The Knife @ The Fox Theater 4/16/2014

Swedish brother and sister synth-pop duo, The Knife shared the stage with an entourage of performers last week at The Fox Theater.

 

The Knife at The Fox Theater
Photo by: Marc Fong

If  you know The Knife, then you know to expect the unexpected when it comes to their experimental indietronica trip-hop but changes are you're going be surprised when you see them live. The shows of their current tour, Shaking the Habitual are a strategically choreographed performance arts spectacle featuring 15 + musicians/dancers who help Karin and Olof Dreijer bring their latest album to life.

 

The Knife at The Fox Theater
Photo by: Marc Fong

The Knife at The Fox Theater
Photo by: Marc Fong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sold-out crowd was fully enthralled as the matching jumpsuit wearing, glitter faced ensemble effortlessly interchanged instruments, dance numbers, stage placement and supporting if not lead vocals. Vocals came as an after thought  behind the grandiose ambient trance rock, however, it the unique, nasally androgynous singing did round out the over all sound really well. 

 

 

 

The Knife at The Fox Theater
Photo by: Marc Fong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Knife at The Fox Theater
Photo by: Marc Fong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like a mix of River Dance, meets Cirque du Soleli the show is an intricate interpretive acrobatic performance with a loud, ambient soundtrack. Don't expect to see introvert DJs behind  a deck pressing buttons on lap-tops or synthesizers, or god willing, mixing on turntables. The Knife  uses instruments ranging from oversized geometric shaped maracas to steel drums to a variety of wind instruments  to layer their dark, trip synth-pop live and it's captivating to watch them do it.

 

 

The Knife at The Fox Theater
Photo by: Marc Fong

 

 Oakland was definitely feeling the very visual show and it will be interesting to see (and hear) what The Knife does next! 

After their second sold out show at The Fox Theater in Oakland they went  right back to Coachella for their set on the Outdoor Theater stage the very next day! 

MS MR @ The Fillmore 4/15/2014

Between their consecutive Friday performances at Coachella, indie-pop's favorite newbies, MS MR played  two sold out shows at The Fillmore on April 14th and 15th.
 

MS MR @ The Fillmore April 15th, 2014
Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

The house was packed long before Jagwar Ma's fun electronic psych-rock opening act was over on Tuesday night and you could feel excitement swelling as fans danced to M.I.A jams pumping out from the PA as they waited for MS MR.  

An immediate exchange of explosive energy  launched  a genuine connection between MS MR to their super loyal SF fans. The crowd's overwhelmingly positive reaction to every  hauntingly romantic indie-pop song fueled Lizzy's fierce performance. 

MS MR @ The Fillmore April 15th, 2014
Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

Her sultry vocals remained steady as she intensely thrust and gyrated around the stage and the harder she danced the harder fans danced, jumped and fist pumped. Max got in on the action too, busting out some fresh c-walkin' steps from behind his synthesizers, he also rallied fans to join in on the clap filled chorus of the upbeat dancey track, "Salty Sweet". Max and their bassist harmonize together well and delivered subtle back up vocals throughout the passionate set while penetrating bass and echoing rolling drums flawlessly accentuated danceable tracks like  "No Trace",  "Think of You" and "Ash Tree Lane".  

And when the band turned things down a notch their fans followed suit. Except for when Lizzy and Max were left alone to perform the soul searching, heart breaking song "BTSK", there wasn't a single song that the crowd didn't whole heartedly sing along to on Tuesday night.

 

 

 

 

The crowd's feverish roaring and thunderous applause after every single song left the leading lady giggling like a school girl and a state of elation never left her face.

MS MR @ The Fillmore April 15th, 2014
Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

"You're really special San Francisco, you embrace new music and this is like...this is our #1 city to play" she graciously told fans as if they couldn't adore MS MR anymore.

"We opened here for Marina and the Diamonds about two and a half years ago" Max added, "so it's really special to be headlining here at The Fillmore."

MS MR @ The Fillmore April 15th, 2014
Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

With  one album to date, the final song of the night came only one hour after the show started even with all of the playful banter. Fans were pumped for the hit single, "Hurricane" as Lizzy invited everyone to sing along but no one was ready for the show to be over. 

After being on tour for the better part of a year, MS MR have really come into their own, exuding their humble confidence more comfortably now.  For a new band still on the rise, their connection with fans is uncanny and will continue to catapult their popularity.

  

MS MR @ The Fillmore April 15th, 2014
Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

 The remix EP of Secondhand Rapture is available now and MS MR is still on tour!

Along with a bunch of shows throughout the summer, the Brooklyn based band will be part of  Bonaroo Music Festival, Firefly Music Festival and LIVE105's BFD on June 1st!

MS MR set-list April 15th, 2014

1. Bones

2. No Trace

3. Salty Sweet

4. Fantasy

5. Do I Wanna Know/ (Arctic Monkeys cover)

6. Head Is Not My Home

7. This Isn't Control

8. Dark Doo Whop

9. Think of You

10. BTSK

11. Ash Tree

12. Hurricane

Dum Dum Girls at The Independent 4/8/2014

Tickets sold out weeks before their show in San Francisco and on April 8th and cute girls and middle aged guys flocked to The Independent to see The Dum Dum Girls! Dressed in black latex, fishnets, mid-drifts and short skirts the girls flaunted hotness and smartness, grabbing everyone's attention as they got to their spots on stage.



Dum Dum Girls at The Independent April 8th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

The show started on a slow note with their subdued fashion of lo-fi, 90's influenced indie and a "we're too cool" air that each of them carried proudly.  Without so much as a smile, hello, or acknowledgement of any sort Dee Dee Penny led the set from "Mine Tonight" right into "I Got Nothing" from their 2012 EP, End of Daze. Her strong vocals and almost passive singing style carried no trace of emotion as she sang emotionally driven song after emotionally driven song. 

 The set bounced from guitar charged to drum led songs: some with a raw surf-punk sound, others with shoegaze, ballad like qualities, yet their distinct dream-pop sound prevailed through it all.

Dum Dum Girls at The Independent April 8th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

Guitarist Jules and bassist Malia harmonized nicely with Penny on a lot of songs but the real treat was when Sandy joined them on backup vocals while slaying it on drums. Even the hiccups of feed back worked to the Dum Dum Girls advantage adding that much more of a  lo-fi feel to the melodic set.



Dum Dum Girls at The Independent April 8th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

Dum Dum Girls at The Independent April 8th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong


































Dum Dum Girls at The Independent April 8th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

The cold shoulder continued even though fans tossed flowers on stage and others yelled for the sake of yelling: the girls took their time between songs  muttering only a couple soft thank yous as they tuned up. At first this exchange is surprising but then it clicks: like a girl turned cold after
having her heart broken one too many times, The Dum Dum Girls play hard to get when they perform, it's part of their allure.



Dum Dum Girls at The Independent April 8th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

After SF they rolled down to Coachella to heat things up on the Outdoor Theater stage and the Too True tour didn't end there! The Dum Dum Girls are heading to Europe soon and will come back to the States just in time for Outside Lands!

Dum Dum Girls at The Independent April 8th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

  Dum Dum Girls Set List April 8th @ The Independent

1. Mine Tonight

2. I got Nothing

3. Bedroom Eyes

4. In the Wake of You

5. I Will Be

6. He Gets Me High

7. Too True to Be Good

8. Are You Okay?

9. Rest Of

10. It Only Takes

11. Under These Hands

12. Rimbaud Eyes

13. Lord Knows

14. Pale Saints

Gary Numan's Splinter Tour with Roman Remains and Big Black Delta at The Fillmore 4/6/2014

Roman Remains at The Fillmore April 6th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

Roman Remains played at The Fillmore on Sunday April 6th with music icon, Gary Numan and Big Black Delta.

At 8:00 on the dot, singer Liela Moss politely said hello to San Francisco then introduced the London based band before opening the show to a small collection of show goers there for the rock show. Loud synth-punk characterized by penetrating bass hooks and powerful percussion bellowed off the stage into the stagnate crowd.  But, what the crowd lacked in movement they made up for it with engaged applause after every fiery dark dance song.

Roman Remains at The Fillmore April 6th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

Roman Remains at The Fillmore April 6th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

 
 

Liela's charming disposition was sweetly captivating, bringing  lightheartedness to their performance with sincere smiles, intense eye contact and spunky interpretive dance moves.  Post-punk, deep rhythmic synth songs from the recently released LP, Zeal and last year's EP Energy You made up the half hour long set for what was Roman Remains ' last show on Gary Numan's Splinter Tour.

Roman Remains at The Fillmore April 6th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gary Numan  at The Fillmore April 6th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

 

 

 

Gary Numan  at The Fillmore April 6th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

 

 

 

Roman Remains and Black Delta made for a well rounded rock show with a goth-rock ambience   at San Francisco's historic venue The Fillmore. A Nine Inch Nails vibe had built considerably before Reznor's influential mentor hit the stage and blew fans away! 

Gary Numan  at The Fillmore April 6th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intense industrials and heavy guitar were all encompassing as thick fog spilled across the stage giving the show the highly anticipated gloom and doom feel.

 

 

 

 

Gary Numan  at The Fillmore April 6th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fans watched in awe as Gary Numan took command of the stage with exaggerated theatric stage presence throughout his passionate performance.

 

Gary Numan  at The Fillmore April 6th, 2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

 

Fitz and the Tantrums @ The Fox Theater 4/3/2014

Neo-soul rock n' rollers, Fitz and the Tantrums made a great first impression at  their very first show at The Fox Theater in Oakland last week. Their two opening acts,  Nightmare and the Cat and Bad Suns, each drew their own a respective crowd which  lingered close to the stage as the floor slowly filled with more people showing up to see Fitz.

Nightmare and the Cat at The Fox Theater 4/3/2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

The night started off with a dimly lit, foggy stage playing host to aspiring arena rock sounds from LA based band, Nightmare and the Cat. Booming bass lines, loud kick drum and harmonic back-up vocals accentuated the performance of  moody tracks from their debut EP, Simple. Charismatic stage presence between brothers Django Stewart, on vocals and Samuel Stewart on guitar, highlighted the  rather reserved performance. Thanking Oakland for the warm welcome, Nightmare and the Cat left the stage to a handful of whistling fans cheering for the satisfactory opening act.

 

 

Nightmare and the Cat at The Fox Theater 4/3/2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bad Suns at The Fox Theater 4/3/2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playing the  “the biggest show on the biggest stage" of their budding career, the boys of Bad Suns were the next LA based band to hit the stage on Thursday night. Though Bowman's vocals got lost in the band's vast post-punk  instrumentals, the set was delivered whole heartedly to an overly accepting Bay Area crowd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fox was brimming with lively energy, as excited fans screamed in anticipation while the packed house eagerly waited to see  Fitz and the Tantrums. Soon enough the stage fell completely dark, and the place erupted with ecstatic cheers as the headliners made their way to the stage.

 

 

 

Noelle Scaggs burst on stage with vibrant tambourine playing and Fitzpatrick looked pleased with the immediate audience participation  as "Get Away" launched the venue into Fitz's signature, energy charged show. The dynamic duo had fun feeding off the energy of their elated fans and the two's combined kinetic energy was contagious. 

 

Fitz and the Tantrums  at The Fox Theater 4/3/2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

 Scaggs delivered a powerful performance that popped with an effervescent glow while  her counterpart never ceased working the stage, making sure to fully engage everyone there. While he welcomed those who weren't already doing so to sing along by reaching his mic out to the crowd, she led crowd clap alongs during appropriate chorus breaks.

Fitz and the Tantrums  at The Fox Theater 4/3/2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

 

 

 

It was entertaining to see how much Fitz and the Tantrums loved the fact that their fans loved not just being at their show, but being a part of their show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vibrations from  heavy bass chords could be felt in the pit of your gut as unique,  up-beat rock n' soul songs transmitted smoothly over the sound system.  The set consisted of songs from both Fitz and the Tantrums albums yet their jazzy essence only seemed to really shine when James King busted out his saxophone. 

Fitz and the Tantrums  at The Fox Theater 4/3/2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

Fitz and the Tantrums  at The Fox Theater 4/3/2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

 

 

Dance-rock jams had people moving and shaking from the floor all the way up to the balcony. Fitz and the Tantrums happily delivered a tight set but Bay Area fans were the ones who really threw a tantrum (so to say) throughout the whole show!

Fitz and the Tantrums  at The Fox Theater 4/3/2014
Photo by: Marc Fong

 

 

Fitz and the Tantrums at The Fox Theater set-list April 3rd, 2014 

1. Get Away

2. Don't Gotta

3. Break the Walls

4. Breaking the Chains

5. Keepin' Our Eyes Out

6. Spark

7. Marry Go Round

8. House on Fure

9. Fools Gold

10. Out of My League

11. Last Raindrop

12. 6am

13. Tell Me

14. LOV

15. Money Grabber

16. Walker

Sleepy Sun @ The Chapel 3/27/2014

Lively chatter turned into cheers as an unabashed psychedelic  swagger took over The Chapel as soon Northern California rockers, Sleepy Sun hit the stage last week. The venue more accustom to hosting Folk and Indie acts was a great fit for the bona fide rock band's homecoming record release show for their 4th album, Maui Tears. Loyal SF fans were rightfully excited to be there to see it and be part of the celebration!

Sleepy Sun @ The Chapel March 27th, 2014
photo by: Marc Fong

Sleepy Sun @ The Chapel March 27th, 2014
photo by: Marc Fong

The 40 foot high, wooden planked ceilings allowed lofty guitar solos and heavy riffs to consume the room while pulsating strobe lights intensified Sleepy Sun's signature stoner friendly appeal. 

Looking every part like a modern Jim Morrison, singer Bret Constantino's serious demeanor was well received  as he belted out solid rock-ballads from across their gritty acid-rock catalog. The creative brotherhood of Sleepy Sun is vibrantly displayed in their live performance, keeping fans enthralled in the deep throngs of psychedelia from the top of their set right up until the end of it. 

Sleepy Sun @ The Chapel March 27th, 2014
photo by: Marc Fong

Now that Sleepy Sun is done spreading their rockin' psychedelic sounds across the US, they'll be  bringing their Maui Tears tour over seas!

Sleepy Sun @ The Chapel March 27th, 2014
photo by: Marc Fong

March 27th set-list

1. New Age

2. The Lane

3. Open Eyes 

4. Everywhere Waltz

5. Outside

6. Martyrs Mantra 

7. 11: 32

8. Sleepy Son 

9. Yellow End 

10. Galaxy Galaxy 

11. Maui Tears 

Fanfarlo @ The Great American Music Hall 3/26/2014

London based indie/alternative band, Fanfarlo, returned to the states this Spring, giving their American fans the chance to hear songs off of their recently released 3^rd studio album, Let’s Go Extinct, live!

A friendly crowd gathered at the quaint Great American MusicHall on March 26^th and just before 10:00pm, the delightful, concept pop act took the stage. A cheery kinship between the members of the 5 piece band immediately prevailed, inviting likewise fans to share in the sense of affinity.



Fanfarlo at The Great American Music Hall 3/26/2014
Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

 

Effervescent performances from drummer Valentina Magaletti and multi-instrumentalist Cathy Lucas encouraged lead vocalist Justin Finch to let his reserved guard down.  His seemingly appropriate, timid exchanges about their (current) American tour saw the reserved audience become more comfortable, as even more people began head bobbing and singing  along to each song.  

 



Fanfarlo at The Great American Music Hall 3/26/2014
Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

 

 

Fanfarlo at The Great American Music Hall 3/26/2014
Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categorized in the indie genre, which comes in so many different forms now-a-days, Fanfarlo encompasses the entire indie range. Their use of trumpet, glockenspiel, melodica, mandolin, saxophone, clarinet, bongos and even a little bit of musical saw effortlessly transcended their array of sounds thoughout the show.  From quintessential guitar filled indie-rock, to catchy indie-pop, to existential island riffs, to a sweet blend of shoegazing bright synths and creative effects, Fanfarlo delivers an impressive show with a humble confidence. After the set, which of course consisted mostly of new songs, Fanfarlo returned to reward  their fans' thunderous stomping with a well warranted en core.  

Fanfarlo continues to tour the US in support of Let's Go Extinct until the end of the month!

 

Album review: Liars, Mess

Liars take their experimental dance-punk to new levels with intense techno beats and distortion on their new album, Mess. Angus Andrew's deeply enhanced vocals on "Mask Maker" open with a dialogue delivery of unsettling lyrics: “Take my pants off, use my socks, smell my socks, eat

my face off” as stress engaging electro seeps in.  

 

 

 

Busy with fleeting samples, warped house hooks and heavy ominous undertones, the first track dramatically taps into anxieties as experimental hyper synths build within dropping beats along side Andrew's newly found demonic baritone. Liars make it clear that this,  their 7th studio album, is a stark cry from the electronic indie-rock fusion of past work. Smooth transitions morph one song into the next; each with its own unique layering of  stringent, futuristic synths, post industrial sounds and electro instrumentals, the chaotic music painstakingly hypnotizes through the chaos. 

Liars exploration of evoking uneasiness  peaks with a gnawing sense of urgency on "Mess on a Mission": with an accelerating tempo, a shrill repeating chorus and Andrew's domineering monotone vocals.

 

Seguing with slightly  toned down synth mixes, a slower pace and inaudible lyrics, the songs following the lead single carry a darker weight while continuing to keep nerves on an eerie edge.

While it's breakdown invites you to clap along, "Dress Walker" offers the most lively and collected composition on the album.  With a dancey melody and lighthearted vibe, this track is the only one that screams any kind of resemblance of songs heard on past albums.

 

Mess on a Mission music video

 

Ending on a somber note with  electro-emo "Left Speaker Blown"  Liars gently ease us back to reality after throwing our head and emotions through the ringer. Like an album with a character arc, Mess starts out loud, abrasive and unforgiving but it cleans up it's act by the last track.

For an indie-elctro band  known for pushing their own boundaries, Liars obliterate the box with this one.