Wallpaper / Photo by Amber Gregory
Two talented Oakland-based bands stormed the stage at The Independent in San Francisco Friday, bringing their unique, genre-bending dance beats to a crowd fresh off a workweek and ready to dance. And if there's one thing the kids in Oakland know how to do? It's get a party started.
OONA, the brainchild of Oona Garthwaite and Dave Tweedie, warmed up the stage—no, wait. Actually, they tore up the stage, the temperature inside The Independent rose 20 degrees, and anyone who hadn't had the fortune of seeing this dynamic, one-of-a-kind group before were staring at the stage with that smile on their faces. You know which one—the one that says they just discovered something great.
Armed with an unbelievable voice, hot pants and a set of killer heels (oh, and her fantastic backing band!), Oona Garthwaite showed what it really means to passionately perform. Taking great care to interact with her grooving audience, Garthwaite also performed flawless dance moves and jumped from the drum kit (in heels!), with a perfect landing (in heels!). The band's music draws from 60s soul, electronica, rock and reggae, and wow, they are good at what they do. It was impossible to look away from the stage—and even more difficult to put down the camera. Minds were blown during this show, and those typical San Franciscans who decided to skip the opening act really missed out this time!
OONA / Photo by Amber Gregory
The eclectic, funky, utterly danceable Wallpaper headlined the night, and who doessn't love songs called "I Got Soul, I’m So Wasted" and "Text Me Your Love"? OONA was a hard act to follow, but Wallpaper—led by Eric Frederic, or really, his alter ego Ricky Reed—held their own, particularly during their weekend anthem "T-Rex"--during which a costumed T-Rex danced on stage. Wallpaper appears to be a band on the verge of some pretty major success, so it was enjoyable to see them here on this brink, in an intimate club on a random Saturday night, just us and T-Rex dancing in time.
Wallpaper / Photo by Amber Gregory
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