April’s just about over, and who would believe that a third of 2019 has already passed? But even amid this fast-paced timeline, San Francisco’s music scene refuses to find the mute button, and it’s been a great month.
Start with the classics. And it doesn’t matter if he’s half the age of Mick Jagger, there is something timeless about Michael Bublé; a croon to put the world to bed happy. The Canadian singer is on a 27-city U.S. tour, and his performance at the Oakland was nothing short of magical. The setlist included some of Bublé’s greatest hits, including “Feeling Good” and “Haven’t Met You Yet.” Despite the huge turnout, the show was intimate and warm in a way that only Bublé can make it; you might not like his genre, but his class can’t be denied.
The city’s Regency Ballroom also witnessed another incredible performance mid-April, when British-French singer-songwriter royalty Charlotte Gainsbourg stopped by to deliver a performance that may be one of the most emotional shows the city has ever seen. She dedicated the show to her sister, the photographer Kate Barry, who tragically passed away in 2013. Singing through a setlist that spanned her entire career, Gainsbourg gave the crowd a show reaching right from her earliest songs to her most recent album “Rest.”
One of the most memorable performances this month was Jon Hopkins’s show at The Warfield. Hopkins is to EDM what Frank Lloyd Wright is to sandcastles, and the English electronica star kept the audience awestruck as he threw out some of his best numbers and crowd favorites. Even cerebral digit-wranglers have bangers, and Hopkins has more than most – set against The Warfield’s gorgeous backdrop, the performance was easily one of the finest the venue has seen.
In other news, the Stern Grove festival gave us all some fabulous news with the announcement of its 2019 lineup. Scheduled to take place from June 16th to August 18th, headliners include New York hip-hop from Digable Planets, original British freak-out material from The Psychedelic Furs, Oregon jazz explosion Pink Martini, and doo-wop endurance act Isley Brothers. Speaking of announcements, Sara Bareilles announced news of a tour to support of her fifth full-length album “Amidst the Chaos.” The tour includes one stop at San Francisco this October, at the Chase Center. Much like the rest of her fandom, we cannot wait to hear Bareilles perform live.
Bae Miller also made headlines this month, with her new music video for her song “it’s not u it’s me.” Featuring stunning, almost otherworldly visuals that are perfectly staged and hard to look away from, and guest vocals from 6lack; a taste of the future to balance out the feast of rediscovered material from Marvin Gaye, with the release of his lost album, “You’re the Man.” With 17 tracks, some of which fans have heard before and many of which are new, the album brought with it a bittersweet sense of nostalgia.
All in all, it was a fabulous run this month. Like always, we’re geared up and excited for what’s in store next.
