09 April 2025

BISS List 4.9.25 Spotlight on High Sierra Band Contest (4.17) + The Best of BISS This Week

Hey BISS Listers,

Anyone else balancing matzah ball soup with your concert calendar this week? It’s that time again—festive meals, stacked shows, and all the reasons we keep doing this. Whether you’re cooking, dancing, or both, here’s a little recap and a look at what’s ahead…

This Past Weekend in Review:

Fri 4/4 Rubblebucket @ August Hall: Rubblebucket doesn’t just play music, they unleash it. One BISS Lister summed it up perfectly: “One of the things I love most about the BISS crew is that we love all kinds of shit!” The whole room felt like it was floating on the same frequency of joyful chaos, dancing sax lines, and zero fucks given in the best way possible. Here are the videos!
Sat Evening 4/5 Rich Egan’s “Water Clings to the Pot” in San Rafael: If you know, you know And if you don’t, you need to. Rich Egan’s show was a beautiful mix of poetry, unpredictability, and soul, an experience that’s hard to describe but even harder to forget. The kind of night where you’re not sure what’s coming next, but you’re glad you stayed. Here are the videos!
Sat Night 4/5 Minglewood Boys & Robyn’s Birthday @ Finnegan’s Wake: This one was all about vibes. A packed room, great music, and big birthday love for Robyn. Minglewood Boys brought that feel-good groove that had everyone smiling. There’s something about a tight-knit crowd in a small space that just hits different, and this one hit. Here are the videos!

Coming Up This Week: This week is already heating up, and so is my kitchen. I’ve got matzah ball soup simmering while I prep for three nights out before the weekend of festive meals. Scroll down to the Best of BISS section to choose your own adventure, we’ve got even more in the mix.

4/9 Forest Fête @ Cal Academy of Sciences: A lively celebration of Pacific Forest Trust’s work in partnership with forest landowners, activists of all ages, committed companies, and policy leaders from California and Oregon.
4/10 ORGONE w/ Sweet Lew @ The Independent (*WIN*): LA funk legends return to bring the heat. Expect tight grooves, powerhouse vocals, and high-energy soul that hits you in the chest.
4/11 Atta Kid w/ Celestial Hotties @ Boom Boom Room (*WIN*): Homegrown funk in one of our favorite SF rooms. These guys always bring it, and it’s a great way to roll into the weekend.

Mark Your Calendar for Next Weekend

4/17 High Sierra Band Contest @ Boom Boom Room: I’ll be one of the judges for the SF Regionals at Boom Boom Room alongside Andy Gadiel and Miss Pamela Parker. Four fantastic local groups made it to this regional finalist concert! Check out the spotlight below for more info on who is playing.
4/18 Mr. Hat & BISS List present LAZWELL ft. Startchild Jr. @ Oddfellows Hall in Vallejo (*WIN*): Who’s going with me to Vallejo?!
4/19 Annual Dead Head Seder @ Golden Gate Bistro: In addition to an early acoustic set and two electric sets with some of your favorite Terrapin musicians, we’re adding more music and dancing during the Seder to get everybody up and moving.

BISS Review – ALO’s New Album Frames: Contributing Editor Gabriel Barkin sat down with ALO to talk about their latest release, Frames, and discuss their evolving sound and creative process. Gabriel also shares his own take on the tracks, alongside his collection of photos capturing the band in their element. Read the full review here.

With Gratitude: How You Can Support BISS: I’ve been feeling a lot of gratitude this week. Some fresh financial support just came through—donations that are going to help keep the BISS List going. And it hit me, maybe I should share more of this with you. Maybe it’s time to open the door wider and invite you in to help shape where this all goes next.

BISS has always been about the love of live music. But lately, we’ve been expanding what that looks like. We’ve launched a Patreon, became a fiscally sponsored nonprofit (thank you Independent Arts & Media), and started producing special editions like the Jazz Fest Night Shows NOLA-dex. We’re also planning shows that raise support and spotlight the artists who make this scene so special. There are more ways than ever to support the scene, be part of the community, and help BISS grow.

I don’t just want BISS List to get by—I want it to thrive. And I can’t do it alone. If you know someone who lives for this scene, who shows up for the music, the magic, and has the means to give, send them my way. Maybe it’s you. Maybe it’s someone in your circle. Either way, this isn’t just a call for help, it’s an open invite to build something meaningful, together.

Support comes in many forms, from sharing shows to showing up. Every bit of energy helps us, the artists, and the venues keep going. Entering a contest is easy: you share, we grow. And even if you don’t “win,” your support helps others win—BISS, the artists, and the venues.

To those already supporting BISS through Patreon or with a tax-deductible donation—THANK YOU. You’re forever on our Wall of Thanks. Want to see your name there? Join us! This whole thing runs on love, community, and your belief in what we’re building together.

Become a Member: BISS List Patreon
Donate Here: Tax-Deductible Donations at IAM
Connect with Pamela: pamela@bisslistpresents.com

As always, for even more shows and your chance to win FREE tickets, check out Best of BISS, the Full BISS Calendar, and the Win Tickets page. If we missed anything, let us know!

I’ll see you out there. Probably carrying a camera in one hand, soup ladle in the other, still dancing, and forever grateful to be part of this wild, beautiful community.

~ Pamela aka Miss BISS
#seeyouattheshows

SPOTLIGHT ON HSMF BAND CONTEST

High Sierra Music Festival Band Contest:
San Francisco Regional Finals

April 17th @ Boom Boom Room

The High Sierra Music Festival Band Contest goes live and local, kicking things off in San Francisco. Starting with an applicant pool just shy of 250 bands (more than ever before in High Sierra history) competing in six categories: five regional contests (SF, Marin, Portland, Ashland, Nevada City) as well as an online contest. From there, local judges—including our own Miss BISS—had the tough job of narrowing down each group to a final set of standout contenders.

Now it’s time for the in-person showdowns, where four finalists in each region will perform live for a chance to win a coveted spot at this year’s High Sierra Music Festival. The San Francisco finalists are… The Fell Swoop, The Humidors, Tony Glaser & The Party, and Elenah. They will battle it out on stage at Boom Boom Room for judges Pamela Parker, Pamela Gerstein (BISS List), and Andy Gadiel (JamBase).

One winner will be selected from each of the six contests—and only one will earn a spot on the 2025 High Sierra Music Festival main stage. Come cheer on your local favorites and help send one of these Bay Area bands to Quincy!

BISS ALBUM REVIEW

Framing the Love:
ALO Discusses Their New Album Frames

ALO opens up about their new album Frames in this interview, diving into the creative process and emotional layers behind the music. Get an inside look at how Frames came to life—straight from the source. BISS Contributing Editor Gabriel Barkin adds his own reflections on the album’s tracks alongside a fun-filled collection of photos he captured of the band in their element. Check out the full album review here.