Gang of Youths Fillmore Auditorium May 16, 2022 We may be only a few months into this year, but Gang of Youths is easily topping our list of best shows for 2022. Descending upon The Fillmore on a chilly Monday night, Australian alternative rock band Gang of Youths delivered an electric, euphoric set, crafting a night that will be forever seared into our memories. Blue and white lights danced across a hazy stage, anticipation building as lights and sound wash into the dark room. A single beat of a drum starts the crowd clapping, Gang of Youth bounding to the…
Author: Kylie McCormick
Kylie McCormick
Like most from the SF Sonic team, Kylie has been a music lover from an early age, attending folk, indie, and pop shows in her early years. The passion led her to pursue a PhD researching music festivals in the UK where she also worked as a freelance music journalist. Back in the States she loves seeing new and old bands in the beautiful Bay Area venues.
Leif Vollebekk Great American Music Hall March 15,2022 Leif Vollebekk is something special. Taking to the Great American Hall stage, Leif and band intermixed a setlist of ethereal beauty with moments of hilarity and levity, crafting a night that will be remembered. From the beginning of the set, it is clear that Leif brings something different to the milieu of the music world. With an organic-ness and honesty in both sound and lyric, his music offers a different type of vulnerability and rightfulness. His songs bloom and flow, capturing your mind and heart as the sound swells around the room.…
Noah Kahan Fillmore Auditorium December 16, 2021 Photos by Kylie McCormick The perfect set, a balance of honesty and vulnerability and energy and sound, is an elusive white whale for many concertgoers and yet for those you wandered into The Fillmore for Noah Kahan found just that. The perfect set making for the perfect night. Singer-songwriter folk pop artist Noah Kahan returned to the stage, delivering a show that has been on repeat in our brains for days. After a brief interlude following the opener, Kahan walks onto the blackened stage, alone he starts the night off with an acoustic…
Black Pumas Masonic Auditorium December 15, 2021 Photos by Jon Bauer. Black Pumas are having a magical musical moment; not only has their record graced popular ads bringing their sound to homes all over the country, but the band with their self-titled album has also enjoyed praises from all the major magazines, award shows, and music lovers. Their continuously growing number of groupies braved a cold and rainy Wednesday night, catching an electric yet intimate show. Black Pumas took to the Masonic stage, transforming the evening with their psychedelic soul sound and dynamic stage presence. Black Pumas broke through the…
Catch Prichard The Golden Bull, Oakland There are seemingly two types of bands, those that are easily defined by a genre and those who allude any notion of category, Catch Prichard is the later. The local San Francisco band is bound by neither genre nor style, but rather has forged their own unique sound through the layering of interesting instrumentals and depth defying vocals. Playing an intimate show at Oakland’s The Golden Bull, Catch Prichard reawakened our love for live music with their standout show. A few things become immediately evident when you first hear Catch Prichard on stage; the…
Caiola Only Real When Shared 2020 has undoubtedly been a strange year; with the halting of life and the decimation of normality this year has not only fractured our daily existence but also stalled our enjoyment of music. Yet a beacon of hope shines bright, as artists have sequestered in their homes as we have new music is slowly entering into the atmosphere, a promise of something to fill our lonely nights. Filling the silent void of quarantine existence is Jordan Caiola, stage name Caiola. In the early days of quarantine Caiola found himself with ample free time, and so…
Broken Dreams, Inc. Rise Against What do DC Comics and punk rock have in common? Well, before today, you may have said nothing and you would not necessarily have been wrong. Yet Rise Against is changing this; with the release of single “Broken Dreams, Inc,” punk rock icons Rise Against mash together hard-hitting sound with explosive art from Greg Capullo’s “Dark Night: Death Metal,” crafting an incredible audible and visual experience. The first new song in three years for Rise Against, “Broken Dreams, Inc” is a standout single, something you should not miss out on. Sonically, Rise Against returns with…
Yola NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert Most music nerds have heard of and watched NPR’s Tiny Desk series. Once filmed before the NPR staff, the Tiny Desk performances strip artists of all the fanfare and fancy, bringing them to play stripped-down sets that offer a rare and intimate glimpse into the acoustic side of top hits. While the NPR offices may be emptied, and people consume music from home rather than huddled around stages, the Tiny Desk fervour lives on with Tiny Desk Home Concerts. British born powerhouse Yola takes to the Tiny Desk Home Concert, delivering a bewilderingly brilliant…
1 Juan Wayne Soothing soundwaves that are dripping in escapism seem to be just what is needed for the apocalypse that is 2020. Juan Wayne delivers just that. With 1, the duo, comprised of Andrew St James and César Maria, concoct a dreamscape of sound, breathy narrative laden harmonies layered over organic explorative sound, giving us a glimmer of hope in the oppressive season. After a playful Intro that gives a hint into the unfiltered process of music creation, Juan Wayne launches into sixteen minutes of breath-taking beauty. Some standouts from the album include ‘Beverly Hills”: intermingling a nostalgic sonic undertone…
Gill Landry The Lost Church March 6, 2020 Photos by Kylie McCormick Gill Landry is no stranger to a stage; across his career he has graced many stages with bands such asThe Kitchen Syncopators and Old Crow Medicine Show. His 2007 solo career has also found him touring around the globe, bringing his story telling style to the masses. Despite all the shows and all the stages, Landry has a unique way of creating an intimate, living room style show that makes you feel like your catching something special from the artist. At The Lost Church, Gill Landry transfixed the…
The Struts Warfield March 3, 2020 Photos by Jill Gerstenberger Over the past few years The Struts have grown to dominate the rock’n’roll scene. With sweeping anthemic songs and unstoppable energy their music is intoxicating, immediately loved by one and all. The English-born band has been lauded by rock’n;roll greats, transgressing the band into legendary status. The Struts brought their iconic sound to The Warfield as a part of their Tour de California presented by Harley Davidson, slashing the night with sonic brilliance. The Struts kicked off the night with ‘Primadonna Like Me.’ With a touch of old school rock…
Dirty Honey Slim’s February 25, 2020 Photos by Kylie McCormick Electric. It is a word we often hear; attributed to a myriad of things the word denotes a sort of jolt of excitement, a flash of the fanciful, an impactful and jarring moment. Electric is also a word you could use to describe the set from headliner Dirty Honey as well as the set from opener The Amazons. With a punch of rousing rock, Dirty Honey created a stir at Slims, a bombastic show that was both sonically brilliant and, well, electrifying. Dirty Honey brought their Rolling 7s to Slims,…
Teddy Swims Slim’s February 8, 2020 Photos by Kylie McCormick A few artists possess an other-worldly talent that is both mind boggling and mesmerizing. A few artists generate an authentic, heart-warming connection to fans that surpass the usual fan and artist relationship. Teddy Swims possesses both. Not only is his textured, booming voice unlike any other, but Teddy also has a seemingly unique and caring disposition when it comes to his relationship with fans. At Slims, Teddy Swims was overwhelmingly brilliant, his thunderous sound intermixing with his jovial personality, creating a whirlwind of excellence. Teddy Swims and band kicked off…
Dermot Kennedy Masonic Auditorium January 30, 2020 Photos by Kylie McCormick There are rare moments in the music world where you encounter a set so beautiful, so profound that you can’t help but be left in awe. A soul stirring performance that is pure and honest, moving and powerful. Dermot Kennedy delivered such a performance. Taking to the Masonic stage, Irish artist Kennedy wowed fans on a cool Thursday evening with his poetic tunes. Splicing different genre styles with heart melting emotive lyrics Dermot Kennedy played a show that will be hard to forget. The lights warmed, a soft blue…
Amber Run Great American Music Hall November 15, 2019 Photos by Kylie McCormick There is something special about catching a band’s first show in a city. Anticipation, excitement, the trials and tribulations of breaking new ground; all the emotional rippled through the Great American Hall as fans waited for Amber Run to take the stage for the first time. The British indie rock band have forged a following on their native island but jumped ponds to extend their fanship, creating a wild tornado of sights and sounds at their inaugural San Francisco show. At Great American Hall Amber Run broke…
Finneas August Hall October 15, 2019 Photos by Kylie McCormick Finneas is no stranger to a stage, in fact he has graced some of the most iconic stages around the world touring with famous friends and family. But tonight is special, a touch of electric excitement fills the room because tonight is Finneas’ first stop on his Blood Harmony Tour. It is not only the first night of tour, but it is also the third headlining slot in his career. The fact is shocking, so few headlining shows seem to be incongruous with Finneas’ immense well of talent. So audience…
Stu Larsen The Independent October 8, 2019 Photos by Kylie McCormick Outside of The Independent is a black and grey bus; tightly parked it almost blends into the evening street. As fans line up their excited chatter floats around the crisp air, suddenly their heads turn in a synchronized fashion as the bus door opens. Out saunters Stu Larsen, the opener for the night. Walking to the front door it becomes immediately apparent that Stu is locked out of the venue right before the doors open, a fate many musicians have faced at least once in their career. Luckily Stu…
Of Monsters and Men Fox Theater, Oakland September 24, 2019 Photos by Nicole Baptista Icelandic powerhouse Of Monsters and Men crashed onto the scene in 2011 with their mega popular 2011 album, My Head is An Animal. Dominating the airwaves, their unique blend of rock, indie, pop, and electro fuzz lured listeners into fandom. After a short respite, Of Monsters and Men returned with their third album, Fever Dream, launching a massive tour. Taking to the Fox Theatre, Of Monsters and Men delivered an electric performance that transformed the stale September night into something magical. Anxious chatter fills the Fox…