Category Archives: TVD San Francisco

Bruce Springsteen made his long-awaited return to San Francisco after health issues caused the cancelation of a number of 2023 tour dates. Easter Sunday found the Chase Center packed to the rafters for the second of two Bay Area shows and when the lights suddenly dropped promptly at 7:45 PM, the crowd chanted “Bruce, Bruce…” as the 17-piece E-Street Band silently took the stage in the blackness.

As the lights came on, Springsteen greeted the fans with a “Happy Easter, it’s a religious crowd here tonight, I can tell.” By all appearances, it was indeed a spiritual experience for those life-long Springsteen fans as the band kicked into rarity “Light of Day,” an extra song from the Born in the USA recording sessions.

The nearly 3-hour set did as much justice to the Springsteen catalog as humanly possible, pleasing the die-hards with those rarities while ensuring that the hits weren’t missed. With 21 studio albums released, what that meant is that less than half of those albums were represented with Nebraska and 2022’s Only the Strong Survive notably absent. But no matter, it’s hard to complain too much when the 74-year-old frontman leaves it all on the stage.

Even for the casual fan, it was hard not to be impressed by Bruce and the E-Street band. Clearly showing no sign of his previous ailment, Bruce showed San Francisco why he is The Boss.

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Alkaline Trio just dropped their tenth studio album, Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs and have taken to the road with Drug Church and Worriers to share the new tunes live. A dreary Wednesday night found the Trio returning to a bustling Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco for what would prove to be a welcome return for the fans.

The show inexplicably kicked off early with Worriers taking the stage at 7:25 PM and charging through their 30-minute set. A quick turnover meant Drug Church was already rolling by 10 past 8. Clearly embracing their role of warming up the crowd, frontman Patrick Kindlon—aka the calmest singer in hardcore—proceeded to instruct the crowd and security in detail how everything was going to go down, perfectly whipping the San Francisco crowd into a frenzy that no doubt left some wondering how Alkaline Trio could possibly follow that act.

Clearly Alkaline Trio thought they were up to the task when they invited Drug Church along, and when they casually strode onto the stage their faces didn’t bely a sense of worry that they weren’t up to the challenge. In a brilliant move, Alkaline Trio propelled off of the momentum of the previous set and launched into the heaviest tune off of Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs, “Hot for Preacher” as the crowd went sideways.

One of the most dynamic drummers in punk rock, the addition of Atom Willard brought a tremendous amount of energy to the set as vocalists Matt and Dan tended not to stray too far from their respective mic stands. But oh how the crowd ate it up, the general admission floor surging against the barricade while fueling a massive singalong and the occasional crowd surfer as they blasted through a fan-favorite selection of much of their catalog which included a surprise inclusion of lyrics from The Smiths’ “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.”

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SACRAMENTO, CA | Not content to solely support Ministry on their 5-week run of North America, Gary Numan has filled the gaps in his touring schedule with a handful of headlining shows including a sold-out show at Ace of Spades in Sacramento.

Apparently also up to the task, Front Line Assembly which kicked off the night in front of an already packed house with a 45-minute set that got Sacramento perfectly primed ahead of a quick 20-minute changeover that had Gary and his band taking the stage just past 9PM, pausing to soak in the hubbub as the room roared.

For those that caught the previous night’s tour opener in San Francisco, the set kicked of similarly with “Everything Comes Down to This” off Splinter before eventually moving into the fertile ground of Numan’s catalog; only a handful of songs in and it was already clear that this would not be a repeat of his standard supporting set.

The Sacramento crowd, now packing every inch of the general admission floor, ate up every thump from Richard Beasley’s kick and blinding flash of the strobes that lit up the haze-filled room. Clearly on the same vibe, Gary and his band reciprocated in kind with Numan’s gyrations demonstrating shocking spryness for someone who has been at this since 1977. Steve Harris (guitar) and Tim Slade (bass), both bald and dressed for a dystopian world, were each the foil for the other’s onstage antics.

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Brian Setzer is out on the road bringing his “Rockabilly Riot” to North America, hitting Oakland California on a Sunday evening along with Grammy award winner and blues phenom Yates McKendree as support.

Taking the stage promptly at 8:30PM, Setzer introduced themselves as the “best rockabilly band on the block” before tearing into “Rock Boys Rock” off of his 2023 release, The Devil Always Collects. Flanked by JC Larios on drums and Chris D’Rozario on the standup bass, it was clear that Brian hasn’t missed a beat over the years, making that Gretsch guitar sing as the rest of the band held down the rhythm section.

In true Setzer fashion, the setlist covered his solo material as well as a raft of covers including a handful of Stray Cats tunes that he simply wasn’t going to get away with skipping. Mid-set Setzer gave Larios and D’Rozario a much-needed break as he proceeded to blast through a solo set of instrumentals beginning with Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia (on My Mind),” first explaining to the audience that the trick to an effective cover song is not to change yourself, but to change the song. No doubt he owned those tunes.

A bit of heckling from the back of the theater from folks who apparently didn’t feel that a show with “riot” in its name should involve seats went unnoticed by Setzer as he brought the band back to finish out the set with a trio of Stray Cats tunes that got the crowd on its feet and singing along.

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A quiet Friday night on Telegraph Blvd. in Oakland belied the sonic assault that was about to go down inside the historic Fox Theater in Oakland as folks steadily made their way inside for the dynamic duo known as Royal Blood.

HotWax, a fitting choice for the opening act, wasted no time in revving up the crowd even as they worked around Royal Blood’s drum riser which occupied the middle third of the massive stage. Blending grunge and punk influences that reverberated through the historic theater, the band’s raw energy and tight musicianship set the stage perfectly for the sonic onslaught that was to come while no doubt winning over some new fans.

As the anticipation reached its peak, the lights dimmed, and Royal Blood emerged from the shadows to a thunderous roar from the crowd. The British duo, consisting of Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher, immediately launched into “Hole” off their debut EP much to the crowd’s delight. In true form, the duo (with some help hidden in the shadows at the corner of the stage) delivered a relentless set that showcased their unique brand of heavy rock. The absence of a traditional guitarist was hardly noticeable as Kerr’s bass guitar, cleverly manipulated using a host of pedals and gizmos to emulate both bass and guitar tones simultaneously, filled the venue with a wall of sound.

The stage design was minimalistic, with the focus was undeniably on the music, and Royal Blood did not disappoint. With Back to the Water Below fresh out of the hopper, the setlist understandably included a handful of new tracks which seamlessly mixed with fan favorites from their earlier releases.

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The legendary DEVO kicked off their “50 Years of De-Evolution” Tour at Santa Cruz’s Civic Auditorium for a night of classics in front of a packed house of DEVOted fans that lined up well-before doors and quickly beelined it to one of two places: the merch table or the barricade.

In true fan fashion, many in the crowd dressed for the occasion with plenty of Energy Domes peeking above the crowd and many fully decked out in yellow jumpsuits. For those unwilling to pull out their wallets, stacked red solo cups served as a humorous poor man’s version of the classic hat.

With no opener, DEVO took the stage promptly at 8:15, and while the Auditorium was packed, the vibe was incredibly intimate, feeling like the band was playing in a high school gym despite the huge LED screen that synchronized video to the setlist.

The set kicked off with “Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man)” from the band’s excellent 2010 release Something for Everybody but quickly DEVOlved into a non-stop peppering of hit after hit, with all of the remaining songs dating back to 1982 or earlier. Focusing on the music, the band only stopped briefly for Gerald Casale to ask, “do you believe in devolution now?!?” to be met with a resounding “huzzah” from the Santa Cruz crowd.

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Melbourne Australia’s Amyl and The Sniffers continue their improbable rise as they kicked off their North American tour at the Fox Theater in Oakland. No stranger to the Bay Area, what’s new this time around for the Sniffers is that they’re now headlining venues five to six times the capacity of their previous visits, underscoring not only the band’s ambitions but the appeal of their latest release, Comfort to Me.

Die Spitz from Austin Texas kicked things off with a pummeling set that left the crowd stunned and wondering how the heck they’ve never heard of this band before. Admittedly having a blast just being able to catch Amyl every night for weeks straight, Die Spitz left it all on the stage as they tore through 30 minutes of rippers that harkened back to Bleach-era Nirvana. These ladies are not be missed.

The sold-out Fox was absolutely packed to the rafters as Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” blasted over the PA—Amyl and The Sniffers walk-on music clearly raising the hype level as front-woman Amy Taylor could be seen dancing side-stage before finally striding out with smiles from ear to ear.

Any doubt that the Sniffers could command this size of a room quickly evaporated as they tore into “Control” off of their self-titled debut and the general admission floor quickly went sideways. The other thing that became immediately clear is that the large theater was by no means full of curiosity seekers, with people raging along from the seats on the balcony.

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The San Francisco Bay Area let their freaks flag fly this past Friday night when co-headliners Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper brought their “Freaks on Parade 2023 Tour” to the Toyota Pavilion at Concord for a sold out (or close to sold out) show that clogged the streets of Concord as the fans clearly bailed on work early to catch Filter’s opening set.

Ministry absolutely crushed it, running through a set of classics including “Stigmata” from The Land of Rape and Honey as Jello Biafra sang along in the wings. While his appearance was surprisingly toned down without the face piercings, Al Jourgensen remained a commanding presence on stage as the band absolutely dominated the set, spinning up what was probably the only band of the night to muster a circle pit. Ironically, with Monte Pittman crushing it on guitar, the fans were probably much closer to seeing Madonna than anyone probably realized.

Alice Cooper and his band took the stage a few minutes early with Alice slashing through a curtain with a sword … “Trial Set: For Deeds Against Humanity” as the band tore into “Lock Me Up.” From there, “No More Mr. Nice Guy” and “I’m Eighteen” whipped the Concord crowd onto their feet. As expected, Alice was in fine form as, not missing a beat through the numerous costume changes and on stage antics which featured a giant-sized Alice Cooper Frankenstein during “Feed My Frankenstein” and a giant boa constrictor for “Snakebite.”

Cooper always does a great job of featuring the stellar musicianship in his band and this night was no exception, letting them shine on several instrumentals as his wife Sheryl eventually dispatched him with a guillotine. Throw in sword play, giant balloons, and a confetti cannon and you’ve got yourself a tough act to follow.

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Weezer made their triumphant return to the San Francisco Bay Area with an absolutely packed Thursday night show at Berkeley’s Greek Theatre.

The aptly dubbed “Indie Rock Road Trip” brought along Spoon and White Reaper for the party, the latter of which kicked things off at the all-to-early hour of 6PM while the crowd was still navigating its way through the Piedmont Avenue traffic which was particularly crowded with revelers participating in the university fraternity and sorority rush week. The party atmosphere carried over into the Greek as Spoon tore through a nearly 60-minute set.

Weezer finally took the stage at a quarter past 8 with the crew yanking down the curtain that hid the back half of the stage revealing the drum riser set atop a massive car dashboard with LED screens as its windshield and gauges. Over-the-top stage, even by Weezer standards! From there the band weaved their way between the classics and rarities for what would prove to be a perfect evening of nerd rock.

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My Morning Jacket and Fleet Foxes teamed up for a mini co-headlining run of three shows including two nights at Berkeley’s historic Greek Theatre. With the bands swapping out opening slots for the epic double-header, the first night at the Greek found My Morning Jacket with the opening honors, taking the stage at 7PM in front of a packed house.

While some might argue that playing so early with the sun far from setting felt a bit weird (especially for a co-headlining show), but those lounging on the lawn way in the back likely had a different perspective as Karl the Fog rolled over San Francisco to the left of the stage, the sun set over Marin to the right and a sliver of waxing red moon hung between.

Of course, none of that seemed to matter for My Morning Jacket which quickly slipped into a groove with merely a wave and a smile to greet the crowd. It wasn’t until several songs in that James finally addressed the crowd, “magic is in the air tonight,” before bringing Robin Pecknold from Fleet Foxes on stage for some epic harmonies on “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)” and Gillian Welch’s “I Want To Sing That Rock and Roll.” And as the sun finally set, the stage lights built in intensity as the 1 hour and 36-minute performance crescendoed with the giant mirrored disco ball suspended above the stage finally being put to its intended use.

With a 45-minute set change and a significant rejiggering of positions in the crowd, Fleet Foxes finally took the Greek stage. Clearly in it for the long haul—Fleet Foxes had seating and hydration within arms reach as Uwade Akhere kicked the set off with “Sun Giant.”

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After a short postponement due to Hayley Williams’ lung infection, Paramore took to the Chase Center stage in San Francisco this past Monday night in front of a packed house filled front to back and top to bottom with rabid fans.

LA’s The Linda Lindas kicked things off early with a ripping set that highlighted how the band has considerably evolved in the last few years since they were founded. If you are unfamiliar with The Linda Lindas it’s time for that to change—4 teenagers (actually the drummer Mila isn’t even a teenager yet) picking up the Riot grrrl mantle with the viral hit “Racist, Sexist Boy” and never looking back as they shared some of the biggest stages on the planet while proudly displaying their influences.

Paramore took the stage right on time and launched right into “You First” as a blast of confetti fluttered down over the arena’s general admission floor. Next up was “The News” making it clear to the audience that this night would be about celebrating their February 2023 release, This Is Why.

Hayley was as fiery and energetic as ever, tearing across the stage from end-to-end as she belted out hit after hit, nearly eclipsing the audience which was more than happy to join along. The only indication of that pesky lung infection was a few between-song coughs that Hayley discreetly did off-mic. As Hayley said herself, “we’re a fucking great band.”

After “Big Man, Little Dignity” Hayley abruptly sprinted off the stage to later be seen rising out of the back of the stage on a platform along with “best friends since 6th and 7th grade” Zac Farro (drums) and Taylor York (guitar) for intimate performances of “Liar” and “Crystal Clear.”

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After a massive European festival run, Ghost has returned stateside as the momentum continues to build behind their 2022 release of blockbuster, Impera. The second United States leg aptly dubbed the “Re-Imperatour” brought along fellow Swedes and Viking metalers, Amon Amarth, for what would prove to be the heavy metal event of the summer.

Amon Amarth kicked things off early to an already full house, having braved the unavoidable Concord traffic to join the “Great Heathen Army.” Having also been quite active in the US of late as they promote their latest release, Amon Amarth was clearly firing on all cylinders as they took the stage and blasted right into their set. True to Viking form, the drummer sat atop a horned helmet drum riser and the theatrics extended to sword fights, a berserker, and the drop of Thor’s mighty hammer. And rest assured, the crowd was not spared, being ordered to sit down and row during “Put Your Back Into the Oar.” All-in-all a perfect start to what would prove to be an epic night.

In true ghostly fashion, the crew draped the massive Concord stage with a curtain as they set about transforming the stage as monastic chants were piped through the amphitheater, creating some sort of strange hold over the audience which was on its feet staring at the white curtain waiting for it to drop at least 15 minutes before the band was scheduled to take the stage. When “Imperium” started to be played and the lights finally dimmed, the crowd instinctively roared as they raised their phones in an attempt to memorialize what was about to unfold.

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In what is indisputably one of the most anticipated tours of the summer, Fall Out Boy brought “So Much For (Tour) Dust” to Mountain View’s Shoreline Amphitheater in support of their latest release So Much (for) Stardust along with Daisy Grenade, Royal & the Serpent, and the might Bring Me The Horizon.

In spite of the mid-week show and any lingering Fourth of July hangovers, the Bay Area crowd turned out in force, providing openers Daisy Grenade and Royal & the Serpent with warm welcomes before the blazing sun had even set behind the general admission lawn.

Bring Me the Horizon took the stage in front of a now-packed house and proceeded to deliver a blistering set that unexpectedly skewed heavily towards the band’s more recent POST HUMAN releases. Whether or not they were familiar with the new tunes, the crowd went ballistic. Anyone that’s seen this band knows that frontman Oliver Sykes knows how to command a stage so it was understandable that the band left him plenty of room to move. In fact, the Shoreline stage wasn’t big enough to contain Ollie as he proceeded to work his way into the crowd.

With the sun finally set it was time for Fall Out Boy and while Independence Day was in the rearview mirror, the fireworks were far from being over. In an interesting move, FOB chose to pump up the crowd pre-set with a few of their own tunes—“The Middle” as well as their rendition of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire”—pretty much ensuring that neither of those songs would make it onto the evening’s expansive setlist.

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Garbage and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds have set off on an ambitious co-headlining tour that hit the Bay Area’s Concord Pavilion on a Tuesday night along with openers Metric.

Short on talk, long on rock, Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds tore through a 60 minute set that started by drawing heavily from his latest release Council Skies which had the crowd on their feet before diving into more familiar territory for his long time fans. “AKA… What a Life!” poignantly wrapped up the High Flying Birds material back where it started back in 2011 before Noel and the band dove into historic territory for the back-half of the set with a bombardment of Oasis classics that ended with the entire amphitheater on its feet for “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and clearly craving more.

Relative to the High Flying Birds, Garbage took a deliberately stripped down approach to their set with only what was required—the band and instruments—leaving Shirley Manson with plenty of room to work the stage and the crowd. Right out of the gates, Garbage took the stage and launched right into “Supervixen” from their self-titled debut.

No stranger to the Concord Pavilion, Shirley paused to acknowledge their return to the familiar venue and effusively thanked the bands as well as the crowd for coming out year after year. While Garbage is no stranger to the Concord crowd, having recently supported both Tears for Fears and Alanis Morissette, the fact that they were headlining on this particular evening seemed like a particularly profound moment for Manson and the band.

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Postponed twice from 2020, They Might Be Giants have finally made it to Oakland’s historic Fox Theater for an “evening with” (i.e. no openers) celebrating the 30th anniversary (a few years late) of their major label breakthrough album Flood. In spite of having played across the bay at the Fillmore only the night before, TMBG seemed to have no problem selling out the larger Fox, and what would normally be a sleepy Sunday evening, Telegraph Ave. was absolutely buzzing in anticipation.

Taking the stage at 8:15 PM, guitarist/vocalist John Flansburgh kindly reminded the crowd (most of whom probably bought their tickets 3 years ago) that they would be performing Flood in its entirety (although a few songs were prerecorded). As important, he let the crowd know that the band would actually be playing two sets and to not leave during the intermission.

Regarding Flood, the band chose to eschew the cliché of playing an album front to back and rather smattered the tunes throughout their career spanning set. With the setlist predictability out the window, the enthusiastic crowd (many wearing “They” paper hats from the merch table) was kept on edge, hanging on every word of the stage banter, and losing their minds when literally every song was introduced. There are not many bands that can hold a room’s attention like this.

Halfway through the first set, Flansburgh announced that they would be playing “Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love” backwards as the pinnacle of the show and then playing back the video of the performance in reverse at the start of the second set. What came next—“Stellub” (Bullets spelled backwards)—was an unintelligible cacophony which ended on a 4-count by drummer Marty Beller.

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