Arts & Culture :: Music

Back to classics: fall music preview

Back to classics: fall music preview

  • by Philip Campbell
  • Aug 29, 2023

We're back in business, back to school and it's time to plan your autumn concert-going. Single tickets and subscriptions are on sale now. So, grab a pumpkin spice latte and look at some tempting offerings of the new season.

Q-Music: queer in your ear all year

Q-Music: queer in your ear all year

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Aug 15, 2023

Our music writer shares new grooves from super-queer bands Anohni and the Johnsons, The Aces, Diners, Roselit Bone and Rodeo Boys. Listen up!

'Tina' teeters but its star shines: Turner bio-musical plays the Golden Gate

'Tina' teeters but its star shines: Turner bio-musical plays the Golden Gate

  • by Jim Gladstone
  • Aug 8, 2023

The unbridled live energy that will send "Tina" audiences home trilling the producers' hoped for review —"Simply the best, better than all the rest"— is only part of the jukebox biographical musical about the life of music legend Tina Turner.

Belinda Carlisle: Still mad about her music

Belinda Carlisle: Still mad about her music

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Aug 1, 2023

Belinda Carlisle is the definition of a music legend. Her new EP, "Kismet" includes dance floor-ready bops. She discussed her work ahead of her SF concert on August 20.

The past recaptured: Out conductors bring back classical rarities

The past recaptured: Out conductors bring back classical rarities

  • by Tim Pfaff
  • Aug 1, 2023

New recordings of operas and symphonies by Gaspare Spontini, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Franz Schreker have been released, led by a trio of prominent gay conductors.

'Out of Site: Sylvester, the Mighty Real' — immersive theater experience tells fab tales

'Out of Site: Sylvester, the Mighty Real' — immersive theater experience tells fab tales

  • by Jim Gladstone
  • Aug 1, 2023

Local theater company EyeZen Presents will debut "Sylvester: The Mighty Real," a performance-walking tour that celebrates the life and cultural impact of Sylvester James, Jr., the San Francisco-based dance music diva.

Lucinda Williams: Grammy-winning singer-songwriter on her new music, memoir and tour

Lucinda Williams: Grammy-winning singer-songwriter on her new music, memoir and tour

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Jul 25, 2023

Lucinda Williams has left an indelible mark on contemporary Americana, country, blues, pop, and rock music, and despite setbacks emerges victorious on record and in print in 2023.

Shelly Lares: Tejano country singer's musical life

Shelly Lares: Tejano country singer's musical life

  • by Laura Moreno
  • Jul 18, 2023

This year Shelly Lares was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's Tejano Music Awards Show. At 51, she's been singing professionally 41 years, admired for her unique blend of Tejano country music, and only recently came out.

Help is On the Way 27: REAF's latest dazzling fundraiser

Help is On the Way 27: REAF's latest dazzling fundraiser

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Jul 11, 2023

Cast members from the new touring company of the classic musical "Les Miserables" will join other Broadway and cabaret stars at the Marines' Memorial Theater on July 16 for "Help is On the Way 27: Broadway & Beyond," the latest REAF fundraiser.

'Hello Yellow Brick Road' — SF Gay Men's Chorus pays homage to Elton John and Oz

'Hello Yellow Brick Road' — SF Gay Men's Chorus pays homage to Elton John and Oz

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Jul 11, 2023

The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sir Elton John's landmark album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" on July 19. The album's title track makes subtle references to the classic musical fantasy "The Wizard of Oz."

Post-Pride pressings; reissues from Cher and Pet Shop Boys

Post-Pride pressings; reissues from Cher and Pet Shop Boys

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Jul 11, 2023

Pride month has passed, but you can fly your own flag of fandom for two popular musical favorites; Cher and Pet Shop Boys, with reissued vinyl and CD collections.

Cidny Bullens: Meet the trans 'cosmic rock star'

Cidny Bullens: Meet the trans 'cosmic rock star'

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Jul 4, 2023

Cidny Bullens' story is truly one of a kind, beginning with being a backing vocalist for Sir Elton John and continuing through their 2012 transition at the age of 61 as a musician, and now the author of a revealing memoir.

Ivo Dimchev: gay singer/songwriter's Bulgarian rhapsodies

Ivo Dimchev: gay singer/songwriter's Bulgarian rhapsodies

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Jun 27, 2023

Ivo Dimchev, an openly gay HIV-positive performer who hails from Bulgaria, stands his ground in his music and performances, proudly letting the world know exactly who he is.

John Waters hosts Mosswood Meltdown

John Waters hosts Mosswood Meltdown

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Jun 20, 2023

Filmmaker and "filth elder" John Waters will once again host the 2023 edition of the hip, queer, punk music festival Mosswood Meltdown in Oakland. He shared his love of punk music and style.