Goh Nakamura

David Byrne

Usually we’re eager to boast a top-notch list of artists vying for your hard earned dollars and attention span on any given night of the week. However, while there’s still something to choose from every single night, the real battle begins on Saturday, where you have various two-day events pitted against each other. Here’s the scoop.

Pavement may have split up in the late 90s, but that didn’t stop their guitarist/front man/mastermind, Stephen Malkmus, from dominating his set with their iconic melodies. Malkmus strummed along to a sold-out crowd at The Great American Music Hall last night and even among the many mishaps and awkward in-between banter, it may single-handedly be one of the best shows we’ve ever seen.

Photo by Kurt Kurasaki

While guys like Rufus Wainwright, Conor Oberst, and Sufjan Stevens rule the genre of sad-eyed, Beatles-influenced folk singer/songwriters, Bay Area troubadour Goh Nakamura probably deserves greater notoriety than the one-time success of “Embarcadero Blues,” a Youtube sensation (over one million viewers last year) and an ode to the SF service industry (watch it below).