SF music

SF music

Bay Area musicians Steve Wyreman (Grammy-winning songwriter) and guitarist Evanne Barcenas co-lead Effie Zilch & Friends. The duo claims influences ranging from Bob Dylan to Jimi Hendrix to Jefferson Airplane to Memphis legends the Staple Singers. Beyond music, they draw inspiration from visual art (Maxfield Parrish), poetry (Walt Whitman), and classical music (Maurice Ravel). Effie Zilch's latest release, the EP, follows three previous long players, all since 2022.

Fisher marked the first time Moscone Center hosted something enormous like this; I went on the second night of a two-night takeover, December 20. Operationally, it ran surprisingly smoothly for a first-time venue. Crowd-wise: a lot of phones, a lot of jerseys, a lot of people filming drops they will absolutely never watch again. It felt like a first "rave" moment for a lot of folks since it was an 18+ event.

Bottom of the Hill co-owners Ramona Downey, Kathleen Owen, and Lynn Schwarz announced on social media Friday that the legendary Potrero Hill music venue will be closing its doors at the end of the year after 35 years in business. Coyote Media spoke with Downey, Owen, and Schwarz, who said it was the hardest decision we've ever made, but they all agreed it's time to move on whether it be relaxing or pursuing other projects. They also cited rising operation costs, shifting demographics, and the corporatizing of music as contributing factors in the closure.

Run a 5K and celebrate with a cup of cocoa, get off the apps at a speed-dating event, reconnect with your inner child at the roller rink, learn something new about monarch butterflies, head to a free museum days, or watch an old favorite while the San Francisco Symphony serenades you with the score. Happy New Year! Jump ahead to this week's top events: Salsa your way into the new year at four weeks of progressive salsa lessons.

Space Ghost & Teddy Bryant teamed up this year for the Majestic Fantasies album that shines a light on late '80s and early '90s sounds that possess that swing. Through the prism of R&B, UK street soul, house, and g-funk, both artists polish up what seems to be back in the cultural zeitgeist these days-but for the discerning listener, it never went out of style.

Under the direction of Jory Fankuchen, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra presents its MainStage Concerts series, which will be held in a variety of Bay Area venues. Exploring a varied repertoire, the series has featured an eclectic assortment of works. The second installment in the current series, "The Revolutionary Artist," presents Ludwig van Beethoven's 1812 Symphony No. 7, Niccolò Paganini's Violin Concerto, 1st movement (circa 1815) and Louise Farrenc's Symphony No. 3, 4th movement from 1847.

Downtown First Thursdays is back for a full year of street parties in 2026: Starting Jan 1, 2026 with a New Year's Day Edition. DJs - Live Performances - Dancing - Drag - Food Trucks - Shopping - Fashion, and new surprises every month. All Ages | All Vibes | FREE! ☀️ ☔ DFT IS ON RAIN OR SHINE Rain or shine, you can find fun in and outdoors on 2nd St. and around the block.

Did you fuck up your New Year's Eve? Whether you want a second chance to ring in the New Year right this time, or just don't want the party to end, Bootie Mashup's NYE Do-Over Party is here for you! We'll be doing it all over again, complete with a midnight countdown, confetti, party hats, and all the best pop mashups from the past year!

Every Thursday Through January 1st. Submitted by the Event Organizer Free Thursday Party featuring DJs spinning House, Disco, Remixes, Currents, Classics and more every Thursday at White Rabbit. Join us at White Rabbit on Thursdays for Inner Circle, a weekly get-together dedicated to the DJ and a love for dance music. No cover. No worries! Inner Circle Thursdays Every Thursday | 9pm 'til late White Rabbit, 3138 Fillmore St., SF Inner Circle is alwaysFree with RSVP

Cunning, a longtime rapper and producer from Frisco, and the South Bay's DJBADDJ will be on stage for the majority of the night, as some of their talented friends "stop by" for performances. The evening's list of holiday helpers includes lyrical titans like San Francisco's A1, Texas' Pudge, the East Bay's Ashkon and QM of the Rec League crew. In addition to performing on Saturday night, the aforementioned guests will be briefly interviewed on stage.

We would like to extend a heartfelt holiday greeting to everyone who chooses to see what the hell Shiver is writing about musically at Under The Stars this week and every week. 48Hills would greatly appreciate your support during this gift-giving season to help ensure this community-based platform continues to exist through 2026. No freakin joke, Mang. So to put you up on game

For the past 15 years Ominous Ruin has been one of the Bay Area's favorite technical death metal outfits. This year they returned with not only a new album- released last May-but they also brought with them a whole new brutal vocalist, Crystal Rose. And something is definitely working as Requiem has received some serious acclaim from underground metal critics and publications.

Lighting it up since 1975, San Francisco celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first giant public menorah outside Israel, a landmark Bill Graham project that went on to inspire thousands of menorahs around the world. This year's eight-night festival brings music, community gatherings, and nightly ceremonies honoring leaders and traditions across the Jewish community. Union Square Menorah Lighting Schedule 2025 December 14-22, 2025 Sunday, December 14 "Bill Graham Menorah Day"

June feels a long way away, but San Francisco's Stern Grove Festival is already cooking up its summer lineup. On Friday, the free concert series announced the first artist of its 2026 roster: Bomba Estéreo is set to play at the grove on June 21. The Colombian band's music fuses cumbia, electronics and psychedelia. Over synthesizers and guitars, lead singer Li Saumet alternates between singing and rapping.

With the busy holiday season upon, it's worth making the best use of your time. Or forget all that and just have a blast. Either way, we are here for your, so let's get to it, shall we? (As always, be sure to double check event and venue websites for any last-minute changes in health guidelines or other details.) Meanwhile, if you'd like to have this Weekender lineup delivered to your inbox every Thursday morning for free, just sign up at www.mercurynews.com/newsletters or www.eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.

Dive into a multidimensional, multimedia celebration of visionary art, consciousness, and sonic innovation at Twisting the Rabbit Hole, a one-evening-only event produced by the Psychedelic Puppet Show. Taking place on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at Heron Arts, this experience features a psychedelic film festival, a conversation of luminaries, and the world premiere of the new 3D version of DJ Q-bert's trippy 2001 cult classic , Wave Twisters. After the screening, we'll party with DJ Q-bert performing live.

Dubbed "part circus, part carnival, part festival," Shaq's Fun House is coming to the Bay Area for its eighth iteration over Super Bowl weekend in February. The event, which in previous years has tagged along with the Super Bowl in its host city and brought together major stars in hip-hop and the DJ circuit, will be landing at the Cow Palace in Daly City on Friday, February 6, and tickets go on sale this Friday (Dec 12) at 10 am.

Well, hello lovers of music and culture. We are Under the Stars, a quasi-weekly column that stays on message with strong-ass opinions, presenting new music releases, upcoming shows, and other adjacent items. chokecherry, Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls When I finally caught SF's buzziest band, chokecherry, live and in person back in June, while taking in those rich, velvety atmospheric moments from their previous release, the Messy Star EP. Great name, BTW. Immediately, I got it. Sped-up goth, '90s counterculture grunge with alt-rock fuzz?

Co-founded by arranger, bassist, composer, producer and trombonist Adam Theis, Jazz Mafia is a Bay Area collective of top players, singers, composers, arrangers and even MCs. Launched in 2000, Jazz Mafia has been incredibly prolific, releasing more than 40 albums. The versatile ensemble has the chops and drive to tackle most any style, from the most out-there experimental jazz to traditional holiday favorites.

Multiple successive generations received their introduction to jazz through a beloved if unlikely source: the holiday television specials featuring Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts characters. Bay Area-based jazz legend Vince Guaraldi composed and played the music for several of those animated features; among the most treasured is A Charlie Brown Christmas, first broadcast in 1965 (and every year since then). Guaraldi's eminently tuneful and accessible music turned kids onto jazz without their knowing what was happening.