So Old and Soulive. . .

Well OK, that 'SO old' thing is surely an exaggeration. I've just never turned 30 before y'know? It's weird. That's a big one. All grows up and whatnot.

Anyway the party will be a hell of a good time, and I'd love for you to join in the fun. It'll be at new venue Coda (Mission and Duboce) with Adam Willis' hot trio Destruments opening and the Jazz Mafia's funky soul hip-hop crew Supertaster (with special guest Dublin, because shit, I wasn't gonna have a damn birthday without Dublin). Oh, and two of the musicians who will be playing have been nominated for SF Weekly Music Awards—Adam Theis (Jazz/Blues) and Joe Bagale (Soul/R&B/Funk). Click on over and give 'em a vote! http://polls.sfweekly.com/polls/san/musicawards09/

On to more immediate matters: Soulive, one of the funkiest, most hard-hitting bands I've ever seen, is playing at Yoshi's Oakland and Yoshi's SF this week with some VERY special guests. I'll be at the late show Wednesdeay in Oaktown, and you should do everything in your power to get there if you can. Seriously. More below.

Also, Galactic (and special guests) breeze their funky way through town this Friday and March Fourth Marching Band is on tap for the FREE Tour de Fat Festival of bikes and beer on Saturday (as if you needed more options). And of course don't forget to clear your calendar the weekend of 10/2 for the incomparable HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL for FREE in Golden Gate Park.

Some tough times these days, kids. Just keep calm and carry on. . .


| | | | | | | | | | WEDNESDAY 9/23 | | | | | | | | | |

Soulive w/Fred Wesley & Nigel Hall @ Yoshi's Oakland - $16-24
8pm and 10pm shows (I'll be there at 10). This trio just destroys every room they play in a way that almost no funky jazz band can. Organ player Neal Evans' left hand (playing the basslines) alone is worth a trip to see Soulive, yet on this night their horn section will include a living legend—James Brown's trombone man and funk virtuoso Fred Wesley. Oh, and Nigel Hall's soulful vocals are stunning as well, just in case you needed another reason to come out.
http://yoshis.com/oakland/jazzclub/artist/show/851
http://soulive.com/

Rodrigo y Gabriela @ Fox Theater (Oakland) - $35
An acoustic guitar duo from Mexico that does flamenco flavored rock with mind-blowing power and agility. They are just an amazing experience, and as of right now tickets are still available. . .
http://www.rodgab.com/
http://www.myspace.com/rodrigoygabriela


| | | | | | | | | | THURSDAY 9/24 | | | | | | | | | |

Soulive w/Roy Hargrove & Nigel Hall @ Yoshi's SF - $22-26
8pm and 10pm shows. This trio just destroys every room they play in a way that almost no funky jazz band can. Organ player Neal Evans' left hand (playing the basslines) alone is worth a trip to see Soulive, yet on this night their horn section will include a powerhouse trumpet player named Roy Hargrove who is a heavy hitter in his own right. Oh, and Nigel Hall's soulful vocals are stunning as well, just in case you needed another reason to come out.
http://yoshis.com/sanfrancisco/jazzclub/artist/show/881
http://soulive.com/


| | | | | | | | | | FRIDAY 9/25 | | | | | | | | | |

Soulive w/Roy Hargrove & Nigel Hall @ Yoshi's SF - $22-26
8pm and 10pm shows. This trio just destroys every room they play in a way that almost no funky jazz band can. Organ player Neal Evans' left hand (playing the basslines) alone is worth a trip to see Soulive, yet on this night their horn section will include a powerhouse trumpet player named Roy Hargrove who is a heavy hitter in his own right. Oh, and Nigel Hall's soulful vocals are stunning as well, just in case you needed another reason to come out.
http://yoshis.com/sanfrancisco/jazzclub/artist/show/881
http://soulive.com/

Galactic w/Zigaboo Modeliste | Orgone @ the Fillmore - $30
You've heard me sing the praises of New Orleans powerhouse funk/jam/rock institution Galactic plenty of times in these pages, but there are two things that make this Friday's gig even hotter than normal. Zigaboo Modeliste, drummer for the Meters and the single biggest influence on Galactic drummer Stanton Moore's style, will apparently be joining the band. Say wha?!? Also opening band Orgone is a funk outfit that sounds great from recordings I've heard. I've been wanting to catch them for a while now. If you go, PLEASE give me a report.
http://www.galacticfunk.com
http://www.zigaboo.com/
http://www.myspace.com/orgonemusic


| | | | | | | | | | SATURDAY 9/26 | | | | | | | | | |

Tour de Fat @ Golden Gate Park (Speedway Meadow) - $FREE
Noon-5pm, I'll be there all day. This 'ballyhoo of bikes and beer' is a freakin' blast. New Belgium Brewing sells their beer at the festival to benefit local bicycle causes such as the SF Bicycle Coalition and brings with them a hell of a party, wacky bicycle-powered rides, and this year the stellar March Fourth Marching Band who dazzle with both their dancers and their huge, powerful music arrangements.
http://www.newbelgium.com/tour-de-fat

Supertaster w/Dublin | Destruments @ Coda - $10
It's my birthday, apparently: DIRTY SHOWY THIRTY! Join me for some smokin' hot funky soul and hip-hop music from the Jazz Mafia. Supertaster features some of the JM's best vocalists in Joe Bagale and Karyn Paige, along with Adam Theis holdin' down the bass and trombone and special guest Dublin (the baddest white rapper you ever did see). Opening up the night will be our pal Adam Willis' new trio Destruments who are a funky force in their own right. Get there early, Destruments hits the stage at 10pm.
http://www.jazzmafia.com/family/supertaster/
http://www.myspace.com/destruments


| | | | | | | | | | UPCOMING | | | | | | | | | |

9/27 - Blitzen Trapper @ Independent
9/28 - Alice in Chains @ Fillmore
9/29 - Mason Jennings @ Great American Music Hall
9/30 - Sara Watkins @ Independent
10/1 - Gillian Welch @ Independent
10/2 - Breakestra @ Poleng Lounge
10/2 - For the Love of Funk @ DNA Lounge
10/2 - Crown City Rockers @ Independent
10/2-10/4 - HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL @ Golden Gate Park
10/2-10/4 - Dark Star Orchestra @ Fillmore
10/7 - Adam Deitch's Breakscience | Lotus @ Independent

Tonight: Get Down With the Brown

Happy Friday y'all!

I just had to hit you with a quick note about a RAD band playing tonight on the cheap. Join me for Brownout!, the Latin funk project from Austin' amazing Grupo Fantasma. Details are below.

Oh, one more thing. Next weekend there is a little party for my 30th birthday happening. It's at Coda (Mission & Duboce) which is a great new venue if you haven't been yet. Adam Willis' new band Destruments will open it up at 10, followed by the Jazz Mafia's own Supertaster (featuring Joe Bagale, Karyn Paige, and special guest MC Dublin). The cover is just $10 and it'll be one hell of a funky good time.


| | | | | | | | | | FRIDAY 9/18 | | | | | | | | | |

Brownout! @ Elbo Room - $10
Yeah, right, 'cause Grupo Fantasma just wasn't funky enough. This show is gonna ROCK. Brownout! (Grupo's side project) brings a huge dose of the funk with a smokin' hot horn section and some thunderous Afro-Cuban-Latin percussion. They will blast the roof right off the Elbo Room—which is good, because that place needed a higher roof anyway. See you there!
http://www.myspace.com/brownoutmusic
http://grupofantasma.com/


| | | | | | | | | | UPCOMING | | | | | | | | | |

9/18 - Brownout! @ Elbo Room
9/22-9/23 - Soulive @ Yoshi's Oakland
9/23 - Rodrigo y Gabriela @ Fox Theater
9/24-9/25 - Soulive @ Yoshi's SF
9/25 - Galactic @ Fillmore
9/26 - DIRTY SHOWY 30 - Supertaster/Destruments @ Coda
9/29 - Crown City Rockers @ Independent
9/30 - Sara Watkins @ Independent

Mike Dillon Sunday Night! (oh, and Outside Lands too I suppose)

(sent 08/28/2009)

Happy Friday Showy-goers!

If you're enjoying the Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park right now, good on ya! Despite a host of eff-ups last year in terms of sound, crowd control, layout, alcohol, etc, you just can't argue with the lineup. All three days sure are packed with amazing artists, it's ridiculously diverse for sure. More on that below.

But you don't need me to tell you about Outside Lands, there are plenty of billboards around to do that.

What you DO need me to tell you about is the incredible band that's rocking the crap outta the Boom Boom Room on Sunday night—Mike Dillon's Go-Go Jungle. I'd seen and been blown away by Mike with several of his other bands over the years, but when I saw the Go-Go Jungle last year they absolutely FLOORED me. The three madmen musicians who make up this band hail from Austin, New Orleans, and Missouri, and as such it's a rare treat to see them together anywhere.

I'll be at the Boom Boom Room on Sunday night, and I will happily stake whatever sort of reputation I have on the fact that if you join me you'll be veeeery thankful that you did. . .



| | | | | | | | | | FRIDAY 8/28 | | | | | | | | | |

Outside Lands Festival @ Golden Gate Park - $90
If you're there then why the hell are you reading your email? Go dance to something!
http://sfoutsidelands.com/



| | | | | | | | | | SATURDAY 8/29 | | | | | | | | | |

Outside Lands Festival @ Golden Gate Park - $90
http://sfoutsidelands.com/
Here are some quick picks for ya:

1pm - Reggie Watts @ Barbary Stage
I haven't seen this cat since he was funking up Soulive shows years ago, he's a virtuoso funky soul singer through and through.

2:20pm - Groundation @ Presidio Stage
I'm usually not much for reggae, but these dudes are soooolid.

4pm - Trombone Shorty @ Presidio Stage
One of the hottest acts to come outta New Orleans of late, Shorty blasts super high energy horn-laden funk at ya 'til you just can't dance no more.

5:50pm - JJ Grey & Mofro @ Presidio Stage
Southern fried swamp funk rock, dirty and gritty, just how it's supposed to be.

7:30pm - the Mars Volta @ Twin Peaks Stage
Quite the contrast to the simultaneous Dave Matthews show, Mars Volta is a sonic attack of prog-style metal/rock who I'm told are quite the experience. Been wantin' to catch 'em for years, but haven't yet.



| | | | | | | | | | SUNDAY 8/30 | | | | | | | | | |

Mike Dillon's Go-Go Jungle @ Boom Boom Room - $10
Mike D is basically the vibraphone and percussion equivalent of Skerik—in fact they regularly team up in outfits like Les Claypool's band, Garage a Trois, Critters Buggin', and the Dead Kenny Gs among others. He's the only vibraphone player I've ever seen with the skills of a true virtuoso and the soul of a punk rocker from New Orleans. Equal parts musically creative and destructive, the monstrous energy Mike puts out is matched by bassist J.J. Jungle and drummer Go-Go Ray, stellar performers both. GO to this show, I cannot stress this enough!
http://www.mikedillonsgo-gojungle.com
http://www.myspace.com/mikedillonsgogojungle


Outside Lands Festival @ Golden Gate Park - $90
http://sfoutsidelands.com/
Here are some more quick picks for ya:

12:00noon - Darondo w/ Nino Moshella @ Sutro Stage
Nino is an honey toned soul singing phenom with a stellar and funky backing band called the Park. Darando is an ooooold school funk singer with a gritty edge to his vocals and rumors of a prior career as a pimp. Seriously.

2:35pm - Robert Randolph & the Family Band @ Lands End Stage
Randolph is a super high energy and soulful foot stompin' funky steel slide guitar player. His band is a rockin' review in the style of the Blues Brothers, just a total blast.

2:55pm - Avett Brothers @ Sutro Stage
Punkabilly bluegrass boys that tear around the stage in a flurry of roots rockin' goodness.

3:35pm - Reggie Watts @ Barbary Stage
I haven't seen this cat since he was funking up Soulive shows years ago, he's a virtuoso funky soul singer through and through.

4:20pm - Modest Mouse @ Lands End Stage
One of the most innovative sounds in recent rock, I'm not always in love with their vocal style but I'll bet the do a pretty powerful and unique show.

5:35pm - Ween @ Twin Peaks Stage
Maybe the ultimate popular cult rock band, I've still never seen trippy rockers Ween (well, other than their stellar bassist anyway).

7:50pm - Tenacious D @ Lands End Stage
Oh man this will be rad. The rock comedy duo (Jack Black & Kyle Gass) that seriously does rock, and are also totally effin' hilarious. I'd love to see 'em.



| | | | | | | | | | UPCOMING | | | | | | | | | |

9/1 - Supertaster @ Coda
9/1 - the Bridge @ Boom Boom Room
9/2 - Shotgun Wedding Hip Hop Symphony @ Yoshi's SF
9/2 - Al Green | Orgone @ Warfield
9/2 - Papa Grows Funk @ Boom Boom Room
9/4 - Neville Bros | Dr. John @ Regency Ballroom
9/5 - Monophonics @ Boom Boom Room
9/11 - Flogging Molly | Hepcat @ Fox Theater
9/11 - Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey @ Cafe du Nord
9/15-9/18 - Chick Corea/Stanley Clarke/Lenny White @ Yoshi's Oakland
9/16 - Arctic Monkeys @ Fox Theater
9/16 - George Porter Jr. @ Boom Boom Room
9/17 - Scott Amendola Band @ Cafe du Nord
9/18 - Brownout! @ Elbo Room
9/22-9/23 - Soulive @ Yoshi's Oakland
9/23 - Rodrigo y Gabriela @ Fox Theater
9/24-9/25 - Soulive @ Yoshi's SF
9/25 - Galactic @ Fillmore
9/29 - Crown City Rockers @ Independent
9/30 - Sara Watkins @ Independent