Jack Harlow, “Jackman.” The third studio album by Kentucky rapper Jack Harlow came as a surprise to fans, and not only for its sudden release. Much can be gleaned from the stark album cover as to the lyrical direction by the 25-year old. It’s compact, intimate and to-the-point, clocking…

Rina Sawayama performs at Outside Lands in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2022. Onome Uyovbievbo and Matt Pang/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — Fresh off a stadium tour and with 30 years of experience, Green Day showed how to make Outside Lands bigger and better with a nonstop barrage of early classics,…

Jack Harlow, “Come Home the Kids Miss You.” Kentucky rapper Jack Harlow didn’t just make a statement on his sophomore album. He brought in an all-star cast along for the ride. Harlow gets contributions from hip-hop A-listers like Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams and Drake. Even Justin Timberlake makes an…

Lil Nas X performs during WiLD 94.9’s Jingle Ball at The Masonic in San Francisco on Dec. 8, 2019. The debut album by Lil Nas X, Montero, has been a long time coming.  The Atlanta rapper has transformed before audiences from the meme zeitgeist of “Old Town Road” to a…

Foo Fighters perform at BottleRock Napa Valley at the Napa Valley Expo on Sept. 5, 2021. Photos: Adam Pardee/STAFF with the exception of Foo Fighters (courtesy BottleRock Napa Valley). NAPA — With Sunday came the final day of BottleRock Napa Valley’s grand reopening. Despite the long layoff, everything seemed…

Jon Batiste, courtesy. We’ve all been out of practice with navigating a massive music festival. Though you may have been lucky enough to enjoy live music at various points through the last tumultuous 18 months, a three-day festival in wine country is new again to all of us. To…