Last year saw Sea of Dreams, the decade-and-a half-old concert event that bills itself as one of the most elaborate New Year’s Eve spectacles in the county, change it’s location from The Concourse to Bill Graham Civic Auditorium — where acts ranging from Thievery Corporation to Emancipator to a DirtyBird Records showcase came to take part in the 2014/2015 rendition, entitled “Vibrant Sea.” The long-standing San Francisco experience, however, will be taking a hiatus for the year, and in its place Sea of Dreams partners HUSHconcerts and Another Planet Entertainment are launching a new event to take place at the San Francisco venue. Dubbed “The Big One,” the organizers say to expect “an evening of renewal, ignition, and unity,” as well as “one incredible party.”
In promoting their theme of “unity, community, singularity, and ONE-NESS,” the promoters have arranged for The Flaming Lips to reign in 2016 with their unique brand of experimental psych-pop. The Oklahoma band is no stranger to the San Francisco New Year’s scene, having just last year played two nights at the Warfield to bring 2014 to a close. The Flaming Lips return to celebrate their New Year’s once again in the Bay Area, this time on Bill Graham’s much larger stage. Expect even more of their trademark theatrics, from excessive amounts of confetti to a classic hamster ball crowd surfing spectacle.
The Flaming Lips are veterans at delivering inane displays of musical playfulness, and are sure to end 2015 with enough irreverent force to make you forget what you are even there to be celebrating. Diving deeper into the lineup, however, only reveals greater treasures for the evening. Local legend Scott Hansen of Tycho is not only bringing his impressive live band to the proceedings, but is additionally going to offer his talents for a DJ set. Giving Hansen the opportunity to pull double duty for the night is already a well-appreciated display of Bay Area pride, but the hometown blood runs even richer, with both Geographer and Motion Potion slated to perform.
The Big One is also drawing talent from across the country and even the globe, including Brooklyn-based rocktronica duo Ratatat, Floridian electronic act XXYYXX, and Slovenian producer Gramatik. From lights to sound to setting, expect the evening to provide a multifaceted buffet for the senses. A diverse lineup with a distinct face – The Big One has rolled into the already crowded San Francisco New Year’s concert market and made an aggressively compelling claim to your pre-2016/post-2015 plans. Tickets are available here – with the current price tier for general admission tickets at $85, but rising to $95 once those sell out.
Full Lineup:
The Flaming Lips
Ratatat
Tycho (LIVE + DJ Set)
Gramatik
Geographer
XXYYXX
Gigamesh
Thriftworks
Shigeto
Worthy
Pumpkin
Late Night Radio
Motion Potion
The Big One
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Dec 31, 2015
8pm, $85
