Graves At Sea • Slim's • January 11, 2008

Diana Krall Trio • Yoshi's • January 1, 1999

Neurosis • Great American Music Hall • December 31, 2007

A whole year has passed already and here we are again on New Year's Eve. It's like I was just at this show. The behemoth metal machine that is Neurosis sent me into 2008 in grand rockin' style. This year it'll be my fav comedian, Patton Oswalt, that'll usher me and J into what I hope to be a great new year.

B-52s • S.F. Civic Auditorium • December 30, 1989

I remember the band bouncing onto the stage and Fred Schneider offering an exuberant 'Hi!' to the audience a split second before the band launched full on into 'Cosmic Thing' and the place going bananas. Good times.

The Cult • Cow Palace • December 27, 1989

The cavernous echo chamber aka the Cow Palace + a singer who could barely keep up with the music + songs that would've been better served if the band had a rhythm guitarist = A huge letdown. Wasn't till 1999 when I saw them again for the 'Phoenix Rising' tour that they fully redeemed themselves in my eyes (and ears).

Chris Cornell • Berkeley Community Theater • November 30, 1999



Prong • Trocadero Transfer • November 30, 1997



Mr. Bungle • Slim's • November 26, 1996

Nobody's putting out music like this nowadays. Then again, no one EVER put out music like this. These guys were in a class all by themselves. Anything Patton does is worth giving a listen to. Even his bad ideas are a lot more interesting and creative than anyone else's.

Slayer • Warfield Theater • November 23, 2003

Slayer played the entire 'Reign In Blood' album, song for song, in order. 'Nuff said.

Sigur Rós • Warfield Theater • November 23, 2002

This could arguably be the best show I've ever seen in all my years of watching live music. It's certainly the best Sigur Rós show I've ever seen. Transcendent is the best word to describe the experience.

Jane's Addiction • S.F. Civic Auditorium • December 15, 1990

My first time seeing Jane's, on the Ritual de lo Habitual tour. Perry kept it together enough to play a great show. Jane's were just godly to me; I was crazy in to their music. Listening to them now, I think it still holds up pretty well.
This was also the first and only time is got to see The Pixies. Primus opened, but I was never a fan of theirs so sat through their set, and actually nodded off for a bit!

Echo & The Bunnymen • The Fillmore • December 5, 2005



Soundgarden • Henry J. Kaiser Arena • December 5, 1996

Morbid Angel • The Pound SF • December 1, 2001



Have let this ticket thing slide a bit since the middle of last month. Weak. So here we go...

SunnO))) • The Independent • November 21, 2004



Rob Zombie • San Jose Event Center Arena • November 21, 1998

This was the first concert I took my little brother to. I think he was pretty blown away. It was a great bill, too. Fear Factory opened and they rocked, Monster Magnet were raw power personified, and Zombie was at his scary theatrical best.

Rage Against The Machine • Oakland Arena • November 19, 1999

Played chaperone for my little bro and his friend on this one, though I was curious to see what Rage was all about live. We hit the floor and were greeted to Rage's mostly knucklehead doofus fraternity jock fanbase. Lame. I could be completely wrong, but I don't think the band's socio-political messages have made any impact on these moronic goons. At one point the house lights went up and I swear it looked like Fight Club, arena style. Usually at any other show I could move away from all the circle pits and random brawls that erupt within the crowd, but no such luck here. I don't know how we all managed to make it out of there without so much as a bruise, but we did and I'm thankful for it!

Isis • Slim's • November 18, 2007

Attended this show just a day after I got back from the Philippines, and on the same day that I ended up going to work on a Sunday. Thought I wouldn't have anything left for the evening, but Isis flat out destroyed that night. Tired? Fuck that.

Sonny Rollins • Zellerbach Hall • November 18, 2000

As far as jazz musicians go, Rollins is my idol–one of the last true living legends in jazz. The sound was a little off, but Sonny's playing was great. He had to be in his 70s, but he was still tearing it up.

Sonic Youth • Warfield Theater • November 8, 1995

U2 • Oakland Coliseum Stadium • November 7, 1992

What comes to mind? The Sugar Cubes (their last tour) and Public Enemy opening. Standing in a packed field of rabid fans, soaking wet with sweat, just a few feet away from where The Edge stood with his guitar and a vast assortment of pedal effects. Seeing a band that I practically worshiped live for the first time, and being in total awe at the spectacle of their entire show. And in hindsight, seeing U2 for $30!

Scratch Tour • The Fillmore • November 7, 2003

Current 93 • Great American Music Hall • November 4, 2005

C93 played 2 nights at the GAMH, and I attended them both. It was another one of those deals where I was interested in seeing the headliner, but had really come more for the opener. In this case it was Om. C93 main man David Tibet was a fan of the Doom-onic duo, which explains Om's presence there; I just wondered how his fans who react to the drum and bass assault from 2 of the Bay Area's heaviest hitters. They actually got a very warm reception from the folky/gothy collective in attendance. I remember standing in the front next to this metal head who bore a striking resemblance to Jimmy Bower from Eyehategod. Indeed he was the very same, pumping his fist in the air throughout Om's devastating set. And standing next to him was Matt Pike of High On Fire. Put that guy up on stage with OM and they become doom legends Sleep. How fucking cool is that?
C93 were brilliant. I'm so very glad I caught both nights. Tibet has mentioned putting out a CD of those shows, but nothing has come of it yet. It would be a great gift to hear that music again, played by all those supremely talented people including (but not limited to) Maja Elliot on piano, Joolie Wood on violin, Baby Dee on harp, and Ben Chasny on guitar.

Supersilent • Great American Music Hall • November 4, 2004

A Norwegian arts council toured some of their finest musicians around the US, and so SF was lucky enough to experience Maja Ratke (who didn't play on this bill but who I got to see at a separate show the night before, along with Arve Henriksen), Jaga Jazzist, and the incredible improv group Supersilent. JJ was at least 15 people, and they were all a fantastic blur of frenetic energy and fun. Supersilent played a wonderful set that they will never play again, as the members have no contact with each other prior to hitting the stage, so each performance is completely improvised. I don't know how they do it. To me they epitomize what drew me in to music when I first got exposed to it as a small child: that it's utterly magical, that someone can play an instrument and seemingly pull these amazing sounds from the ether. And that's what I still love about it.

Pet Shop Boys • The Warfield Theater • November 3, 1999

Corrupted, Ludicra, Asunder • Slim's • October 31, 2008

Corrupted




This was an awesome Halloween show. Three great bands, and they all delivered. Pretty much headbanged my way through all of Asunder and Ludicra's sets. I didn't recognize any of Asunder's songs, but they were heavy and crushing. Makes me wonder if they were playing new material? If it was it sounds fantastic.

Ludicra were in top form. They also came out in full costume (except for the drummer), which was super cool. John looked like a member of Sunn O))), Christy was some sort of heavy metal panda, Ross was zombie Cliff Burton, and Laurie Sue was hands down the best as Faye Dunaway playing Joan Crawford in 'Mommie Dearest!' Perfect! She even had some wire hangers in hand at the start of their set.

I had seen a Youtube clip of Corrupted from at least 5 years ago, and they looked like typical metal dudes. So it sort of threw me for a loop when they came out onstage and the singer has his hair cut short and he's wearing a suit and hat. But whatever, they were bad ass. They started their West Coast tour with this Halloween show, and they will end it on the 8th at Gilman in Berkeley, so I'll get to see them one more time. Hopefully, they won't wait another 11 years before coming back.

Ludicra







Asunder

Sunn O))) • Slim's • October 31, 2005

Three Days Of Darkness (Day 1) • Elbo Room • October 29, 2005

This was the first time I ever saw Graves–they ruled that night. Also the last time I'd see Exhumed before they broke up. The 'Three Days...' festival only lasted 2 years, 2004 and 2005. I wish someone would get it going again.

Rollins Band • Slim's • October 29, 1993

This show was sick. The band was on tour supporting Pearl Jam for their 'VS' tour. I couldn't score a ticket to see them play the Warfield (which would be the last time PJ would perform in theatre sized venues), but luckily Rollins Band, being the relentless road dogs they are, decided to play a headlining show on their day off in SF. Andrew had been freshly kicked out of the band so this was the first time I saw Melvin Gibbs on bass. And having just joined, Rollins had told the audience they would only be performing new material since the bassist didn't know any of the old stuff. They commenced to play songs off of what would become the 'Weight' album. For a bunch of songs nobody had ever heard before, people were sure losing their shit over them. And it was good stuff. Fools kept getting on stage and leaping into the audience. One guy launched himself off Henry's shoulder, and dude got pissed. He grabbed another guy that managed to crawl onstage and held him down while security escorted the poor sap off the premises. I remember Henry threatened bodily harm on the next person to try anything onstage. Nobody got up for the rest of the show. It was great fun.

A Perfect Circle • The Warfield Theatre • October 27, 1999

Múm • The Palace of Fine Arts • October 25, 2007

With the departure of vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Kristin Ana (I won't even begin to spell out her last name), the kids from Iceland regrouped and eventually reconvened at the Palace for their Bay Area appearance in support of their latest effort, complete with a brand new line-up of like-minded noise-niks. I miss Kristin's girlish little voice, and even the tone of their previous albums, with their purveying sense of melancholy and sadness juxtaposed over skittery, loopy electronic beats & blips, but I must say I enjoyed this new energized version of the band. Hopefully they can keep it up for their next album.

Lucinda Williams • The Fillmore • October 25, 2006

Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man • The Warfield Theatre • October 24, 2003

Jolie Holland • Bimbo's 365 Club • October 15, 2008


It took a while for me to warm up to Jolie Holland's music, but the release of her album Springtime Can Kill You a couple years back made me a fan. So I finally got to see her tonight fronting her new band, and she was radiant. She played cuts off her last 3 albums and a bunch of new ones off her just released The Living And The Dead record. The new material sounded wonderful. There were a few older songs I wish she had played but it didn't happen. Among them is my absolute favorite song of hers, called 'Mexican Blue.' The thoughtful, heartfelt lyrics move me every time I play it.

You're like a saint's song to me
I'll try to sing it pure and easily
You're like a Mexican blue
So bright and clear and pale in the afternoon
I saw you riding on your bike
In a corduroy jacket in the night
Past the hydrangeas that were blooming in the alley
With a galloping dog by your side
When I was hungry you fed me
I don't mean to suggest that I'm like Jesus Christ
Your light overwhelmed me
When I lay beside you sleepless in the night
And when you dreamed my guardian spirits appeared
And the moon stretched out across your little bed
They said they'd started to get worried about me
They were happy we had finally met
We had finally met

A mysterious bird flies away
Seemed to be calling your name
And bounced off the top of a towering pine
And vanished in the drizzling rain
There's a mockingbird behind my house
Who is a magician of the highest degree
And I swear I heard him rip the world apart
And sew it back again with his fiery melody, melody

When you were mad at me I didn't care
And I just loved you all the same
And I waited for the wind to push the hurricane
Out to sea, and the sun could shine again
Oh I don't mean to give you advice
Its just like Delia said, "Oh, Jesus Christ"
Just don't get so high you leave the ground
Everything is so much better when you're around
Just don't float so high you drift away
Stand tall, with your feet on the ground
I love your songs, I love your sound
Everything is so much better when you're around

When the moon is as clear as an opal
And the amethyst river sings a song
I'll remember all the dreams and the mysteries
You have borne in your crystalline soul
That you sing from your golden throat
That you shine from your sparkling eyes
That you feel from the goddess in your thighs

You're like a saint's song to me
I'll try to sing it pure and easily
You're like a Mexican blue
So bright and clear and pale in the afternoon
In the afternoon

Nine Inch Nails • Henry J. Kaiser Arena • October 14, 1994


This is one of my favorite shows ever: NIN touring in support of The Downward Spiral album, which is one of my favorite records of the 90s. They opened with 'Mr. Self-Destruct' and pretty much tore the roof off the house with that first number alone. The rest was just fucking phenomenal. 'March Of The Pigs' was about a million times better live, as were older songs like 'Sin', and 'Hurt' was a beautiful, tortuous disaster-piece (that's a good thing).
This was also one the of loudest shows I've attended. I had ear plugs but I swear I could still feel the decibels pounding my poor eardrums. I've never felt anything like that before or since, and I don't ever want to!

Opeth • The Fillmore • October 11, 2005