#live-performance

#live-performance

The 2025 Aftershock Festival closed up shop on Sunday by delivering another full day's worth of heavy sounds and cool performances. Rob Zombie, Marilyn Mason, Bring Me the Horizon, Mudvayne and In This Moment were among the big-name acts to perform on the fourth and final day of this year's Aftershock Festival at Discovery Park in San Francisco. Here's a look at some of our favorite moments, accompanied with stunning photos from ace rock photographer Chris Riley:

In the electrifying landscape of 2025, Lucy Dreams is at the forefront of a revolutionary fusion of art and technology, reshaping the very essence of pop music. With their upcoming LP VVVVV, the band amplifies their iconic identity, combining the warmth of analogue with the cutting-edge pulse of the digital world. At the heart of this project is Lucy, their innovative artificial band member, who enhances their creative journey and challenges perceptions of collaboration.

In a pop era where personal messiness is the oxygen of fame, Dua Lipa is the rare unfazed professional. Just as Taylor Swift and Charli XCX's (extremely asymmetrical) feud spilled over the Hot 100 trenches, in comes Lipa's Radical Optimism tour for four nights at the Forum to reassert that it is, in fact, possible to spin off hits while leaving one's personal life unscathed.

Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier looked out at the tens of thousands of heavy metal fans stretched out before him at Discovery Park in Sacramento and clearly liked what he saw. It's good to be back to our favorite (expletive) festival in the United States Aftershock, the vocalist-guitarist said. Basically, he summed up what everyone in the house or, umm, field was thinking: It was indeed so incredibly great to be back and rocking to four days of heavy music at the mighty Aftershock Festival.

Queens of the Stone Age kicked off their "Catacombs Tour" in Chicago on Thursday, October 2nd. During their 17-song set at the Chicago Theatre, the band debuted a new song fans are calling "Easy Street." Catchy and melodic, the song has drawn comparisons to David Bowie's Let's Dance era, with other fans noting a "Flamenco vibe." Another Redditor wrote that the track "sounded like it was a Broadway scene."

Before Polo & Pan existed, the duo, Paul Armand-Delille and Alexandre Grynszpan, knew each other from their separate performances at Parisian bar Le Baron. Sensing synergy, the two musicians joined forces in 2012. At first, they mixed existing songs before producing their own music. This proved the correct move as in the following years, the duo became one of the leading electronic acts in France, echoing the careers of their musical ancestors, Justice and Daft Punk.

Everything is listenable and just plain fun, whether you're driving to work or picnicking on a late summer afternoon. When she's on stage, though, something about Chinouriri really clicks. She looks each fan directly in the eyes when she's waving at them. She played air guitar for some songs and triumphantly raised her microphone stand for others. It was almost palpable when the audience saw her; she just has so much energy and true stage presence.

Not only have Turnstile become one of the premier artists of the ongoing hardcore resurgence, but they've grown into that role with a noticeable amount of grace. Though born in the punk intimacy of crammed clubs, the Baltimore act has proven over the last few years that they can light up a sprawling festival stage or sold-out amphitheater as efficiently as anyone. Last night in Chicago, at the Huntington Bank Pavilion, they did just that.

cementing its legacy as one of the world's most well-known electronic duos. On YouTube, the grainy black-and-white video for "Galvanize" has 118 million views, while 1999's "Hey Boy Hey Girl" - which features a glorious ensemble of dancing CGI skeletons - has surpassed 90 million. The visuals for "Let Forever Be," directed by Michel Gondry, is a kaleidoscopic masterpiece using practical effects rarely seen today and remains a personal favorite.

Onstage, Manchester four-piece Maruja conduct a series of distinct rituals. Like Moses commanding the Red Sea, sax player Joseph Carroll might gesture for the crowd to part down the middle, then join them to kick off the first song. Singer and guitarist Harry Wilkinson will peel off his shirt and pump through a few pushups at the top of "Break the Tension." Drummer Jacob Hayes and bassist Matt Buonaccorsi may wave their arms in slow motion, like mediums leading a seance.

Now, more than ever, we need to brass against the machine. At least that's what founding guitar player Brad Hammonds thought during the first Trump administration.

What an honor to host Fito Paez, one of the pioneers of Argentine rock, at the Tiny Desk for the start of Latin Music Month. In 1984, Paez released his debut solo album one year after Augusto Pinochet's brutal dictatorship, joining the swell of Spanish language rock and roll that was growing in Argentina. His lyrical insight was poignant then and resonates now. In this set, his beloved storytelling is on full display as well as his connection to the audience.

Mac DeMarco was the musical guest on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert last night (September 11), where he played "Shining" from his new album . Backed by his four-piece band, DeMarco sang and rocked from side to side as a screen played gentle footage of galloping horses. Saddle up below.

Produced by the trailblazing queer British duo Charlie Zlutz and Vascha, "Diva" transcends mere entertainment; it's a movement. The accompanying visualizer features Ivy adorned in stunning gold body paint, juxtaposed against a dark and shimmering universe that symbolises transformation, inner power, and the radiant glow that comes from embracing one's true identity. This vivid imagery captures the essence of owning who you are and shining brightly, even in the shadows.

In an empty comedy theater, Mack Lee is strutting around in a diaper. The local comedian moves toward a camera, sipping from a baby bottle filled with champagne. An unlit cigarette rests on Lee's bottom lip. It's 10 weeks until the next installment of Punchlines & Piledrivers, and Lee, who performs as an infantile character dubbed Bad Baby, needs to cut a promo for the pro-wrestling-inspired improv comedy show before an upcoming battle in October.

With each subsequent tour, PUP and Jeff Rosenstock's respective scopes continue to grow. Between well-received albums and increasingly dedicated fanbases, both acts have been able to fill bigger venues just about every time they embark on a new run (and deservingly so, might we add). Fortunately, they've also managed to successfully scale their high-energy stage show with each jump, retaining a sense of intimacy even as the crowds grow more expansive.

Watch the performance below. As a song about - well, climaxing - Carpenter unsurprisingly pushed the envelope with her performance. She emerged from a manhole and soon found herself soaked in the rain. She was joined by a group of drag performers holding signs with slogans like "Dolls, Dolls, Dolls," "If You Hate You'll Never Get Laid," and "Protect Trans Rights."

We spoke of Jerry Garcia and Elton John spent plenty of time on the subject of his dear ol' pal Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and touched upon his days working with such punk acts of X and Fear. He even mentioned that he'd read my recent interview with Robby Krieger of The Doors. Of course, he also talked a ton about Three Dog Night.

Everyone is trying to out-scream and out-diva each other at AG Cook's sold-out Brooklyn Paramount show. Midway through his Friday-night DJ set for his Britpop 25 tour, the producer and moptopped dungeon master of the hyperpop universe has put on his Von Dutch remix, a standout single from last summer's Brat invasion that brings pop princesses Charli xcx and Addison Rae together for some prima donna repartee atop a distorted, industrial production.

Known for its panoramic views of Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley, Smuggler Mountain was conveniently a couple of miles from the Aspen Ideas Festival campus. The band Lucius and our crew took a short trek up a dirt road to arrive at the historic Smugger Mine. Once inside, we walked through the cold and damp Clark Tunnel and arrived at a man-made cavern. There Lucius played "Dusty Trails," perhaps appropriate for the fossilized surroundings.

The Video Vanguard Award is presented to an artist who has shown outstanding contributions as well as a profound impact on music videos and popular culture. Previous Vanguard Award recipients include Katy Perry, Shakira, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Janet Jackson, LL COOL J, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake and Missy Elliott. David Bowie, The Beatles and director Richard Lester shared the honor at the first-ever VMAs (1984).

For a weekly email blast of the best in San Francisco culture, sign up for our Fogcutter newsletter . San Francisco is on a hot streak. The past three weekends of concerts in Golden Gate Park pumped a reported $150 million into the city, and San Francisco has climbed out of last place in a ranking of office foot traffic. Plus, Treasure Island is getting a Meat Carnival in October.

Almost 10 years to the day after a show at the Troubadour that marked the release of her album "Emotion," Carly Rae Jepsen brought the 2015 LP back to the same West Hollywood club on Tuesday night for a sold-out one-off gig in which she played "Emotion" from beginning to end. The follow-up to Jepsen's un-follow-uppable 2012 smash "Call Me Maybe," "Emotion" wasn't exactly the hit the singer and her team were hoping for. Yet over time, the album - which Jepsen made with a host of hip producers and songwriters including Rostam, Ariel Rechtshaid and Blood Orange's Dev Hynes - became a cult favorite beloved for its squirmy '80s R&B grooves and its tone of unabashed yearning.

Join us for a free night of music and dancing in downtown Millbrae on August 21st from 5-8 PM. Local talent Justin & Jeremy Garcia will start at 5 PM, followed by Pride and Joy from 6-8 PM. This event invites everyone to bring friends, family, and dancing shoes for an enjoyable evening.

"SHUCKED is the Tony Award-winning musical comedy featuring an unlikely hero and an unscrupulous con man, set against a backdrop of a small town's struggle for survival."

"I don't do what the people expect. I do what they demand to see - a great rock show," Thorogood, 75, told the Advance/SILive.com of the upcoming performance, among other things.