David Byrne’s “American Utopia” Coming To Theaters for One Night Only!

I’ll be rather blunt with you- I, personally, am not feeling totally safe with the idea of going to a lively, indoor, open dance floor show. Even though I’m vaccinated and would probably be double-masked, the prevalence of Delta and its intense infectiousness leaves me feeling like, for the good of my community, it’s best to stay away from spaces where we fling spit and sweat at each other. 

BUT- it still feels good to share the experience of music. And this may not be 100% safe; a safer way to enjoy this experience could be in the confines of a movie theater. Specifically heading out this Wednesday, September 15th, to enjoy the Spike Lee-directed presentation of David Byrne’s award-winning American Utopia. For one night only, mask up and take in one of the most cathartic music experiences of a lifetime. Showtimes and locations can be found here! 

Single Of The Week: “Party Anthem” by Sloppy Jane

I feel a tad guilty here… The name of this artist was the main reason I even sampled this track. (Yup. I don’t listen to every song people send me. I’m sorry.) Sloppy Jane is such a fun, clever name, and that means either it’s going to be terrible or brilliant. It turns out this track is brilliant, but not in the way I expected. “Party Anthem” is a fun, quirky song that definitely feels like it was written for a delightfully weird musical. It made my inner theater kid feel happy and alive and ready for rehearsal. 

“Party Anthem” can be enjoyed in all of the usual places. Sloppy Jane, aka Haley Dahl’s debut full-length Madison is coming out on November 5th and can be pre-ordered / pre-saved here !

Show Review: Megadeth + Lamb of God + Trivium + Hatebreed, Concord Pavilion, 09/02/2021

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ConcertGoingPro

‘Metal Tour of the Year.’ Quite a bold statement. The concert t-shirts even say it. On September 2, Megadeth, Lamb of God, Trivium, and Hatebreed descended on the sleepy East Bay city of Concord to wreak some havoc and let everyone else know that they intend to hold onto their self-proclaimed tour title!

Single of the Week: “All This Love” by Destroy Boys

Destroy Boys are one of the great Oakland punk bands. A group whose pure, unadulterated energy consumes you and forces you into a manic dance. So, when I heard the first few notes of “All This Love,” I was initially put off. Why? Because it was a ballad. A BALLAD!!! You can’t mosh to a ballad! However, within about 15 seconds, Alexia Roditis’ voice creeps into your veins and grabs your heart, and squeezes it with a tender intensity. This ballad may be more ferocious than any of their more aggressive works. That’s why this is the single of the week. It may end up being the single of the year. 

“All This Love” is the third single off Destroy Boys’ upcoming release Open Mouth, Open Heart, which is coming your way on October 8th. You can preorder / presave here. 

BREAKING NEWS: Halloween Meltdown with John Waters is coming October 16-17 to Mosswood Park

Everything in the news is scary right now… Texas both making abortions illegal AND ALSO USING A FORM THAT ALLOWS CITIZENS TO “TURN PEOPLE IN” INSTEAD OF, I DON’T KNOW, ACTUAL LAW ENFORCEMENT? The West Coast is pretty much on fire, and we don’t have enough water to live anyways. The entire East Coast is flooding due to Hurricane Ida, creating nearly as much damage as Katrina over a larger footprint. The Taliban is back. COVID is 300% worse than it’s ever been. It’s like, what good is Halloween if everything is hell anyway? Continue reading “BREAKING NEWS: Halloween Meltdown with John Waters is coming October 16-17 to Mosswood Park”

Show Review: Green Day + Fall Out Boy + Weezer = Hella Mega @ Oracle Park, San Francisco, 8/27/2021

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ConcertGoingPro

Oracle Park, home to the San Francisco Giants, historically does not host many concerts outside of the regular baseball season (and certainly not the post-season lately either!). Since 2013, there has been an average of six concerts per year, and a few of them are usually tied to corporations like the annual Genentech Gives Back or convention attendee parties for Salesforce.com’s DreamForce and Oracle’s OpenWorld.  In fact, the last concert to be held here was 21 months ago for DreamForce (UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital benefit).  Leave it to East Bay’s own Green Day to stage the first Hella Mega sized concert at Oracle Park since the world shut down early last year!

Continue reading “Show Review: Green Day + Fall Out Boy + Weezer = Hella Mega @ Oracle Park, San Francisco, 8/27/2021”

BFF.fm presents the inaugural San Francisco Music Scavenger Hunt

I’m just going to say it… I’m gutted that the Delta Variant has taken a toll on our ability to gather again. Yes, shows are happening. Yes, the vaccines we have are highly effective against even Delta. But, also, I’m not willing to put any loved one at risk that can’t get vaccinated yet. And, quite frankly, I don’t even want to put strangers at risk of getting sick. And I sure as hell don’t want the next mutation to be on my conscience. 

But I also miss seeing my fellow music fans. So, in lieu of packing into and sharing germs with strangers at Bottle Rock on Labor Day Weekend, our good friends at BFF.fm have designed something super fun that will keep you moving so you aren’t taking in stale, COVID-infested air and hang with your music-loving friends and possibly make some new friends. They are doing a city-wide San Francisco Music Scavenger Hunt!!! This will consist of 100 different music-related trivia and challenges that will send you all over town over the course of the Labor Day weekend. And you can do it at your own pace- so you can sprint through it all in a day or take it leisurely over the three days—specifically, September 4th – 6th. Teams are limited to six people, and you can register here! All proceeds go to keeping the excellent BFF.fm up and running. Unfamiliar with BFF.fm? Try starting with this episode of Slightly Sobbing that your’s truly appears on. 

Film Review: “Together”

It’s like looking into a lockdown mirror!

She and He are so “happy” in lockdown TOGETHER.

Sometimes a film comes along, for better or worse, too soon or too late, that captures current events and our collective state of mind. Together, the new film by Stephen Daldry (The Crown; Billy Elliot), may be THAT film for the COVID pandemic. While its 2020 relevance and verbose, stage play-esque script may turn off some viewers, the phenomenal performances by the lead duo and an honest, unflinching story about a romantic relationship in close quarters elevate this small film to more respectable heights.

Continue reading “Film Review: “Together””

Single Of The Week: “Money Honey” by Zelma Stone

There is something lovely about a song that takes a subtly builds up over a tight four minutes. “Money Honey” by Zelma Stone is one of those songs… It starts gentle, sparse, delicate. By the end, you find yourself bathed in the ferocity of layers of electric guitar. It’s a stunner of a track. One that sort of tricks you into a journey that you don’t know you’re taking, and I love it. 

“Money Honey” can be found in all the usual places, depending on how you prefer to take in music. Stone’s latest full record, The Best, can be picked up at Bandcamp. And for those of you that feel good about indoor shows, our good friends at The Chapel (who have been killing it in the COVID safety department) will be presenting her alongside Andrew St James, French Cassettes, and more on Thursday, September 9th, as part of the first “in-person” Fast Times since February 2020. Tickets are available here! 

SF Sketchfest 20th Anniversary Dates Announced!

GOOD NEWS! Our good friends at SF Sketchfest decided NOT to try to squeeze yet another festival into the hyper-crowded Fall 2021 space. Instead, they are coming back next year for their usual “just after the frenzy of the holidays are over and just before work gets busy again” slot in mid-January. Specifically, January 7th – 23rd. This is extra exciting because it’s their 20th installment of the event, and one can assume that it will be a little apeshit. 

If you are a comic / sketch troupe / audacious soul, they are accepting submissions here. However, it appears Scott Baio and Ricky Schroeder probably shouldn’t apply because SF requires all attendees, performers, and staff to show proof of vaccination. So if you want to enjoy the 20th SF Sketchfest, please, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GET VACCINATED!!! It’s free. They are effective. And I’m so sick of me having to put COVID disclaimers on EVERYTHING.