32nd annual Noise Pop Festival takes over San Francisco
Celebrating its 32nd year, the annual Noise Pop Festival kicks off Thursday with a packed schedule of local and national indie-rock acts that runs through March 2.
A San Francisco institution ever since it began as one night of loud, tuneful local bands back in 1993, the festival has expanded this year to ten days of music, film and art featuring some of the most respected names in independent music. While the focus remains on the cutting edge of indie rock, the eclectic festival also features modern R&B, global grooves and even avant-garde electronic music. Noise Pop will also be returning to unusual venues with multiple events at Grace Cathedral and Mission District art space Gray Area.
While the festival officially commences on Feb. 20 with the annual NightLife kickoff party at the Academy of Sciences featuring a DJ set from modern-funk maestro DāM-FunK with local DJ/producers 3kelves and Yuka Yu, Noise Pop is also co-presenting a tribute to visionary director David Lynch featuring the Red Room Orchestra at the Great American Music Hall Wednesday night in partnership with the SF Sketchfest. Thursday events also include a concert by sludgy alt-metal duo Pagoto led by L.A. Witch guitarist Ellie English who play the Kilowatt with San Francisco headbangers Theya, local heavy trio Highwinds featuring Kyle Gibson (The Fresh & Onlys) and LA-based "dungeon metal" band Forest Lawn.
On Friday, the festival ramps up with San Francisco indie synth-pop artist Geographer led by musician Mike Deni performing his breakout album Animal Shapes at August Hall, German electronic producer Parra for Cuva taking over Grey Area in the Mission for a sold-out immersive multi-media show, veteran psychobilly guitarist the Reverend Horton Heat who headlines the Great American Music Hall with support from gritty blues rocker Black Joe Lewis and fiery Tex-Mex ska/punk band Piñata Protest (a triple-threat tour that also stops in Santa Cruz, Healdsburg and Sacramento), and the first of two nights at the Kilowatt with power-pop icon Paul Collins, who will perform favorites by the Nerves (the LA trio he played drums for with future Plimsouls songwriter and current Bay Area Peter Case) and the Beat.
On Saturday, the action continues with SF legends the Flamin' Groovies playing at the 4 Star Theater with Sacramento garage-rock greats Th' Losin Streaks and NYC post-hardcore band Les Savy Fav delivering songs from their first album in over a decade at the Great American Music Hall, while Sunday features a highly anticipated sold-out performance by indie-rock chameleon St. Vincent at Grace Cathedral and a sold-out show by acclaimed noise-rock groups Chat Pile and Gouge Away, also at the Great American. Other upcoming performers of note the second week of programing include hip-hop maverick Earl Sweatshirt, a sold-out show by Irish folk-rock group Lankum, Death Cab for Cutie/The Postal Service principal Ben Gibbard, influential and heavily sampled British funk outfit Cymande and the first San Francisco appearances by reunited Austin-based dream-pop band the American Analog Set in 20 years . More details about Noise Pop's full schedule of events, tickets and festival badges can be found at noisepopfest.com.
