22 August 2024

BISS List 8.22.24: Spotlight on Haight Ashbury Street Fair (9.15) + Best of BISS this Week

Happy Birthday to all the Leo/Virgo BISS Listers! 🎉 Who, me? Why yes, thank you for the birthday wishes. I’ll share more about my birthday plans later in this week’s letter, so stay tuned! (And be sure to mark your calendars for 8/30!)

This city is truly a gem for music lovers. We’re so fortunate to have access to incredible live music, and sometimes, it’s even free! Take last Saturday’s show at China Basin, for example—thank you, SF Live! What a day it was. We got there early, around 1 p.m., to secure a good spot, and it’s a good thing we did because they were letting people in earlier than expected. Even so, we managed to snag a prime spot to enjoy Abracadabra. If you missed it, be sure to check out some of my clips and pics.

As the day unfolded, we moved up front to join some friends as Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew, backed by the ever-talented Cool Cool Cool, delivered a stellar performance of Talking Heads’ iconic album, “Remain in Light.” The park became a massive sing-along, with electrifying renditions of classics echoing against the stunning San Francisco skyline on a perfect summer evening. It was a true testament to the transformative power of music and the enduring legacy of Talking Heads. The band was phenomenal, and we were lucky to catch the last show of their run, check out my album to see for yourself. You could tell they were savoring every moment on stage. If you’re not already familiar, the backing band features members of Cool Cool Cool, who were previously part of Turkuaz. If you love their vibe, mark your calendars for September 12th when Cool Cool Cool takes the stage at the Boom Boom Room (*WIN*).

After that, we couldn’t resist stopping by the Tonga Room for a couple of those deliciously rummy drinks while the cover band played from a boat in the middle of the water—right as it started “raining” inside. Only in San Francisco, right?

The night continued as we made our way up the hill to catch Gary Clark Jr. at The Masonic. Talk about a knockout show! His guitar skills, vocals, and stage presence were nothing short of captivating. With a mix of blues, rock, and soul, Gary delivered fiery renditions of fan favorites and threw in some extended jams that had the crowd buzzing, check it out here.

But we weren’t ready to call it a night just yet, so we ended up at the Boom Boom Room, where Tori Roze and The Hot Mess took the stage. Tori’s powerful vocals were mesmerizing as always, and The Hot Mess provided a tight backdrop of expertly crafted grooves. What a way to close out the night! Check it out here.

Looking to this weekend, the most important thing is of course that my birthday is tomorrow! I will however be working this weekend in support of Mayacamas Volunteer Fire Foundation’s Starlight Dinner & Auction in the Sonoma Valley. My work schedule means I’ll have to wait until Sunday to really let loose. That’s the perfect day for the Groove Summit in Napa, fantastic music combined with the relaxing atmosphere of wine country. And since I’m working this weekend, the real celebration will be taking place next weekend…

Make sure to mark your calendars for Friday, August 30th! Join me at Sheba Lounge for a special B & B Happy Hour — that’s Birthday and BISS List! Please RSVP on Facebook or reply to this email to help me get a head count for the night. We’ll be celebrating my birthday and toasting to the future of BISS. I’ll be sharing some exciting plans about how you can get involved to keep this community thriving. My long-time hope for BISS has always been to make it a real community effort. It’s really starting to come together now, especially since I’ve started asking you all to report back on the shows you’ve seen and the ones you’re looking forward to. Your input helps shape the BISS List, making it a true reflection of our shared love for live music. I can’t wait to get together and share what’s in store. After the happy hour, we’ll head to the Boom Boom Room to continue the celebration with a night of music from T.E.N. featuring Thomas Pridgen, Eric McFadden, and Norwood Fisher, plus Danny Eisenberg (*WIN*).

Back to this weekend, here’s some highlight for those of you NOT working…

8/23 Tab Benoit & Anders Osborne + JD Simo @ The Fillmore (*WIN*)
8/23 Jon Chi & the Pacific Syndicate @ Sweetwater (*WIN*)
8/23 Con Brio @ Freight & Salvage
8/23 Alphabet Soup @ Peri’s Tavern
8/24 Santa Cruz Mountain SOL: Day 1 ft Tower of Power, The California Honeydrops, Ghost-note, The Jackie Greene Band, Floratura @ Roaring Camp Meadows
8/24 Groove Summit: Day 1 ft The Fearless Flyers (Cory Wong, Joe Dart, Mark Lettieri, and Nate Smith), Lettuce, Fred Wesley and the New JB’s @ Blue Note Napa Summer Sessions (*WIN*)
8/24 Streetlight Manifesto @ Regency Ballroom (*WIN*)
8/25 Santa Cruz Mountain SOL: Day 2 ft Michael Franti & Spearhead, Jackie Venson, Zap Mama, Ozomatli, Con Brio @ Roaring Camp Meadows
8/25 Groove Summit: Day 2 ft Tower of Power, Ghost-Note @ Blue Note Napa Summer Sessions (*WIN*)
8/25 Dead On The Coast with Pete Sawyer & The Left Hand Monkey Wrench Gang @ Longboard Pacifica
8/25 Stern Grove Festival Big Picnic ft Chaka Khan + Steel Pulse @ Stern Grove

That’s a solid list of shows for this weekend! Last week, I created a playlist that I’ve been updating with songs from some of the Best of BISS show picks, including this weekend and beyond. Check out my playlist: Coming to a Stage Near You, to get in the mood for all the great shows coming up!

Keep scrolling for a spotlight on the 45th annual Haight-Ashbury Street Fair and a BISS Review of last week’s Grateful Guitars Benefit Concert!

#seeyouattheshows
~ Pamela aka Miss BISS

SPOTLIGHT ON 45 YEARS

Haight-Ashbury Street Fair

Sept 15th @ Haight-Ashbury District

After The Summer of Love and the late 1960s Counter Culture mantra of “Peace, Love, and Happiness” had died off in the wake of a dark economic and social downturn, a group of community citizens organized a festival to reclaim their neighborhood. Thousands of people gathered to support the community, the neighborhood, and each other. Since then, the yearly HASF has become one of the most anticipated open-air festivals of the summer events season. The street fair has grown to occupy five blocks of Haight Street and includes three stages of live music.

This year Haight-Ashbury Street Fair celebrates 45 years! Get ready for an unforgettable experience with an outstanding lineup of artists. Featuring Moonalice, Frightwig, Keystone Revisited (Tony Saunders and Scott Guberman w/ Narada Michael Walden), Sgt Splendor (Eric McFadden & Kate Vagas), Bryan Kehoe’s Los Cincos Borrachos, Infamous Stiffs Veil’s, Milk For The Angry, Matt Jaffe, Jethro Jeremiah, The Young Barons, The Voodoo Cabaret, and more! In addition to the musical performances, the fair will feature a diverse array of merchant and food vendor stalls with unique products and delicious treats.

*Check out all of our Featured Shows.

BISS REVIEW

Grateful Guitars Benefit

On August 13, 1975, The Grateful Dead played a show at the ridiculously small and distinctively decorous Great American Music Hall. Many Deadheads revere the GAMH performance as an all-time favorite. It’s been 49 years since that famous show. In celebration, the Grateful Guitars Foundation hosted a benefit concert to support their foundation. Grateful Guitars is a 501-c3 nonprofit that obtains world-class musical instruments for talented players who seek to carry on the tradition of jam band music into the 21st century and beyond. This benefit featured a stellar lineup with luminaries from Dead-adjacent bands in the Bay Area and beyond, including Melvin Seals (Jerry Garcia Band) and Jon Kadlecik (Dark Star Orchestra, Furthur), as well as members of Los Lobos, Moonalice, ALO, and others. Check out the full review from Gabriel Barkin.