Happy Birthday, cupcake

 It was my birthday earlier this month and to celebrate my cousin and her two kids (my god kids) visited me in San Francisco. We decided on a trip to the San Francisco Botanical Garden. It was a sunny January day and some of the infamous pink Magnolias were already blooming high above us on otherwise bare branches. 

Cupcake from Whole Foods 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Before we went exploring we made a pit stop for the birthday festivity of blowing out a candle on the cupcake my cousin got for me and making a birthday wish. Both of my god kids were very excited about this because my cousin had gotten them their own treats, too. It was so cute the way their eyes lit up when she opened up the cupcake box and lit a candle in it, you'd think it was their birthday.

 

exploring the San Francisco Botanical Garden

The cupcake was from Whole Foods and my thoughtful cousin picked a cupcake covered in frosting flowers. The flowers were light blue and green with a couple darker green leaves which reminded me of hydrangeas. 

 I mentioned to her that the cupcake was very fitting since we were celebrating at the Botanical Garden and she said that's why she got that one. She sure does know how to make a birthday girl feel special that cousin of mine.

 After singing me Happy Birthday, the kids had their treats and then burned off the sugar rush running around the park but I saved my cupcake for later. 

The frosting flowers got a little smooshed in transit but it still looked pretty and tasted yummy. All of those frosting flowers and leaves sure made for one very well frosted cupcake and I love frosting. It was classic vanilla frosting and I could see that the cake was chocolate. To my delighted surprise, the chocolate cake was rich and chocolatey! I'm almost positive it was devils food cake based on it's deep brown color and how moist and flavorful it was. Chocolate cake under frosting flowers is like dirt that flowers grow in only way yummier, though my godson might disagree.Without one flavor outweighing the other, it was a perfect balance of vanilla vs. chocolate. 
Individual cupcakes from Whole Foods are bigger than standard cupcakes so there's more to love which is great news for cupcake lovers. I've never had a cupcake from Whole Foods that I didn't like, in fact they're the best cupcakes from a grocery store bakery I've had making this a perfect little birthday treat for me.
Keep these pretty and yummy cupcakes in mind for birthday celebrations as a gift for someone else or for yourself!

cupcake from Whole Foods 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Wet Leg @ Popscene 12/15/2021

 

Wet Leg @ Popscene 12/15/2021
photo by Mo Howard

Last month Wet Leg made their San Francisco debut at the one and only Popscene, the city's premier indie night club, which was hosted at  Rickshaw Stop.

The British band from Isle of Wight, founded by Rhain Teasdale and Hester Chambers released the underground hit single of Summer 2021, "Chaise Lounge".

It's quirky, clever lyrics, buzzing guitars and uninterested monotone are undeniably indie, sparking people's interest which quickly made it and the girls behind it a sensation.
Their SF debut show sold-out just as quick. 

It had been a while since I had been to Popscene, so long in fact I can't recall the last time I was there. I was excited to be back, excited to be approved to cover Wet Leg and excited that one of my good friends who I work music festivals with was in town and able to join me.

Wet Leg @ Popscene 12/15/2021
photo by Mo Howard

The place was packed by the time we got there which was well after doors opened and after the opening acted. From what I could see the crowd was around my age, a sight to see with the reputation that Popscene has of debuting the hottest breaking bands and usually drawing a younger crowd.  I wasn't about to push my way through the thick of the crowd to get a better view of the band and scope out the whole scene though. Proof of vaccinations were being checked at the door but still, it was definitely too close for my new normal comfort level. 

Wet Leg @ Popscene 12/15/2021
photo by Nikki DeMartini

It was surprising to see Teasdale and Chambers joined by four other for a total of six people on stage. Wet Leg the duo is a full band ensemble live or at least they were that night in SF. They all seemed to vibe well with each other while they played but their stage presence was lacking. Just about as stagnant as the crowd, the band not surprisingly found themselves in a spot most bands have been at one point especially as they’re emerging. Wet Leg, for as popular as they are and are becoming, are still finding their voice on stage.

They started their set with what could be considered their second single, the riffy, poetic, garage/indie rock hybrid "Too Late Now". 

Being from the Bay Area and going to shows here my whole life, though the crowd was stagnant for the most part I could tell that they were into it. Something about air about them and the way they intently watched the show. The lighting was dark and harsh with lots of red washing everyone out, adding to the "cool" kid aesthetic the show already had and the vibe that Popscene is known for. With no banter between songs the eleven song set seemed to fly right by. Before I knew it that guitar driven, rhythmic intro of "Chaise Lounge" filled the room. Wet Leg saved their best known song for last as most up and coming bands do. It riled some signs of life through out the crowd as some people sang along to and some bopped about. As soon as the hit song was over, Wet Leg left the stage, house lights came up and everyone there hightailed it toward the exit. 

Wet Leg @ Popscene 12/15/2021
photo by Mo Howard

Wet Leg opened for CHVRCHES at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium the night after playing Popscene and they recently announced up coming tour dates through out Europe, North America and Canada. They've also announced the release date of their first album, April 8th, 2022!  The more live shows they play the more comfortable they'll become on stage and I'm looking forward to seeing where this wave takes Wet Leg. 

set-list 12/15/2021

1. Too Late Now
2. It's Not Fun 
3. Ur Mom 
4. Wet Dream 
5. Supermarket 
6. Loving You 
7. Obvious 
8. Oh No 
9. Being In Love 
10. Angelica 
11. Chaise Lounge 

Favorite new music find of 2021

 I found my favorite new music find of 2021 when I wasn't looking for it, not really anyway. COVID bookended by a busy work schedule aside I was finally getting to see DRAMA live and I was very excited about it.  It was an Outside Lands night show and DRAMA had been on the  whacky 2021 "postponed" festival circuit playing some of the same festivals that I was working but I had yet to see them.  Better yet, that night I was getting to see DRAMA live at Bimbo's, the most picture-esqe, art-deco venue to see a concert in SF. Fate would have it that contrary to personal show going practices, I arrived in time to see the opener that night, too. 

The band was Brijean, a collaboration of Brijean Murphy and Doug Stewart  based out of Oakland. I hadn't heard of them before but later found out that Murphy is an accomplished DJ, making a name for herself as a sought after percussionists on the indie scene after working with the likes of Poolside and Toro Y Moi. Their demeanor, though a bit meager was somewhat oddly inciting, or maybe it was seeing Murphy situated behind a huge pair of bongos that sparkled the initial interest. What kind of hippy noodling experience were we about to get into with these two hipsters? 

Brijean @ Bimbo's 365 Club 10/27/2021
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Their sound, retro yet bubbly, is unassumingly immersive. Hypnotically harmonizing melodies of sweet bass hooks, fun percussion and dancey synths with Murphy's almost nymph like vocals that carry a unique pitch and leisurely allure complete the package. Stuck in a trace standing there in front of the stage I was completely submerged in every song they played. If I closed my eyes long enough I bet that I could have easily forgotten where I was, transported far far away to another place and time.
The song "Hey Boy" totally encapsules their tropical, trippy vibe which simultaneously transcends a high and lo tempo like butter across all of their tracks. Filling every nook and cranny with a smooth deliciousness that's hard to resist.
Turns out their whole 2021 album, Feelings is no different. Just the right amount of funk and jam and indie and of course those sweet, sweet bongos. 

Their sultry finesse matched that of Drama's.
Coincidence? Maybe.
Both bands did play Outside Lands...either way it left me thinking that Brijean and Tash Sultana would be a good billing fit, too. 

DRAMA @ Bimbo's 365 Club 10/27/2021
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Brijean is a great soundtrack for a small at home get together, a cocktail party, a picnic, a warm bath and as I found out a few days later, a perfect mid-day set at a music festival. That's right, the chill dynamic duo played the Panhandle stage at the 2021 Outside Lands which had been postponed to Halloween weekend from it's usual early to mid August scheduling. As the sun shown down on Golden Gate park, the small crowd that had gathered at the small stage was a happy one. Happy to be there, basking in warm sunshine and the feel good tunes with summer of love undertones. It was here that I determined that "Moody" is my favorite song by them, recorded and live. And that yes, I am a fan of Brijean. 

 I'm happy I found out about Brijean and to be sharing them with you. Maybe you'll be a fan now, too!

Brijean at Outside Lands 2021 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Dawes @ The Fonda Theatre 11/26/2021

 Last month I was invited to cover Dawes at The Fillmore in San Francisco on November 28th but I was going to be in LA that day. I thought it would be a long shot telling my contact that and asking if Dawes had any upcoming shows in LA I could cover but I did and they did! 

Dawes @ The Fonda Theater 11/26/2021
photo by Nikki DeMartini

It was the day after Thanksgiving and Dawes was headlining their first of two shows at The Fonda Theatre on Hollywood Blvd and I was approved to cover them. My excitement was two fold: it was my first time at The Fonda and my second time being approved to cover a show in LA. 

 The Fonda was smaller than I imagined. With it's dimly lit interior, art deco and balcony it struck me as a combination of two venues in SF: The Fillmore, the same venue they'd play in a few days and The Warfield. The show that night was not sold-out by any means but it was filled with fans that looked to be my age and up. An older demographic if you will. 

Dawes @ The Fonda Theater 11/26/2021 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

There was plenty of space to mingle though most people stayed within their social circle, masks were kept on for the most part and light hearted conversations were had before the band started.  It was a nice change of pace after working overcrowded music festivals where the attendee demographics are usually  a lot younger and where no one seems to care about the transmission of COVID anymore. 

The place lit up at the sight and sound of Dawes. Being able to tour in support of their seventh album Good Luck With Whatever which they released October 2020 was a shared celebration between them an their fans. At one point front man, Taylor Goldsmith, talked about how before the pandemic he thought that he could take or leave live music and touring because they were a band and that's what bands do.  

When it was all taken away during lockdown and he couldn't tour or  play live music to a live audience is when it really hit him. He needs live music, live shows, a live audience. Like me, live streams just didn't do it for Dawes, they just aren't the same. His spiel is probably the most honest COVID spiel I've seen someone make on-stage and I appreciated that.

They opened with "None of My Business" a new one from the new album and then proceeded with older songs from their older albums: Nothing Is Wrong, We're All Gonna Die, Passwords, Stories Don't End and North Hills. It wasn't until a little more than half way through the set they played another new one, Someone Else's Cafe or Doomscroller Tries to Relax. Somewhere in there Goldsmith mentioned how he usually doesn't get nervous before playing shows but there was something about these hometown shows and playing to folks from or at least in his hometown that made him a bit nervous.

Dawes @ The Fonda Theatre 11/26/2021 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

As I made my way around the venue trying to get good photos while being respectful of other concert goers, I noticed 8x11 signs on the stage asking people to keep masks on if they were that close. That was a first for me and again, something from Dawes that I appreciated. 

Dawes land somewhere between indie and folk though I wouldn't say their sound is indie-folk. Some songs have a distinct indie sound while other have a strong folk flare. They throw in an instrumental version of one of their songs, House Parties and to really mix things up they did a Black Sabbath cover.  

With 15 songs on their set list and a two song encore, Dawes played for nearly two hours. They were happy to do so and of course their friends were happy about it, too. I'm sure the next two nights of shows at The Fonda Theatre in LA and The Fillmore in San Francisco were just as laid back and whole hearted as their first show at The Fonda.

Dawes @ The Fonda Theatre  11/26/2021
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Dawes @ The Fonda Theatre11/26/2021 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

set-list 11/26/2021 
1. None of My Business 
2. If I Wanted Someone 
3. Don't Send Me Away
4. We're All Gonna Die 
5. Feed the Fire 
6. Someone Will 
7. The Western Skyline 
8. Time Spent in Los Angeles 
9. Someone Else's Cafe or Doomscroller Tries to Relax 
10. House Parties (acoustic) 
11. Somewhere Along the Way 
12. From a Window Seat 
13. Still Feel Like a Kid 
14. Roll with the Punches 
15. All Your Favorite Bands 

en-core 
16. Who Do You Think You're Talking To?
17. Rat Salad (Black Sabbath cover)

MisterWives @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021

 As the end of 2019 neared MisterWives set out on tour and I set out to cover them. I had only seen them once back in 2016 at BottleRock Napa so the idea of seeing them at a one off show excited me. When the year ended I hadn't been able to cover them and then it was 2020. And then COVID happened. And then in the Summer of  2020, MisterWives released their third album SUPERBLOOM. I hadn't realized in 2019 that they were gearing up to release a new album but looking back it makes sense as that's what one does in this biz. 

MisterWivces @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021
photo by Marc Fong 

MisterWives @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021
photo by Marc Fong 

"Superbloom" the title track off the new album was released in May 2020 a few weeks ahead of the album which dropped in July. A good friend told me about the song and suggested that I check it out because according to him it was me since I myself have been growing, blooming into who I am meant to be. It was love at first listen and it continues to inspire, encourage and comfort every time I listen to it not to mention start a dance party of one in my apartment. 

MisterWives @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021
photo by Marc Fong 

 
Turns out a lot of songs by MisterWives follow the same theme: recognition that personal growth and change are hard, scary, lonely and that you are not alone through what can be a painful process. Most probably wouldn't know that's what the Indie-Pop band based out of NYC are all about from looking at their bight and cheery exterior but they are and it's refreshing. 

MisterWives @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021
photo by Marc Fong 

I went out on a limb and sent another request to cover them this time around.
 Needless to say I was thrilled when I got an email back telling me I was approved to cover MisterWives' Really Really Ridiculously Resilient Little tour.  
The show was on the eve of Thanksgiving eve, November 23rd: it was my first time being back at The Regency Ballroom since February 29th, 2020 to see Best Coast. Not much has changed other than needing to have proof of full COVID vaccination or a negative COVID test result. Masks are encouraged inside the venue but very few concert goers had masks on at this show which is unfortunately the case at most shows I've been to since shows have come back. 

MisterWives @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021
photo by Marc Fong 

The stage was set in SUPERBLOOM fashion with an array of eye catching colorful fake flowers everywhere. It's the same stage design they had when I saw them at BottleRock Napa 5 years ago, only there were a lot more fake flowers this time. "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers trickled out of the house PA system and as it grew louder than previous songs that played during the change over I was led to believe that MisterWives would take the stage once the millennial era anthem was over. The entire crowd sang along, myself included, after all we were breaking out of our (COVID) cage and (at the moment) we were feeling just fine. 

MisterWives @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021
photo by Marc Fong 

Sure enough MisterWives emerged after "Mr.Brightside" and the room bloomed with cheering happiness at the site of the headliners. The miss of MisterWives, Mandy Lee, was a sparkly seafoam green vision in a loose fitting cargo pant suit, energizing smile and beaming stage presence. They opened with "The End" which is the first song on SUPERBLOOM. Coincidentally, I had listened to the album while getting ready that night and thought it be clever if MisterWives started the show with "The End"  in the air of every ending is a new beginning type of thing and they did! If people in the crowd weren't whole heartedly singing along they were joyously dancing to this one. It was one of if not the best received openings to a show I'd seen this year. That's a pretty big feat being that everyone is ecstatic for the main act at every show I've been to since the triumphant return of live music 4 months ago but MisterWives took the cake in my book.  As far as I could see everyone had a smile painted across their face to match the leading lady's. 

As the show went on the smiles stayed and MisterWives seemed to pick up steam: taking full advantage of the stage, commanding attention with their kinetic energy and color changing back drop. They were visibly  having fun with each other while doing it, too which fans fed off of. It was an osmosis of good times. 

Every song they played was well received no matter where in their three album catalog it came from and they played at least one song from each of their albums.  Lee delivered a sweet message of dreaming about this tour for last two years and about everyone there being there, alive and well.
She also mentioned how the backbends she did with her band mates hurt when she does them now as opposed to two years so she might have to stop doing them. 

MisterWives @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021
photo by Marc Fong 

Surprisingly  "Superbloom" did not close the show but was the second to last song ahead of "Our Own House" the title track off of their 2015 debut album. 

MisterWives @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021
photo by Marc Fong 

My goal was to get this review posted a lot sooner than I did but maybe the universe had other plans.
As I typed up the review of their show, yesterday afternoon MisterWives announced that due to some of them testing positive for COVID they have to reschedule their upcoming shows in Washington DC, Boston and New York until January.
Live music is back but COVID is still out there, we are still in a pandemic. Even if you're fully vaccinated, wearing a mask indoors and getting tested regularly is not only important for your own health but the health and safety of everyone. You can still get COVID if you're vaccinated and you can spread it.
Well wishes to MisterWives for a speedy recovery, I feel your pain.
Thank you for risking your health to bring a night of uplifting vibes to San Francisco. 

MisterWives set-list 11/23/2021

1. The End
2. Ghost 
3. Box Around the Sun
4. whywhywhy
5. Rock Bottom
6. Coming Up For Air
7. Alone 
8. Valentine's Day 
9. Rainbow
10. It's My Turn 
11. Find My Way Home 
12. Running In Place 
13. Decide To Be Happy
14. Love Me True 
15. Coloring Outside The Lines 
16. 3 Small Words
17. Muse 
18. Reflections
19. Superbloom 
20. Our Own House 

Phoebe Bridgers @ The Greek Theater 10/16/2021

It had been a while since I had been invited to cover a show or to have one of my requests for coverage be approved, so, subsequently my blog posts had significantly slowed down. As more and more shows and festivals got announced, work in my industry came back in a big way, all at once. While work poured in show coverage still remained slow. And then one day I got a bite and it was kind of a big bite.
 Burnout from the influx of work in the last few months, an out of practice writing schedule and being out of practice about live shows in general really stalled me. I wanted to get this posted weeks ago and thought I could bust it out between working three different festivals...
Well, here we are more than four weeks later and here it is. My first approved show coverage since before the pandemic. 

 

When I was asked if I wanted to cover Phoebe Bridgers at The Greek Theater in Berkeley I couldn't believe it. Do I want to cover Phoebe Bridgers?! The Grammy award nominated Phoebe Bridgers? The Phoebe Bridgers who infamously smashed/didn't smash her guitar at the end of her premier SNL performance? The Phoebe Bridgers who said "Fuck ACL" after the festival cut the sound as she played the last song of her set because she went over her allotted time only to go into an hour long change over for Doja Cat? The Phoebe Bridgers who dated Conor Oburst? The Phoebe Bridgers who had one of the best albums of 2020? Indie's hottest IT girl of the moment, Phoebe Bridgers? 

My answer was yes. Yes I do want to cover Phoebe Bridgers. 

 I couldn't for the life of me find anywhere on line that listed an opening act so I got to The Greek in Berkeley around 7:30, which was an hour after doors opened and half an hour before the show started. By the time I got my ticket from will-call, had my covid vaccination verified and waited in line to get into the venue, opening act Julien Baker was getting ready to play the last song of the set. Naturally, the beautiful coliseum of a venue was filled to the gill since it was a sold-out show and they roared when Baker announced she be playing a cover of the Rufus Wainwright with a special guest and Phoebe Bridgers herself walked out for the surprise duet. Needless to say, I was elated with my timing getting to the show that night. I'm not familiar with Julien Baker or the Rufus Wainwright song "One Man Guy" but the crowd's reaction to Phoebe joining Julien on stage to perform it sent waves of goose bumps through me. Seeing two ladies, each with a guitar, hold down the whole stage at a venue like that in front of a crowd itching for more was serenely empowering. I knew that my friend who had been waiting in line for hours before doors opened so he could get a good spot in the bowl had to be elated, too.

Phoebe Bridgers @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 10/16/2021
photo by Nikki DeMartini

And it only got better from there. 

Maybe it was just me but the sold-out show at The Greek that night felt more so than the previous sold out show I had been to there which was Sylvan Esso just a few weeks before. Was there more of a jubilance in the air? Were more people on their feet? Was it a younger crowd? Was it the change of the seasons lingering all about us? I don't know what it was but it did feel more sold-out. 

Phoebe Bridgers @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 10/16/2021
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The change over seemed to have come and gone and before you knew it Phoebe was on stage opening with one of her first singles form 2017, "Motion Sickness". The first few songs were just her, on stage, singing and playing. She wore what looked to be a velvet blazer, forgoing what's become her signature look of a skeleton onesie, or something of the sort. 

Transfixed by her as she made her way around the stage, the crowd seemed to move with Phoebe, squealing when she strummed her guitar, when she smiled, when she gazed out into the faces who of course were gazing right back at her. They simply couldn't get enough of her and she knew it, it was painted all over her face with that effortless smile, smirk. For as sullen as her sound and vibe are, or can be, she sure does smile a lot more than one may think she would. 

Phoebe Bridgers @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 10/16/2021
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Just like at the Sylvan Esso show I found myself able to go right down to the front of the bowl, where the photo pit is and stand along side the barricade there with out so much as a second glance from security.  Even with it's tough angles and blind corners, it's a prime location to get a good pic for someone without a photo pass or a decent camera. Looking back it's as if I was riding the tide of good times: nearly teetering on tiptoes to stay a float in the shreiking seas of sirens that came in all shapes and sizes behaving like excited adolescence at the mere sight of her, forget about recognition from her. One moment I was doing my best to get good profile photo of Phoebe putting on a fuzzy cowboy hat she plucked from a fan across the stage and the next moment I was trying to focus on her right in front of me, signing something that was from the screaming crowd around me before handing it back so she could return to the other corner of the stage, lickity split. 

After that close encounter the security guards at that post more readily kept people moving. I had already gotten pics I couldn't have dreamed of getting and she played "Kyoto" early on in her set so I didn't mind moving one bit by that point. 

As I moved around the outskirts of the bowl, absorbing the energy of the night the graphics behind Phoebe moved, too. The intricate graphics and stunning lights changed with every song. At some point I realized that she was accompanied by her whole band on stage and they were all wearing skeleton attire of some sort. She spoke of being back in the Bay Area and that she had family from Ukiah which caused a little stir in one area for a fleeting moment. Phoebe is personable in a way much like her smile, one might not expect it. 
For as anti everything that she stands for as she is, Phoebe Bridgers actually comes off as quite personable. Maybe that's part of her allure.  Indie's antisocial butterfly is magically personable. A seriously good musician who allows herself not to take it too seriously because she knows she can because her craft is that good. 

Phoebe Bridgers @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 10/16/2021
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Has someone's live performance ever won you over? Like you weren't a fan but then you saw them live and then you were a fan? I was a fan of Phoebe Bridgers before I was asked if I wanted to review her show but  I have a new found appreciation for her, now. I went back and listened to her 2020 album Punisher after seeing her live and that's when it struck me that I like Phoebe Bridgers more after seeing her live. Phoebe Bridgers and her music are that un-cool, cool girl at school who no-one sits with but who everyone talks about.
At least, she was. 

Phoebe Bridgers @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 10/16/2021
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Sleigh Bells playing shows in Oakland & SF soon

 It's been 12 years since Sleigh Bells exploded on to the music scene with their highly likeable, brash single "Kids" off of their archetypal noise pop album, Treats. 

Since then the duo who's origins lay in Brooklyn New York continue to break the mold of pop music.  Steered by heavy metal inspired hooks and shrieking synths backing lovely vocals, sometimes harder, sometimes softer but always clearly Sleigh Bells, 2021's Texis brings them closer to their roots. 

On May 11th, front-man Derek and front-woman Alexis announced the rescheduled anniversary celebration show for Treats on September 9th, 2021 at  New York's Webster Hall. A few weeks later on June 21st, before starting to tease the release of their 5th album, Texis, they announced their unannounced album tour with shows throughout October 2021 and February 2022. 

Not too long after that they unveiled the first single off the new album "Locust Laced" and it's music video in July and on September 10th Sleigh Bells dropped their new album. 

These two have been busy in the dawn of the new normal. In the midst of all of these Sleigh Bells happenings, Alexis went and got hitched like the rock N roll goddess that she is.

Ahead kicking off the tour in New York on October 5th Sleigh Bells not only updated their COVID-19 policies for their shows, they also precautiously postponed some shows until next February while at the same time adding a show in San Francisco. 

Maybe the show in the city by the bay was added because of high vaccination rates and proof of vaccination policies?  It's hard to say but on October 23rd Bay Area fans can catch them at The New Parish in Oakland and the very next night they play The Rickshaw Stop in SF. 

Sleigh Bells at Mezzanine 11/6/2016 
photo by Evan Andrews  

Take it from someone who's seen them play at  music festivals, an outdoor arena and smaller venues, the best place to see a band with as big of a sound that Sleigh Bells has is those smaller, more intimate venues. They put on a  great show where ever they play but smaller venues is how Sleigh Bells are meant to be seen. With The New Parish's max capacity's of 250 and 400 at The Rickshaw Stop, their back to back upcoming shows in The Bay should not disappoint. 

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

Get tickets to either or both shows while you can and don't forget earplugs, your proof of vaccination, or your mask.