Portugal. The Man Played The Fillmore - Pictures, Review

Portugal. The Man played the Fillmore Friday night, and Hippies Are Dead was there for the show! Amidst swirling smoke, an epic light show, and droves of sufficiently intoxicated college students, the band from Alaska delivered quite the solid set.

While the lighting choices obscured the band for much of the time, that didn't change the fact that they were clearly well rehearsed, and intent on bringing the rock to their fans. The unfortunate part was that sometimes it seemed that the fans were intent not to notice.

Between the glow of cell phones, frequent Visine pit stops (really people? it's San Francisco!), and facebook updates, many of the audience members seemed to not quite comprehend that the reason they were there was to see a rock show.

Nonetheless, Portugal. The Man stood strong, and delivered on their rock and roll promise, which has recently garnered them a major label deal. While we have to say the audience left something desired, we were glad to see the band didn't seem to notice.

Pictures By Rick Audet

Many more photos at the HAD Archive

Portugal. The Man Contest Winner!

We're happy to announce that Julia from Berkeley won tickets to catch Portugal. The Man at The Fillmore tonight. The Bowie song that Portugal. The Man has been covering that won her the tickets? "Moonage Daydream" Check out the vid above - Yup, it's a doozy. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Contest: Tickets To See Portugal The Man At The Fillmore

As we stumble out of bed to greet you on this Wednesday morning, we have some fantastic news: we've snagged a pair of tickets to catch Portugal. The Man at the always lovely Fillmore this Friday night. The show finds the band on an unquestionably upward trajectory, and should be packed to the gills.

So, how do you snag tickets to this lovely show? Easy: send an email to contests@hippiesaredead.com answering this question: What classic David Bowie track have Portugal. The Man covered live? We'll pick the winner from the entries at random, and notify you by Thursday afternoon!

Good luck!

Broken Social Scene: New Record and Mini Tour On Tap For May

Broken Social Scene at Outside Lands, from the HAD Archive

Let us start by saying that the number of records dropping in 2010 that we are inordinately excited about is ridiculously high. Case in point: Broken Social Scene's first full band effort since 2005 is dropping on May 4th, and we couldn't be more excited. What's more the record was recorded in Chicago at Soma Studios with the awesome John McEntire. Translation: lots and lots and lots of awesomeness in store.

On top of the excitement of a new record, the band has also planned a mini-tour to coincide with the record's release. The tour will make a mere three US stops, with one in San Francisco (at the Fillmore) and one at Webster Hall in New York. The third date is at the Henry Fonda in LA. Needless to say, BSS' live show is as good (if not better) than their records, and there's every reason for you to get your ass out there and make sure you don't miss this.

While we haven't heard any of the new material yet, we're every bit as excited as you are, and can't wait to wrap our ears around it. Meanwhile, we've been occupying ourselves with the spare BSS tracks from the soundtrack to The Tracey Fragments. It's not a new record, but it's something!

Broken Social Scene Spring 2010 Dates
05/01/10 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
05/03/10 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theatre
05/07/10 New York, NY Webster Hall
05/13/10 London, UK Brixton Academy (w/ Pavement)
05/14/10 Minehead, UK All Tomorrow’s Parties
05/15/10 Brighton, UK The Great Escape
05/17/10 London, UK Heaven
05/18/10 Amsterdam, NE Melkweg
05/19/10 Cologne, GR Burgerhaus Stollwerck
05/21/10 Paris, FR La Maroquinerie
05/23/10 Linz, AU LinzFest
06/19/10 Toronto, ON Toronto Island (w/ Pavement, Band of Horses)

Phoenix Coming To The Fillmore At The End Of The Month

Phoenix at The Paradise in Boston, MA - from the HAD Archive

We've managed to catch Phoenix at all sorts of venues over the past year, so we were more than a little bit excited when we discovered the band has made a last minute announcement: they'll be playing San Francisco's Fillmore on January 26th. As the city's (and possibly the nation's) most venerable music establishment, The Fillmore stands strong as one of our favorite places to see a band. Combine that with Phoenix's killer live show, and, well, you'd be very, very, silly to miss it.

Tickets go on sale Sunday at 10 AM PST.

mp3: Phoenix - Fences
pictures: Phoenix in the HAD Archive

Dinosaur Jr. Touring For Farm, Fillmore In November

You may recall that Dinosaur Jr.'s spring tour conspicuously skipped over San Francisco, despite consisting mainly of west coast dates. Well, it appears that the band has decided to remedy that on their extensive tour in support of Farm, with a stop at The Fillmore on November 6th. If you happen to not be in San Francisco, well fear not: it appears that the band has decided to bring the Dinosaur Jr. experience to...well....everywhere. Check out the dates below.

Dinosaur Jr. 2009 Tour Dates
Jun 30 Boogaloo Zagreb
Jul 4 Halifax V-Festival Halifax, Nova Scotia
Jul 25 Fuji Rock Festival Yuzawa-machi, Niigata
Aug 8 KEXP BBQ @ Seattle Center - Free Show Seattle, Washington
Aug 14 Wellfleet Beachcomber Wellfleet, Massachusetts
Aug 16 Central Park SummerStage - FREE SHOW New York, New York
Aug 19 Oxford Academy Oxford
Aug 20 Cambridge Junction Cambridge
Aug 21 Concorde 2 Brighton
Aug 22 Pukkelpop 2009 Hasselt
Aug 24 Abart Music Club Zurich
Aug 25 Den Atelier Luxenbourg City
Aug 26 Watt Rotterdam
Aug 27 Paradiso Amsterdam
Aug 28 Kb Club Malmo
Aug 29 Samfundet Trondheim
Aug 30 Rockefeller Music Hall Oslo
Sep 5 Anson Rooms-Bristol University Bristol
Sep 6 Elysee Montmartre Paris
Sep 8 Circolo degli Artisti Rome
Sep 10 Estragon Club Bologna
Sep 11 MusicDrome Milan
Sep 12 New Age Club Treviso
Sep 14 Arena Vienna Vienna
Sep 15 Rockhouse Salzburg
Sep 16 Manufaktur Schorndorf
Sep 17 Zakk Dusseldorf
Sep 18 Muffathalle Munich
Sep 20 Mousonturm Frankfurt
Sep 21 Astra Berlin
Sep 23 Beatpol Dresden
Sep 24 Reeperbahn Festival Hamburg
Sep 30 Phoenix Concert Theatre Toronto, Ontario
Oct 1 Theatre Olympia Montreal, Quebec
Oct 2 Middle East Cambridge, Massachusetts
Oct 3 Middle East Cambridge, Massachusetts
Oct 4 Northern Lights Clifton Park, New York
Oct 7 Toad’s Place New Haven, Connecticut
Oct 8 9:30 Club WASHINGTON, Washington DC
Oct 9 Theatre of the Living Arts Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 10 Newport Music Hall Columbus, Ohio
Oct 11 The Crofoot Pontiac, Michigan
Oct 13 The Majestic Theatre Madison, Wisconsin
Oct 14 The Pageant St. Louis, Missouri
Oct 15 Vic Theatre Chicago, Illinois
Oct 16 Headliner’s Music Hall Louisville, Kentucky
Oct 17 Variety Playhouse Atlanta, Georgia
Oct 26 The Beaumont Club Kansas City, Missouri
Oct 27 Slowdown Omaha, Nebraska
Oct 29 Boulder Theater Boulder, Colorado
Oct 30 Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins, Colorado
Oct 31 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, Utah
Nov 3 Marquee Theatre Tempe, Arizona
Nov 4 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, California
Nov 5 House of Blues Sunset West Hollywood, California
Nov 6 The Fillmore San Francisco, California
Nov 7 Wonder Ballroom Portland, Oregon
Nov 10 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, British Columbia
Nov 11 Sugar Nightclub Victoria, British Columbia
Nov 13 The Starlite Room Edmonton
Nov 14 MacEwan Hall Ballroom Calgary, Alberta
Nov 16 Odeon Events Centre Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Nov 17 Pyramid Cabaret Winnepeg, Manitoba
Nov 18 First Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nov 19 Turner Hall Ballroom Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nov 20 Grog Shop Cleveland Heights, Ohio

mp3: Dinosaur Jr. - I Want You To Know

Doves Played The Fillmore - Pictures, Review, Setlist

On Monday night, Doves dropped in at the Fillmore. San Francisco showed them the love, and they showed it right back. Over the course of an hour and a half, the UK trio (joined by a fourth on keyboards) delivered an energetic set that clearly left both the band and the crowd more than a little enthusiastic. The set drew from all over the band's catalog, from the opener "Jetstream" to the closer "There Goes The Fear". As well as being highly entertaining, it was also a testament to just what a great body of work the band has amassed over the past ten years.

Seeing Doves live is something of an eye opening experience if you're only familiar with the records. The band's studio recordings tend to be highly manicured, layered affairs that seem largely devoid of a "personal" side. Put differently, the band's records can seem a bit icy at times. By stark contrast, the live experience is so full of vitality that you might be shocked if it was your first time seeing the band in person. They so clearly enjoy playing and interacting with the audience, it's a wonder they don't tour more often. On Monday night, it was obvious that the smiles and enthusiasm on both sides of the stage were as genuine as they come.

Obviously, however, enthusiasm can only take you so far, and at some point you need to match it with technical skill. Lucky for them, Doves has it in spades. It's enough of a miracle that the band can reproduce their sound live, but that they can do it so dynamically and accurately, and then add a layer newness on top is simply stunning. The band are all multi-instrumentalists, with everyone singing, adding percussion, and generally working together to create a massive soundscape. To see the trio all singing, while at the same time laying down blistering bass, guitar, and drum parts was a sight (and sound) to behold.

Despite not having a big American chart presence, Doves have manage to carve out a solid American fan base, and it's frankly easy to see why. Their records are carefully crafted and released as they see fit, and then backed by tours that emphasize the strengths of the record so strongly that it's impossible not to find yourself clamoring for more. To be frank, our only complaint is that the band doesn't make their way across the Atlantic more often - we'd love to see them again soon.

Setlist
--
Jetstream
Snowden
Winter Hill
Rise
Pounding
Almost Forgot
10:03
Compulsion
Words
Denier
Kingdom Of Rust
Ambition
Black And White World
The Outsiders
Caught By The River
--
Firesuite
Here It Comes
Last Broadcast
There Goes The Fear

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive

Jarvis Cocker Plots Summer Tour

Jarvis Cocker's forthcoming second solo album is certainly high on our list of must-haves for the year. Given that, we were stoked to see that Cocker has planned a brief summer tour, with a few notable US stops. Sadly, if you're not on one of the coasts, you're out of luck: the tour's only US stops are in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Lucky us!

Cocker's SF stop will be at The Fillmore, and having seen his 2007 show at the same venue, we can assure you that this is one you won't want to miss. The combination of Cocker's epic showmanship with San Francisco's most notable venue is just way too sweet to pass up. Combine that with a whole album's worth of material, and well, you get the idea. Tickets are on sale now.

mp3: Jarvis Cocker - Angela

Jarvis Cocker Summer 2009 Dates
May 29 Primavera Festival Barcelona
May 31 Vega Copenhagen
Jun 2 Fabrik Hamburg
Jun 3 Rockhal Luxembourg
Jun 4 Bataclan Paris
Jun 6 Ancienne Belgique Brussels
Jun 10 Empress Ballroom Blackpool
Jun 12 ABC Glasgow
Jun 14 Rock City Nottingham
Jun 16 Brighton Dome Brighton
Jun 17 Troxy London
Jun 19 Ejekt Festival Athens
Jul 24 Secret Garden Party Huntingdon
Jul 27 Wiltern Theater Los Angeles
Jul 28 Fillmore Theater San Francisco
Jul 30 Terminal 5 New York
Aug 8 Berlin Festival Berlin
Aug 21 Frequency Festival St. Polten
Aug 22 Green Man Festival Brecon Beacons

Cornelius Returning To Fillmore In May, Deerhoof Supports

Picture from the HAD Archive

We here at HAD are huge fans of Japanese audio wizard Cornelius. Between his devotion to surround sound, incredible experimental records, and riveting live show, he simply brings something completely unique to the world of music. The last time we saw him, he was playing at The Fillmore as part of his tour for Sensuous. Since then, he's released a surround mix of the record, and continued to tour the world.

Given by how wowed we were the last time he was in town, we were psyched to recently discover that he'll be returning to The Fillmore on May 12th. His show is a completely trippy, synchronized performance that will totally drop your jaw. We highly recommend it. What's more, local faves Deerhoof will be supporting - that's double the bang for your buck! In addition, the somewhat-small tour will be making stops all along the west coast. Dates are below, and tickets are on sale now.

mp3: Cornelius - Point Of View Point
mp3: Deerhoof - Offend Maggie

Cornelius/Deerhoof Spring 2009 Dates
May 8 Lunario Mexico City
May 9 Plaza de la Liberacion Guadalajara
May 12 Fillmore Auditorium San Francisco, California
May 13 Rio Theater Santa Cruz, California
May 14 Mayan Theater Los Angeles, California
May 16 The Glasshouse Pomona, California

Beach House And The Walkmen Played The Fillmore: Pics, Review

Riding the success of an awesome new album is never a bad thing. Nor is having a lead singer who is not only charismatic, but whose voice is also in top form. Nor is having a band that is wildly technically proficient, but adept enough to make it look effortless. Suffice it to say: Last night at The Fillmore The Walkmen proved without a doubt that they are very much in the game, and are delivering one of the best live shows you can see today.

The set opened with Beach House, who brought along their own group of devout fans, and delivered a solid set. We at HAD had heard the band described as "mellow", and as such were sort of expecting something relatively soft, which a certain warm vibe to it. Quite to the contrary, the band delivered a set that was "mellow" more in the sense of Mazzy Star or Portishead.

There was a certain sense of melancholy, and many of the melodies were weighty and plodding. Atmospheric guitars abounded, and Victoria Legrand's deep breathy vocals set a somber mood for most of the tunes. That being said, we also got the distinct feel of classic motown in her delivery, and it served to make for a group of songs that had much more depth than was first apparent. After soaking up the set, we have to say the band won us over.

Following Beach House's set, The Walkmen took the stage and launched into a set that traversed all four of their records. Surprisingly (simply because of its newness to the catalogue), some of the biggest crowd reactions were to the band's latest, You & Me. Both "In The New Year" and "Red Moon" both received rapturous applause.

The band has chosen to travel with a horn section (much like the ad hoc one from their 2006 tour), and many of the songs featured new horn arrangements. This served as the gateway for a performance of an HAD favorite "Louisiana". While it didn't win over the crowd as some of the "hits", we have to say we were glad to hear the tune.

On top of a fantastic setlist, we have to say that Hamilton Leithauser's voice was in the best shape we've heard it in years. Throughout the set, he effortlessly hung onto notes, and delivered all of the high notes with pitch-perfect crystal-clear precision. All vocalists have on and off days, and last night was most definitely an "on" one for Leithauser.

For us, however, the highlights of the night were two Walkmen "classics": "Thinking Of A Dream I Had" and "Wake Up". Both were simply smoking hot versions of the songs that had the band firing on all cylinders, and the audience right along with them. The Walkmen have the amazing good fortune of having created a truly unique sound, and having ridden the wave of critical acclaim and skepticism to come out on the other side. Their performance is instilled with a new found confidence that left us feeling, unquestionably, that The Walkmen are here to stay.

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive

Reminder: The Walkmen And Beach House Are At The Fillmore Tonight

Picture from the HAD Archive

Okay, so it's raining for the first time in a while, and despite the positive impact on the environment, you're a little bummed. Well, what better way to alleviate the rainy day blues than to attend a sweet rock and roll show? No better way, we say!

The Walkmen and Beach House are playing tonight at The Fillmore, and we're more than a little psyched. We haven't seen the Walkmen since their much-loved-around-these-parts-record You & Me dropped, and by all accounts Beach House can really deliver in the live enviro. The combination should be, well...stellar.

Tickets are already sold out, but you can always dig about...

mp3: The Walkmen - There Goes My Baby (YouSendIt, click through)

Willie Nelson: New Record, Five Nights At The Fillmore

While we have no idea what sort of show it'll shape up to be, it caught our eye that Willie Nelson will be playing a five night run, starting tonight, at The Fillmore. While we wouldn't call ourselves Nelson connoisseurs, we dig a fair amount of his work, and we were really quite smitten with 2006's Ryan Adams produced, Cardinals backed, Songbird.

Willie is lined up to release a new record, entitled Willie And The Wheel, in February. The record is a collaboration with Asleep At The Wheel, and apparently is "a collection of classic western swing songs handpicked by the late Jerry Wexler". The current tour features Willie with the band, and is in support of the yet-to-be-released disc. Which is to say, we'd guess you can expect to preview more than a couple of tracks from the record.

Put differently: if you like your music country and your cigarettes green, then we've found your choice entertainment!

Tickets are sold out for all shows - craigslist?

Droney Noise Rock Super Bill: Primal Scream and Brian Jonestown Massacre Come To The Fillmore

Photo from the HAD Archive

We don't have enough to put this in the "official news" category yet, but it's looking like Primal Scream and Brian Jonestown Massacre will be playing a bill at The Fillmore on Saint Patrick's Day; March 17th, 2009. Presumably this would be part of Primal Scream's US tour for their most recent record, Beautiful Future, while BJM would be continuing their support of My Bloody Underground's legitimate CD release. No official details of a ticket on-sale as of yet, but we'll keep you in the know. In the mean time, head over here and download a free copy of Primal Scream covering Hawkwind's "Urban Guerilla". Enjoy!

The Walkmen: January West Coast Tour, Coming To The Fillmore

Picture from the HAD Archive

Since the release of their newest record You & Me, The Walkmen have yet to play a headlining show in San Francisco. Granted, we got two preview shows that featured tons of tunes from the new record, and there was an Outside Lands appearance. Still, being able to see the band play the tunes after you've had some time to let the record sink in, and this Winter you'll be able to do exactly that.

The Walkmen are putting together a brief West Coast tour at the end of January, and the 21st will see them stopping off at The Fillmore. This is the biggest room they've played in SF in a while, so it'll be interesting to see how it affects their show. What's more, seeing them in San Francisco's most historic rock venue will be a treat unto itself. We've been really digging You & Me, and The Walkmen are one of our faves. Despite a little bit of disenchantment the last time we saw them, it certainly didn't sway us in the least. Add to that the bonus of Beach House opening, who we've heard great things about live. Suffice it to say, we're psyched.

Tickets go on-sale this Sunday through Ticketmaster, or through the Fillmore box office.

Walkmen Winter 2008/09 Tour Dates:
December 6th 2008 TLA Philadelphia, PA (with Beach House) December 16th 2008 Brooklyn Masonic Temple (with The Dodos) January 19th 2008 Belly Up San Diego (with Beach House)
January 20th 2008 Henry Fonda Theater Los Angeles (with Beach House)
January 21st 2008 Fillmore San Francisco (with Beach House)
January 22nd 2008 Wonder Ballroom Portland (with Beach House)
January 23rd 2008 Neumos Seattle (with Beach House)

Dr. Dog And The Black Keys Played The Fillmore

You may recall that last week we held a contest for some tickets to Dr. Dog and The Black Keys' show at The Fillmore. Well, in addition to sending the winners in that direction, we at HAD decided to send out a few of our own folks as well to check on how the show went.

By all accounts both bands were dead-on with their performances, and delivered some heavily energized sets of retro-bluesy rock and roll. Not surprisingly, for a Converse-sponsored $10 gig, the crowd was a pretty young one. Also not surprisingly, all those under-21's who couldn't buy themselves drinks made-do by sparkin' more than a couple j's over the course of the show.

Still, you can't really argue the logic: There are few places where getting a bit stoned seems more logical than at a fuzzed out blues-rock show. In the end, that's what the bands really delivered. A solid, unerring, unrelenting dose of rock n' roll. And well, if you missed it in all its goodness, you can check out some videos over at Spin.

We here at HAD would like to thank the folks at Converse - not just for sponsoring our ticket contest, but for sponsoring an awesome night of music at a great price. Way too many tickets are heading upwards of $50 these days. To let people see bands they love at prices they can afford is definitely a very worth cause.

All pics by Sarah Klinger. More over at the HAD Archive.

Black Keys Contest Winners Announced

Well kids, everyone can play, but sadly not everyone can win. In the case of tomorrow evening's Black Keys show there could only be two winners. Congratulations to Cristy Sanada and Joel Hawkins! Both of you won a pair of tickets to tomorrow nights show, as well as admission to the pre-show meet and greet! Keep an eye out for a confirmation email, and as for the rest of you, well: there are still ways to get tickets, right?

Contest: Black Keys Ticket Giveaway

So, next Thursday The Black Keys will be playing a sold out show (along with Dr. Dog) at The Fillmore. The show is the final date in the "Converse Century Concert Series", which has had dates with various bands across the country. The idea (apparently) is to get people into sweet shows for only $10 a ticket. Not a bad idea. But wait: we'll take it a step further.

See, the folks at Converse were nice enough to give us two pairs of tickets to give away to this show, and they included bracelets for the pre-show meet and greet with the band beforehand. So, yes, you could win and get to go for $0 - plus you get to meet the band. Killer, right?

All you need to do is send the answer to the following question to contests@hippiesaredead.com by midnight on Tuesday at midnight, which is when we're going to shut the doors. We'll announce the winners on Wednesday.

One entry per person, please. Here goes:
At what Bay Area music festival and on which stage and date did the Black Keys play this year?

Stereolab: New Record, Video Interview, Two Nights At The Fillmore

In the wake of Mary Hansen's death, Stereolab seem to be holding their own: the band's second record since the tragedy has been released this fall. Chemical Chords has all the trademark Stereolab elements: dreamy synths, wispy vocals, and bouncy percussion. The band was apparently trying to "channel" Motown on the record, and sure there are more horn lines than are typical on a Stereolab disc. Still, (unlike, say, Elvis Costello on Get Happy!!!) the band's own sound eclipses any real genre-bending: this is unquestionably a Stereolab record, and any impressions you had of them on the past are probably going to hold strong.

In addition to the new record, the band is also in full swing on tour. This includes two nights at The Fillmore on October 21st and 22nd. If you want to catch your own special dose of dreamy synth-pop, well then this is just the thing. Tickets for both shows are still on sale.

mp3: Stereolab - Three Women (Courtesy of Stereogum)

Video: Pitchfork.tv interviews Stereolab: Part 1, Part 2

Black Kids Show Moves From The Fillmore To GAMH

We're not sure what this says about the Black Kids hype, but it can't be good: The show scheduled for this coming Monday has been moved from The Fillmore to the Great American Music Hall. If you're a fan of the band, this is probably great news: smaller venue, more intimate show. That being said, for a band the venue-downsizing isn't a message of things going well. We were really psyched for this record, and then it dropped and unfortunately suffered a Killers-like major label castration. The sounds are much cleaner, the arrangements are much slicker, and much of the charm that was on the Wizard of Ahhs EP was lost in the process. There has also be a lot of talk about the band not really handling themselves well in a live setting. Not good kids, not good.

Spoon Poster Contest Winners Announced

It's been a week since Spoon and The Heavenly States rocked the Fillmore, and we're still reeling. As such, we're happy to announce the four winners of the fancy-dancy poster seen above: Sierra Gribble, Jeremy May, Anthony Chilelli, and Ashley Anzalone. Congrats to all the winners! Give us a week or two to get them out, folks: we're horribly inefficient around here.

UPDATE: Due to an oversight involving multiple entries (tsk tsk) Robyn Smigel is now also a winner!

For all of you who are a little sad that you didn't win, at least there's a consolation prize! The band has just uploaded their October bonus track: the demo of "In The Right Place The Right Time" (which is in and of itself a b-side...interesting) - click below for awesomeness!

mp3: Spoon - In The Right Place The Right Time (Demo)