Tonight I’m seeing Starfucker at the Hemlock Bar in San Francisco. The indie pop rock band out of Portland is highlighted for their instrument-swapping, stage diving, and who can leave out their outrageous wardrobes.
Starfucker
Starfucker is known for a happy, dancing-encouraged environment, which is exactly what I’m in the mood for tonight. They’re joined by Master/Slave and Man/Miracle. I’ll let you know how the show turns out after the weekend.
Last night was Halloween and I saw Yelle, a French indie pop artist, at the Mezzanine here in San Francisco. After such a long week at work, I had no intentions of going out for Halloween. But while at dinner waiting for the food to come, I went on Foopee.com to see what indie shows were playing for that night.
To my surprise, Yelle was listed to perform at the Mezzanine in downtown San Francisco. I put on my costume and headed down there soon after. It was my first time at Mezzanine, a relatively small venue between Market and Mission on 6th Street. The place was decked out with spider webs, projection screens with vampires, Frankenstein, and ghosts, and about 200 drunk people in costumes.
My girlfriend and I were front and center for the first 2 bands: Passion Pit and Funeral Party. Both bands were awesome and got the party amped for Yelle. I’ll be sure to write about both openers, hopefully seeing them again as well.
Mezzanine’s stage crew set up for Yelle with jack-o-lanterns spelling out here name Y-E-L-L-E which was pretty cool. Yelle came out with a bang wearing a black and white-striped outfit, K-Swiss high tops, and a skull necklace. Playing hits like “Ce Jeu”, “Je Veux Te Voir” and “A Cause Des Garcons” Yelle had all of Mezzanine dancing and singing along.
Yelle at Mezzanine in San Francisco, Halloween 2008
For the $20 ticket, the night was definitely a steal. If you haven’t heard of her or want to hear some of her music, check out Yelle’s MySpace page, a marketing vehicle that has played a large part of her success.
I’ve been digging French indie rock artists lately, having seen Justice at the Treasure Island Music Festival in September and listening to M83. Yelle will be heading to Europe after playing 2 shows down in San Diego. I definitely recommend you seeing her if she’s playing in the area. I’m sure everyone who saw Yelle at Mezzanine in San Francisco will be talking about the show for times to come. Hope everyone had a great Halloween!
| Download Yelle music at Amazon.com |
Two Saturday’s ago I saw Say Hi To Your Mom at Bottom of the Hill here in San Francisco. It was my first time at Bottom of the Hill located in the Potrero Hill neighborhood.
I had only listened to the Indie pop band Say Hi to Your Mom from Seattle a few times, recommended by some coworkers of mine. If you haven’t listened to them they are a little mellow. But don’t let that deter you, as Say Hi To Your Mom lyrics are definitely one of the band’s biggest strengths. “Let’s Talk about Spaceships” is one of their most popular songs and one of Say Hi to Your Mom’s best lyrics piece. The trio sounded really tight having been together for over 6 years.
Say Hi To Your Mom
The most surprising event of the night was the second indie band that performed, preceding Say Hi to Your Mom- Jukebox the Ghost was really great. I’m pretty sure I remember hearing they’re relatively new. They drove across the country from D.C. One of my buddy’s from college is friend’s with them and was able to introduce me to them. Stay tuned for a review of the band and their performance soon. That’s all for now.
So tonight I’m going to see Black Kids in concert at the Great American Music Hall in downtown San Francisco. I am really stoked, as the tickets were a surprise gift from my amazing girlfriend. I remember seeing the show advertised on Foopee, but there has been so much going on lately, that it slipped my mind. Luckily for me, I have her.
Anyways, if you haven’t heard of them, the Black Kids are an indie rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. They are another one of those indie bands that blew up within months of their album release using the power of the internet. The specifics are they released a few songs on their MySpace page, and with a little help from indie music bloggers, were one of the most talked about indie pop bands on the scene. They even made Rolling Stone’s “Artists to Watch” list in 2007.
Black Kids
The best way to describe them in my eyes is that Black Kids have a indie pop sound, combined with new wave and dance moods. “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You” is my favorite tune and the one that got me hooked. I’ll be sure to blog back in the next day or two with my review of the Black Kids in concert.
Sea Wolf is an indie pop rock band out of Los Angeles. The lead singer and leader Alex Church is known for his mellow songs and writing style. You might have heard one of their songs, “You’re a Wolf” in a Chevy Malibu Hybrid commercial during this past Olympics.
Sea Wolf in concert
In 2007 Sea Wolf released their second album Leaves in the River under Dangerbird Records. This is my favorite of their two albums, with such tracks as “You’re a Wolf” and “Black Dirt”. Since the release, they’ve been touring extensively. I’ve seen Sea Wolf in concert twice here in SF, first with Nada Surf and second as the headliner at The Independent.
So if you’re interested in indie pop, chamber pop music, that is on the mellower side, definitely take a listen to Sea Wolf; I recommend “Black Dirt” as it is a little more upbeat.
