Walking into the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium always brings a pulse of memory with it. Named for the fearless impresario who gave the Bay its psychedelic sprawl, the space has a reverent hum. But the crowd outside this time wasn’t so much buzzing as bracing. A black mass of required patience, funneled in slowly, tension rising as the early hour ticked on. This wasn’t just another show; it was the final stop of the U.S. leg of the Wild God tour. Continue reading “Show Review: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 5/14/25”
Human Be-In Preview: Dead & Company are Returning To Golden Gate Park
Dead & Company – Live in Golden Gate Park
August 1, 2, & 3, 2025 – San Francisco, CA
This summer, the music plays the band — and it plays right back where it all began.
Dead & Company return to Golden Gate Park for three unforgettable nights, August 1–3, bringing the spirit of the Grateful Dead home to San Francisco. Fresh off a second high-tech, mind-bending run at the Las Vegas Sphere, the band is trading LED immersion for redwoods and the warm soul of the Bay.
Each night features a 75-minute set from a different heavyweight opener, and the curation is no less than cosmic:
- August 1: Billy Strings, the face-melting space-grass prodigy, spins tradition into astral jams.
- August 2: Sturgill Simpson, the enigmatic, psychonautical outlaw, returns to the stage with rare, fire-tested fervor.
- August 3: Trey Anastasio Band, ready to rain down 75 minutes of phresh jams and phunk for all.
That’s three nights, three musical worlds, all orbiting around the gravitational pull of Dead & Company.
San Francisco and the Dead are inseparable. From Tupac’s collaboration with Bruce Hornsby, Robin Williams emceeing Jerry Day in Golden Gate Park, and the unerasable, painted imprint of Haight-Ashbury and the Panhandle, this city is part of the Dead’s DNA.
Though the lineup continues to evolve, the mission remains the same. As Jerry Garcia said, “The goal is for the music to outlive us all.” Dead & Company embodies that legacy, not just recreating it but evolving it in real time.
Dead & Company lineup:
- Bob Weir (Grateful Dead, Wolf Bros) – rhythm guitar, vocals
- Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead, Planet Drum) – drums, cosmic energy
- Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers Band, Aquarium Rescue Unit) – bass, vocals
- Jeff Chimenti (RatDog, Bob Weir & Wolf Bros) – keyboards
- Jay Lane (Primus, RatDog, Wolf Bros) – drums
- John Mayer (solo artist, Continuum, Born and Raised) – lead guitar, vocals
These are players in the band, yes — but the spirit of the Dead is bigger than any one of them. It’s in the songs. It’s in the sky above the park. It’s in the people.
Come early. Stay late. Pack water, snacks, and your weirdest shirt. This is history — one that only San Francisco could host.
Show Review: Lukas Nelson at Orpheum Theater – Flagstaff, 5/10/25
Lukas Nelson Charms a Packed Orpheum with Raw Talent and New Songs
On his second of three stops in the Grand Canyon State, he emerged from the dark wings with only his guitar. He opened, with a near-acapella rendition of You Were It, the first song he ever wrote, a confident yet vulnerable ballad from his upcoming release, American Romance (due out June 20th). Continue reading “Show Review: Lukas Nelson at Orpheum Theater — Flagstaff, 5/10/25”
Show Review: AWOLNATION with Makua and Bryce Fox at Regency Ballroom, 5/9/25
If you’re anything like me, you can’t think of anything better on a warm spring Friday night than catching a great show, especially at a cozy little venue. Case in point: I had a recent opportunity to do just that when AWOLNATION stopped at San Francisco’s Regency Ballroom for the penultimate show of their Phantom Five Tour. Continue reading “Show Review: AWOLNATION with Makua and Bryce Fox at Regency Ballroom, 5/9/25”
Single of the Week: “party 4 u” by Charli xcx
Way back in 2020, Charli xcx released a record called how i’m feeling now. It was written and recorded during the pandemic’s deepest, most unsettling parts. And I think it’s a perfect record. And I spent an absurd amount of time listening and relistening to “party 4 u,” which was not a single. But it struck a chord with me and many, many others. Fast forward to 2020, and it is finally becoming a single and getting the love it deserves. The emotional weight of this song is immeasurable.
how i’m feeling now is getting a “glitter vinyl” repress, which can only be found on Charli’s webstore.
Show Review: A Night at the Greek with Empire of the Sun, 5/3/2025
I have to admit something: after nearly six years in the Bay Area, this past weekend was my first time at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. I promise, I love music. I just have never been drawn to a specific show there. That all changed when I saw that one of my all-time favorite musical acts was coming to town this year. Continue reading “Show Review: A Night at the Greek with Empire of the Sun, 5/3/2025”
Single of the Week: “what do you do?” by Jahnah Camille
“what do you do?” comes from Jahnah Camille. It’s a driving rocker complete with intensely anxious vocals. So, obviously, I LOVE IT. The lyrics paint a super honest and awkward picture of, well, being a human that meets other humans. The last time I heard a song describe this feeling this well was probably “The Problem With Public Places” by Cadallaca.
“what do you do?” comes from Jahnah Camille’s latest EP, My sunny oath!, coming your way both physically and digitally on June 13th!
Film Review: “Fight or Flight”
Fight or Flight is a brisk and exciting ride, despite narrative turbulence
The Josh Hartnett renaissance (Hart-naissance?) continues! From his supporting role in Oppenheimer and his cameo in The Bear, to the hammy lead role in last summer’s Trap, Hartnett is making moves to reclaim a movie star status he relished in the late ‘90s to early ‘00s. And, he seems to be loving every minute of it, taking on an assortment of roles: straight men, serial killers, and action heroes. Hartnett’s charm and underused physicality is on full display in Fight or Flight, a flawed B-movie thriller with a high level of violent choreography and cheeky humor. Continue reading “Film Review: “Fight or Flight””
An Appreciation of Phish at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, April 22 & 23, 2025
Photos by Tiffany Michelle Black
One doesn’t simply review a Phish concert. First, you have to show your bona fides. With that in mind, I’ll simply state that my first time hearing Phish was Jeffrey Quinlan’s Junta cassette that he brought back from Bowdoin College, where his brother had seen them. My first show was in 1992; I left early. My 20th show was in 1995, and somewhere after then, I just stopped counting. I didn’t think I’d ever need that number again until I started writing this. I’d hazard a guess at around 40.
One can’t simply review a Phish concert anyway. Either you love them or you don’t, and I’m not going to convince anyone in the cult to like or dislike something; same for those outside the cult. Everyone is convinced; there is no middle ground. Continue reading “An Appreciation of Phish at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, April 22 & 23, 2025”
BUMBERSHOOT 2025 LOOKS AMAZING!
Once again, Bumbershoot has released a lineup that is as close to “Spinning Platters” energy as possible. It’s bonkers in the most Gen-X meets Elder Millennial kinda “OMG! They got both Pretty Girls Make Graves AND Murder City Devils?!?! DEREK IS GONNA BE SO TIRED!” kinda way. And, seriously, the top line has Weezer, Sylvan Esso, Janelle Monae, and Bright Eyes?!?! We also have Digable Planets doing Blowout Comb, one of the most underrated albums of the ’90s. And the great Quasi (seriously- everyone needs to go to a Quasi concert before they die. Cathartic joy!)? And The Linda Lindas? And SPELLLING???? And HOLY SHIT LOOK AT THE POSTER:
2-Day tickets start at $199, which makes it the best deal for a festival of this size.