23 April 2026

BISS List 4.23.26 Spotlight on High Sierra Music Festival + The Best of BISS This Week and More

Laissez les bons temps rouler, BISS Listers! I know it’s not Mardi Gras… but it is New Orleans time.

Some of you were already down there last week for French Quarter Fest and are rolling straight into New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Some, like me, are heading in for part of the first weekend. Others are coming in for Daze Between or the second weekend. And some of you are holding it down right here in SF.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, we’ve got over 200 night shows listed on our dedicated NOLA-dex page. It’s not everything, but it’s a pretty solid place to start when you’re figuring out your nights.

A big shout-out to my SF people who head down to The Big Easy every year to make things happen. Poolside Presents is back with Night Fest at Café Istanbul, bringing 11 shows over the next two weeks. And Satisfied Productions is going big this year with not one, but two 12-hour, two-stage throwdowns at Broadside, Bayou RenDAZEvous on 4/27 and Bayou Rendezvous on 5/1, each stacked with 10+ bands.

And it’s not just them… we’ve got a serious BISS crew representing in New Orleans this year (as always)!.

That said, I could never forget about my city by the Bay or the reason this list exists in the first place.

Let’s start with Last Week in Review in SF:

Fri 4/17: Marmot King’s Game Night @ Manny’s – We had a blast playing games and hanging with the crew. Check out the fun!
Sat 4/18: Grateful Shred @ The Fillmore – Always a good time when The Fillmore is sold out, and this one brought the energy from start to finish, get a taste here.
Sat 4/18 (late): Ronkat’s Katdelic @ Boom Boom Room – A funky good time as always with one of my longtime favorites. Late night BBR never misses, feel the vibe here.
Fri 4/17 & Sat 4/18: Gillian Welch & David Rawlings @ Fox Theater Oakland – Huge thanks to Gabriel Barkin for the Gillian Welch write-up and photo gallery on BISS List. I missed this one, but grateful to experience it through Gabe’s lens.
Sun 4/19: Sgt Splendor @ Bottom of the Hill – Make sure you get out to a show here while this epic, legendary club is still in action. Catch some epic moments from the night!

Now for this week… In case you’re not following us yet on IG, you might be missing our weekly Hot List reel featuring the #1 picks of the week on BISS.

Want to go deeper? Check out the full Best of BISS below or on the site, dig into the full calendar for even more shows, and don’t sleep on the contests… they’re easier than ever to enter now, so it’s a good time to jump in and win tickets!

Mark Your Calendar:

5/14–5/17: Golden Road Gathering is coming up fast… just two weeks away, and I am very ready for it. With early entry on 5/14, the weekend is stacked with headliners like Lettuce, STS9, and Leftover Salmon, plus so much more. (*WIN*)
6/6: Shortly after that is a beautiful one-day fest, Sonoma Wild, featuring Elephant Revival, Mikaela Davis, Hot Buttered Rum, and more. (*WIN*)
7/2–7/5: And then everyone’s favorite 4th of July festival, High Sierra Music Festival, is right around the corner. If you want a taste of what makes that one so special, I highly recommend checking out this write-up from BISS contributing editor Gabriel Barkin, originally published on Grateful Web and shared with us. It’s a great snapshot of the vibe and why so many of us keep going back. Be sure to check out the spotlight below for more on High Sierra and grab your tickets!

I am looking forward to seeing so many of you in New Orleans, and big love to everyone here in San Francisco, keeping the BISS energy going while I’m away.

I’m excited to have Julia Abramson stepping in with next week’s note… and yes, I’ll still be the one hitting send from New Orleans, probably on very little sleep and still definitely thinking of all of you.

Remember, the first rule of BISS is that there is no such thing as FOMO. I came up with that at Jazz Fest many years ago when I realized I couldn’t be everywhere… and that’s when it clicked, you can’t be missing out if you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be… whether that’s New Orleans or San Francisco, dancing or maybe just getting some sleep.

Wherever you are, it’s the right place to be.

~ Pamela aka Miss BISS
#seeyouattheshows

Partner with BISS to keep our music community thriving
Patreon → https://bit.ly/BISSListPatreon (more free tickets)
Donate → https://bit.ly/BISSListDonateNow (tax-deductible)

SPOTLIGHT ON HIGH SIERRA

High Sierra Music Festival

July 2-5 @ Nevada County Fairgrounds

High Sierra Music Festival enters a vibrant new era for its 34th annual celebration, moving to the beautiful Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley. While the setting is fresh, the festival’s legendary spirit remains rooted in community, world-class musicianship, and Northern California magic. Fans can expect the quintessential High Sierra experience: four days of non-stop music across multiple stages, intimate artist playshops, and late-night sets that stretch into dawn. From the whimsical daily parades to the tradition of sunrise kickball, it remains an essential family-friendly pilgrimage for those who live for the groove and the jam.

This year’s lineup includes Steel Pulse, The Word, Don Was & The Pan Detroit Ensemble (performing Grateful Dead’s Blues for Allah 50th Anniv), Dumpstaphunk (Sly Stone Tribute + Late Night Funk Set), Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe (Jimmy Cliff Tribute + Late Night Funk Set), Cymande, Eggy, Lebo & Friends, Mountain Grass Unit, The Rumble, Anders Osborne, The Breaks, Judith Hill, Steve Poltz, Trombone Shorty Foundation Band, Balthvs, Holly Bowling, Dirty Texans (of Kongos), Big Something, Lespecial, Scott Pemberton, Hot Buttered Rum, Tea Leaf Green, Handmade Moments, Magoo, Dizgo, Marty O’Reilly, Smoked Out Soul, Pink Talking Fish, Steely Dead, Anna Moss, River Eckert, Sway Wild, Dylan LeBlanc, Cassandra Lewis, Paul McDonald & The Mourning Doves, Boy Golden, Rose City Band, Boot Juice, Taper’s Choice, Psycodelics, The Westones, Family Company, The Heeters, The Point, RonKat Spearman’s Katdelic, Kota Dosa, Moga Family Band, Deerlady, Maisy Owen, Arc Iris, The Great Bingo Revival, Jive Joint, Tijuana Cartel, Rhythmetrix Band, Minor Gold, and Sarah DeGraw ++ Late Nights, Playshops, Troubadour Sessions, Family Village, and Parades!

BISS PREVIEW

High Sierra Music Festival Will
Bring Smiles to Grass Valley

A new setting, a familiar feeling. In this preview, BISS Contributing Editor Gabriel David Barkin reflects on High Sierra’s move to Grass Valley and the traditions that still anchor the experience. Check it out here.