• Tuesday Tracks: Ruthven, Maribou State, Ilham, Liana Flores

    Tuesday Tracks: Ruthven, Maribou State, Ilham, Liana Flores

    Ruthven (Sean Nelson), courtesy. In this week’s edition, Ruthven, Johnnyswim and Tara Lily deliver powerful singles from their debut albums. Don Louis oozes country swagger, Maribou State returns with a club banger, Ilham claps back and Liana Flores reminds us of the important things. Ruthven, “Thru The Wall”…
  • REVIEW: Jeff Lynne, ELO get ready to check out with final California show

    REVIEW: Jeff Lynne, ELO get ready to check out with final California show

    Jeff Lynne and ELO perform at Kia Forum in Los Angeles, Calif. on Oct. 26, 2024. LOS ANGELES — Could this really have been it? Of course, it’s really hard to believe pop stars when they try to sell us tickets for a so-called final tour, not when…
  • Insert Foot: Alex Van Halen leaves VH fans wanting more with 'Brothers'

    Insert Foot: Alex Van Halen leaves VH fans wanting more with ‘Brothers’

    Alex Van Halen, “Brothers.” Alex Van Halen certainly understands how to keep an audience wanting more. Rendering: Adam Pardee/STAFF. Brothers Alex Van Halen Harper Get it on Amazon. His new book, “Brothers” lasts 226 pages. Sammy Hagar, the guy who came along and likely saved the band when…
  • REVIEW: Maxwell and friends all about the 'real singing' at Oakland Arena

    REVIEW: Maxwell and friends all about the ‘real singing’ at Oakland Arena

    Maxwell performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland on Oct. 25, 2024. OAKLAND — With five albums through the years, Maxwell has plenty of material to pull from, even though his last release was back in 2016. The Grammy-winning vocalist brought his Serenade Tour to Oakland Arena on Friday,…
  • REVIEW: Suki Waterhouse sparkles at the Warfield in San Francisco

    REVIEW: Suki Waterhouse sparkles at the Warfield in San Francisco

    Suki Waterhouse performs at ACL Live at The Moody Theatre in Austin, Texas on Oct 18, 2024. Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images. SAN FRANCISCO — Model, actress and singer Suki Waterhouse isn’t done metamorphosing yet. The English artist brought her Sparklemuffin Tour to the Warfield on Friday. Waterhouse…
  • REVIEW: David Gilmour performs first U.S. show in 8 years at Intuit Dome in L.A.

    REVIEW: David Gilmour performs first U.S. show in 8 years at Intuit Dome in L.A.

    David Gilmour performs at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, Calif. on Oct. 25, 2024. Derek Tobias/STAFF. LOS ANGELES — The house went dark just after 7:50 p.m. and the thousands of fans in attendance focused their collective attention on the stage at Intuit Dome. Then, from out of…
  • Obituary: Grateful Dead cofounder, bassist Phil Lesh dead at 84

    Obituary: Grateful Dead cofounder, bassist Phil Lesh dead at 84

    Phil Lesh performs with Karl Denson at The Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael on Jan. 27, 2016. Alessio Neri/STAFF. Grateful Dead cofounding bassist Phil Lesh passed away early Friday morning, his family announced on social media. The virtuosic musician, who trained on violin and trumpet before helping the…
  • REVIEW: Charli XCX, Troye Sivan conclude BRAT summer at Chase Center

    REVIEW: Charli XCX, Troye Sivan conclude BRAT summer at Chase Center

    Charli XCX and Troye Sivan perform at OVO Arena Wembley in London on June 27, 2024. Photo by Katja Ogrin/Redferns. SAN FRANCISCO — It’s been quite a summer for pop artist Charlotte Aitchison, better known as Charli XCX. She released a new album, BRAT, entered the mainstream lexicon with…
  • RIFF RADIO: Bishop Briggs opens up on ‘Tell My Therapist I’m Fine'

    RIFF RADIO: Bishop Briggs opens up on ‘Tell My Therapist I’m Fine’

    Bishop Briggs, courtesy Nick Walker. Bishop Briggs’ third record, Tell My Therapist I’m Fine, became its own vehicle for therapy and the rollercoaster that took her from grief to love. Weary from pandemic doldrums, Sarah Grace McLaughlin needed a spark, which she found by returning to songwriting and…
  • INSERT FOOT: Liam Payne should still be alive

    INSERT FOOT: Liam Payne should still be alive

    Liam Payne photographed in London on June 8, 2023. Photo: Annabel’s. It’s shameful we can’t express how we feel about people until they’re not around to hear it. Rendering: Adam Pardee/STAFF. I know; if people start doing that all randomly, everyone would start freaking out. But it’s a…
  • PHOTOS: Wasia Project makes its San Francisco debut at Bimbo's

    PHOTOS: Wasia Project makes its San Francisco debut at Bimbo’s

    Wasia Project performs at Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco on Oct. 18, 2024. Aaron Lee/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — British Asian pop duo Wasia Project brought dreamy melodies to the first of two shows in the City on Friday at Bimbo’s 365 Club as the group approaches the…
  • INTERVIEW: Pauli The PSM keeps his pants on with swaggering single

    INTERVIEW: Pauli The PSM keeps his pants on with swaggering single

    Pauli The PSM, courtesy Steven Piper. The new single by Pauli The PSM, “Handsome,” is the flip side of a coin for “I Don’t Deserve You (Sunshine).” While August’s meditative song vulnerably questioned his relationship with his audience, the new one is a swaggering self-empowerment anthem he hopes…
  • AFTERSHOCK: Mötley Crüe, Falling In Reverse conclude final day

    AFTERSHOCK: Mötley Crüe, Falling In Reverse conclude final day

    Mötley Crüe performs during Aftershock Festival at Discovery Park in Sacramento, Calif. on Oct. 13, 2024. AFTERSHOCK 2024: • Slayer reunites for explosive Thursday headlining set • Slipknot rocks like its 1999 on fest’s second day • Iron Maiden, Judas Priest lead British invasion on day 3 SACRAMENTO…
  • AFTERSHOCK: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest lead British invasion on day 3

    AFTERSHOCK: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest lead British invasion on day 3

    Iron Maiden performs during Aftershock Festival at Discovery Park in Sacramento, Calif. on Oct. 12, 2024. Photos courtesy Aftershock Festival. AFTERSHOCK 2024: • Slayer reunites for explosive Thursday headlining set • Slipknot rocks like its 1999 on fest’s second day SACRAMENTO — Saturday night’s Aftershock headliners were proof…
  • AFTERSHOCK: Slipknot rocks like its 1999 on fest's second day

    AFTERSHOCK: Slipknot rocks like its 1999 on fest’s second day

    Slipknot performs during Aftershock Festival at Discovery Park in Sacramento, Calif. on Oct. 11, 2024. Photos courtesy Aftershock Festival. AFTERSHOCK 2024: • Slayer reunites for explosive Thursday headlining set SACRAMENTO — Aftershock Festival’s second day featured a variety of punk icons and modern rock heavyweights. The crowds felt…
  • REVIEW: Molchat Doma previews its tour with intimate Echo gig in L.A.

    REVIEW: Molchat Doma previews its tour with intimate Echo gig in L.A.

    Molchat Doma performs at the Echo in Los Angeles on Oct. 9, 2024. Photos: Paige K. Parsons. LOS ANGELES — There’s a unique thrill in stumbling upon a surprise show by one of your favorite bands. Belorussian post-punk band Molchat Doma, which just announced a 60-date tour in support…
  • AFTERSHOCK: Slayer reunites for explosive Thursday headlining set

    AFTERSHOCK: Slayer reunites for explosive Thursday headlining set

    Slayer performs during Aftershock Festival at Discovery Park in Sacramento, Calif. on Oct. 10, 2024. Photos courtesy Aftershock. SACRAMENTO — Aftershock Festival returned to Discovery Park bigger than ever on Thursday, the first of four days. The addition of a fifth stage for the first time created a Warped-Tour-esque…
  • REVIEW: Weezer crosses the galaxy to revisit debut album at Chase Center

    REVIEW: Weezer crosses the galaxy to revisit debut album at Chase Center

    Weezer performs at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif. on Oct. 9, 2024. Matt Pang/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — A silver capsule appeared onstage Wednesday night at Chase Center. As countdown clocks on giant screens reached zero, the capsule rose slowly, revealing the four members of Weezer, standing on…
  • PHOTOS: Clairo 'Charms' South Bay fans at Frost Amphitheater

    PHOTOS: Clairo ‘Charms’ South Bay fans at Frost Amphitheater

    Clairo performs at Frost Amphitheatre in Palo Alto, Calif. on Oct. 6, 2024. PALO ALTO, Calif. — Pop singer Clairo brought her soothing vocal melodies to Frost Amphitheater at Stanford on Sunday night for a stop on her Charm Tour. Singer-songwriter Claire Cottrill, who broke out in 2017…
  • INTERVIEW: Serj Tankian digging up his roots with ‘Foundations’

    INTERVIEW: Serj Tankian digging up his roots with ‘Foundations’

    Serj Tankian, courtesy, Like thumbing through the pages of an old photo album, Serj Tankian looked to create a musical archive with his new EP, Foundations. The singer, songwriter and System of a Down frontman saw how his memoir, “Down With the System: A Memoir (of Sorts),” resonated…
  • REVIEW: Jack White delivers hot and sweaty set at Great American Music Hall

    REVIEW: Jack White delivers hot and sweaty set at Great American Music Hall

    Jack White performs at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 4, 2024. Courtesy David James Swanson. SAN FRANCISCO — Friday night’s surprise sold-out Jack White concert was everything rock and roll is supposed to be: hot, loud, sweaty and intense. The show followed a similar…
  • REVIEW: Hans Zimmer keeps Oakland fans up past their bedtimes

    REVIEW: Hans Zimmer keeps Oakland fans up past their bedtimes

    Hans Zimmer Live performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland on Oct. 3, 2024. Mariana Garcia/STAFF. OAKLAND — Fans of acclaimed film composer Hans Zimmer had waited seven years to see him perform; what was another two hours? Well… The attendees at the Thursday night concert at Oakland Arena…
  • REVIEW: Air imagines a different future at the Masonic

    REVIEW: Air imagines a different future at the Masonic

    Air performs at the Masonic in San Francisco on Oct. 2, 2024. Mariana Garcia/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — Science fiction writer William Gibson once wrote, “The future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed.” But quite a bit of the future seemed to be present at the Masonic…
  • Portola Festival: Justice, M.I.A., Disclosure highlight second day

    Portola Festival: Justice, M.I.A., Disclosure highlight second day

    Justice performs at Portola Festival in San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2024. Matt Pang and Gavin Legaspi/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — Portola Festival offered up its annual display of freedom of love and expression and celebration of all things electronic at Pier 80 over the weekend. Music lovers crowded…