Thursday, February 26, 2015

Congrats! Strawberries & Champagne Funfetti Cupcakes to Celebrate!



I recently got a third job, it's crazy I know but hey a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. I'm very excited about my new gig because I am finally back on my music/marketing career path! To celebrate, I baked a batch of  Strawberries and Champagne Cupcakes. 





Finding a Champagne Cake recipe was easier than I thought it would be, just replace the water that the recipe calls for with Champagne, it's a piece of cake! Being that I'm pressed for time and not opposed to saving a few dimes I went the store bought route. I chose funfetti cake and frosting because confetti comes to mind when I think of celebrations and wishing congratulations, so this cake flavor version of confetti was perfect!


I followed the egg-white recipe on the back of the box, replacing the 1 and 1/4 cups of water with 1 and 1/4 cups of pink Dreamstone Champagne. It was funny to see and hear the batter fizz when I mixed in the bubbly! 


 Once the cupcakes were in oven it was time to prepare  the fresh strawberry frosting. First of all, Funfetti frosting isn't like it used to be with the little circles of colorful waxy sugar in it, maybe that was Confetti frosting, I'm not sure. Now, Funfetti frosting is plain vanilla frosting that comes with rainbow colored sprinkles to sprinkle on top of cupcakes once they are frosted. Anyway, I scooped all of the frosting into a bowl, washed and cut seven medium sized strawberries then used a fork to mash and stir them into the frosting.


























The juice from the strawberries made the frosting runny, almost like yogurt, so I popped it in the fridge to firm it up a bit. It was still pretty runny,by the time the cupcakes were ready more like a fresh strawberry icing . I carefully iced the cupcakes and got them in the fridge quick so the icing wouldn't drip!





The Champagne made the  consistency of the funfetti cake more bouncy or chewy like an angle food cake or sponge cake not fluffy or moist like some cupcakes tend to be. Otherwise it was  a standard white cake with colorful spots throughout it. The fresh strawberry frosting, turned icing was super sweet and the chunks of strawberries made this cupcake so to say. I usually prefer fresh cupcakes but in this case the fact that these Strawberries & Champagne Funfetti Cupcakes had to be served chilled played well for the flavor because bubbly should always be put on ice!





















Cheers to new adventures and starting new chapters in life! 






Saturday, February 14, 2015

Two Gallants @ The Chapel 2/6/2015

Native San Franciscan band Two Gallants celebrated the February 3rd release of their  5th Studio Album,  We Are Undone with three shows over the course of three nights on February 5th, 6th and 7th.
 
Two Gallants @ The Chapel 2/6/2015
Photo by Marc Fong 

 
 
Sandwiched between the first show at Leo's in Oakland and the hometown finale show at the Great American Music Hall, Friday night's  sold out show was in the heart of hipster heaven at The Chapel in San Francisco's Mission District.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The venue was fully packed by time Two Gallants finally took their places on stage following St. Andrew James and a change over which seemed to take forever.

Two Gallants @ The Chapel 2/6/2015
Photo by Marc Fong 
Adam and Tyson have been making music together since they were twelve years and the comfort level they share when they play makes for an inviting and welcoming live show as seen and heard at Friday night's show . With a nonchalant demeanor they calmly immersed the audience into the set with "Reflections of the Marionette" from their 2007 self titled album.
 
Two Gallants @ The Chapel 2/6/2015
Photo by Marc Fong 
 
 
Two Gallants @ The Chapel 2/6/2015
Photo by Marc Fong 
 
 
 
 
While the balance of guitar and drums are layered evenly, Tyson's fervent performance carefully grabs the audiences' attention: with his head-banging and hair whipping the drummer keeps a steady hand whilst drumming without overbearing his band mate's earnest showmanship. Further admirable is Tyson's ability to sing solid back up vocals on almost every song and  Adam's sweet harmonica melodies mixed with his guitar playing between lyrics. Even though it was a record release show, Two Gallants ended up playing tracks from across their five album collection.
 
 
 
 
Two Gallants @ The Chapel 2/6/2015
Photo by Marc Fong 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Two Gallants @ The Chapel 2/6/2015
Photo by Marc Fong 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 








 
 
The  rustic, refurbished setting was perfect for the alternative folk duo: spot on acoustics delivered their polished garage rock sound with proper reverberation of their lo-fi aesthetic. And, framed under vintage wooden aches, basked in pleasant lighting as they modestly performed their indie-blues, Two Gallants quickly set a  mellow mood to match their like-minded vibe.
 
Two Gallants @ The Chapel 2/6/2015
Photo by Marc Fong 
 
Two Gallants @ The Chapel 2/6/2015
Photo by Marc Fong 
 
 
The hometown crowd remained rather respectable with appropriate coos, cheers and applause throughout the show. The loudest cheers rose when the front-man expressed his speechlessness, simply saying how proud they were to be there. The We Are Undone Tour continues with shows in the UK before the S.F boys come back to the states, playing more shows on the East Coast before the last two shows in L.A this May!















Friday, February 6, 2015

Sage Francis @ The Mezzanine 1/30/2015



Our friends at ShowBams sent us out to cover the Sage Francis show on San Francisco last week! 
It was a few minutes before midnight when headliner Sage Francis took the stage following a couple different guest DJ sets Friday night at The Mezzanine. Scheduled openers, The Metermaids, had to cancel due to the blizzard in the East Coast. 

Sage Francis @ The Mezzanine 1/30/2015
Photo by: Marc Fong

It's been less than a year since Francis' last show in SF, and the innovative raper from Rhode Island gave fans a performance unmatched to any other solo hip-hop artist, bursting with his unique sound, style and grace. 



Sage Francis @ The Mezzanine 1/30/2015
Photo by: Marc Fong
He hit the stage wrapped in a Strange Famous flag (a some-what subtle self promotion for his record label) with nothing more than a microphone and laptop laden with original instrumental beats to carry him through the set. While a majority of the set-list weighed heavily on tracks from older albums than more recent releases, like last year's Cooper Gone, Sage wholeheartedly spit his brutally honest lyrics with a certain attention grabbing swagger and spoken-word flare. The captivated crowd crowd was compelled to dance as they cheered him on through his lively and humbly engaging performance. 

Sage Francis @ The Mezzanine 1/30/2015
Photo by: Marc Fong


























Sage has a few more shows lined up in March on the East Coast before he comes back to Cali in late May to play at the M15 Concert Bar & Grill in Corona. Hopefully it's not another four years before we hear new music from one of SF's favorite off-beat rappers so that we can jump back in the Sage train!

Sage Francis @ The Mezzanine 1/30/2015
Photo by: Marc Fong









Thursday, January 29, 2015

Popscene's 20th Anniversary Celebration with The Wombats 1/22/2015

The two night celebration for the 20th Anniversary of Popscene, the 80's dance club turned band debuting club night kicked-off last  Thursday night with Ivy Levan and  The Wombats.
It was close to 11:30 when DJ Aaron Axelsen welcomed The Wombats back to Popscene; he thanked everyone for being there to kick off the party celebrating his club.

The Wombats at Popscene 1/22/2015
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

The trio from Liverpool England played their first show at Popscene August 9th, 2007 in support of their debut album A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation, then again  in 2011 supporting their sophomore album This Modern Glitch. Keeping with tradition, last week they played their third show at Popscene supporting their forthcoming third album, Glitterbug, due out on April 6th. Lead singer Matthew Murphy greeted fans at the sold-out show with a peppy hello before unassuming, blaring guitar consumed the venue.

The Wombats at Popscene 1/22/2015
Photo by Nikki DeMartini
Murphy poked fun at the fact they had to stop the show after the first song, "Your Body is a Weapon", because of a noticeable ringing re-verb from his  "broken guitar": reassuring show-goers that the issue was either to his guitar, an amp or the Wombats curse which caused fans to laugh and chant "Wombats curse". As Murphy, bassist Tord Overland Knudsen and a couple  stage hands worked to fix the problem off stage;  drummer Dan Haggis had fun keeping fans engaged with jokes and a short lived rolling drum solo to answer shouting demands.  After about ten minutes the rest of the band returned to the stage, Murphy with different guitar to play and much to the delight of fans the show continued with "Jump into the Fog". The sound of  fans singing every word was faintly heard over the wailing guitar and effervescent bass as a youthful energy transmitted between the band and their fans. Most of the set was heavily lead by loud guitar riffs and quick bass hooks, The Wombats play hard which adds an element of punk-rock to their indie-pop. 




The Wombats at Popscene 1/22/2015
Photo by Nikki DeMartini
They played a few new songs, including a slow tempo "Give Me a Try" which carries more of a quintessential indie feel with soft hooks and vivid keys while the new single, "Greek Tragedy" sounds more like their older stuff. Knudsen and Haggins' back up vocals effortlessly harmonized and smoothly accentuated every song of the set and when he wasn't behind his mic, Knudsen jumped around the stage vivaciously playing bass without a glitch. Fans happily kept up with the beat clapping along to every song they knew and dancing to the less familiar ones. 

The technical hiccup at the top of their set was hardly an interruption, in fact it turned out to be a great introduction for the loud music they make. Before they ended their set, The Wombats recalled how they blew the power the first time they played at Popscene and they pulled off another awesome set with ease last week! San Francisco show goers can definitely expect Popscene to continue to introduce more great new bands for years to come!


Don't forget your ear plugs when you head out to see The Wombats when they play at The Fillmore on May 16th!













Friday, January 16, 2015

Best Shows & Albums of 2014

Here's my list of some of the best shows and albums from 2014!


Top Ten Shows of 2014

1) MIA @ Live105's BFD June 1st, 2014 @ The Shoreline


It had been four years since I saw MIA live and even though I'd prefer to see her play her own show, rather than a set at a music festival,  I was beyond stoked to see her at BFD this past summer! It was also the first time in nearly 10 years that my cousin Jenn  and I went to LIVE105's Annual Summer show together. In our heyday, we went to BFD every year, so last summer was definitely a blast from the past being at BFD together! Our general admission lawn tickets were upgraded  to much better and closer seats in the 200 section just in time to see MIA's performance! We were up and out of our seats as soon as  she hit the stage and both of us were singing and dancing as soon set started.
MIA at Live105's BFD 2014
Photo by Marc Fong
About half way through the second song MIA herself made her way off the stage, up into the seats of The Shoreline and stopped near our row to spit  lyrics as fans gathered and danced around her....myself included!!  It was a  jambalaya of rap-jams as MIA & co. busted out abbreviated versions of songs from every album, intertwining the mix with a couple hits played in full. The Matangi mama kept Shoreline security on their feet from beginning to end as she invited fans to dance on stage, wrapping up her set with her signature, defiant style. I still can't believe I danced with MIA!


OKGO at The Independent 7/16/2015
Photo by Nikki DeMartini
2) OKGO @ The Independent July 16th, 2014 
OKGO at The Independent 7/16/2015
Photo by Nikki DeMartini
Based on their innovative,creative, eye-catching music videos I knew that the OKGO show at The Independent would be a good time. There weren't any treadmills on stage but there were confetti cannons and OKGO wasted no time  putting them into action. By the second song the room and everyone in it covered in inches of colorful confetti! Carrying on convos with band-mates and fans, posing Q&A sessions and performing amongst the thick of the sold-out crowd, Kulash carried on with a genuine charisma and continuously connected with  fans through out the show.  OKGO engaged fanatical fans even further by using a mixing app on their phone and getting everyone to help compose  a beat, which they recorded and played back for everyone to hear. It was pretty neat! 
This show was pure fun, from the power-pop songs to the band's on-stage antics, to their insistent crowd interaction, good times were meant to be had and they most definitely were!  


       3) Die Antwoord @ The Fillmore May 27th, 2014 

By the time I got to the sold-out Die Antwoord show at The Fillmore the floor was pulsating  with dancing, jumping, fist pumping fans getting down to unique techno beats and sick, agro rhymes. Famous for hosting some of rocks most treasured acts like Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix and The Grateful Dead it was something else to see Die Antwoord transform the historic Fillmore into a full on Zef rap rave! Ninja and Yolandi Ve$$er popped under black light lit stage with a non-stop explosive energy that fueled the party. Raging excitement spread as they debuted brand new music off of their third album, Donker Mag which dropped one week after they played in San Francisco, while hits from the first two albums got even more of a roaring response. Out of all of the shows I've been to at The Fillmore, I've never seen anything quite like the show Die Antwoord delivered that night!
The connection between fans and the band was instantaneous and MS MR's  friendly disposition quickly spread through out the venue as soon as they stepped on stage.  The sad-core indie-pop band from  Brooklyn was happy to be back in SF and headlining at The Fillmore and their SF fans were equally as happy to be there, showering the end of every single song with piercing cheers and loud applause.  Their up-beat energy put a spirit lifting spin on the performance lead by Lizzy's strong soulful vocals, fervent dancing and impressive bouts of violent stomping in platform shoes. It's refreshing to see that Lizzy is still humbly surprised and flattered by fan's overwhelming out-poor of admiration, one that sends good chills down my spine and leaves Lizzy positively glowing. 

MS MR at The Fillmore 4/15/2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

5) Sylvan Esso @ The Fillmore June 6th, 2014 
Sylvan Esso at The Fillmore 6/6/2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini
North Carolina's indie-elctropop duo, Sylvan Esso was warmly welcomed by a good sized crowd when they opened for tUnE-yArDs last June at The Fillmore. Their dreamy synth sound paired with Amelia Meath's seductive singing easily seduced the room to groove along with them. And groove we did: while Amelia circled the stage, Nick Sanborn bust out colorful build-ups and beat break-downs behind a small synthesizer set-up.
Their showmanship was captivating, their gracious nature was moving and their opening act stole the show in my opinion.  






6) The Matches @ Slim's November 8th, 2014 


The Matches at Slim's 11/8/2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini
I've been a fan of The Matches since they were known as The Locals and I when heard that band was getting back together for a reunion show for the 10th Anniversary of their first album, E Van Dahl Killed The Locals,  my heart fluttered with excitement. Tickets quickly sold-out and more Bay Area shows were added before The Matches announced, that due to popular demand they were going on a reunion tour playing not only in San Francisco and their hometown of Oakland but also Chicago, LA, New York and Australia and I ended up buying  a ticket from a girl who flew in from Chicago to see them at Slim's.
It was a very nostalgic night, not just for me and all of the loyal Matches fans there but also for the band: it was touching how sincerely surprised and overjoyed the four of them were by the amount of support and massive turnouts. Everyone sang along as the band played every song from E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals from start, "Dog-Eared Page" to finish "Sick Little Suicide". Their stage presence was full of life just like back in the day: Shawn's animated performance lit up the stage, Jon donned a blonde afro-puff wig as an homage to the do he sported in his youth and Justin hopped up and down and all around. Slim's is my favorite place in the city to see punk bands and it was great to see the much beloved Matches again.  


7) Bonnie & The Bang Bang @ Slim's March 14th, 2014 

Bonnie and The Bang Bang at Slim's 3/14/2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini


2014 was a big year for my friend Michael and his band Bonnie and Bang Bang: they had a weekly month long residency at The Milk Bar in SF, they performed at Bay to Breakers and SF's Not Dead Yet Festival along with shows up and down the West Coast including a few headlining gigs! Before their headlining show at Slim's in June, Bonnie and The Bang Bang played a great set when they opened for The Sam Chase in March! I was so happy that  my  cousin Jenn and her then fiance now hubby to finally got to meet Michael and see him and his band rock!
Their gritty, garage rock sounded great with solid singing, insane guitar shredding and powerful pounding from Michael on the drums. 


What's better than weekends full of butt-loads of music, sunshine and having fun with friends?!
Outside Lands 2014
First City Fest 2914














Standout performances: 

- Future Islands and Phantogram at First City Fest, August 23rd & 24th, 2014 . 

- Kanye West and Tegan and Sara at Outside Lands. 

- Outkast and TV on the Radio at Treasure Island Music Festival


Future Island at First City Fest 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini
Phantogram at First City Fest 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini
                                                     

Tegan and Sara at Outside Lands 2014
Photo by Marc Fong

Outkast at Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong

Top 5 Albums of 2014 

1) Sylvan Esso 
Sylvan Esso
May 12th, 2014

2) Die Antwoord
Donker Mag
June 3rd, 2014 

 3) Glass Animals 
Zaba
June 6th, 2014

 4) Iggy Azalea 
The New Classic
April 12th, 2014 

 5) First Aid Kit 
Stay Gold 
June 10th, 2014 


Monday, January 5, 2015

2014 Festival Wrap-Up: First City Fest & Treasure Island Music Festival

First City Festival 2014 Photo by Nikki DeMartini



After days spent with family, friends, joyful celebrations and well wishes for a happy New Year, the festive feel is still in the air and as shows in 2015  are being announced it means that the Festival Season will be here before we know it!





Treasure Island Music Festival 2014 Photo by Nikki DeMartini


 
Last year, I was approved to cover two music festivals over the summer: the 2nd Annual First City Fest in August  and the 7th Annual Treasure Island Music Festival in October and it was super exciting to be there to professionally cover both of them!









The First City Festival returned to the beautiful, serene beach town of Monterey California for it's second year this past summer. The weekend was filled with a diverse line-up of high caliber acts that would satisfy any music enthusiast, free carnival rides for ticket holders, artisan style grub from various food trucks and traditional carnival treats.
 
First City Festival 2014 Photo by Nikki DeMartini

 
 
The Fest's three different stages were jam-packed with some of indie music's biggest acts like, Beck,The National, Best Coast and The Naked and Famous, along with emerging bands on the brink of blowing up like Future Islands, Tanlines and Geographer.

Best Coast @ First City Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

Future Islands @ First City Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini


Saturday's lineup included: Survival Guide, Doe Eye, The Lonely Wild, Mr Little Jeans, Mimicking Birds, The Stepkids, Speedy Ortiz, Miniature Tigers, TanLines How to Dress Well, Midlake, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Tokyo Police Club, Blind Pilot, Coco Rosie, Best Coast, Phantogram and Beck.

Geographer @ First City Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini


Sunday's lineup included: Cool Ghouls, The Family Crest, QUILT, Sleepy Sun, Midi Matilda, Connan Mockasin, Lo-Fang, The Men, San Fermin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.,  Liars, Geographer, Lake Street Dive, Future Islands, CULTS, Dawes, The Naked and Famous and The National.

Cool Ghouls @ First City Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini



One of the great aspects of The First City Fest is the short distance between each stage and because the fairgrounds aren't that large themselves it's an easy trek from one stage to the next. The Red Wood Stage, or Main Stage and The Cypress Stage, or secondary stage are a brisk walk across the park  from each other with the Manzanita Stage, or local band stage, smack in between the two!
 
 
 
 
The Vau de Vire Society @First City Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini




A fourth, small stage, The Vaudeville Stage, offered entertainment from circus subculture entertainers, The Vau de Vire Society, The John Brothers Piano Company and covers from the beloved Puddles the clown, via Puddles Pitty Party.

Puddles Pity Party @ First City Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini
















You could catch these acts in between bands, on your way to see a band at one of the other stages, while waiting in line for concessions, on your way to the bathroom... really whenever you wanted throughout either day!


LIARS @ First City Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini
















Phantogram @ First City Festival 2014
 Photo by Nikki DeMartini























Beck @ First City Festival 2014
 Photo by Nikki DeMartini


























The great thing about having  these stages in such close proximity to each other is that it meant there was minimal set overlap giving fanatic fest-heads the opportunity to catch a vast majority of the bands they wanted to see with ease.







Ana Tjoux @ Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong

Since it's inaugural year when Justice headlined, to the summer of 2013, when Alexis Krauss from Sleigh Bells joined Beck on stage for an epic duet, the Treasure Island Music Fest  always has a eclectic line-up building up to monumentous headlining acts. The Seventh Annual T.I.M.F last summer was no exception with the re-united Outkast on Saturday night and the rather illusive Massive Attack wrapping things up on Sunday night!
 
 
Mo @ Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong

The Growlers @ Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong
 





















The well-rounded  line-up was skillfully mixed with solid indie bands like St. Lucia, Washed Out and Policia, up-and-coming acts like Jungle, Mo and Banks, some local bands including Cathedrals and Painted Palms and big supporting bands like Janelle Monae, Zedd and T.V on the Radio, just to name a few.
 
 
Banks @ Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong


Janelle Monae @ Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong





Saturday October 18th:  TAMO, DJ Tom Thump, DJ M3, Laura Lisbona, Ratking, Tobacco, Ana Tjoux, XXYYXX, Classixx, Ryan Hemsworth, Jungle, Mo, Janelle Monae, St. Lucia, Zedd and OutKast.












Alt-J  @ Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong



Sunday October 19th: MPHD, Push the Feeling, Luxxury, Motion Potion, Cathedrals, Bit Funk. Asgeir, Bleached, The Growlers, Chet Faker, White Denim, Policia, Banks, T.V on the Radio, The New Pornographers, Alt-J and Massive Attack.






Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini


Music fans are inundated with Music Festivals these days, but the Treasure Island Music Fest in particular stands apart from all of the others :
  • the weekend long lineup has a day geared toward rock while the other day has more of a  dance appeal.
  • there's  ONLY TWO STAGES which are practically next to each other.
  •  set times are scheduled so that there's no one set that over laps another. (this is a music fest marvel!)
  • it takes place in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, so needless to say, the panoramic views are beautiful!
  • you're surrounded by art! Huge sculptures that bend and are illuminated at night,  fun interactive art, art for sale, DYI art-project booths... plenty of artistic ways to stay entertained when you need a break from the show!
Massive Attack @ Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong

 
    The lay out, schedule and welcoming vibe allow T.I.M.F show-goers to truly relax and fully enjoy the sites and sounds all day and night!


Outkast @ Treasure Island Music Festival
Photo by Marc Fong
























I can not wait to find out what the Festival Season will give us this year, can you?!