Andrew St. James pop-up show in Nob Hill 8/13/2020

Andrew St. James @ pop-up show in Nob Hill 8/13/2020

photo by Marc Fong

I'm not sure how long Andrew St. James has been taking requests via Instagram and then playing pop-up shows at or around the places requested but two weeks ago I caught one of these shows. He played on Clay and Leavenworth, just a few blocks away from where I live. A girl named Lindsey (or was it Ashley?) put in the request and on August 13th, her request was granted. 

Andrew St. James @ pop-up show in Nob Hill  8/13/2020

photo by Marc Fong

Around 7:00, a handful of people, presumably Lindsey's friends, gathered outside along one side of the apartment building. For the most part, everyone was six feet away from each other and everyone was wearing face masks. Some were drinking beer, some were drinking White Claw, some weren't drinking anything, just like at a real/"normal" show. Some photographers I recognized from shooting local shows back in the day showed up on that warm Summer night in the city, too. Andrew and another fellow, who's name we later learned is Scott (if I remember correctly) arrived fashionably late around 8:00. 

Andrew St. James @ pop-up show in Nob Hill 8/13/2020

photo by Marc Fong

It's nice to know that amidst a global pandemic and all of the change it's brought, somethings never change. Laughing and smiling, they were both having already having a good time as they got their guitars out.  They played in the middle of Leavenworth Street and the adjacent bus stop across the street from Nob Hill's Finest Market.  

Andrew St. James @ pop-up show in Nob Hill 8/13/2020 

photo by Marc Fong

Before the pandemic, St. James had been playing regularly at The Chapel in SF's Mission district. 

After two months of sheltering in place the SF native started bringing his music to his fans since there's no telling when fans will be able to go to see him play at a show safely. 

Andrew St. James @ pop-up show in Nob Hill 8/13/2020

photo by Marc Fong

Being familiar with music has never mattered to me as long as I'm at a live show and I wasn't familiar with Andrew St. James' music prior to this pop-up. The evening of August 13th was the closest I had been to being at a live show since March 9th, that's over five months. 

I was almost immediately drawn to their high vibration. They exuded this type of energy that welcomed and allowed you to embrace the weirdness and coolness of the moment and of it all. Their harmonized guitar playing was mellow and St. James' falsetto struck a Bob Dylan chord. Curious people walking and driving by caught a glimpse of the two musicians as they encompassed the corner of Leavenworth and Clay. More and more people popped their heads out of windows of their nearby apartments. Some of them clapped and cheered some of them shouted asking "who are you?!" and "come back next week, same place, same time." Andrew and Scott looked around in euphoric awe, waving to the on lookers and giving witty replies to the shouts. 

Andrew St. James introduced himself and his friend Scott (?) who lives in SF but isn't from here (I think he said he's from Michigan) and who's been playing some of these pop-up shows with him but isn't "in this band" per say. He told us about how he worked on the Leland Yee campaign before Yee went to jail for felony money laundering charges, then they played the song he wrote about that experience. At one point between songs Scott darted up the street without warning to see the sunset explaining that he lives in the Richmond district and never gets to see a pretty sunset. 

Andrew St. James @ pop-up show in Nob Hill 8/13/2020

photo by Marc Fong 

After playing 4 songs, they bummed a beer from the fans who had a cooler full of them and they chit chatted with people as they drank. When Lindsey, the girl who requested them to play there that night, mentioned the song "Tuesday Night" Andrew said they'd play it before they left. 

It was the most laid-back en-core ever. 

After they finished their beers, they played "Tuesday Night" then they said their good-byes and their  thank yous and gave us all their well wishes before heading off to their next pop-up show of the night in Potrero Hill. 

Andrew St. James @ pop-up show in Nob Hill 8/13/2020

photo by Marc Fong

I didn't intend on writing a review of this show so I wasn't paying attention to details or taking notes as I normally do when I review shows. Thank you for bearing with me if you've read this far. 

Looking back I thought how could I not write some type of review about this? If it wasn't for the pandemic there wouldn't be experiences like this. This is live music now, maybe, hopefully not forever but for right now this is what we got. Is anyone else doing pop-up shows like this?

I may not know the names of the songs they played but I really enjoyed the acoustic performance of them, so much so I think that Andrew St. James' first tour back should be an acoustic one. The sound was good enough to get the attention of people inside working away on their computers at home. And the lighting and setting? It doesn't get much more sight-seeing worthy than Nob Hill at sunset during a Summer time heat wave in SF, does it?

the sunset over California Street, SF 8/13/2020

photo by Nikki DeMartini

I stopped to take it all in as I walked home afterward, the skies a glow with neon hues of tangerine, fuchsia and periwinkle. These are crazy days we are living and I don't want to take cherished moments like this for granted anymore. Not that I did or wanted to before but living through a pandemic has it's way of shifting everything into perspective. 

I'm grateful for catching Andrew St. James' pop-up show that night. Unknowing to anyone and everyone, this would be the last night that skies at sunset in SF were absolutely gorgeous before the devastating SCU , CZU and LNU fires colored them that way. 

Stay safe out there friends.