Cat Power. Courtesy Eliot Lee Hazel. Photography was not permitted at this show. SAN FRANCISCO — It’s a rare intrigue when an artist can project timidity from within the limelight. Chan Marshall, better known as Cat Power, used her combination of mystique and warmth to create an atmosphere that was…

Ethan Miller leads a bevy of Bay Area artists celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead’s ‘Aoxomoxoa’ at The Chapel in San Francisco on Oct. 28, 2019. Photos: Michael Smyth/Staff. SAN FRANCISCO — One expects to encounter a certain amount of enthusiasm for The Grateful Dead here. The Bay…

Miranda Lambert, “Wildcard.” Miranda Lambert has never experienced a slump. The award-winning country singer started strong with a No. 1 album on the country charts and has established her sound and supplied herself with a healthy following through a string of hits. Her new album’s title, Wildcard, suggests Lambert has…

The specter of aging looms over any rocker. Some age gracefully and lose significance. Others fail to grow out of youthful recklessness and find themselves in mid-career doldrums, leaving the rest to fade away as self-parodies. Neil Young continues his pondering on the significance of mortality with the same ethos…

The Who performs at Chase Center in San Francisco on Oct. 9, 2019. Photos: Martin Lacey. SAN FRANCISCO — The Who have never shied away from making big statements, achieving mega-stardom in time for Woodstock with the bold rock opera Tommy. From that point on, the conceptual aspirations of guitarist and…

Emmylou Harris performs at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Oct. 6, 2019. Photos: Martin Lacey. SAN FRANCISCO — Everything one could ask for from a music festival in Golden Gate Park was on display Sunday, as the 19th annual incarnation of Hardly Strictly…

Obituary performs at The UC Theatre in Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2019. Photos: Karen Goldman. BERKELEY — Some 30 years after the birth of death metal, few bands match the consistency and longevity of Obituary. The Florida death-metallers are currently on the road celebrating their 1989 debut album, Slowly We Rot.…

Conflict is the basis of every absorbing tale. For music, that tension and resolve conveys a sense of drama. On the other hand, uniform, cheerful and comfortable music often fails to convince with a fictitious, inauthentic narrative. When musicians break the constraints of inertia and commit to personal or…

Pond performs at The Independent in San Francisco on Sept. 25, 2019. Photos: Joaquin Cabello SAN FRANCISCO – As Australian rockers Pond laid into its 90-minute set, a capacity audience at the Independent grooved and moved to tunes that ranged from contemplative synth odes to girthy classic rock stompers. Pond’s…

Explosions in the Sky perform at The Fox Theater in Oakland on Sept. 16, 2019. Photos: Joaquin Cabello. OAKLAND — The first rain of September swept Oakland Monday morning. With petrichor freshly scenting the air, car stereos broadcast hits by The Cars in honor of the late Ric Ocasek…