10 October 2024

BISS List 10.10.24: Spotlight on Melvin Seals & JGB (10.11) + Best of BISS this Week

Happy National Hug a Drummer Day, BISS Listers!

Give a big squeeze to the heartbeat of the band today!

The music scene is absolutely blazing lately! Though for those of you who made it out in the heat of the days at GG Park, you might be thinking of a more literal fire. I’ve chatted with so many of you about this at shows all over the Bay Area recently and we all agree. Not only are there amazing shows at venues of all sizes and genres, but the best part? The enormous amount of FREE MUSIC here in SF! It’s incredible how many organizations bring us these free shows. I am still recovering from an amazing weekend of music! Even though I didn’t spend as much time at Hardly Strictly as some of you, I managed to hit six other shows.

My personal best show of the weekend was LAZWELL and DangerAte at the Boom Boom Room on Saturday! Eric McFadden and Kate Vargas joined them, and it was pure fire. Seriously, the energy in that room was giving me flashbacks to the old Boom Boom Room days—both on stage and in the crowd! Eric McFadden & Lantz Lazwell dueling on guitars? Yes, please! Check it out!

Earlier that day, one of my favorite moments at HSB was ending the day with Jackie Greene & Anders Osborne. We were heading towards the exit to get a jump start on getting out before the masses, but then we heard Anders welcome Eric McFadden to the stage and turned right back around!

Continuing with Hardly Strictly on Sunday… We had to leave early on Sunday to make it to Snarky Puppy at SFJazz. I was hanging with friends at the Swan stage, which was a perfect spot to watch Wood Brothers soundcheck while listening to a perfectly clear Patti Smith being piped in from the Towers stage. I posted a video of this and asked everyone what their favorite moments were. Feel free to add your comments to the thread!

Now, check out this Hardly Strictly Photo Gallery & Review from BISS Staff Photographer Gabriel Barkin that talks about scorching days, surprise pop-up shows, and legendary musicians at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2024! Thank you Grateful Web for sharing Gabriel with us!

Let’s take it back to Friday and then go in chronological order for the rest of the flashback of this past weekend. Don’t worry, I’ll make it quick… Here’s a recap of my weekend & a couple of Highlights from HSB:

Friday Night @ The Fillmore: Greensky Bluegrass
Friday Night @ BBR: Tracorum w/ Sean Lehe
Saturday Afternoon @ HSB: Steve Earle w/ Molly Tuttle then Jackie Greene & Anders Osborne
Saturday Night @ BBR: LAZWELL w/ special guests Eric McFadden & Kate Vargas + DangerAte
Sunday @ HSB: Patti Smith → Wood Brothers
Sunday Evening @ SF Jazz: Snarky Puppy‘s Sunday night performance at SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium was a masterclass in musical fusion, a fitting finale to their four-night run. Elevating the performance even further was the presence of Rajhesh Vaidhya, whose virtuosic veena playing added a mesmerizing layer of depth and beauty to each show
Sunday Night @ Madrone: B3 Sessions w/ Wil Blades. We heard that Wil Blades was in town and hosting the B3 Sessions (for FREE!). He’s the one who started it years ago, so we knew we were going for sure. It was awesome to see Wil Blades and trumpet player Mike Olmos, who hosts the sessions every Sunday, playing together. It was a real treat to see local legend Otis McDonald on drums with them! They had a ton of other talented jazz musicians rotating through all night, making for an amazing night of improvisational jazz. Afterward, I sent Lantz and some of the other band members to an after-party, and I headed home to bed!

This week:

Thursday: Tonight I’m going to PJ Harvey at The Masonic.
Friday: I am out for the holiday. However, if I were going out on Friday, it would be to see the Tea Leaves (ft members Of Tea Leaf Green, ALO, and Chris Haugen) at Peri’s in Fairfax. Or I would go to Melvin Seals & JGB at Jam Cellars Ballroom in Napa (*WIN*) – more on that in the spotlight below.
Saturday: I’m still out of town, but if I were here I would probably be going to a fabulous birthday party in the East Bay (Happy Bday MMK!!). If I were going to make it in time for Saturday night shows, I would be at Dawn Silva & the Brides of Funkenstein at the Great American Music Hall (*WIN*) or Moon Hooch at The Indy, unless I had the energy to drive to Chico to see LAZWELL at Lost on Main (*WIN*) (cause I want some more after this past Saturday night!). It looks like I should be free for late night on Saturday, so I’ll probably hit Spunj at the Boom Boom Room (*WIN*).
Sunday: Ben Ottewell & Ian Ball (of Gomez) are Celebrating 25 Years of Gomez Album Liquid Skin (*WIN*). So I think I might hit The Chapel on Sunday night for that one.

Monday, join me for a special treat… The Fillmore is hosting a special screening of the 1976 version of “A Star Is Born” on October 14th at the 4 Star Theater as part of its Fall at The Fillmore film series, benefiting the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation. Bob Barsotti, the board’s director, will introduce the film and discuss its connection to Bill Graham’s legacy while also honoring the legendary Kris Kristofferson. This is a unique opportunity to enjoy a classic film while supporting a worthy cause and celebrating the lives of two music icons.

As always, there is a full list of our Best of BISS for this week that you will find when you scroll down…

Before you scroll, MARK YOUR CALENDAR for these shows coming up later this month! #JOINME!!

10/20: Thundercat + Lee Fields @ GG Park (Free) RSVP now!
10/25: Andre Cruz & Chris Lujan + The Silvertone @ 4 Star Theater (*WIN*) – more info in the spotlight below
10/27: LAZWELL is opening up for the legendary ZZ Top @ Bob Hope Theatre in Stockton
10/31: RonKat Spearman’s Katdelic @ Yoshi’s in Oakland

For more upcoming shows, don’t forget there is more on the Full Calendar, and be sure to check out the Win Tickets page for chances to win a pair fo FREE tickets!

That’s a wrap for now, BISS Listers! Stay tuned, keep those tunes flowing, and, as always, share your experiences with me!

~ Pamela aka Miss BISS
#seeyouattheshows

SPOTLIGHT ON MELVIN IN NAPA

Melvin Seals & JGB

Oct 11th @ JaM Cellars Ballroom Napa

Melvin Seals & JGB bring their special mix of all the tunes you know and love! Nicknamed “The Master of the Universe” by Jerry Garcia himself, Melvin and his amazing band are sure to blow your mind and rock your soul. Adding his rock-gospel-soul-rhythm and blues touch with his funky style of playing, Melvin continues to treat music lovers to his unique brand of melodic flavor with JGB. Featuring Melvin Seals (Hammond B3 Organ, Keyboards & Vocals), John Kadlecik (Electric Guitar & Lead Vocals), John-Paul McLean (Bass & Vocals), and Jeremy Hoenig (Drums).

SPOTLIGHT ON SWEET SOUL

Andre Cruz & Chris Lujan

Oct 25th @ 4 Star Theater

Bay Area Soul with a Heavy Heart — Andre Cruz and Chris Lujan are The Real Thing! Dishing up their own unique recipe of fuzz heavy, groove-infused, crooning sweet soul and funk that’ll either lay you out with a heavy heart or have you shaking what yo’ mama gave ya’! Joined by The Silvertone at San Francisco’s 4 Star Theater on Friday, October 25th.

The band is the product of the collaboration between vocalist, Andre Cruz – an energetic, joyful performer with Donny Hathaway meets Stevie Wonder vocal stylings, and producer/bandleader, Chris Lujan – an award-winning fixture in the Bay Area soul/funk scene. They have played sold-out shows at legendary venues alongside the likes of Lee Fields, Thee Sacred Souls, and Kelly Finnigan. Backed by The Black Diamond Rhythm Band, Cruz & Lujan bring a unique flavor with their fuzz-heavy, groove- infused California Soul. They will touch your heart with crooning, sweet souldies and light up the dance floor with their explosive funkiness.

*Check out all of our Featured Shows.

BISS REVIEW

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival

This year’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival (“HSBG”) in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park was – as usual, and as expected – a joyous and magical celebration for young and old, family and friends, musicians and music fans. Despite the unseasonably warm October weather, tens of thousands of music fans from San Francisco, the surrounding Bay Area, and far beyond made the trek to the park for this year’s free festival. The relentless sun was challenging for some people, but the music was even hotter. Check out the full review and photos from Gabriel Barkin.