Beyond The Bay: Third Eye Blind at O2 Kentish Town Forum
Third Eye Blind (photo: Robert Alleyne) One of the biggest bands to come out of the Bay in recent decades, Third Eye Blind are still out there giving what they have in support of their latest album, Screamer. This was as part of their Summer tour outside of the US at the O2 Kentish Town Forum and our photographer Robert Alleyne was there to capture the gallery that you can check out below.
Bands In Portrait: Ellisa Sun sets on the Bay
At the end of 2017, Ellisa Sun was looking for her next challenge. "My band and I got to play the Great American Music Hall, we got to play the Independent, we got to play the Rickshaw Stop; my three favorite venues," she says on a windy morning outside Peet's Coffee on Fillmore. "I was at a point where I could stay, and we could keep doing this, but that did not feel right." She was yearning to do something more significant — but back then, she did not know quite what that something was. Ellisa grew up in Southern [...]
Beyond The Bay: The She’s make their London debut at Old Blue Last
The She's (photo: Robert Alleyne) "all Female rock n roll quartet" The She's played their first show in London on Monday, June 17. The Bay Area dream-pop-rockers played a triumphant show to a busy Old Blue Last in Shoreditch. Our photographer Robert Alleyne was there to capture their set.
Photos: Zelma Stone at Amnesia
Zelma Stone (photo: Robert Alleyne) San Francisco's Zelma Stone performed at Amnesia last Friday night with support from Tino Drima and Oakland's Classic Hat. All of the bands got a lot of love, as the venue was packed before the openers even took to the stage. Back in town for a bit, our London-based photographer Robert Alleyne was at the show to capture the gallery of our local bands performing. Check it out below.
Best of 2018: Robert Alleyne’s favorite photos from 2018
The Seshen (photo: Robert Alleyne) I moved from San Francisco back to London early in 2018, and in some ways I thought I’d left the Bay Area music scene behind. Then the summer happened, and it felt like week after week musicians from the Northern California (or with Bay Area connections) were visiting. Jay Som packed out Oslo in Hackney, and Fantastic Negrito was, well, fantastic in Camden. Caleborate brought the house down in Shoreditch, and on the same night, the Pendletons brought the funk to East London. Jay Som Caleborate As winter closed in, the Seshen, Geographer, and Rituals of [...]
Beyond The Bay: The Seshen, Rituals of Mine, Geographer in London
On Wednesday, November 6, at a small venue in East London, was a gig you'd expect to find at Rickshaw Stop or Starline. the Seshen, Rituals of Mine, and Geographer joined forces for a UK tour which saw them stop off in eight cities around England and Scotland. For Aki Ehara of the Seshen, touring the UK is a opportunity to get closer, and pay homage, to music he has long admired from across the pond. “I have been just really inspired by music here [in the UK] for decades...almost all my favorite bands are from the UK,” Ehara shares. [...]
Bands In Portrait: Elizabeth Moen
For four years I had two homes. I lived day-to-day in San Francisco, yet always referred to London, England as my home whenever anyone asked. When I visited London, the opposite would happen — home became San Francisco. I defined home as the place I was away from. Cheap flights and messaging apps have made the world a smaller place in the last 20 years, so defining "home" can be complicated. Why tie yourself down to one place when you can roam free? All you need is a mobile phone, a credit card, a few friends, and an idea. Soul-folk [...]
Bands In Portrait: Rabbit Quinn
After all she has gone through, Rabbit Quinn is not looking for your sympathy. She never has been. All she wants is your support. “If you like a female artist, support them. Because if they are supported by you, they don't need to be supported by the asshole over there who wants to fuck them,” she affirms. “Support local artists. Support female artists in an independent way that has nothing to do with the giant evil sexist music machine.” But what does it mean to be independent in today’s music business? The Bay Area singer-songwriter and purveyor of "gothic soul" [...]
Beyond The Bay: The Pendletons interview at the Roundhouse, London
Funk/soul group the Pendletons spent a few weeks touring Europe this summer. Eric Boss, Trailer Limon, and Ishtar spent time in Spain, Germany, and England supporting their new album, Funk Forever. I caught up with them on a sunny afternoon in Camden, London, to talk about touring, the differences between playing in Europe and The Bay, and how they spread The Pendletons’ sound throughout the world. This was vocalist Ishtar’s first trip to Europe. She sang karaoke in Berlin’s Mauerpark and in London visited Violet Bakery, the makers of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding cake. While The Pendletons [...]
Beyond The Bay: Caleborate at the Old Blue Last, London
Caleborate (photo: Robert Alleyne) Bay Area rapper Caleborate played to a busy crowd on Friday night for the London stop of his European tour. The Sacramento-raised Berkeley resident, performed a set that leaned heavily on his critically-acclaimed third album, Real Person, at the Old Blue Last. A Friday night show in the hipster neighborhood of Shoreditch can be tough, and the 25-year-old musician had to call out a few overly intoxicated attendees distracting him during the deeply reflective "Down." This call-out was much to the delight of the many fans in the room. It did not distract from a performance that [...]