Review + Photos: Franz Ferdinand at the Fox Theater
Franz Ferdinand (photo: Ria Burman) Last Thursday, May 17, Scotland’s favorite indie rock & disco hybrid Franz Ferdinand took to Oakland’s Fox Theater for a high energy and visually entertaining ride. The show wrapped up the band's month-and-a-half run through North America in support of Always Ascending. The quintet’s first studio release in five years debuted in February of this year. The album also marked the official departure of original guitarist Nick McCarthy. At the Fox, lead vocalist Alex Kapranos, original bassist Bob Hardy, and drummer Paul Thomson were joined by multi-instrumentalist phenom Julian Corrie and auxiliary guitarist Dino Bardot. [...]
Giveaway: Franz Ferdinand at the Fox Theater
Looking for a great reason to take someone out to a show? If you and your date are fans of Franz Ferdinand, you should definitely enter our giveaway! The Scottish indie band best known for their 2004 single "Take Me Out" will be playing at the Fox Theater in Oakland this week. It will be the last show in the US leg of the band's tour before heading back to the United Kingdom. The tour follows the group's release of their fifth album, Always Ascending, which came out earlier this year. Opening the night will be Washington DC post-punk band [...]
Roman Gokhman’s favorite concerts of 2015
Welcome to my annual countdown of the most entertaining music experiences of the year. I only went to 41 concerts. Life commitments and a family took a higher priority. But then again, I enjoy profiling an artist over critiquing the music. I put more thought into the concerts I attended, so I think this compilation is still “deserving,” whatever that means. Still, some iconic and talented performers didn’t make my top 10: No Elton John or AC/DC, Royal Blood or Kacey Musgraves (who both came close), no Mumford and Sons or Duran Duran. Those of you who have read my previous [...]
FFS: A Friggin’ Fun Show
FFS (Photos by Brittany O'Brien) From swaying and atmospheric to face-melting electric rockabilly distortion by way of teeth, The Intelligence managed to put just the right amount of pep in eager FFS fans' steps at their Oakland debut at the Fox Theater last Thursday. They may have looked like your dad and his friends, but I assure you the Intelligence earned their spot as openers for FFS as they jumped over drum sets and kicked their feet in the air while shredding notes that filled the grandiose theatre. As the pulse of the crowd dropped between bands, I couldn't help but to wonder if [...]
Interview: Franz Ferdinand + Sparks = FFS
After a long day's work at the coffee shop, I was rewarded with the supreme pleasure of skyping with Paul Thomson, drummer of Franz Ferdinand, and now the collaborative pop group with LA's duo Sparks-- FFS. We talked everything from Ferdinand's "coincidental" run in with Sparks in our very neighborhood to the whirlwind of doing a world tour after only two weeks of rehearsing. TBB: The long awaited collaboration between Franz Ferdinand and Sparks has finally happened. Congratulations. From what I hear, this all began because both groups were fans of each other - Sparks loving “Take Me Out” which was [...]
Best of 2014: Roman Gokhman’s favorite shows
Photo by Paige K. Parsons Last year I predicted I would never see as many concerts as I did in 2013, and I was right. Having two kids can do that to any guy, even a music journalist. From 64 shows the previous year, I was only able to attend 40 in 2014. That number will probably drop again next year. In judging what I enjoyed most, I decided to grade based on my favorites rather than the “best.” This is a subjective list, so I’m not going to try to decide who performed best. As in previous years, I set [...]
Glasgow rock stars Franz Ferdinand tear up the Fox Theater
(Photos by Gary Magill) It's been a decade since Franz Ferdinand released their self-titled debut album and dropped the bomb that was "Take Me Out". After the music video received heavy attention on MTV that summer, the album broke Billboard's top 50 and sold one million copies. Since then they've toured the circuits and grown a loyal fandom, steadily crafting anthemic indie rock instead of fading into post-aughts obscurity. The Fox Theater is best attended by bands who can deliver a HUGE sound, and Franz Ferdinand did not fail to bring that main stage festival effect indoors. Kicking things off with "Bullet" and [...]
Ticket Giveaway Wednesday: The Soft White Sixties, Franz Ferdinand, and more
To enter for a chance to win tickets to any show below, email contest@thebaybridged.com with the name of the band and the date of the show you’re entering for in the subject line and your full name in the body of the email. Winners will be selected at random and notified via email. Friday, April 25th The Soft White Sixties, Chicano Batman, A Million Billion Dying Suns @ Slim's 9pm, $15, all ages. Buy advance tickets here. Saturday, April 26th (((folkYEAH!))) Presents Flamin' Groovies, The Tyde, Light Fantastic @ Great American Music Hall 8pm, $23, all ages. Buy advance tickets [...]