Election Day / Live 2020

Mood Music |

Jack White Trio | "Don't Hurt Yourself, Ball n Biscuit, Jesus is Coming" |

The medley of songs was fueled by a rock'n and powerful three-piece. Jack White reminded everyone why live music is so infectious. Make no mistake, live music is something we long for, it's vital to our souls. 

His squealing guitar was an onslaught of arrows, every squall piercing with inflection. The drummer added force and measure, remaining constant and attached to White's timings. Bass players do as bass players do, their job, holding it down, yet full of capacity. Their collective sound was minimal yet cavernous and banging. Though there were abrasive elements, welcomed by this listener, it was approachable, understandable. 

The lyrical change-ups during "Jesus..." were dutifully scripted for the here and now. Different segments showcased the band's abilities, energy, timing, power and emotion. Raw, dripping in talent and hard work, shredding, they were just what I needed. Thanks Jack White. Long Live Live Music.

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80choices

The Besty's » 2017

Cabbage White | Pieris Rapae

01.13.17 » The Cleveland Cavaliers (LeBron) in Sacramento @ The Golden 1 Center

» The NBA is always fantastic, this game was no different. The Golden 1 Center is an amazing venue & my favorite ever to watch basketball in. Sight-lines are unprecedentedly good, regardless of where your seat is. It was flash back Friday so the Kings wore their old-school powder blue uniforms. Thirteen rows from the floor increase the engagement, we were on the baseline near the Cavs bench. 

Early on it was Kevin Love getting buckets. His outlet passes are an asset for sure, it's one or two leaks-outs per game. Shump played well early for the visiting team, he was rocking Nike Air Zoom Generations. When LeBron is focused on defense it's a treat to watch him play weak side, he's the ultimate free-safety in basketball. Cleveland was locked in defensively overall. Kyrie's handles are so sticky and his pull-up jumpers are death blows. At one stretch the Cavs played LeBron with four role players; I've always appreciated these type of five-man groups. There were some nasty highlight reel dunks too. Cleveland's roster was filled with skilled players—it's no wonder we saw a trilogy in The Finals. 

01.29.17 » M » SF 

03.17.17 » March Madness in Sacramento @ The Golden 1 Center, St. Patrick's Day

» Cincinnati vs. K. State - First of all, K State has an awesome band & their arsenal of covers was impressive for sure. College atmospheres are so electric. 

» UCLA vs. Kent State - UCLA resembled a pro team during warm ups, missing only a few shots. Ball was quick to initiate offense and willing to take chances early up the court. I was impressed by the Bruins defense. There were some sets run by the UCLA that had such freedom & fluidity, their athleticism and exciting play is a basketball made fun. Leaf and Welsh were dominant throughout the half-court game. UCLA advanced with five guys scoring in double figures.

04.16.17 » The Birds @ Main Stage West in Sebastopol

04.22 & 23.17 » High Water Festival in Charleston, SC
» Day 1: Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, The Shins
» Day 2: Shovels & Rope, The Avett Brothers

» The artists listed above were the best sets I caught while attending the inaugural High Water Festival in Charleston. This will be an annual pilgrimage back to the Carolina's, it's one of the best boutique outdoor festival I've ever attended. And, it's only going to get better. Best friends, great times, good places, need I say more?

06.23.17 » J » SF 

06.27.17 » Tank & The Bangas @ Lagunitas in Petaluma

» Rocking, Psyche, Hip Hop, with breakdown-style call and response to some Nina Simone, and that was only their first song. They dropped some wah-wah pedal, mixing it with an almost scribbled sound two tracks later. An Anderson Paak Cover goes over well with this listener so, "I might never come down." Oozing with future sounds and Jazzy vibes, all I could think was, the future is female. Whatever you want to call their fun-soaked, bass-backed, Hip Hop Jedi sound, make sure to include danceable. Because, similar to their set-closer, Make Your Ass Clap, this band is on fire and you might just have to stop drop and roll. After throwing a party like that at Lagunitas they could have rode off into the sunset, instead, they dropped another bomb, Hey Ya (the Andre 3000 smash).

Summer @ SFMOMA

08.04.17 » BHS Basketball @ Monte Rio » Wags, Whiskers & Wine Gala in Geyserville

August » Road trip along the entire Oregon Coast & Portland
» Oregon is Calling Me...

09.26.17 » Tank & The Bangas @ The Urban Lounge in Salt Lake City

» Tuesday night ramen and some tasty oat sodas, plus kicking it with an all-time best bro and then going to a local venue to see a band that makes people dance—OK! I had a great couple of days in Salt Lake City. I got to mob the streets with the woofer Huey, she's such a sweet girl. Hanging out with one of my favorite people helps to smooth out any situation. I was shown a great time and was reminded of just how cool SLC is. I need to make it back there more frequently. 

We decided to go to Banga'ville, good choice. Tank and the Bangas opened with a Goodie Mob/Dr. Dre mash-up that got me into the groove. "Who's that peeking in the window?" Hip Hop was the early theme and the local crowd seemed to be more than cool with that. The band carved a cool energy into the crowd during the middle of their set; it had an almost lounge vibe, it made me smile. One of the lyrics went, "While you wash my hair, la la la." Returning to a more hip hop driven sound and spitting fire, it got loud. A spoken word-like poem backed by instruments segued nicely into a super creative take on the Zootopia song, it seemed as though I wasn't the only one noticing their ability to dig deep into their bag of tricks. Listeners began to shout the Zootopia line, Hey hey hey, which bent into a remixed version of, "a little bit softer now." As in Petaluma, this show would finish with Andre 3000's, Hey Ya; except this time it started off far more abstract. Having heard them do this over the summer, I whispered to the good Doctor, "Hey Ya."

10.07.17 » Gillian Welch & David Rawlings @ Golden Gate Park in San Francisco

» These American treasures own Golden Gate Park, especially when performing on the banjo stage, an annual right of passage for Bay Area residents. They started with an absolutely beautiful harmony on, Wayside, Back In Time, which set the tone for an emotional set. Elvis Presley Blues gave new meaning to poignancy as Gillian's voice bottled the masses into one moment, singing us into a willful submission; only a siren can silence that many people. The magic of a certain white butterfly kept, The Way It Will Be & The Way It Goes, heartfelt. A minor hiccup during Red Clay Halo revealed to us that they too make mistakes, they are so genuine it's unmistakable. A trio of, Hard Times, Six White Horses and Time (The Revelator), were the songs that hit hardest. The latter two carried even more meaning for my Ninja sidekick, hell, she's the M'F'n leader. Words sometimes carry with them more gravity at different times throughout life. And, when those words are being serenaded to you by authentic artists, all that's left to do is to feel. Letting your emotions take over can sometimes be exactly what is needed. Miss Ohio and I'll fly away closed the set. They would encore with Willie Watson on the cinematic, Don't Leave Nobody But the Baby. 

Set: Wayside/Back in Time, Annabelle, Elvis Presley Blues, The It Will Be, The Way It Goes, Red Clay Halo, Hard Times, Six White Horses, Time (The Revelator), Midnight Train, Look at Miss Ohio, I'll Fly Away, Don't Leave Nobody But The Baby 

10.26.17 » Mary Shelly's Body @ Main Stage West in Sebastopol

11.04.17 » Valley Ford, Dillon Beach, Tomales Bay, Point Reyes Station

» Happy Holidays & Enjoy the New Year!

Cheers,
eightychoices.

The BESTY's 2016

The Besty's 2016

Time flies when you're having fun. Either that, or time just keeps moving faster as my birthdays continue to pile up. The end of the year is usually marked by New Year's parties, concerts and shenanigans. Once again I'm listing off (chronologically) the best live performances that I was fortunate enough to catch. As in years past, I will acknowledge the best of the best, via The Roo Ratings. Have a great end to 2016 and have fun ringing in the New Year.

• STS9 - The Wiltern - January 30th *

It was my favorite person's birthday weekend, we were in LA and the band straight shredded. They dropped Herbie Hancock bombs and doused the hyped crowd with some Tupac. We also danced and kicked it with some famous people, for real. This was probably the best I've ever seen from Sector, 2.0 or otherwise. Thanks Agent M for sharing your world with me. Big ups to our Culver City crew. Video

• Cavaliers at Kings - Sleep Train Arena - March 9th *

My favorite player in a city not too far away. Sacramento hosted LeBron in the arena he played his first NBA game in. Sleep Train is no more, but damn, what a cool throwback scene. There were wooden bleachers, heady beer and an intimacy that will be tough to replace. This was my first time seeing James in person. He commanded the floor and captivated attention. The Cavs won, sweetening the night for this hoops-crazed NBA fan. On a side note: I was able to catch this game, as well as a handful of Golden State games, meaning I saw both of the clubs that battled in The Finals. My nerd alert is reg'n high right now. 

• Anderson East - Sweetwater Music Hall - March 10th

Great artists emerge over time and Anderson East is definitely carving his own path. He's an old soul with more than his fair share of talents. The band is super tight and his lyrics breathe on their own. The Sweetwater was the perfect venue for a group of musicians who truly care about their craft. Not only did they play material off of Delilah, they dappled the night with soulful and unexpected covers—Van Morrison and Mariah Carey, to name a couple. It was a cool night to share with one of our favorite friends.

• Billy & The Kids - Sweetwater Music Hall - April 18th

Thanks for hooking us up, you know who you are. As far as I'm concerned, this was the best night of Dead music I've heard in quite some time. A wonder-band formed around the drumming of Billy Kreutzmann obviously sounds good in theory, it's even better when it actually finds magic. This show ripped. Sounding good never sounded so good. I love it when originals team up with fresh faces; there's a different, better energy when the pillars of yesteryear share with the flag-bearers of the future. 

• Paul Simon - Greek Theatre - June 3rd *

The Greatest passed on this night... Paul Simon told everyone in attendance that Muhammad Ali had died. I welled up with tears, my emotions spurred by the loss of a legend. I too had lost a legend. Leading up to this show I had suffered personal loss. Thanks to Paul, and the emotionally-in-tune crowd, we were all sharing a surreal moment. Life is beautiful because it is finite. Paul Simon sung to us, and he branded us with the news. Heartache and joy were co-mingling. In a night when he played new material, plus all his hits, it was his profound respect for the champion of champions that will stay with me. He shared the sadness with us during the second encore. He bravely gave  us, as a sign of appreciation, "The Boxer." A powerful, timeless, and heartfelt night to remember. sigh.

The Besty's 2016

• Banks & Steelz - The Independent - August 27th *
RZA & Paul Banks threw down—love me some bang'n hip hop. A night only San Francisco can create.

Good night. Drop the mic. Uber to Kabuki. Late night sushi. That shit was real. Banks & Steelz. We all have voices. eightychoices.

• Dancing at Lughnasa - Main Stage West - October 14th (opening night)

Agent M strikes again; her ideas are always the best. It was opening night, and a chilly one,  at our local play house. We tackled that quickly with a Russian River red wine. Irish roots met modern portrayals and everyone nailed their roles. What a fun and entertaining night. I highly recommend live acting on stage; it's completely captivating when executed with honesty and humility. 

• Robbie Robertson - Dominican University - November 16th
As the old saying goes, it's who you know, not what ya know. It was nice to have both aces up my sleeve for this. What an interesting night, the type that I hanker for. Thanks Agent M and Radio Silence. Video

• STS9 - The Fillmore - November 20th

Night two was a tough ticket to get (Thanks J), so it seemed only right to give Jerry a high five as we ambled up the stairs of The Fillmore to grab a drink and scope the posters, as per usual. It must have been in the ether. Early on Sound Tribe launched into a "Monkey Music" that would morph into "Dark Star." As fly as that was, the second set was pure fire. Sector merged new-school with old, as their energy never left the extreme. I was stoked to hear them drop dance party bombs while kick'n it with Agent M.

Salty Roo

Each event with an * denotes the best of the best. The Roo Ratings are held in the highest regard. Hip hop, hoops and STS9 are Salty favorites. Pip is looming over the basketball games now, and she too likes it when music thumps. If I had to guess, Wanda is more of a Paul Simon type. And who doesn't love Ali? RIP to all the great ones we've lost this year. 

Have a safe New Year's Eve!

eightychoices.

An Evening with STS9 | The Wiltern

STS9 @ The Wiltern

Holy LA throw down. Sound Tribe played The Wiltern this past Saturday and inundated the crowd with their hottest show in recent memory, if not ever? Not only did they thump their own hits hard, they blasted us with a LA-centric set list. From the onset, this show felt more like a performance art piece. The stage was stripped down, minimalistic, a single sheer screen was the backdrop. STS9 was the focal point as the lighting provided atmospheric illuminations. Artistically the music and visuals created another world; the presentation was stark. Another noticeable aspect within the venue was the energy; LA was bringing it. Uninhibited is the best way to describe the roaring dance party that took place from start to finish. Everyone was going off, including the band. Alana was hyped by the crowd and Velmer was going beast mode, twice standing atop his kit. No disrespect intended, but this show showed me, that LA is where grown ups go to party. The Bay Area scene can be almost too cool, shoe-gazing and stoned, unwilling to let loose. That was not the case inside the Wiltern, there was an overwhelming feeling of camaraderie, the crowd fed the band and vice versa.

Billed as an evening with STS9, Saturday's show lifted off shortly after 9pm. "Forest Hu" opened the set and built into a ripping "Really What?" The early Really was an awesome display of instrumentation and sampling; Sector seemed to be warning its audience. They dropped their self-titled track and then drove into a trilogy. A nasty "Shock Doctrine" morphed into a grimy "F. Word," which grew into the precise snarl of "Grizzly." Next we would go to the moon with a lunar "Arigato." I love that track and was hoping to get it in The City of Angels—so thanks. Would we escape from LA? Propelling us further into orbit was the funk-drip of "Ramone & Emiglio." This fan-favorite pushed the fever pitch to a new level. As is often the case, Phipps began to tease the keys, transforming the R&E shuttle. Completing the transformation was the maddening hook of "California Love." Tupac was metaphorically, and seemingly, metaphysically in the building. Covers can do many things to an audience and this was a blast of pure positivity. They were transporting us wherever they wanted aboard their trip-hop time machine. 'California, knows how to party.' Seizing our attention before intermission, Sector beamed us back on board the R&E shuttle. The first set was in the space-books.

Many of us left the dance-ship to catch our breath and grab a cold drink. While ambling around the upper lobby I heard a fan say, 'that first set was better than anything they did in Oakland.' I'm telling you, this show was break-neck crazy, everyone was feeling it. Also worth mentioning is the absence of a curfew. Everyone knew they could get down, there was no rush against time.

Set two jettisoned us into a LA rabbit hole. The labyrinth of danceable funk that followed was epic. "Evasive Maneuvers" was the fuel that took us deeper, detouring with "Modular (improv)," before veering back into Evasive. Eventually Maneuvers warped, shifting into "Kamuy." This provided us a path to the legendary Herbie Hancock as they synthesized, "Rockit." Funk found new ground as the Herbie standard mutated back to Kamuy, before finally turning into "Vapors." It felt freeing to say the least. Time meant nothing even though much had passed. On a side note, the Rockit cover sounded eerily similar to "Axl F," the song from Beverly Hills Cop. Just saying? After a minuscule break in the action they launched into rock mode with "Hidden Hand, Hidden Fist." This Peaceblaster offering was given a little extra dose of guzzaline by way of "Killing In the Name Of." The LA vibe continued to intoxicate as they pounded out the Rage Against the Machine anthem. Mad props to Agent M for calling this one. The Rage track transitioned to a call jam before reclaiming its Hidden roots. "Scheme" kept the party moving from left to right; I was getting down and dirty on this one. Aided by Zach's annihilation of the drums and the digi-sequencing, Scheme sounded like an asteroid dance battle, later blending itself into "Frequencies 2>3." Closing the second set was a bass-a-licious "World Go Round." Sweaty, engaged and wanting one last fix, the rambunctious crowd needed an encore. Sound Tribe returned with an overwhelming "Economic Hit Man." This heavy hitting club banger tried hard to bury the crowd in danceable beats. It was superb to see the band clicking on all cylinders. Sector cooled us down with a nuanced "Pianoir," coaxing the frenzied masses outside onto Wilshire blissed-out. Alana pumped her fist into the air, Hunter bowed to the crowd, Velmer tossed his drum sticks into the audience and flung a drum skin up to the balcony. STS9 walked off into the star dust of LA, as would the rest of us.

Some closing notes: I will never miss a Sector 9 show in LA, especially at the Wiltern. This particular show raised the bar so high. My partner in crime said it best, "this show, I got it!" We've always gotten it, but this concert changed the game, all aspects of it. The scene was livelier and more diverse. The energy felt void of social inhibition. And the people were far friendlier. We were all in, from 9pm until 12:46am. Another thing, I love Uber and LA is the perfect city for it. Tom N Toms Korean coffee shop with pretzels was the perfect rallying point after dancing your ass off. I love LA.

Set 1: Forest Hu > Really What?, STS9, Shock Doctrine > F. Word > Grizzly, Arigato, Ramone & Emiglio > California Love > Ramone & Emiglio

Set 2: Evasive Maneuvers > Modular (Improv) > Evasive Maneuvers > Kamuy > Rockit > Kamuy > Vapors, Hidden Hand Hidden Fist > Killing In the Name Of > Call Jam > Hidden Hand Hidden Fist, Scheme > Frequencies 2 > 3, World Go Round

Encore: Economic Hitman > Pianoir

eightychoices.