Emilie’s Must-See’s: September

Emilie’s Must-See’s: September, Marin Magazine

9.1 – Nicki Bluhm with Scott Law and Ross James – Gundlach Bundshcu Winery – www.gunbun.com – Doors 7:00/ Show 8:00 – $33

My favorite singer with my favorite guitarist. ‘Nuff said. (Check out my interview with Scott Law on this blog. And the countless times I’ve written about Nicki.)

 

9.5-9.9 – Café Tacvba – The Independent –  www.theindependentsf.com – Show 8:00 –  $49.50

This Mexican rock band is playing for five nights at The Independent, so you have no excuse to miss them! Two nights are already sold out, so don’t wait too long to get your tickets.

 

9.6 – Metalachi with Diego’s Umbrella– The Sweetwater– www.sweetwatermusichall.com– Doors 7:00/ Show 8:00 – $15-18

The world’s first and only heavy metal mariachi band meets my favorite gypsy punk band. What could go wrong??

 

9.7 – New Orleans Suspects– The Sweetwater– www.sweetwatermusichall.com– Doors 8:00/ Show 9:00 $27-32

This classic Nola band will have you on your feet, dancing the night away! Check out “Swampthang,” or “36 Cars” if you want more of a sense of their vibe.  

 

9.7 – Steve Poltz– Terrapin Crossroads– www.terrapincrossroads.net– Doors 7:00/ Show 8:00 – $25-30

He’s handsome, he’s quirky, he’s one of the best songwriters in town, and yes…he jumped off the stage at High Sierra Music Festival and sang in the crowd, so who knows what he’ll do next. He’s a local favorite and a local hero – don’t mss him!

 

Steve Poltz

 

9.8 – Gov’t Mule– The Fox Theater– www.thefoxoakland.com– Doors 7:00/ Show 8:00 – $39.50-55

Gov’t Mule is a longstanding jam band born as a side project of The Allman Brothers Band in 1994. They’ve played countless festivals and have released nine studio albums.

 

9.10-9.11 – The War on Drugs– The Fox Theater– www.thefoxoakland.com– Doors 7:00/ Show 8:00 – $46.00

Two nights of this sensational rock band from Philadelphia means you have no excuse to miss them! Hits include, “Pain,” “Thinking of a Place,” and “Holding On.”

 

9.12 – Mavis Staples– Freight and Salvage– www.thefreight.org– Doors 6:00/ Show 8:15 – $175 – 500

What better way to celebrate Freight and Salvage’s 50thAnniversary then with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples?

 

Mavis Staples

 

9.12 Macy Gray– The Fillmore– www.thefillmore.com– Doors 7:00/ Show 8:00 – $47.50

She’s an amazing R&B singer whose voice has been compared to the raspy stylings of Billie Holiday. Check out “I Try,” and “Sugar Daddy.”

 

9.13 – Langhorne Slim– Terrapin Crossroads– www.terrapincrossroads.net– Doors 7:00 / Show 8:00 – $26-30

This dashing singer-songwriter’s song “Electric Love Letter,” was chosen as number 5 on the Rolling Stoneeditor’s top ten picks. He’s toured with such credible acts as Cake, The Avett Brothers, and Lucero.

 

9.14 – Mustache Harbor– The Sweetwater– www.sweetwatermusichall.com– Doors 8:00/ Show 9:00 – $22-27

Because they all have mustaches…because they all dance in sync…because on a Friday night, what more could you want? As they say on their webite, “Our mission…is to build a mustache army and create a Soft Rock Explosion.” Ride on. 

 

9.14-9.15 TheRecord Company– The Fillmore– www.thefillmore.com– Doors 7:30/ Show 8:30 – $25.50

I had the pleasure of seeing these guys acoustic on the VIP BottleRock stage, which only deepened my love for them. “Off the Ground,” might be one of their biggest hits, but there’s plenty of others to sink your teeth into.

 

The Record Company

 

9.15 – Todd Snider– The Sweetwater – www.sweetwatermusichall.com– Doors 8:00/ Show 9:00 – $37-42 

Do yourself a favor and before you see Todd Snider, listen to John Craigie’s song, “I Almost Stole Some Weed from Todd Snider.” It’ll help put our reverence of Todd in context. He’s soulful and sexy, has the perfect country twang, and is a great storyteller.

 

Todd Snider

 

9.15 – T Sisters– Freight and Salvage– www.thefreight.rog– Doors 7:00/ Show 8:00 $20-24

Yes, these three beautiful women are sisters, and yes, they will blow you away with their luscious harmonies. If you’ve never seen them, Freight and Salvage is the perfect venue to sink back and take them in. Check out “Bird Song,” “Come Back Down, “ and “You Don’t Know.”

 

9.18-9.19 Lake Street Dive– The Fillmore– www.thefillmore.com – Doors 7:00/ Show 8:00 – $42.50

I’ve written about this phenomenal band before – they immediately shot to stardom after graduating together from Berklee. Hits include “Good Kisser,” and “The Neighbor Song.” You can also check out their breakout cover of “I Want You Back” on YouTube. 

 

9.20 Liz Phair with Speedy Ortiz– The Fillmore– www.thefillmore.com –  Doors 7:00/ Show 8:00 – $32.50

This beloved Grammy-nominated singer has been making great music since her 1993 debut album, “Exile in Guyville,” was ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the top 500 albums of all time.

 

Liz Phair

 

9.21 Shovels and RopeThe Fillmore – www.thefillmore.com – Doors 7:00/ Show 8:00 – $30.00

Oooh, their harmonies are the sweetest and their groove the grooviest. They sell out every time they’re in the Bay Area. Check out “Birmingham,” and “Gasoline.”

 

9.23 – Sweetwater in the Sun– The Sweetwater – www.sweetwatermusichall.com– Doors 11 am/ Show 12:00 (ends at 7 pm) – $35 (children), $85-120

This first annual Sweetwater Music Hall Festival features Bob Weir, Steve Kimock. Jennifer Hartswick, and Jerry Joseph, among others. A whole bunch of superstars. And then afterwards…

 

9.23 – Martin Sexton– The Sweetwater– www.sweetwatermusichall.com– Doors 7:00/ Show 8:00 – SOLD OUT

He’s my favorite, my absolute favorite, and you should try to see him no matter what, no matter when. I bought my ticket in May (and am coming home early from a weekend of camping) just to make sure I wouldn’t miss him in this more intimate, hometown setting. Check out the entire album “Black Sheep,” the song “Glory Bound,” in particular, then stand outside and hope for tickets. Worth it. 

 

Martin Sexton

 

9.25 – Marc Broussard– Freight and Salvage– www.thefreight.org– Doors 7:00/ Show 8:00 – $30-34

I am going to be a fan of this man forever and ever because of the song, “Home.” Oh, it’s so good, stop reading right now and listen to it. Okay…his style has been described as “bayou soul,” but what I can tell you is the richness of his voice is like Nathanial Rateliff and his songwriting is like Marc Cohn. Don’t miss this one.

 

9.27– John Oates – The Sweetwater– www.sweetwatermusichall.com– Show 8:00 – $47-$72

Yep – he’s the half of Hall & Oates that performed my favorite sketch ever on Jimmy Fallon. Besides being a co-writer for many of their hit songs, did you know he was also inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? After writing a memoir, his latest musical project is set for release in 2018. Can’t wait to see him in such an intimate setting.

 

9.27 – Bear Market Riot– The Legionnaire Saloon – www.legionnairesaloon.com– Show 8:00 – $10

I had the pleasure of seeing these guys at Paige Clem’s monthly artist showcase, “Songs About Something” in Albany (an evening you should definitely check out if you haven’t already!), and was impressed by their Americana harmonies, song-writing, and engaging personalities. If you’re in the East Bay, you don’t want to miss this duo.

 

9.28-9.29 – Petty Theft– The Sweetwater– www.sweetwatermusichall.com– Doors 8:00/ Show 9:00 – $27-32

Nope, no one’s going to steal your wallet. Instead, party the night away to this award-winning Tom Petty cover band. Their groove will keep you dancing right into October… 


Emilie Rohrbach

Emilie Rohrbach has taught music and theater to grades pre-school through 8th in San Francisco and Marin counties for the last 20 years. She has been a freelance writer for Divine Caroline for five years, and her writing has appeared in Narratively, Hippocampus, Common Ground, Travelers’ Tales, and Marin Magazine, among others. She is passionate about Room to Read, Shanti Bhavan, and Destiny Arts and serves on the board of Knighthorse Theatre Company.