STERN GROVE LINE UP IS LIVE!!!!

Man. Summer keeps getting busier and busier!! Stern Grove just announced its 2024 lineup, and it’s EPIC!!! Opening weekend, June 23rd, has Tegan and Sara with SP faves King Isis opening. Other highlights include Chicano Batman on the 30th, The freakin’ COMMODORES on July 17th, Alex G with another SP favorite, Fake Fruit on August 4th, Herbie Hancock gets the “competing with Outside Lands” slot of August 11th, and closing out the whole thing is a full weekend with Sylvan Esso & Poolside on August 24th and Chaka Khan on August 25th. 

Tickets are FREE, but you’ve got to RSVP to get in. RSVPs open EXACTLY one month ahead of time at 2 p.m., so the June 23rd show goes up on May 23rd at 2 p.m., the June 30th show goes up on May 30th at 2 p.m., etc. You can grab those tickets and purchase a picnic table at SternGrove.org. 

Full schedule: 

  • June 23 – Tegan and Sara, King Isis
  • June 30 – Chicano Batman, Lido Pimienta
  • July 7 – SF Symphony with Special Guest Jessica Vosk
  • July 14 – The Commodores, The Grease Traps
  • July 21 – Masego, Satya
  • July 28 – Franc Moody, Drama
  • August 4 – Alex G, Fake Fruit
  • August 11 – Herbie Hancock, SFJAZZ Collective
  • August 18 – Lucinda Williams, Jobi Riccio
  • August 24 – Sylvan Esso, Poolside
  • August 25 – Chaka Khan

Single Of The Week: “HIND’S HALL” by Macklemore

I was looking for a good single-of-the-week contender, and there have been quite a few. But I wanted to check out the new Hinds before committing to something. When I went to search for it, this track came up. I rarely give Macklemore much time, although I always appreciate him. That being said, I wasn’t expecting THIS. Of all the major traumas in this world, folks are struggling to make any big, bold statements about the treatment of the Palestinian people. “HIND’S HALL” is that. I have yet to hear such a bold, heartfelt, earnest track. This song needs to be everywhere. We will be studying these lyrics for generations to come. 

“HIND’S HALL” can be streamed in all the usual places. The single’s proceeds are being donated to UNRWA, so stream often. 

 

 

Single of the Week: “Going Blue” by Victoria Bigelow

I put this track on and was immediately entranced by this voice. I hear the phrase “honey-soaked” used rather liberally, but Victoria Bigelow sounds like sonic honey. But within the sweetness is rich, emotionally dense delivery. And the lyrics? “Going Blue” is such a vivid autobiographical tale of addiction that is both personal and widely relatable. This one is a stunner. I expect tears when I finally get to see her live. 

“Going Blue” is a track off Bigelow’s upcoming release, Songs For No One, Vol 2, out May 10th! 

Film Review: “The Fall Guy”

Movie stars and plenty of action kick off the summer in The Fall Guy 

Loosely based on the 1980s television series starring Lee Majors, The Fall Guy is an ode to stunt work. Stunt teams have been providing the thrills of action sequences since the era of silent movies and Buster Keaton, to the present day Mission: Impossible and Fast and Furious franchises. Director David Leitch, who has helmed numerous stunt-centric projects, such as Atomic Blonde, Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, and he even co-directed the first John Wick, is the perfect figure to pay homage to the stunt profession. In doing so, The Fall Guy is also properly kicking off the 2024 summer movie season. The movie highlights movie stars, aka the beautiful celebrities recognized worldwide, as much as it highlights stuntmen and stuntwomen, aka those who likely aren’t recognized anywhere. It wouldn’t work without two top-of-their-game A-list actors with incredible chemistry, and it wouldn’t work without great stunt work. The Fall Guy has all the ingredients of an escapist popcorn flick, and rises to the occasion. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Fall Guy””

Single of the Week: “Like I Say (I runaway) by Nilüfer Yanya

Many years ago, there was a Saturday Night Live sketch about a DJ who refused to let the beat drop. It was presented as a bad thing, but I kept imagining a song where the tension continuously builds without release and thought- “YES!” And Nilüfer Yanya does it on “Like I Say (I runaway),” and it’s better than I could imagine. 

This also means that Nilüfer Yanya is active again, and I can’t WAIT for the rest of the album, a tour, and everything else. For now, you can enjoy “Like I Say (I runaway)” in all the usual places. 

CSS and Getting A Second Chance

There’s a LOT of music out there. I try to take as much of it as possible and be present with whatever is going on right now. BUT- sometimes you miss something. I really loved the dance-punk movement of the ’00s and saw Peaches and Gossip and Lovemakers many times over, like my fellow Xennials did during the Bush years. However, with all my nights logged at Popscene, I never actually sunk into the joys of Brazil’s CSS. And I certainly never got to see them live. Luckily, I can finally live my 20s the way I wish I did and get to see CSS live. North American tour dates begin a week from today in Washington, DC! And, yes, I will see you at The Independent on May 14th—tickets for all dates at cssmusic.club.

Please remember to wear sensible shoes and drink plenty of water. 

OUTSIDE LANDS 2024 LINE UP DROP!!!!

My initial “hot take” on the Outside Lands 2024 lineup? It’s by far and away the most interesting and diverse of the 2024 “big fests.” First, the top line… Not only do we have Tyler, The Creator, one of the most intriguing acts in all of hip hop, as well as modern New Wave hitmakers, The Killers, we’ve got Sturgill Simpson, a leader of the modern Outlaw Country movement, and an all-around unexpected twist. He also hasn’t done a headlining tour since the plague broke out! Below him? Well, an All-Country set from Post Malone, a very rare performance by the legendary Grace Jones, and the folks behind SubPop’s selling record, The Postal Service. What else am I excited about? Well, there’s the Regina George herself, Renee Rapp. Shoegaze innovators Slowdive. Killer Mike. Tyla, of course, will help us remember to hydrate. Punkers Men I Trust will be there despite the fact that there aren’t any. Australian punks Amyl & The Sniffers for a little danger element. SP favorites K. Flay and Corinne Bailey Rae are both hot off the best records of their storied careers. And for those who need some UK Twee with a side of UK goth, there’s The Last Dinner Party. And, most importantly, if you need someone to throw your underwear at, Idris Elba is, indeed, DJ’ing the SOMA Stage, which has been moved outside because, for those who went last year, we really did blow the roof off the sucker. 

Tickets are on sale 4/24 at 10 am for GA, GA+, VIP, and, of course, the super swank Golden Gate Club, which I SWEAR I’ll visit someday. More fest details here, and the lineup is below the jump: Continue reading “OUTSIDE LANDS 2024 LINE UP DROP!!!!”

Film Feature: 67th SFFILM Festival Preview #2

The 67th SFFilm Festival opens tomorrow, Wednesday, April 24th, and will run through Sunday, April 28th. The Festival is presenting over 45 programs featuring films from 40 countries in venues in San Francisco and Berkeley. We’ve already previewed five of the Fest’s films (two documentaries and three narratives), and below we take a look at five more narrative features:

Continue reading “Film Feature: 67th SFFILM Festival Preview #2”

Film Feature: 67th SFFILM Festival Preview #1

The 67th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM) will take place April 24-April 28 with screenings at various theaters around San Francisco and the East Bay.

For a full view of special awards, spotlights, and centerpiece films, check out the complete festival guide. Tickets can be purchased here. 

Below is a preview of the festival, featuring brief looks at five films:

1.) BILLY & MOLLY: AN OTTER LOVE STORY
(UK, 2023. 78 min)

Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story is a documentary about a man and his otter friend, and the film is an absolute joy. Produced by National Geographic and directed by renowned nature photographer Charlie Hamilton-James, Billy & Molly features brilliantly photographed coastal vistas and serene sunset colors. And, of course, there’s the most adorable otter ever, Molly. She enters Billy’s life when he most needs a friend, and they end up impacting each other’s lives in profound ways. The film is heartwarmingly narrated by Billy and his wife Susan with a wry sense of humor and a deep familial awareness. Billy & Molly will make you cry, smile, laugh, and love nature (and especially otters) more than you already should.

Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Sat., April 27th, 12:15pm at the Marina Theatre Continue reading “Film Feature: 67th SFFILM Festival Preview #1”

Single of the Week: “The Kill” by Maggie Rogers

OK. I’m not entirely sure if this is an actual “single,” but she played it on The Late Show, so I will pretend it is one. Anyway, I LOVE the new Maggie Rogers. I am very late to jump on this ship, but everyone to experience something for the first time? I was captivated by her set at Outside Lands last year, but this song is just a warm joy of an earworm. It’s firmly rooted in the Fleetwood Mac school of earnest soft rock, and there is no shame in that. Sometimes, you need something that’s just unapologetically nice and optimistic. 

“The Kill” is a track off Maggie Rogers’s recently released Don’t Forget Me, which is available in all the usual places NOW! She’s also playing ARENAS!! Tour dates are here, and she’s even doing a fancy thing where the first allotment of tickets is being sold ONLY IN PERSON. For my fellow Bay Area folks, the Chase Center date on November 1st will have a special, box office-only sale THIS SATURDAY, April 20th, from 10 am – 1 pm. Yes, that is Record Store Day, so you gotta make some hard choices. Or find a store that opens at 8 am.