Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
Seriously. Look at it.
Charli XCX is finally making good on her 2020 scheduled appearance, and she’s headlining. Fuck Yes. The Strokes are playing. Wet Leg is playing. Ethel Cain. Lucy Dacus. Fucking Turnstile is going to kick us all in the heads. But only if you survive Die Spitz. What a genuinely great lineup!
There is still time to sign up for the 12pm presale TODAY. Additional ticket info here!
Man. I love Bruce Springsteen. I know, I know, everyone does. Even your hardcore right-wing cousin secretly listens to the man. But, boy, do I love Bruce “IDGAF, I’m going all in on exposing this fucking broken system” Springsteen. And doing a last-minute, arena tour called “The Land Of Hopes and Dreams” tour, but subtitled “No Kings” really drives it home.
This tour preview post feels really nice. Tickets on sale either Friday or Saturday, depending on the venue. No fanclub presales. I don’t see any sort of corporate credit card nonsense. Just kicking off March 31st at Target Center in Minneapolis (of course) and ending in Washington, DC on May 27th, blowing through the country to thaw its ICE with a hot rock ‘n’ roll show. Full tour dates and purchase links below: Continue reading “Just Announced: Bruce Springsten & The E Street Band Spring 2026 Tour”
Noise Pop is celebrating its 33rd iteration, and it’s 34th year (DAMMIT COVID!), which means it’s the 33 1/3 Noise Pop. Not really, but I prefer to label it as such. Because of records. But it could also take 33 1/3 years to dig through the lineup. Feeling like some Noise Pop (or, as Swami John Reis referred to it at Bimbo’s in 1999, “popping noise music”) but don’t want to do the work? Here’s what I like. The full schedule is here. Badges and limited individual tickets are still available for many shows.
Continue reading “Noise Pop 2026: Spinning Platters Tells You What To Do”
Back in 1998, I was waiting for my girlfriend in front of The Warfield. This was pre-cellphone. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs were playing. The band finished their set, and THEN she showed. Very apologetic. I forgave her, and security let me buy a shirt. Sadly, it’s taken them 28 YEARS TO COME BACK TO THE BAY AREA!!!! They are the only playing three US shows (LA, San Diego, Napa), so it’s time for me to FINALLY head up to check out La Onda Festival, May 30th – 31st.
Who else is playing? Well, the kings of Rock en Español, Mana. Reggaeton master J Balvin, the funk metal band that is WAY better than RHCP: Molotov, the politically potent Ozomatli, the great Kinky, and a WHOLE LOT MORE. Tickets are on sale Friday, 2/13 at noon PST.
Are you still gutted over the fact that Metric were forced to pull out of their Fantasies 15th anniversary tour last year? Are you angry that Trump wants to make Canada the 51st state, but would be overjoyed if the US became Canadian Provinces 11-61? Do you like music made by people who know maple comes from sticking a spigot in a tree? THEN DO I HAVE THE DREAM TOUR FOR YOU! Canadian Indie Legends Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Stars are uniting for the nearly ultimate dream tour! (Did they lose Feist’s number or something? Also, can we get Bran Van 3000 involved somehow?)
Introducing: The All The Feelings Tour!
Tour Dates are here. Citi cardmembers’ presale begins February 4th at 12 pm local time. Public Onsale is Friday, February 6th at 10 am. Also, Broken Social Scene and Metric are springing new music onto our hungry and eager ears. Continue reading “CANAPHILES REJOICE! METRIC, BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE, AND STARS ARE TOURING NORTH AMERICAN TOGETHER!”
How Did I Get Here? is back for its first episode of 2026. And my chat was with the amazing musical comedian Sydney Kane ahead of her bringing her one-woman show, Wife Material, on a West Coast tour! We talked about, well, a bunch of the usual tangential silliness, all while learning about how she found her voice and her way into comedy.
Sydney Kane is bringing Wife Material to SF for SF Sketchfest at Eclectic Box on Sunday, January 25th (Tix Here) and to LA at Hudson Backstage Theater on February 16th (Tix Here). Follow her on Instagram for more everything. And, if you really want to learn about all things Bay Area Burrito, here is such a bonkers and well-researched guide that I will still argue is wrong at times.
Side Note: We discuss how amazing Jenny Slate is, and I realized she is ALSO playing SF Sketchfest. Catch her with Max Silvestri and Gabe Liederman at the Sydney Goldstein Theater on February 1st (Tix Here)!
My partner and I named our kid after Corin Tucker. Once the doctors and nurses cleared the room, on the day they were born, we decided we needed to sing them a song. After being awake for like 36 hours, there was only one song we could remember the words to. That song? “The KKK Took My Baby Away.” That hospital? Kaiser in Oakland. It was magic. Today, Mosswood Meltdown released a lineup that brings this all full circle. Because The Return Of Jackie & Judy is a Ramones cover band comprising of Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney, plus Toko Yasuda of St Vincent on bass, and Fred Armisen of Trenchmouth on drums, playing directly across the street from the very hospital I first sang a Ramones song to my Corin.
Oh yeah, and there’s like Iggy Pop, Bikini Kill, Otoboke Beaver, The Dead Milkmen, Scowl, and SO MANY MORE AMAZING BANDS. And of course, it’s being hosted by the legendary John Waters. Tickets on sale NOW!
Hi. Have you read the news today?
I’m sorry.
You know what 2026 is desperate for? Some bloody joy while we can still get it. I’ve had a really tough time doing the nerd’s guide this year because the onslaught of life under Trump 2.0 has been brutal. Which is also a good reason to get out and enjoy some laughs in a space where you can really be yourself as yourself, while it’s still kinda legal. So be your own kinda nerd. We’ve got three weeks of fun coming your way. Here’s a small sampling of events. The full schedule is here! Continue reading “A Nerd’s Guide to SF Sketchfest 2026”
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s that time again! BottleRock Napa Valley has announced the lineup for this year’s festival, taking place May 22-24, 2026 at Napa Expo.
Prior to today’s announcement, BRNV took to the socials to drop some hints about the artists coming our way this year. I sure didn’t guess any correctly, but I’m looking forward to catching quite a few, as usual. It’ll be fun to see the return of Foo Fighters as headliners once more, and I’m really going to enjoy both Teddy Swims and Sombr as well. Other headliners include Backstreet Boys, Lorde, LCD Soundsystem, Lil Wayne, and Zedd. Continue reading “Festival Preview: BottleRock Napa Valley 2026”
HOLY SHIT!!!! I’ve been dreaming of this my entire life! Our dear friends at SF Sketchfest are doing the most logistically bonkers thing I can imagine a festival doing- A STAND UP COMEDY SET ON A MOVING COMMUTER TRAIN!
Here’s how it will work: ticket purchasers will meet at 12th St/Oakland City Center at 2 pm on Saturday, January 24th. Ticketholder will then be given a headset to listen to the set on (because, um, trains make noise, so this makes sense) as well as instructions on how to make sure you are on the right train and car. Brent Weinbach, Brittany Carney, Natasha Vinik, and Hunaid Shakoor will then each do 15-minute sets while you ride. They won’t be selling tickets at the door, so make sure you buy your ticket in advance from BART at this link!
Honestly, SF Sketchfest has done a LOT of cool things. But this is probably the coolest.
