Yoshi's Doubleshot: Rhett Miller rocks in SF, Goapele grooves in Oakland

Diablo pulls double duty by hitting Yoshi's shows on both sides of the Bay, on one Sunday night.

No matter which version you went to last night, Yoshi's was hoppin'. My wife and I went to the San Francisco Yoshi's for the first time to see a one-night only perfomance by Rhett Miller, lead singer for the great alt-country rock band, Old 97s. It was a neat coincidence that my wife and I started dating almost three years to the day, after seeing Miller rock the Independent night club back in 2006. I was very impressed with the new Yoshi's (or, newer than the classic Jack London Square location)—just a great place to experience live music. With a maximum capacity of 350, there isn't a bad seat in the house. Before Miller took the stage, we sampled some calamari and sushi rolls from the menu, and found the food to be exceptionally good for nightclub fare—though I expect eating in the restaurant next door provides an even-better foodie experience.

Miller took the stage around 7:45, and launched into "Won't Be Home" off the Old 97's Drag It Up album. It was fascinating to watch the high energy Miller without his band. (If you've never seen the Old 97s, you're missing out, they hit the stage like a buzz saw and don't let up until everyone in the house is drenched in sweat). Without the rip-roaring electric guitars and drumbeat, Miller has his work cut out to create the energy of that full band puts out. But he's a pretty remarkable performer, singing and strumming like a squirrel on acid, giving 110% during each song and then dropping back into his laid-back Austin personality between songs, like a character from Dazed and Confused. "I don't know if you people in San Francisco know this," Miller deadpanned, "but the rest of the country thinks you're a bunch of wackos." He also made several references to the Yoshi's crowd not being used to hyperactive country rock, though it seemed like the place was packed with his fans. The women sitting behind us cooed and oohed at Miller's every move, then barked inistent song requests. Miller complied by playing Old 97's "Big Brown Eyes" and by singing a verse of the beautiful proposal ballad "Question" in French. Said fans were staking out the merchandise area after the show to meet Mr. Miller face to face.

The 90-minute set was a terrific concert start-to-finish. Miller's songwriting is interesting, line by line, and his high energy performance style and witty 'tween song banter makes great entertainment. He played several songs from an upcoming solo album, all of which sounded as solid as Old 97s classics "Barrier Reef", "Rollerskate Skinny", and "Doreen". He also tossed a sweet cover of REM's "Driver 8" into the encore, telling a funny version of the "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" joke in a story about playing the song several weeks ago at the famed New York concert hall at an REM tribute. It was a great night out. Highest priases to Miller as well as the San Francisco Yoshi's. Can't wait to get back!

Meanwhile, Diablo's associate art director, Alisha Petro, hit the Jack London Square Yoshi's last night to catch the final night of R&B sensation Goapele's sold-out run. The Oakland-raised singer/activist treated fans to some new tracks of a new album that will come out later this year. Here are some of Alisha's notes:

€ She played two new songs, my favorite was "Milk & Honey," which was sensual.

€ "First Love" (a big hit) - very romantic, all the couples were cuddling, even though she dedicated it to the single people in the crowd. She asked if there were single people in the crowd, and everyone went wild! Either a lot of people there were single, or they were just really loud!

€ She talked a little bit about the situation in Oakland. She said, "we're on the brink of a lot of really good things" (which I tweeted), she spoke of her experience at the inauguration and how amazing it was to see two million people in one place...and without one incident (she may have said arrest?) She said that Oakland is a wonderful place, and that it's also a crazy place...and basically that it's time for the community not just globally, but also locally to come together. She played "Closer" right after that.

She signed autographs and took photos after the show and she even tweeted from the merchandise booth. Overall, she was a great live performer and the vibe was super cool and mellow.
 

 

Posted at 04:32 PM in Pete's Popcorn Picks | Permalink