Lauren Ruth Ward explodes onto Cafe du Nord stage
Grungy '70s psych-rock singer Lauren Ruth Ward just released “Water Sign” from her forthcoming album, Volume II ahead of her US tour jumping off this month. On the 19th of March the Baltimore singer plays Cafe du Nord (presented by Noise Pop, so you know it’s solid) and it’s sure to be a funky splendid time. The single’s accompanying video (shot by Dylan Doornbos Hayes) is a funny trip with a hint at the some of the antics Ward gets up to on stage. She’s a charismatic performer with a pleasingly unique voice that’s hard to pin down. For fans [...]
Siri Seiko, Wade08, Trey Coastal on Sounds from Elsewhere showcase
This Saturday, February 29 marks the return of Sounds from Elsewhere, a quarterly showcase shining a light on the alternative hip-hop and R&B artists emerging from the soil. Hosted and curated by Just Rese, the lineup is as varied and diverse as the region they're representing: Siri Seiko, an astrological artist; Trey Coastal, an eclectic trio of Oakland MCs and Text Me Records' charismatic rap wizard Wade08 highlight a bill designed as a who's who of the next generation. Per Just Rese: The goal of each show is to introduce audiences to their new favorite local acts. There are a [...]
Women Sound Off Festival Is Back This April 3-5
The fourth annual Women Sound Off Festival (WSO) was recently just announced proving to one-up itself year after year. Formally known as Women in Music, WSO is a full weekend experience taking place April 3-5 empowering Bay Area women to connect and learn from like-minded visionaries, creatives and entrepreneurs. This year's festival will feature 30-plus speakers all ready to dish on wellness and career tips we all strive to hear day-to-day. Their official website states, "Women Sound Off Festival is a place to renew your ambition, meet like-minded go getters and connect with people in real life." The three-day festival [...]
Jack Symes’ Prom Night at Great American
Singer-songwriter Jack Symes returns to his old San Francisco stomping grounds this March to grace the Great American stage. Didn’t get the prom night you wanted in high school? Fret not, Symes is giving you a reason to dress to the nines in your most prom-ed out attire. As part of his two-part Prom Night show--ahead of his new single, “Prom Song”--Symes will feature an eight-piece band and “...balloon archways, corsages, streamers, the works. We’ll be channeling a sort of 1960’s high school prom vibe for the night,” he tells us. Single “Baby, My Baby” arrived this month and it’s [...]
Canadian folk pop singer Andy Shauf plays August Hall February 21
Photo credit: Colin Medley Lookin’ for a good time? Look no further than next week. August Hall is hosting Toronto-based Andy Shauf, whose latest album The Neon Skyline dropped in January (ANTI-). The album is Shauf’s sixth album and his second concept album. Following 2016 album The Party (which earned him several nominations and a couple big wins, including Western Canadian Music Awards' Pop Artist of the Year), Neon Skyline is full of story songs with a touch of humor à la Randy Newman or The Kinks’ Ray Davies. Shauf’s pleasing inflection, a warm array of woodwinds and interesting arrangements [...]
Pom Pom Squad brings Brooklyn grunge to Bottom of the Hill
The grungy Pom Pom Squad are making their West Coast debut, co-headlining with Rosie Tucker at Bottom of the Hill as a part of the 2020 Noise Pop Music & Arts Festival in San Francisco. Bringing stereotypical New Yorker surliness to their sound, lead singer Mia Berrin alternates scoffs and wry grins through her lyrics. Their sound is in stark opposition to their cheerleader-inspired visual aesthetic, which serves to highlight the power in femininity while simultaneously critiquing the restrictiveness which comes part and parcel. Dubbed “quiet grrrl” punks, the band’s lyrics focus on both inter- and intrapersonal relationships, brashly attacking [...]
Begonia’s sassy solid pop comes to Milk Bar
Our friends at Throwin’ Bo’s present us with another show this February, featuring Begonia. Following the release of her debut album Fear, the Canadian pop singer is making tour stop at Milk Bar as part of her 2020 Fear Tour. The album is a fresh burst of energy and sass, as demonstrated by the official album trailer. Do we want to roller skate with this bumpin’ crowd? Yes. Also on the bill is a vibe quite the opposite: So Much Light, the Sacramento-based acoustic pop singer with just enough touch of emo pleasantry. December Music by So Much Light Another [...]
Dashboard Confessional turn 20, play Fillmore
(photo: Estefany Gonzalez) Just in time for their 20th anniversary tour, Dashboard Confessional releases The Best of the Best Ones to start the new year with a nostalgic collection of the band’s most treasured songs, spanning across all seven of their studio albums. The album’s title is an homage to a line from their most successful single "Stolen." The soothing vocals and chords of Chris Carrabba take us back to wistful days of our youth. Each track is brimming with lush lyricisim and vulnerability that transcend time, showcasing the band’s ability to evoke emotions through ageless melodies. Dashboard Confessional announced [...]
Simon Joyner living room show next month
Simon says: Stop what you are doing and get tickets for this now! Simon Joyner is a national treasure, and a chance to enjoy his songs up close and personal is a rare and precious gift. This will be the only Bay Area show. It takes place Sunday February 16 in a sweet Oakland living room. Doors and mingling at 7, songs at 8, BYOB, $10-20 sliding scale. PayPal simon@simonjoyner.net and Simon will then send you the address. Grass, Branch & Bone by Simon Joyner This is likely to be your favorite show of the year, but you don't have [...]
Radical Face’s reissue of ‘Ghost,’ February 1 show at August Hall
Thirteen years after the release of Radical Face’s Ghost in 2007, Ben Cooper (aka Radical Face) has re-released the album with completely new interpretations of the original tracks. Songs like “Welcome Home, Son” (which has been the Nikon theme song for eight years) have bolstered a cult following and have been given a fresh and gentle new breath of life. We connected with Cooper on his choice to reinterpret the album. He told The Bay Bridged, “The impetus was pretty practical. The rights to that album were returning to me and I could finally reprint the record on my own [...]