Let's dance...
Thursday: Tyler The Creator at The Warfield
It seems crazy that a 23-year-old could be considered an elder statesmen of hip-hop, but Tyler the Creator is currently working on his fourth album. It’s already been four years since Tyler and fellow Odd Future instigators started screwing around with conventional rap templates and internet promotional concepts. Overlooked amid the pomp and circumstance (or, well, the opposite of pomp and circumstance) is a highly skilled, polished rapper with an unparalleled delivery. His lyrics are consistently controversial; he’s been accused of being homophobic, misogynistic... accusations which feed his persona and internet rep, but shock value is part of Tyler’s art. He realizes a simple truth: it’s hard to express yourself if nobody’s paying attention.
Friday: Say Anything/Saves the Day/Reggie and the Full Effect at Slim's
Emo fans, rejoice! Each band will play a seminal album from its catalogue — Say Anything will perform …is a Real Boy, Saves the Day will do Through Being Cool (full album below) and Reggie will re-live Under The Tray. Expect emotions in bulk.
Friday and Saturday: Joyce Manor at Bottom of the Hill
Next-generation punk outfit Joyce Manor packs fresh emotional intelligence into tight bursts of rock experimentation. Song structures give way to instrumental explosions. Guitars overpower drum fills. Drum fills wash out bass lines. And people love it. Pitchfork went mad with praise for the band’s breakthrough 2014 album Never Hungover Again, writing “the optimal balance of maturity and immaturity is right there in the title, so throw on Never Hungover Again when you’re still looking to get into dumb shit, but you just want to be smarter about it.” Sounds like a plan.
Saturday: Dilated Peoples at The Independent
Dilated Peoples return to the stages of America after a much-too-long eight-year hiatus. The pioneering SoCal hip-hop group brings material from a new album, Directors of Photography, and a wealth of hip-hop knowledge. The group’s commitment to the underground principles of yesterday still apply to the independent DIY spirit still alive today among young hip-hop influencers. Pay your respects to these trailblazers, young'uns.
Sunday: Talib Kweli at The Independent
Talib Kweli’s victory lap around the country for his riveting 2014 album Gravitas stops in SF this week. One of the most intelligent emcees in the biz, Kweli stepped his game up to further heights on the album. XXL put it this way: “He may still be too lyrical for some, but for many his Gravitas will be a welcome change from hip-hop’s current norm.” In short, be ready to pay attention...and keep a notebook handy. Kweli informs and educates and entertains in one fell swoop.
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