The annual insanity of this month’s South by Southwest festival means that a ton of artists are touring right now, and plenty of performers will be in SF in March en route to or returning from Austin. But while most of the acts included in this episode will be doing one or a dozen shows in bars and parking lots around the Texas capital, one of the benefits of living in the Bay Area is that you don’t need to go to Austin to see buzzed-about bands. Whether it’s the slinky electronica of Nicolas Jaar, the brainy guitar work of Dustin Wong, or the despondent pop of Perfume Genius, this month offers a multitude of opportunities to experience promising touring bands close to home. On the local front, Ceremony is poised to break out with the release of Zoo, while Chuck Prophet remains at the top of his game with Temple Beautiful.
Enjoy the mix, then go see some shows!
About the bands:
Ceremony (“Adult”), from Rohnert Park, releases its new album, Zoo, on Matador Records on March 6. The band is doing a bunch of touring over the next few months, with local shows at Amoeba on March 6 and 924 Gilman on March 10.
Katy Goodman of Vivian Girls returns in March with another album from her solo project, La Sera (“Break My Heart”). Swiftumz and Cold Showers round out a compelling bill at the Rickshaw Stop on March 7.