Clusterfest Bill Graham Civic Auditorium June 21-21, 2019 Photos by Dana Jacobs Clusterfest, San Francisco’s hometown comedy festival, recently wrapped up its third year taking over Civic Center Plaza and the Bill Graham Auditorium. After two years of powerhouse lineups, the first-of-its-kind festival certainly had some big shoes to fill. With the likes of Amy Poehler, John Mulaney, and Patton Oswalt on the bill, Clusterfest did just that. Despite some noticeable organizational stumbles, Clusterfest remained a success thanks to its mix of well-known and fresh-faced talent. This year’s headliners drew the large crowds we’ve grown accustomed to at Clusterfest. Friday…
Author: Dana Jacobs
Dana Jacobs
Raised in the suburbs of San Jose, Dana is a freelance writer who has been fascinated with live music since middle school. Attending her first concert (the always delightful Paramore) at eleven, concerts have always been an integral part of her life. While synth-driven alternative groups and solo indie acts have a special place in her heart, Dana will go to any and every show she can grab a ticket for. When not waiting outside venues for a spot at the barricade, Dana is a varsity rower and honors student at University of California, Davis.
Clusterfest Bill Graham Civic Auditorium June 1 – 3, 2018 Photos by Dana Jacobs. Clusterfest, the Bay Area’s own music and comedy festival, had its sophomore season at Civic Center Plaza in early June. Comedy Central, which presented the first-of-its-kind festival, certainly had big shoes to fill after a positively star-studded inaugural lineup last year. How exactly does one follow up Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Hart, and Ice Cube? With Trevor Noah, Jon Stewart, and The Lonely Island’s first-ever concert, obviously. Despite being snagged by some organizational missteps, the innovative three-day affair succeeded thanks to a lineup of stellar talent and…
The Velveteins Café du Nord July 11, 2017 “No matter what night it is, it feels good to be here,” Spencer Morphy, frontman of The Velveteins, smiled into his microphone. Pushing shaggy blonde hair from his face, illuminated by Café du Nord’s dim red lights, Morphy and his bandmates joked throughout the evening about the mellow Tuesday night schedule. But for the sizeable audience packed around the stage of the lower level of Swedish American Hall, the lively set was anything but dull. The Edmonton three-piece fall under the blanket label of indie rock, but such a broad characterization does…
Phantogram Greek Theater, Berkeley July 1, 2017 All photos by Briar Burns. Electropop group Phantogram brought their latest tour to the Greek Theater in Berkeley for a summer night of lively and admirably complex performances. Formed in 2007 by vocalist Sarah Barthel and guitarist Josh Carter, the duo have made a name for themselves as high-energy, genre-bending pop artists, incorporating everything from trip-hop and robotic synth to wailing guitar solos into their highly danceable tracks. Such wide-ranging influences paired with the Barthel’s commanding stage presence made for a well-produced and effortlessly fun live show. With red Solo cups in hand…
Since the release of their debut EP in the spring of 2015, Edmonton rock band The Velveteins have gained well-deserved praise for their fuzzy, surf-rock tunes. The trio, with Spencer Morphy on lead vocals and guitar, Addison Hiller on drums, and Dean Kheroufi on bass, recorded A Hot Second With The Velveteins in Nashville, touting Cage the Elephant’s Lincoln Parish as producer. The band’s latest record Slow Wave is deliciously psychedelic, meshing gritty garage-rock with dreamy indie-pop to serve up a sound that is undeniably groovy. The result is a truly delightful record, including the bouncy Kinks-esque lead single “Don’t…
BFD Festival Shoreline Amphitheater, Mt. View June 10, 2017 All photos by Raymond Ahner. Shoreline Amphitheater buzzed with swarms of music fans across genres and ages for LIVE 105’s annual BFD festival. Boasting a line-up of over thirty bands, the alternative radio station’s daylong concert featured four stages showcasing an array of local and mainstream talent. Powerhouse performers and promising new artists made for a day living up to its name: a big fucking deal. Six hours after doors opened at Shoreline, the main amphitheater buzzed as the night’s headliners began to take the stage. Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness…
Drug Tax Fruit & Flowers Little Dickman Records With “Drug Tax,” New York quartet Fruit & Flowers brings an eclectic, explosive collection of dreamy indie-punk tracks for a debut EP that demands to be heard. The self-described “surf noir” band offers up a refreshing new sound, one that is without adequate comparison. Caroline Yoder’s lead vocals weave frantic energy with haunting, sultry tones, yet central to the distinct sound are the group’s three-piece harmonies. Lead guitarist Ana Becker and rhythm guitarist Lyzi Wakefield accompany Yoder’s vocals throughout the six-song collection, elevating the band’s sound with an expressive, haunting tone. Opening…
Night Riots The Catalyst, Santa Cruz May 19, 2017 All photos by Briar Burns. “God, I love you, Santa Cruz,” Travis Hawley, the tousled-haired, charismatic lead singer of Night Riots said, beaming at the crowd of The Catalyst. It was a sentiment that would persist throughout the night as the rising band propelled the show into an electric synergy felt between audience and performers. Fresh off opening for Andrew McMahon on his Zombies in America tour, Night Riots headed to the Santa Cruz venue for the first of several headlining stops before returning to the studio. The group, with Hawley…
The Witch Pumarosa Harvest Records Pumarosa are no strangers to the stage. With a former performance artist as lead singer and several years touring the live circuit without any substantial studio presence, Pumarosa was ripe for a fully produced album. The Witch is Pumarosa’s majestic achievement: a debut album that unapologetically declares the band’s unique, hypnotic sound. Filled with expansive soundscapes and poetic lyrics, the quintet has produced quite an epic introduction for listeners. Fronted by Isabel Munoz-Newsome, Pumarosa’s sound is dominated by her impassioned vocals, ranging from ethereal chants to punk-inspired wails. Drummer and co-founder Nicholas Owen’s drumming lays…
Conor Oberst Fox Theater, Oakland May 12, 2017 All photos by Briar Burns. Conor Oberst, prolific singer-songwriter known most prominently for heading Bright Eyes, brought his Salutations tour to The Fox Theater for an evening of the plaintive lyrics and expressive melodies for which he is known. Joining Oberst as backing band was The Felice Brothers, a folk group who added a delicious energy to Oberst’s arrangements. The Salutations tour production is nothing flashy. Lighting design was minimal and no accompanying graphics were projected onto the stage curtains. Oberst and his band entered the stage with little fanfare, resembling…
Andrew McMahon in The Wilderness UC Theatre, Berkeley May 6, 2017 All photos by Briar Burns. Alternative pop/rock singer Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness brought his energetic Zombies in America tour to The UC Theatre one recent Saturday night, a treat for old and incoming fans alike. Returning to his home state, McMahon punctuated the night with his genuine gratitude towards the audience and an evident passion for his music that kept the crowd engaged for the twenty-song set. Starting off the night was the unapologetically mainstream radio favorite “Fire Escape.” The perfectly coiffed McMahon set the tone for the…
Bastille Greek Theater, Berkeley April 23, 2017 All photos by Briar Burns. Returning to the Bay Area for their first Northern California headlining show since 2014, British alternative pop band Bastille did not disappoint with The Wild Wild World Tour, engulfing the Greek Theater in a nearly ninety minute set of buzzing vitality. Comprised of front man Dan Smith, guitarist and bassist Will Farquarson, keyboardist Kyle Simmons, drummer Chris Wood, and touring guitarist Charlie Barnes, Bastille has forged a distinct musical style of rich backing harmonies, synth-heavy rock beats, and Smith’s mournful, poetic lyrics. With a set list of more…