Just one day in, and it looks like this summer is off to a great start. What with the weather on its best behavior, and top-notch musicians coming through, all that's left to do is enjoy it.
7/1 - Mates of State @ Great American Music Hall: Fresh off the block with their new covers mixtape (lovingly called Crushes), the adorably artsy married couple never seems to take a break. Luckily their constant tour schedule has paid off, Crushes was mixed by Peter Katis himself (The National, Swell Season, Interpol, etc.) along with other notable references. Curious about the new album? Good thing, because Mates of State are offering up the first track "Laura" as a free download.
7/10 - Au Revoir Simone @ Great American Music Hall: The dreamy all-girl trio hailing from, where else, but Williamsburg in Brooklyn have had a whirlwind career over the last seven-ish years, picking up steam abroad before hooking the homeland. Au Revoir Simone's dreamy hypno-folk is a brand all its own with enough creativity and spontaneity to entertain all walks of life.
7/10 - Paul McCartney @ AT&T Park: This will be the first time Sir Paul has played in the City since 1966 - most notably known as The Beatles' last show at Candlestick Park. Moving from one Giants venue to the next, Sir Paul will be showcasing his present-day talent while rubbing elbows with a sold-out crowd of San Franciscans nostalgic about the glory days of pop. We can't blame them.
7/11-12 &14 - Neil Young (solo) @ The Fox: These are some of the priciest last-minute Craigslist listings we've ever seen. With some starting in the $350+ range, it's pretty certain that only die-hard Neil Young fans scored the pre-sale tickets one minute after it went on sale. As this Craigslister so tactfully puts it, "I pity the po' fool with no tix to Neil." Well played.
7/16 - Die Antwoord @ Rickshaw Stop: South Africa is on fire right now (and not just because of the World Cup). Considering this trip-hop hybrid is only a year old, the hype circuit of blogs has been singing their praises. It'll be nothing short of entertaining to see Die Antwoord unfold live on stage.
7/21 - MGMT @ The Fox: If you're lucky, they might play a track from the beloved Oracular Spectacular, but otherwise, I wouldn't hold my breath. The dudes from MGMT are really digging on their new psychedelic-inspired album Congratulations whether you like it or not.
7/22 - The Dead Weather @ The Warfield: If you can't get enough of Jack White's (Raconteurs, White Stripes) side projects, then this show is for you. Pile on Alison Mosshart (The Kills), Dean Fertija (Queens of the Stone Age), and Jack Lawrence (Raconteurs, The Greenhornes), and it's like a Tim Burton-themed all-star game of gloomy indie-rock.
7/23 - Miniature Tigers @ Hotel Utah: We're actually surprised they'll be filling out such a small venue on their first headlining tour, but intimate shows are always the most rewarding. With producers like Neon Indian backing their album, you can't really go wrong seeing Miniature Tigers.
7/30 - Wolf Parade @ The Fox: A borderline cult phenomena, members of Wolf Parade finally took a break from their other successful projects (Sunset Rubdown, Handsome Furs, Swan Lake, Moonface) to reconvene for their third studio album EXPO 86. We deduce they'll be gaining an exponential increase in fanatics with this one.
