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Billy Bragg's Got a New (Old) Spell

Billy Bragg at Palace of Fine Arts Theatre (26 Sep 2024) Billy Bragg Setlist The Wolf Covers Its Tracks The World Turned Upside Down (Leon Rosselson cover) She's Got a New Spell Pinball Wizard (The Who cover) King Tide and the Sunny Day Flood Jeane / That's Entertainment Freedom Doesn't Come for Free Sexuality Mid-Century Modern Levi Stubbs' Tears All You Fascists Are Bound to Lose (Woody Guthrie cover) Rich Men Earning North of a Million Shirley Do Unto Others The Buck Doesn't Stop Here No More The Milkman of Human Kindness To Have and to Have Not A New England There Is Power in a Union Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards -- Encore -- Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key I Will Be Your Shield Tank Park Salute Tour Dates 9/27 - Fonda Theatre - Los Angeles, CA 9/28 - The Magnolia - San Diego, CA 10/3 - Chautauqua Auditorium - Boulder, CO 10/5 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN 10/6 - Barrymore Theatre - Madison, WI 10/7 - Vic Theatre - Chicago, IL 10/10 - The Majestic - Detroit, MI 10/11 - Massey Hall - Toronto, ON 10/12 - Kodak Center - Rochester, NY 10/17 - Lansdowne Theatre - Philadelphia, PA 10/18 - Webster Hall - New York, NY 10/19 - The Atlantis - Washington D.C. 10/20 - 9:30 Club - Washington D.C. Read More Billy Bragg Modern day troubadour and activist Billy Bragg is well known in the music world for his passionate topical songwriting. In the vein of late heroes and colleagues like … .…

Billy Bragg
The Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
San Francisco
September 26, 2024

“We're in this temple of art, and we're having a punk rock of a time aren't we?” Billy Bragg asked midway through his concert at the picturesque Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco. After 40 years of being Britain’s ornery, politically progressive troubadour in the style of Woody Guthrie and Kirsty MacColl, Bragg still stays true to form. A Billy Bragg show mixes plenty of pop with his politics, with long monologues between tried-and-true hits. At his Bay Area stop, he talked about everything from the flood levels in Florida to, of course, the upcoming U.S. presidential election. He even mentioned his support of the hotel workers’ strike currently going on in the city. The audience, fully seated in this scenic venue, whooped and hollered in approval. And of course, he fit in “There Is Power in a Union” in his set.

At 66 years old, many of Bragg’s fans have grown up with his music. But he made it clear with his words and music that he welcomed people of any age. From love songs laden with ‘80s and ‘90s pop hooks, to country-inflected crooners, Bragg is still the progressive. He mentioned that he’s updated some of his songs to keep up with the times. Thus, the lyrics for his pop hit, “Sexuality”—which appeared on his 1991 album, Don’t Try This at Home, and featuring lyrics like, “Just because you’re gay/ I won’t turn you away…”—now supports trans rights and the trans community.

I have fond memories of various Billy Bragg shows that felt like raucous pub singalongs, but tonight’s performance was more stripped-down, with just one backing keyboardist, instrumentalist, and vocalist, JJ Stoney, and Bragg switching off between his electric and acoustic guitars. (As someone who had just spent the past week reliving my ‘90s glory days and dancing my arse off at all four of ‘90s britpop band Pulp’s West Coast shows, I was grateful for the respite that Bragg’s seated performance provided.)

Billy Bragg and Johnny Marr in Vancouver (20 Sep 2024) photo courtesy of @billybragg

Bragg talked about having played recently in Vancouver on the same night as Johnny Marr and Paul Weller, joking that Canadian fans of ‘80s indie rock had big choices to make that night. Then, he tickled the crowd by singing a bit of each artist’s tunes, paying his respects. Ever the political antagonist, Bragg even dropped in a lyrical dig at Marr’s former Smiths bandmate, Morrissey—who’s stirred up plenty of controversy these days with his nationalist rhetoric—during “Sexuality,” replacing “Don’t threaten me with misery” with “Don’t threaten me with Morrissey…” “Whatever happened to that guy?” Bragg joked afterwards.

As for the music, Bragg had something from his expansive catalog to please everyone, crooning decades-old pop hits like “She’s Got a New Spell,” “Shirley,” and “The Milkman of Human Kindness” to “Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key,” from his collaboration with Wilco. Bragg’s voice is as pleasing and plaintive as ever, and even stripped down, stirred the crowd.

And his wit was in fine form, as well. He talked of playing cruises with Lyle Lovett, and different festivals with all different genres of music, declaring himself “genre-fluid.” Anyone new to Bragg’s live shows might not be used to his lengthy discourses on the state of the union, but, like his heart, he still wears his politics on his sleeve, calling socialism “organized empathy,” and telling the crowd before the encore, “I want to make you go home not just entertained, but with your activism recharged and your cynicism kicked to the curb.” Walking off into the San Francisco night, with the Golden Gate Bridge twinkling in the distance, my hope and spirits felt lifted for the week.

Billy Bragg at Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco (26 Sep 2024)

Robin Lapid ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Paul Weller at Fillmore, San Francisco (23 Sep 2024)

Paul Weller at Fillmore (22-23 Sep 2024) poster designed by GalineMod   Paul Weller Setlist (09/22) Cosmic Fringes My Ever Changing Moods^ Soul Wandering That Pleasure Headstart for Happiness^ All the Pictures on the Wall Stanley Road Glad Times More Have You Ever Had It Blue^ Village Fat Pop Hung Up Shout to the Top!^ That's Entertainment * Broken Stones Rise Up Singing Nothing Above the Clouds Jumble Queen Into Tomorrow Out of the Sinking Peacock Suit -- Encore -- The Changingman Porcelain Gods Wild Wood Rockets -- Encore II -- You Do Something to Me It's a Very Deep Sea^ Start!* Town Called Malice* * The Jam song ^ The Style Council song Read More Paul Weller The great Modfather Paul Weller announced his first North American tour since 2017. The influential singer (who inspired many Britpop bands) is touring in support of his upcoming album 66, set for May 24 ....

Paul Weller
at The Fillmore
San Francisco
September 23, 2024

Paul Weller, the grand Modfather of them all, performed with his superlative band a strong, amazing set of his solo songs and a sprinkling of his most unforgettable songs by his band, The Jam. After all these years, he is able to sing with all of his strength for more than two hours. The sold-out, packed audience, for the second night in a row, roared their approval throughout the evening.

Paul Weller is touring in support of his latest album 66, which came out May 24, the day before his 66th birthday. The album is reflective and a celebration of his 66 years in life. Guest contributions on the album includes Noel Gallagher, Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie, Madness’ Suggs McPherson, Richard Hawley, The Blow Monkeys’ Dr Robert, Le SuperHomard’s Christophe Vaillant, and Erland Cooper, with string arrangements by Hannah Peel.

Paul Weller at Pantages Theatre (13 Oct 2017)

Similar to Paul Weller’s last appearance in Minneapolis, Oct 2017, he played over two hours of his career-spanning decades of music: “…Paul Weller and his band taking the stage for a breathtaking two and a half hour headlining set that would touch on all points, of his over four-decade long career. Weller has surrounded himself with a crack band for the tour featuring longtime sidemen Steve Cradock (guitar), Andy Crofts (bass), Steve Pilgrim (drums), and Ben Gordelier (percussion) as well as new addition Tom Van Heel (keys) and kicked things off with 2015’s ‘I’m Where I Should Be’, a song which encapsulated The Modfather’s confidence in still finding his place in today’s musical landscape and also echoed the sentiments of the thousand people in attendance cheering him on.”

George Houston at First Ave (16 Sep 2024)

Donegal-based artist George Houston, was personally selected for support on the entire USA tour.

Full USA Tour:

Sep 06 Red Bank NJ – Count Basie Center for the Arts

Sep 07 Brooklyn NY – Kings Theatre

Sep 08 Boston MA – House of Blues

Sep 10 Glenside PA – Keswick Theatre

Sep 11 Washington DC – Lincoln Theatre

Sep 13 Toronto ON – History

Sep 15 Chicago IL – Vic Theatre

Sep 16 Minneapolis MN – First Avenue

Sep 19 Seattle WA – The Moore

Sep 20 Vancouver BC – Vogue Theatre

Sep 22 San Francisco CA – The Fillmore

Sep 23 San Francisco CA – The Fillmore

Sep 25 El Cajon CA – The Magnolia

Sep 26 Anaheim CA – House of Blues

Sep 27 Los Angeles CA – Orpheum Theatre

All update and photos courtesy of Heidi Chiao.

Paul Weller at Fillmore, San Francisco (23 Sep 2024)

Heidi Chiao ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Grrrls to the Front

Bikini Kill at Warfield 2024 Tour Dates Bikini Kill: N America 2024 Tour 8/27: Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom 8/29: Milwaukee, WI @ The Riverside Theater 8/30: Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed (Indoor) 8/31: Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre 9/3: Toronto, ON @ History 9/4: Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia 9/6: Portland, ME @ State Theatre 9/7: Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount 9/8: Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount 9/10: Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall 9/11: Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage Read More Bikini Kill As you know, we’re big fans of Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, Julie Ruin, riot grrrls… so it it was a delight to read Kathleen Hanna’s memoir Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk. The book came out in mid-May and …

Bikini Kill
at The Warfield
San Francisco
August 18, 2024

Near the front row of the Bikini Kill show, a thirteen-year-old girl who came with her mother was having the best night of her life. Singer Kathleen Hanna held up the girl’s zine and told everyone in the audience to check out her Instagram page, too. It was like this all night—in between the rock, of course—an all-ages, all-gender, democratic lovefest spearheaded by Hanna, Kathi Wilcox, and Tobi Vail, along with touring guitarist Sara Landeau. If the first Sex Pistols show made everyone in the audience want to start their own band, this concert, from the stalwarts of ‘90s feminist punk rock and rockstars of the riot grrrl scene, made me want to reunite mine (we never actually played any gigs), make a zine, get out the vote, and spread hope and DIY vibes enough to lift up the world. It was a punk rock feminist manifesto night, but it also felt so warm and cuddly.

I’m always desperate to catch a beloved band like Bikini Kill when they reunite and go on tour, like the band first did in 2019 after a 23-year absence. I always fear it’ll be my last-ever chance to see legends live. But as I’ve learned with many other reunion tours, the good vibes seem to never end. Lucky for me. From their 2019 Palladium show in Los Angeles, to their Mosswood Meltdown Festival appearance in Oakland in 2022, or this stop in San Francisco, Hanna’s voice and the band’s live sound as a whole have grown tighter, completely self-assured, and with an ease and playfulness that excites the faithful of every demographic.

Not only can you rely on Hanna’s melodic rock wails amid the band’s steady riffs, you can also count on her onstage presence. Dressed in a glittery outfit with flouncy ruffles (think junior high prom queen of the ‘90s), Hanna’s melodic rock wails twinned with the band’s steady riffs, playing hits from every album in their arsenal, with ample opportunities to scream along, be you “Rebel Girl,” maybe looking for that Motley Crue mirror at the “Carnival,” or “Reject(ing) All American.” And Hanna’s infectious dance is of the kind that makes you want to dance exactly like this after the show, by yourself, in your bedroom—a kind of upbeat, bopping rock jig that’s a little silly but somehow also effortlessly cool, at least when you watch it onstage, singing your favorite ‘90s feminist anthems.

The band cycled through their greatest hits like the aforementioned, along with “Demi Rep” (the collab with Joan Jett), “Suck My Left One” just before “Rebel Girl” for the encore, and “Jigsaw Youth.” But the between-song banter also felt cathartic, energizing, and full of hope and gratitude for how far the band, and its fans, have come after all these years. Seeing four women of rock commanding the stage, sharing stories, engaging the crowd of all genders and ages in songs of strength and defiance and honesty feels especially essential during another scary election year in the U.S. The past is present, and the future is here. And on this night, I’m with her, and her, and her, and her.

Bikini Kill at the Warfield, San Francisco (18 August 2024)

Robin Lapid ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

A Show as Warm as Saxophones

Camera Obscura Setlist Liberty Print Denon Let's Get Out of This Country Tears for Affairs Teenager The Light Nights Big Love This Is Love (Feels Alright) Desire Lines Look to the East, Look to the West We’re Going to Make It in a Man’s World Swans The Sweetest Thing French Navy Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken If Looks Could Kill -- Encore -- Books Written for Girls Honey in the Sun Razzle Dazzle Rose Tour Dates Jun. 11 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern Jun. 12 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom Jun. 14 - Dallas, TX @ Studio at the Factory Jun. 15 - Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn Jun. 17 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Jun. 18 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle Jun. 19 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club Jun. 20 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall Jun. 22 - Jun. 24 - Foro Indie Rocks! Aug. 2 - Aug. 3 - The Glasgow Weekender Aug. 29 - Sept. 1 - End of the Road Festival Aug. 30 - Cardiff, UK @ Tramshed Read More Camera Obscura Based on hearing the new songs from their latest album Look to the East, Look to the West, Camera Obscura hasn’t change from their tried-and-true formula of writing great lyrics with that indiepop sound that we love so much. …

Camera Obscura
The Fillmore
San Francisco
June 10, 2024

Camera Obscura have a song for every mood, but my favorite of theirs is anything that conjures Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound—lots of horns and strings, tons of Top 40 refrains, and enough ‘60s girl-group harmonies to fill a mansion where, in my dreams, the Ronettes, the Shangri-las, the Supremes, and the Shirelles all live in multi-part harmony for the rest of my blessed life. We’d eat pancakes every morning, have picnics in the flower-filled garden every afternoon, and sit around the record player in our capri pants and bouffants every evening. 

I would have even settled for that brief pop paradise of Belle and Sebastian’s Boaty Weekender cruise back in 2019, playing shuffleboard and touring the Italian seaside towns while listening to all those Glasgow indie pop bands I love. On a big boat! I still kick myself for not going.

Alas. I’ll take what I can get, so I found myself at the famed Fillmore in San Francisco for a brief pop respite on the first night of the work week. I hadn’t seen the band since before keyboardist Carey Lander’s tragic death from cancer in 2015, but I’d caught the band for every stateside tour since the late ‘90s.

I could sense Lander’s absence that evening. Glasgow singer Louis Abbott of the band Admiral Fallow filled in for scheduled opener Photo Ops, who was out sick. He played a lovely, quiet set of melancholy pop songs with just a guitar and his lilting Scottish brogue, before accompanying the headliner. Overall, the night was a subdued affair, with less of the tuneful racket and dance party vibes of fellow Scots Belle and Sebastian, who I’d seen just a month ago. 

Despite the low-key vibe, the need to sing along that always infects Camera Obscura fans still circulated. As we waited for them to take the stage, I overheard a young woman near the front, softly singing the band’s perfect pop single, “Hey Lloyd, I’m Ready to Be Heartbroken.” I was singing this on my walk over from the bus stop as I braced myself against the start of a chilly San Francisco summer. “I love that song,” I told her. “We all do,” she said, smiling. Our hearts were all happily primed to break open.

Rather than the dance party I was ready for, we had an evening of dance-light renditions spanning their albums: “French Navy,” “Razzle Dazzle Rose,” “Let’s Get Out of This Country,” “Desire Lines,” and “Teenager,” along with songs from their new album, Look to the East, Look to the West, released in January. These are more thoughtful indie pop songs, tinged with melancholy.

Some of the diehard fans were able to dance a bit to favorites like “Honey in the Sun,” which I sang along out loud, feeling “as warm as saxophones.” But there weren’t enough horns and melodies loud enough to drown out my off-key singalong—a woman in front of me turned around with a glance that looked mildly murderous. I decided to mouth along to the songs instead.

I would’ve loved to have heard “San Francisco Song,” a sweet little organ-based pop ditty from a 2004 Merge Records compilation that I’m quite fond of, as you could easily bop around to it live or in your bedroom (I’ve tested this many times). But the band seemed more subdued for this show, less about the Wall of Sound and more about tender pop moments.

No matter. It was even colder outside, but now my heart was warmer than before. Singing silently on the 24 bus home as I listened to the band on my earphones, coming down from my indie pop high, a stranger across from me smiled. “Are you singing along to something?” he asked. I smiled, taking an earphone out just long enough to say, “Yes. It's a really good song.”

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#Poundsign# at Thee Stork Club (07 Jun 2024)

Robin Lapid ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Miki Berenyi Trio at Great American Music Hall, San Francisco (01 Jun 2024)

Miki Berenyi Trio Setlist Stray* Leaves Me Cold* Hurricane Vertigo Covert* V.O. (Piroshka cover) Love at First Sight (The Gist cover) Gango Kiss Chase* 8th Deadly Sin Kinch Light From a Dead Star* Ubique For Love* Everlastingly Yours (Piroshka cover) Big I Am -- Encore -- Ladykillers* Suzanne (Moose cover) Baby Talk* * Lush song Read More Lush I have mentioned this at various time, I was more of the Britpop-sounding Lush vs their early shoegazing beginning. That doesn't mean I don't occasional enjoy listening to Gala or Spooky …

Miki Berenyi Trio
Great American Music Hall
San Francisco
June 1, 2024

Miki Berenyi, one of the founding members of the seminal ‘90s shoegaze band Lush, loves to say “f**k.” As in, “I’ve played you a couple of Lush songs, so don’t go f**k off to the bar now.”

The audience who attended the Miki Berenyi Trio’s sold-out show at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall seemed to love the sass. But even more, they cheered a setlist full of songs from Lush and Piroshka, Berenyi’s previous bands. Mixed in with the walls of guitar and airy vocals, Berenyi dutifully delivered the hits that any legacy band knows to deliver to the fans, including Lush’s 1996 single, “Ladykillers,” part of an encore where they just pretended to leave the stage but really just stayed put, doing away with the pretense. (Although the audience did do the traditional "Please play some more!" cheering and foot-stomping, for which Berenyi was suitably amused.) But this version they offered was less “britpop” and more venomous, leaning towards a gothic-industrial mood. The whole night had a spooky vibe, a haunted mansion of atmospheric guitar and vocals trying both to summon and wake the dead.

Their setlist also included “Covert” and “For Love,” from Lush’s 1992 debut, Spooky, along with “Light from a Dead Star” from their 1994 album Split. “Was that from Split?” she asked the crowd. “I can’t f**king remember.” It’s been awhile since the band’s heyday, so she can be forgiven for the lapse in memory, as long as the trio brought the gauzy, luscious rock, which they did in spades. And since Berenyi’s recent memoir, Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me From Success, might have rankled former Lush bandmates like Emma Anderson with its take-no-prisoners confessions, the trio’s Lush covers may be the only Lush “reunion” we get.

The Miki Berenyi Trio—consisting of Berenyi, her longtime partner Kevin “Moose” McKillop, and Oliver Cherer—also played their own songs, of course, a seamless fit for the shoegaze genre. Tracks like “Hurricane” and “Vertigo” were studded with reverb and haunting melodies. Against a backdrop of dreamy visuals projected onto the screen behind them, it was a night of aural soundscapes and Berenyi’s atmospheric vocals, the kind of music that makes you close your eyes and drift on waves of distortion and a holy racket of sound.

The opening band, Lol Tolhurst & Budgie, had dueling drumkits and instrumentals recalling the catchier ‘90s electronica-as-mood music vibe (their music features guest artists like James Murphy and Bobby Gillespie), something nice, say, for an evening on the open road before you head to a rave.

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Miki Berenyi Trio at Great American Music Hall (01 Jun 2024)

Robin Lapid ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Ash at Swedish American Hall, San Francisco (22 Sep 2018)

Ash 2018 USA Tour Read More Ash We love Ash. We've been following the Irish band for a long time now, and a few years ago, they famously said they would "never" release an album. Instead the trio concentrated on just recording singles … Ash Tour Dates 10/16 - Sheffield - Leadmill 10/17 - Glasgow - O2 ABC 10/19 - Bristol - SWX 10/20 - Birmingham - O2 Institute 10/21 - Norwich - Waterfront 10/23 - Manchester - O2 Ritz 10/24 - London - O2 Forum Troy sent us this photo of Ash (not to be confused with Hawaiian singer Ash) at the Swedish American Hall in San Francisco (22 Sep 2018). The SF date marked the end of Ash’s mini-2018 USA tour. Opening up the San Francisco show was Veers (stylized as VEERS), from Los Angeles. The group features Andrew James as singer/guitarist, Spencer Evan Schuck on guitars, Nick Lanata on bass, Jef Pauly on drums, and Sean Brennan on keys. Ash’s seventh studio album Islands came out May 18 on Infectious Music/BMG Records. The album is the first since 2015’s Kablammo! The trio (singer/guitarist Tim Wheeler, bassist/synth Mark Hamilton, and drummer Rick McMurray) will resume touring on October 16 at Leadmill in Sheffield. Setlist Buzzkill A Life Less Ordinary Goldfinger True Story Kung Fu Cocoon Oh Yeah Confessions in the Pool Angel Interceptor Uncle Pat Annabel Shining Light All That I Have Left Petrol Cantina Band (John Williams cover) snippet Walking Barefoot Orpheus Girl From Mars -- Encore -- Lose Control Is It True? Numbskull Burn Baby Burn vu ♥ weheartmusic.com photo by troy

Ash at the Independent, San Francisco (22 Sep 2016)

Ash Setlist Lose Control Goldfinger Girl From Mars I'd Give You Anything Gone the Dream Kung Fu Oh Yeah Let It Flow Innocent Smile Angel Interceptor Lost in You Darkside Lightside Jack Names the Planets T. Rex Does Your Mother Know (ABBA cover) A Life Less Ordinary -- Encore -- Orpheus Let's Ride Shining Light Burn Baby Burn Tour Dates 09/28 | Lincoln Hall | Chicago, IL 09/30 | Shelter | Detroit, MI 10/01 | Mod Club | Toronto, ON 10/03 | Middle East | Boston, MA 10/04 | Rock n Roll Hotel | Washington, DC 10/05 | Foundry | Philadelphia, PA 10/06 | Music Hall of Williamsburg | New York, NY 11/10 | Olympia | Dublin, Ireland 12/03 | MOD | Hasselt, Belgium 12/04 | Luxor | Cologne, Germany 12/05 | Knust | Hamburg Germany 12/07 | Lido | Berlin, Germany 12/08 | Paradiso Nord | Amsterdam, Netherlands 12/10 | Roundhouse | London, UK 12/11 | Ritz | Manchester, UK 12/12 | Rock City | Nottingham, UK 12/14 | Garage | Aberdeen, UK 12/15 | Garage | Glasgow, UK Read More Ash We love Ash. We've been following the Irish band for a long time now, and a few years ago, they famously said they would "never" release an album. Instead the trio concentrated on just recording singles …

Northern Irish trio Ash (singer / guitarist Tim Wheeler, bassist Mark Hamilton and drummer Rick McMurray) headlined The Independent in San Francisco on September 22nd 2016, touring in celebration of their 20th Anniversary of their debut record 1977.

San Francisco (by the way of Ireland) band The Hooks (Keith Mulligan, Ronan Mulligan, Colin Delaney, Chet Hamby) took to the stage shortly after 8:00 p.m. This was a completely new band to me and I had not heard any of their songs before. A few of the people in the audience seemed to know their songs though.

Apparently the four-piece did two nationwide tours with the Pogues’ Shane MacGowan when they first formed in Ireland.

They played some pretty upbeat energetic guitar pop songs and held the audience over very well while waiting for the headlining act. They had catchy tunes and were a nice start to the evening.

The stage went dark with just some faint blue light left as some ambient synth music played with some spoken word in the background mentioning meteor showers and several voices counting up. Out came Ash to the cheers and delight of the audience. Tim grabbed his famous Gretsch Silver Jet as Mark took to the stage followed by Rick, who was wearing a possibly fan made, very bright colored ‘Ash Wars’ hat. (If you're an Ash fan I’m sure you know what that's about.)

Tim launched straight into ‘Lose Control’ to kick things off. This set list had no surprises if you're familiar with the 1977 album track listing. They tore through the songs in the exact order of the album with Tim switching guitars between the silver jet, a gold Les Paul and his trademark flying V. They kept the crowd the whole way getting huge cheers when launching into some of their best known hits like ‘Goldfinger’, ‘Angel Interceptor’, ‘Oh Yeah’, ‘Kung Fu’, and of course ‘Girl From Mars’, where Tim stopped in the bridge and asked the audience “Do you still love her?!” Answered with more cheers from the crowd. It was really nice for fans like me to hear the other tracks from 1977 that the band don't play very often. As many times as we've listened to that album all the songs are great. It felt like seeing them in their early days when they only had Trailer and 1977.

Mark did his usual wide stance stretches, throwing his bass all around him and putting his foot up on the monitors. Rick played hard and with a lot of energy on the drums, his face slightly hidden by his hat. Everything went smoothly except for one equipment malfunction with one of Tim's pedals that he quickly sorted out.

He asked the audience to count off the “last” song for him before starting ‘Darkside Lightside’. After which they said thank you and left the stage, only to return to the cheering audience a minute or too later.

They ripped into the encore with their classic single ‘Jack Names The Planets’. Next up was one of my favorite b sides that I was excited they decided on, ‘T. Rex’.

Tim then he began telling the crowd they were going to do cover from a band with two very attractive members, a band called ABBA. They do have a recorded version of ‘Does Your Mother Know?’ as a B-Side.

They finished out their set with some more Ash classics, ‘A Life Less Ordinary’, ‘Orpheus’, then a newer tune from ‘Kablammo!’ (the title track from their 2015 album), ‘Let’s Ride’, ‘Shining Light’ (not on set list), and then capped things off with what is probably their most known song in the U.S. ‘Burn Baby Burn’.

They took to the front of the stage and took a bow and thanked the audience with Tim saying they're working on a new album and hopefully they'll be back next year!

The Hooks

Ash Setlist

Tim Wheeler

Ash

Ash

Ash at the Independent, San Francisco (22 Sep 2016)

troy ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Kaiser Chiefs at Regency Center, San Francisco (24 April 2015)

Setlist The Angry Mob Ruffians on Parade Everything Is Average Nowadays Everyday I Love You Less and Less My Life Modern Way Na Na Na Na Naa Never Miss a Beat Little Shocks Ruby I Predict a Riot Pinball Wizard (The Who Cover) Coming Home -- Encore -- Misery Company Oh My God Read More Kaiser Chiefs It had been a long seven years since their last appearance in Minneapolis (the band skipped us in 2012), but Leeds, UK band Kaiser Chiefs re-stormed the city and stage for an animated, back-to-glory performance in First Avenue’s … Priory Portland's Priory is currently on tour with The Kooks. The duo (Brandon Rush and Kyle Sears) met in a flophouse in Portland... and the two had a hit with "Weekend" (Warner Bros.) ...

Of the 100+ shows I got to see in 2014, Kaiser Chiefs were one of the few top moments for me. In fact, #2; just behind Slowdive.

Setlist photo: Sus

Kaiser Chiefs is back in North America ... kicking off their tour on April 20th at Distrikt in Victoria, British Columbia. Sus caught the British band last night, April 24th at The Regency Center (The Grand Ballroom) in San Francisco and grabbed the setlist. Priory, who we previously caught with The Kooks in 2014, opened up the show.

Sus writes:

This band (Kaiser Chiefs) is still my happy place ten years and beyond. Employment has been one of the few albums in the last couple of decades that I listen to every song on. I made Barrie buy it on our first date at Mod Lang Records in Berkeley. Setlist says "Seattle", but I'll take it. Every song a gem and we got to hear "Falling Awake". Lucky Ricky Wilson's voice hung in there.

KC's Wiltern Los Angeles show will be live streamed tonight, if you want to tune in around 10pm at screen.yahoo.com.

Kaiser Chiefs tour dates:

04/25/15 Los Angeles, CA Wiltern
04/26/15 San Diego, CA House Of Blues
04/28/15 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
04/30/15 Austin, TX Stubb's Bar-B-Q
05/01/15 Dallas, TX Trees
05/02/15 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
05/03/15 Beale Street Music Festival
05/05/15 Lawrence, KS Liberty Hall
05/06/15 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
05/08/15 Shaky Knees Music Festival
05/09/15 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
05/10/15 Richmond, VA The National
05/12/15 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live!
05/13/15 New York, NY Irving Plaza
05/15/15 Boston, MA House Of Blues
05/16/15 Montreal, QC Corona Theatre
05/17/15 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre
05/25/15 Sunderland, Stadium of Light
05/30/15 Dublin, Slane Castle
06/25/15 Barclaycard British Summer Time
06/26/15 Barclaycard British Summer Time
07/10/15 Warwick, Warwick Castle
07/16/15 Nordfjordied, Malakoff Festival
07/18/15 FIB Benicassim
07/31/15 Newmarket, Racecourse
08/01/15 Camp Bestival Lulworth Castle
08/02/15 Kendal, Kendal Calling
08/05/15 Antwerp, Lokerse Festival
08/06/15 Esher, Sandown Park
08/07/15 Merseyside, Haydock Park
08/08/15 Inverness, Tartan Heart Festival

Kaiser Chiefs at Regency Center, San Francisco (24 April 2015) photo courtesy of Sus

sus + vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Flashback: Juliana Hatfield at Fillmore, San Francisco (23 Jun 1995)

UK Tour Poster Read More Juliana Hatfield As long as I can remember, Hatfield started her music career with the Blake Babies. When they broke up, she had a massive hit with "My Sister" in her newly reformed band Juliana Hatfield Three …

When I grew up, I had a friend who loved Boston rock: like the Pixies and the Blake Babies. I was more of a Britpop kid, but we'd trade CDs or we would dub cassette tapes for each other... so I felt like I've known Juliana Hatfield for a long time.

After The Blake Babies broke in 1991 (but reformed in late 1999, which I'll address later), I followed her career to Evan Dando from The Lemonheads' It's a Shame About Ray and then her solo album Hey Babe in 1992. I remember the first Hatfield CD I owned was Hey Babe after dubbing all the Blake Babies albums.

By the time I owned my first car (RIP Suzuki Sidekick), I was finally able to escape to see Hatfield at the Fillmore, San Francisco (23 Jun 1995). I think the show was all-ages, as I was still under legal drinking age. This happened 20 years ago and I honestly couldn't tell you who opened up the show, what songs were played, etc.

Juliana Hatfield at Numbers, Houston (15 Jun 1995) photo: Andrew Kieschnick

The other thing is that no one else seem to have any information on this San Francisco show! I'm going to guess that she probably played mostly songs from her then-new album Only Everything and that the opener to all the USA shows were Cold Water Flat, who were also from Massachusetts. UPDATE: Opener was local band Protein. Thanks to Dakin Hardwick for providing this information.

I couldn't find any photographs from the Fillmore show, but her looks is probably the same-ish from the Texas 1995 photos - thanks to Andrew Kieschnick.

I have an advertisement for the Only Everything UK tour, which lists April 1995 dates, but probably did not take place. According to Spin Magazine (July 1995), the brief newsclipping reads:

Spin Magazine (July 1995)

Juliana Hatfield collapsed from nervous exhaustion after a concert in New York on April 13 [1995]. A spokesman for her record label offered this statement: "Overwhelmed by pressures in her personal life, Juliana Hatfield recently sought help from a doctor in a Boston-area hospital. As a result, she postponed her European tour, but the American tour will commence as scheduled on May 19." Hatfield had discussed her depression earlier in a March interview in Britain's NME: "I always used to think I wasn't f***-up enough to be a great artist. But now I don't think that. I'm definitely f***-up enough."

That's basically all the information I can provide, again one of my biggest regret was not writing about my concert attendances (and it is one of the reason why I keep such detailed reports on W♥M for current shows).

Anyway, that was the first time I saw Hatfield in person... but definitely not the last. Here are some other shows I attended:

Blake Babies at First Avenue, Minneapolis (10 Jun 2001) - see my ticket scan

Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield at Lee's Palace, Toronto (16 Jun 2011)

Minor Alps at the Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (16 Nov 2013)

I don't know if I've ever seen Some Girls, again, I have bad memories... but I do know that I saw Hatfield when she reformed The Blake Babies for their God Bless the Blake Babies album. I only know this because I have a used ticket stub from that night, and a friend of mine who was also at the show confirmed that I was there. Wheat opened up this show.

On the 2001 night, this person wrote reported:

Blake Babies at First Avenue, Minneapolis (10 Jun 2001) ticket stub

I saw them in Minneapolis on 6/10. (I couldn't figure out why the parking ramp across from First Ave was so crowded, until I got out onto the street, and saw that there was a triple bill at Target Center: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ted Nugent, and Deep Purple.

... I ended up right in front of the stage, my head right between Juliana's registers, so I mostly only heard what she played; not too much of [John] Strohm. Juliana was playing a Gibson SG, and Strohm was on a Fender; not a Strat or a Tele... maybe a Jag$%#*% I forget the name....

The bass player [Freda Love] was using a PICK!!! Maybe I'm spoiled, growing up worshipping Entwistle and Deacon, but COME ON!!!!

Strohm even poked fun at the show across the road: "I understand there's some archery going on across the street?"

Whatever, My Love American Laundromat Records

So, I'm very excited to report that Juliana Hatfield have reformed The Juliana Hatfield Three, after two decades of hiatus, with original band members drummer Todd Philips and bassist Dean Fisher. They have a new record called Whatever, My Love, which is coming out next week, February 17th, 2015, with an upcoming tour in support of the new record.

The Juliana Hatfield Three 2015 tour dates:

02/26 | Portland, ME | Port City Music Hall
02/27 | Cambridge, MA | The Sinclair
03/01 | New York City | The Bowery Ballroom
03/02 | Philadelphia, PA | Boot & Saddle
03/03 | Philadelphia, PA | Boot & Saddle
03/04 | Washington, DC | Black Cat
03/06 | Cleveland, OH | Music Box Supper Club
03/07 | Chicago, IL | Lincoln Hall
03/08 | St. Paul, MN | Turf Club
03/11 | Seattle, WA | Tractor Tavern
03/12 | Portland, OR | Doug Fir Lounge
03/14 | Napa, CA | City Winery Napa
03/15 | San Francisco, CA | The Chapel
03/16 | Los Angeles, CA | The Roxy Theatre
03/18 | Solana Beach, CA | Belly Up Tavern
03/20 | Austin, TX | SxSW
03/22 | Atlanta, GA | Terminal West
03/23 | Charlotte, NC | Neighborhood Theatre
03/24 | Carrboro, NC | Cat's Cradle

Juliana Hatfield at the Fillmore, San Francisco (23 Jun 1995) ticket stub

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Dakin Hardwick said... Saturday, 07 March 2015 at 04:32 PM The band that opened at The Fillmore in 95 was a Bay Area group called Protein! I still have the tape the lead singer gave me...

Ben Watt at The Chapel, San Francisco (22 Jul 2014)

The Chapel: Ben Watt with Bernard Butler courtesy of facebook.com/benwattmusic Read More Ben Watt I cannot begin to tell you how lucky we were to have caught Ben Watt (one half of Everything But The Girl) with Bernard Butler (original Suede guitarist) at the very tiny Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater … Bernard Butler I heard the intro song "Introducing the Band" before Brett Anderson and company took the stage. I never saw original guitarist Bernard Butler, but this tour featured new guitarist Richard Oakes. … Everything But The Girl's Ben Watt just ended his 2014 USA Tour at The Chapel in San Francisco... and it's a sell out! What a way to end the tour, and Watt wanted to thank "everyone who has been along (for the ride)!" Ben Watt's latest album Hendra is out now, he'll be heading out to Japan (for Summer Sonic Festival) and Australia and will eventually be back home in England as The Ben Watt Trio. Tour date listing: 07/25/14 Charlton Park, WOMAD Festival 07/26/14 Port Eliot Festival * 08/16/14 Summer Sonic Festival 2014* 08/17/14 Summer Sonic Festival 2014* 08/21/14 Sydney, The Basement 08/22/14 National Gallery of Victoria 10/23/14 Exeter, Phoenix+ 10/24/14 Bristol, Fiddlers+ 10/25/14 Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach+ 10/27/14 Edinburgh, Voodoo Rooms+ 10/28/14 Manchester, Ruby Lounge+ 10/29/14 Dublin, Whelans + 11/01/14 Hull, Fruit+ 11/02/14 York, Fibbers+ 11/03/14 Leicester, Musician+ 11/05/14 Brighton, Komedia+ 11/06/14 Southampton, Joiners+ 11/10/14 London, Village Underground+ * Ben Watt with Bernard Butler + Ben Watt Trio Photo of Bernard Butler at The Chapel in San Francisco is courtesy of Robin. robin+vu ♥ weheartmusic.com