This week's musical acts coming through the Bay Area is one for the books—snag tickets to these shows before they sell out.
Blitzen Trapper @ The Independent
The band that would come to be known as Blitzen Trapper began under the name Garmonbozia in 2000, touring and playing in Portland's underground rock-punk scene. Consisting of songwriter/lead singer Eric Earley, Erik Menteer (guitar, keyboard), Brian Adrian Koch (drums, vocals), Michael Van Pelt (bass), Drew Laughery (keyboard), and Marty Marquis (keyboard, vocals), they've grown exponentially in popularity in the seventeen years since the band's inception; selling out venues from the Atlantic to Pacific coasts of the United States. Now, the resultant album Wild and Reckless is a companion to Furr; offering a second volume in that wild dystopian reality of killers and shape-shifters. There is a running narrative to it that, like Furr, hinges upon love, both lost and found and tossed aside. But we'd venture to say you'll probably find a new musical love, should you find yourself immersed in one of their sets at The Independent this Tuesday evening. // Tuesday, December 5th at 8pm at The Independent, 628 Divisadero St. (Fillmore), tickets ($22-$25) can be bought on ticketfly.com
Jamila Woods @ Great American Music Hall
In July 2016, Jamila Woods—the singer-songwriter, soul-hip-hop tour de force—released her critically acclaimed album earlier this year, Heaven. As her first full-length solo project, the collection of songs focuses on African-American girlhood, Chicago, and the inclusive world we all aspire to live in. The album has received acclaimed review from such prominent industry touchstones as Pitchfork, MTV, Nylon, and Noisey, among many others. Woods aims to create unapologetic music to soundtrack life for and about Black women around the world. This Hump Day, she'll be showcasing those effortlessly poetic lyrics at the Great American Music hall. // Wednesday, December 6th at 8pm at Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell St. (Tenderloin), tickets ($20) can be bought on ticketing.axis.com
Slow Magic @ 1015 Folsom
Slow Magic one of the few acts currently touring the globe that embodies the proverbia perfect minajatwa: a universal, inclusive, and enigmatic entity, who performs all his sets veiled by a complex LED mask that changes like a chameleon's skin with each bass drop. His celestial, cosmic electronic cadences seem as if they were cut from an ethereal cloth, sent down to later be crafted with his turn-table spinning human hands. His shows are joyous—they epitomize escapism; standing in his company is a multi-sensory, multidisciplinary experience. Experience his music in person this Thursday at1015 Folsom. // Thursday, December 7th starting 8pm at 1015 Folsom, 1015 Folsom St. (SoMa), tickets ($20) can be bought on ticketing.axis.com
The Invisible Whip @ The Warfield
Jimmy Herring is one of the most sought-after, award-decorated contemporary American guitarists in existence; known for transforming otherwise large, crowded venues into intimate, coffee-bar-like settings with his evocations of song and solace. Now having banded together to format The Invisible Whip, he will be taking his talent on the road, performing completely original tracks at The Warfield this Friday evening. So, if you fancy yourself a lover of all things acoustic and soulful, swing by the famous San Francisco theatre to indulge in a night of well-strummed serenades. // Friday, December 8th at 8pm at The Warfield, 982 Market Street (Tenderloin), tickets ($20) can be bought on goldenvoice.com
Weezer, The Killers, Walk the Moon, Foster the People, and Alice Merton @ Oracle Arena
Yes, you read that write: Weezer, The Killers, Walk the Moon, Foster the People, and Alice Merton will all be passing through the Bay Area this coming weekend, as part of the No SIlent No Night concert series at Oracle arena. While we could go on and on about these era-defining bands in what would likely amass into a small novella, what you really need to know is that these tickets are selling like autographic guitar pics—which is to say quickly. Buy soon or you may, indeed, be having a "silent night" at home. // Friday and Saturday, December 8th and 9th starting at 8pm at Oracle Arena, 7000 Coliseum Way (Oakland); tickets ($35-$85) can be bought on songkick.com.
Tammy Hall (and company) @ SFJAZZ Center
A native of Dallas, Hall began her life with dancing her fingers atop the piano at age four, honing her skills in the church and then refining her work much later at Oakland Mills College; just before setting out on a professional career. Effortlessly weaving her warm and intuitive mix of jazz, classical, and gospel approaches in great demand, she's now garnered quite a loyal following. Now an accomplished solo artist and bandleader in her own right, the Bay Area-based pianist, organist, and composer will be gracing the Joe Henderson Lab stage at the SFJAZZ Center with her Lush Life: Music for Falling In/Out of Love, accompanied by her rock-solid trio including bassist Gary Brown and drummer Deszon Claiborne. Come by this coming Sunday to hear just why NPR has snagged her for live-station playings. // Sunday, December 10th at 6:00pm and 7:30pmat SFJAZZ Center, 201 Franklin St. (Hayes Valley), tickets ($25) can be bought at sfjazz.org
