Vampire Weekend performs at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley on June 15, 2024. Matt Pang/STAFF. BERKELEY — As the sun dipped behind the columns of the Greek on the first of the band’s two-day stand in the East Bay, Vampire Weekend took to the stage with a finesse that…

Mat Kearney, courtesy Michelle Baldwin. Singer-songwriter Mat Kearney was in San Francisco a couple weeks back, performing a private show at Great American Music Hall. The Oregon-born, Nashville-based artist used the opportunity to re-supply his stash of tea from Chinatown’s Red Blossom Tea Company, “the greatest tea I got…

ITZY performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on June 8, 2024. Photos: Chris Tuite. OAKLAND — More K-pop groups need to tour the U.S. with bands. The costs likely make that prohibitive to many, but a few acts with deep enough pockets have brought musicians with them over…

Kamasi Washington performs at the Warfield in San Francisco on June 7, 2024. Aaron Lee/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — “What up, Frisco?” saxophonist Kamasi Washington asked the crowd before delivering a marathon set with his eight-member band Friday night at the Warfield. Stretching the nine songs, all of which were…

SHAED, courtesy Nicole Mago. A house can become too small for an expanding family. Twins Max and Spencer Ernst and Spencer’s wife, Chelsea Lee, had lived together in Washington, D.C. for several years as their band, SHAED, exploded with hit single “Trampoline” in 2018. Spinning Out SHAED BMG, June…

Zach Bryan performs at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland on May 31, 2024. Steve Carlson/STAFF. OAKLAND — Not even the I-880 chicken and beef special could stop Zach Bryan from playing to the biggest crowd of his life. While a semi crash on the freeway spilled raw meat all over…

NAIMA performs during BottleRock Napa Valley at the Napa Valley Expo on May 24, 2024. This story was first published in the M-A Chronicle.  NAPA, Calif. — Among wine moms, rock bands and DJs emerges a 14-year-old and her guitar. “I’m NAIMA,” she tells the crowd before diving into…

Maren Morris performs at The Masonic in San Francisco on May 29, 2024. Mariana Garcia/STAFF SAN FRANCISCO — In a whirlwind of country-pop magic, Texas native Maren Morris kicked off her highly anticipated RSVP Redux tour at the Masonic. Morris, who hasn’t toured in two years apart from a…

Avril Lavigne performs at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif. on May 29, 2024. Onome Uyovbievbo. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Avril Lavigne is in the midst of a renaissance thanks to the rebirth of pop-punk, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. As Lavigne stepped onstage at Shoreline Amphitheatre…

Ed Sheeran performs during BottleRock Napa Valley at the Napa Valley Expo on May 26, 2024. Photos: Steve Carlson/STAFF and Matt Pang/STAFF. NAPA — It was just a couple of songs into Ed Sheeran’s headlining BottleRock set when he told a story of his first hit, “The A Team,”…