20 December 2023

BISS List 12.20.23: Spotlight on Boom Boom Room + Best of BISS this Week

Happy Winter Solstice BISS Listers!

Alright, Bay Area friends, the rain gods are unleashing their fury, and the sun took a vacation to Mars! But let’s not sulk about soggy shoes and umbrella malfunctions. It’s the #WinterSolstice, baby! The shortest day, yeah, but also the sparkliest night, and the perfect excuse to dive headfirst into a cozy, musical adventure. ☔️

Think about it: the sky’s a moody masterpiece, rain paints shimmering rivers on the streets, and the city whispers “snuggle down” in every damp gust of wind. But instead of hibernating on the couch, let’s chase the blues away with live music! Check out the Best of BISS section below for this week’s picks of the week!

Rainy days might dampen the mood sometimes, but they can also be a cozy opportunity to appreciate the good times. If the rain is keeping you indoors for the next couple of days, why not revisit the shows from last weekend.

Friday night, we rolled in to Boom Boom Room early to catch Oakadelic with special guest Mama Glory, and let me tell you, this woman can wail! Then the stage morphed into a Grateful Dead wonderland for the Phil Lesh after party with “SF is Dead All-stars”. We’re talking Reed Mathis & Matt Hartle channeling their inner Jerry, Jordan Feinstein tickling the ivories like Pigpen, and Anna Elva keeping the beat like a pocket Deadhead goddess. See for yourself!

Saturday night, was full of sass and a whole lost of soul for girls night out with Steppin’ at BBR. Sunday, I thought for sure, this was the night to recoup and recover but fate intervened and a friend called me up and asked if I would be her plus one for the Phil Lesh show at the Fillmore. Adding to this miracle was Stanley Jordan, the two-handed tapping guitar god himself! If you’re not familiar with Stanley Jordan, let me just say that he’s like Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen rolled into one, with a sprinkle of classical virtuosity for good measure. You don’t have to take my word for it tho, you can check out my clips from the show.

While the rain patters its lullaby on the windowpane, take some time to read through the additional Best of BISS section below to plot the most epic NYE celebration ever!

My personal plans for the NYE weekend are going to keep me in the city for:

28th: Railroad Earth @ The Fillmore (*WIN*)
29th: Karl D @ The Fillmore (*WIN*) (& 30th – *WIN*)
29th: *Late Night* Ricky G (of Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe) @ BBR (*WIN*)
30th: *Early side* for Remain In Light w/ X at The Warfield (*WIN*)
30th: *By 11pm* LAZWELL’s special Ziggy Stardust Tribute Set (*WIN*) @ BBR
31st: Afrolicious Funky NEW YEAR’s EVE Spectacular @ BBR (*WIN*)

For more about the NYE weekend of shows at Boom Boom Room, check out the spotlight below!

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

But wait there’s more! This week’s song pick is “Set Me Free” by Dustbowl Revival. Check out the #ListenToThis section below to hear it!

#seeyouattheshows,
~ Pamela aka Miss BISS

SPOTLIGHT ON BOOM BOOM ROOM NYE RUN

LAZWELL Tribute to Ziggy Stardust+ Smokey the Groove

Dec 30th @ Boom Boom Room

LAZWELL will be performing a special tribute to Ziggy Stardust, featuring a full set of David Bowie songs! Then a late night LAZWELL set!! Plus Smokey the Groove!

LAZWELL grabs hold like a purple-feathered Boa constrictor, delving into unexpected regions of Funk, Soul, Blues, and Jam Rock. If you thought this band was a party in the past, now with the addition of a horn section, they are a down right dance floor killah!

Afrolicious Funky NEW YEAR’s EVE Spectacular

Dec 31st @ Boom Boom Room

Each and every year, the Boom Boom Room is the place to be on New Year’s Eve! The BBR is decked out and sparkling with candles, glittery decor, hundreds of balloons, complimentary NYE party hats and party favors, champagne and PARTY favors and live music til 2:45am+

The genuine passion, love, funk and energy at an Afrolicious event is something folks feel during and long after the event itself. It is a kind of feeling one wants to go out and spread around because it feels so good!

The Music of The Meters KDTU Afterparty

Dec 29th @ Boom Boom Room

Ricky G presents The Music of the Meters, a New Orleans Jazz Fest experience becomes Karl Denson’s Birthday Bash Afterparty. Bring the beads, rock your purples, golds, and greens, and be ready to move your feet. One of the most legendary groups in the history of American music, the Meters crafted the blueprint for a unique brand of Funk steeped in New Orleans culture and tradition.

The band will be lead by Ricky G – Guitar/Vox (Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe), Kevin Lum – Keys (English Beat), Etienne David Franc – Bass/Vox (Samba Dá), Isaac Schwartz – Drums, and special guest Eric Long – Vocals.

***Check out all of our Featured Shows.

LISTEN TO THIS

Listen to “Set Me Free” by Dustbowl Revival, (Released 2022).

American roots orchestra Dustbowl Revival, founded by members Z. Lupetin, Josh Heffernan, Ulf Bjorlin, have over a decade of sonic adventuring and have played thousands of shows together in ten countries and counting. We spoke with Z. Lupetin about the song and he told us, “I wrote ‘Set Me Free’ when we were just starting to emerge from the darkness of the pandemic — it was about believing in ourselves and not some higher power to save us.”

Z. Lupetin also said that Dustbowl Revival “adore coming to the Northern CA, folks really know great music!” You can catch Dustbowl Revial on Jan 10th at Sweetwater Music Hall (*WIN*) and Jan 11th at The Guild Theatre.

Why should you “Listen to This”? – BISS (Because I Said So). Check out the complete Spotify playlist with all weekly songs! #moretocome

*Got some new music we should listen to? Submit it for review!