Category: Show Previews

SF SKETCHFEST ON SALE SUNDAY AT 10 AM PST

It’s been an embarrassment of riches for those in the market for distractions from the pending end of America. Noise Pop dropped their Phase 1 lineup on Wednesday. Mosswood Meltdown gave us their first five acts on Thursday. And today, SF Sketchfest just pulled out ANOTHER absolutely apeshit lineup. 

I’ll get the annual Nerd’s Guide to you at some point after I’m done digging into the 8,000,000 acts performing. Highlights include Bill Murray doing two nights at Great American Music Hall, Riki Lindhome doing her one-woman show about fertility, the great Kathryn Hahn in conversation with the great David Wain, Tim Curry making his first public appearance in a VERY long time in conversation with Peaches Christ, and just plain TOO MANY THINGS TO LIST—tickets on sale Sunday at 10 am. The schedule and tickets are here. 

MOSSWOOD MELTDOWN HOLIDAY SPECIAL & FIRST FIVE BANDS

I’m starting to feel a twinge of… Hope? Maybe we can battle the rise of fascism in this country still? And our good friends at Mosswood Meltdown have announced that their first headliner is… DEVO! The only line of defense against the devolution of democracy. Plus, the return of the mighty Kreayshawn and garage titans Osees, The Exploding Hearts, and The Kids, with a LOT more to come! Tickets are on sale NOW!!! Buy early because prices go up! 

“Oakland California, November 2024. A town without a Mayor, a D.A., or a major sports team. Our city has lost so much, but we haven’t lost the soul of the people. Here at Oakland CA’s Mosswood Meltdown Music Fest, we celebrate our own heroes. We elect John Waters, the Prince of Puke, to preside over our festivities.

We’ve witnessed De-evolution on a world stage in real-time, so this year, we’ll be hosting the pioneers of De-Evolutionary theory, the legendary art-punk band DEVO from Akron, Ohio, as well as San Francisco legends Osees, The Queen of Oakland, Kreayshawn, Portland’s only Rock n Roll band, The Exploding Hearts, and Bloody Belgium’s The Kids!

In the face of disasters, Oakland, CA, is resilient. Thanks for helping support independent music and arts in our community. “

“In The Living Room”: New Maggie Rogers Single Ahead Of Arena Tour

Maggie Rogers will kick off her first-ever arena tour tomorrow night in Austin. To prepare for bringing a party to the biggest crowds of her career, she’s giving us… a haunting, tearjerker of a ballad that will force the entire arena into mutual tears! BRILLIANT! “In The Living Room” is an excellent addition to her canon, and I can’t wait to experience shared catharsis in a room with 30,000 other people.  

Tickets still available for *some* of her fall tour. You can find those here! It’s fitting that she’s giving us a song about lamenting those we lost while playing SF on Dia De Los Muertos. 

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Presents a Bonkers Full Lineup!!!!

The good folks at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass have unleashed the most bonkers lineup of any music festival this fall… I stare at the poster, and something I missed the first time jumps out at me. Like, how is Patti Smith just hiding on that poster? Oh, because it’s alphabetical.  Oh, and the whole thing is free, and the best way to kick off Rocktober and the event runs October 4th – 5th in Golden Gate Park- using a lot of the same space Outside Lands uses. 

Highlights include my all-time favorite band, Sleater-Kinney, Cat Power doing her Bob Dylan show, punk poet John Cooper Clarke, Aoife O’Donovan & The SF Girls Choir, SP favorite Zella Day’s new band Chaparelle, and legends like Mavis Staples, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Dave Alvin, Robyn Hitchcock, Bobby Rush, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and so many more that I’m sure I’m missing someone that you will be mad at me for overlooking. 

Anyways! All the details are here. Daily lineups are below. And you can enjoy classic HSBs at HSB.TV! Continue reading “Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Presents a Bonkers Full Lineup!!!!”

Heart’s Royal Flush Tour has been rescheduled!

I was GUTTED when I found out that Heart had to cancel their Fall 2024 tour for vocalist/flutist Ann Wilson to receive and recover from cancer treatment. I was worried that this was the end. Happily, Wilson looks like she’s recovered and is ready to go! I will note that I’m gutted that their SF show at Chase Center isn’t happening on this round, although it’s making me speculate wildly about Bottlerock 2025. 

Dates begin February 28th in Las Vegas, and tickets can be purchased here on all dates! Tour dates after the jump, along with a ferocious recent rendition of the best rock song of the 70s below the jump: Continue reading “Heart’s Royal Flush Tour has been rescheduled!”

Spinning Platters Interview: Eva Hendricks of Charly Bliss

I’ll admit it. I never thought I’d see another Charly Bliss record. When COVID struck, the lead singer, songwriter, and lyricist, Eva Hendricks, had been in Australia and ended up moving there. How does a New York-based band survive when their singer lives on the opposite side of the world at a time when travel was nearly impossible?

Then, one day, after three years of silence, a new song appeared. Then another. Finally, we got the exciting news that a new album and tour were right around the corner. That album, Forever, comes out this Friday, August 16, on the UK-based label Lucky Number. It not only sounds like what we’ve heard before from Charly Bliss, but it is also a step forward in both songwriting and lyricism. 

How did this happen? How did the band keep it all together and get to the point where they were going to keep this band going forever? I hopped on Zoom with Eva, 17 hours ahead on the clock in Australia, to find out! Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Eva Hendricks of Charly Bliss”

Bikini Kill Tour Starts Next Month!

Kathleen Hanna is so busy these days that it’s hard to keep track of which project is doing what and when. Last year was a Le Tigre-heavy year, and so far, Hanna has been focusing on her excellent book, Rebel Girl. But Bikini Kill *just* made their network TV debut (after 34 years!) on The Late Show Wait Stephen Colbert, and they are crossing North America starting in LA at The Wiltern on August 15th-16th, coming to The Warfield (a venue that figures prominently in the aforementioned book) August 18th-19th, and wrapping up Baltimore on September 12th. And, as she hinted at her City Arts & Lectures appearance back in May, there are no future Bikini Kill plans currently, so it would be wise to hit up one of these. 

Full Tour Dates Below: Continue reading “Bikini Kill Tour Starts Next Month!”

Outside Lands 2024: Top 10 From The Bottom Half Of The Poster

The craziest thing about this year’s Outside Lands poster is that, when it was first printed, Shaboozey was on the 4th line from the bottom. Obviously, having a worldwide #1 hit means that he’s doing just fine; here are 10 MORE acts from the bottom half of the poster for you to watch out for.

The full lineup is here, the schedule is here so you can start plotting your weekend, and limited tickets are still available: Continue reading “Outside Lands 2024: Top 10 From The Bottom Half Of The Poster”

BUMBERSHOOT 2024 DAILY LINEUPS!

Bumbershoot’s big return last year was one of my life’s most magical concert moments. I don’t think I’ve gotten more hugs and mutual tears of joy with strangers than the Sleater-Kinney set. Well, they dropped the daily lineups for this year, and Labor Day weekend at the Seattle Center will be another packed weekend of fantastic music. Saturday is getting closed out by Pavement but also features SP faves Cypress Hill, Aly & AJ, TEKE::TEKE, Black Belt Eagle Scout, k. flay, Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry, and so much more. Sunday has James Blake headlining, along with electronic music weirdo Marc Rebillet, Courtney Barnett, Kurt Vile, BADBADNOTGOOD, Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, Automatic, Pom Pom Squad, The Polyphonic Spree and too many others to list. There also will be comedy, drag, food, film, and even something called “Burleskaraoke” that I did last year, and, yes, was definitely sensory overload and highly recommended. Tickets are available here, and the full daily breakdown is below. Continue reading “BUMBERSHOOT 2024 DAILY LINEUPS!”

MOSSWOOD MELTDOWN 2024 SET TIMES

Mosswood Meltdown is just over a week away, and we CAN’T WAIT!!!! I’m so excited to cross Go Sailor, Bush Tetras finally, and, of course, The B-52’s off the old bucket list. Tickets are going quickly, so buy them ASAP! 

SATURDAY JULY 6TH

B-52’s   8:15pm-9:45pm
Redd Kross   6:45pm-7:30pm
Hunx & His Punx 5:30pm-6:15pm
Peaches Christ Drag Show    4pm-5pm
Pansy Division 3pm – 3:40pm
Go Sailor   2pm-2:30pm 
Wifey   1:20pm-1:40pm 
Trap Girl   12:30pm-1pm
Hot Laundry   11:30am-noon

SUNDAY JULY 7TH

Mummies   9:00pm-9:45pm
Pure Hell  7:45pm-8:30pm
Big Freedia  6:45pm-7:30pm
Gibby Haynes  5:30pm-6:15pm
Egyptian Lover  4:15pm-5:00pm 
Bush Tetras  3:00pm-3:45pm 
Die Spitz  2:00pm-2:30pm
Space Lady  1:00pm-1:30pm
Gumby’s Junk 12:00pm-12:30pm