Review + Photos: Silversun Pickups at the Fox Theater
Silversun Pickups (photo: SarahJayn Kemp) Around 2006 I first read about this “alternative band” in a teen magazine where Daniel Radcliffe (aka Harry Potter) shared his favorite music which, I believe, included the bands Silversun Pickups and Arcade Fire. Soon after, teenage me in the suburbs of LA had Silversun’s song “Lazy Eye” on repeat on my iPod. Fast forward 14 years, I’m in a diverse crowd in the Fox Theater in Oakland watching them live. There are tweens with parents who aren’t merely chaperones. There’s a grandfather in a kaftan, sashaying in wisps of weed. There’s a man in [...]
Review + Photos: Modest Mouse at the Fox Theater
Modest Mouse (photo: William Wayland) Modest Mouse is one of the few alternative bands that has thrived on a dedicated fan base extending decades. This was on full blast — literally and figuratively — at a sold-out show at Oakland’s Fox Theater on May 24th. The over-two-hour concert opened with a heavy rendition of “The World at Large,” one of their softer-sounding, slower songs from Good News for People Who Love Bad News. The venue encompassed overwhelming audio feedback throughout the night, perhaps inadvertently helping you get lost in the confusion and angst led by frontman Isaac Brock. One thing is [...]
Vance Joy gets real at the Greek Theatre
Vance Joy (photo: Tiffany Lew) Vance Joy sings like he’s speaking directly to you, lyrically weaving through the highs and lows of love — longing, patience, and (mis)understanding. Just ask one of the numerous teenage girls who screamed, “You’re so cute!” throughout his Nation of Two tour kickoff concert at the Greek Theater in Berkeley on April 13. “Riptide” catapulted the Melbourne singer-songwriter to radio airwaves around the world a few years ago, and work from his latest album, Nation of Two, brought just as much excitement to the crowd. Thousands of fans effortlessly sang and swayed to a backdrop [...]
Vance Joy brings ‘Nation of Two’ to the Greek
Vance Joy is back after first hitting airwaves in 2013 with mega folk-pop hit "Riptide" and touring with Taylor Swift. The Melbourne singer-songwriter kicks off his own Nation of Two tour at the Greek Theater in Berkeley on Thursday, April 13. His latest album, Nation of Two, was released in February and features familiar acoustic tunes a la James Bay and George Ezra. This time around, he's brought on board veteran writers Dave Bassett and Dan Wilson to cowrite some of the songs. The song production, however, isn't complicated. His voice is tender, sometimes cracking, while trying to make sense of [...]
Mickelson releases second single off upcoming album ‘A Wondrous Life’
(photo: Jayms Ramirez) Singer-songwriter and producer Mickelson's journey to his upcoming album, A Wondrous Life, hasn't been straightforward. The folk-rocker, who has lived in the Bay Area since the '80s, went from being signed to a label to being let down to writing and illustrating a children's book. Now, he's back with a project for which he produced, recorded, and played every instrument. It's a solo effort, unlike 2015's Flickering, which featured collaborations with Bay Area musicians including the Family Crest, Meghan Slankard, Brad Brooks and Jeff Campbell. Fans of Chris Stapleton and Sturgill Simpson will want to check him [...]