BISS List 4.30.25 Spotlight on Sonoma Wild Festival (6.7) + The Best of BISS This Week

Happy NOLA Jazz Fest BISS Listers!

By the time you read this, I’ll be somewhere midair with a mimosa in hand, flying straight to New Orleans for Jazz Fest! (Yes, it’s that time of year again.) If you’re heading down or just curious about the late-night magic, check out our freshly updated NOLA-Dex — your one-stop spot for all the best Jazz Fest night shows. It’s packed with our picks and you can win tickets!

Before I get too deep into my beignet dreams… I’m so excited that while I’m away, we’ll have some amazing guest writers stepping up to share their own BISS-y adventures and show reviews! Huge thanks to Travis and Julia, who have already contributed this week (with more coming soon from both of them), plus more to come from fresh voices from Vikki and Jen!

Recap of the Past Week: Let’s take a quick look back at this past week and a half, because it was a good one.

• • Sat 4/19: Thanks to Travis Gaskell for capturing the vibes from this double show at the Ivy Room, here’s what he had to say, “DJ Williams Band with support from Bay Area favorite Collectivity, delivered an incendiary show. To start things off, Collectivity bandleader and guitarist Ben Misterka took a slightly slimmed down roster through a great opening set to warm up the phenomenal DJ Williams. DJ, known for playing guitar in Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe among many other credentials, led his power trio through an absolutely blistering set that saw Misterka sitting in for multiple songs. Check out my pics & videos from this truly once-in-a-blue bicycle moon show.” Stay tuned for more from Travis in the coming weeks!

• Tues 4/22: Boom Boom Room was on fire for the Late-Night SuperJam Afterparty, with a packed house and a stacked lineup featuring Reed Mathis, Dennis Mill, Joe Marcinek, Danny Eisenberg, Angeline Saris (absolutely killing it on bass), and Emerson Rose on vocals, along with special guests Lantz Lazwell and Starchild Jr. (Parliament-Funkadelic), who now calls San Francisco home (when he’s not touring the world with George Clinton). Check it out.
• Fri 4/25: George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic lit up the Henry J Kaiser in Oakland, bringing all the classics and all the feels. They made our funk the P-Funk, and we got FUNKED UP. Here’s a taste of the night, and I’ve got more videos coming your way soon!
• Sat 4/26: Thanks so much to Julia Abramson for sending in her thoughts from the Butcher Brown show! And we are looking forward to hearing more from Julia as next week’s guest writer. Here is what she had to say, “As a Jam Cruise regular, I always jump at the chance to catch bands from the boat when they’re playing on land. So when I saw Butcher Brown was coming to The Independent, one of my favorite venues, I knew I had to be there. They absolutely crushed it—blending wild, controlled melodies over a rock-solid rhythm section. There were so many moments where I said out loud, “How are they even playing in this time signature?!” It was awesome to see them riding the momentum and playing to a packed, hyped-up crowd. Shoutout to local opener Adar—smooth vocals, funky grooves, and an unreal Aaliyah cover had the crowd moving from the start. The energy between both bands made it a night you didn’t want to end.”

Miss BISS Radar This week: If I were sticking around the Bay, here’s what would be on my agenda:

• Thur 5/1: Greg Loiacono & Stingray @ Make Out Room
• Sat 5/3: The Warren Haynes Band @ The Fillmore (*WIN*)
• Sat 5/3 Late-Night: Mad Archaic + AfriCali: Psychedelic Rock & Afrobeat Jam Party @ Boom Boom Room (*WIN*) (Coming from Warren Haynes? Plenty of time to join the festivities to cap your night!)

If you’re looking for your own musical adventure, don’t miss the Best of BISS picks below, the Full BISS Calendar, and of course, the Win Tickets page!

As you know, I’ll be living that New Orleans life this week and some of next, working at Bayou Rendezvous (*WIN*), hitting the Fairgrounds, diving into night shows, and generally causing good trouble this weekend. As I head off for a little NOLA soul recharge and then quickly turn around for Golden Road Gathering, I’m leaving the BISS List in the best possible hands for the next few weeks — yours.

Thanks for reading, dancing, and loving live music the way you do. Special thanks to Jenni, Phillip, Natalie, and our awesome guest writers, Travis, Julia, Vikki, and Jen, for keeping the beat going while I’m away. If you’ve ever thought about sharing your voice or reviewing a show for BISS, we’d love to hear from you, just reply to this email and let’s chat!

Keep the stories (and the funky vibes) coming while I’m away. I can’t wait to hear what shows light you up! Feel free to email me your highlights or favorite moments from the week! Catch you back on the dance floor in the Bay Area at the end of the month! (Though I’m sure I’ll see many of you in NOLA or at Golden Road Gathering first)

~ Pamela aka Miss BISS
#seeyouattheshows

SPOTLIGHT ON SONOMA WILD

Sonoma Wild Music Festival
& Community Gathering

June 7th @ SOMO Village Event Center

A family friendly musical event in celebration of Sonoma County’s wildlands! Featuring Rising Appalachia, Gone Gone Beyond, Painted Mandolin, Broken Compass Bluegrass and more! There will be environmental information booths and presentations focusing on local issues, an eclectic assortment of crafters, food vendors, ART, and more! A portion of the proceeds will benefit local environmental organizations.

Experience a day of inspiration, rhythm, and community connection with offerings like a Sound Immersion circle led by Danny Goldberg, an energetic Afro-Brazilian drumming workshop with Joe Craven and Mike Wofchuck, and meaningful discussions on volunteerism, activism, and environmental stewardship. From Wavy Gravy’s stories of creative resistance to talks on wildlife rescue, Sonoma Mountain, and the Laguna de Santa Rosa—plus family fun with Big Fun Circus—there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

BEST OF BISS THIS WEEK

05/01 Poolside Presents: Pimps of Joytime (NOLA) @ Cafe Istanbul  

05/01 (LATE NIGHT) Poolside Presents: Wil Blades & Friends ft members Of Headhunters & Dave Matthews Band (NOLA)  

05/01 Greg Loiacono & Stingray @ Make-Out Room

05/02 Jazz Mafia w/ Jefferson Bergey @ Music City SF

05/02 Poolside Presents: Melvin Seals and JGB | 2 Big Nights! (NOLA)  

05/02 The 23rd Annual Bayou Rendezvous ft 10 Bands on 2 Stages! (NOLA) @ The Howlin’ Wolf  

05/02 Ryan Adams (Three Nights) @ The Guild Theatre

05/02 The Robert Cray Band @ Uptown Theatre Napa

05/02 Maya Elise and Erisy Watt @ The Lost Church

05/02 Grand Nationals & Harold Imperiled @ Boom Boom Room  

05/03 The Warren Haynes Band @ The Fillmore  

05/03 Bay Beats Showcase at The Shell: The Grease Traps, Piwai, Mae Powell @ Golden Gate Park Bandshell

05/03 The Brothers Comatose + Broken Compass Bluegrass @ HopMonk Tavern Sebastopol

05/03 Sean Hayes, John Elliott @ The Chapel  

05/03 Poolside Presents: Melvin Seals and JGB | 2 Big Nights! (NOLA) @ Cafe Istanbul  

05/03 (LATE NIGHT) Poolside Presents: The Abbey Roads ft Reed Mathis, Aron Magner, Nikki Glaspie & Jason Fraticelli (NOLA) @ Cafe Istanbul  

05/03 Ryan Adams (Three Nights) @ The Guild Theatre

05/03 The Robert Cray Band @ Yoshi’s Oakland

05/03 Mad Archaic + AfriCali: Psychedelic Rock & Afrobeat Jam Party @ Boom Boom Room  

05/03 IrieFuse @ Music City SF

05/03 The Blues Project ft Roy Blumenfeld, David Aguilar, Mark Newman, Tim Eschliman, Ken Clark @ Music City SF

05/03 The Unauthorized Rolling Stones ft Rudy Colombini @ Music City SF

05/04 The Warren Haynes Band @ Luther Burbank Center for the Arts

05/04 Crucial Reggae Sundays at The Shell: DJ Sep and Spliff Skankin’ @ Golden Gate Park Bandshell

05/04 The Sweet Remains w/ Matt Jaffe @ Sweetwater Music Hall  

05/04 Poolside Presents: The Nicholas Payton Trio ft Esperanza Spalding & Karriem Riggins (NOLA) @ Cafe Istanbul  

05/04 Ryan Adams (Three Nights) @ The Guild Theatre

05/05 The Jesus Lizard (Two Nights) @ The Fillmore

05/06 The Jesus Lizard (Two Nights) @ The Fillmore  

05/06 The Warren Haynes Band @ Golden State Theatre Monterey

Want more shows from BISS?
Check out the Best of BISS & BISS Full Calendar

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The BISS List began in 2003 as an email newsletter for diehard live music fans in the Bay Area. Over 20 years, we’ve grown to become the go-to resource for funk, jam, soul, and groove music, reaching approximately 20,000 followers and over 80,000 through various platforms. Our curated list features only the shows we and our fans love, and we host ticket giveaways to enhance promotions with venues and artists.

Each week, we highlight the BEST OF BISS shows, with select FEATURED SHOWS that you won’t want to miss. Our shows are free to view and add to—if you have a show to submit, visit our submission page or email us at biss@bisslist.com.

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The BISS List has always been a labor of love, fueled by passion for live music and a dedication to this amazing community. What started as a personal email of show picks has grown into a full-fledged resource for funk, jam, soul, and groove lovers—bringing you curated show recommendations, ticket giveaways, and a space to connect over the music we love.

But running BISS takes time, effort, and real costs—over $3,000 a month just to keep the basics going! That’s why we’re excited to offer two ways you can support and help sustain the BISS List:

✨ Make a tax-deductible donation – The BISS List is now fiscally sponsored by Independent Arts & Media, which means your donation directly supports our mission while also being tax-deductible! Every contribution helps us grow, support artists, and expand BISS to serve the music community even better.

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Your support—no matter the size—keeps the BISS List alive and ensures we can continue sharing the music, artists, and shows that bring us together. Thank you for being part of this incredible community. Let’s keep the music playing! ~ Pamela aka Miss BISS