Results tagged “hotelutah”

This week there's a recommendation every night at a different venue - talk about a great week of music. Starting with Monday, MGMT, the super-hyped duo from Brooklyn, will be playing Bottom of the Hill. MGMT is: Andrew Vanwyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, two psychic pilgrims whose paths first intersected in the green pastures of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, circa 2002. After a post-college "existential crisis" they decided to create their masterpiece, Oracular Spectacular, released last week. (Check out the video, here.)

Wow, one show on Monday and twelve on Friday. This week we definitely start off a bit slow, but by the end of the week, we have a ton of choices.

Back in December, The Lovemakers, a glam-rock outfit from Oakland, decided to stay put and forego their national tour to record their next full-length album entitled "Love is Dead." (For a band called "The Lovemakers," that's quite a title!) According to their blog, they've also decided to "be a 3-piece [band] again for the next while live. Scott, Lisa and Michael Urbano on drums. Back to basics. Very cool. Very fun." What we didn't realize, is the fact they are trying out their new stuff just for us at their Thursday night residency at Cafe du Nord for the entire month of January. Last week they played with Panda and Maldroid, while this week it's N. Lannon and Astra Heights. You might want to wait for later in the month when they play with Elephone and The Frail (who we just instantly fell in love with) on January 24th and Audrye Sessions and Poor Bailey on January 31st. Better yet, why don't you go to all three shows and support some awesome local music? With great bands playing with The Lovemakers each week, we figure you won't be disappointed. Their reputation is based on their "solid and legendary bawdy, flawless and theatrical live performance." We hope they hold up to that awesome reputation.

If you haven't decided what you are doing to celebrate the New Year, it's okay - it seems that limited tickets are still available to tonight's biggest shows. We have a feeling they will go quick. If you don't like crowds, you can check out Radiohead's New Year's Eve bash on your couch with a bottle of booze. For the partiers, there are several options ranging from $8 at Hotel Utah to $100 at Cafe du Nord - something for everyone. We put the Radiohead broadcast on tivo and are headed out to the rockin' party at Bottom of the Hill where San Francisco's own, Scissors for Lefty will be headlining. If you want to dance, instead of rock, then check out popscene's dance party featuring Blaqk Audio. Where will you be tonight?

-- Completely Hollywood (abridged): The Reduced Shakespeare Company's latest stage play skewers "Tinseltown's most lauded stars and starlets" ranging from the silent era to today's most beloved and pretentious independent films. The curtain goes up at 8 p.m. at Marines Memorial Theater; $45-60.

Between the black n' purple checkered floor and the burlesque porn that was playing in the TV over the bar, we knew we had entered the perfect world's most interesting venue, Bottom of the Hill. (We continued that thought as we ventured into the sticker/grafitti laden walls of the cramped men's bathroom.) Bumping into Chris Reynolds, Eulogies' drummer, at the merchandise table before the show was unexpected as the porn but we digress. After a...

November 2004 - September 2007

-- Wayward Sway, Diablo's Dust, Smoky as the Devil: Listen to some stellar country-ish rock music as you sup on one of Hotel Utah's tasty shepherd's pies. Mmm. Nothing more hip than shepherd's pie! Music starts at 9 p.m. at Hotel Utah,, $6.

-- Barefoot Nellies: "The Bay Area's finest all-gal bluegrass band" headline at one of the Bay Area's finest bars, Amnesia, starting at 8:30 p.m., 853 Valencia; free.

For a thorough sampling of the current Bay Area rock/indie/pop/folk scene, look no further than Penny Arcade, a monthly, semi-acoustic showcase hosted by one of the cities most likeable citizens, Raul Sanchez. For the past two years, Raul has regularly packed various venues, such as the Make-Out Room -- now the event's permanent home, Bottom of the Hill, and The Hotel Utah with bands and fans alike. Tonight, come celebrate Penny Arcade's Two-Year Anniversary at...

SFist interviews Dan Smith from the Noisettes and gives away tickets and a drumhead

It's another music giveaway bonanza this week! First up is a prize pack from Sea Wolf. They've been touring with Silversun Pickups (see a few SSPU members in the video for "You're A Wolf"), but they're a far more mellow outfit: Alex Church's vocals and melodies are gentle, strummy and soothing. Sea Wolf open for Devotchka on Friday night at the Grand Ballroom Bimbo's, and we have a pair of tickets for the winner plus a copy of their new EP Get To The River Before It Runs Too Low. Watch the video and download the mp3 for "You're A Wolf" and enter to win (Contest ends at 11am tomorrow! Winner will be notified via email.)

In our ongoing effort to bring music to your ears, this week we're giving away two special prize packs from a long-standing Bay area band, The Mother Hips. Formed back in 1991, it's been six years since the band last released a full album. They're back with a new studio record on April 3rd called Kiss the Crystal Flake. Said singer/guitarist Tim Bluhm: "It is very different from anything we recorded in the past. You know that saying about wishing you knew then what you know now? Kiss The Crystal Flake is that coming true." To celebrate, the band is playing two record release shows - on April 6th and 7th - at The Independent. We're giving away two prize packs, each with one pair of tickets to one of the record release shows, plus a copy of the new CD and the accompanying DVD. Listen to The Mother Hips' "Time-Sick Son of a Grizzly Bear" and enter to win below (contest ends 4/4; winner will be notified via email.)

Hey, remember a few weeks ago when we mentioned that Noise Pop was sponsoring a one-day make a music video contest a la Iron Chef? Well, here's the winning video!

, is a handbook for the thinking working folk. Listen to their track Couple Dozen People and imagine any given day in the Financial District.

Did anyone go see G n F'n R last night? Guns N' Roses, we mean. Apparently they're rocking the Warfield for two nights with opener Sebastian Bach. Our younger self is dying inside because this was our dream concert about 12 years ago, and here we are writing about music and somehow we don't have tickets. If you went, please tell us about the show in the comments so that we can all live vicariously.

SFist interviews Marco Panella from Dark Side of the Cop

There's always a lull in touring during the late summer, perhaps because most other cities in the U.S. are experiencing temperatures in the triple digits and that’s not the best climate for when you pop a tire on your Econovan and have to wait on the side of the highway for roadside assistance. But some brave musicians soldier on to bring the rock to us, grabbing some respite in San Francisco’s chilly summer nights.

Did anyone else get rocked at The Constantines' show last Friday at Cafe Du Nord? The packed and energetic crowd was treated to songs off their last three albums plus a passionate encore of "I'm A Man" by the Spencer Davis Group. After the show singer Steve Lambke was kind enough to let us compliment their set and tell us what he'd been reading (The Old Testament) and what albums influenced The Cons' sound (he mentioned The Millenium). We're postponing our regular giveaway until later this week, but stay tuned because it should be leave a lasting impression.

After travelling to Austin to see about 30 great bands in three days at SXSW, next week we don't even have to leave town for a phenomenal music festival. Monday brings the start of Noise Pop 2006, San Francisco's annual indie rock smorgasbord. All-festival passes and several shows are already sold out, but SFist will be bringing you coverage so not to worry.

Having worked in SoMa for seven years, we consider ourselves at least slightly informed as to what's doing in that neighborhood. So we read the New York Times' "36 Hours: SoMa, San Francisco," with some interest, hoping to see some of our favorite drop-in spots in print.

Perusing the club listings for December, we're seeing an awful lot of blank calendars. We reckon that means many of SFist's great music venues are being rented out for holiday parties. Perhaps even parties to which we were not invited. Party throwers, don't be afraid to invite SFist. We promise not to do anything untoward that might tarnish our sterling reputation. Not like we did last year.

We're giving thanks today for all the great venues in San Francisco, which attract bands of all shapes, sizes and levels of fame to our fair city.