Lauv @ The Fox Theater Oakland 10/16/2019

Lauv. He's written songs for Charlie XCX and Cheat Codes ft. Demi Lovato. He's performed on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Show and The Late Late Show. His debut single, "Like Me Better" has gone double platinum in here in the U.S. He's the artist regarded as "Pop's up and coming heartbreak king" by Rolling Stone Magazine and...he doesn't have an album out. 

Lauv @ The Fox Theater Oakland 10/16/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

That's about to change (hopefully) in March of 2020 when How I'm Feeling is finally released. Until then, the 25 year old, LA based singer/songwriter/producer is on his How I'm Feeling tour. 

Lauv @ The Fox Theater Oakland 10/16/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

The last time Lauv was in the Bay Area was when he played the Main Stage on Day 1 of Outside Lands 2018. A few months before that, in January, he played two shows at The Independent in San Francisco (the city where he was born). I'm not sure if both of those shows sold-out but I do know that at least one did and that the second show was added by popular demand. 

Lauv just played two shows The Fox Theater in Oakland on October 16th and 17th and it was the same case: the first show was sold-out, the second show was added by popular demand and I'm not sure if both shows sold-out. 

Lauv @ The Fox Theater Oakland 10/16/2019 

photo by Marc Fong

Lauv @ The Fox Theater 10/16/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Girlfriends with boyfriends, boyfriends with girlfriends, girlfriends with girlfriends, and boyfriends with boyfriends made up the young adult crowd. 

When the house lights dimmed and Lauv appeared onstage, shrieks from Lauv fans filled the venue as if they were teeny boppers at an NSYNC concert in the nineties.

Lauv @ The Fox Theater Oakland 10/16/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Lauv @ The Fox Theater 10/16/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Lauv performed Lauvsongs with a smile and charm that his fans ate up. Every song had fans cheering when they began and applauding  when every song ended.  His hit single, "Like Me Better" didn't come until the end of his lengthy set and fans were ok with that. He seemed to share his robust happiness with them throughout his performance, or maybe they shared theirs with him.

He looked and sounded great the whole time he was on stage in Oakland that night and I'm sure he did the following night at night two of Lauv at The Fox Theater Oakland. 

Lauv @ The Fox Theater Oakland 10/16/2019 

photo by Marc Fong

As the flyer suggests, Lauv should be on tour again sometime soon. Maybe we'll see a How I'm Feeling Spring tour? 

His fanbase is big here and presumably it's only going to get bigger, so where will he play next time he comes to The Bay? The Greek Theatre in Berkeley, perhaps? 

We will see. 

Starcrawler @ Bottom of the Hill 10/5/2019

Back in July, Starcrawler opened for Spoon, Cage The Elephant and Beck on The Night Running Tour at The Shoreline Amphitheater. In preparation of the release of their sophomore album , Devour You (out on October 11th), the LA based, garage punk band, set forth on a North American headlining tour earlier this month. 

Starcrawler @ Bottom of the Hill 10/5/2019 

photo by Marc Fong

Starcrawler @ Bottom of the Hill 10/5/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

There isn't a more idyllic place for them to play in SF than  Bottom of the Hill and on October 5th, that was the 2nd stop on their 25 show stretch. It was loud and dark with red lights washing out the band on stage. It was stuffy and warm and a little uncomfortable, the way a proper punk show should be.

The 19 year old front woman, Arrow de Wilde, brings Starcrawler’s aggressive, grungy, pop-punk to life with a chaotically, manic stage presence. Staring wide-eyed into nothing with zombie like shuffling around stage, robotic movements, hard headbanging, falling to the ground, choking herself with her mic cord and gagging herself with her microphone, she's definitely entertaining to watch. She didn’t spit on any photographers or drool fake blood on anyone at this show but those are things she’s been known to do.

Starcrawler @ Bottom of the Hill 10/5/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

 Not only does she put on a show, she is the show. You never know what she's going to do next and that's probably why Starcrawler draws such a diverse crowd. 

Starcrawler @ Bottom of the Hill 10/5/2019

photo by Marc Fong 

Bottom of the Hill was packed with twenty somethings to fifty somethings that night. Punks, Rock-a-Billys, Queers, Goths and un-approachable introverts were all there to witness Starcrawler. It was a few days before their sophomore album, Devour You, was released so naturally they played new stuff as well as stuff off of their self titled debut album, like "I love LA."  

Their cover of The Ramones classic "Pet Cemetery" got a number of people singing along, even one of the bartenders chimed in as he poured drinks. 

Starcrawler @ Bottom of the Hill 10/5/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

They're heading to Nashville, to play at Jack White's infamous Third Man Records on Halloween night. What a treat that show will be! I wonder what antics de Wilde has up her sleeves for All Hallows Eve. 

Starcrawler @ Bottom of the Hill 10/5/2019 

photo by Marc Fong

Starcrawler has shows lined up before and after October 31st, too. 

If there's a time of year to see Starcrawler, it's now. 

Starcrawler tour dates: 

October 22nd: Montreal @ Bar Le Ritz 

October 23rd: Somerville, MA @ ONCE Ballroom 

October 25th: Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 

Starcrawler @ Bottom of the Hill 10/5/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

October 26th: Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle 

October 27th: Washington, DC @ Pie Shop 

October 28th: Pittsburg, PA @ Club Café 

October 30th: Detroit, MI @ Third Man Records 

October 31st: Nashville, TN @ Third Man Records

November 1st: Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5 

November 2nd: New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa 

November 5th: Austin, TX @ Barracuda

November 8th: Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar 

November 9th: Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theater  

Cigarettes After Sex @ The Fox Theater Oakland 10/1/2019

The ambient-pop band from El Paso Texas, Cigarettes After Sex, is on tour in support of their upcoming sophomore album, Cry. After kicking off their tour with back to back sold-out shows at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver and The Neptune in Seattle, the band played The Crystal Ballroom in Portland on September 29th before playing The Fox Theater in Oakland on October 1st. 

Cigarettes After Sex @ The Fox Theater in Oakland 

photo by Marc Fong

When I first listened to Cigarettes After Sex, they struck me as a very cinematic band, like their songs could score a movie or maybe play durring the credits.  Heading to their show in Oakland with this in mind it was fitting to see that there wasn't going to be an opening band that night, but rather, a short film would play. 

Cigarettes After Sex @ The Fox Theater in Oakland 

photo by Marc Fong

It was more like of one of those videos on YouTube: a single image with music playing over it. The smallish screen showing a faint image of illustrated rain falling from a light grey sky hung over the stage as melancholy music played.  It wasn't loud or intruding, it was just there in the background as a middle aged crowd milled about. 

The picturesque venue was the perfect setting for the  headliners' sound which became more apparent when they hit the stage. The stage fell dark and spotlights offered the only glimpse of the four piece band. Even approved photographers could only shoot in black  and white. Serene, slow-core songs (not to be confused with sad-core, circa Lana Del Rey) washed over the crowd as they politely sang along gleefully. It wasn't a sold-out show and the amount of people there felt right (I've seen sparser crowds at the 2, 800 max capacity venue). In a way it made the show feel more intimate, more enjoyable. 

Cigarettes After Sex @ The Fox Theater in Oakland 

photo by Marc Fong

Banter was kept to a minimum as their 13 song set (including an encore) filled the Tuesday night air. Cigarettes After Sex will continue touring the world well into next year and their new album, Cry will be available October 25th. 

set-list 10/1/2019 

1. Opera House 

2. Crush 

3. Falling In Love 

4. Affection 

5. Sunsetz

6. Sweet 

Cigarettes After Sex @ The Fox Theater in Oakland 

photo by Marc Fong

7. Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby 

8. Each Time You Fall In Love 

9. K. 

10. Keep On Loving You

11. Apocalypse 

en-core

12. Heavenly 

13. Dreaming Of You 

Banana Cream Cupcake from Cupcake Royale

Cupcake Royale @ 2052 NW Market St, Seattle

photo by Nikki DeMartini

I recently visited a dear friend in Seattle/Washington State and before I went I looked up cupcakes to get an idea of what the best cupcakes are up there. To my surprise, different Cupcake Royale locations popped up as the first 8 out of 10 in my search. It was plain to see that I had to have a cupcake from Cupcake Royale. 

We stayed in the cute little neighborhood of Ballard  outside of the city. Restaurants, cafes, boutiques, coffee shops and bars lined the streets. And, luckily for me, a Cupcake Royale was right down the street from where we were staying.









On our first morning there, we found ourselves at Cupcake Royale. They have Cupcakes and coffee! I asked the lady behind the counter what she recommended. First she said Cookies and Cream (which I had initially thought about because is one of my favorite ice-cream flavors). She quickly followed up with "or the Banana Cream" (which was a little creepy because I had also thought about that one, too!).

Behind the cupcake rack @ Cupcake Royale 

photo by Nikki DeMartini

Coffee & Banana Cream Cupcake @ Cupcake Royale

photo by Nikki DeMartini

Banana muffins are everywhere, sure, but banana cupcakes are a rarity. Muffins are pretty much cupcakes without frosting and this was pretty much a banana muffin with frosting! I ordered a Banana Cream Cupcake and a cup of coffee and we enjoyed them in the cute Cupcake Royale store. 












The cake was filled with those teeny, stringy pieces from bananas that you find in banana muffins and banana bread. The rounded edgeswere toasted while the insides remained fluffy. There was also a little dollop of Carmel cream in it's center, Dulce de Leche to be exact. 

Banana Cream cupcake @ Cupcake Royale 

photo by Nikki DeMartini

The cake was buttery but not decadently so, as in it wasn't heavy but spongey while still being buttery and moist. Kind of like a muffin but more cakey. It was comforting to eat, like eating fresh baked banana bread at home in the morning. 













The cream cheese frosting balanced between savory sweet. From it's texture alone I wouldn't have guessed that it was cream cheese frosting. Usually thick and creamy, like a buttercream frosting, this cream cheese frosting is as light as homemade whipped cream. It is in fact, a whipped cream cheese frosting and it's the lightest, yummiest whipped cream cheese frosting I have ever had. The whole cupcake had the quality of freshness that you could taste with every bite. 

Cupcake Royale in Ballard

photo by Nikki DeMartini

The Banana Runts and Nilla Wafer Streusel crumbs topped off the Banana Cream Cupcake with the perfect amount of crunch.  













The Cupcake Royale location in Ballard is super cute. It's street art inspired paintings, Sub-Pop themed merch and cutesy plates made it hard not to have a full-on photo shoot. I had no idea the Banana Cream Cupcake is a seasonal flavor which made me even happier that I tried it! I have to try some of their ice cream on my next visit! Maybe I'll do a cookies and cream, ice cream/cupcake pairing. 

Cupcake Royale in Ballard

photo by Nikki DeMartini

Cupcake Royale in Ballard

photo by Nikki DeMartini

K-Flay at The Fox Theater in Oakland 9/7/2019

On March 1st, K-Flay released "Bad Vibes" a new single on her then forthcoming new album, Solutions. Before the July 12th release of her 3rd album,  K-Flay played a sold-out show at Bottom of the Hill  on April 15th, and a few months later the Solutions tour brought her back to the Bay. This time around, she headlined at The Fox Theater in Oakland on September 7th. 

K-Flay @ The Fox Theater in Oakland 9/7/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

The Saturday night show sold decently but it didn't sell-out. Still, playing a venue with a capacity of 350 (Bottom of the Hill) to one with a capacity of 2,800 (The Fox Theater in Oakland) within the same year is a big jump.

 And, it's the biggest venue K-Flay has headlined to date (She told us so!). So, there's that. 

K-Flay @ The Fox Theater in Oakland 9/7/2019

photo by Marc Fong 

Your Smith opened, followed by Houses  and by 10:00 t was K-Flay's turn. 

Since her Life as a Dog debut 5 years ago, Kristine Meredith Flaherty has been looking on the brighter side of life. When the black haired singer, songwriter, producer first started out she was a rapper and a student at Stanford. Last year her hit single "Blood In The Cut" got nominated for an Grammy for Best Rock Song. 

K-Flay @ The Fox Theater in Oakland 9/7/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

The 2017 album, Everywhere Is Somewhere really put her on the map and not for rap but for alternative rock. In the short two years since then, K-Flay's style has evolved once again. 






With the release of "Bad Vibes", K-Flay has shown a more pop-indie side with softer vocals, optimistic lyrics and catchy, up-beat melodies. She's still got an edge it's just not as aggressive.  
Even her image has gone from grunge to polished tom-boy. And she still rocks classic docs. These changes might be due to her signing with Interscope records a few years ago. It might also be due to the fact that K-Flay is in a happy place in her life right now and like they say, art imitates life. 

K-Flay @ The Fox Theater in Oakland 9/7/2019

photo by Marc Fong 

The band was perched on top of  a lit up, color changing, tiered platform and like K-Flay, they too were dressed in all white. The set started with three new songs, two of which are two of my faves off the new album, single worthy "This Baby Don't Cry" and "Bad Vibes". 

K-Flay @ The Fox Theater in Oakland 9/7/2019 

photo by Marc Fong

The Cali friendly, single driven introduction definitely dialed fans in to get the party started. K-Flay was all over the place: dancing, jumping, head-banging, thrashing about and her positive energy was so enthralling it was hard to be in the crowd and not join along.








At one point she got on the guitar and everyone rocked out to some songs off her first two albums before diving back into Solutions. There were some acoustic versions of songs in the set, including an acoustic cover of "Fuck and Run" originally by indie-rock goddess, Liz Phair. She left us with her biggest hit "Blood in the Cut" and it was the perfect finale to K-Flay's high energy, headlining show. 

K-Flay @ The Fox Theater in Oakland 9/7/2019

photo by Marc Fong 

 She made it a point to connect with her fans in Oakland that night, like we were a part of her experience as much as she was part of our experience. Her passion for music and performing, her new album and gratitude for her fans shined throughout her performance. It was a lot of fun to see her having fun on stage and know that she was absolutely loving it. 

K-Flay @ The Fox Theater in Oakland 9/7/2019

photo by Marc Fong 

K-Flay has come a long way and she proves that change is for the better. After she's done touring the U.S.A K-Flay goes over to the UK before closing out her year at Riptide Music Festival in Florida on November 23rd then The Edge's Black Friday in Oklahoma on November 29th. 

K-Flay @ The Fox Theater in Oakland 9/7/2019

photo by Marc Fong

K-Flay set-list 9/7/2019
1. Not In California
2. This Baby Don't Cry 

K-Flay @ The Fox Theater in Oakland 9/7/2019

photo by Marc Fong 

3. Bad Vibes 
4. Black Wave 
5. Giver 
6. Make Me Fade 
7. Good News 
8. Champagne 
9. I Like Myself (Most of the Time)
10. Nervous (acoustic) 
11.  Can't Sleep (acoustic) 
12. Fuck & Run (Liz Phair cover) (acoustic) 
13. DNA 
14. Only in the Dark 
15. Ice Cream 
16. So Fast, So Maybe 
17. High Enough 

encore
18. Sister 
19. Blood in the Cut 

K-Flay Solutions U.S tour dates  

September 17th @ First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN

September  19th @ Riviera Theater - Chicago, IL 

September 20th @ Crofoot Ballroom - Detroit, MI

September 21st @ Town Ballroom - Buffalo, NY 

September 22nd @ Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, Canada 

September 24th @ Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn, NY 

September 25th @ Royale - Boston, MA 

K-Flay @ The Fox Theater in Oakland 9/7/2019

photo by Marc Fong 

September 26th @ Theater of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA

September 29th @ 9:30 Club - Washington, DC 

September 30th @ The Fillmore - Charlotte, NC 

October 2nd @ Marathon Music Works

October  4th @ Austin City Limits - Austin, TX 

October 9th @ The Wiltern - Los Angeles, CA 

October 11th @ Austin City Limits - Austin, TX

October 12th @ The Fillmore Auditorium - Denver, CO 

Aftershock 2019

Last year, Aftershock rocked Northern California with some of music’s heaviest hitters: System of a Down, Slash, Deftones At the Drive-In, Incubus and ton more!

This year, Aftershock raises the bar with 3 monster days of true-rock and even bigger names! The show takes place October 11, 12, and 13 at Discovery Park in Sacramento. The headliners should be enough on their own (Tool, Korn, Blink-182, Rob Zombie, Slipknot and Staind) but checkout some of the below-the-fold bands: Lamb of God, Marilyn Manson, Chevelle, Babymetal, Stone Temple Pilots and many more! Get there early, bring a hat, and get ready to see some kick-ass live music in October!

For tickets and more info check out https://aftershockfestival.com! 

Written by Marc Fong