Concerts

Alternative Rock

The Virginmarys deliver a flawless set in Santa Rosa

March 8, 2016

We have been counting down to the return of The Virginmarys and we were glad to catch their amazing set Saturday night in Santa Rosa. They are out on tour in support of Shinedown and we caught them at the Wells Fargo Events Center.  We have been hooked on them for several years now and we can’t wait for the release of their  new album, Divides which is set for a May 6th release. The Virginmarys played to a near sold out crowd and blew everyone away with their set. They delivered their signature vibrant punk edge rock that had the audience applauding their praise. They kicked off the set with their highly energetic track, Bang, Bang, Bang and they continued with favorites off their King of Conflict album as well as treating us to several new songs off the album. It was impressive to see them perform Into Dust and For You My Love and finishing the night off with a fierce Motherless Land. We were honored to see drummer Danny Dolan sporting a [Read More]

Concerts

Carly Rae Jepsen show “Emotion” at the Warfield!

March 5, 2016

  I walked into the Warfield right as Cardiknox started their set and I was absolutely blown away by their sound. They were the perfect opener for this particular tour. Cardiknox, originally from Seattle but now based in NYC, write addicting synth pop with catchy hooks and incredibly polished production. Frontwoman Lonnie Angle maintained an incredibly strong presence as the crowd size increased in anticipation of the headliner. The band was able to flawlessly mix guitar riffs and 80’s synths with a hint of modern electronic. Their new album “Portrait” is out next week! Make sure to check it out and keep your eye out for their next Bay Area tour date! Many know Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen from her breakout hit “Call Me Maybe” in 2012, but she has only gotten better since then. Her new album “Emotion” has been praised by a music site I frequent as a “pop masterpiece”, and they are a tough community to win over! It was only appropriate that she played San Francisco within days of [Read More]

Concerts

Alvarez Kings bring their high energy indie pop to San Francisco

February 26, 2016

  Tonight we made it out to Melanie Martinez Cry Baby Tour as it make a stop in San Francisco at The Regency Ballroom. We were excited to catch Alvarez Kings who are opening the show out on this tour. You can check out coverage of the night here. It was a sold out show and the line had quickly wrapped around the block earlier that afternoon. Progressive indie pop rockers, Alvarez Kings kicked off the night and really raised the energy levels! I had hoped they would have been able to play longer, as we were quite impressed with their performance. Hailing from the UK and from having been on Warped Tour twice, they have quite a following here in the States. It was great to see a lot of the fans in line wearing their Alvarez Kings shirts in support. Check out photos of their amazing set by our Rockin Ryan here: In case you missed it, check out their new video for their song, Fear to Feel. The song is the title [Read More]

Concerts

Melanie Martinez brings the Cry Baby Tour to San Francisco for a sold out show!

February 26, 2016

Tonight at The Regency Ballroom, the line wrapped around the block as the crowds arrived early for Melanie Martinez and her Cry Baby Tour. This was the third night of the tour and it was another SOLD OUT show! The night kicked off with the high energy of UK Indie pop band, Alvarez Kings. These guys truly deliver one straight up rockin set. They have continued to garner high praises for their Fear To Feel EP and to see them once again live, was a special treat. You can check out more photos of Alvarez Kings on our upcoming post. For now, here are some photos by our Rockin Ryan: Next up, the crowd soon began to chant Melanie, Melanie as they grew anxious for her arrival to the stage. The Cry Baby stage was set as a nursery setting and Melanie entered through the crib. It was an epic entrance and the crowd went wild with enthusiasm as she kicked right in with Cry Baby. The night continued with the audience singing along to [Read More]

Concerts

AJJ rock The Chapel under their new name! (Noisepop 2016) Review by Patrick Griffin

February 25, 2016

  AJJ, formally known as Andrew Jackson Jihad, sold out the Chapel as part of the Noisepop 2016 Festival in San Francisco. AJJ posted the announcement of the name change just hours before the show tonight, and the billboard outside the venue was changed accordingly before the fans arrived at the show. AJJ consistently sell out shows in the San Francisco Bay area, and I have never seen The Chapel as crowded as it was tonight. AJJ delivered song after song, showcasing the witty lyricism they are well known for. Tonight marked the live debut of a new song entitled “Now That I’m At The Top of My Game”. The song had debuted online hours before the show and there were already plenty of fans who had the lyrics memorized. You can check out AJJ’s latest album “Christmas Island” on SideOneDummy records, and keep an eye out for their new album later this year! AJJ will also be performing in June as part of Asian Man Records 20th Anniversary Showcase (Date TBA). – Patrick Griffin [Read More]

Concerts

Lockwood Porter at The Chapel (Noisepop 2016) Review by Patrick Griffin

February 25, 2016

  The highlight of NoisePop 2016 for me so far has been M. Lockwood Porter. Originally from Oklahoma, this Bay Area resident writes awesome folk/Americana tunes as a solo singer-songwriter. He has toured with John Moreland (also a part of Noisepop 2016) and occasionally plays with a full band. He was the first of four groups tonight at the Chapel and the audience size tripled from his first song to his last song as people arrived early to secure their spot for the sold out AJJ show. M. Lockwood Porter did a great job of winning over the crowd with each song, and the crowd was incredibly focused and engaged. You can check out his albums “27” and “Road to Judah” on his bandcamp page, but you can also donate to his Indiegogo page to help fund his new album! Check out his social media pages for upcoming shows! – Patrick Griffin   Lockwood Porter https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/m-lockwood-porter-s-third-album#/ http://www.mlockwoodporter.com/ https://www.facebook.com/maxportermusic/ https://mlockwoodporter.bandcamp.com/ https://twitter.com/mlockwoodporter   Review by Patrick Griffin, https://www.instagram.com/pizzawithpatrick/   Noisepop http://noisepop.com/2016/

Concerts

A red hot Maggie Szabo releases “Forgive and Forget” and road tests a new album. By Patrick O’Heffernan

February 23, 2016

  (Hollywood). I love going to release parties, especially parties to celebrate the release of a new single or a video because you know you are going to get more than just the release.  “More” is exactly what Maggie Szabo delivered Friday night at The Loft on the 12th floor of the W Hollywood Hotel.  Billed as a BalconyTV party to celebrate the release of her new single and video, “Forgive and Forget”, she gave us a set list of new, never- heard-before songs. Why new songs?  Because she was road testing them – that’s how Maggie operates: she is patient, she road tests her music with her fans and she gets it right. She got “Forgive and Forget” right.  I first heard her perform it in a road test gig at the Hotel Café almost a year ago, I realized that she had moved to a whole new level, as I said in my review .  But the performance Friday night was also a new level for the Canadian-born LA-transplant soul pop singer, even [Read More]