19 June 2024

BISS List 6.19.24: Spotlight on Tom Freund & Friends (6.30) + Best of BISS this Week

Happy Juneteenth BISS Listers! Today is about freedom, perseverance, and celebrating Black history and culture. And Happy Summer Solstice! As the Sun gets closer, the shows get hotter! ☀️

This past week has been one of funk, soul, and groove, and I did my best to put myself in the thick of it!

Friday night, we kicked things off in Oakland at the Elbo Room, where Huney Knuckles set the stage ablaze with pure funky goodness. The Humidors took over, celebrating a decade of music with a revolving door of singers (including the powerhouse vocals of Andre Cruz and Joseph Carter), culminating in a show-stopping performance by the reigning queen, Miss Tori Roze. The dance floor was packed, and the energy was electric – it was a celebration for the ages.

The crew wasn’t quite ready to call it a night yet, so we hopped back across the bay to the always-happening Boom Boom Room, where Magic School Busk was in full effect. Let me tell you, they lived up to their name – pure magic, pure fun.

After a much-needed Saturday recharge, I was back at it on Sunday to catch Ivan and Friends with members of Dumpstaphunk at SF Jazz. It turns out that “friends” was code for the one and only Dumpstaphunk! And they were Phunky! As always, Ivan Neville was at the helm, weaving his funky keyboard magic and steering the band with his signature energy. Viveca Hawkins brought the house down with her powerful vocals, Tony Hall slapped the bass like nobody’s business, guitarist Ari Teitel shredded and proved to be a brilliant complement to long-time fave Ian Neville, and the horns were on fire with Alex Wasily on trombone and Ashlin Parker on trumpet. And, of course, we can’t forget the infectious beats laid down by drummer Deven Trusclair.

Moving on this week… If I am being real about my own plans for this coming week, I am already starting to pack for High Sierra since I am out of town for a family event this weekend and have Tupac Day next weekend on the 29th along with the BISS List Presents Tom Freund and Friends featuring Wally Ingram plus Mad Johnny at the Hotel Utah on the 30th. That being said, I’m not going to be able to make it out as much this week or next week. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your continued contributions to BISS. I’m counting on you guys to continue to support by getting out there to all the shows and sharing with the BISS List community your reviews, photos, and videos. If you’d like to upload to our community album, go to this link and add your own.

If I could go to anything I wished throughout the Bay Area for the rest of this week, this is what I would likely be doing…

I would visit Santa Cruz on Wednesday to see Southern Avenue at Moe’s Alley. They don’t have any other Bay Area shows scheduled, and I really like their soulful energy, blues, roots, and gospel styles, not to mention those powerhouse vocals.

Thursday night, I WILL make it out to see one of my longtime faves (Ha! I can’t believe I can say that now), DangerAte, at the Boom Boom Room (NO COVER). This monthly residency is becoming well known as a show that brings a smorgasbord of guests who show up to sit in with the band throughout the night, from horn players to MCs and everything in between!

Friday, if I were available, I would probably be hitting Junior Toots in Oakland, West Grand Brass Band in Berkeley, or Sambada at HopMonk in Sebastopol. However, family comes first, so I rely on YOU to report back to BISS!

Saturday, I know that we’ve got some of the BISS List crew hitting the Blue Bear School Of Music Fantastic Jam with Fantastic Negrito during the day (*WIN*). I am sure many of you will hit Jerry’s Middle Finger at The Chapel (*WIN*) that night. There’s also Tracorum on Saturday at Longboard Bar in Pacifica (*WIN*).

The piece de resistance of this weekend will be the Stern Grove kick-off show of the season, where I’ve been helping the coordinator put together a second-line parade with some great musicians we all know. This will take place between the 2 sets on Sunday. Please jump up and participate if you’re there by dancing in the parade! If you are a musician who wants to participate, please reach out to me by replying, and I will connect with you. If all goes well, this will be the first but not the last of these fun little additions to the Stern Grove show this season.

Of course, you can choose your own musical adventure by checking out the Best of BISS picks from this week’s calendar! As always, check out the Win Tickets page, and don’t forget there is more on the BISS Full Calendar.

COMING UP… I already mentioned that you should mark your calendars for the night of June 30th @ Hotel Utah! I’m beyond excited about this one because BISS List Presents is throwing this night together, and it features some of our dear family and friends who also happen to be talented musicians. Tom Freund and Friends ft Wally Ingram are hitting the stage at Hotel Utah on June 30th. Plus, we’re starting the party with local legend John “Mad Johnny” Modell of Casa Del Sol. Let’s rally the crew for one last hurrah in SF before we head out to this year’s very special High Sierra Music Festival! (which I leave for first thing the next morning) Find out more about this show (and how you can *WIN Tickets*) in the Spotlight Feature below!

Let’s talk about festivals for a moment… We all see what’s happening out there with postponements and cancellations. It is 100% up to us as a community to do what WE can to help, and that is to buy tickets in advance. And if you can’t go (or even if you can), spread the word! Here are some of this season’s festivals that I am going out of my way to support personally and through BISS…

June 28th-30th: The Ten Mile Creek Revival: This family-friendly music festival features diverse artists like Della Mae, Jake Blount, Poor Man’s Whiskey, Lebo and Friends, and Brokedown in Bakersfield & more. Spread the word for a chance to win a pair of tickets!
July 4th-7th: High Sierra Music Festival: This amazing lineup features everything from Primus and Ziggy Marley to California Honeydrops and Greensky Bluegrass. We’re super psyched for this year and hope to see you there for this very special year. My Golden Road Gathering family has offered their discount code (GRG50OFHS24) that gives BISS List friends $50 off a 4-day pass!
August 2nd – August 4th: Locomotion Festival: This three-day music and arts festival takes place at Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton, California. Headlined by The String Cheese Incident, the festival promises a diverse lineup of musical acts and artistic experiences. **This one is MORE special to me as I will be onsite working as part of the team!!** Spread the word for a chance to win a pair of tickets!
August 9th- August 11th: For the Funk of It (FTFOI): This is a three-day music festival dedicated to all things funk, taking place in the picturesque Belden Town Resort. Attendees can expect a diverse lineup of funk artists, from established names to up-and-coming talent, including Polyrythmics, Cool Cool Cool, LAZWELL, and many many more! Spread the word for a chance to win a pair of tickets!
August 24th – August 25th: Mountain SOL Festival: This outdoor music festival is taking place at the beautiful Roaring Camp Railroads in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Artists include Michael Franti, California Honeydrops, Jackie Greene, and many more! Spread the word for a chance to win a pair of tickets!

Thanks for grooving with us, BISS Listers! May your week be filled with good vibes and even better music. ✌️

Keep your eyes peeled for the next BISS List – we’ll keep you in the loop on all the funkiest, grooviest, jammiest, soulful shows the Bay Area has to offer. Stay tuned and stay funky!

~ Pamela aka Miss BISS
#seeyouattheshows

SPOTLIGHT ON TOM FREUND

BISS List Presents
Tom Freund & Friends ft Wally Ingram

June 30th @ Hotel Utah

The BISS List is proud to present Tom Freund & Friends ft Wally Ingram + Mad Johnny, June 30th at Hotel Utah. Tom Freund blends genres seamlessly, delivering conversational lyrics and honeyed melodies to create a natural magic that is the soul of his music. Though he’s widely-traveled in a variety of genres– from heartfelt folk to buoyant pop to boho jazz to straightforward rock ’n’ roll, and beyond – Tom is, simply put, a singer-songwriter with a defined and captivating presence. Wally Ingram is the rock world’s version of Kevin Bacon & there aren’t too many degrees of separation between him and just about every star on stage over the past decade or so. If ever there were a drummer in demand enough to be cloned, it would be Wally, percussionist extraordinaire! John ‘Mad Johnny’ Modell of Casa del Sol kicks off the night with his signature soulful psychedelic rock.

*Check out all of our Featured Shows.