OAKLAND — The Decemberists are known for incorporating elaborate stories and historical references in their songs, as well as audience participation. But Thursday at the Fox Theater, singer-guitarist Colin Meloy announced that they did not want to repeat themselves and would instead try something new with “stuff they don’t normally play.” Remarkably, Meloy…

Photo: Rachel Goodman SAN FRANCISCO — Toad The Wet Sprocket played an unforgettable show at The Fillmore Thursday. The Santa Barbara band, which formed in 1986 and came to fame with the release of Fear in 1992, played a mix of older songs that did not leave fans disappointed.…

Photos: Alessio Neri MOUNTAIN VIEW — Thomas Mars and Phoenix brought their traveling Italian disco show to radio station Live 105’s BFD festival at the Shoreline Amphitheatre Saturday. The Parisians, the final of 25 acts to perform at the annual radio station start of summer show, played three songs off…

Photos: Gary Chancer SAN FRANCISCO — Bauhaus introduced what we now refer to as goth music. Its dark wave sound was glam, punk and dance. Bauhaus members Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins followed that band with Tones on Tail, a short-lived side project with Bauhaus roadie Glen Campling. Haskins and Ash next turned to alt-rock act…

Photos: Rachel Goodman OAKLAND — A sold-out crowd waited with anticipation for Midnight Oil to take the stage Saturday at the Fox Theater. It had been 15 years since the band had last played in the U.S. Frontman Peter Garrett departed the band in 2002 and became the environmental…

Photos: Gary Chancer SAN FRANCISCO — Sondre Lerche brought a dance party, as well as his charm, to the Independent on Tuesday. The Norwegian-born, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter is currently out on tour for Pleasure, a companion piece to 2014’s Please. He emphasized the pleasure, ready for a dance party and to let…

Photos: Alessio Neri SAN FRANCISCO — London electronic trio The xx began its U.S. tour Saturday ( a show at Coachella the previous night notwithstanding) with the first of three shows at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium—expecting to draw around 25,000 of fans during the run—using a beautifully lit production and…

Photos: Diana Cordero SAN FRANCISCO — On a cold spring night, long lines packed to get inside the tiny Bottom of the Hill. Most fans were there not for Manchester headliners Blossoms, but for their Canadian support act Arkells, who stole the show. The Ontario band set the expectations high as soon…

Photos: Johan Doornenbal SAN FRANCISCO — Arriving straight from SXSW with lots of  well-deserved hype, Vagabon outshined her headliner at Rickshaw Stop Thursday night. Cameroon-born producer and musician Lætitia Tamko, who plays under the moniker Vagabon, played nearly all of the songs off her debut, Infinite Worlds, some with just a guitar and synthpads.…

Ty Segall performs at The Fox Theater in Oakland during Noise Pop on Feb. 27, 2017. Diana Cordero/STAFF. OAKLAND — The 25th rendition of the Noise Pop Music Festival came to an end with a bang courtesy of Los Angeles rocker Ty Segall. Segall opened his set with “Break A Guitar,” which has…