Summer festival season is over, but Fall music festival season is in full swing! Last weekend we had LovEvolution, and this weekend is Hardly Strictly Bluegrass…. And, since we are in the midst of a heatwave, fair citizens, it is time to embrace the nightlife, because this is a very, very busy week.
Thursday, September 29th
Revolver, Chateau Marmont, Mist and Mast at Bottom Of The Hill
This show, called the Voulez-Vous Tour, features two of the most exciting bands from France. Revolver are an excellent indie rock band, where Chateau Marmont do French discotronica (a genre that I created for this posting). So, yeah, I think this is the perfect Thursday night excursion for you.
Meklit Hadero, Quinn de Veaux at The New Parish
Friday, September 30th – Sunday, October 2nd
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass at Speedway Meadow – Golden Gate Park
Yes. The best music festival in California is free. This event, which has the most impressive and widely varied line up of any music festival pretty much anywhere. On Friday alone, we have Robert Plant, Thurston Moore, Chris Isaak, and a full stage curated by Conor Oberst. Any one of those artists could headline a major festival, and we’ve got the all at the same time. Other highlights include House’s Hugh Laurie, Gillian Welch, gypsy rockers Devotchka, legends Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, Bob Mould, Zakir Hussein, Ricky Skaggs, Emmylou Harris, and, well, this thing could go on forever. And, remember, it’s free!!!! Only in San Francisco.
Friday, September 30th
Ralph Carney’s Serious Jass Project, The Cottontails, Rob Reich Trio at The Beatbox
Getting to check out a new venue is always exciting, especially when you get to witness a bay area music legend like Ralph Carney. He’s the uncle of Patrick Carney (The Black Keys) and he was hand picked by Tom Waits to appear on his Big Time concert film. The man is a genius horn player, and has a new record out called Seriously, which pays tribute to classic small combo jazz records. Don’t miss this blissful chance to see one of the greats performing doing what he does best.
Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All at The Warfield
Remember that group of teenage skateboarding rappers that cared more about punk rock than hip hop, that released one record on a major label, then broke up under the weight of their fame? Yeah, the were called The Pack. And OFWGKTA don’t have half the talent they did.
Saturday, October 1st
Beirut, Laetitia Sadier at The Fox Theater – Oakland
Sunday, October 2nd
Lisa Hannigan, John Smith at Slim’s
Does anyone know what happened to Damien Rice? Neither do I. It’s okay, because the only thing that was good about him was Lisa Hannigan. Since Rice is still hiding in Ireland somewhere, counting his royalty checks from that one song from the really sad Natalie Portman movie, his chanteuse, Hannigan is working hard and putting out records better than Rice every could.
Monday, October 3rd
The World/Inferno Friendship Society, The Phenomenauts, Locksley at Rickshaw Stop
OMD, Washington at The Warfield
Tuesday, October 4th
Erasure, Frankmusik at The Fox Theater – Oakland
Remember when Depeche Mode did happy fun songs? And they kicked out the guy who wrote those songs, and started a happier, much more fun band. That band wrote some of the most memorable songs of the 80’s and later, and singer Andy Bell has 10 times the stage presence of Dave Gahan.
Wednesday, October 5th
Blink-182, My Chemical Romance, Matt + Kim at Shoreline Amphitheater
They may be a guilty pleasure, but I love Blink 182. They always put on a fun show, chock full of dirty jokes and catchy tunes. This show is proof that the band is back together and playing like normal. They even have a new studio record, and it’s not bad. But I still would rather listen to Ben Wah Balls.
