the masonic

Dido at The Masonic | San Francisco, California | 6/26/2019 (Concert Review + Photos) (Bonus Portland + Seattle Mini Reviews/Photos)

July 1, 2019 by Jason DeBord

“…one of the reasons it passed so quickly for me was actually – I had a kid. He’s magic. And I’ve basically wanted to hang out with him so I’m sorry I disappeared.” Dido offering some explanation of why she’s not done a world tour for the past 15 years, and as an introduction to one of two encore songs – her very personal “Have To Stay” – in her performance at The Masonic in San Francisco on Wednesday night. I’m actually one of those people who have waited to see her for the past 15 years, so it was an amazing experience. Supporting her brilliant new album, Still On My Mind, Dido played many hits and lots of new music, and still left us all wanting more, even with a 20-song set. This was actually show #1 of 3 for me and Shelley (Mrs. Rock Subculture), as we took time to also catch the subsequent shows in both Portland and Seattle (mini reviews included below) as Dido wrapped up the U.S. leg of her tour in California and the Pacific Northwest. Hopefully it won’t be another 15 years for her to come around again, but it was well worth the wait. [Read more…]

Florence + the Machine at Harvey’s Outdoor Arena | Stateline, Nevada | 8/9/2018 (Concert Review + Photos)

August 11, 2018 by Jason DeBord

“Thank you so much for having us back; this is the first night of the “High As Hope Tour”. This next song is from… oh you guys flustered me! This next song is from High As Hope and I wrote it about the place that I was born which is south London, which has a lot less trees than this…” Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine at Harvey’s Outdoor Arena in South Lake Tahoe on Thursday night, kicking off her latest tour in support of her amazing new album. “I’m with you… I’m with you like… at the moment my heart, it hurts a lot of the time and I just want to say I want you all to hold hands because I really believe in you and I believe in the power of change. And I believe in love and I want you to hold hands for this song because if we connect, I really think amazing things can happen”. A lot of performing artists say things about connecting with their audience, and say those things from the stage, and the audience watch from below as they perform. With Florence, it is not just words. Toward the end of her set, into the song “Delilah”, Florence came off of the stage and ran deep into the audience while she sang, literally connecting with fans in the crowd. Then she actually came running across (barefoot of course) the seat in the row I was in, and I got to witness first hand something unlike anything I’d ever seen at a concert. Florence was engaging with fans one at a time, one on one. In many instances she was grabbing their faces and pressing her forehead against theirs, as if she was forming a mystical bond with them. She was right in front of me for a good length of time, and it was kind of surreal to hear her voice singing directly from her, not just through the sound system. It’s actually been years since I uploaded concert footage to my YouTube channel, but it was such an incredible experience, I thought this would be the best reason ever to share a snippet of this amazing concert moment (iPhone quality, unedited): LINK Really, it takes a lot to put me at a loss for words, but this concert really transcended what anyone might expect from a live show. For some fans, I think it was a near religious experience. Currently tied for my favorite concert of the year. Definitely the best tour of 2018 I am guessing. And since this was the first show on this tour, everyone has time to try to get out to make one of the upcoming dates.

[Read more…]

KFOG’s Concert for Kids with Band of Horses at The Masonic | San Francisco, California | 12/8/2016 (Concert Review + Photos)

December 14, 2016 by Jason DeBord Leave a Comment

KFOG held their Concert for Kids concert at The Masonic in San Francisco on December 8th, boasting a stellar musical line-up of Band of Horses, Blind Pilot and The Revivalists. The popular venue was packed with fans coming out for a great concert and also in support of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and the Marines Toys for Tots program. [Read more…]

KFOG’s Concert For Kids with Band of Horses, Blind Pilot and The Revivalists on December 8th at The Masonic

November 29, 2016 by Jason DeBord Leave a Comment

KFOG’s Concert for Kids will be held on Thursday, December 8th at The Masonic in San Francisco. The live show will include performances from Band of Horses, Blind Pilot, and The Revivalists and benefits UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and Toys for Tots. [Read more…]

Jane’s Addiction Celebrates the 25th anniversary of Ritual de lo Habitual; Coming to The Masonic in San Francisco on Sept 21

September 15, 2016 by Jason DeBord Leave a Comment

Alternative rock pioneers Jane’s Addiction are celebrating the 25th anniversary of Ritual de lo Habitual this year in a variety of ways, including a live set at The Masonic in San Francisco next week. Also in store for fans is their upcoming Sterling Spoon Vinyl Box Set due in October, which is up for pre-order now. The six LP set includes rarities, demos, and live tracks and is limited to 5,000 copies. [Read more…]

Metric “I Can See The End Tour” 2016 Begins This Weekend, Featuring “Pagans In Vegas”

February 10, 2016 by Jason DeBord Leave a Comment

Emily Haines and James Shaw’s Metric are kicking off their 2016 U.S. tour at the House of Blues in Chicago this weekend, with dates running through the end of March. Metric will be supporting their sixth studio album released last year, Pagans in Vegas. [Read more…]

Morrissey at The Masonic | San Francisco, California | 12/29/2015 (Concert Review + Photos)

January 1, 2016 by Jason DeBord 1 Comment

“Spread open your Golden Gates…” Morrissey always has an interesting little quip before delving into the first song of the night, and what he prepared from The Masonic in San Francisco was appropriate enough. Having seen him one other time this year – in San Jose in July (phenomenal show!) – he seems to be increasingly jubilant this year… a turn of fortunes for sure. He also seems much more comfortable in his own skin, and more confident (with a stellar band bringing his music alive in a way that eclipses all iterations that have come before it). He was also quite chatty with this latest engagement on Tuesday night, abandoning at least some of the darkness fans have become accustomed to (though he did make a remark about looking to find him in a monastery eight miles south of Vienna in the future). There is often a unique theme for each show by way of matching outfits for the band, and with this show, they all wore “Morrissey for President” t-shirts. We can only image. As one of my all-time favorite artists, I see him as often as I can, and it seemed most fitting to make this show my final one for 2015. He remains one of just a few artists that can still give me that chill down my spine and make me feel like I am witnessing something genuine and important (kicking in at this show with “How Soon Is Now?”). Morrissey has a way of bringing up feelings of nostalgia and fusing it with his new works to create something special. [Read more…]

Florence + The Machine at The Masonic | San Francisco, California | 4/8/2015 & 4/9/2015 (Concert Review + Photos)

April 10, 2015 by Jason DeBord Leave a Comment

“It’s so wonderful to be back in San Francisco. It’s wonderful to be back in America, because actually the title of the record – How Big How Blue How Beautiful – was inspired by the American sky. It was actually, in a text message… I sent – I don’t want to break the mystery of it – but I sent to someone I really cared about a lot. And this song was written about that time. And about just how everything seemed endless, and beautiful, and that the world was a magical place. And then if you hear the rest of the record, you may be able to tell that things got a bit… muh… but still, I feel like you come back to this feeling, always.” Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine, providing an introduction to the title song of the upcoming album due out in June. Playing two back-to-back shows at The Masonic in San Francisco, it was not only a set of concerts with new music, but seemingly a Florence with a bit of a different feeling. I was lucky enough to catch two of their shows in 2012 (at the Mondavi Center in Davis and at the Hollywood Bowl), and the Florence I saw performing this week encompassed what I came to expect (an intense and phenomenal performer), but with flourishes of more joy than I’ve seen previously. It made for even more captivating shows, as her and her incredible group of artists truly put on a masterful performance, with a mix of familiar and new. I obviously attend a lot of concerts every year, but Florence + The Machine is one of the very few that can give me that adrenaline rush and tingle down my spine throughout – a real feat. Being fortunate enough to attend both shows this week, while the set list was the same, the shows each had there own character, energy, and vibe. With the preview of the new album, and the quality of the songs, it would appear that the band hasn’t hit any ceilings yet in terms of their gifts, talents and abilities, and I expect them to continue to soar in that big blue sky that Ms. Welch is so fond of… in studio or on stage, they remain one of the top musical artists active today. [Read more…]

Florence + The Machine To Play Special Two-Night Engagement at The Masonic in San Francisco Next Week

March 31, 2015 by Jason DeBord Leave a Comment

A surprise announcement came from Live Nation today that Florence + The Machine will be playing two nights next week at the recently renovated Masonic in San Francisco. The two shows will be April 8th and April 9th, with a special pre-sale at 10am tomorrow (April 1st) for those who pre-order the upcoming album, How Big How Blue How Beautiful, due June 2nd in the U.S. These small shows in San Francisco next week will precede their appearance at Coachella. [Read more…]