Author Archives: Mike DeWald
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Outside Lands: Janet Jackson and 16 other acts we loved on Sunday
Photos: Joaquin Cabello, Shawn Robbins and Mike DeWald SAN FRANCISCO — And then there was Janet. The final day of the 2018 edition of Outside Lands closed out with legendary pop icon Janet Jackson. Jackson proved to provide immediate heat to a crowd starting to feel one of the chillier…
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Q&A: Oakland’s T Sisters eye Outside Lands performance, prep new album
Oakland trio T Sisters has music in its blood. The band of sisters started singing and writing music at a young age and haven’t looked back. In the process, Erika, Rachel and Chloe Tietjen have become one of the Bay Area’s most in demand talents for collaborations. Outside Lands Janet…
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RIFF RADIO: Women who rock, with Lzzy Hale, Meg Myers and Jen Ledger
Illustration: Roman Gokhman Women are taking the reins in modern rock. This year has been full of chart-topping release from female artists who drive music forward. Sometimes overlooked, female-fronted rock bands are making some of the most challenging, aggressive and relevant songs on the rock charts. On this episode…
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ALBUM REVIEW: Lucero fuses past with present on Among the Ghosts
Tennessee roots rockers Lucero looked to flip the script with their ninth studio album. Vocalist and songwriter Ben Nichols wrote Among the Ghosts with a fresh outlook following his marriage and the birth of his now 2-year-old daughter. The band also looked to channel the live feel of its…
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ALBUM REVIEW: Halestorm gets Vicious on ferocious new LP
The road wasn’t easy for Pennsylvania Grammy-winning hard rockers Halestorm as they entered the studio to begin writing and recording their fourth studio album. Unhappy with the initial direction of the material, frontwoman Lzzy Hale and co. scrapped everything, regrouped, refocused and returned with a different mindset. The result…
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ALBUM REVIEW: Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda finds his voice through tragedy on Post-Traumatic
Mike Shinoda woke up to a new reality in late July 2017, a few days before his band Linkin Park was set to embark on tour. He had lost his friend and longtime bandmate Chester Bennington to suicide. Just like that, everything changed. The floor fell out from underneath…
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RIFF RADIO: Metallica’s Lars Ulrich reflects on North Bay fires, giving back
SAN FRANCISCO — Metal titans Metallica are synonymous with the Bay Area. The legendary rock band’s roots were planted in San Francisco and the Northern Bay in the early days. Even as some of the band members moved away, they were still invested in their home. Lars Ulrich, James…
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REVIEW: Wild Ones bring melody, ‘Mirror Touch’ to Brick and Mortar
Wild Ones photographed at DTLA in Los Angeles on May 29, 2018. Courtesy of the band. SAN FRANCISCO — Portland’s synth-pop superheroes Wild Ones rolled into Brick and Mortar Music Hall Wednesday and delivered on the melodic promise of their most recent album, Mirror Touch. The band is nearing the conclusion of…
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BottleRock 2018 Day 3: Bruno Mars and 14 other sets we loved Sunday
Photos: Mike DeWald, Roman Gokhman and courtesy. NAPA — As a nearly full moon set Sunday night, the man of the hour—or the weekend—took the stage on the final day of BottleRock Napa Valley. Bruno Mars had been the buzzed-about headliner at BottleRock from the moment the festival lineup was announced…
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Outside Lands announces food & drink lineup
Photo: Gary Chancer As the clock ticks down toward the 11th annual Outside Lands Music Festival, when thousands of music fans descend upon San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the festival organizers Tuesday announced the food and drink lineup. Outside Lands was one the trailblazing festivals to integrate culinary culture as a…