Get the first full weekend of summer kicked off at the premier outdoor venue in the Bay Area, the Greek Theater on the Cal campus in Berkeley. A short drive or BART ride from SF will get you to this fantastic (and carbon neutral!) stage nestled in the Berkeley hills. On Friday night, the Greek plays host to David Byrne, the legendary former lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for the influential post-punk art rockers Talking Heads. Byrne is currently on tour doing “songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno,” a collaboration that includes selections from their recent
David Byrne and Band with Extra Action Marching Band. Photo: James Martin
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, 1981’s landmark My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (a pioneering album for its use of sampling) as well as three seminal Talking Heads recordings, on which Eno served as producer and co-conspirator, More Songs About Building and Food, Fear of Music and the epic Remain in Light. Byrne’s last visit to the Bay saw he and his band tear Davies Symphony Hall a new one. Remain classics like “Crosseyed and Painless,” “Houses in Motion” and the “Great Curve” and new gems “Strange Overtones” and “One Fine Day” dotted the predictable, but flawless set list.
He closed both shows by bringing out scantily-clad Bay Area troublemakers The Extra Action Marching Band for a raucous rendition of Burning Down the House. I think it’s a safe bet that Symphony Hall will never get rocked that hard again. Rumor has it that EAMB will be on hand again tonight before their own show at the Uptown in Oakland. Tonight’s Greek show will definitely see a similar set to the ones he played at Davies, but that doesn’t make seeing an icon like Byrne any less special, especially considering his voice is still in incredible shape. Indie gypsy rock quartet DeVotchKa open the show, a great band that gained notoriety for their song “How it Ends” which has been used in numerous ads, including the trailer for the film “Everything is Illuminated.” They also wrote and performed the score for “Little Miss Sunshine.”
Saturday, why not head back to Berkeley and back to the Greek! Jeff Tweedy, Nels Cline and company (otherwise known as a little up-and-coming outfit called Wilco) bring their brand of classic psychedelic-influenced rock and roll back to the Bay for the second summer in a row. This time the boys armed with new material from their new long player, Wilco (The Album), out June 30th complete with awesome album cover. Many of the new tracks have an upbeat energy (“Wilco the Song,” “You Never Know” and album standout “Bull Black Nova”), but Tweedy’s lyrics still retain the pain and tinges of darkness that made Yankee Hotel Foxtrot such a great album. And while many critics believe that the quality of Wilco’s studio efforts has declined in recent years, there is no question that they remain a relevant and exciting touring band that puts on one hell of a live show. Austin-based folk-rockers Okkervil River open.
But if rock and roll isn’t your cup of tea, you’re afraid to cross the Bay, or you’re just looking to seriously shake your ass, check out the crazy, crazy-eclectic international electronica line-up at The Spectrum Festival at The Grand in SF tonight and tomorrow night (Friday, Saturday 6/26-27). Friday’s highlights include Diplo, Switch and their new collaborative side project Major Lazer, along with LTJ Bukem, DJ Vadim and many, many others. Saturday night, check out French electro-technicians Phoenix who are playing alongside Boyz Noize, Mozaic and a host of other artists. Should be a cool event and you know more than one person’s gonna drop some hot MJ cuts in the mix.
Be safe and have fun out there.
Not enough? You want more? Here are some additional Freakend picks:
Pharoah Sanders w/ Zakir Hussein – Yoshi’s SF, Friday 6/26
McTuff – Boom Boom Room (6/26, 6/27)
Cursive – GAMH, Saturday 6/27
Mark Farina, Syd Gris, etc. – Mission Rock Café, Sunday 6/28
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