11 December 2025

BISS List 12.11.25 Spotlight on NYE + 2025 In Review + The Best of BISS This Week

Happy International Mountain Day, BISS Listers. 💜

When I first moved to California in the mid-90s, my roommate and I had a little saying for both good days and bad ones. We would remind each other, “Don’t forget about the mountains.” It was our way of remembering that there is always something steady and beautiful in the distance, even when life feels chaotic. December feels a lot like that. Busy, loud, packed with shows and celebrations, but still full of those moments that ground us. Live music does that for me. This community does that for me. And I am grateful for every peak we climb together.

Thank you to everyone who came out for the 14th Annual BISS Holiday Cocktail Party. The love in that room was unreal. The hugs, the sparkle, the joy, and the generosity made it one of our best yet. Huge thanks to CJ, Booka, and Erin for helping gather donations to lift the BISS List in such a big way. Because of all of you, I can already see a path for BISS to continue into the first couple of months of 2026. You can still donate here to keep us going even further. I am still adding photos and videos from every direction, so keep them coming and enjoy the memories.

Last Week in Review: The rest of the week kept the good energy flowing. Friday kicked off with Jorma Kaukonen’s 85th birthday at The Masonic, where a stellar lineup of legendary musicians played one beautiful moment after another. Then of course I rolled into a late night with Atta Kid at Boom Boom Room because you know I am not missing those guys. Saturday, I worked the Rex Foundation Benefit at The Fillmore, a great event for a great cause with heartfelt sets from Holly Bowling and Grateful Shred. Sunday, I stopped by the Psychedelic SF Art Gallery for a sweet late afternoon set from Jordan Feinstein & Friends. Later that night, I headed to The Independent for Nat Keefe’s Carnival, which was overflowing with friends on stage and in the room and a rotating cast of incredible sit-ins that kept the energy high all night. A joyful, heart-filled way to end the week.

On My Radar This Week: This week is a mix of shows and holiday parties, and the end-of-year energy is already building. I am keeping this week’s list tight so we have room for the Best of NYE below. If you want my entire hot list of shows on the horizon, hop over to this week’s IG reel where you can see everything that landed on my radar in video form. However, if you are wondering where you will definitely find me this weekend, it is late night at Boom Boom Room for both of these:

Fri 12/12: Watermelon Funk (ft mbrs of Kingfish, P Funk, Fishbone+) @ Boom Boom Room (*WIN*)
Sat 12/13: Ladies Night with Topaz and DJ Juan Lo @ Boom Boom Room (*WIN*)

For even more live music options for this week and through NYE, be sure to check out the Best of BISS section, Full Calendar, or Win Tickets page, for all the good stuff happening around the Bay and beyond.

Year in Review: We are so lucky to have Gabriel David Barkin on the BISS team. This week, he delivered two beautiful year-end pieces, including his Favorite Albums of 2025 and Favorite Photos of 2025. Honored to have him as our BISS List contributing editor and photographer.

New Year’s Eve: If you’re still figuring out what to do on the 31st, we’ve got you covered. Keep scrolling for our New Year’s Eve Radar (including lots of ticket giveaways!) + a spotlight on Fantastic Negrito at The Chapel on NYE.

Wishing you all a weekend full of music, grounding moments, and the kind of joy that feels solid beneath your feet. Thanks for being part of this community.

~ Pamela aka Miss BISS
#seeyouattheshows

SPOTLIGHT ON FANTASTIC NEGRITO NYE

New Year’s Eve with Fantastic Negrito

Dec 31st @ The Chapel

Fantastic Negrito is a powerhouse performer whose live shows are charged with emotion, intensity, and connection. Blending Delta blues, soul, funk, and rock, he delivers dynamic sets built on rhythm, storytelling, and fearless expression. The Oakland-born artist — a three-time GRAMMY winner — has earned a reputation for transforming every show into a deeply engaging, unforgettable experience. Plus Mild Universe, Joel Robinow, DJ sets by Walkin’ Love, visuals by Zachary Rodell, and balloon drop at midnight!

SPOTLIGHT ON NEW YEAR’S EVE

New Year’s Eve Radar

NYE shows are piling up and plans are coming together. There is no shortage of ways to launch yourself into 2026. Here are our top picks for shows lighting up the Bay Area and beyond on the 31st.

New Year’s Eve w/ Fantastic Negrito @ The Chapel (*WIN*)
New Year’s Eve w/ Afrolicious @ Boom Boom Room (*WIN*)
Yo La Tengo + Luna @ The Fillmore
Primus NYE w/ Puddles Pity Party @ Fox Theater Oakland
Eric Lindell NYE @ Hopmonk Tavern Sebastopol (*WIN*)
Monophonics New Year’s Eve Party @ Sweetwater Music Hall
Mustache Harbor NYE @ Cornerstone Berkeley (*WIN*)
NYE at Black Cat ft Benny Benack III Quartet (7 and 9:30pm) @ Black Cat (*WIN*)
Stu Allen and Mars Hotel @ Hopmonk Tavern Novato (*WIN*)
Paul Cauthen + Liam St John: NYE Open Bar @ The Independent
Fleetwood Macrame New Years Eve Bash @ Ivy Room (*WIN*)
Tommy Castro and The Painkillers NYE Celebration @ Felton Music Hall (*WIN*)
Los Lobos @ Rio Theatre Santa Cruz
The Crooked Stuff with Kronosaurus Flex NYE @ Crazy Horse Nevada City

And you can of course go to the Best of BISS on the website and scroll down to the 31st for even more NYE shows!

BISS REVIEW

Gabriel’s Totally Subjective List of
Favorite Albums Released in 2025

BISS Contributing Editor Gabriel David Barkin has compiled his favorite albums of the year for us. Using a metric similar to longtime Village Voice critic Robert Christgau’s stipulation, which is (a) each song needs to stand on its own merit, and (b) the sum of the parts on the record need to add up to something even more. Check out which albums Gabriel has been listening to over and over in 2025 here (your results may vary).

BISS GALLERY

Gabriel’s Favorite Live Music Pics of 2025

We’ve been sharing our man Gabriel’s gorgeous photos with you all year. So far in 2025, he’s photographed about 50 shows (with a few more on his dance card before the year ends). Take a look back at the year and see which pics made the cut to be Gabe’s faves in the full gallery.