Concerts

Concerts I Attended 1999-2004!

Concerts that seemed worth documenting:

2004

Mission of Burma & Kinski @ Fillmore, SF - 9-June-2004. I liked the set by Kinski, some strong pulsating rock epics. MoB was good, but not as intense as when I saw them in 2002.
Sleater-Kinney & Quasi @ Fillmore, SF - 22-May-2004.
Sam Rivers/Reggie Workman/Jason Moran + William Parker/Hamid Drake/Ron Brown/Larry Barnes @ Herbst Theater, 9-April-2004. Sam Rivers was blowing strong at his advanced age, but I found the set by Parker's quartet to be the more compelling.
Stereolab @ Fillmore, SF - 29-March-2004. A strong show from the band.
The Mekons @ Slim's, SF - 24-March-2004. The 'punk rock' show, with lots of old ones, and a fun selection where the band members were all on their backs on the stage.
Ornette Coleman @ Masonic Auditorium, SF - 20-March-2004. Ornette with an unusual quartet (Denardo on drums, Greg Cohen and Tony Falanga both on stand up bass, one bowed). My second chance to see the master. Did not disappoint.
Tony Williams Project (Jack DeJohnette, Larry Goldings, John Scofield) @ Yoshi's, Oakland - 12-February-2004. Quite a hot set by this trio of drums, organ and guitar, playing music associated with drummer Tony Williams.
Love @ GAMH - 16-January-2004. Arthur Lee led the reconstituted Love through the entire Forever Changes set, accompanied by a string section and two horns! Great stuff.
Syd Straw & John Doe @ GAMH, SF - 10-January-2004. John Doe played a nice acoustic set, then Syd came out with a small band, probably a few too many drinks already, but still did a good show.

2003

Robyn Hitchcock @ GAMH, SF - 17-November-2003. A solo acoustic show from the eccentric master in his polka dot shirt.
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey @ Cafe du Nord, SF - 8-November-2003. Never heard of these guys before, but they played a hot show (piano, bass & drums), and even sold CDs of the show right afterwards. Still sounds good.
Marc Ribot band & Bill Frisell band @ Calvin Simmons Theater, Oakland - 7-November-2003. Ribot had his hot Cuban band, and Frisell had a cool world-music band. I vote Ribot!
Randy Newman @ Bimbo's, SF - 26-October-2003. A fine solo show with all the hits and lots more. Very funny banter. "It's the money that I love!"
Kronos Quartet playing Terry Riley's Sun Rings @ Palace of Fine Arts, SF - 25-October-2003.
Joao Gilberto @ Masonic Auditorium, SF - 26-June-2003. The old bossa nova man played solo with his guitar.
Bob Dylan & Band @ Konocti Harbor, Clear Lake, CA - 25-June-2003. A really fine concert in a beautiful outdoor setting. Bob on keyboards all night.
Los Hombres Calientes @ Yoshi's, Oakland - 27-June-2003. A hot jazz band blending New Orleans and Cuban influences.
Wire @ GAMH, SF - 23-June-2003. The revitalized band played new stuff from Send and old stuff too.
The Fall @ Slim's, SF - 21-June-2003. Mark E. Smith still pounding out the wicked beats and rants.
Randy Travis @ Nashville - 2-June-2003. Randy Travis & band played a good show at the former home of the Grand Ol' Opry.
Flaming Lips, Liz Phair @ Warfield, SF - 28-May-2003. A great crazy show, a birthday party on acid, with big balls bouncing about in the audience and lots of people in animal suits.
Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs @ Great American Music Hall, SF - 21-April 2003. The new hit sensations were pretty rocking, I thought. Good show.
Pere Ubu, Swords Project @ Slim's, SF - 8-March -2003.
The Pretenders @ the Warfield, SF - 1-March-2003. Chrissie is still a pretty wild woman, even at 50!
Stephen Malkmus & Jicks @ Bimbo's 365 Club, SF - 25-Feb-2003. A loose set of the new CD songs.
Sleater-Kinney & The Black Keys @ GAMH - 4-Feb-2003. A very business-like set from the gals, who have built quite a body of songs.
Cassandra Wilson & band @ GAMH, SF - 31-Jan-2003. A very rootsy band and a varied selection of tunes (opening with 'Lay Lady Lay').
Leo Wadada Smith @ New Langston Arts, SF - 18-Jan 2003. The trumpeter played with former Journey drummer Steve Smith.
Masters of Groove @ Elbo Room, SF - 11-Jan-2003. Three masters (Grant Green Jr, Ruben Wilson & Clyde Stubblefield) funked mightily.

2002

X @ Fillmore - 26-Nov-2002 - The original line-up back together, playing all the old non-hits in a sublimely rocking way.
Terry Riley & Allstars @ Noe Valley Ministry, SF - 16-Nov-2002. Terry on keys with a bassoon, electric viola and guitar. Pretty cool stuff, and Terry made no secret of his politics.
Ornette Colemen Trio @ Davies Symphony Hall, SF - 7-Nov-2002. Ornette, son Denardo on drums and Charnett Moffett played a great show. Moffett was doing all sorts of tricks with the bass, playing with a bow, tapping on strings, and using effects to sound more like a wah-wah guitar (but he played straight half the time too!). Very happy to finally have seen Ornette.
Caetano Veloso & band @ Masonic Auditorium, SF - 25-Oct-2002. A more rocking show than last time I saw him, but he did do three songs solo on guitar.
Clinic, Apples in Stereo @ Bimbo's, SF - 6-Oct-2002. Clinic was clinical. Apples in Stereo seemed to enjoy their sweet pop.
Sleater-Kinney, The Bangs, Shannon Wright @ Fillmore, SF - 23-Sep-2002. Enjoyed the set by the Bangs, and then a tight and powerful set from SK, including a cover of 'The Promised Land' in honor of Bruce's birthday.
Mekons, Waycross @ Slim's - 6-Sep-2002. Mekon's 25th anniversary tour, this show was suitably drunken and kinda sloppy and pretty darn good.
Linton Kwesi Johnson & Dennis Bovell Band @ Slim's - 5-Sep-2002. Finally got a chance to see the reggae poet live. He was looking good, dapper in his short sleeve shirt and hat, and did many of the old songs I was familiar with from the early eighties.
Sonic Youth, Quix*o*tic @ Crystal Ballroom, Portland - 30-Aug-2002.
Allison Moorer & band @ Aladdin Theater, Portland - 25-Aug-2002. She's a singer from Nashville that I'd never heard before (sister of Shelby Lynne), and I enjoyed this show in a near empty theater. I suspect the CDs are more slick, but she had a great band & good voice.
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band @ Rose Garden, Portland - 20-Aug-2002. A solid show covering most of The Rising with a few older songs thrown in.
Mission of Burma, Silkworm @ Experience Music Project, Seattle - 24-July-2002. A real good show from the now trio Burma doing a three show west coast tour.
Sleater-Kinney @ Aladdin Theater, Portland - 17-July-2002. A benefit show for the Rock Camp for Girls. Chronological set of old tunes up to new songs.
Guided by Voices @ Crystal Ballroom, Portland - 22-June-2002. Robert Pollard led the band through his entire new album, track by track, and then played some old favorites.
Lydia Lunch @ Dante's, Portland, OR - 20-June-2002. Finally had a chance to see the old punk ranter, in pretty good form with plenty of source material these days.
Preston School of Industry @ Corner Hotel, Melbourne - 2-May-2002. Good sloppy set from former Pavement guitar player Spiral Stairs with band.
All Tomorrow's Parties festival @ UCLA - 15-17-Mar 2002. Saw performances by Steve Malkmus, Eddie Vedder, Television, Satan's Tornado, Tony Conrad, Pita, Aphex Twin, Mike Watt & Secondmen, Peaches, Stereolab, Sonic Youth!
Laurie Anderson @ Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley - 8-Mar-2002. A solo show called 'Happiness' that explored silence, and the nature of stories (how they degrade over time and telling into very ego-centric things), and the 'design flaws of personality'.
Freedy Johnson @ GAMH - 18-Jan-2002. A solo show with lots of favorites and a few covers from "I Want to Tell You" to "Listen What the Man Said."
Robyn Hitchcock & band @ The Garage, London - 25-Jan-2002. New and old songs from the eccentric Englishman.
Sleater-Kinney @ GAMH - 14-Jan-2002. The gals are back, and working on some new sounds, a bit slower and heavier than we're used to.

2001

Bob Dylan & Band @ Fleet Center, Boston - 11/24/01. The old man is still working the stage, playing about half of his new record along with some warnings on war.
PJ Harvey @ Warfield - 9/18/2001.
Joe Henry @ Bimbo's 365 Club - 8/8/2001. A solid show of songs.
David Byrne @ Warfield - 7/30/2001. David & band played a pretty hot show to an adoring crowd.
Chris Whitley's Rocket House @ GAMH - 7/17/2001. Interesting combo of blues guitarist with turntablists providing extra funk.
Powderfinger @ Slim's - 6/15/2001. The Aussie pop band played a fine show.
Steve Coleman & band @ Hertz Hall, Berkeley - 6/1/2001. Steve with a young band got his rhythms rolling.
Mekons @ Double Door, Chicago - 4/21/01. The venerable institution carries on, this time with Susie Honeyman and Rico Bell back on stage. An encore of "I don't care" in salute to the recently departed Joey Ramone.

2000

Go-Betweens @ Slim's - 12/4/00. Grant and Robert and a bass player Amanda did some hits old and new to an appreciative crowd.
Bebel Gilberto @ Bimbo's - 11/13/00
Cecil Taylor @ Herbst Theater - 10/28/00. The man played several long pieces, which seemed meandering and un-focused to me, but the short encores were cool.
Dirty Three @ GAMH - 10/24/00. The instrumental trio from Melbourne.
Oval @ Bottom of the Hill - 10/13/00. Marcus Popp's electronics are getting more saturated and intense.
Sonic Youth & Sleater-Kinney @ Elysee Montmartre, Paris - 7/10/00 & 7/11/00.
Sonic Youth just keep getting better. The two nights included songs going back to Sister, and were performed as if they were a big top 10 hit parade.
Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians (superb!)@ Davies Symphony Hall - 6/17/00
Sleater-Kinney, Bratmobile and The Gossip @ Fillmore - 6/8/00
Femi Kuti & Positive Force @ Bimbo's - 4/7/00
Pat Metheny Trio (w/ Bill Stewart & Larry Grenadier) @ Masonic Auditorium - 4/1/00
Yo La Tengo & Lambchop @ GAMH - 3/11/00
Macy Gray @ Bimbo's - 2/17/00

1999

Jim O'Rourke & a Japanese electronic act @ Justice League - 11/12/99
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band @ Oakland Arena - 10/28/99
Quasi, Sara Dougher & Braillestars @ Bottom of the Hill - 10/17/99
Freakwater, Giant Sand & Sally Timms @ GAMH - 10/15/99
Cibo Matto @ Slim's - 10/9/99
Tarentel @ GAMH - 10/1/99
Aimee Mann @ Slim's - 9/25/99
Alejandro Escovedo @ Slim's - 9/4/99
Groovie Ghoulies, Phantom Surfers and The Donnas @ Bimbo's - 9/3/99

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