An interview with San Francisco singer-songwriter Luke Sweeney
The first Luke Sweeney song I heard started with crickets. It begins like a warm summer evening: the chirping, a simple solid baseline, a soft, kind voice. Then the song erupts and and opens into a cabana-meets-Harry Nilsson. It’s a pretty fabulous experience the first time you hear it, and the next, next, and so on. A lot of the songs off Sweeney’s new Peace Meal album have a smorgasbord of influence: there’s Kinks and T. Rex, there’s Mungo Jerry and the smallest touch of Latin vibes; waltzy beats. Above all, the lyrics are clever, kooky and funny and god [...]
What’s Happening This Week? A Guide To Shows Around The Bay, Dec 11 – 14
What's happening this week? Well, there's this thing we've been talking about for a month now. Monday, December 11 Violence Creeps, Toyota, Nopes @ Hemlock Tavern Some of our favorite local punk and noise bands from recent years fill out this bill. Metz, Moaning @ The Independent Read more about the Sub Poppers' sound and influences at the link above. Cindy Wilson @ Cafe du Nord Bring your jukebox money. Grizzly Bear @ The Warfield After a long hiatus and rumors of a breakup, Grizzly Bear are back with two nights at the Warfield. Olivia O'Brien @ Gundlach Bundschu Winery [...]
Premiere: Experience “Christmas in Real Time” with Luke Sweeney
For the past several years, San Francisco's Luke Sweeney has tried to kick off the holiday season by writing and recording a Christmas song with his buddy Roberto Pagano, and he's back for another round this year. I'll let Luke himself tell the story of 2017's miraculous Christmas birth (of song): This year, I wasn't feeling inspired. I hadn't a shred of an idea for the song until the day before our annual tradition was set to commence. I holed up in my studio for a bit and tinkered with a few melodies until I had a tiny skeleton tune [...]
What’s Happening This Week? A Guide To Shows Around The Bay, Dec 19 – Dec 22
This week catch live performances of A Charlie Brown Christmas with music provided by the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall. Monday, December 19 Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker @ The Warfield Opening for this holiday heavy-hitter will be 20+ Musical Wunderkind violinist and cellist prodigies, young "pre-professionals," accompanying the principal ballerina in Saint-Saëns’ classic “Dying Swan.” Dimond Saints, Gladkill @ The New Parish Wormhole's sensory explosion show series of Burner-esque tendencies will be donating all proceeds towards victims of the Ghost Ship fire and their families. Tuesday, December 20 Nyre @ El Rio Our most recently featured local [...]
What’s Happening This Week? A Guide To Shows Around The Bay, Dec 12 – Dec 15
The biggest benefit show for last weekend's Oakland fire tragedy will be at the Fox Theatre this Wednesday. Monday, December 12 Julia Lewis, Brogan Bentley @ Thee Parkside Free show, $1 Anchor Steam beers, and Calebrate hosting? Yes, please. Pylon Reenactment Society, Cruel Summer, Mall Walk @ The Independent An Athens, Georgia local favorite, Pylon disbanded after guitarist Randy Bewley died in 2000. Instead of replacing him, Pylon Reenactment Society was born with members from Casper & the Cookies, The Glands, and pianist Damon Denton to pay tribute. Gladys Knight with the San Francisco Symphony @ Davies Symphony Hall The "Empress [...]
Luke Sweeney’s Holiday in Amnesia kicks off tonight
Yet another holiday tradition starts tonight in the Mission led by Luke Sweeney. The psych rocker returns to Amnesia for a three-week stint with a new set of acts performing every Tuesday (the 6th, 13th, and 20th). The bookends to the trio of shows host three performers each night including Luke Sweeney. Week two, on the other hand, boasts a crowded holiday themed show with up to ten acts. Get the scoop on everyone taking the stage below: Week One: Luke Sweeney, K. Skelton, Sun Like Drugs Week Two: Luke Sweeney, Eight Belles, Efft, Joel Robinow, Sarah Bethe Nelson, Kendra [...]
Video Premiere: Luke Sweeney, “Red Hot Demands”
What was that you said about SF's scene being dead? Pillar of San Francisco's garage-psych community and frequent flier of the pages of TBB Luke Sweeney has been kind enough to share his new video for "Red Hot Demands" with us today. In the video, Sweeney is his usual serene-but-kinda-goofy self, starring in a video bathed in red light (and, ahem, smoke) that's just weird enough to make you momentarily wonder if you actually just saw what you did. The song itself was actually recorded in 2013, and comes from a 7-inch/novella project Sweeney put out earlier this year. Sweeney's [...]
Ticket Giveaway Wednesday: Sunrunners, Luke Sweeney and more
To enter for a chance to win tickets to any show below, email contest@thebaybridged.com with the name of the band and the date of the show you’re entering in the subject line and your full name in the body of the email. Winners will be selected at random and notified via email. Friday, April 8 Virgo Supercluster, Tripwire, Luke Sweeney @ Bottom of the Hill Friday, April 8 Red Meat, Sweet Chariot @ The Chapel 9pm, $16, all ages. Buy advance tickets here. Friday, April 8 Talkie, Sunrunners, Meet Me In Orbit, St. Ranger @ Great American Music Hall 8:30pm, [...]
Luke Sweeney puts out somber, glam single “Red Hot Demands”
Luke Sweeney (Photo: Victoria Smith) The last time we heard from Luke Sweeney was when he played at our December show at El Rio. The seasons have changed, with holidays melting into SXSW, and with them comes the latest news from the glam man himself. He just put out a somber single "Red Hot Demands" and he's set to play SXSW next week. The song, at first listen, takes careful time to establish itself. The bassline is the first thing to permeate through the track, which builds layer by layer. When it's finally ready, Sweeney joins in. Here, he's sounding [...]
The Bay Bridged Presents: Luke Sweeney at El Rio this Saturday
Another Saturday night is quickly approaching — where will you be? Celebrating the seventh night of Hanukkah? Spending an evening bundled under the covers because you're too cold to move? If you're still in need of some plans, we at the Bay Bridged have got you covered again. We're presenting Luke Sweeney and a couple other great local bands this Saturday at El Rio, and you're invited! Local rock 'n' roll favorite Luke Sweeney has spent the majority of late 2015 touring up and down the coast and, more recently, all around the Bay. Fittingly, he's closing out the year with his [...]