Juliette and The Licks @ Cornerstone Berkeley 7/19/2018

Juliette Lewis and the Licks @ Cornerstone Berkeley 7/19/2018
photo by Nikki DeMartini 

For the last 15 years Juliette Lewis has brought her talent from the screen to the stage and last Thursday night Juliette and the Licks rocked Cornerstone Berkeley.

In 2016, after an 8 year hiatus, Juliette and the Licks announced and conquered a North American tour. Since then they don't really "tour" they announce a handful of shows and they go out and play them whenever they feel like it. It's been two years since they played The Independent in SF and tickets to their show in Berkeley last week sold-out.

Juliette Lewis and the Licks @ Cornerstone Berkeley 7/19/2018
photo by Nikki DeMartini 

The show started around 8:30 with local garage rockers, Toy Guitar and Juliette and The Licks on closer to 9:30. Trailing behind the four guys who make up the Licks, the star of the show made her way front and center to a room full of cheers. It was cool to see her rocking one of the Evel Knievel inspired jumpsuits seen in so many pictures of her at their shows, press photos and the cover of Four on the Floor live and in action. She lost her headband scarf in less than a minute on stage and was quick to kick off her pointy, white leather, kitten heel boots as she raged. Head banging, deep back bends and jumping up and down will do that but that didn't slow the movie star turned rock star down, not even for a second.



The Licks busted out song after song in accordance with their fearless leader who seriously rocked out to every song. There wasn't too much movement in the crowd but Juliette had that covered with her firecracker antics: kicks, jumps, back bends, head banging, drum banging, stage diving and crowd surfing! Juliette Lewis drips entertainment.
The dark, smaller capacity venue was a perfect pairing for a larger than life rock band like this: the garage rock/punk thrived in the setting.

Juliette Lewis and the Licks @ Cornerstone Berkeley 7/19/2018
photo by Nikki DeMartini 

An out of breath Juliette conversed with the crowd more than I thought she would have, showing us how cool and real she really is. She introduced her bandmates, gave some history about the band and shared her age encouraging fans not to give up on their dreams no matter how "old" you are which is really inspiring.
With more new music rumored, Juliette and the Licks filled the night with tracks from their two albums plus a rockin' rendition of Tina Turner's classic "Rolling on the River" (Proud Mary).

Juliette Lewis and the Licks @ Cornerstone Berkeley 7/19/2018
photo by Nikki DeMartini 

Juliette Lewis rocks the role of rockstar from her performance, outfit, attitude and fan interaction she's an explosion of energy that's really fun to watch.  Keep an eye out for the next round of Juliette and the Licks show announcements. 

Sylvan Esso @ The Greek Theater Berkeley 7/12/2018

It was an overcast July evening in Berkeley for the unlikely bill of Kamasi Washington and Sylvan Esso at The Greek Theater there on the UC campus. 

Sylvan Esso @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 7/12/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Sylvan Esso @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 7/12/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Not even a year has passed since Northern Carolina's Sylvan Esso played two nights not too far away at The Fox Theater in Oakland and now they were packing them in at a venue nearly 4 times that capacity.  

Sylvan Esso @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 7/12/2018
photo by Marc Fong

 An early crowd was there for the opening act Kamasi Washington, the funky jazz saxophonist who took a night off from touring the Music Festival circuit and only that night, for that one show.  Sylvan Esso has a different opener almost every night of their Summer Tour including Phoebe Bridgers, Local Natives and playing with David Byrne at the Xponential Festival. I was a little surprised to hear a bunch of the early birds there that night were only there to see Kamasi Washington and actually left right after his set ended. 

The show wasn't sold-out as many of the shows on their tour are but it came pretty close because the place was pretty full by the time Sylvan Esso took the stage.

Sylvan Esso @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 7/12/2018
photo by Marc Fong

They started their set same way they've started their set the last few times I've seen them: with the hopelessly romantic, distorted "Sound". It's also the same way that their second album, What Now starts. It's a pleasant introduction to both live show and record. It eases you in yet has you thinking "what am I about to get into" while giving the duo time to make their way to the stage as the sweet distortion plays, building more anticipation for the show. 

Sylvan Esso @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 7/12/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Sylvan Esso @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 7/12/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Sylvan Esso @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 7/12/2018
photo by Marc Fong

I got goosebumps when the rhythmic pulses of "Could I" washed over the crowd in the outdoor arena as the night and the dance party got underway. When Amelia and Nick are on stage there's an indescribable sense of elation that permeates between them which then translates to a sensational energy that flows through their fans. It's always a genuine feeling, never phoned in and that's no easy feat for a band who tours as much as they have. 

Wearing what looked liked the same black, long-sleeved, tasseled body suit that she wore on stage at Bonnaroo with fishnets and her signature stacked platforms, Amelia's interpretive moves and energetic kicks did not interrupt her steady vocals. Nick wriggles and jumps around a bit too while he cranks out all the beats and drops all the hooks. 

Sylvan Esso @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 7/12/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Sylvan Esso @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 7/12/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Being at one of their shows is like watching poetry in motion. Like Newton's law of inertia, everyone around you will be singing and dancing along with Sylvan Esso, yourself included. 

Tumultuous roars rose from the crowd at the top of every song and they were met with the same outpour of admiration at the end of every song. 

Sylvan Esso @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 7/12/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Their thoughtfully constructed set-list was balanced with songs from both albums, hi-tempo tunes with lo-tempo tunes and their newest one, PARAD(w/m)E. Out of the 16 sixteen songs in their hour and fifteen minute long set their cumbersome, beat dropping induced single "Die Young" garnered the most praise before they played it. 

Sylvan Esso @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 7/12/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Sylvan Esso @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 7/12/2018
photo by Marc Fong

With permanent smiles painted across their faces they each took time to take it all in. From their very first show in the Bay Area at Bottom of the Hill in SF, to opening for tUnE-yArDs at The Fillmore to playing two if not sold-out very close to sold-out shows at The Fox in Oakland just last Summer, they were beside themselves on stage that night. They graciously thanked fans for making their dream job come true. 

Sylvan Esso @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 7/12/2018
photo by Marc Fong

As if we were in a kaleidoscope dream, the fog rolled in and mixed with the bright neon lighting beaming from the stage creating an epic look and feel to the already epic dancy party. In that moment I realized how truly special it's been seeing these two come up from humble beginnings as an opening act to their humble success as they headlining amphitheaters.
If you've never experienced Sylvan Esso live please do yourself a favor and go buy that ticket. 

"We get people who normally don't openly have a good time at shows to openly have a good time at our shows". 

- Nick Sanborn 

Sylvan Esso @ The Greek Theater in Berkeley 7/12/2018
photo by Marc Fong

set-list 7/12/2018 

1. Sound

2. Could I Be

3. Signal 

4. Dress 

5. Die Young 

6. Kick Jump Twist 

7. The Glow 

8. Jamie's Song

9. Just Dancing  

10. Coffee

11. Wolf

12. Uncatena 

13. PARAD(w/m)E

14. Hey Mami 

15. H.S.K.T

16. Radio 

Vegan Fancy Cupcake from Whole Foods

Yesterday I finally gave in and got a cupcake from Whole Foods. If you've ever seen their cupcake selection, you know these are no ordinary cupcakes. In fact, all of the cupcakes at Whole Foods are called Fancy Cupcakes, and rightfully so. About twice the size of "normal" cupcakes, each one of these little cakes are topped with heaps of enticing frosting and are delectably decorated, as fancy cupcakes should be. The craftsmanship put into these cupcakes is notably noticeable and will draw you to the pastry case to marvel at the display, even if there are no baked goods on your shopping list. 

Whole Foods Vegan Fancy Cupcake
photo by Nikki DeMartini

When you shop at Whole Foods you pay the price for premium products, including their cupcakes of course. $4.00 isn't too bad considering the size and that most cupcakes are in the $3 - $4 range anyway. 

Having only tried one vegan cupcake to date and it being the reason I was there, I got the Vegan Fancy Cupcake. It looked like a colossal chocolate cupcake with a mini mountain of chocolate frosting and chocolate chips on top. Essentially, that's exactly what it was, only vegan. A plant based chocolate cupcake that looked amazing but how would it taste? 

The first thing I noticed was the consistency of the frosting. Thicker than a buttercream, this dark chocolate frosting was more like a decadent ganache and it was piled high on top of a smooth fudge shell that covered the top of the dark chocolate cake. Dense and heavy this vegan frosting was surprisingly not indulgently rich. I do have a huge sweet tooth so what I take for not being too rich or too sweet might be a far cry from others' tastebuds but this one struck me as neither too rich or too sweet.  It definitely did not lack any flavor which is an issue with a lot of vegan goods but not this one. The chocolate frosting tasted like chocolate frosting and the chocolate cake like chocolate cake. Though a little dry the cake is the best vegan cake that I've tried, it's even better than some regular chocolate cakes that I've tried. 

Whole Foods Vegan Fancy Cupcake 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

If you're urging for a splurge, craving chocolate and want to change things up, go for this vegan treat. 

Whole Foods has non-vegan options too, so go on, get fancy. 

Nicki Bluhm @ The Independent 6/8/18

Nicki Bluhm @ The Independent 6/8/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Just over two years ago Bay Area native Nicki Bluhm packed her bags and uprooted to music city A.K.A Nashville Tennessee. 

Over the years this city born country songbird gained popularity as Nicki Bluhm andThe Gramblers, finding success with their "Van Sessions" youtube videos: where they would perform cover songs in a van while driving between gigs. 

Weathering a divorce, the leading lady decided to start a new, on her own, on more than one front. Along with her move across country, she also wrote and recorded her next album without The Gramblers. 

Nicki Bluhm @ The Independent 6/8/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Nicki Bluhm @ The Independent 6/8/2018
photo by Marc Fong

After six years with her namesake band, Bluhm wrote the life-chronicling songs for To Rise You Gotta Fall over a two year period before recording it's tracks at the legendary Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis. 

To Rise You Gotta Fall received rave reviews before it was released on June 1st. One week after it's release date Nicki Bluhm returned to San Francisco for a sold-out show at The Independent on June 8th. Doors to the intimate show opened at 8:30 last Friday night followed shortly by opening act Mapache at 9:00. 

Nicki Bluhm @ The Independent 6/8/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Miss Nicki Bluhm emerged like a country dream in suede tassels and turquoise, starting her headlining set with the honky tonk tune "Things I've Done". Songs from To Rise You Gotta Fall made up about half of her 13 song set including the album's title track early on and "It's Ok Not To Be Ok" at the end while the rest consisted of songs from her days with The Gramblers plus her  rendition of "Son of a Preacher Man". 

Nicki Bluhm @ The Independent 6/8/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Nicki Bluhm @ The Independent 6/8/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Her heartfelt disposition led the show as her soulful vocals filled the small venue, sweetly caressing emotions in the room as she poured hers out on stage. Her homecoming show was a warmly welcomed one both for Nicki Bluhm herself and all of her hometown fans who made it out to see her  last week. 

Nicki Bluhm @ The Independent 6/8/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Nicki Bluhm's got a couple more shows on the West Coast before heading over to the East Coast then back Tennessee to wrap up this leg of her To Rise You Gotta Fall tour. 

Nicki Bluhm @ The Independent 6/8/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Nicki Bluhm set-list 6/8/20181. Things I've Done
2. Battlechain Rose
3. To Rise You Gotta Fall
4. Jetplane
5. How Do I Love You
6. I Hate You
7. Son of a Preacherman
8. Can't Fool the Fool
9. Nothin'
10. Mr. Saturday Night
11. Little Too Late
12. Ravenous
13. It's Ok Not To Be Ok 

SOFI TUKKER @ The Fox Theater in Oakland 5/18/2018

The SOFI TUKKER single, "Best Friend" has been on a serious air-wave rotation (both radio and TV commercials) since last September, months before their debut album, Treehouse, dropped.  We were already pretty familiar with the fun loving friends when the album finally did drop in April following the preemptive announcement of the Treehouse World Tour - part 1. 

SOFI TUKKER @ The Fox Theater Oakland 5/18/2018
photo by Marc Fong 

The two friends from New York, Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern brought their house, party (not to be confused with a house party) to Oakland mid-May, headlining at The Fox Theater. Ex-Oakland resident, LP Giobbi opened the show with not one but two sets sandwiched in between Kah-Lo to a young crowd who was ready to dance. SOFI TUKKER hit the stage sizzling with another one of their early releases, the Brazilian/Portuguese single "Energia". 

SOFI TUKKER @ The Fox Theater Oakland 5/18/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Decorative floral arrangements covered some of their equipment on-stage, emulating their album cover and giving their set some of their Treehouse flare. The Fox Theater was alive with multi-culti melodies and infectious energy as a rejuvenating, different kind of EDM danced through the air. Colorful swishes of light amplified their jungle vibes they masterfully create with sweltering hooks and chirpy beats. 

SOFI TUKKER @ The Fox Theater Oakland 5/18/2018
photo by Marc Fong 

I wouldn't say that Sophie stole the show, as the duo both did their part with boisterous stage presence but she was definitely the star of the show.  In a white bikini top and long, flowing pants to match she got in some serious steps working that stage. She played electric guitar and jumped around. 

She feverishly interacted with Tucker and their fans, even going as far as crowd surfing and bringing friends on-stage to show off some sweet moves. 

SOFI TUKKER @ The Fox Theater Oakland 5/18/2018
photo by Marc Fong 

Smiling and laughing they emitted a genuine sense of sincerity that made you want to smile back and dance with them. They pumped out dance song after dance song while maintaining playful banter and swagger and they never slowed, not once. Not until ending the night on a high note, saving the best for last "Drinkee" before bidding us adieu. 

SOFI TUKKER @ The Fox Theater Oakland 5/18/2018
photo by Marc Fong 

SOFI TUKKER @ The Fox Theater Oakland 5/18/2018
photo by Marc Fong 

SOFI TUKKER partnered up with with PLUS1 so that $1 from every ticket to their show that was sold went to support Planned Parenthood and their work delivering vital reproductive healthcare, sex education and information to millions of women, men and young people in the U.S and worldwide. And with that, SOFI TUKKER got a whole lot cooler. 

SOFI TUKKER @ The Fox Theater Oakland 5/18/2018
photo by Marc Fong 

This hot dance inducing duo will be back to catch the tail end of the Festival Season at Life Is Beautiful and Austin City Limits after a summer full of playing international shows. 

SOFI TUKKER @ The Fox Theater Oakland 5/18/2018
photo by Marc Fong 

SOFI TUKKER set-list 5/18/2018 

1. Energia 

2. Matadora

3. Deja Vu Affair 

4. Awoo

5. Fuck They 

6. Baby I'm A Queen 

7. Greed 

8. Fantasy 

9. Benadryl 

10. Swing 

11. My Body Hurts

12. Batshit 

13. Best Friend 

encore

14. Cry For You (cover) 

15. Drinkee

  

Nicki Bluhm: To Rise You Gotta Fall album & tour

San Francisco's own, renowned singer/song writer Nicki Bluhm is getting ready to hit the road in support of her upcoming new album, To Rise You Gotta Fall. 

To Rise You Gotta Fall album cover art 

After finding success over the last six years with The Gramblers and some high-profile collaborations with Phish and Ryan Adams along the way, the Bay Area native wrote and recorded the life-chronicling songs for the new album over a two year period. In that two year period she went through a divorce and subsequently moved to Nashville Tennessee. Not surprisingly, the results are "quite personal," says Bluhm, a fact you can hear throughout the emotionally charged Alt-Country album. 

Her in-studio band includes Will Sexton and Matt Ross-Spang on guitars, Ken Coomer on drums and percussion, organ player Al Gamble, Rick Steff on piano and Dave Smith on bass with back-up singers Reba Russell and Susan Marshall, Sam Shoup doing the  string arrangements and various other special guests. They all headed to Sam Phillips Recording in Memphis and recorded  To Rise You Gotta Fall live. 

Nicki Bluhm
photo by Noah Abrams

The outcome is a sweet, heartfelt, heartbroken story. It's rich with melodies and harmonizing. Nicki's smooth voice washes cooly over colorful layers of instrumentation. Her country, folk roots shine on all eleven tracks: some being more upbeat like the title track "To Rise You Gotta Fall" and others more heart wrenching  like the closing track "Last To Know".   

Nicki Bluhm at Stern Grove Festival 7/2/2017
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Starting tomorrow, Nicki Bluhm is ready to share more. Her 22 stop tour kicks off at The Bluebird Theater in Denver, the day before the release of  To Rise You Gotta Fall.  Pre-order the album before then here. 

The heartbroken songbird returns to San Francisco for her show at The Independent on Friday June 8th. For the full list of show dates, click here. 

WORK IN PROGRESS by CARRY ILLINOIS out today!

In 2017, the popular up-and-coming indie-pop band from Austin Texas, Carry Illinois released Garage Sale, following the loss of their original bassist, John Winsor in 2016. 

Carry Illinois

Carry Illinois album cover art for Work in Progress

Today's release of their newest EP Work In Progress is a highly anticipated one following last year's praised drenched Garage Sale. 

Body positivity, self love, mental illness are just some of issues Lizzy Lehman continues to face on Work In Progress. Everyday struggles that so many can relate to presented as a shiny indie-folk dream. Lehman and her band-mates: guitarist Darwin Smith, drummer Rudy Villarreal, bassist Andrew Pressman and keyboardist Benjamin Rowe Violet spent the first part of 2018 writing and recording Work In Progress. 

The official record release show is tonight at Austin's Cheer Up Charlies with a summer tour to follow soon.