Last Friday night, The Bay Bridged hosted it’s second annual fundraiser, Regional Bias, at the Verdi Club in Potrero Hill. A veritable who’s who of the Bay Area music scene was in full effect and was complemented by a handful of local artists, craftspeople, and even chefs selling their creations. This classic venue was well suited for the casual event and added a touch of elegance that seemed congruent with the intended goals of the party planners. Comfortably filled with fans of Thao, John Vanderslice, and Man/Miracle, the show was a refreshing reprieve from your standard concert-going experience as it had a tight-knit community feel complete with the musicians mingling in the crowd after their performances.
Man/Miracle
Taking the small stage that is in effect a niche in the wall, Oakland’s Man/Miracle brought their high energy indie rock to the party. This being the first time I have seen them in 3 months, they are one beard less and remarkably tighter than ever before. I heard them say they felt a bit rusty, but from where I was standing the intricate guitar work, rapid fire drums, bellowing lead vocals, and harmonies all sounded stellar.
John Vanderslice
Next up was the patriarch of the current local music scene, John Vanderslice. He has been making great music for decades, and perhaps more importantly, is the owner/manager of arguably the most well respected recording studio in San Francisco, Tiny Telephone. Playing a varied set that included acoustic solo songs as well as some with modest backing instrumentation, the intimate quality of his recordings was translated flawlessly and somehow he managed to make this very large room seem a fraction of its actual size.
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[mp3] John Vanderslice – White Dove from Emerald City (2007)
Thao Nguyen
Playing last was Thao Nguyen, of ‘Thao with The Get Down Stay Down’ fame. She also played a varied set that included solo songs as well as welcoming a slew of guests on stage to join her for others. Her ability to oscillate between the different dynamics of musicians while maintaining fluidity was very impressive.
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[mp3] Thao with The Get Down Stay Down – Bag Of Hammers from We Brave Bee Stings and All (2008)
The Verdi Club
Though the price tag to attend was a bit steep at $25, it was well worth it for what the evening entailed, not to mention that the funds raised go to help The Bay Bridged (which is a non-profit organization) do what they do best – help and promote the local music scene – which is something that we here at Kata Rokkar can fully support.