In Live This Month, we sample some of the great local and out-of-town bands performing in the coming month in the San Francisco Bay Area.
It sure is a great time to be a fan of classic dream-pop and shoegaze music, with the recently-reunited Ride hitting the U.S. this month for their first stateside shows in 20 years. By contrast, Warren Defever, leader of longtime 4AD act His Name is Alive, has kept that band actively releasing records since its inception, but the experimental group’s 25th anniversary tour across the United States is certainly a notable event. And these highlights are to say nothing of the Jesus & Mary Chain’s arrival here next month.
A number of former locals are also playing big shows in April. The Soft Moon first gained acclaim while based in Oakland, but Luis Vasquez relocated to Europe to create his dark electronic-pop album Deeper. Meanwhile, Wove’s heavy guitar-driven jams are sure to sound great at the Great American Music Hall. The show is the biggest local date yet for the new band, which evolved out of Nate Mercereau’s beloved A Million Billion Dying Suns.
On the local front, Oakland “hard mod” band Hard Left, which includes Slumberland Records’ Mike Schulman, is releasing its debut LP We Are Hard Left with a Hemlock Tavern show. If you’re more inclined toward indie pop, be sure to check out Nowhere Now, the first full-length from Oakland’s Waterstrider. Finally, regardless of your concert budget, there’s a great free show at the Brick & Mortar Music Hall on April 7 with Culture Abuse; we’ve included a track from them in the mix, but Scraper and Never Young are awesome local bands on the bill as well.
Enjoy the podcast… and then go see some concerts!