Tom Petty and Mudcrutch perform at the Fillmore in San Francisco on June 19, 2016. Photo: Roman Gokhman The year 2016 was bad, for so many reasons, not the least of which was the loss of both David Bowie and Prince. The year 2017 may have been worse; we…

Photo: Jay Demetillo This is the final in a three-part series. Read how I’m scoring my list and find out about my “special consideration” acts in PART 1 and 10 through 6 in PART 2. Favorite Shows 2016 | Favorite Shows 2015 | Favorite Shows 2014 Favorite Shows 2013 | Favorite Shows 2012 5 – TOM PETTY at BottleRock…

  Photo: Jay Demetillo This is the second in a three-part series. Read the introduction to learn how I’m scoring my list and find out about my “special consideration” in PART 1. Favorite Shows 2016 | Favorite Shows 2015 | Favorite Shows 2014 Favorite Shows 2013 | Favorite Shows 2012 11 – CATHEDRALS at the Mezzanine – June…

Photo: Jay Demetillo Welcome, once again, to my annual countdown of my most entertaining music experiences of the year. I attended 54 concerts this year, up from 51 last year and 41 the year before. In compiling this list, I’m not trying to scientifically list the best or most technically proficient…

Yeah Yeah Yeahs perform at the Fox Theater in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2017. For me, this year proved that “Rocktober” really is the month to see some great concerts. My editors asked me to write about the shows I enjoyed most this year. While I don’t usually pick a hands-down…

Photos: Dawn Heumann On Sunday night in San Francisco, the smell of smoke floated into my bedroom. A few minutes later, I was glued to the news, learning of the massive firestorm engulfing my beloved childhood stomping ground of Sonoma County. It was 1 a.m. I knew my parents…

Note from Managing Editor Daniel J. Willis: If you’re wondering why you haven’t seen anything from our Senior Reporter Brandi Smith lately, it’s because you’ve seen her everywhere else, because she’s a hero to journalists and to Houston. Brandi’s day job is reporter for KHOU 11 in Houston. In…

Cage the Elephant performs at Golden Gate Park at Outside Lands on Aug. 12, 2017. Photos: Alessio Neri It was not until I showed up at Golden Gate Park on Aug. 11 at 10 a.m. and walked the length of the Outside Lands Music Festival grounds that I fully grasped…

Mon Laferte performs at Golden Gate Park at Outside Lands on Aug, 13, 2017. Photos: Alessio Neri. The third and final day of Outside Lands is in the books which means it’s time for my third and final “Best and Worst” roundup. Unless I keep this up indefinitely. Best:…

RIFF wants you to get out to more shows! To help you with that, here are our picks for where to go and who to see next week. RIFF’s video concert series features artists of all genres, with a focus on the best hidden gems the local music scene has to offer. If you’re…