An array of interesting acts is coming to S.F. this week.
Irish pop singer Gavin James is playing at the Independent, and singer-songwriter Rodriguez, the popular in South African musician who was the subject of the 2012 documentary Searching for Sugar Man, is making a rare appearance at the Warfield. Smoky-voiced singer Arum Rae opens for Rodriguez, and will play slow-burning crooners from her recently released album Sub Rosa.
For those who don’t know, former Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito is now an Americana artist, and he’s performing this week at Great American Music Hall. Digable Planets, the Brooklyn hip-hop crew who gave us the indelible rap track “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like That)” in 1992, are visiting San Francisco for the second year in a row, too.
An array of local acts — like the local dance-fusion collective Afrolicious and female duo Dagmar — are also playing shows this week.
Perhaps the most entertaining show to see this week will be Flynt Flossy and others from his label Turquoise Jeep Records, who put out comedic hip-hop tracks with titles like “Stretchy Pants” and “Treat Me Like a Pirate.” There’s something about seeing a bunch of hyped, underage kids in an ornate, centuries old music hall spew shitty rap songs that really gives me life.
Check out the playlist below to hear songs by each of the artists playing shows this week.
Monday, May 22
Folk-Rock: The Lumineers at Slim’s
Tuesday, May 23
Hip-Hop: Ab-Soul at the New Parish in Oakland
Indie-Pop: L.A. Takedown at Swedish American Music Hall
Metal: Taake at the Independent
Garage-Rock: Deaf Poets at Elbo Room
Classical Indian: Rajeev Taranath at Freight and Salvage
Wednesday, May 24
Electronic: Jagwar Ma at Mezzanine
Latin: Mon Laferte at the Independent
Indie-Rock: Girlpool at the Chapel
Hip-Hop: Flynt Flossy at Great American Music Hall
Singer-Songwriter: Dagmar at Bottom of the Hill
Thursday, May 25
Singer-Songwriter: Rodriguez and Arum Rae at the Warfield
Country: Sam Outlaw at the Chapel
Hip-Hop: Digable Planets at 1015 Folsom
Acid Jazz: Too Many Zooz at the New Parish in Oakland
Hip-Hop: 24hrs at the Fillmore
Friday, May 26
Electronic: Malaa at Regency Ballroom
Deep House: 16 Bit Lolitas at Audio
EDM: graves at 1015 Folsom (with Josh Pan, Medasin, and Whereisalex)
Hip-hop: SOB X RBE at Social Hall
World: Afrolicious at the Independent
Saturday, May 27
Rap: Andre Nickatina at Slim’s
Pop: Gavin James at the Independent
Hip-hop: SOB X RBE at Social Hall
Rock: Midnight Oil at the Fox Theater in Oakland
Latin: Rodrigo y Gabriela at the Fillmore
House: Burns at Temple
Indie-Pop: XDS at Hemlock Tavern
Sunday, May 28
Pop: Jay Sean at Temple
Hip-hop: SOB X RBE at Regency Ballroom
Americana: Barry Zito at Great American Music Hall
Folk: Harry Taussig and Max Ochs at Down Home Music Store in El Cerrito
Tech-House: Honey Soundsystem at Audio
Latin: Rodrigo y Gabriela at the Fillmore