Mumford & Sons perform at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sept. 19, 2019. Photos: Joaquin Cabello. SAN FRANCISCO — One year, they were playing Popscene to a couple hundred people. Fast forward a decade, and they were being handed the John Steinbeck Award by two of the Bay Area’s premier…

Santana performs at BottleRock Napa Valley at the Napa Valley Expo on May 26, 2019. Photos: Shawn Robbins. NAPA — Guitar legend Carlos Santana, closing out BottleRock Napa Valley 2019 on Sunday along with Mumford and Sons, saw it as his mission to fight fear with love. On several occasions,…

Gang of Youths perform at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco on May 22, 2018. Photo: Alessio Neri. Gang of Youths’ 2015 debut record, The Positions, was a look into the depths of tragedy. David Le’aupepe, the frontman and chief songwriter for the Australian-based rock band, wrote songs…

Bonus points to whoever can guess the drummer in this Alessio Neri photo. It’s that time of year where I, like the past six years, count down my favorite musical experiences. I attended 56 concerts this year, up from 54 last year and 51 the year before. I gave up…

Photos: Alessio Neri SAN FRANCISCO — The Bottom of the Hill stage was too small for Australian rockers Gang of Youths Tuesday. The quintet, led by enigmatic Dave Leaupepe, blasted off from the very first notes of their packed show at the small club. There may have only been a…

AUSTIN — With 2,000 acts from more than 60 countries, SXSW may have the most intimidating music festival schedule on the planet. The festival’s mission of discovery means that each attendee’s experience varies greatly from the next—it’s simply impossible to conquer. Researching the acts in advance and choosing wisely…