18 June 2025

BISS List 6.18.25 Spotlight on Tupac Day (6.29) + The Best of BISS This Week

Happy Juneteenth, BISS Listers!

This week’s BISS kicks off on a meaningful note as we reflect, honor, and celebrate. On June 19th, 1865, the last remaining enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed of their freedom two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Today, we honor Juneteenth as a celebration of liberation and resilience. In the same spirit of honoring Black excellence, we’re also celebrating Tupac Shakur’s birthday with Bay Area Hip Hop Forever’s 4th Annual Tupac Day. This nonprofit community event honors Tupac’s legacy and the enduring influence of hip hop as a force for education, empowerment, and social change. Scroll down to the spotlight below for more details, including guest speakers, live music, and how to support the cause.

Last Week in Review: If you’ve been following the BISS List each week, you know I haven’t been able to make it out to as many shows lately cause I am traveling and working a lot lately. The awesome part of that is seeing this community come alive with so many of you sharing your experiences. If you want to be a contributor, reach out and let us know!

Wed 6/11: I went to Trombone Shorty + Dumpstaphunk, which I shared with you last week. But in case you missed it, here’s a link to the album. It’s too good not to relive.

Fri 6/13: Travis, our contributor on the beat, had a “splendiferous day on a very lucky Friday the 13th as Sgt. Splendor, led by the magnificent musical duo Kate Vargas and Eric McFadden, took the Golden Gate Bandshell by storm. Check out my review with pics & videos to give you an idea of what lies in store when this band plays High Sierra Music Festival!”
Sat 6/14: A small crew of us went to the Boom Boom Room for an amazing night of powerhouse vocals by two of my faves: Ginger Molasses and Tori Roze. Such a perfect pairing for the two of them to be on the same bill. I hope to see this again. I’m truly a fan.
Sun 6/15: I got stuck working again, but many of you made it out to Stern Grove for the first concert of the season with the California Honeydrops and shared how awesome it was. Travis also came through again with a review, pics and videos.

On My Radar This Week

Fri 6/20: I’ll be checking out The Great North Special playing at Boom Boom Room (*WIN*)
Fri 6/20: If you’re up in the Sebastopol area and an Allman Brothers fan, head over to the HopMonk for Freestone Peaches. Now you know I don’t often promote tribute bands, but these guys get rave reviews and we have tickets for you to (*WIN*).
Sat 6/21 & Sun 6/22: It’s a BLISS BISS Party with the Bliss Fest at Presidio Theatre (*WIN*). If you missed our featured spotlight on this show in last week’s BISS, read it here. I’m excited at how many of you have reached out to join the crew for this two-day fun fest. We have a bunch of tickets for the crew so we can all hang! Winning is easy! Spread the word and let us know. That’s it!
Sat 6/21 Late Night: I’m super excited for this double bill at Boom Boom Room featuring Tracorum and Bon Bon Vivant (*WIN*), two amazing bands with their own epic styles, each bringing that NOLA flair we BISS Listers can’t get enough of.
Sun 6/22: My radar says Black Cat, Kenneth Whalum is bringing the soul, jazz, and birthday vibes for one night only. We’ll be spending more time there since we’ve got ticket giveaways at Black Cat three nights weekly… you should check it out too (*WIN*)!
Tue 6/24: I am torn between nostalgia with Barenaked Ladies at Mountain Winery and the incredible bass stylings of MonoNeon at Yoshi’s.
Wed 6/25: I could double it up at Madrone with Jenny Kerr + 6 Roses at Madrone Art Bar or head over to the Black Cat for Morgan + The Black Ass Cats (*WIN*).

By Thursday, I will be gearing up to head out to work at High Sierra Music Festival. Speaking of High Sierra… Congrats to Evan Reeves, the BISS winner for a pair of GA Tickets! He truly earned this win by posting it far and wide many many times!

So… Do YOU have your tickets for HSMF yet? No? Well.. no worries!! BISS has exclusive discount codes just for you, our loyal readers.

🎟️ GA 4-Day Pass – Use code: BISS4DAY
🌟 FestivALL 4 Day Pass – Use code: BISSALL

I’ll keep bringing this up because the success of the BISS List heavily relies on your amazing support! If you’re feeling the BISS love, here are two great ways you can help: become a Patreon member to enjoy the perks or make a tax-deductible donation for a write-off! Every contribution truly helps us continue to deliver great content!

We received such great feedback on our guest writers the last time I was away that we’re doing it again. So this is me saying “ta-ta for now.” Hope to see you at High Sierra for the 4th of July weekend; otherwise, I will see you on the other side.

~ Pamela aka Miss BISS
#seeyouattheshows

SPOTLIGHT ON BAY AREA HIP HOP FOREVER

4th Annual Tupac Day

June 29th @ LUX Oakland

Bay Area Hip Hop Forever presents the 4th Annual Tupac Day — a community-centered celebration honoring the life, legacy, and impact of Tupac Shakur. This annual gathering highlights the enduring influence of hip hop culture as a force for education, empowerment, and social change. Featuring performances, art, and community vendors, Tupac Day brings people together to reflect, celebrate, and connect through music, creativity, and culture.

Celebrate the legacy with guest speakers Pee Wee (Digital Underground), Rappin’ 4-Tay, and JR Valery. Live performances by Naru Kwina, Kimmie Fresh, Ikynani, RamRock, and DJ WHOISMOOK? Plus raffle drawings, vendors, great music, and a fun environment!

This is a nonprofit event, and all ticket purchases are considered tax-deductible donations supporting Bay Area Hip Hop Forever’s community mission.

🎟️ Tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/4th-annual-tupac-day
💸 Additional donations: https://bit.ly/BAHHF-Donate

BEST OF BISS THIS WEEK

06/18 The Kooks, lovelytheband @ Fox Theater Oakland

06/18 Bill Frisell Trio ft Thomas Morgan & Rudy Royston (Two Nights) @ Hopmonk Tavern Novato

06/18 Marcello Carelli Album Release @ Black Cat

06/18 An Evening with Cowboy Junkies @ Freight & Salvage

06/19 Silversun Pickups @ The Regency Ballroom

06/19 Jeff Denson Trio (7 & 9:15pm) @ Black Cat

06/19 April & Monroe Grisman @ Mac’s @ 19 Broadway

06/19 JumP UP! ft DJ Kevvy Kev & The D3 (No Cover!) @ Boom Boom Room

06/20 VINYL @ Sebastiani Theater

06/20 Midnight North @ The Guild Theatre

06/20 Barrington Levy @ Cornerstone Berkeley

06/20 Too Short, Scarface, DJ Quik, Richie Rich, Mistah F.A.B., B-Legit @ Fox Theater Oakland

06/20 Freestone Peaches @ HopMonk Tavern Sebastopol

06/20 The Crooked Stuff @ Toot’s Tavern

06/21 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band @ Uptown Theatre Napa

06/21 Bliss Fest Day 1 ft Orchestra Gold, Martin Luther McCoy, The Seshen @ Presidio Theatre

06/21 An Evening with the Stinkfoot Orchestra (Two Nights) @ Club Fox Redwood City

06/21 Tracorum & Bon Bon Vivant @ Boom Boom Room

06/21 The Craven Quartet ft featuring Joe Craven, Hattie Craven, Anna Elva, Jordan Feinstein @ Strawberry Station

06/22 Bliss Fest Day 2 ft Grahame Lesh & Friends, Jesus Diaz and the Fifth Chord, Alam Khan & Eman Hashimi: Tribute to Zakir Hussain @ Presidio Theatre

06/22 Stern Grove Festival: Channel Tres w/ ASTU @ Stern Grove

06/22 An Evening with the Stinkfoot Orchestra (Two Nights) @ Club Fox Redwood City

06/22 Barrington Levy @ McNear’s Mystic Theatre

06/22 Kenneth Whalum (7 & 9:30pm) @ Black Cat

06/23 MonoNeon (Two Nights) @ Yoshi’s Oakland

06/24 Barenaked Ladies + Guster & Fastball @ The Mountain Winery

06/24 MonoNeon (Two Nights) @ Yoshi’s Oakland

06/25 Live Dead & Brothers ft Berry Oakley & Steve Kimock (Two Nights) @ Sweetwater Music Hall

06/25 6 Roses ft Michael Cavaseno, David Boyce @ Madrone Art Bar

06/25 Jenny Kerr Band @ Madrone Art Bar

06/25 Morgan + The Black Ass Cats @ Black Cat

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

New to the BISS List?

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.

✨ Join our Patreon – Want to support and get perks? Patreon gives you a way to back the music you love while enjoying exclusive benefits. Your membership helps cover essential costs and allows us to keep BISS thriving without constant financial stress.

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