Welcome to April… The beginning of Fauxchella, when all of those bands that were paid an obscene amount of money to perform in the desert for rich kids on copious amounts of drugs get to play for normal people, in normal venues, where you get to hear a band with a soundcheck and a real venue. Not to say that festivals don’t have their place- I have a lot of fun at these things. But I both couldn’t afford a Coachella ticket, nor could I take the time off my day job. Which means that I’m seeing fIREHOSE at Slim’s. (Sorry Radiohead!)
Thursday, April 5th
Sleigh Bells, Javelin, Elite Gymnastics at The Warfield
Javelin are an amazing disco duo out of NYC that has been given the seal of approval by David Byrne. Sleigh Bells are the loudest pop duo you will ever find. Put them together and you’ve got a great Thursday night dance party that will make it OK for you to skip the gym that day.
Rodrigo y Gabriela and C.U.B.A., Bobby Long at The Fox Theater – Oakland
Cults, Spectrals, Mrs Magician at Slim’s
Friday, April 6th
Gwar, Municipal Waste, Ghoul, Legacy Of Disorder at The Regency Ballroom
Gwar are underrated. I know that’s a tough thing to say, but I don’t feel that people truly understand what they do. They are thought of as a metal band on funny costumes, which is true, but they are so much more than that. They are doing true musical theater,telling a real story every night, with the kind of production values you’d expect from a Broadway show, only for much cheaper.
Bowerbirds, Dry The River at The Independent
Steven Wilson at The Fillmore
Swervedriver, Heaven at Slim’s
Saturday, April 7th
Chilly Gonzales at Hotel Utah Saloon
Chilly Gonzales is the man that produced every Feist album, and nearly every track by Peaches. He isn’t exactly a household name, but he’s an amazing musician in his own right, and is doing a tour where he’s playing solo piano, as well as doing some spoken word and a little bit of rapping. The guy is awesome, and it’s rare to see a talent this big in such a tiny room like Hotel Utah.
Carolina Chocolate Drops, David Wax Museum at Slim’s
Kitty, Daisy, and Lewis, Ghost & The City, Yonat and Her Muse at Rickshaw Stop
Sunday, April 8th
The Black Seeds, Stranger at Slim’s
I was really sad when I realized that this wasn’t Nick Cave playing Slim’s… But, this is the kind of soul inflected reggae that we haven’t seen since they heyday of Toots & The Maytals. Imagine if Hall & Oates were from Jamaica, and you pretty much have what they do.
Bear In Heaven, Blouse, Doldrums at The Independent
Monday, April 9th & Tuesday, April 10th
Jeff Mangum, Andrew, Scott, and Laura at The Fox Theater – Oakland
Jeff Mangum was once the frontman for the legendary psych band Neutral Milk Hotel. He is also a very notorious recluse that is on a west coast tour for the first time in well over a decade. Expect a whole lot of Neutral Milk Hotel tracks, and a whole lot of calm, level head hipsters go absolutely apeshit.
Monday, April 9th
Brokencyde, Blood On The Dance Floor, Deuce at Oakland Metro Opera House
Brokencyde amaze me. There is no band quite like them, and very few people have the tolerance for them. But, for those that have the tolerance for their deliciously dated blend crunk and screamo will have a ball at this show.
Oh Land, Midi Matilda at The Independent
Tuesday, April 10th
John Doe & Exene Cervenka at Amoeba Music – SF
John Doe and Exene Cervenka make up the songwriting half of X, one of the greatest bands to come out of LA. This is a very special show, where we will be getting stripped down versions of songs by X and The Knitters for FREE!
Mike Doughty at Swedish American Hall
Wednesday, April 11th
fIREHOSE, Tera Melos, Glimpse Trio at Slim’s
fIREHOSE were the band that almost never happened. Mike Watt and George Hurley of The Minutemen were still mourning the death of D Boon when singer/guitarist Ed Crawford pressured them into letting him audition as his replacement. This band ended up being an extension of The Minutemen, and helped bring their infectious band of funk/punk with a bit of a sense of humor to the masses. Please note the typo on the video pasted below:
Mazzy Star, The Entrance Band, Alina Hardin at The Regency Ballroom
Radiohead, Other Lives at HP Pavilion
