Weezer & Pixies with special guest Sleigh Bells @ The Shoreline 8/7/2018

As if the Weezer and Pixies co-headlining tour couldn't get any more epic, Sleigh Bells joined them  to open one of the most anticipated shows of the Summer.

Sleigh Bells @ The Shoreline Amphitheater 8/7/2018
photo by Marc Fong

It was a sunny August evening in Mountain View as people trickled into The Shoreline Amphitheater. There were fans of all ages there that night and seeing parents (or aunts, uncles, etc.) bring their kids to concerts, introducing the next generation to the music they grew up listening to always makes me smile. The family friendly event drew show goers old and young to the merch stands whose lines stretched long and far well before the first band of the night. I bypassed the lines and headed straight to my seat as to not miss any of Sleigh Bells' opening set.

Sleigh Bells @ The Shoreline Amphitheater 8/7/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Sleigh Bells @ The Shoreline Amphitheater 8/7/2018
photo by Marc Fong

The noise-pop rockers from Brooklyn New York have released four albums since 2010 but they're still pretty obscure. Being on a bill with two popular alternative-indie bands that have been around since the late 1980's and early 1990s, it wasn't surprising that seats out-door arena was sparsely filled in time for Sleigh Bells' 7pm set.

Sleigh Bells is known for their juxtaposition of loud beats and shrieking guitar riffs against dreamy vocals and Krauss' over the top delivery definitely brings the music to life when you see them live. The spunky front-woman glowed as the setting sun beat down, washing out pulsating strobe lights that fans usually blindly swim in at their shows. Sandwiched between Derek Miller and a second, touring guitarist she was a pop of bright energy as they shred beside her. It's  a piece of cake for her rile fans into a frenzy when they're the headliners but it took a little more work to pump up the sparse crowd that night in Mountain View. And she delivered with the same intensity that she would have to a packed house.

Sleigh Bells @ The Shoreline Amphitheater 8/7/2018
photo by Marc Fong

"Crown On The Ground" off their first album Treats, "Come Back Kid" off their second album Reign of Terror, title track Bitter Rivals from their third album were included in their set which seemed to be over before it even really began. They also played a couple new songs from their latest releases and between all of the head-banging, Alexis Krauss sure does sing pretty.

Pixies were up next after a super quick change over and they mellowed things out a bit before Weezer took the stage.

Pixies @ The Shoreline Amphitheater 8/7/2018
photo by Marc Fong

Weezer @ The Shoreline Amphitheater 8/7/2018
photo by Marc Fong

It was refreshing to see good ol' Rivers Cuomo in jeans and a cardigan over a collared shirt and tie (especially since the last time I saw him when they played with Blink 182, he Rivers, was wearing eyeliner). His "Buddy Holly" style even matched the Happy Days/"Buddy Holly" music video  inspired stage design. It was like taking a step back in time back in time, back before being a nerd was cool and Rivers Cuomo was the coolest nerd there was.

Weezer nostalgia thrived as they played all the hits, including favorites from the Blue album which are always my favorite to hear them play. Weezer is always fun to see and that nostalgic feeling is a big part of it. They still write hits that kids and their parents love and they also play the classics that got parents hooked when they were kids themselves.

Weezer @ The Shoreline Amphitheater 8/7/2018
photo by Marc Fong

As different as the three bands on this line up are, they're really cut from the same alt-rock fabric and that's what made this show so special. From loud, bratty pop-rock, to sad indie-rock to straight up pop indie-rock, Weezer and Pixies with special guest Sleigh Bells was a well rounded and possibly a one of a kind show.

King Princess @ Popscene 7/23/2018

At the ripe age of 19 years old, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer King Princess has a lot under her belt already including her buzz worthy EP Make My Bed  but up until July 23rd she hadn't played in SF. She conquered that feat easily, with two back to back sold-out headlining shows: first debuting at Popscene then playing at Great American Music Hall the next night. 

By 9:00 on Monday night Popscene was stuffed to the gils with young show goers. Filling in for Popscene founder/house DJ Aaron Axelsen was DJ Dallas who spun more modern tunes than I'm use to hearing at Popscene but the crowd seemed to be feeling it. There was hardly room to turn to talk with a friend let alone dance as youngsters relentlessly pushed closer attempting to wedge themselves as close to the stage as they could. 

King Princess at Popscene 7/23/2018
photo by Nikki DeMartini

It was an early night for Popscene with the main act hitting the stage more or less on time at 9:45 to a polite uproar of cheers. The set started off slow with Mikaela tucked in a dark corner on keys for the title track "Make My Bed" before finding her way to the front of the stage. Sporting an oversized Backstreet Boys shirt, her all black outfit was very lack luster which kind of suited her nonchalant stage presence. She automatically clicked with fans as she chit-chatted between songs. Being a Bay native myself I like to think that I'm openminded, open hearted and creative. I'm straight but I grew up with a gay mother and I have many gay friends. With that being said, hearing the leading lady of King Princess, someone a who's part of the LGBTQ community, refer to San Francisco as a "gay city" and say that everyone in the room that night was "just a bunch of faggots and dykes" struck a nerve with me. I was almost offended. No city is gay or straight, black, white, asian, hispanic, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, etc. A city is itself just like people are themselves and everyone should be allowed to be whoever they are, where ever they are. That's what we're fighting for, especially now under the Trump administration. Especially women and minorities. But King Princess fans were un-phased by those same words coming from a young, privileged, gay, white girl and the show continued with out a glitch.  

King Princess at Popscene 7/23/2018
photo by Nikki DeMartini

With only one EP out to date, they played all five songs from it, the most noteworthy of the night being "Talia" and of course the claim to fame single "1950". Mikaela and her band play seamlessly well together, a comfort you can hear in their meticulously hazy indie rock. King Princess herself was gracious and kind and her singing was passionate. She wasn't bashful about being onstage but I don't think she's found herself in that way quite yet. Much like her outfit, her stage presence was a little lack luster.  It will be interesting to see she her develop as a performer and really come into her own. It was great being back at Popscene for another SF debut show of an up and coming artist. 

King Princess at Popscene 7/23/2018
photo by Nikki DeMartini

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