This Friday, August 4, Boston art-rock band Bent Knee will bring their energetic and vibrant live show to San Francisco’s Café du Nord.

The group’s fourth full-length and first major label record in their eight year history, Land Animal, was released on June 23, less than a year after 2016’s Say So. Land Animal contains 10 tracks that offer colorful commentary on the complexity of contemporary global issues.

“Life on earth primarily evolved out of the ocean, a habitat in which organisms freely move in three dimensions. Creatures outside of that environment, however, engage in a constant battle with gravity,” violinist Chris Baum recently told Consequence of Sound. “Why didn’t we remain in the water? Land animals are explorers; survivors. In the midst of great struggle, we trudge ever forward. Each song on Land Animal tells the story of human survival in its own way. As complex social issues and technological breakthroughs continue to shape our evolution as a species, they echo our early efforts to step foot onto land.”

The six-piece band formed in 2009 with the intention of pushing the boundaries of pop and rock music. They often combine varying keyboard, violin and guitar dynamics over an equally powerful yet nuanced rhythm section. Lead singer and keyboardist Courtney Swain hooks the listener instantly in on the new album’s opening track, “Terror Bird,” drawing comparisons to other vocal acrobats like Grace Potter.

Opening the evening Friday night will be the San Francisco-based piano rock duo Sit Kitty Sit. Comprised of Kat Downs and Mike Thompson, the classically trained pair of musicians bring an imaginative blend of innumerable genres and influences that you won’t want to miss.

Bent Knee, Sit Kitty Sit
Cafe du Nord
August 4, 2017
9pm, $10 (21+)