Review: HAIM and Lizzo at the Greek Theatre
HAIM (photo: Carly Perkins) A sea of multicolored ponchos filled up UC Berkeley's Greek Theatre on April 6, as thousands gathered mid-storm for the Sister Sister Sister tour. Hip-hop artist and singer Lizzo commanded the audience with her soulful voice and unforgettable dance moves, and headliner HAIM seamlessly delivered pure pop-rock with an energy uniquely theirs. From the start of the show, it was clear that the rain would not deter fun from being had — if anything, the persistent torrential downpour acted as an instrument throughout the evening, punctuating pivotal moments in the show as if nature was shouting [...]
Best of 2014: Roman Gokhman’s favorite shows
Photo by Paige K. Parsons Last year I predicted I would never see as many concerts as I did in 2013, and I was right. Having two kids can do that to any guy, even a music journalist. From 64 shows the previous year, I was only able to attend 40 in 2014. That number will probably drop again next year. In judging what I enjoyed most, I decided to grade based on my favorites rather than the “best.” This is a subjective list, so I’m not going to try to decide who performed best. As in previous years, I set [...]
Outside Lands Interview: L.A. sisters Haim find connection with the City by the Bay
The three sisters in Los Angeles’s Haim have only performed two headlining shows in the Bay Area, but San Francisco holds special significance to them. Bassist Este (28) briefly held a job working for Ghirardelli Chocolate at the famous square — “I wouldn’t be here right now if I continued working there,” she deadpans. “The diabetic at the chocolate factory, I mean, come on.” For guitarist-keyboardist Alana (22), it was the first place their parents, Moti and Donna, would let her travel with friends. “We were, like, 16, so we couldn’t really do anything,” Alana says. “So we just ran around [...]
At The Fillmore, Haim reunites the family band
Photos by Paige K. Parsons "XO." The Beyonce song was slated and typed in as the encore opener to Haim's short set at The Fillmore Wednesday evening. But the show had a different feel. It was the opening night of the band's first full North American tour. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana had their parents in the house, up from Los Angeles. And so, even though bassist Este alluded to it toward the beginning of the show, it still came as a surprise when "XO" was x-ed out, and instead, the audience witnessed a reformation of Rockinhaim — the family [...]
Review: The 2013 Treasure Island Music Festival
This year's Treasure Island Music Festival attracted a diverse crowd, most of which partied way too hard during the high-energy dance sets of Saturday to attend Sunday's more guitar-oriented lineup. Sunday was also much colder, with lines for coffee often stretching beyond lines for beer. Schools of glowing white jellyfish drifted through the festival grounds on handheld sticks, as music fans wandered back and forth between the two stages. Giraffage kicked things off at noon during Saturday's stretch of the festival after an introduction from Noise Pop/Salty Artist Management's Chad Heimann aka Chad Salty, performing sample-driven dance music for the [...]
What we love about Treasure Island's Sunday lineup: Haim, Real Estate, & more
Every year, Treasure Island Music Festival brings two days' worth of scenic music consumption to that island out in the Bay. The way the booking pans out, Saturday rounds up most of the electronic and dance-inducing performers of the weekend, leaving Sunday for indie rock enthusiasts. This year's lineup looks slightly different. Especially for those who enjoy electronic music, the second day lineup for this year's festival is experiencing a slight spillover of said genre artists -- including the relentlessly innovative Animal Collective, the aggressively pop-electro duo Sleigh Bells, and the current king of electronic pop, James Blake. Full disclosure: [...]