And those are only some of the Music (Art/Food) Festivals here in the Bay Area!
Here are my Best Fest Photo picks from the Festivals I was lucky enough to see.
YACHT @ The Phono Del Sol Music and Food Festival July 13th, 2013
Photo by: Nikki DeMartini
It was a beautiful warm summer day at Potrero Del Sol (Skate) Park in San Francisco at the 3rd Annual Phono Del Sol Music and Food Festival this past July.
Wrapping things up just before 7pm with two high energy closing acts; Thee Oh Sees and YACHT, this smaller SF festival was the right amount of sunshine, music and food
Thee Oh Sees @ The Phono Del Sol Music and Food Festival July 13th, 2013
Photo by: Nikki DeMartini
With as many great acts as it had: MGMT, Modest Mouse, Father John Misty, Capital Cities, Passion Pit, Washed Out, Niko Case and Purity Ring to name a few, it's easy to say that the First Annual First City Fest in Monterey was a success!
Check out some of the awesome shots my friend got of some acts and festivities.
Here's looking forward to the next First City Fest!
Purity Ring @ First City Fest August 25th, 2013
Photo by: Marc Fong
Capital Cities @ First City Fest August 25th, 2013
Photo by: Marc Fong
First City Fest August 24th & 25th, 2013 Photo by: Marc Fong
Passion Pit @ First City Fest August 25th, 2013
Photo by: Marc Fong
Alice Radio (@ 97.3FM) always deliver's a day full of fun the whole family can enjoy and this year's Now & Zen Fest was no different! Who doesn't love a free fest?!
Plain White Tees @ Alice's Now & Zen Fest September 29th, 2013
Photo by: Marc Fong
One Republic @ Alice's Now & Zen Fest September 29th, 2013
Photo by: Marc Fong
Sleigh Bells @ Treasure Island Music Festival October 20th, 2013
Photo by: Marc Fong
The Treasure Island Music Festival is easily one of my favorites. The views are spectacular, the crowd is chill, the sets never overlap and you don't have to walk far to catch the next act. Here are some shots my friend got of my favorite acts at T.I.M.F this year.
Sleigh Bells @ Treasure Island Music Festival October 20th, 2013
Photo by: Marc Fong
HAIM @ Treasure Island Music Festival October 20th, 2013
Photo by: Marc Fong
Treasure Island Music Festival October 20th, 2013
Photo by: Marc Fong
Phoenix @ Not So Silent Night December 7th, 2013
Photo by: Nikki DeMartini
LIVE105 called Not So Silent Night 2013 it's biggest ever! I brought my friend who is a mega Arcade Fire fan to the show and thanks to him I got super close and was able to get these pretty sweet shots :)
Arcade Fire @ Not So Silent Night December 7th, 2013
Photo by: Nikki DeMartini
Arcade Fire @ Not So Silent Night December 7th, 2013
Photo by: Nikki DeMartini
Can you believe that the 2014 Festival Season is right around the corner?!
I hope you enjoy my Best Fest picks from 2013 until then!
T'is the season of lists; Christmas wish lists, Naughty and Nice lists, shopping lists, to-do lists and of course best of lists!
Being that a bunch of my friends work in the music biz in one way, shape or form I decided I'd reached out to them for my Best of, Friends' list!
Here's what some of them picked as their #1 album of 2013.
My friend and fellow cupcake enthusiast, Lindsay works in sales at Pandora: the internet radio service that magically plays musical based on the user's artist selection.
This lady knows hands on the plethora of bands, albums, and musical genres available for listening pleasures! Here's what she said about her favorite album of the year.
Lindsay: I think my #1 favorite Album is The National's "Trouble Will Find Me".
Graceless and Pink Rabbits are my favorite songs off the album.
Overall I am a sucker for The National, their lyrics and Matt Berninger's rich vocals. The drumming on the album was fantastic and I love the dark and subtle sense of humor that The National bring to this album and their live performances.
The legend, Lucas Taranto took a study break after touring to contribute to Sweet Sound Bites!
Here's what the Bassist from Gotye loved listening to this year.
So, my no. 1 album is... Gossling - Harvest of Gold. I love it. Really smart and simple electro pop. She's a great singer too!
I thought of another great release! The artist is called Chela. She's great. Check out her singles Romanticize and zero. Awesome stuff. Also, the Tame Impala record is amazing too! Enjoy!
You can catch my ex-coworker Bret at the Drink Verbena booth at Berkeley's Greek Theater because this year he started his own specialty cocktail company! There's more info below about this entrepreneur and what tunes got his creative juices flowing as he worked hard to get his business up and going.
Washed Out @ First City Festival
Photo by: Marc Fong
Bret : Hey there. My favorite album for 2013 is Washed Out , album Paracosm. Favorite track is "All I Know". Lately, I've been so busy I use music as medication and this album just slows my heartbeat down and allows me to mellow. It's opium for your soul so choose a nice piece of furniture to melt into it...And it pairs well with my beverages. I just started a wine/spirits company and we produce and bottle Seasonal Infusions and batch cocktails made with fresh local produce, grape brandy and quality botanicals. So if you want to support local farmers and a small local business making amazing drinks, you can track us down at www.drinkverbena.com Another one of my multitalented Gotye mates, Tim Shiel is thebrains behind the soundtrack to this years critically acclaimed iPhone game, Duet. This is what Tim picked as this year's #1 album.
Tim Shiel:
Hard to pick just one album but if I had to it'd probably be Jon Hopkins' "Immunity." Really gritty but also very beautiful album of deep, hypnotic electronic music, rich with texture and fine details, and lots of moments where I just can't tell how the hell he got the sounds he got. Its head music but it also hits me in the guts too.
I've also really enjoyed Son Lux's "Lanterns" album, that'd be the other one I've really obsessed over this year.
I've been getting back into my own music projects the last few months which has been great!
Peter: Miley Cyrus' Bangerz is my number one of 2013. It hits harder than anything else in the pop world this year.
Hearing what friends are listening to is one of my favorite things because you get music recommendations from a reliable source. Thank you to those of you who shared your top albums with Sweet Sound Bites!
A recent spike of Double Dirty Chai Tea Lattes orders at work is the inspiration behind my latest cupcake creation: Double Dirty Chai Cupcakes.
A Dirty Chai Tea Latte is a Chai Tea Latte (Half Chai Tea + Half Steamed Milk) with a shot of Espresso. A Double Dirty Chai Tea Latte is a Chai Tea Latte with 2 shots of Espresso (it's also my favorite drink to call out). The cupcakes would be Chai cake topped with double strength coffee frosting.
Finding a Chai Cake recipe was a lot easier than I thought thanks to Food.com:
I used Trader Joes Chai Tea Mix, Safeway Cinnamon and doubled the amount of Chai Tea Mix to the recipe to insure the Chai Flavor stood out.
First I mixed the flour, baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt in a big bowl. Then, I beat the sugar and butter in a second bowl with my new handy handheld electric mixer until the it was nice and fluffy. Next I beat in the eggs and vanilla then gradually beat in the flour mixture.
Last but not least, it was time to add the Chai.
Not only did I double the amount of Chai powder the recipe calls for I also did not mix the powder with hot water before adding it to the batter.
These bad boys got Chai straight up!
The kitchen was filled with a delicious Holiday Season scent as I scooped the batter into my eco-friendly silicone cupcake cups and popped them in the oven.
As the cakes baked (for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees) I started working on the coffee frosting.
My attempt at making Italian Buttercream Frosting didn't work out so well and being that I bake on a budget I opted for store bought. I found a box of Vanilla Bean Frosting Mix from Fresh & Easy that only requires adding two ingredients: water and butter.
(that's only half cheating)
Once I added the ingredients and mixed in two packets of Colombian blend instant coffee the frosting was finished!
After loading coffee frosting on to the Chai cakes I just had to try a little of the leftovers and... it definitely tasted like coffee. Frosting.
My Double Dirty Chai Cupcakes were ready to be reviewed by my fellow Baristas!
Early the following morning, Devin, Michael and Eva were the first to try my freshly baked Double Dirty Chai Cupcakes. Devin suggested adding more ginger or cinnamon but that he thought they were really good. Before having his, Michael asked if the recipe was mine and when he did eat one he said that he'd buy one in a store. It was that good. Eva had no comment which could only mean my Double Dirty Chai Cupcakes were so good they left her speechless. Next in was Joan. She really liked the coffee frosting and asked me how I made it.
Alexis, Juliet, Erika and Justin all kept it simple by saying that they were really good and my coworker David gave me a hug, thanked me and told me the cupcake was so good that he...actually I don't think I should tell you what he did in his pants ;)
Overall it's safe to say my Double Dirty Chai Cupcakes were a tasty success! The Chai cake came out flavorful and buttery. The vanilla bean coffee frosting I created was like a cup o' joe with cream and sugar.
I love how inspiration is so spontaneous.
Thank you Dirty Chai Tea Latte drinkers for inspiring me to make these cupcakes!
The Limousines' started touring in support of their second album HUSH at The Blank Club in their home town of San Jose back in July and the toured in San Francisco at The Independent last month.
Just as they did in San Jose, The Limousines set a love/hate relationship tone by kicking off the show with "Love is a Dog from Hell". Mirroring the dark and low-down twist heard on HUSH, their stage presence was rather subdued while Loyal fans enthusiastically sang their hearts out.
This sediment remained throughout the moody set Wednesday night: from "Undercover" and "Haunted" to fun(ner) tracks "Fool's Gold" and "Gimme Control".
Acknowledging that it was the last night of the tour and then thanking opening band Mona all in the same breath, frontman Eric Victorino kept banter pretty prim between songs.
As the show continued he took a moment to boastfully address the fact that the band is not signed to a label and doesn't want to be. A little later he introduced their new band member.
There was a bit of direct crowd interaction during The Limousines performance, too. At one point Eric snatched a camera phone from a fan in front row and proceeded to shoot footage from the stage before handing it back. He also broke up an ensuing fight as "Scream Please" started, stating that they wanted to have a good time at their last show and wanted everyone else to have a good time too.
Though they do still have an electrorock feel, the fun flirty vibe from when The Limousines debuted in the music scene was lost on HUSH, both album and tour. They do deliver a heartfelt performance, one which oozes heartache within every sung verse, yet without the glimmer of their electrorock pop fun the boys come off a little lack luster live.
An almost acoustic rendition of "Very Busy People" lead the increasingly rowdy crowd believe that that the song would make way to it's original tempo but as the chorus lyrics lingered the song ended abruptly and the show was over. It was a bit of a let down but it did leave us with something to look forward to the next time The Limousines play in town.
Want to see more photos from this show? Check out the full photo album at: Marc Fong Photography
Thanksgiving is over but it is still Fall y'all! Before winter officially hits (on December 21st) I give to you a cupcake review of this season's favorite flavor, Pumpkin!
SusieCakes is an All-American Bakery offering classic desserts such as: sugar cookies, layer cakes, whoopie pies, frosting filled cupcakes and regular cupcakes just to name a few. Everything they bake is made entirely from scratch with simple, all natural ingredients. The tiny San Francisco shop on Chestnut Street was bustling with customers when I stopped by to pick up a Pumpkin Spice Cupcake and the staff efficiently took my order and got my on my way.
Their cupcakes aren't not too big, they're not small... they are the right standard, cupcake size!
Though the cake didn't taste as fresh as described (it was a little on the dry side) SusieCakes Pumpkin Spice cake is the tastiest Pumpkin Cake I've had. Like a classic Pumpkin Pie, complete with hints of cinnamon, Susiecakes balances this favorite Fall flavor with complimentary spices which you can actually see!
This cupcake it seemed to get more flavor full as I ate it (if that's even possible) and at times reminded me of carrot cake because I kept expecting to bite into a raisin.
Also complimentary to SusieCakes' Pumpkin Cupcake: it's appropriate pairing with Cream-Cheese Frosting.
SusieCakes' delivers this versatile frosting flavor in a way I have not tasted before because I could actually taste the cream-cheese! It's sweet and cream-cheesey, without one outweighing the other.
A true contender for the best buttercream, cream-cheese frosting out there!
It being the week of Thanksgiving when I visited, Susiecakes was slammed with pre-orders, pick ups and walk-ins so there was only four flavors to choose from: Chocolate, Vanilla, Red Velvet and of course Pumpkin Spice. Their menu is extensive with their signature frosting filled cupcakes, more seasonal specials and mini cupcakes all up on it though!
One of the best things about Thanksgiving if all of the leftovers after the feast, but if you've had your fill of pie and still need your Pumpkin fix give SusieCakes' Pumpkin Spice Cupcake a try!
Illinois-born/California-resident, Lissie is currently on tour in support of her sophomore album, Back to Forever and she's headlining at The Independent next week.
This all America Folk Rocker has been compared to the likes of Stevie Nicks and is hot on the heels of opening for Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty so you won't want to miss this promising show!
After SF Lissie heads down to LA to play her last show in the US this year before going back on tour in the UK next year!
The SF based band who describe their sound as "soulful music from outer space" have been on tour in support of 2012's Myth pretty much since it's release and Saturday night Geographer brought their dream pop rock to Bimbo's 365 Club.
The crowd was still situating into the shoe-gazey scene enjoying "Verona" off of 2010's Animal Shapes, when the usually modest Michael Deni dropped an F-bomb before the song ended. Explicitly inviting San Francisco fans to "bring it to the mother f#cking floor" for the last show of their tour Deni was obviously and understandably excited.
Who wouldn't be? In January Geographer kicked off their tour at San Francisco's most culturally historic concert venue The Fillmore before hitting the road playing across the States then up into Canada. Now, almost a year later here they were playing a sold-out show at Bimbo's 365 Club, easily one of if not the swankiest place in SF to see a live show.
Following the fan fav ditty Life of Crime was a more poppy version of Paris and Geographer carried on alternating songs from their 2012 & 2010 albums for a good first half of the show. Deni did a good job connecting with the less active crowd without pausing for typical band banter. For instance prepping fans for his theatric stage dive during Kites, the most well received song of the night.
Ending their current tour in the city they now call home, Geographer's artistic allure was seamlessly translated at Bimbo's 365 Club with impeccable lighting and almost un-blemished sound.
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