Author Archives: Shawn Robbins
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PHOTOS: Failure and Swervedriver double up to conquer the Fillmore
Ken Andrews of Failure performs at The Fillmore in San Francisco on April 23, 2019. Photos: Shawn Robbins. SAN FRANCISCO — Shoegaze bands Failure and Swervedriver share several similarities: Both have taken lengthy hiatuses, returned and released recent records faithful to their signature styles. So it came as no…
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PHOTOS: HÆLOS project their vision of trip-hop futurism at The Independent
HÆLOS performs at The Independent in San Francisco on March 20, 2019. Photos: Shawn Robbins. SAN FRANCISCO — HÆLOS brought their Any Random Kindness Tour into fruition at the Independent Wednesday with cinematic and sprawling soundscapes. The London group is a culmination of modernistic trip-hop and lifting vocal harmonies derived…
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PHOTOS: Saves The Day refuses to slow down at Slim’s
Saves The Day performs at Slim’s in San Francisco on Feb. 27, 2019. Photos: Joaquin Cabello. SAN FRANCISCO — It had been 18 years since I watched the New Jersey band Saves The Day at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, New York with Dashboard Confessional. Since then, Dashboard exploded, leaving Saves…
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REVIEW: Sharon Van Etten pours a glass of energy at Gundlach Bundschu
Sharon Van Etten performs at The Historic Redwood Barn at Gundlach Bundschu Winery in Sonoma on Feb. 25, 2019. Photos: Shawn Robbins. SAN FRANCISCO — In a seemingly lonely world of crippling isolation, Sharon Van Etten provided hope for healing and growth when she performed on a rainy Monday…
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REVIEW: Anderson .Paak delivers a Grammy-worthy performance at the Masonic
Anderson .Paak performs at The Masonic in San Francisco on Feb. 11, 2019. Photos: Shawn Robbins. SAN FRANCISCO — It’s barely 2019 but Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals’ performance Monday at the Masonic Auditorium just might be the most virtuosic and energetic to grace Bay Area stages this year.…
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PHOTOS: Snail Mail ignites with sincerity at sold-out Fillmore performance
Snail Mail performs at The Fillmore in San Francisco on Jan. 24, 2019. Photos: Shawn Robbins. SAN FRANCISCO — Taking the stage in a custom LA Galaxy jersey with her name printed on the back, Snail Mail began her show at The Fillmore Thursday with a noisy and spastic…
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REVIEW: Thursday brings ‘Full Collapse’ to the Great American Music Hall
Geoff Rickly of Thursday performs at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on Jan. 10, 2019. Photos: Shawn Robbins. SAN FRANCISCO — Eighteen years ago, when Thursday appeared, punk and hardcore music was in a weird place. Bands like Blink-182 and Jimmy Eat World played TRL, Glassjaw…
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REVIEW: Facing New York reunites for hometown show at Bottom of the Hill
Eric Frederic of Facing New York performs at the Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco on Dec. 14, 2018. Photos: Shawn Robbins. SAN FRANCISCO — Ten years ago, Facing New York released the genre-bending Get Hot. It was completely different from its post-hardcore roots and flew under the…
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PHOTOS: Behemoth gets apocalyptic at the Regency Ballroom
Nergal of Behemoth performs at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco on Nov. 23, 2018. Photos: Shawn Robbins. SAN FRANCISCO — Polish black and death metal band Behemoth descended upon the Regency Ballroom on Black Friday. The spectacle was a grandiose display of metal theater that was a direct…
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PHOTOS: Khruangbin takes the Fox on a mellow trip
Khruangbin performs at the Fox Theater in Oakland on Nov. 9, 2018. Photos: Shawn Robbins. OAKLAND – Khruangbin transported the Fox Theater audience of youthful millennials and older crate-digging record store nerds to a relaxed place Friday night. Bassist Laura Lee, guitarist (and birthday boy) Mark Speer and drummer Donald Johnson walked…