Photos
Sleigh Bells at Rickshaw Stop
Sleigh Bells, out in support of their recently-released fifth album Texis, played the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco on October 24th, the second of a two-night stand in the Bay Area. After playing a set at the New Parish in Oakland while the venue flooded, the atmospheric bomb cyclone continued to pound the area throughout the next day. The weather couldn’t keep the crowd away, though, and Sleigh Bells played hard enough to blow out the power to the sound system multiple times. Punk quartet Kills Birds, whose singer Nina Ljeti directed the video for Sleigh Bells’ “Locust Laced,” opened the show.
JPEGMAFIA at The Abbey
This past Thursday – the day before his third album ‘LP!’ dropped – experimental rap titan JPEGMAFIA threw down a rowdy, explosive set for his riled-up die-hards at The Abbey in Orlando. One of the most physical performers in the hip-hop sphere, “Peggy” got the fans moshing and crowdsurfing amid a mix of glitchy, bombastic hits old and new. Scroll through for the highlights.
J. Cole at The Forum
Hovvdy at 9:30 Club
‘True Love’ is out now.
Phoebe Bridgers with Julien Baker at the Greek Theatre Berkeley
An ascendent Phoebe Bridgers played an insanely sold-out show a the Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley on October 16th, in support of her second record, Punisher. With fans lined up for hours before doors, the queues spanned a half mile in two directions. Adding to the excitement was the promise of a “surprise opener,” who turned out to be acclaimed singer Julien Baker, Bridger’s friend and bandmate in supergroup Boygenius. Not surprisingly they each guested during the other’s set. Check out photos from both performers…
Japanese Breakfast at The Regency Ballroom
Michelle Zauner brought her band Japanese Breakfast to San Francisco’s Regency Ballroom on September 30th, the first of two nights in the Bay. Toronto singer Luna Li opened the show with an energizing set of her won.
J. Cole at Amway Center
J. Cole, one of the most prolific rap superstars of our generation, delivered a typically explosive set for his Orlando fans at Amway Center. The North Carolina MC and Dreamville head honcho ran through new tracks from his latest LP ‘The Off Season’ as well as a career-spanning slate of greatest hits. Scroll through for the full experience.
Big Thief at Union Transfer
One of most prolific bands out there returned to Philadelphia with their unparalleled hits, new and old.
Japanese Breakfast at the Neptune Theatre
Japanese Breakfast – the indie rock band led by Michelle Zauner – delivered a spectacular performance this past weekend on the first of three sold out nights at Seattle’s Neptune Theatre. Zauner & co. played a bunch of tracks off her excellent latest LP ‘Jubilee’ as well as material from ‘Sable’ – the recently released videogame that she scored. The Toronto musician Luna Li opened the show.
St. Vincent at The Greek Theatre Berkeley
Annie Clark, AKA St. Vincent, brought her “Daddy’s Home” tour to the Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley on September 23. Special guests Spoon opened the show. Check out the gallery from both sets…
Modest Mouse at The Masonic
Modest Mouse, out on tour in support of their recently-released 7th record, The Golden Casket, played the Masonic in San Francisco on September 16th. Check out the full gallery…
Waxahatchee at The Castro Theatre
Katie Crutchfield’s Waxahatchee hit San Francisco on September 22, as the band finally tour in support of last year’s very excellent record, St. Cloud. If the yearlong postponement of the tour had an upside, it’s that the band played a much bigger venue than they were originally scheduled to play in 2020. They played nearly the entire record, along with some older tunes and a cover of Gillian Welch’s “Wrecking Ball” and closing with a cover of Dolly Parton’s “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.”
Nashville’s Katy Kirby charmed with an opening set that delighted the crowd, many of whom were seeing their first concert in over a year.
Mannequin Pussy and Pinkshift at Schubas Tavern
Philadelphia indie punks Mannequin Pussy – one of the best bands in the game and currently supporting their recent Perfect EP – thrilled fans with a throttling set at Schubas Tavern in Chicago. Meanwhile, the promising Baltimore pop-punk up-and-comers Pinkshift delivered a fiery opening set of their own. Scroll through for the full ride.
Bully at The Independent
Nashville’s Bully hit the Independent in San Francisco on September 9, 2021, touring in support of Sugaregg, the third Bully record but first as Alicia Bognanno’s solo project. Though the record was released in August 2020, Bognanno and her band hadn’t played a show in over 20 months, and both the band and the (vaccinated and masked) crowd were ecstatic to hear the new record live.
Bartees Strange at Empty Bottle
Still riding high off his stunning debut album Live Forever, the shapeshifting Washington D.C.-based indie rocker Bartees Strange tore it up onstage at the Pitchfork Music Festival after show at Empty Bottle. It was a treat for die-hard Chicago fans who weren’t able to make it to the fest, and a magical double dose for the lucky ones who did.
