The Struts hitched up with Harley-Davidson for a California mini-run, aptly dubbed the “Tour de California 2020.” Along with openers Starcrawler, Super Tuesday found them at San Francisco’s Warfield for a welcome reprieve from the relentless barrage of politics.
Opener Starcrawler kicked things off in front of a crowd that was clearly hip to what was about to go down, having not only arrived early but staked out a spot on the barricade. Simply stated, Starcrawler is a band that must be seen to be appreciated. All arms and legs, the waif-thin Arrow de Wilde commands the stage and demands attention with not only her vocals but, with her bodily contortions that are only accentuated by her 6’ 3” frame.
While this night’s set was arguably tame by Starcrawler standards (much to the appreciation of the germophobes in the photo pit), the band surely impressed in no small part due to guitarist Henri Cash’s shredding which didn’t miss a note even as he hopped into the crowd during the set closer “Bet My Brains” before hanging his guitar around a befuddled fan’s neck while he walked off the stage and the crew began to pack up.
By the time The Struts took the stage, the floor of the Warfield was packed and San Francisco was ready to party. So it was a good thing that compared to their last visit to San Francisco (The Fillmore, November, 2018), The Struts kicked things up a notch in terms of production—taking full advantage of the larger stage.