Jordan Kurland's Top Five Noise Pop Memories

Jordan Kurland partnered with Noise Pop founder Kevin Arnold in the festival's sixth year. Here, he looks back on some of his favorite Noise Pop sets.

Location Info

Map

Fox Theater - Oakland

1807 Telegraph
Oakland, CA 94612

Category: Bars/Clubs

Region: Downtown Oakland

Photos

0 user reviews	Write A Review
Save to foursquare

Swedish American Hall

2174 Market
San Francisco, CA 94114

Category: Music Venues

Region: Castro/ Noe Valley

Photos

Bimbo's 365 Club

1025 Columbus
San Francisco, CA 94133

Category: Bars/Clubs

Region: North Beach/ Chinatown

Photos

Thee Parkside

1600 17th St.
San Francisco, CA 94107

Category: Restaurant > American

Region: Potrero Hill

Photos

Details

Noise Pop

Indie on Top: Noise Pop Celebrates 20 Years of Independent Music by Ian S. Port

Bob Mould, Castro Resident by Emma Silvers

Kevin Arnold's Top Five Noise Pop Memories

Related Content

• Intermission: Noise Pop Turns Down the Volume
  February 27, 2013
• Bottle Rock: The Black Keys and Flaming Lips Can't Break Through Distractions at Napa Valley's New Fest, 5/10/13
  May 12, 2013
• Gavin Newsom Urged to Take it Easy, Stop Talking So Much
  April 10, 2013
• Gavin Newsom Says the Year for Marijuana Legalization in California Is 2016
  March 26, 2013
• Indie on Top: Noise Pop Celebrates 20 Years of Independent Music
  February 22, 2012

More About

• Kevin Arnold
• Jordan Kurland
• Yoko Ono
• Indie Rock and Indie Pop
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media

5. A three-way tie:
Yoko Ono at the Fox Theater, 2010
Meeting Yoko automatically qualifies as a highlight of the festival, as well as of life. I just wish Kevin and I didn't look so uncomfortable in the photo we took with her.

Joanna Newsom at Swedish American Hall, 2005
We booked one of Joanna's first-ever shows when she played first on a bill opening for Cat Power in 2002. Seeing her come back three years later and play two very sold-out solo shows was moving on so many levels.

Bob Mould at Bimbo's 365 Club, 2000
Bob is whom Kevin and I point to as both musical hero and the starting point for all things Noise Pop. Needless to say, having him perform at our indie rock love-in of a festival was a huge coup.

4. Eric Bachman at Thee Parkside, 2002
After opening for Catpower at Bimbo's, Eric headed over to Thee Parkside, where he played a somewhat drunken midnight set for an even more drunken audience. One highlight was a sing-along to the Archers of Loaf classic, "Greatest of All Time."

3. Frank Black and John Doe at a now-closed restaurant on 16th Street in the Mission, 1998
I drove Charles (aka Frank) and John to play a couple songs on Live 105 and then had the pleasure of eating breakfast with them. I definitely was the coolest 25-year-old in the restaurant, if not all of the Mission, for that hour of my life.

2. Flaming Lips at Bimbo's 365 Club, 2006 (Festival opening show)
Wayne Coyne performed his civic duty by presenting Kevin and me with a "Noise Pop Week" proclamation from then-Mayor Gavin Newsom.

1. Guided by Voices at Bimbo's 365 Club, 2002 (Festival closing show)
After an amazing, long, and drunken set (duh), Robert Pollard and company returned to the stage for an epic encore consisting of the first eight songs, in order, from the most celebrated GBV album, Bee Thousand.