Sufjan Stevens Traverses Galaxies at the Fox Kavitha George July 31, 2017 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Reviews For years, Sufjan Stevens has produced the kind of music that makes me wonder if he isn’t a medium for some higher cosmic forces. The sweet and dreamily sad Carrie & Lowell (2015), exuberant compositi...
Ethan Gruska, facing our fears for us Kavitha George April 17, 2017 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Reviews Ginger, bearded, and vaguely reminiscent of a white Aziz Ansari, Ethan Gruska is the kind of singer/songwriter you hope to see before they achieve mainstream success. His piano arrangements channel that pop-R&a...
Kaleo shreds Nob Hill Masonic to ribbons Kavitha George April 17, 2017 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Reviews Kaleo, or as the internet appears to regard them, "Jökull Júlíusson and some other guys," carved a permanent spot for themselves in the heart of San Francisco Thursday night. There were your usual declar...
Interview with pop soul’s Valentine, Kevin Garrett Kavitha George February 20, 2017 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Reviews, Interview Kevin Garrett is an authentic young/old soul, incredibly talented, and a little bit of a dork. His music (just two EPs so far) is a modern iteration of Sam Cooke, Robert Johnson-era soul beats and vocal dexte...
James Vincent McMorrow to float through Berkeley 11/29 Kavitha George November 28, 2016 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Previews, Previews James Vincent McMorrow captures that foggy, dreamlike folk reminiscent of early Bon Iver, but with the gravelly rumbles of an Irish accent hidden under layers of falsetto, floaty synths, and the kind of sentime...
The Head & The Heart make Berkeley family Kavitha George October 15, 2016 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Reviews, Reviews West coast Americana at its finest, The Head & The Heart finally made their return to Berkeley on Saturday, a whirlwind of infectious energy and familial love. Debuting their 2016 album Signs of Light to a...
Bear’s Den no longer cubs Kavitha George October 2, 2016 Columns and Opinions I first heard Bear's Den in the summer of 2013 - on the precipice of college and actual adulthood - sitting on some grass in southern England with my best friend and someone named Charlie, sipping the sorcery ...
Gallery: The National colorize the Greek Kavitha George August 8, 2016 Photos The National played Berkeley's Greek Theatre last weekend, where they also hinted at a new album. Photos by Kavitha George...
Classics, dissonance, and Sufjan: SF Ballet has it all Kavitha George April 21, 2016 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Reviews A night at the San Francisco Ballet conjures images of stuffy elderly couples, opera glasses, pretentious critiquing discussions in the lobby between acts, and endless classical music. You will almost certainly...
Vance Joy, Australian vanilla bean, at the Fox Kavitha George March 3, 2016 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Reviews Faced by a front row packed with teenagers waving posters emblazoned with such subtle requests as "MARRY ME, VANCE," the 6' 4" Australian musician smiled sheepishly and thanked his audience. Vance Joy, born Jam...
Gallery: City & Colour lights up the Fox Kavitha George December 1, 2015 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Reviews, Photos Check out City & Colour's tour dates here. Photos by Kavitha George...
The Front Bottoms met with a die-hard crowd at Slim’s Kavitha George November 16, 2015 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Reviews Pop punk isn't generally my scene, but as is true with most concerts, being surrounded by throngs of teenagers screaming lyrics along with the lead singer kind of makes you love the music too. The Front Bottom...
Mikky Ekko welcomed to San Francisco by screaming crowd Kavitha George October 7, 2015 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Reviews, Multimedia, Photos, Reviews Sporting a daring new haircut (don't worry, his floppy curls are still intact), Mikky Ekko was met by throngs of screaming girls packed into the Rickshaw Stop on Saturday night. John Stephen Sudduth paused aft...
Passenger fills the Fox Oakland with larger-than-life sound Kavitha George September 13, 2015 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Reviews, Photos "Live, it can be really powerful just to have an acoustic guitar and a voice, to be able hear all the lyrics and present the songs in a really intimate way." Mike Rosenberg, better known by his stage name P...
Passenger to get intimate at Oakland’s Fox Theater Kavitha George September 2, 2015 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Previews Mike Rosenberg, better known by his stage name Passenger, is defined by his music's honesty. While "Let Her Go" shot Rosenberg into worldwide fame, his realism and truthful storytelling style has continued to...