He sat surrounded by dozens of instruments, all of which were lovingly named in the playbill for the show. As Eddie Vedder made his way through an extensive repertoire of new and old songs, a fresh ukulele or guitar was switched out with each piece, giving the whole evening an ever changing sound and flavor.

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Major props to any super-hot French pop star who starts her set wearing a full body mop. That's just what Yelle's lead-singer, Julie Budet, did last night at the Regency Ballroom -- but it was to be expected since the group is consistently donning edgy threads in their eccentric music videos.

Budet has true star energy which fires her fans into hours-long dance fests at her concerts, despite the fact that probably the majority of them have no idea what her French lyrics are on about. 

But little matter -- it's not just about the music. Read more »

It's rare these days to go to a concert and feel like you really saw something truly wholesome. It's more likely you leave smelling of booze, covered in dance-floor sweat, and with the beat of the drums still pounding in your ears. Luckily, there are still musicians like Kinna Grannis making beautiful, simple songs that can make an audience just sit in total silence as gentle guitar chords wave over them. Grannis is performing at the Swedish American Hall for two nights this week (last night and tonight, Weds/11). Read more »

Do you ever go to a concert and realize that the lead singer is your new style icon? From the peacock feather in her hair to the flamingo tee-shirt and chipped red nails, Liliana from Bomba Estéreo has got definite style chops. But the sold out audience at the Independent last night, April 19, wasn't there just to see what hip threads Liliana might throw on. They were there to hear the band's utterly unique music, a mix of electronica and traditional Colombian beats.Read more »

To be honest, I could have cared less who the Cafe Du Nord headliners were that night. I was there for only one reason: to see the opener, Nashville-born singer Caitlin Rose.

I found Caitlin Rose's music on one of those lucky Youtube click-happy sessions. You know what I'm talking about. Where you go from one “recommended” video to the next, until finally you land on something good. And that goodness was Caitlin Rose's “Own Side,” a melancholy, sweet bluesy, twang-licious song. Oh yes, this was a very good recommendation. And as luck would have it, she was going to be coming to San Francisco in less than three weeks. Perfection. Read more »