25 June 2025

BISS List 6.25.25 Spotlight on AXIAL TILT (8.3) + The Best of BISS This Week

Hi BISS Listers!

Happy last Hump Day of June (how is that even possible?). Julia here, filling in for Pamela while she’s busy prepping for High Sierra Music Festival—where I’ll be joining her in just a few short weeks! With the world feeling a bit… off lately (to put it mildly), I’ve found myself leaning hard into the joy of summer shows and festival planning. A packed music calendar might just be the remedy we all need.

Speaking of joy, I caught Trousdale on Thursday, June 19 at The Chapel, and wow—I was blown away. This LA-based folk-pop trio, joined by a drummer and electric guitarist, filled the room with warmth, soul, and razor-tight harmonies. Their set touched on everything from heartbreak to mansplaining, all with a blend of charm and power that reminded me of The Chicks in their early days. Their vocals were so locked in, they hit notes I could only dream of reaching. Don’t miss them the next time they’re in town—you’ll thank me later.

Pamela also managed to share some of her highlights from last week:

Fri 6/20: Great North Special – These guys absolutely blew me away. Think Widespread Panic, Little Feat, The Band, Cordovas, Yarn, Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Dr. Dog, and The Wood Brothers—all rolled into one soulful, rootsy, jam-heavy sound. If you missed them at the Boom Boom Room, don’t worry—you can still catch them at High Sierra! Check out my pics & videos.
Sat 6/21 (Afternoon/Evening): Bliss Fest Day 1 – Again, not a typo—and no relation, except that we promoted it! The name may have caused confusion, but the music sure didn’t: Orchestra Gold, The Seshen, and Martin Luther McCoy brought the heat. Big thanks to the BISS crew who came out!
Sat 6/21 (Night): Bon Bon Vivant + Tracorum – YES and YES! I could not tear myself away early like I planned (or hoped), since I was supposed to be up early the next day.
Sun 6/22: Bliss Fest Day 2 – We rallied early for a beautiful Day 2 with an even bigger BISS crew in tow. Alam Khan & Eman Hamehsi honored Zakir Hussain with a deeply moving set, Jesús Díaz and the Fifth Chord kept the grooves flowing, and Grahame Lesh & Friends closed out the afternoon with sweet harmonies and expansive jams.

Our newest contributor Gabrielle M. scored free tix to Metallica with Pantera and Suicidal Tendencies at Levi Stadium on Saturday 6/21 and shared her experience with us, “I’ve never been a huge metal head, but I do have some songs scattered in my collection. ST & Pantera, had great energy & had the pits going strong! Metallica sounded great, maybe a few boo-boos, but overall gave a great performance. The crowd was awesome, good natured, polite, aged 7 and wayyyyyyyyyyyyy up. Never too old or young to be a metal head!” Check out her full review with videos here. And keep an eye for Gabrielle’s debut as a guest writer in two weeks.

With work in full swing and High Sierra prep underway, I’ve only got one show on my calendar before heading north. But if I could clone myself, here’s where I’d be this week. And don’t forget—you can always chart your own adventure by checking out the Best of BISS, the Full Calendar, or heading over to the Win Tickets page for giveaways.

Thurs 6/26: Live Dead & Brothers ft. Berry Oakley & Steve Kimock @ Sweetwater Music Hall – Enough said. Total must-see.
Sun 6/29: Sleater-Kinney @ Stern Grove Festival – I somehow squeezed this one in—and I’m thrilled. They’ve been a bucket-list band for me for a while.
Sun 6/29: Lake Street Dive @ Frost Amphitheater – If only this didn’t overlap with Sleater-Kinney! These dreamboats at one of the Bay’s best venues? Swoon.

Miss BISS Radar: If Pamela were in town, here’s where she told us she would be:

Fri 6/27: Collectivity @ Boom Boom Room (*WIN*)
Sat 6/28: The Mother Hips @ Hopmonk Novato (*WIN*)
Sun Eve 6/29: Bay Area Hip Hop Forever’s 4th Annual Tupac Day @ LUX Oakland
Sun Night 6/29: Giv for Viv @ The Independent – Support Viveca Hawkins’ healing journey with members of Dumpstaphunk & The Nth Power, All Star Bay Area Band ft Uriah Duffy, DJ D Sharp & special guests

And seeing as it’s Pride in San Francisco, here are a couple more suggestions for Pride weekend:

Fri 6/27: Welcome Pride Kick-Off Celebration @ Embarcadero Plaza – celebrate at the base of R-Evolution by Marco Cochrane, SF’s newest (and largest) public art piece. Expect drag, music, Dykes on Bikes, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, rainbow lasers, and a whole lot of queer joy.
Sun 6/29: Pride 2025 Concert curated by Vikki Randle @ Freight & Salvage

Looking a little further ahead, here are my top three picks to keep the magic rolling into July:

7/2: Stu Allen & Mars Hotel: A Grateful Dead Night @ Ashkenaz, Berkeley
7/3 – 7/6: High Sierra Music Festival @ Plumas County Fairgrounds: Hope to see you there! If you are still on the fence it’s not too late to get tix with our BISS discount codes for 10% off, use BISS4DAY for GA 4 Day Pass, and BISSALL for FestivALL 4 Day Pass
7/6: John Craigie @ Hopmonk Tavern Novato (*WIN*)

August brings so many celebrations for the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary, including AXIAL TILT with a rare bay area show you won’t want to miss. Keep scrolling and check out the Spotlight below to find more about this epic after-party.

That’s it for me this week! Sending you all good vibes for long nights, outdoor shows, and epic dance floor moments.

~ Julia, on behalf of Pamela aka Miss BISS
#seeyouattheshows

SPOTLIGHT ON AXIAL TILT

AXIAL TILT
A Grateful Dead 60th Anniversary Celebration

August 3rd @ Great American Music Hall

The Grateful Dead is a true American original, the most successful example yet of a band blending both rock and jazz in a live format accessible to and loved by millions. Legendary multi-hour forays into musical exploration via in-the-moment improvisation became a beacon for millions of Deadheads, experiencing a one-of-a-kind sharing of energy between band and audience. On their 60th anniversary, it’s only fitting to celebrate this truly unique American original in much the same way we celebrate some of this country’s most beloved jazz artists, with some of the most well-known names in the extended Grateful Dead family in an all-out party in honor of the music, life, harmony, and spirit of togetherness inspired and personified by America’s own Grateful Dead. This extra-special AXIAL TILT will feature Joan Osborne, John Kadlecik, Nate LaPointe, Mitch Stein, Stephen Ramirez, Pete Lavezzoli, Wally Ingram + special guests.

AXIAL TILT is the perfect way to wrap up what’s sure to be a historic weekend celebrating the Grateful Dead’s 60th Anniversary. With three sets (an acoustic set followed by two full-length electric sets) in a five-hour show starting at 9pm, it’s not just the ultimate Dead & Company after-party, but a one-night only musical experience celebrating the Grateful Dead’s enduring musical legacy.

TILTed History
10 Years of Grateful Dead Celebration

This year in addition to celebrating the Dead’s 60th anniversary, AXIAL TILT celebrates its own 10 year anniversary. Producer and keyboardist Mitch Stein shared a little history with us: “AXIAL TILT was always intended to be an event rather than a specific band. I produced the first one during Jazz Fest in New Orleans in 2015 to celebrate the Grateful Dead’s 50th Anniversary, and assembled Stu Allen, Rob Eaton, Donna Jean Godchaux, Robin Sylvester, Jay Lane, Charles Neville, and the Bonerama Horns as that night’s party band. Since then, the lineup has not only included repeats by those folks; it’s also included Joan Osborne, John Kadlecik, Jeff Mattson, Skip Vangelas, Lisa Mackey, Dino English, Wally Ingram, Jason Hann, Pete Lavezzoli, Stephen Ramirez, Sunshine Garcia — the list goes on. One of the coolest things for me is my ongoing collaboration with legendary rock poster and album artist Stanley Mouse, who designed the very first AXIAL TILT poster and every other one to date. Click on the image above for a more detailed look at the posters throughout the years.

I wanted to produce a celebration of the Grateful Dead’s 60th Anniversary in the city where it all began, and the shows were planned months before Dead & Company announced their shows in Golden Gate Park. Originally a 6-11pm show, we pushed back the time to 9pm and will now go until 2am so fans planning to be at D&C will still be able to catch the majority of AXIAL TILT. I’m thrilled to present this show at Great American Music Hall, my personal all-time favorite indoor venue with historic ties to the Grateful Dead. I look forward to letting the music play the band…see you there!”