I like to refer to the Noise Pop Music & Arts Festival, now in its 26th installment, as the pacific version of South by Southwest. Over twenty different venues, including classic sites such as Bottom of the Hill and The Fillmore, across San Francisco and the East Bay play host to the dozens of musicians scheduled to perform during the music portion of the weeklong festival on February 19-25, 2018.
Organizers recently announced the showcasing artists, which again features a good mix of local talent like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Geographer, Japanese Breakfast, Thao & the Get Down Stay Down, and Tune-Yards.
Among the other notable acts is rapper Ty Dolla $ign, singer-songwriter Tei Shi, longtime rockers Built to Spill, Cambodian psychedelic pop band Dengue Fever, and indie legends Superchunk.
The best thing about a citywide music festival like Noise Pop is the chance to visit the many different venues. On the other hand, unlike SXSW venues that are concentrated in downtown Austin, Noise Pop venues are more geographically dispersed so you are more generally stuck wherever you decide to go, especially if you make the trek to Berkeley’s UC Theatre to see Ty Dolla $ign or Oakland’s Fox Theater to see indie band Real Estate. Good luck trying to get back to San Francisco before last call.
Although the festival isn’t just about listening to live music, as of this writing organizers have not yet announced the lineup for the accompanying film festival nor arts schedule.
NOTE: Article previously published on Blogcritics.