27 September 2023

BISS List 9.27.23: Spotlight on Bombino (9.30) + Best of BISS this Week

Welcome to Fall BISS Listers! You know what that means? Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Music Festival is upon us with multiple shows featuring Hardly Strictly artists outside the park. More on HSB in a moment…

#LastWeek was a good one for me and my music in the Bay Area and beyond! Those of us who made it out on Wednesday for DJ Williams know how lucky we were to catch him playing with his band in such a small and intimate venue as Madrone. If you have a moment, you can check out videos and pictures from the night including the latest addition to my vinyl collection. On Thursday, I went to see Stephen Marley at the Fillmore and while this was not a small intimate show, it still had that feeling with the unplugged version of his band along with all the crowd participation. I did capture some of this show for you but it was a little dark and it wasn’t my best work so I also recommend that you check out my friend Gabriel Barkin’s article and photos on GratefulWeb. Saturday, we drove up to Napa for the Blue Note Sessions at Meritage with a full day of fun in the sun with our friends and multiple favorite bands from New Orleans. We got there just in time for Raw Oyster Cult followed by Dumpstaphunk featuring Cyril Neville and then ending the day with Galactic with special guest Cyril Neville. I did my best to capture some of this day for you.

#ThisWeek, many of you have already gotten started with Goose on Monday & Tuesday at The Fox. Or maybe on Tuesday, you went to see Wolfmother w/ Fever Dog at The Regency or Garaj Mahal playing at The Sweetwater. If you went to any of these shows, send me your best pics and videos so I can check it out! 😜

#ThisThursday, is the kickoff of artists from Hardly Strictly Bluegrass playing shows around the Bay Area. Steve Earle returns to historic Herbst Theatre to host an intimate songwriters circle with Rickie Lee Jones, Peter Rowan, John Craigie, and special guests to gather in support of Camp Winnarainbow on 9/28 for Toward the FUN(ds). I am kinda hoping that after that, I can make it to The Chapel in time (ha!) to catch some of an evening with Holly Bowling (*WIN*). #ThisFriday, we are going to start the night with the super sax-y trio of Moon Hooch playing at The Indy. Then, we continue with a funky dance-fusion dance-party at Boom Boom Room featuring longtime San Francisco favorites, Afrolicious (*WIN*). I am sure this will go late night but we mustn’t stay out TOO late and miss Saturday at HSB! Then, #OnSaturdayNight, the Fillmore is the place to be for Hardly Strictly Out of the Park with Bombino + Say She She (*WIN*). You probably already know a bit about the Tuareg guitarist known as Bombino but if not, check out our Spotlight in the section below and #SpreadTheWord to enter to *WIN* a pair of tickets or just buy them and go. Plan to be there early to see the opener, Say She She. I have been listening to them and their song, C’est Si Bon is currently running through my head. (P.S. Did you know that the keyboard player and bass player from Orgone are also in this band?) Since it’s right across the street, there is a good chance of funkin it up with Litty Debungus at the Boom Boom Room (*WIN*). Now, if I can keep the pace up and still get all my work done by the end of the weekend, PLUS hit up Hardly Strictly for a day or two, then… I would also like to go the The Chapel on Sunday night for Neal Francis + The Grease Traps (*WIN*). As always, I can only list so much right here so check out the Best of BISS section below and the BISS List Win Tickets page. And if you still need more, it’s on the Full Calendar.

OK. so NOW, let’s discuss #HardlyStrictlyBluegrass. Is any other city in the world as lucky as we are? I say no. In case you are new to town, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (HSB) is a free, non-commercial music festival that takes place annually in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. The festival features a diverse lineup of bands from a variety of genres, including roots, Americana, funk, rock, soul, country, and folk. There are literally dozens of artists on 6 stages bringing 750,000 people to our beloved city over the course of three days. This festival has been held the first weekend of October for 23 years! Thank you to the Hellman Foundation for keeping it going.

#WhatToSee at HSB 2023…. Speaking of dozens of acts on 6 stages, (well 7 now if you count the new Horsehill stage I am seeing on the schedule this year)… What’s on your schedule for this year’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass? I don’t know exactly when I’m going to make it there but I’ve downloaded the app and made my loose schedule. Please reply to let me know if I might have missed something really good here or to let me know that you have a crew staking out a spot where I can join you at one of these stages on one of these days!

OK.. so #FridayHSB is going to be a Swan and Towers of Gold kind of day. These two stages are back to back with each other so if you find a good spot at either stage, it can sometimes be best to just stay there and enjoy as they pipe in the set from the other stage. Or you can run back and forth like this… At 1p, Towers of Gold stage starts with Orchestra Gold; then at 1:45, Vetiver is on the Swan stage; then at 2:30, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram is on the Towers of Gold stage; then at 3:20 John Craigie is on the Swan Stage; and then at 4:10, Lucero is on the Towers of Gold stage; then back to the Swan stage for Shakey Graves. Then I just might have to head for home so I can make it out that night.

#SaturdayHSB, if I make it by 11, I will probably swing through the Rooster Stage on entry to catch some of the Go To Hell Man Band (yes, it’s Warren Hellman’s family’s band ), then roll through the Banjo Stage to see some of Dry Branch Fire squad on the way to the Swan Stage for Sunny War, and then over to the Swan Stage before Sunny War ends at 11:40. Then pop over to the Towers of Gold Stage for some Dustbowl Revival and then just keep rolling between all the stages to see everything I can and also get over to to the Rooster Stage to get a spot for Betty Lavette at 3:05, then Rickie Lee Jones at Banjo at 4, then bop around the park again for a bit and squeeze my way back in on the Rooster Stage in time for Irma Thomas at 6p to close out the day.

#SundayHSB, this just might have to be a go with the flow day where I move as quickly as I can from stage to stage to see as much music as possible. The three-songs-is-a-set rule will definitely be in effect. That’s the second rule of BISS, that says three songs, counts as a set to say you saw the band. Cause I want to see everything on Sunday starting with Say She She and ending with Emmylou Harris at the end. We shall see! I invite you all to send me your best pics and photos after the weekend. Email to biss@bisslsit.com and let me know if I can share with everyone. #thankyou

But wait, there’s more! This week’s #ListenToThis is “Revival’” from Ron Artis II, to start to get you warmed up for Sugar Pine Music Festival. Read on and #Listen below!

#seeyouattheshows,
~ Pamela aka Miss BISS

SPOTLIGHT ON TUAREG GUITAR

Bombino w/ Say She She

Sept 30th @ The Fillmore

Bombino is a renowned Tuareg guitarist and singer-songwriter hailing from Niger. Known for his virtuosic guitar skills and soulful vocals, his music not only reflects the rich cultural heritage of the Tuareg people but also carries a message of unity and hope for the world. Bombino’s mesmerizing blend of traditional Tuareg music with modern rock and blues influences has earned him international acclaim, making him a leading figure in the world music scene. Joined by soulful, disco-delic, female-led trio Say She She.

***Check out all of our Featured Shows.

LISTEN TO THIS

Listen to “Revival” from Ron Artis II (Released 2023)

Ron said this about the new single, “We came out of this really rough time as a planet over the last three or free years, and we need to revive who we are. You don’t need to become somebody new, you need to revive who you are because it’s beautiful – and we need to pump that energy into everybody.”

You can catch Ron Artis II and The Truth at the first Sugar Pine Music Festival (formerly known as Hangtown Music Festival), October 19th-22nd at Nevada County Fairgrounds – and you can *Win Tickets* from BISS!