Austra performs at the Mezzanine in San Francisco on Feb. 11, 2017. SAN FRANCISCO — Austra‘s Katie Stelmanis started her show at the Mezzanine by singing Israel Kamakawiwoʻole’s most famous tune, “Somewhere over the Rainbow,” as a tribute to the victims of the Oakland Ghost Ship fire. Her set was arranged…

Photos: Ian Young By all accounts 2016 was a shitty year. But amid the chaos were much needed distractions in the form of live music. This year I traveled to Iceland, Chicago, Indio, Los Angeles and Seattle to attend 110 shows and eight festivals, watching and photographing more than 250 bands. Here’s…

Oakland pop punk band SWMRS will headline a Ghost Ship fire benefit concert at record store and label 1-2-3-4 Go! Records Sunday. “There is no accurate way to describe the hole that is forever left in our scene and our city by this devastating catastrophe,” singer Cole Becker said in…

Green Day. Photos: Ian Young. OAKLAND — Anyone living in the neighborhood of Oracle Arena could’ve been forgiven for thinking that Saturday night’s installment of Not So Silent Night didn’t begin until 10:30 p.m., because despite an actual start time of 6 p.m., the arena remained something of a library until the…