Show Review: Stryper with Cry Wolf, Skinner and Radio Friendly at Avalon Night Club, 3/5/2011

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ARPhotoSF

777 Lawrence Expressway in Santa Clara looks like any other nondescript building in any other shopping plaza.  Tonight however, there is a tour bus parked in plain view in front, and upon further inspection of the parking lot, there is a sign (from God?): “3-5 Stryper”.  Although the number “777” is not actually referenced by the Bible, the number “7” is traditionally associated with divine perfection.  So it is with little surprise that Stryper’s return to the Bay Area would be to the hallowed grounds known as the Avalon Night Club. Continue reading “Show Review: Stryper with Cry Wolf, Skinner and Radio Friendly at Avalon Night Club, 3/5/2011”

Noise Pop Show Review: Ben Gibbard at Great American Music Hall, 2/27/11

Ben Gibbard is called out by Bob Mould at Noise Pop

Closing the Noise Pop festival with solo acoustic shows from Ben Gibbard and Zach Rogue was the right choice. People flew in from Europe, skipped the Oscars, even skipped church for an a relaxing evening at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. The young crowd was a mix of experienced Noise Pop festival attendees and those that made last night’s show their select choice. Continue reading “Noise Pop Show Review: Ben Gibbard at Great American Music Hall, 2/27/11”

Noise Pop Show Review: Yo La Tengo with The Urinals at The Fox Oakland, 2/22/2011

Spin the Yo La Tengo Freewheel and decide the first set!
Spin the Yo La Tengo Freewheel and decide the first set!

Nearly a year ago to the day, the Fox Theater played host to the first big act of the 2010 Noise Pop Festival, which arrived in the form of Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band. The group’s first arrival to the Bay Area was met with wild enthusiasm, and the set itself was a scene of sonic mass hysteria, with the warbles and shrieks of Yoko accompanying the wild swing and over-the-top rock of her backing band. It seems only fitting, therefore, that the following year needed to be kicked off in a similar manner — a night of balls-out rock, groovy jams, and snarling static chaos — which is probably the main reason why the New Jersey indie rock trio Yo La Tengo was invited to the Fox Theater for the first night of the 2011 Noise Pop Festival.

Continue reading “Noise Pop Show Review: Yo La Tengo with The Urinals at The Fox Oakland, 2/22/2011”

Show Review: Gang of Four w/ Hollerado at The Fillmore, 2/19/2011

Gang Of Four: A mythical band that spawned many bands that are much more famous than themselves. They invented this so called “disco punk,” and nearly every band of the last decade has considered them to be a major influence. They have been name checked by They Might Be Giants in a song, Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers admits to ripping them off on many occasions, and their blend of politics, danceable beats, and cold, angular guitar noise can be heard in bands as wide ranging as The Gossip, The Klaxons, and even a little U2. But what do they really mean to the world in 2011? They are back on the road with a new rhythm section, a new record, and are playing nearly everywhere.

Show Review: Three Nights with Godspeed You! Black Emperor

One of the few "official" photos of the Montreal collective
One of the few "official" photos of the Montreal collective

The weather on Saturday night in San Francisco was leaning on the side of foreboding by the late afternoon hours, with dark clouds ahead, scattered moments of showers and mist, and a vastly cold wind that was a stark contrast to the bright crispy winter days that the Bay Area had seen recently. By the time the sun dipped beneath the horizon on Saturday night, the cold and wet had amplified themselves and were coming to rest on a long line of people huddled together outside of the Warfield Theater. A large group of these people would brave the dry yet even colder evenings that followed at the Great American Music Hall. The weather was most appropriate for the mood and occasion, and for the band that was finally returning to San Francisco for the first time in over seven years: the Canadian post-rock octet known as Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Here were not the sunny glories of Sigur Rós, nor the numbing white noise of Mogwai; this was an experience that foretold the end of the world, the beginning of life, and everything in between, with eight musicians sounding like a symphony from worlds beyond.

Continue reading “Show Review: Three Nights with Godspeed You! Black Emperor”

Show Review: Nicole Atkins, Cotton Jones, That Ghost at Cafe du Nord, 2/16/11

The beautiful Nicole Atkins and her much more beautiful hat.

Earlier that day, not knowing who Nicole Atkins was, I listened to two songs on YouTube.  On record, she has a strong, beautiful, and towering voice.  I would probably like it to Stacy Dupree, the lead singer of Eisley, every bit as pretty and powerful, but just a tad lower and a little more soulful.  It was enough for me to decide to check out the show that night.  I walked in expecting a well-defined showcase for that wonderful voice and a fairly relaxed atmosphere.  I’m not sure I received any of it,  but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

There’s always a war within a smaller venue show for an artist with a great voice.  Do you soften up everything else and let the voice shine, or do you just say forget it, and rock out?  I’ve seen both sides of the equation many times and have been disappointed by both.  Most often, I tend to side with the showcase of the voice.  When a voice is gorgeous, it almost feels  like a waste for it to be muddled by guitar, bass, and drums that are turned up too loud.  But tonight was a night for rocking, and that is, exactly what happened.

Continue reading “Show Review: Nicole Atkins, Cotton Jones, That Ghost at Cafe du Nord, 2/16/11”

Show Review: Tony Lucca with Joey Ryan at Cafe Du Nord, 2/8/2011

His name is Lucca. No idea if he lives on the second floor.

Of all of the LA-based singer-songwriters I enjoy seeing live, Tony Lucca is perhaps my favorite.  While his peers seem content to bask in the sun, studio, or local LA venues, Tony faithfully treks up to the Bay to play for his “neighbors” on a regular basis.  Furthermore, his show is sure to be a crowd pleaser, as he’s literally got something for everyone.  Face-melting vocals?  Check.  Sincere, relatable, clever lyrics? Check. Rockin’ guitar skills?  Check.  Wit and charm to spare?  Check.  Former-Mousketeer good looks?  Check.
Wait.  What?  Yes, you read that right, so let’s get it out of the way now: as a teenager, Tony was part of the Disney Channel’s MMC cast, alongside the other smiling faces of Keri Russell, Ryan Gosling, and Justin Timberlake.  As an adult, however, he’s been steadily working as a solo artist since 1997.  Since 2006’s Canyon Songs, he has toured steadily, sharing the stage with other talents like Tyrone Wells, Keaton Simons, Curtis Peoples, and most recently, Matt Duke and Jay Nash (with whom he released the excellent TFDI EP).

Continue reading “Show Review: Tony Lucca with Joey Ryan at Cafe Du Nord, 2/8/2011”

Sketchfest Review: Music Night at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/29/11

The real stars of Music Night: Garfunkel & Oates

I chose Music Night as my finale to a wonderful Sketchfest mostly because of my long-term fangirl love for Chris Hardwick (I even watched Shipmates back in the day, Shipmates!).  So, just like the night before for the Nerdist Podcast, I got to Cobb’s early hoping to be right up front.  I was rewarded with a front row seat for one of the best and funniest nights I’ve ever seen.  With so much talent on stage: Mike Phirman, Eli Braden, Zach Selwyn, Garfunkel & Oates, David Koechner doing 10-20 minute sets each and Chris Hardwick MC-ing, it was bound to be non-stop entertainment. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Music Night at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/29/11”

Sketchfest Review: The Dave Hill Explosion at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/16/11

Moby, the famous pacifist, finally breaks and attacks Dave Hill

The attendance at this show was a little light. It might be because the show happened on a Sunday night. It might also be that few people in the west coast are aware of the genius of Dave Hill. Maybe people were just thrown off by the notion of Moby being involved in comedy. No matter how you slice or dice it, for the 2nd year straight, people really missed out on one of the best shows in Sketchfest.

Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: The Dave Hill Explosion at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/16/11”

Show Review: The Velvet Teen with Silian Rail at Bottom of the Hill, 1/7/11

Fierce energy from The Velvet Teen
The Velvet Teen is a force of indie-noise-pop-rock to be reckoned with that everyone should know about.  This is something I spent years of my youth slowly convincing all my friends of, and now, finally, this show proved that people have been listening.  Bottom of the Hill was packed before the first band even started playing and the energy in the room was palpable.  There was no question that something great was about to be heard. Continue reading “Show Review: The Velvet Teen with Silian Rail at Bottom of the Hill, 1/7/11”