GOLD FIELDS @ POPSCENE - SAN FRANCISCO, CA - 11.21.12

Wow!  When I was gearing up for Gold Fields @ Popscene, I knew I was going to see a great show - but this was way over all my expectations I had for this band!  Thanksgiving weekend is always hard to get people out to a show, and I had to drag my friends out for this one.....but I knew....and I told them, you can't miss this, I promise!  Fuck me!  Mind is blown, and I have a new most favorite Australian band!

I feel like it was a short set, maybe I was having to much fun to notice, but at the end I wished there was more!  I also NEVER hang out at the front of the stage - that is me being too fucking cool or maybe too old or whatever - but tonight.....tonight I was front and center.  You know when you hear a band and you are so excited to see them for the first time - that first time that has you all worked up and out of your mind - that rush that you try to find constantly because you know it's better than anything......yea......found it!!!!!

Gold Fields exploded on the stage at note one - drummer and percussionist started things off huge and it never stopped!  Song two was single "Dark Again" which is the kick off track on the Beautiful Buzzz October mix tape that you can listen to HERE!  However, when I started to hear teases of Underworld's "Born Slippy" I though that was a cool sample - but no..... oh no..... they covered the song - and they fucking killed it!  It takes some balls to cover something like Underworld - and hats off to Gold Fields!  Well done!

If there is one thing I can leave you with....it is this - a band like Gold Fields is few and far between.  There is no pretending here, or hyped up hype, or over produced bull shit, or douchebaggery, - it is just straight up hands down awesomeness!  And Mark, when we talked, you smelled really good!  LISTEN TO THIS BAND NOW!

VACATIONER @ THE FILLMORE - SAN FRANCISCO, CA - 10.19.12

Finally!!  I finally saw Vacationer live!  AMAZING!!!  It has been an uphill battle between me and this band for almost a year now!  When I heard their first single "Gone" in 2011, i totally fell in love with the chilled out beach sound Vacationer has so eloquently perfected.  I then immediately booked them for my SXSW showcase in 2012.  I was so excited to have them be a part of my event, but shit happens and the band got held up, making them late for load in at my venue, and alas were unable to play because of time issues.  As my british friends would say, I was gutted!  

For close to a year now I have been trying to make it to a Vacationer show, but I have been unsuccessful in completing this task.....until now!  The Fillmore is an amazing venue - where the sound is pristine and the drinks are expensive - there's not a bad seat in the house.  Kenny Vasoli's vocals are smooth, honestly his voice is like an angel, clear and bright...and the kid can get down!  You could really tell he was having a blast on that stage....he loves what he does.  The rest of the band was equally as brilliant, I was pretty much mesmerized the whole set.  I was harassed a bit by security - there is absolutely no taking video, even with your phone!  The set was perfect - Vacationer played the hits like "Trip" and "Gone" and then a few of my personal favorites "Everyone Knows" and "Dreamlike."  

Vacationer was a massive success with a solid performance that met every expectation I had!  It's amazing how a band from Philadelphia can sound so much like the beach.  They only have a few select shows scheduled for the rest of the year, so we'll all have to see what's in store for them in 2013.  One thing I can say is that I will not be missing another Vacationer show in my town again!  

HOUSSE DE RACKET @ RICKSHAW STOP - SAN FRANCISCO, CA - 10.12.12

OK - I am playing a bit of catch-up here....there are just so many amazing shows to check out this month that I can't keep up!  OOHLALA Tour come through San Francisco some nights back, and headlining this tour were the always amazing electro-pop French duo Housse De Racket.​​​  I first learned about these boys when I was booking my SXSW 2012 showcase - and I booked them - but then they had to cancel.  Bummer!  Then they played Coachella, but I was unable to attend the festival this year.  Bummer!  Needless to say, this was my first time seeing Housse De Racket - and on this night in San Francisco, my mind was officially blown.​

​Popscene and KCRW sponsored this event, so I already knew I was in for a real treat with the other bands - Citizens! in particular.....they were amazing - but the real draw for me was Housse De Racket.  They played a late set starting after 12:30am to a somewhat thinning crowd - in this city so many people don't drive and have to leave to catch BART, and I actually liked this because it made things a bit more intimate for the rest of us.  Holy crap - I had no idea they rocked so hard.  I can only describe their sound as the perfect combination of electronic, indie rock, and classic rock....... and it fuckin rocked!  This is a very special brand of electro-pop!

​The set was comprised mostly of songs off their second album Alesia, and I was surprised to hear their most popular song "Chateau" early on, like the third song, but that did not ruin the energy of the set.  Song after song I stood in the back with my hands on top of my head saying what the fuck is going on here - and then I danced -  a lot!  The bands stage presents is explosive and these boys - guitarist Pierre Leroux and drummer Victor LeMasn - can really work a crowd!  When you get the chance - you must see this band!!