Mogwai • The Fillmore • September 22, 2003


Mogwai played 'My Father My King'. Isis opened up, and I think they won many Mogwai fans over. I just remember this being one of the heaviest shows I'd ever been to.

Dead Can Dance • Paramount Theater • September 22, 2005

Dead Can Dance • Paramount Theater • September 21, 2005


Having decided to put their differences aside and re-unite for a special tour of both Europe and America, Dead Can Dance graced the Bay Area with their presence at the wondrous palace that is the Paramount theater in Oakland for 2 unforgettable nights of music. I attended both shows. This is the most I've ever spent for any concert, but I must say it was so well worth it. The band was exceptional. I never thought I'd ever get to hear 'Rakim' live again, and now I got to hear it twice. Other favorites were 'Yulunga', 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley', 'Saffron', and 'Hymn For The Fallen', which managed to reduce some audience members to tears. Lisa Gerrard must be some angel sent down to us from heaven.

Chris Cornell • The Fillmore • September 20, 1999.



Antony & the Johnsons • Palace of Fine Arts • September 20, 2005

Onion Plant

Mogwai, Regency Ballroom 9.8.08

This show was damn loud. That's a good thing. And I thought my hearing had been dulled to the point where I can no longer tell whether one show is any louder than another. The ear-splitting decibel levels at this concert ranks right up there with Nine Inch Nails in '93 for the Downward Spiral tour, and any Metallica show I've ever attended as the LOUDEST SHOWS EVER. Honorable Mention goes to Merzbow with Mike Patton, where I saw nearly everyone at the front of the stage without earplugs covering their ears with their hands, and to dronelords Sunn O))), whose subsonic frequencies literally rattle my bones every time I see them. But back to Mogwai. The setlist:

the precipice
yes! i am a long way from home
thank you space expert
friend of the night
i love you, i'm going to blow up your school
cody
i'm jim morrison, i'm dead
hunted by a freak
mogwai fear satan
(ithica 27o9?)
helicon 1
two rights make one wrong
like herod
batcat

No encore. Not that they needed one. The one-two punch of "Like Herod" and "Batcat" (off the newest album) rendered that seemingly obligatory (and rather tired, in my opinion) concert ritual utterly useless. The lads from Glasgow were in fine form throughout their 90+ minute set, with "Mogwai Fear Satan" and "Batcat" being my personal favorites. The latter is a full on rocker from start to finish, which the band played with great fervor, while the former perfectly exemplifies their Quiet-Loud-Quiet-Loud style of song writing for which they first became known. Right, and did I mention that it fucking rules live? What a great way to start off the week. New album drops in a couple weeks.

It's On

The 'Catalyst' show at fifty24SF Gallery opens tonight at 7PM. It will be amazing. Runs through September 25.



Gonna hit up Cafe du Nord after the show to check out Witch, featuring J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. fame on drums. I've been waiting for these guys to finally play a show out here, so I'm pretty excited. They play with San Diego's Earthless, truly a force to be reckoned with. Saw them destroy SD's Casbah last year, and I'm thinking they might own the stage tonight.

Chihuly at the DeYoung 2

Chihuly at the DeYoung 1