10/20/2005: Holy crap! Music!

Hello hello hello music lovers!

Thank you all for your patience, here at last is a
full-fledged Showy McShow. And what a McShow it is!
This weekend is just packed to the gills with stellar
live music, and I'm here to tell you all about it.

My own personal itinerary (in case you want to come
share my drugs or dance on my feet) puts me at the SF
Weekly Music Awards at the Warfield tonight, Grupo
Fantasma at the Elbo Room tomorrow night, and
Moe/Gov't Mule at the Warfield on Saturday.

Won't you be my neighbor?

|||||| THURSDAY 10/20 ||||||

SF Weekly Music Awards @ Warfield $18.75
Thanks to some pals at the Weekly, I'll be catching
the awards gig again this year with the Wendster. It's
a damn good time with hip-hop headliners Hieroglyphics
(featuring Del the Funky Homosapien), Federation,
Rogue Wave, Parchman Farm, Bing Ji Ling (funk, heard
good things), Tommy Guerrero, Mitch Marcus Quintet
(kick ass jazz), and Killing My Lobster all on the
bill.
http://www.sfweekly.com/Issues/2005-10-19/musicaward/musicawards2.html

Daniel Lanois & Tortoise @ Independent $25
Thursday and Friday shows. Moody pedal steel guitarist
Daniel Lanois (collaborator with Brian Eno, U2, and
Bob Dylan among others) will join post-modern
instrumental wizards Tortoise for these two unique
nights. Often rotating from instrument to instrument,
Tortoise's cats make sounds that are richly layered,
intense, playful, and definitely something to
experience.
http://www.daniellanois.com/news.htm

|||||| FRIDAY 10/21 ||||||

Grupo Fantasma @ Elbo Room $10
I have a reliable tip that these Texas cats are not to
be missed, so I won't be missing them. They're a big
11-piece outfit that mixes Afro-Latin funk with a slew
of other influences and turns them into a rockin'
party. Sounds hot, I'm so there.
http://www.grupofantasma.com/

Gov't Mule | Moe. @ Warfield $30
Friday and Saturday shows (I'm going Saturday for
sure!). Gov't Mule plays first on Friday. These two
bands make a hell of a jam-happy team. Gov't Mule is
fronted by the legendary Warren Haynes (guitarist for
the Allman Brothers) and from what I read are
departing from their southern blues-jam roots and
adding more complex instrumentation and jazz
influences. Moe has always been one of my favorite jam
bands, they're everything you would want in a good
one: telepathic communication, amazing musicianship,
creative compositions, and a funky funky groove. These
shows should be a lot of fun.
http://www.moe.org/

Daniel Lanois & Tortoise @ Independent $25
Thursday and Friday shows. See above.
http://www.daniellanois.com/news.htm

Dark Star Orchestra @ Fillmore $26
Friday and Saturday shows. This band literally
re-creates entire Grateful Dead shows. I've never
caught them but I've heard from many people that they
are amazing and authentic. If you close your eyes, you
wouldn't know...
http://www.darkstarorchestra.net/

Omar Sosa Quartet | Dafnis Prieto Quintet @ Great
American Music Hall $24
A double-bill of Cuban jazz legends. Omar is one of
the greatest keyboardist/composers ever to come out of
Cuba, while percussionist Dafnis is a young talent
that has been called the most impressive jazz drummer
of the decade.
http://www.sfjazz.org/concerts/fall05/artists/omar_sosa.html

Blue Turtle Seduction @ Last Day Saloon $8
A great up-and-coming jam-grass band from Tahoe, these
guys have a great energy and some fast pickin'
musicianship. Funky Beulah opens up.
http://blueturtleseduction.com/

|||||| SATURDAY 10/22 ||||||

Moe. | Gov't Mule @ Warfield $30
Friday and Saturday shows, alternating headliners.
I'll be there and so should you! (Moe is playing
first).
http://www.mule.net/index.php

Melvin Sparks Band @ Boom Boom Room $15
Straight outta NYC comes one of the most legendary
soul/acid-jazz guitarists ever! Funky as hell (he's
collaborated with James Brown and Curtis Mayfield,
what else do you need?), this is a rare appearance at
an intimate venue.
http://www.melvinsparks.com/

Dark Star Orchestra @ Fillmore $26
Friday and Saturday shows, see above.
http://www.darkstarorchestra.net/

|||||| MONDAY 10/24 ||||||

Scott Amendola Trio @ Bacar $FREE?
To catch some hot jazz with one of SF's best drummers
head on down to this SoMa wine bar for a happy Monday
evening.
http://www.scottamendola.com/