24 January 2024

Weekly BISS List 1.24.24: Spotlight on LAZWELL (2.16) + Best of BISS this Week

Hey BISS Listers, we’re serving up the antidote to your rainy week blues. This week’s edition of BISS List is guaranteed to put a smile on your face (or your money back!) 😝

This week’s BISS List kicks off with another fun fact…FACT: You can actually WIN TICKETS from BISS List! Spread the word by sharing our posts, then enter via email or our entry form for a chance to win free tickets. Sure, buying your own ticket rocks, but why not double down and support the bands, venues, and BISS. No socials? No worries. Snap a screenshot of your email or of the text message you send to your friends about the show. Get creative! Think of it as a double win: you score free tiks, but more importantly, you support local artists, venues, and even us (a tiny but passionate volunteer team)! Every entry gets considered. We handpick winners based on content, tags, visibility, creativity, and effort. Spreading the love of music is our mission! Join our small but mighty crew in keeping BISS List flowing!

Let’s rewind for a sec and relive this epic past weekend of music that was! moe. absolutely tore the roof off The Fillmore TWO NIGHTS STRAIGHT, dropping funky jams and soulful grooves like confetti on a dancefloor. If you were there, then you know. If you follow BISS on Instagram, and joined when I went #LiveFromTheShow, then you know.

And if that wasn’t enough, Saturday night after moe. at Boom Boom Room was OFF. THE. HOOK. Joe Marcinek and Groovesession brought the heat, but then the special guests started rolling in… Reed Mathis sat in on guitar multiple times throughout the night. And our ears were graced by the stunning vocals of Reilly Comisar. AND THEN a couple of members of moe. popped up on stage, Jim Loughlin on bass and Vinnie Amico on drums. It was like a musical all-star game! My camera is full of pics and videos from all three shows that I will get posted soon! #internsneeded

The highlight of my weekend, hands down, was a private tour of Jay Blakesberg’s “RetroBlakesberg: The Music Never Stopped” at the Jewish Contemporary Museum, with Jay himself and the moe. crew. If you know Jay’s photography, then you know it’s a feast for the eyes, but hearing the stories behind the shots and his journey from kid with a camera to today, directly from him was pure magic. The exhibit runs until July 28th, and while you can explore it on your own with a guide and Jay’s recorded stories, or catch him in person at two upcoming special events! This Sunday, 1/28, he’ll tell the tale of his wild Grateful Dead odyssey in “Between the Dark and the Light,” and on February 18th, he’ll take you on another walkthrough of the entire exhibit. Both events are free with museum admission, so don’t miss out!

I am writing this on Tuesday afternoon so by the time you read this, I’ll already have ripped it up with Mike Dillon’s Punkadelic featuring Nikki Glaspie & Brian Haas (++ Brian Haas & Reed Mathis open) at Ivy Room on Tuesday night. I am sure I will tell you more about this next week. And I will be gearing up for Thumpasaurus at the Chapel on Wednesday night (*WIN*)! These dino-punk legends are a live force of nature. Think thunderous drums, prehistoric riffs, and stage antics that’ll have you roaring with laughter. Seriously, their shows are more than just music – they’re an experience!

But then, Friday arrives, and with it comes the cruelest of dilemmas: Lotus or JGB? On one hand, Lotus at The Independent beckons with their instrumental wizardry, their grooves a kaleidoscope of funk, fusion, and jam-band mastery. On the other hand, JGB w/ Melvin + Stu Allen at The Warfield (*WIN*), whispers tales of the Grateful Dead’s psychedelic legacy, promising a trip down memory lane paved with soaring guitar solos and communal singalongs.

Saturday, The Fillmore stage will morph into a portal to cosmic disco dimensions, bathed in laser light and vibrating with the collective energy of a thousand dancing souls. So prepare yourselves, fellow seekers of the groove, for a journey deep into the heart of trancefusion. Whether you’re a seasoned Biscuit-head or a curious newcomer, join me on this cosmic dance mission. We’ll leave our earthly worries at the door and surrender to the sonic vortex that is a Disco Biscuits show (*WIN*).

Most importantly, #markyourcalendar, Lantz Lazwell’s birthday bash explodes at the Boom Boom Room on February 16th. Arrive early to catch Sean Leahy’s stunning new project, Wounded Birds. Stay late for the epic Galactic After Party with LAZWELL. More info about this sure-to-be-legendary night in the spotlight below!

As I always say, check out the Best of BISS section with our show picks of the week and the Win Tickets page on our site. And don’t forget there is always more on the Full Calendar.

But wait there’s more! Check out “KRITIN” by Budos Band in the #ListenToThis section below!

#seeyouattheshows,
~ Pamela aka Miss BISS

SPOTLIGHT ON LAZWELL IN SF

LAZWELL ft Lady Chi
Lantz’s Bday & Bowie Tribute
+ Sean Leahy Band

Feb 16 @ The Boom Boom Room

LAZWELL grabs hold like a purple-feathered boa constrictor, delving into unexpected regions of funk, soul, blues, and jam rock. You’ll feel like you’ve received an exclusive invitation to a tribal gathering deep in the jungle or on the playa, as they slay reinvented covers and make you fall in love with their remarkably fresh originals. There’s a certain grittiness at play here, with a primal sensuality more than enough to awaken your pleasure centers.

Back by Popular Demand!! Special David Bowie Tribute! LAZWELL’s music is a vibrant tapestry woven from threads of countless artists, each leaving their mark in a unique way. David Bowie’s flamboyant theatricality dances in LAZWELL’s melodies. Bowie’s fearless genre-hopping echoes in their experimentation. Come see for yourself as they weave in and out of Bowie & LAZWELL originals throughout the night!

A Bay Area music luminary since the mid-90s, Sean Leahy has carved his name into the scene through touring and recording collaborations with bands such as Boomshanka, For Year Bender, Eoin Harrington, Katdelic, Kofy Brown, and Guitarmageddon. Now Sean steps away from his role as a sideman and featured soloist with a brand new group under the moniker Wounded Birds and a brand new record dropping early this year. Sean is joined by Daria Johnson on drums, Jenn Curiel on bass, and Pamela Parker on guitar/keys.

***Check out all of our Featured Shows.

LISTEN TO THIS

Listen to “KRITN” by The Budos Band, from the album Frontier’s Edge (Released 2023).

From Staten Island’s smoky jazz dens to the cosmic edges of afrobeat, The Budos Band ignite instrumental adventures with hypnotic grooves, soulful horns, and guitars that soar like rockets fueled by vintage psychedelia. “KRITN” progresses through a series of dynamic shifts. One moment you’re cruising along on a steady afrobeat pulse, the next you’re swept up in a whirlwind of frenetic guitar solos and thundering drums. Throughout, the music maintains a sense of mystery, hinting at ancient alien civilizations and uncharted corners of the universe.