Let me preface this by saying I'm really, really trying to cut back on the amount of shows I go to. It just didn't work this month. Oops. Well, technically this is less than August! Here's quick snapshot of some amazing bands that made their way through San Francisco last month.
I went to Slim's in SOMA for the first time ever and it's now one of my favorite venues in this city. The tickets are cheap, the crowd is the right amount of raucous, the drinks are affordable and the space is the perfect size. I was lucky enough to see The Heavy here for my first experience. The Heavy is a British rock band with strong instrumentals and saucy vocals. Their music almost has a vintage sound, like classic R&B. Their stage energy reminds me of Fitz & the Tantrums. They get everybody dancing and singing a long. Next time the tour the US I would definitely recommend checking them out. Some of my favorites singles of theirs are How You Like Me Now? and Colleen.
Later that week I went to my main spot, the Fox Theater in Oakland, to check out The Tallest Man On Earth. One of the friends I went with introduced me to his music and I was definitely impressed by what I heard online. While I'll be honest that I didn't catch the whole set, I was even more impressed by him live. The Tallest Man On Earth is Kristian Matsson from Sweden and he's actually pretty short. However, he's so charismatic on stage that it makes up for any lack of height. He's pretty much a one-man-band with an occasion backup support guy. At one point he was playing so hard his guitar string snapped but he just tossed it over his shoulder and kept on going. His style could be classified as indie folk, but he also is reminiscent of American folk from the 1970s. His voice is often compared to that of Bob Dylan, though I think that's a bit of a stretch. These days I'd classify him in the same category as Mumford & Sons or Bon Iver. Great music for an evening of chilling at home.
After that, I was back at the Fox Theater the week after for Hot Chip, which was a lot less mellow and a lot more dance party. Hot Chip is a Euro-Indie-Electric-Synth band (I think I just invented this genre) from London. They've been around since 2000 and are a great addition to any upbeat party or dance off. The band is bigger than I realized (5-7 guys). Their lighting and stage setup was very apropos for their sound. My only wish is that they had talked and interacted with the audience a little more, as many of these people have been huge fans for 10+ years. Still a great show though, so I recommend catching them if they swing through town. My favorites and some of their biggest known singles include Ready For the Floor and Night & Day.
At the end of September I saw Dragonette at the Mezzanine in SOMA. The Mezzanine hosts a lot of electronic, synth and DJ shows. They have a great space for it, but make sure you go on a night when there's a good show. Otherwise it turns into a rather drug-filled rave with people who appear to have fake IDs. This show was a great dance party and in my opinion a lot more energetic than the Hot Chip show. Dragonette is a Canadian electronic band, with songs verging on an 80s/90s vibe. I love the lead singer, Martina Sorbara. She has great energy, slightly reminiscent of Robyn. While the mainstream may have heard of Dragonette from their part in Martin Solveig's "Hello," I think some of their best singles are Let It Go and Fixin To Thrill.
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