Don't get me wrong--I like Best Coast a heck of a lot. I'm just way more excited to see San Francisco band Sonny & the Sunsets open for them at their Great American Music Hall show tomorrow night, the 26th. With their latest and most excellent disc Tomorrow Is Alright (Fat Possum) hot off the presses this summer, Sonny & the Sunsets--who have been rigorously touring for a few months now--has become one of our best musical exports.
Sonny Smith, the man behind this year's astonishing 100 Records project at Gallery 16 (now being shown in Portland, Oregon), is a man who seems like he can do anything. In addition to conceiving of over 60 fictional bands and recording in character for them (for 100 Records), the guy has been a playwright for the Marin Headlands Center for the Arts, an actor and a newspaper columnist.
He's also the band's heart and soul. His songs, like the forlorn, Shangri Las-esque "Too Young To Burn", or the hilariously weird "Death Cream" blend smarts, cautionary tales and a warm vintage sound reminiscent of a less drugged-out Velvet Underground. His words and earnesty will make you laugh, stop and think.
For a man who's got his hands in a little bit of everything, Sonny & his Sunsets (accomplished musicians Kelley Stoltz, Tahlia Harbour and Ryan Browne) have put their lives on hold to show the rest of the country what they're made of. Now they're coming home to pay homage to the place that inspires them.
Get tickets here.
