Tourist @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 9/23/2017

UK based songwriter/electronic musician, William Phillips hit the road with Bob Moses and Bonobo under his stage name, Tourist this month. His three show run with them brought him to The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on September 23rd. 

Tourist @ The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 9/23/2017
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The 30 year old Grammy award winning producer/composer was the first of the three acts that night with his set starting promptly at 7:30. A decent crowd was there and continued to gather as romantically hypnotic melodies poured from the stage. Under the colorful beams of light that swirled around him , it was quite mezmorizing to watch him work. Behind a large table you couldn't see all the buttons and monitors he was using to make the music that then floated through the huge auditorium, but you could see that he was busy. Busy but calm and that calmness transfused to a quiet dance-party on the floor in front of him. 

His music is complex and emotionally fueled, as heard on "For Sarah" the instrumental number off U, his one LP which was released last year.  With smooth transitions, easy build-ups and flirty breakdowns he masterfully mixes a light sound. Tourist's electronica doesn't weigh you down with heavy hooks and deep beat drops like some other electronic artists. Tourist is soft but not too soft and definitely full of heart. It's the closest thing to pure electro-pop I've come across. 

Tourist @ The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 9/23/2017
photo by Nikki DeMartini

His stage presence wasn't too lively which is pretty par for the course being that there is only so much a "DJ" can do at a live show, really. But he did stop a couple of times to greet the audience and thank Bob Moses and Bonobo. His politeness added to the light-hearted vibe mounting in the dark venue and it made me like him more which in turn made me enjoy his music more. 

He didn't end his set with his Summer time single, "We Stayed Up All Night" but rather played it second to last and then, just like that Bob Moses was up next. 

Tourist's tour with Bonobo ended a couple days later at The Greek Theater in LA on September 27th but Bonobo will keep rolling through the states in October and November. 

Tourist @ The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 9/23/2017
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Summer play-list 2017 edition

Halloween goodies are already on store shelves and basic bitches have been sipping Pumpkin Spice Lattes for weeks but today is officially the last day of Summer. 

For the last 5 years, I've put together a playlist of songs that were released in or around Summertime or that have a glowing Summer essence. Play this later in the year to warm up, lift you up or to remind you of when...

Sit back, chillax and enjoy the 13 songs that make up Summer vibing 017: 

DJ Khaled sampled Carlos Santana's 1999 single "Maria Maria" for his sizzling track "Wild Thoughts" featuring the one and only Rhi-Rhi. Maybe it's the confidence she exudes in the lyrics, it's latin flavor or the fact that everyone has someone that gives them those wild wild thoughts, but this has been my guilty pleasure all Summer.

Just because MNDR hasn't released an album since 2012's Feed Me Diamonds doesn't mean she hasn't been making music. In July she reunited with RAC for a track on his 5th album, EGO. Before that she worked with Scissor Sisters on "Swerlk". After waking up with Big Freedia's twerking classes at Bonnaroo, this glittery roller-disco song quickly became my favorite song of Summer 2017.


RAC's "Heartbreak Summer" off EGO featuring K-Flay and Lana Del Rey's "Summer Bummer" off Lust for Life featuring A$AP Rocky and Playboi Carti didn't make it to this playlist just because of their names. K-Flay's unique voice conveys a bittersweetness over synths and violins on "Heartbreak Summer". The song mentions surfing and pays homage to 2pac's "California Love", which both of course scream Summer.
"Summer Bummer" isn't Lana's first dance with a Summer song: "Summertime Sadness" has been going strong since her 2012 debut, Born to Die. Five years later the queen of misery is at it again with this un-expected A$AP Rocky collab.

Portugal. The Man finally broke into the mainstream music scene with "Feel It Still" earlier this Summer . With a catchy melody fueled by a funky, retro bassline the hit single off their 8th studio album has a rejuvenating, Summer of Love feel. The album is named after one of the original Music Festivals (Woodstock 1969) after all.

Arcade Fire and LCD Sound System delivered long awaited new music in the last couple of months: "Creature Comfort" from the conceptual album Released on July 28th, "Everything Now" by Indie stars Arcade Fire and "Oh Baby" from American Dream by electro-pop connoisseur, James Murphy's LCD Soundsystem. They both offer a 80's movie soundtrack nostalgia and they made the cut by necessity because what would a Summer 2017 playlist be without brand new music from these two heavy hitters? 

Nine Inch Nails might not strike you as a "Summery music" band but they're back with new music as of July 19th. And, who doesn't want some Summer lovin' from Trent Reznor? Hence why "The Lovers" from Add Violence is on this playlist.

What better time of year to stay up and watch the sunrise than Summer time? "We Stayed Up All Night" from Tourist says it all.



Even though it was released this Spring, Sylvan Esso's "Just Dancing" is the most Summer worthy song from their sophomore album What Now. Give the lyrics a good listen as this up-beat track carries you away, you'll get it.

SZA is the hottest new artist this Summer and "Doves In The Wind" featuring Kendrick Lamar is hot, hot ,hot!

 "Disco Tits" from the outspoken starlet Tove Lo dropped just in time to make the list.

Biber's "Friends" is on here because after all that Summer lovin' and those flings, you know you wonder if you can still be friends, too.

Sleigh Bells slayed Outside Lands 2017

This year marked the 10th Anniversary of Outside Lands: San Francisco's coveted Summer music festival. The three day event took place August 11th-13th in Golden Gate park with headliners Gorillaz, Metallica and The Who along with dozens of other performances filling in the days. 

Sleigh Bells at Outside Lands 8/11/2017
photo by Marc Fong 

It might have been the coldest OSL to date but Sleigh Bells brought the heat on Friday! First Alexis and Derek burned up the Twin Peaks stage at day one of the fest, then just  a few hours later they lit up The Independent at an OSL night show!

A sizable crowd gathered at the second biggest stage around 5pm on the first day of the fest to catch their set. The badass bombshell and her guitar shredding counter part gave fans what they were there for.  Krauss worked the stage, amping fans up  with adrenaline fueling energy and fan interaction. She smashed out tracks from their 4 album catalog with her powerhouse vocals and even dove off the stage into the crowd near the end of their set.

It doesn't get anymore rock n roll than that. 

Sleigh Bells at Outside Lands 8/11/2017
photo by Marc Fong 

Sleigh Bells at Outside Lands 8/11/2017
photo by Marc Fong

Sleigh Bells at The Independent 8/15/2017
photo by Marc Fong

Later that night, Sleigh Bells played one of few Outside Lands night shows at one of the best, small concert venues in San Francisco. The sold-out show started at 10pm and the bratty, punk-rock band from Brooklyn blew it up with some of the same anthems they played earlier that day and more. 

Sleigh Bells at Outside Lands 2017 8/15/2017
photo by Marc Fong 

It was dark and loud and there was no energy shortage as the crowd pulsated as hard as the blinding strobe-lights. After they had to cancel two shows there last year it was so awesome to rock with Sleigh Bells at The Independent!

From playing for a thousands at an annual out-door music festival to playing for a few hundred at a club, on the same day, Sleigh Bells always bring it. 

Sleigh Bells at Outside Lands 2017 8/15/2017
photo by Marc Fong 



Sleigh Bells set-list at The Independent 8/11/2017 
1. Dark Paths 
2. Tell Em 
3. It's Just Us Now
4. Bitter 
5. Riot Ryhthm
6. Kids
7. I can Only Stare
8. Comeback Kid
9. Infinity Guitars 
10. Demons
11. Crowd on the Ground
12. Rule #1
13. Stairs 
14. A/B Machine