08 October 2026

BISS List 10.8.26 Spotlight on Steep Canyon Rangers + The Best of BISS This Week and More

Happy My Morning Fleet Week, BISS Listers!

With three more My Morning Jacket shows AND Fleet Week happening in San Francisco, what else could I call it? I may have blown my recent concert budget on Jack White at The Fillmore, which was 100% worth it, but I’m hoping to find my way into at least one MMJ show this week. Anyone have an extra ticket? 😉But first, let’s talk about last week…

Last Week in Review: Thursday’s Forever Grateful Gospel installment really took me to church, with some of my favorite ladies in the scene bringing incredible voices and musicianship to the stage – here are videos. Bonus… I also got to experience most of the Forever Grateful exhibit and see the bus up close! I’m looking forward to more of the series, and we’re giving away tickets to every installment.

Hardly Strictly took over Golden Gate Park all weekend. I’ve definitely tried to cover every band on every stage in years past, but that just wasn’t in the cards this time, so I asked our BISS List community to join in. Share your memories, photos, and videos on my Facebook post. I even became part of the coverage myself! Check out this interview by journalism student Stephanie. And speaking of coverage, please welcome our new BISS Contributing Editor, Sean Reiter, who captured the weekend in this photo gallery. Plus, we’ve got a fun HSBF quiz and gallery from Gabriel David Barkin.

Friday night at the Boom Boom Room, I caught Ziek McCarter’s band, MUZIEK! I’ve been a fan of Ziek’s for years and have loved watching his growth through different bands and projects. It was a real pleasure to see his own project coming together so well. Saturday night, I was back at the Boom Boom Room for a reunion with my longtime friend Fletcher & his band Tracorum, a band I know many of you have loved over the years.

On My Radar: Once again, this week’s Hot List is PACKED, so definitely check it out for all the shows I can’t possibly squeeze in here. My own calendar is looking a little like choose-your-own-adventure this week, because there are way too many good choices.

Thu 10/08: The Breaks @ The Independent (*WIN*) – This is 100% my top pick this week. In case you missed it, The Breaks is a new project with Eddie Roberts, Stanton Moore & Robert Walter! And speaking of Robert Walter, you can also catch up on my recent interview with him from right before Greyboy Allstars played the Castro.
Fri 10/09: I’d love to get across the Bay for Ronobir Lahiri’s Hip Hop Sitar @ The Chapel of the Flowers, but there’s also Pink Talking Fish @ The Guild Theatre (*WIN*), Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite @ Siesta Valley Bowl (*WIN*), plus a NOLA vibe at the Boom Boom Room w/ Bayou to The Bay ft Adosoul & The Tribe (*WIN*). And, of course, there’s always the possibility of another My Morning Jacket night @ The Fillmore.
Sat 10/10: Somehow Saturday has even more choices. Bonnie Raitt @ Bill Graham, Melvin Seals and JGB w/ Grahame Lesh @ Siesta Valley Bowl (*WIN*), My Morning Jacket… I’m leaving my options open. Regardless of where I start, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll find me at Le Disco with Topaz @ BBR (*WIN*) for the late night.
Sun 10/11: And then there’s one more My Morning Jacket show @ The Fillmore, so who knows? Maybe that’s the one.

Mark Your Calendar: Steep Canyon Rangers are coming up soon on 10/16 @ Siesta Valley Bowl (*WIN*) – They’re also the subject of this week’s Spotlight, so keep scrolling for more!

Whether you’re watching guitars or fighter jets, I hope to see you out there.~ Pamela aka Miss BISS
#seeyouattheshows

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SPOTLIGHT ON STEEP CANYON RANGERS

Steep Canyon Rangers

October 16th @ Siesta Valley Bowl

Formed in North Carolina and shaped equally by the Appalachian Mountains and the Piedmont, Steep Canyon Rangers have long occupied a singular space in American roots music. From their earliest recordings, the band demonstrated an unusual ability to honor traditional bluegrass forms while allowing contemporary songwriting, literary influence, and regional storytelling to seep naturally into the music. Over time, this balance earned them both bluegrass credibility and broader Americana acclaim, culminating in a Best Bluegrass Album GRAMMY Award for 2013’s Nobody Knows You, additional nominations for Rare Bird Alert (2012) and North Carolina Songbook (2020), and an induction into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.

Steep Canyon Rangers is made up of Graham Sharp on banjo and vocals, Mike Guggino on mandolin/mandola and vocals, Aaron Burdett on guitar and vocals, Nicky Sanders on fiddle and vocals, Mike Ashworth on drums, dobro, percussion and vocals, and Barrett Smith on bass, guitar, and vocals. Experience Steep Canyon Rangers live in the beautiful setting of Siesta Valley Bowl. Get your tickets now!

BISS GALLERY

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival

Please join us in welcoming Sean Reiter, our new BISS Contributing Editor! Sean was out at Hardly Strictly this past weekend, capturing the music, the crowds, and the scene in Golden Gate Park. Check out his photo gallery for a look back at one of San Francisco’s favorite weekends of live music.

And there’s more Hardly Strictly to explore! Gabriel David Barkin has another photo gallery from the festival, plus a fun quiz to test your Hardly Strictly knowledge.

Highlights from THE BEST OF BISS THIS WEEK

We’ve got so many amazing shows on our Best of BISS every week that we’re running out of room, so this week we’re just sharing the highlights! Visit the website for our full Best of BISS for this week and beyond.

10/08 Mumford & Sons, Sierra Ferrell @ Shoreline Amphitheatre

10/08 Sonamo @ Madrone Art Bar

10/08 The Breaks @ The Independent WIN TICKETS

10/08 Benito Gonzalez Trio ft drummer living legend Jeff “Tain” Watts (7 & 9:15pm) @ Black Cat WIN TICKETS

10/08 Rickie Lee Jones @ Rio Theatre

10/09 My Morning Jacket @ The Fillmore

10/09 Mastodon, Deafheaven, Alcest @ Fox Theater Oakland

10/09 Rickie Lee Jones, Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn, Mia Pixley @ The Freight

10/09 Slightly Stoopid w/ The Elovaters, The Hip Abduction, and DENM @ Frost Amphitheater

10/09 Ronobir Lahiri: HipHop Sitar @ The Chapel of the Flowers

10/09 Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite Duo ft Bob Welsh @ Siesta Valley Bowl WIN TICKETS

10/09 Pink Talking Fish @ The Guild Theatre WIN TICKETS