Show Review: Public Enemy at Yoshi’s SF, 1/14/2011


Yoshi’s might not be a typical spot for a hip-hop show, especially one that can incite the kind of passion that Public Enemy can. However, recalling that Public Enemy put out their first record nearly 24 years ago, Yoshi’s might actually be the perfect place for one of the undisputed best Hip-Hop groups to Bring the Noise. Continue reading “Show Review: Public Enemy at Yoshi’s SF, 1/14/2011”

Show Review: The Dresden Dolls with Pomplamoose at The Warfield, 12/31/2010

Amanda Palmer surveys the crowd
Amanda Palmer surveys the crowd

Forget what you thought you knew about how to celebrate for the beginning of a new year. Forget what you thought could happen with two Bostonians, a collective of YouTube musicians, a pile of balloons, two cannons of confetti, and two thousand lovers of punk cabaret. If you were not one of the aforementioned fans that filled San Francisco’s Warfield Theater to nigh-overflowing to see the triumphant Bay Area return of the Dresden Dolls, you missed one of the greatest shows in the band’s career, and one of the best shows of 2010, and, quite likely, 2011 as well.

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Show Review: Bell Biv Devoe at Yoshi’s SF, 12/23/2010

This is what they looked like. No idea who the smiling guy in the hat is.

When I thought about what to expect out of a Bell Biv Devoe show at a jazz club in 2010, I thought this: a 12-minute version of “Poison,” a 10-minute version of “Do Me!”, an instrumental jam by the band and a medley of everything else. “What about New Edition? I bet they do a lot of that,” remarked one friend. What about them? What does a Bell Biv Devoe show look like in 2010? The short answer: it looks like MTV in 1990. The long answer? Continue reading “Show Review: Bell Biv Devoe at Yoshi’s SF, 12/23/2010”

Show Review: Monsters of Accordion Featuring Jason Webley at Slim’s, 12/18/2010

Jason Webley holds a pear over his head. If you're a fan, this makes sense.

At Slim’s Saturday night was the San Francisco stop of the 5th Annual Monsters of Accordion tour. For me, it was my first annual. For although I’ve never been to one of these shows before, I am absolutely sure to go again. This was a fun night with a lively crowd, and something I intend to repeat soon. Very soon, in fact, for there is a secret additional Monsters of Accordion show this Tuesday night in Oakland. Want to know where? Better read on … Continue reading “Show Review: Monsters of Accordion Featuring Jason Webley at Slim’s, 12/18/2010”

Show Review: Dandy Warhols at the Regency Ballroom 12/11/10

When thinking about the place of the Dandy Warhols at this point in their career, in their genre, it’s hard not to think about the Brian Jonestown Massacre (an unoriginal thought considering the bands were contrasted in the rockumentary “Dig!”). BJM was another talented psych-rock 90’s band with a tendency to go far out and meander into extended riffs. Actually, the Dandys brought this history up all on their own when they called out in the audience to see if “Joel from Brian Jonestown” was around. Continue reading “Show Review: Dandy Warhols at the Regency Ballroom 12/11/10”

Show Review: MNDR at 330 Ritch – Popscene, 12/09/10

As our photographer was moved to dancing up a storm, enjoy this official publicity photo!

I don’t know what’s happened to Popscene over the years.   When I was in my early and mid-20s, it was pretty much just a dance club.  Then every once in a while, a really awesome band would come play.  It was a fabulous treat, but really, it was still a dance club with lots of dancing before and after the band played (if there was one that night).  Moved away to LA, moved back, basically fast forward to a world where I’m now 31 and haven’t been going out dancing as much.  But I have been coming for shows every once in awhile.  But maybe that’s what happened, more and more relevant bands have been playing this venue, so its turned more into a place for great late night shows than it is a place for dancing.  Because there was sure no dancing going on this past Thursday night, well besides me with my recovering foot dancing almost by myself, when all the young kiddies were being lame and hanging out by the walls. Continue reading “Show Review: MNDR at 330 Ritch — Popscene, 12/09/10”

Show Review: Margaret Cho with John Roberts at Nob Hill Masonic Center, 12/04/10


San Francisco’s own Margaret Cho gave a triumphant hometown concert at the Nob Hill Masonic Center on Saturday night in support of her first music album, Grammy nominee Cho Dependent. But those concerned that Cho would forgo stand-up to focus on music needn’t worry: comedy was still very much the priority of the evening, and Cho has rarely been more uproarious.

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Show Review: Os Mutantes, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Teen Inc. and Diva at The Regency Ballroom, 11/30/2010

With these guys on stage, where were the San Francisco hippies?

At the Regency Ballroom on Tuesday night was one of the unsatisfyingly satisfying shows I’ve been to in a long time. There were some great music, some pretty decent music, some bad music, and a whole lot of empty room. This all combined to make for a fun night, but in the end a fairly poor showcase for the bands on the bill. I wish a better future for all of them, but this one was odd. Continue reading “Show Review: Os Mutantes, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Teen Inc. and Diva at The Regency Ballroom, 11/30/2010”

Show Review: Wild Flag with Grass Widow and Royal Baths at Bottom of the Hill, 11/18/2010

Mary Timony, Janet Weiss, and Carrie Brownstein of Wild Flag. All photos by Christopher Rogers.

WOW.

Wild Flag, the much-buzzed new supergroup featuring Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney, Mary Timony of Helium, Janet Weiss of S-K and Quasi, and Rebecca Cole of The Minders, made their Bay Area debut last night. And what a debut it was.

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Show Review: A Perfect Circle performing eMOTIVe at The Fillmore, 11/18/2010

eMOTIVe
eMOTIVe

As massive undertakings go, a tour focused around three-show residencies, full-album sets, and no-opener-just-what-you-paid-to-see performances is pretty high up on the list. The ante is upped even further when the third night of said shows is focused on an album entirely comprised of cover songs — most of which, according to the band tonight, had never been played live before. The thousand-plus fans that showed up to witness A Perfect Circle perform these songs at the final night of their Fillmore residency reacted to such a statement with awe and applause — while all good things must, eventually, come to an end, the precision and care that the band emphasized in tonight’s show helped their stay come to a brilliant conclusion, and the crowd was all the more excited to witness it.

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