Costly Rhythms Music Festival attracts low student turnout
With a headliner as prominent as Big Boi, of the Grammy award-winning hip-hop duo OutKast, and a price tag of $30,000, one might expect Thursday night’s Rhythms Music Festival to be a jam-packed affair….
SF State’s music scene fosters vibrant community
By Kristen Martz and Lovelie Faustino As new students living in the dorms at SF State, Gregory DiMartino and Julian Borrego weren’t allowed to practice their music in their rooms. Instead, they would…
Vocal performance student discovers lost Filipino love songs
Standing at a mere 5-foot-3, 22-year-old Rachel Larsen is packed with passion and — surprisingly — one of the biggest voices you’ve ever heard. As a graduating senior this May, pursuing a degree…
Bay Area punk musician sustains activist lifestyle
With smoke slowly floating out of his mouth as he sits on the legendary stage that he built at Burnt Ramen, the former underground venue inside the iron triangle of Richmond, John Eppard…
PACE promotes Filipino performing artists with ‘Talentado’
From an original spoken word piece dedicated to an ading (Tagalog for younger sibling), to a performance by an Internet sensation with over one million views on a single video, the Filipino American…
Down and Outlaws fires off rock roots in new EP
A common love for Bulleit Bourbon and a shared idolization of David Bowie united members of Down and Outlaws on a smoke-screened journey toward raw, bluesy rockstardom. On a summer night in 2012 at the SUB-Mission…
Before the Brave joins Noise Pop Festival lineup, plays Depot
Philosophy major Kyle Teese finishes a day of classes, hops on his bike, and rides out to the Mission to practice with his band. Though many students are members of local bands, few…
Music alumna finds niche in teaching, performing
Alexandra Sessler has just finished a day at the office teaching students and, while most working people are heading home for the night, she is now rushing to her nighttime performance. Teacher by day…
SF State alumnus births international art collective
Audiopharmacy Prescriptions kicked off their tour in San Francisco at Public Works, an art gallery, bar and community space in the Mission District, performing to hundreds of fans singing along and dancing, Feb. 7….
THE SWAMP: Getting lost with White Arrows @ The Depot
I had just walked out of the bathroom after filming White Arrows guitarist JP Caballero shave, brush his teeth and talk about his time at UCLA when I realized “oh yeah, I’m supposed…
Bay Area death metal drummer beats cancer, rebounds as touring member
Andrew Baird, drummer of a local death metal band Fallujah, was diagnosed with cancer a year ago at age 21. Almost instantly, the daily worries of the average young adult disappeared as Baird…
PHOTOS: SF State Wind Ensemble ends fall semester on a high note
The SF State Wind Ensemble, composed of 45 musicians, traveled to its first off-campus performance at Sonoma State University Dec. 7. The ensemble is known for featuring new compositions in its performances and…
Punk quells straight edge stereotype
The term straight edge was coined in the Minor Threat song “Straight Edge” more than 30 years ago, but after decades of misrepresentation, the term has been skewed. Straight edgers don’t drink, smoke…
Q&A: Dying Fetus’ Trey Williams on new album ‘Reign Supreme,’ tour and death metal
Editor’s note: This post contains some explicit language and material that may be considered offensive. Death metal has always been about pushing limits to the extreme, either musically or lyrically. Naming your band…
PHOTOS: Blue Scholars executes electrifying performance at The Fillmore
The Seattle-based music group Blue Scholars, made up of MC Geologic and DJ and music producer Sabzi, returned to San Francisco for their “Town All Day” tour on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at The…
Bears! Bears! Bears! packs flurry of emotions in first full-length album
After an arduous recording process, the band Bears! Bears! Bears! is finally ready to deliver its new album full of danceable doom and gloom. Self-described as “the Bay Area’s most depressing party band,”…
Q&A: Milo Greene’s Robbie Arnett on songwriting, tour and San Francisco
Los Angeles indie-folk quintet, Milo Greene has been on quite the tour lately. After their debut self titled album peaked at number one on the Billboard Heatseaker 100 this summer, they have embarked on…
SF State’s Voice winner balances love for music, education
When the winner of SF State’s Voice competition was announced in Jack Adams Hall Oct. 25, Anna Nguyen seemed to freeze, standing with her mouth agape in complete surprise at hearing her name,…
PHOTOS: Waka Flocka Flame enraptures roaring crowd at The Depot
More than 200 students tried to cram themselves into The Depot to get a glimpse of Southern hip-hop sensation, Waka Flocka Flame, today. The meet and greet, organized by SF State’s radio station,…
Biology major Anna Nguyen named SF State’s Voice
The office of Student Life has finally found SF State’s Voice with the conclusion of the month-long singing competition Thursday night. Anna Nguyen was dubbed the winner of SF State’s first singing competition….
Classical music fans treated to top-notch performances at Morrison Artists Series
The excitement buzzing around the corridors of the Creative Arts Building for the 57th season of the Morrison Artists Series can be heard just like the music reverberating throughout its chambers. Funded by Edward Hohfeld,…
PHOTOS: Treasure Island Music Festival rocks San Francisco weekend
Music lovers gathered at the Treasure Island Music Festival on Saturday and Sunday to listen to a host of renowned musicians. The two-day festival delivered a wide range of live music and great…
SF State alumnus Will White works on sustained legacy of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Driving from stage to stage in a golf cart through crowds of hundreds of thousands of people, SF State alumnus Will White made Warren Hellman’s band wish list come true each year. Hellman,…
PHOTOS: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass invites artists, music lovers for 3-day fest
As the saying goes for many experiences — you never forget your first. Three days, six stages, hundreds of thousands of fans and a wide variety of music for no cost make the…
PHOTOS: SF State students show off vocal chops in ‘Voice’ competition
Student Life has taken it upon themselves to discover who has the greatest voice on campus with SF State’s Voice Competition. The month-long singing engagement is based off the popular NBC reality TV…
SF State student bands jam out in dorms despite regulations
The cramped confines of his dorm room may stifle many things for George Carpenter, but artistic expression is not one of them. With his amplifier turned to a moderate volume, Carpenter sits on…
VIDEO: SF State spices up Noise Complaint with Latin flavor
Sweaty bodies, blazing trumpets and twirling hips all come together at Noise Complaint: Fiesta. The school dance party, organized by Student Life took place Sept. 22 at the Library Annex II at SF…
Bay Area Rainbow Symphony returns with season opening concert
With tinkling percussion and sure strokes of their bows, the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony filled the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with the beginnings of its 2012-13 season. Reunions abounded at the BARS…
PHOTOS, VIDEO: The Cataracs gives stellar performance for SF State crowd
The Cataracs, the electronic dance hip-hop group based out of Los Angeles ushered a party-ready crowd to SF State Sunday afternoon. Originally from Berkeley, the group dropped out of school and moved to…
PHOTOS: San Francisco’s best dressed raise money for charity at Glamorama
Glamorama pulled out all the stops at San Francisco’s Orpheum Theatre with lively performances and glamour-tinged fashion while raising money for charity Sept. 14. Macy’s Passport hosted the fourth and last Glamorama fashion fundraiser as San Francisco…
