are thousands of feminists, all around the world, and driving home the obvious point — there is not one sole leader of the feminist movement — Kathleen Hanna giggled, hearing yet another shout-out from the audience. She jokingly replied, “OK, OK, but I am the number one feminist.”
It was this typical audience-artist interplay that brought the excitement of Hanna’s return to the stage, via new/old project the Julie Ruin at Slim’s last night.
Wearing a darling baby smock and her standard high brunette bun, Hanna bounced out on stage like she’d never left, chugging from a jug of water and robo-dancing during rare vocal lulls. In reality, the Bikini Kill and Le Tigre frontperson has been out of the bar-light for nearly a decade, struggling with neurological Lyme disease. Early in the Julie Ruin’s set, Hanna noted, “It’s been a long time since I’ve been on this stage, and there was a time when I thought I’d never return.”
The poppy set, performed by the five-piece joined by percussionist Fredo Ortiz, switched off, one for one, between lo-fi songs off 1997 self-titled solo record Julie Ruin (thickened up with additional instrumentaion), and new bolder, more fully realized the Julie Ruin collaboration, Run Fast (Dischord). The sold-out crowd, which was packed tightly into Slim’s, cheered for each song, hollering loving refrains toward Hanna at every possible chance. It felt like long-attached Bikini Kill and Le Tigre fans came out of the woodwork, cute haircuts in tact, but also a newer, younger batch of the Julie Ruin fans were sprinkled throughout.(Don’t worry, I picked up a tote bag at the merch table.)
The avid fans cheered hard for older songs off the ’97 solo record like “Radical or Pro-Parental” and doubly for newer danceable riot grrrl rock songs such as first Run Fast single “Oh C’mon” and “Girls Like Us.” There was a “Le Tigre cover” (Hanna’s words) of “Eau d’Bedroom Dancing” off Le Tigre’s self-titled 1999 debut. At one point, Hanna began singing the emotional cover of “Stay Monkey” from the first Julie Ruin album — someone in the audience requested it — but then admitted she’d forgotten the words, perhaps a symptom of the Lyme disease? (During our interview a few weeks back, she said she would often use the wrong words for things during the recording process for this new record, and the band would go with it in a stream-of-consciousness burst.)
Together, the relatively newly assembled band members of the Julie Ruin worked liked family, smiling, dancing, winking — which makes sense, given that Kathi Wilcox, Kenny Mellman, Carmine Covelli, and Sara Landeau are all musician-pals from Hanna’s past. Wilcox, of course, also being from Bikini Kill, among other bands.
Mellman took the lead on the one track in which he wrote the lyrics, “South Coast Plaza,” explaining that the song was about friends in SF (where he lived from 1987-1997) who made a pact to kill one another if one got sick, and it actually happened. He said he placed the friendship in Orange County though (hence, South Coast Plaza, a weirdly fancy mall at which I have spent many wasted teenage afternoons).
But Hanna was up front for most songs, as well she should be. The whole night felt like a bittersweet reunion, and perhaps it was, though Hanna stressed that we should look toward the future. Because for girls like us, there’s always a place in our hearts for a female-empowerment pop anthem.
The eighth annual Symbiosis Gathering — part outdoor music festival, part rave on a lake, part yoga retreat, part art project, part green conference, all pretty amazing — happens this weekend. I wrote about it in last week’s paper (especially about my enthusiasm for the music lineup, including Mount Kimbie, Polica, Hudson Mohawke, Matias Aguayo, STS9, Thugfucker, and a ton more).It’s a creative explosion!
I caught up with Symbiosis producer Kevin KoChen to get a little more interdimensional with the fest’s vibe.
SFBGHi Kevin! Getting my bells on for the fest. Can you tell me a little bit of your history with Symbiosis? KEVIN KOCHEN I’d met two of the founders separately when I was living at ‘the Fulton House’ at Fulton and Divisidero and enrolled at the California Institute for Integral Studies. In ’05 they asked me to give a workshop at the first Symbiosis. When I arrived I was amazed at the different crews of people all comingling. There’s all types of festival people and usually people hangout with people they already know. But at Symbiosis it seemed that peoples guard was down, new relationships were made, and there was a real sense of community that was created that went beyond groups of friends. It was also the loudest I’d ever heard trance. I couldn’t believe that the louder it was, the better it sounded. I was into jambands for years and was looking for something new. Symbiosis was colorful, full of workshops, and the crowd was fantastic. When the time came for the next year, I was invited to stir the cauldron.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x1TFxao0oI
SFBGThis year’s music lineup is killer — what kind of philosophy did you have when booking this year’s fest? KK Our lineups are like a fine wine; better with age. We love the edge or what’s next. We’ve had quite a few artists play Symbiosis and go on to tour nationally. You could get as excited by artists you haven’t heard of as much as the ones that got you to buy a ticket. This year, IAMAMIWHOAMI has never performed in the US and they’re incredibly unique, talented and interesting. We’ve been friends with people in and around STS9 for years and this was the first year where the timing worked out. We’re excited to have these innovators of the live electronic jam. The Coup from Oakland is something to be excited about as well as Mount Kimbie post-dubstep (hooray for post-dubstep!) and Chet Faker’s crooning will have everyone in the mood. From top to bottom, each artist is really special. Be sure not to miss Sunday. We usually put some of our favorite music on Sunday because its when we are done working and can enjoy the ride like everyone else.
SFBGI noticed the Edwardian Ball Roadshow is premiering — can you tell me a little bit about that, and what other new things can we expect this year? KK We’ve been working with Vau de Vire Society — who along with musical group Rosin Coven put on the Edwardian Ball Roadshow — since 2009 and have been working on ways to get them more involved. Their energy, their crowd, their appearance… everything about them is so LIVELY! We love the opportunity to work with them. This was our chance to have their team pull together an event within an event. People will be costumed and hilarious, and you may seriously question if you had just popped into another dimension where Jules Verne actually existed when cowboys and aliens might bust through the door at a moment’s notice. Their musical taste is also fantastic. They have a healthy dose of gypsy swing which is immediately appealing, fun, and danceable.
SFBGIt seems there’s another music festival sprouting up everytime I turn around. What are some of the things you think really define Symbiosis as different, and what do you think is the key to the festival’s longevity? KK Symbiosis is an art project. We have no sponsors, incredible workshops, art, yoga, dance, organic food, ceremony, healers, and masseuses. We are a full spectrum experience. The event is not defined solely by musical lineup. Out workshop lineups are like a sustainability conference in a festival. Plus, Saul Williams will be performing a spoken word session, we have improv troupes from Chicago’s legendary Second City, and our stage designs are epic themed art projects rather than a skeleton of truss. We pay meticulous attention to detail and really love the project like an art piece. We hope it shines through. Our crowd seems to return the favor and are another big part of our success. Our crowd is vibrant and creative and fun and enjoyable to be around. They surprise us with random acts of beauty and senseless acts of expression.
SFBG As far as the connection between music and spirituality goes, can you tell me some of your thoughts on that? How does Symbiosis bring together those elements? KK Music is transcendent and the universal language. It passes through language, color, creed. Our team has travelled overseas for Eclipse Festivals, Boom Festivals, Rainbow Serpent, Universo Parallelo, and dancing to music with people who don’t speak your language can be a beautiful experience. Music is a bridge that can be crossed by a smile and connection, and community is something in this world that is missing. While we have more Facebook friends but less real world relationships, we may have more timesavers but we may have less peak experiences with the people we love. Symbiosis is our attempt to facilitate a peak experience.
The last thing I expected to hear at a Grouplove concert was Skrillex and ASAP Rocky’s “Wild for the Night” but for some reason it seemed to be the perfect soundtrack to the band’s entrance. Dancing wildly and hyping the crowd to the beats and bleats of the track, the five musicians had whipped the sold-out Independent crowd into a high-energy frenzy before they played a single note.
After touring more or less constantly since its inception in 2009, Grouplove is a well-oiled machine on stage. Every member bounces around with frenetic energy, never standing still for a moment. Vocalist and keyboardist Hannah Hooper was all hair, headbanging, whipping around, and running in place in a leopard print unitard as frontperson Christian Zucconi (clad in a bathrobe and Grateful Dead tee) furiously strummed, jumped, and bumped into everyone around him. By comparison, bassist Sean Gadd, guitarist Andrew Wessen, and drummer Ryan Rabin almost seemed demure, despite their own dancing and roaming around the stage.
Even at its most energetic, however, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Grouplove was phoning it in. Being this well-oiled touring machine has detracted from the raw electricity of its early performances. Even the new material, which the band played much of, fell flat. No amount of jumping screaming, and running could hide the fact that the group, frankly, seemed tired.
Though Grouplove has a handful of really great, catchy tunes (especially 2011 single “Tongue Tied”) its strength has always been in its live presence. It’s not that its Saturday show at the Independent was bad — Grouplove has just set the bar incredibly high with its previous tours. Even in this slightly watered down form, however, one thing reads clear — the amorous bond that Grouplove is named for. The group is constantly interacting with each other, lighting up with smiles, leaning into each other, and feeding off of each other’s presence.
Grouplove has a miraculous and fateful backstory, starting with the chance meeting of Hooper and Zucconi in New York. Hooper, feeling an immediate bond, invited Zucconi to drop everything and join her on an artists’ residency later that week in Crete, where the pair met the three musicians who would ultimately make up the rest of Grouplove. Since that serendipitous meeting, the five relocated to LA and have rarely left each other’s sides. It is this genuine group love that makes the band’s joyful noise so infectious and endearing. Despite the flat, forced feeling of their set, it was clear that the band was happy to be there, and happy to be with each other.
During the encore, a few little miracles happened to turn the night’s energy around. First, a man proposed to his girlfriend onstage, prompting screams from the audience and a few tears, high fives, and a group hug from Grouplove. Second, members of Morning Benders (now POP ETC) and Waters joined Grouplove to play the POP ETC’s “I Woke Up Today.”
By the time the band got to its last song, the slow-building, hyper-catchy “Colours” the entire room had exploded with dancing, signing, and the kind of energy that got Grouplove its reputation for being an unmissable live band.
As the show closed, the previously silent Wessen leaned into the microphone and said, with heartwarming earnestness, “San Francisco, we love you so, so much. You have no idea.”
I’ve yet to be disappointed with a Brick and Mortar show, and the Moondoggies concert was no exception. When the Seattle rockers came on stage last Thursday night, they dove straightaway into bluesy rock songs.
Frontperson Kevin Murphy’s vocals were pleasant and warm, but they stood in contrast to his expression, which most of the time was apathetic.
The group’s seductive hooks, pulsing bass lines, and somewhat-ominous piano chords went over well with the crowd, people were swinging their hips, drinks in hand.
Bassist Bobby Terreberry, head bobbing, calmly plucked away, facing the side of the stage most of the set. And Jon Pontrello’s spastic, weaving dance moves with his guitar and tambourine proved a comic contrast next to Murphy’s uninvolved position behind the mic.
Drummer Carl Dahlen also brought some needed energy to the stage. Lost in the beats, Dahlen struck the set with an affable urgency, his fire-red hair swinging in his wake. And keyboardist Caleb Quick was anything but, taking his time to strike each chord with what looked to be a deep and somber intent.
No matter any critique you may have of the group, it’s impossible to say its lacking in fullness, in totality. When the vocals become hushed, the heedlessly playful guitar riffs meandered to new heights. When the percussion and bass toed the line of “background” music, the group’s harmonies became impressively bold.
The result was a striking sense of balance. The beauty was in their distinctions as performers: Murphy swaying and singing; impassively cool behind his caterpillar-like mustache, Terreberry zoning out to resilient bass lines, Pontrello a feisty hot mess.
Dahlen was buoyant behind the drum set and Quick gave the performance a tasteful poignance.
One highlight was “Midnight Owl,” off their latest album Adios,I’m a Ghost (Hardly Art, 2013), which came out of this August with plenty of critical praise. It was also where Murphy shone the brightest — or darkest.
Murphy crooned the soft chorus wearing a yearning expression while shuffling uncomfortably, “She’s a midnight owl, ain’t seen her yet/ She’s an early riser, ain’t gone to bed.”
Their set seemed to go buy too quick, always a sign of a good show.
This week’s must-sees include a riot grrl legend with a shiny new project, a crew of gritty Brooklyn punks, an Oakland music fest (the Oakland Music Festival), a former Closer Musik member, and an experimental vocalist, formerly of Swans. Plus, Blouse, Dirty Beaches, and oh, so-much-more!
Here are your must-see shows: The So So Glos “Did you want to spend a night pogo-ing around like the animal you are? The So So Glos, gritty DIY punks from Brooklyn, have just what the doctor ordered. Literally a band of brothers (the majority of the group is blood-related), the So So Glos lay testament to what hard work and determination can accomplish. Helping establish East Coast all-ages DIY venues such as Market Hotel and “Shea Stadium” (where the band also lives), the group is dedicated to keeping the proverbial DIY scene alive. Often compared to fellow Brooklynites Japanther, the So So Glos are hot off their newest release Blowout. Also on the bill is unfortunately-named Diarrhea Planet, and Unstrung. Straight off Burger Records, the Tennessee-based Diarrhea Planet is Southern-fried Ramones worship while SF-based trio Unstrung goes for a more aggressive, punk route.” — Erin Dage Tue/17, 9pm, $10 Brick and Mortar Music Hall 1710 Mission, SF (415) 371-1631 www.brickandmortarmusic.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr-swKOsEYw
The Julie Ruin Before Le Tigre but after the demise of Bikini Kill, Kathleen Hanna created a mystical lo-fi electropop solo project called Julie Ruin. More than 15 years after that record and a whirlwind of life changes later (Le Tigre hiatus, Beastie Boy husband), Hanna and a newly assembled band of cohorts — Kathi Wilcox, Kenny Mellman, Carmine Covelli, Sara Landeau — reformed that project as the Julie Ruin. The Julie Ruin released its first group full-length, Run Fast, last week on Dischord. A dancey new wave record bursting with head-bopping beats, lightning bolt electric guitars, and empowering lyrics, it’s set to be another chant-along feminist anthem album. With La Sera Tue/17, 8pm, $18 Slim’s 333 11th St, SF www.slimspresents.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEltsPb8M6Q
Oakland Music Festival The Oakland Music Festival is coming this weekend, which means live music, gourmet eats, and lots of beers, all in the name of celebrating the beloved East Bay city. Oakland hip-hop stalwarts the Coup headline along with Dam-Funk, Religious Girls, James & Evander, Bang Data, and more. Plus, expect craziness from the Trill Team 6 and Lights Down Low crews. Sat/21, 11am-7:30pm, $25-$30 At the corner of 19th and Jefferson Streets, Oakl. www.oaklandmusicfestival.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acT_PSAZ7BQ
Matias Aguayo “If you know this one time minimalist-Closer Musik member from the all a capella cut-up jam “Rollerskate” or his wild Spanglish guest appearance on math-rockers Battles’s “Ice Cream,” you know that Aguayo’s voice is impossible to pin down. On The Visitor, his latest release on South American Kompakt offshoot Cómeme, Aguayo is as hard as ever to locate geographically, blurring Latin dialects and reverse engineering English lyrics over a mix of increasingly psychedelic rhythms that cut across (and veer from) generic dance and world music boundaries. With a new live show — expect lots of percussion and off-the-wall vocals on top of tracks — Aguayo could seem to be less on tour from another country, and more like a visitor from outer space.” — Ryan Prendiville With Ghosts on Tape, Shawn Reynaldo, Rollie Fingers Sat/21, 10pm-3am, $10-15 Public Works 161 Erie, SF (415) 932-0955 www.publicsf.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE12dG6i6i4
Blouse Portland, Oreg. trio, Blouse, may have ditched the synths and drum machines of its 2011 debut self-titled album with new Captured Tracks full-length, Imperium, but the sound remains as hazy and dreamy as ever. Now it’s just backed by rippling reverb and distortion. The misty dreampop band makes siren calls that would entice a shipwrecked sailor, floating endlessly in a gurgling oceanic abyss. See? Wistful. Check first single, “A Feeling Like This” or next track “No Shelter” for that particular mental imagery. It’s all there, the swashing of fuzz, the wide open minimalism à la xx, the delicate, teetering vocal tracks, and an uneasy feeling of isolation. With Social Studies, Feathers Sat/21, 9:30pm, $12 Bottom of the Hill 1233 17 St, SF (415) 626-4455 www.bottomofthehill.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlxjGFaQKu4
Dirty Beaches “Alex Zhang Hungtai, the musician behind the Dirty Beaches moniker, is an old soul. An eternal stranger in a strange land with a flair for eccentricity, Hungtai seems straight out of the beat generation. Taiwan-born and Montreal-based, he has lived in a veritable laundry list of cities around the world (including a stint in San Francisco) and through his music and touring schedule, Hungtai’s wanderlust shows no signs of slowing down. This restlessness is evident in Dirty Beaches’ music, a muddy, murky mix of doo-wopesque vocals and surf-tinged guitars that never quite rises to the surface. His simple guitar- and sample-based rock is beefed up on the road with a full band and a saxophone player. This tour promises to be especially interesting, with Hungtai possibly performing sitting down or with a cane after he jumped out of a second story window to make his flight back to North America, like Neal Cassady reincarnate.” — Haley Zaremba With SISU, Chasms Sun/22, 9pm, $12 Bottom of the Hill 1233 17th St, SF (415) 626-4455 www.bottomofthehill.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOZFVFF-ATw
The Living Jarboe “Jarboe’s music is defined by the way she uses her powerful voice, a mutable, inventive instrument that haunts, terrifies, soothes and mourns. The former member of beloved post-punk outfit Swans has been prolific since the band’s break-up in 1997, perfecting her experimental art and collaborating widely across the musical spectrum, notably with Bay Area legends Neurosis. This appearance as the Living Jarboe enlists the help of a violinist and a guitarist to bring her seething, squalling, challenging songs to life.” — Ben Richardson With Faun Fable, Amber Asylum Mon/23, 8pm, $15 Cafe Du Nord 2170 Market, SF (415) 861-5016 www.cafedunord.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKEcbzKubME
Three to five years ago, the most popular phrase at Rock the Bells was “Rest in peace J Dilla.” This year, it was “Let’s get turned up!” The difference between the two shout-outs exhibits the festival’s progression from underground/old-school hip-hop gathering to a way more genre-expansive festival.
This year included stalwart acts that you would have seen at Rock the Bells 2004, 2005, and 2007 such as the Wu Tang Clan, TechNine, and Deltron 3030. But rappers like Juicy J, Riff Raff, and Trinidad James would have been ridiculed for not being “real hip-hop” enough in past years. This year’s eclectic and diverse cast was a reassuring reminder that hip-hop is not dead and that the music coming out in 2013 is just as worthy as that of any other era.
More than 50 acts split between two days and divided onto three stages meant that I had lots of ground and music to cover despite only being one person. And due to the immense offering of music, there were bound to some distressing scheduling conflicts. The worst of all was Juicy J vs. Black Hippy vs. Deltron 3030 at 7:45pm.
Even more upsetting was the fact that there was no music playing between 7:15 and 7:45. I cannot fathom why the organizers would have absolutely no act performing for 30 minutes less than three hours before the end of the festival. Fortunately I was able to dash between the three stages where the three acts were performing.
Nearly every act, all weekend, encouraged the audience to get “turned up,” but Juicy J was the only rapper to get his crowd “turned up” without asking. Due to the scheduling conflict, Deltron accompanied by an orchestra played to a rather small but very impassioned group of fans. When I caught Black Hippy, Kendrick Lamar was in the midst of performing the hits from his acclaimed good kid m.A.A.d city and I only needed five minutes to understand why he proclaimed himself to be “King of New York.”
The E-40/Too $hort duet was lackluster due to their early time slot — a mind boggling 4:25pm slot — and because 40 didn’t show up on the stage till more than halfway through the set. Other bland performances included Joey Bada$$ who was very undeserving of his main stage slot, Immortal Technique who belongs in a museum of homophobia and sexism and not on a concert stage, and Action Bronson. Bronson, who normally is overflowing with personality, spent his entire set floating around on stage and basically talked his verses, the most exciting part of his set was the guest appearance of Riff Raff on “Bird on a Wire.”
For the most part, the rappers at the festival were generally excited to be presenting for an exclusively hip-hop head audience. Brooklyn outfit Flatbush Zombies exploded on stage with psychotic energy from start to finish. Odd Future mates Tyler the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt in each of their sets trolled the hell out of their fans, which made for an even more amped set. Pusha T gets immense credit for kicking off his set with his lively guest verse from “Don’t Like” and Clipse-favorite “Grindin,’” a successful attempt at keeping fans from drifting off to the other stages.
Trinidad James’s “I’m so happy to be here” schtick surprisingly made for a bouncy show. A$AP Mob and Black Hippy each tied for best overall group performance and both crews played like they owned the Shoreline Amphitheatre. Kid Cudi, who some hip-hop heads might have doubted as a viable headliner, possessed a contagious enthusiasm that the crowd inhaled like it was pot smoke.
As for the holograms, they get credit for their novelty and not much else. Both Eazy E and ODB were flickering in the beginning. The hologram as a medium could barely play surrogate for these two strong and influential personalities. I pray to god Mac Dre never gets subject to this. The hologram was a worthy endeavor in that it gave a sense to millenials what it was like to witness Eazy E and ODB, but fun time is over and it’s time to retire this gag before we jump the shark.
Awards Least Surprising Cancellation: Chief Keef. Best Surprise Guest: Tiny “Zeus” Lister aka Deebo from “Friday” showing up during Earl Sweatshirt, E-40/Too $hort, and TechN9ne’s sets. Most “I’m old” Comment: RZA for “I know a lot of y’all grew up with iPads and iPhones, but I’mma show y’all how we used to do it back in the day” Most Generous: Juicy J for throwing his sweat-soaked Gucci sports jacket into the crowd. Most Unnecessary Stage Set-Up: Kid Cudi and his giant “Legends of the Hidden Temple” boulders. Biggest Bay Area Panderer: Host Peter Rosenberg for constantly reminding people who live in the Bay Area that they are currently in the Bay Area. Best Freestyler: Supernatural for the umpteenth time.
Stats Number of times I heard the word “Twerk:” A shockingly low 2. Number of times I heard the phrase “Turn Up” or any variation there of: ∞ [infinity] iPad sightings: 6 (ugh) Number of “Fuck the Police” chants: 7 Number of acts I heard lip-syncing: 4
Adam Ant isn’t just a stage name, it’s a mission statement. When Malcolm Mclaren of Sex Pistols fame swiped Adam’s band in the early 1980s to form Bow Wow Wow, it could have been a quick death for the ambitions of Stuart Leslie Goddard. But, as legend goes, a steadfast decision was made by Goddard in a North London mental hospital in the late 1970s. Dubbing himself Adam Ant, Goddard would do nothing less than become the biggest new wave sensation possible. He showed that determination, yet again, at his Regency Ballroom appearance this Thursday.
So when his Ant’s first band was stolen, way back when, he teamed up with guitarist Marco Pirroni and for the next decade produced worldwide hits like “Ant Music” and “Goody Two Shoes.” Then the 1990s hit and left the new romantic pioneer unemployed and only surfacing for tabloid pieces on mental health.
But even two decades off hasn’t slowed down Adam Ant. In 2010 he released Adam Ant Is The Blueblack Hussar in Marrying The Gunner’s Daughter without any of his previous writing partners and on his own label. He has been touring to promote the record ever since.
Though his new band, the Good, the Mad and the Lovely Posse, doesn’t have any of the horns or synthesizers of Ant’s ‘80s singles (a dramatic pause in “Desperate but not Serious” was added where previously a horn solo had been), the syncopated trading of beats between two drumsets was very much the center of attention at his SF show.
Unfortunately, the auxiliary drummer with the skin-tight dress and almost detrimental Peggy Bundy wig had her drumset mics practically muted. Her showmanship and knack for standing up to play big hits on songs like “Physical (You’re So)” was all that gave the crowd notice she was playing. Closer inspection showed the flurry of tribal counter-rhythms her sticks were weaving between the lead drummer’s rhythms, but one could only glean this visually, the sound never left the stage.
Without the synthesized new wave frills of his recorded singles, the Good, the Mad and the Lovely Posse turned decades-old glam hits into raw, almost New York Dolls-y rockers. Adam, traditionally a bassist and certainly more of a performer than a stage musician, had a guitar at hand for just about every song. He had the guitar on him for more of the set than his makeup or costume. In fact, more of his crowd was wearing the traditional new romantic makeup than his band members, who looked like Ant’s manager scraped them off the wall of a Motorhead show and gave them instruments.
While this comeback might never produce any singles, truly, seeing Adam Ant in 2013 was a perfect glimpse at a zenith of the former, pre-Internet, recording industry surviving on his own in a world where such concepts no longer exist.
This year’s Rock The Bells really is the Costco of hip-hop festivals. Pretty much anyone who’s anyone in the hip-hop world (plus some dead rappers) will be at Mountain View’s Shoreline Amphitheater this weekend. There is literally something for every kind of hip-hop fan out there, with more artists packed into those two days than weed in a Juicy J blunt.
Perennial RTB performers Wu-Tang Clan, Doug E Fresh & Slick Rick, Rakim, Bone Thugs N Harmony, and KRS-ONE will holding it down for the old school. Meme-rap stars Riff Raff, Danny Brown, and Trinidad James will bring their WTF-brands of rap. On the rise Brooklyn youngsters Flatbush Zombies and Joey Bada$$ will be present.
And even though the backpack era is over, mid-aughts underground luminaries such as Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique, Brother Ali, and Tech Nine will transport you back to a not so distant 2005. Headliners Kid Cudi, the entire A$AP and Black Hippy crews, hyphy super duo E-40/Too $hort, and Girl Talk (who might throw down a more hip-hop influenced set) will cap off the long weekend.
But the talk of the festival is not anyone listed above or anyone who has a heart beat. Hologram versions of Easy-E and Ol’ Dirty Bastard will appear in intangible 3D form. To catch a preview of their set you can watch performances of E and Dirty from last weekend’s Rock The Bells LA.
It’s easy to snark or scoff at a somewhat preposterous idea, but as someone who was witnessed hologram Tupac the first weekend at Coachella, I can fully attest that hologram rappers is as awesome as it sounds. I distinctly remember one guy in the crowd who literally thought Tupac had come back from the dead — granted he may have been tripping hard. So make sure to circle the two hologram shows on your setlist.
If you’re planning to travel via Caltrain, know that trains only leave from SF at the 15 of the hour. More importantly, the last train to leave Mountain View on Saturday is 10:49 and the last train on Sunday is at 9:19. Plan accordingly as you sure as hell don’t want to pay for a $120 cab back to the city. Saturday recommendations: Tyler The Creator, Chief Keef, Supernatural, Action Bronson, Pusha T, Flatbush Zombies, A$AP Mob, E-40 & Too $hort
Sunday recommendations: Juicy J, Deltron 3030, Rakim, Riff Raff, Earl Sweatshirt, Trinidad James, Danny Brown, Joey Bada$$, Black Hippy, Wu-Tang Clan. 2013 Rock The Bells Festival Sat/14, Sun/15, $65.50-$239 Shoreline Amphitheater 1 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View www.rockthebells.net
Celebrating 40-plus years on the rock scene, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar hit the stage in San Francisco on Saturday night before a crowd of thousands of enthusiastic fans.
Playing the America’s Cup Pavilion, the Red Rocker blazed through a set spanning most of his career, starting out with Montrose songs, then on to his solo material, through his stint with Van Halen, and up through his current output.
Sporting his signature shaggy hair and shades look, Hagar kicked off his set with several tunes from his first successful band, the Bay Area-based Montrose, for whom he sang back in the early 1970s.
Taking to the stage with two of his former Montrose bandmates, Bill Church and Denny Carmassi, along Y&T guitarist Dave Meniketti, who was filling in for the late Ronnie Montrose, Hagar ran back and forth, pumping up the audience with classic cuts like “Rock Candy” and “Bad Motor Scooter.”
When his current backing group took over, Hagar wasted no time in getting to some of his early signature solo hits, running through “Red” and then “I Can’t Drive 55,” which got fans — many of whom looked to have been following him since the beginning — singing along and dancing around, much to the chagrin of the bouncers, who seemed intent on keeping people firmly planted in front of their assigned seats.
The seating situation was one of the drawbacks to the temporary venue, or at least how it was configured for this particular show; you could tell lots of fans wanted to dance around and let loose, which is hard to do when you’re surrounded a sea of metal folding chairs and security forces keeping a watchful eye on everything.
Otherwise, the outdoor amphitheater located along the city’s waterfront was an ideal location for the concert — it definitely helped that it was one of those great late summer/early fall days and nights in San Francisco, where the sun was out all day, and the fog held off rolling in until the show was nearly over.
Landmarks like the the Transamerica Pyramid and Coit Tower provided a stunning backdrop to watching Hagar traverse the stage, at times bounding around and encouraging the crowd the yell or sing along, at others picking up a guitar and reminding concertgoers that he is also a formidable six string slinger in addition to being one of the best known singers in the realm of classic rock.
And that voice still sounds as strong as ever, belting out more hits such as “There’s Only One Way To Rock,” “Why Can’t This Be Love,” and “Heavy Metal” among others.
Hagar’s old cohort in Van Halen, Michael Anthony, joined in on bass for several tunes, eliciting a roar of approval when he appeared on stage and bantered back and forth with Hagar, who plied him with a bottle of liquor and tried to convince him to move out of LA to join him here in the Bay Area.
While playing one of Van Halen’s hits, “Right Now,” a video montage appeared on a giant screen behind the band, culling parts of the vintage video clip and adding a few newer additions. One said, “Right Now…People are hungry in San Francisco,” with the words “You Can Help” and shared the website for the San Francisco Food Bank — keeping with the fact that Hagar himself had previously announced that he would donate money to a couple of local charities when he made this tour stop.
Although it seemed he needed no extra help in winning over the crowd’s admiration, Hagar also scored some hometown points when he took a moment to tell everyone how he had “moved to San Francisco back in 1968 with a suitcase, a guitar, and about $5 in my pocket — and I’ve lived here ever since!”
He then added that in recent interviews everyone has been asking him, “When are you going to retire?”
“I tell them I retired when I moved here and started playing music!”
Music can serve to fit your specific mood. If you can pinpoint an emotion you wish to heighten, you have the ability to explode the senses with a band or musical act playing live that night. You’re just that special.
This week, if you want to feel creepy, go to Death in June; for feel-good grooves, try Jimmy Cliff; to feel cultured, take in Julia Holter; to intensify a sense of ecstasy while engaging with the full scope of hip-hop today, grab passes to Rock the Bells.
Here are your must-see shows: Bleeding Rainbow “Bleeding Rainbow has seen several incarnations since its 2009 formation as Reading Rainbow. Its third album, Yeah Right, includes two added band members, a new name (allegedly provoked by a remark from Carrie Brownstein), and as one would expect with a move from “Reading Rainbow” to “Bleeding Rainbow,” added shades of something sinister. Despite the changes, though, its signature sound remains: Out of the fuzzy noise of reverb and distortion emerges sweet pop melodies from Sarah Everton. The band’s transformed, but between the noise, the darkness, and the pop, it still promises a good time.” — Laura Kerry With the Love Language Tue/10, 8pm, $12 Rickshaw Stop 155 Fell, SF (415) 861-2011 www.rickshawstop.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL2uSm19aEU
Jimmy Cliff “At age 65, reggae legend Jimmy Cliff is experiencing perhaps one of the greatest bursts of artistic productivity in all of his five-decade-long and counting career. He’s inspired countless other musicians over the years, including Bay Area punk rocker Tim Armstrong of Rancid and Operation Ivy, who was brought aboard to produce and perform on Cliff’s newest album, last year’s excellent Rebirth. The record includes an outstanding cover of the Clash’s “Guns of Brixton,” which references Cliff’s movie and song “The Harder They Come” in its lyrics — bringing the music full circle, as it were. Don’t miss the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer when he hits the Fillmore stage tonight.” — Sean McCourt Wed/11, 8pm, $39.50 Fillmore 1805 Geary, SF (415) 346-6000 www.thefillmore.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGE4dnrPPZQ
Julia Holter Julia Holter’s newest release, this month’s string-and-horn laced Loud City Song, is like the Weetzie Bat of music: a quirky, instantly classic retelling of the modern LA story. The chamber-pop multi-instrumentalist’s calling card is weaving lush, experimental compositions with her own dramatic vocals, creating compelling narratives and backstories through sound (previous records have focused on Greek mythology and French New Wave films). It’s charming to see the light, noise, and gossip of Los Angeles through the Holter lense. With Nedelle Torrisi Thu/12, 8pm, $16 Great American Music Hall 859 O’Farrell, SF www.slimspresents.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzzpkDPetZU
Death in June “Extremely depressing neofolk band Death in June is stopping by San Francisco for its long-awaited US tour. Initially starting as a post-punk, industrial project in the 1980s, the band shunned pretty-boy rock ideals, often donning ghoulish masks and costumes on stage. Death in June has given influence to plenty of contemporary bands such as metal band Agalloch and darkwave horde Faun…And the group released Snow Bunker Tapes, guitar-backed versions of Peaceful Snow, on Neuropa this year. Get sad, get creepy, and slump over to the Mezzanine.” — Erin Dage 120 Minutes with oOoOO, DJ Omar, CHAUNCEY_CC Fri/13, 9pm, $30 Mezzanine 444 Jessie, SF (415) 625-8880 www.mezzaninesf.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myzNWd-Pp2g
Magic Trick “If there’s anything supernatural about the band Magic Trick, it’s in frontperson Tim Cohen’s seeming ability to be in several places at once. Between the Fresh & Onlys, solo projects, and work with other bands, his prolificacy makes you wonder. But more than witchcraft, magic tricks usually involve sleight of hand. With Cohen’s signature deep voice and romantic songwriting, Magic Trick at times directly echoes the Fresh & Onlys. Don’t be fooled: With three added band members and a minimalism that makes the music more contemplative and a little stranger, Magic Trick surprises.” — Laura Kerry With the Range of Light Wilderness, Pure Bliss, Cool Ghouls Sat/14, 9pm, $12 Chapel 777 Valencia, SF (415) 551-5157 www.thechapelsf.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj9mNkXD8U0
Rock The Bells “The country’s pre-eminent hip-hop festival is coming to the Bay Area this Saturday and Sunday, bringing a large and diverse crew of rap acts. There’s something for every kind of hip-hop head at this festival. For fans of weird rap, there’s Danny Brown, for fans of ratchet rap, there’s Juicy J, for the homers, there’s a E-40-Too $hort duet and IamSu!, and for fans of hologram rap there will be performances from hologram Eazy-E and ODB. For those you taking Caltrain from the city, remember that the train only runs once a hour and takes more than a hour to get to Mountain View.” — George McIntire Sat/14-Sun/15, 11am, $65–<\d>$239 Shoreline Amphitheater One Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View (800) 745-3000 www.rockthebells.net http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0boHcBFSR0
Grouplove’s existence is a strong argument for fate. In 2009, Hannah Hooper and Christian Zucconi met on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Feeling an instant connection, Hooper invited Zucconi to an artist residency in Greece on the island of Crete, which she was heading to just a few days later, and he said yes. At this residency, in a remote mountain village, the pair formed a fast friendship with three other musicians. Within the year, Grouplove was formed.
Two years after that, the band exploded into the music scene with its cheekily titled, megacatchy album Never Trust a Happy Song. Touring constantly since its inception, Grouplove is still going at full sprint, with its second album, Spreading Rumors, coming out Sept. 17, accompanied by the ambitious Seesaw Tour, in which the band will spend two nights in every city at intimate venues, playing one electric and one acoustic show.
I caught up with Hooper during one of her rare moments of semi-downtime (if that’s what you call standing on a busy street corner waiting for Zucconi) to chat about hometown shows, Haight Street, and (group)love:
SF Bay GuardianI saw you play in San Francisco almost exactly two years ago to a nearly empty Bimbo’s, and it was an absolutely amazing show. There was this incredible energy and because there was a sparse audience, it felt truly special to be there. Now you’re playing to much bigger audiences and selling out two nights in a row in SF. How do you feel about this change in dynamics?
Hannah Hooper It’s really exciting! It’s kind of surreal in a lot of ways. When we get to play a show we’re excited no matter what, so the scale of it blows our minds. With the Seesaw Tour, we’re kind of underplaying and getting to actually see our fans again. And we’re playing the Independent, which is one of the first venues we played in SF.
We personally love playing any size, but there’s a level of intimacy that’s hard to capture [in a bigger venue]. It’s a very special thing. As a fan, I love to see high-energy bands in small venues. That’s what we want to do before we gear up to do a bigger tour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x1wjGKHjBI
SFBGHow did you come up with the idea for the Seesaw Tour? Why this format?
HH We were talking about bands. I love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, I’m a big fan, but I’ve never had the opportunity to get close to them. I’m always in the back behind like thousands of people. I had this vision of how cool it would be to see them play one night electric and one night acoustic. It will be a challenge for us because we’re definitively an electric band.
SFBG Grouplove has a very vigorous touring schedule. How do you keep from getting burned-out?
HH That’s a good question! We stopped to record our album that’s about to come out, which is really the first time we’ve stopped touring in three years. But recording is not that different from touring — we still are living in tight quarters and spending all our time together.
If you stay in motion you don’t notice how exhausted you are. Even when you’ve traveled halfway around the world and you’re like, “are we going to be able to do this?” When you get up on stage, you just respond to the audience. It’s a back and forth. When you see people there screaming your name, you just have to bring it. It’s so fulfilling to give all that you have every time you get on stage. We just get into a trance friendship mode.
SFBG Do you all really love each other as much as your name and your live show suggests?
HH We do! We really love each other. We have this ability to share this crazy experience together; we’re vulnerable and we’re funny together; we’re stronger together than we are separate. It really works.
There was a freedom when we first got together because we didn’t know each other. We all got to be exactly who we are. We met at a really special time and our friendship really shows that. We write a lot of songs on the road and we genuinely go out together…You have to want to make it work. This is our dream, this is what we want to do. It’s an outlook that we all quietly agreed to have.
SFBG There is a unique pressure associated with sophomore albums. Have you felt a need to prove that you’re not a one hit wonder with this record?
HH Coming from a painter background I didn’t really realize the “pressure of the second album.” We had this catalogue of songs we had written on the road and we basically drew straws to see which songs made the album. We’re really lucky. We make a point never to combine fear of success with making artwork and writing songs. There’s nothing you can do — you can’t predict whether people will like the songs. All you can really do is be genuine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGvHnDeS12o
SFBGWhat does the title of the album Spreading Rumors mean?
HH We’re kind of bringing it back to the way that people used to talk about bands and spread the word before the Internet. Despite all of the Internet attention we got for [2011 single] “Tongue Tied,” people were also telling their friends about us and our live shows. The rumor that keeps spreading…we really are this crazy bunch of wild animals let loose.
SFBGSince you’re playing two nights in a row here, you’ll have some time to spend in the city. Any special SF plans?
HH Well, my brother, sister, mom, and dad live here. I grew up in Upper Haight. I really miss SF. I just like walking down Haight Street. Thrift stores in SF are the best. I can’t tell you how much I love San Francisco.
[Playing here is] like playing a hometown show which is always secretly the most nerve-wracking. It’s always funny to see people you’ve known your whole life in the audience. You really get a sense of how far we’ve come. I’ll probably get emotional up there.
SFBGAnything else you feel that people need to know about Grouplove? Any parting words?
HH [I’ve learned] through all this touring and meeting all these bands that everyone has their own flavor. We have love, heart, honesty, and passion. Our goal is to have people see that there’s no bullshit up there [on stage] and leave feeling happy. We’re not trying to be cool or sexy. We want to inspire kids to not to care what they look like or whether they’re cool and just be themselves.
From Metallica to This Mortal Coil, there’s a sense of canned melodrama about most “dark” music that I’ve long found goofy and unconvincing. On that note, Massive Attack’s Mezzanine has always struck me as dark music done right, leaving the angsty ostentation behind, in favor of casually luring the listener downward into its imposing dungeon of groove.
As Gary Numan took the stage in Oakland last Tuesday night, the British artist displayed a similarly nuanced sensibility of what makes dark music work, delivering a relentlessly groove-based set of songs that brooded and seethed with total conviction.
Setting foot inside the Oakland Metro Operahouse (a dimly-lit, converted warehouse with the vibe of a joint operation between the Addams Family and a pack of steampunk welders) I felt the same tinge of skepticism that I did before Nine Inch Nails took the stage at Outside Lands last month; does Numan really have a purpose at this point in his career, aside from reliving old times and peddling out the reliable hit(s)? Surely enough, Numan took the stage with disarming panache, writhing up and down the stage with deft control as he treated the crowd to a stunning 90 minutes of punishing industrial rock.
Despite Numan’s one-hit-wonder status (his 1979 single “Cars” topped the charts in both the UK and the US) the British artist is revered in smaller circles for bridging many seemingly isolated developments in the pop world, from Kraftwerk’s stiff electronic propulsions, to Prince’s new-wave synthpop experiments, to Nine Inch Nails’ consolidation of industrial music with the rock mainstream.
Those mainly familiar with Numan’s early, synth-driven work, though, might’ve been taken aback by the physicality of Tuesday night’s set, in its commitment to the guitar-heavy, riff-based, Trent Reznor-indebted approach he initiated on records like Exile (1997) and Pure (2000).
Dressed in black, head to toe, like a sizable chunk of the enraptured audience, Numan and his four-piece backing band delivered forceful renditions of some recent tracks, namely “Haunted,” “The Fall,” and “Everything Comes Down to This,” dominated by relentlessly fuzzed-out guitars, as those reliably frosty synths provided rich textures and filled in the empty spaces.
“I Am Dust,” from the forthcoming LP Splinter (Songs From a Broken Mind) fit seamlessly into the surrounding material, making a strong case for Numan’s creative future, while beefed-up, modernized variations of older songs, like “Films,” and “Down in the Park,” were impressive in their unpredictability and ambition, refusing to merely replicate their studio counterparts.
Numan’s career has taken many twists and turns, from prickly, proto-synthpop, to industrial filth-rock, yet his touring band refracted it all through their single-minded, distortion-laden aesthetic, intuitively connecting the old and the new.
Numan might be 55 now, with nearly 20 albums under his belt, but his stage presence and vocal delivery were remarkably vitalic, never once suggesting the washed-up burnout illustrated by those VH1-hit-wonder specials. Few AARP qualifiers can rock eyeliner and spiky black hair convincingly, yet Numan completely pulled it off, prancing across the stage with yogic control, and a glammy flair for presentation.
More importantly, his vocal ability hasn’t diminished in the slightest since the late ’70s, as he hit all the high notes on “Cars,” and “Are ‘Friends’ Electric,” without hesitation.
Numan’s voice, strongly reminiscent of David Bowie’s, fit harmoniously with the backing instrumentals, letting the band do most of the heavy lifting, as he deftly avoided the whiny/screamy/growly vocal contrivances that end up derailing so much “dark” music into self-parody mode.
The restraint of Numan’s vocals, combined with the dubby, trip-hoppy, disco-inflected headiness of his backing band’s grooves, resulted in a tightly controlled balancing act; much like Massive Attack’s Mezzanine, Numan’s set succeeded by keeping things at a constant simmer, yet never boiling over. Dark music done right, indeed.
Judging by his seasoned stage presence, and his undeniable influence on the greater music world, it seems that in an alternate universe, Numan could’ve become one of those Prince-y household names, shaping pop culture as well as the music within.
Yet, unlike Prince, who’s lately found himself grasping beyond his reach in hopes of channeling past glories, or countless other new wavers who were relegated to novelty status long ago, Numan has maintained his relevance by powering forward creatively, and smartly avoiding any attempts to relive the ’70s and ’80s over again.
It might’ve been reasonable to expect a phoned-in performance this deep into his career, yet as Numan authoritatively proved on Tuesday night, his icy grooves remain as fresh and involving as ever.
Brick and Mortar Music Hall may have had some noise complaint troubles with the San Francisco Sound Commission earlier this summer, but that hasn’t kept the venue or Kymberli Jenson, of Kymberli’s Music Box Presents, from putting on great shows. Last Saturday’s bill included the Asteroid #4 and the Richmond Sluts. It was a handful of loud rock’n’roll bands that blasted us back through the decades with sounds echoing 1960s and ‘70s psychedelia and punk, but also hints of the late ‘90s and early 2000s , when these bands were fresh on the music scene.
They’ve all been around the block, or as frontperson-guitarist Scott Vitt of the Asteroid #4 put it, these are all “old heads” and “mainstays” at this point.
The Asteroid #4, which recently transplanted to the Bay Area from Philadelphia, released its first EP in 1995. Its music is a blend of classic psychedelic rock, with a little melodic folk and shoe gaze tremor, and strong influences from late ‘60s psych rock bands like Love, and early ‘90s British bands like Spacemen 3.
When I asked Vitt how he felt living in California was influencing his band’s sound, he responded, “living and breathing the natural beauty, the mountains, the forests and, of course, the ocean, first-hand, I think it’ll be very evident on our next record that we’ve become a California band.”
And the group sounded plenty at home on Saturday night, as if the packed music hall was its own cozy living room. The set was vibrant and full of the precise kinds of melodies and riffs that can only come from a band that’s been playing together as long as it has — and is more than comfortable in its own skin. When asked about this, Vitt quoted Miles Davis, “you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.”
The Asteroid #4’s set included personal favorites, “Hold On,” which seems to have a Brian Jonestown Massacre influence, “The Unknown,” and “I Want to Touch You,” a Catharine Wheel cover. For the final song, Joel Gion of BJM joined the band on stage for “Into the Meadow.”
After the Asteroid #4, the Richmond Sluts went on, which was an excellent transition into an upbeat set closing out the night.
The Richmond Sluts formed in 1998, in the Richmond District. Imagine the NY Dolls on LSD, with a little bit of the Cramps and the Rolling Stones thrown in to keep it both weird and glammy. I have vague memories of hearing this band play at a few parties back in the day, but I have to say I don’t remember it sounding nearly as tight as it did the other night.
Frontperson Shea Roberts also looks nothing like the Stiv Baters (of the Dead Boys) gaunt 20-year-old look-alike I remember either. While the Sluts don’t really have the same excuse for playing trashy, angsty, garage rock about sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll as their post-pubescent selves did back in the late ‘90s, it doesn’t really matter, cause their talent has matured enough to take the material to whole other level.
Said Shea, “I know some of the lyrics are a little goofy sometimes and the stuff I’m writing now tends to be a bit more serious…but they were all sparked by some emotion I was feeling at the time and I’m OK with that. Maybe we shouldn’t take ourselves so seriously.”
We shouldn’t. Not when we can rock out to music like this to keep it in perspective.
Their set included tracks like “Sweet Something,” “Sad City,” and “Paddy Wagon” off their 2001 self-titled release. Shea says that he hopes to keep playing with the new Sluts and that’s the plan “until it’s not fun anymore.”
After weeks of teasers, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass released its full 2013 lineup this week, and it boasts some fresh young artists and a great many cross-generational acts.
The free weekend-long festival in Golden Gate Park will feature appearances by Nick Lowe, Conor Oberst and friends (including First Aid Kit), Gogol Bordello, Natalie Maines, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, Bettye LaVette, Allah-Las, Father John Misty, Steve Martin and Steep Canyon Rangers (featuring Edie Brickell), and Bonnie Raitt, among dozens of others.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass takes place Oct. 4-6 in Golden Gate Park, SF.
Here’s the full roster:
Mike Farris & The Roseland Rhythm Revue
The Brothers Comatose
Mike Scott & Steve Wickham of The Waterboys
Loudon Wainwright III
The Handsome Family
Jesse Dee
The Jerry Douglas Band
Alison Brown
Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside
Justin Townes Earle
The String Cheese Incident
Sonny & The Sunsets
Buddy Miller
The Deep Dark Woods
Pieta Brown
The Flatlanders featuring Joe Ely
Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Butch Hancock
Shovels & Rope
LP
Gogol Bordello
Mark Lanegan
Steve Earle & The Dukes
Supermule
Natalie Maines
Evolfo Doofeht
Calexico
Robert Ellis
Chris Isaak
Conor Brings Friends For Friday Featuring: Whispertown, The Cave Singers, The Felice Brothers, The Evens, First Aid Kit, Conor Oberst
Nick Lowe
Low
The Warren Hood Band
Della Mae
Martha Wainwright
Robert Earl Keen
Holler Down the Hollow: A Hardly Strictly Salute to the Masters
Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch & Fats Kaplin
Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale
Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys
Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
The Time Jumpers featuring Brad Albin, Larry Franklin, Paul Franklin, Vince Gill, “Ranger Doug” Green, Andy Reiss, Dawn Sears, Kenny Sears, Joe Spivey, Jeff Taylor & Billy Thomas
Spirit Family Reunion
Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers
Steve Martin and Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell
Poor Man’s Whiskey (Friday morning middle school program)
Trampled By Turtles
G. Love & Special Sauce
Ryan Bingham
Patty Griffin
The Devil Makes Three
Kat Edmonson
Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band featuring Yungchen Lhamo
Paul Kelly
Dry Branch Fire Squad
Bonnie Raitt
Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands
Boz Scaggs
Seldom Scene
Tumbleweed Wanderers
Manchester Orchestra
Elvin Bishop
The Go To Hell Man Clan
Richard Thompson
Tift Merritt
Jon Langford & Skull Orchard acoustic / FREAKONS
Father John Misty
Billy Bragg
Bettye LaVette
Allah-Las
Tim O’Brien with Bryan Sutton & Mike Bub
Sturgill Simpson
Freakwater
Dave Alvin with Greg Leisz
Moonalice
MC Hammer (Friday morning middle school program)
The Forest Rangers with Katey Sagal
The Wood Brothers
Los Lobos Disconnected
Kate McGarrigle Tribute with Martha & Sloan Wainwright & Special Guests
Swirling guitars… cooing vocals… that all-engulfing wall of noise. It’s difficult to describe My Bloody Valentine‘s sound without veering into borderline erotica, and understandably so; in the guitar rock landscape, few bands make music that’s so tactile and exhilarating.
For many of its devoted fans, the band’s seminal 1991 LP, Loveless, is inextricably tethered to private moments of introspection and sexuality. Its delicate balance between loud and quiet, menace and seduction, resulted in a sense of emotional ambiguity, allowing the listener to project their own perspectives and yearnings onto those immaculate pop songs.
Fresh off the heels of this year’s long-awaited Loveless followup, simply titled mbv, My Bloody Valentine stopped by SF this past Friday for its first Bay Area appearance since 2008, on its first tour in support of new material since the early ’90s.
By the looks of the crowd, the band’s overwhelming paralysis was in full force. As wary as I am of audiences too “cool” or self-conscious to dance at live shows, this crowd’s stillness felt wholly appropriate. The band’s output rarely feels conducive to dancing, or jamming out; it’s music to surrender to, and My Bloody Valentine had the crowd in the palm of its hand.
Given My Bloody Valentine’s inconsistent production sound, from the tinny Jesus-and-Mary-Chaininess of Isn’t Anything (1988), to the fuller, more tactile Loveless, to the thuddy brawn of mbv, one of the highlights of last Friday night’s show was hearing a career-spanning set of songs, all delivered with similar depth and richness. It was quite the thrill to hear older material, like “Feed Me With Your Kiss,” and “Only Shallow,” delivered with the generous low-end of MBV circa 2013.
As new songs like “only tomorrow” and “who sees you” suggest, the band’s dynamics have grown more boomy and forceful, yet alternately, groovier and more relaxed. Much of the credit goes to the rhythm section of Deb Googe and Colm Ó Cíosóig, who plucked and smacked their instruments ferociously, providing much of the backbone that defines My Bloody Valentine’s second wave. It all makes sense, considering Googe’s muscular bass-lines on this year’s excellent Primal Scream LP, More Light, and Ó Cíosóig’s recent move to the Bay Area, and subsequent role as drummer for his wife Hope Sandoval’s post-Mazzy Star project, the Warm Inventions.
Otherwise, it seems things haven’t changed much, and thankfully so. Ever the recluse, bandleader Kevin Shields stood calmly on stage left, away from the spotlights, equipped with some heavy-duty Marshall stacks, and an arsenal of guitars and pedals. Abusing the whammy bars on his Fender Jaguars and Jazzmasters, Shields delivered beautifully on the queasy tremolo of his signature “glide guitar” technique. Alternately, Bilinda Butcher occupied center stage, supplying the soft-as-snow vocals that contrast so harmoniously with Shields’ outpouring of sound and feeling.
“Honey Power,” “Come In Alone,” and “Soon,” were wonderfully performed, delivering especially well on the loud/quiet, sweet/snarly binaries of My Bloody Valentine’s sound, and those hugely dense progressions that create an itch with one chord, and scratch it with the next. There’s a reason why the band’s influence has gone so far beyond rock music, into electronic and industrial realms; the live renditions of these songs were a masterclass in My Bloody Valentine’s ability to warp genre boundaries with standard rock instrumentation.
Seeing “Cigarette In Your Bed” performed live was a treat, as it allowed Shields to bust out the acoustic guitar for once, while “new you” offered a glimpse of My Bloody Valentine in full-on pop mode. “wonder 2,” the band’s experiment with Jungle music, was suffocating in its blend of reverb-soaked drum’n’bass beats and jet-engine guitars, while “You Never Should” offered the same claustrophobia in a rock setting. Perhaps most impressively, though, was the noisy, chaotic “holocaust section” of the band’s infamous closer, “You Made Me Realize.” What started out as a cacophony of guitars, bass, and drums, slowly hypnotized the listener, gradually resembling a monolithic, industrial roar, like cruising the Transbay Tube with the windows down.
My Bloody Valentine is one of the last great rock bands of the album era, and as such, every gesture at Friday night’s show was a big one: from handing out free earplugs at the door, to the giant Marshall stacks onstage, to the band’s decision to book the overly big/beige/bloated Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Much like mbv’s total disconnection from the modern musical landscape, the band’s live show felt like a concert-going experience beamed in from another decade.
The audience, consisting of everyone from metalheads, to ravers, to garden-variety hipsters, might’ve been a bit perplexing, but made total sense, given My Bloody Valentine’s inability to fit comfortably into any one scene. Given its dense, borderline-electronic chords, abrasive guitar squalls, and overriding sense of calm, the band’s sound offers practically any subcategory of listener something to cling onto, providing a gateway to new musical realms.
For those skeptical about My Bloody Valentine’s ability to recapture the singular wonder of Loveless after a two-decade hiatus, mbv was a wonderful surprise, in its insistence on picking up right where the band’s first era left off. Last weekend’s show felt like an extension of this “new” strategy, with the band’s four members commanding the stage as if the past 22 years never happened. Countless groups have tried their hand at pushing the shoegaze genre forward in the post-Loveless wake, but as Shields and Co. resoundingly proved on Friday night, My Bloody Valentine remains the undefeated champion of “swirling guitars.”
“Underground” doesn’t just mean night, doesn’t just mean music, doesn’t just mean hip/trendy byword. If you want a jolt of that old-fashioned DIY charge that parties used have in San Francisco, I highly recommend a stop by Zinefest this weekend in the County Fair building in Golden Gate Park. You’ll feel punky, nerdy, hip, creative, and cute all at once. The only thing missing is “loud” — but you’ll be shouting in your head how neat everything is.
Oh, and if the Twirl and Dip ice cream truck is nearby, you can dance for joy with a giant sprinkle-topped sundae. Who needs clubs at all? Well anyway, here’s some parties.
“Mods + Rockers unite against Burning Man — Vintage dance music (’60s, ’70s soul and garage) for the non-burner community.” Who the heck can argue with that? DJs Omar, Derek See, and many more lead the charge.
Gavin and Robbie Hardkiss, two of SF’s DJ legends, have been making some great music together again — hear them turn it out at Project One Gallery, which inherited gone-but-not-forgotten 222 Hyde’s sound system.
Fri/30, 9pm-late, $10. Project One, 251 Rhode Island, SF. Facebook Invite
A great time for househeads old and new — this time the ’90s revival monthly brings in fred Everything, David Harness, Jayvi Velasco, Tyrel Williams and more to call those old school spirits down.
The kooky, lovely Wow Mom crew isn’t going to Burning Man, and neither are you. Let’s dance about it with DJ Carlos Souffront! “THE MOM BURNS AT MIDNIGHT” the crew promises. I am scared.
Sat/31, 10pm, free. UndergroundSF, 424 Haight, SF. Facebook invite
A local showcase from the awesome regular party, one of the last true bastions of SF freakiness left. Soulful house DJ favorite David Harness along with Matrixxman, Robert Jeffrey, Guy Ruben, and Odyssey captain Robin Simmons take us on a musical journey up in the Public Works loft.
Sat/31, 10pm-4am, $10. Public Works, 161 Erie, SF. www.publicsf.com
LA wower on the thoughtful L.I.E.S. label brings some Detroit school energy to the decks, unafraid to get deep, hard, and a little wiggy in a soulful sense. At the Icee Hot party, which is really excited to let us know there will be free Saporro beer all night long.
The annual 12-hour Sunday celebration on Labor Day Weekend, put on by these two storied crews, is always a hoot. Club Cocomo is a pretty great venue, too, with a huge patio on which to enjoy some (hopefully) sunshine, grooving to tunes by the UK’s Terry Francis of Fabric.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsAgaaavabY
Sun/1, 2pm-2am, $20. Cafe Cocomo, 650 Indiana, SF. Facebook invite
Maybe it’s been too long, maybe you’ve lost your chops, maybe you’re getting old and things just aren’t working the way they used to. Maybe your drummer doesn’t want to play. In the case of Black Sabbath, thankfully, only the latter was true (and it didn’t seem to matter much), and as fans at the Shoreline Ampitheatre witnessed on Monday night, reunions can be a beautiful thing.
It probably didn’t hurt that the band was promoting an album that it is, rightfully, very proud of. The Rick Ruben-produced, 13, is Black Sabbath’s first #1 album in the States, and while it probably won’t get a third or fourth listen from most longtime Sabbath fans, it’s still pretty damn good.
The big question mark going in — at least for those of us who had been checking in on how this tour was going — was around Ozzy’s voice. Was he going to be able to bring it? There were some sad reviews regarding the subject from the Northeast leg and YouTube videos to support them, but by the time he got to “evil minds that plot destructiooooooon,” on the “War Pigs” opener, it was clear that he brought it. It was going to be a good night.
From a distance, the Prince of Darkness, looked a bit like the Grandma of Darkness, shuffling around the stage, engaging with Tony and Geezer, both of whom were flawless, and throwing the occasional bucket of water into the front rows. He even managed to get a few jumps in here and there (he was wearing sensible New Balance shoes).
Locomotive issues aside, Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and the young Tommy Clufetos delivered sweet doom to their adoring fans, slow and heavy. Most of the hits were there, punctuated by the occasional deeper cuts.
The first real frenzy arrived four songs in with “Snowblind,” but there was nary a dull moment before or after. “Dirty Women” was kind of a snoozer, but at least the behind-stage video production featured a nice edit of vintage boobs to keep us entertained. About two-thirds in, after “Fairies Wear Boots” and “Rat Salad,” the OGs shuffled off, leaving the young-blood Clufetos behind his behemoth kit, where he proceeded to bang out a remarkably long, but also pretty remarkable (nobody is missing Bill Ward at this point), drum solo.
It was easily long enough for the old-timers to pee, take their meds, get dialysis, or whatever it is old rockers do when they take a break (The pee break for the rest of us came in the form of “Is God Dead?,” the nine-minute single off 13. It’s pretty good, but not nine-minutes good.)
The drum blitz went right into “Iron Man,” which obviously got everyone worked up, but was really the last high-point of the pre-encore show, which closed out with the aforementioned single, “Dirty Women,” and “Children of the Grave,” on which Ozzy’s vocals started to go a bit flat. He was, however, able to revive his pipes for the obvious encore, “Paranoid.”
The between-song banter was filled with graititude and mentions of the copious amounts of Northern California pot smoke. Always included were two-three F-bombs, mostly in the form of “let me see your fucking hands,” “Go fucking crazy,” or “We fucking love you.” We did, and we fucking love you, too.
In the cyclical nature of sonic trends, shoegaze has risen from the grave and out of obscurity again. With old guard bands such as My Bloody Valentine and Mazzy Star releasing new material, acts from this generation are following in their footsteps, reviving what was once out of vogue.
And in the midst of this comes Whirr, a dichotomy of sound, layered and simplistic at the same time, wrapped up in a tight package. Formed in San Francisco in 2011, through what guitarist and founding member Nick Bassett describes as basic boredom, the six-piece outfit decries its shoegaze leanings, searching for a heavier sound.
Bassett cites Whirr’s influences as former SST power trio Dinosaur Jr. and European shoegaze band Nightblooms. Despite these influences, critics have been quick to point out that the band also sounds like My Bloody Valentine. Slowdive, and the like. And why not? Much like those forefathers of sound, Whirr has heavy instrumentals that overpower dreamy female vocals. It’s an easy comparison, but also accurate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx1D8vwyc9o
And it’s easy to tell that Bassett isn’t exactly thrilled about that comparison. In response, he takes the path of resistance to these accusations.
“We’re louder than them, and I don’t think we really sound like them,” says Bassett.
But the statement that Whirr is louder than MBV is entirely disputable. Known for being the “loudest band on earth” to some, MBV was accused of being criminally negligent by the press while touring to promote Loveless in 1991.
Admittedly, Whirr is also very loud live — and the band has met opposition from venues and crowd goers alike throughout the course of its month-long tour with doom metal band Lycus and shoegaze group Nothing.
“The worst location we played was in Midland, Texas,” says Bassett. “They were blocking their ears and stuff because they thought we were too loud — they probably didn’t get it. Also Washington DC [was bad] because the sound guy wouldn’t let us play loud.”
Formerly of San Francisco black metal band, Deafheaven, Basset is no stranger to playing deafening music. And it seems that references and comparisons to Slowdive are something that have followed Bassett throughout his career as a musician — Deafheaven’s band name came as an homage to the English band.
But in the pursuit of maximum volume, some locations along the way have met Whirr’s arduous expectations. According to Bassett, Tampa, Fla. was the best stop on the road.
Why? “Because we were really loud and got a lot of money,” he says, concisely.
Aside from getting the chance to make lots of noise and get paid, Whirr has had a productive year with the release of a new EP this summer, which was the followup to last year’s LP Pipe Dreams (Tee Pee, 2012). Pipe Dreams is an album of many layers, tossing together slow and kicky uptempo tunes. Some of the guitar riffs on the album, found in tracks like “Toss,” are downright pop-punk. But the band’s newest EP, Around (Grave Face), released in July, goes for a decidedly different temperament. There’s a slowed down pace. Around also steps away from Pipe Dreams with its far longer tracks (not one under five minutes) though maintains a heavy, funeral dirge-like sound.
“These songs sound better when we play them live,” Bassett says.
If you’re interested in seeing if Bassett’s claim is accurate (or you just want to damage your hearing, if only momentarily) you can see Whirr at Bottom of the Hill this week. Oh, and bring earplugs just in case. Things might get loud.
Whirr With Nothing, Lycus Wed/28, 9pm, $10 Bottom of the Hill 1233 17th Street, SF (415) 626-4455 www.bottomofthehill.com
As always, the party cup overfloweth in SF as burners make their annual migration into the sea of funfur and sparklepants. Besides the great shindigs listed in the paper in this week’s Super Ego nightlife column, here are a few more stones to throw at your Exodus hangover …
Inimitably endearing drag mother Cookie Dough has been haulin’ it out for almost a decade — and we love her stable of sweet-fierce queens. This week at the Edge in the Castro, an “all-star” cast, including Heklina, Sue Casa, Ethel Merman, Landa Lakes, Fruitbomb, and many more let loose. Lipsync for all!
Thu/22, 9pm, $5. The Edge, 4149 18th St, SF. Facebook Invite
The upcoming Symbiosis Fest (Sept. 19-22) is a humdinger this year, with a star-packed lineup sure to draw attention beyond the lovely spiritual-aural yogic wanderers who make up its core base. Here’s the pre-party with Droog, Ana Sia, Amirali, JoBot, and more.
Thu/22, 9pm-late, $15-$20. Public Works, 161 Erie, SF. www.publicsf.com
The Lights Down Low parties have been killing it forever, but even moreso lately — I can hardly keep up with all their bookings! Aaaaand here comes another great one. Most folks claim that SMD is one of the best live acts going. Check the Brit duo out for yourself, as well as openers Curses! and Egyptrixx.
Lately working in the Disclosure vein, this 21-year-old Australian cutie’s best work also bridges the gap between the trip-hop revival and big-room boom-boom.
Um, who can resist this, based solely on flyer? “Human cat” and damn fine DJ Primo throws down a set of rockin’ 45s — dig into some fish and chips at the Castle and get down with your paws up.
Sat/24, 9pm, $3. Edinburgh Castle, 950 Geary, SF. Facebook invite
Outrageously fun 10-piece live contemporary disco band will steam up your glasses. Must be seen to be believed. But you may be too busy dancing to look up.
