Hey Kids,

We had a big week of live music across the Bay from transcendent orchestral soundscapes to Grammy-nominated hip hop and face-melting bass wizardry. In case you missed it, here’s what the Static & Blur team has been up to:

Soaring & Sensual: Sigur Rós with Wordless Music Orchestra at The Orpheum

words by Patty Riek · photos by Jon Bauer

Sigur Rós returned to the Orpheum Theatre for a second night, filling the room with fog, red light, and a sense of charged stillness. Backed by the Wordless Music Orchestra, the band delivered a performance that was equal parts emotional excavation and textural symphony.

From the womb-red glow of “Blóðberg” to the sweeping arrangements from Atta and Takk…, the orchestral accompaniment added a depth few knew they were missing. Conductor Robert Ames, local violinist Shaina Evoniuk, and Jónsi’s unmistakable falsetto worked together in a seamless, ego-free tide of sound.

God Does Like JID at The Masonic

by Roy Scopazzi

Days after a Grammy nomination for God Did Like Ugly, JID lit up The Masonic with an explosive, high-energy performance that matched the consistency of his recorded work. Roy Scopazzi captured the rapper at full intensity. Charismatic, kinetic, and completely locked in with a crowd that never once let up.

Thundercat Rumbles at The Regency Ballroom

by Roy Scopazzi

Thundercat returned to San Francisco with a set full of face-melting bass solos, anime references, and some of the brightest teeth seen on any Bay Area stage. Roy Scopazzi describes each extended solo as something you “gormlessly gawk at,” and fans agreed, especially when the entire Regency audience joined Thundercat in a perfectly in-sync “meow.”

And we can't forget:

Order Of the Unified Heart: SF Leonard Cohen Festival

words by Patty Riek · photos by Jon Bauer

Bigger and better than ever – the Sixth San Francisco Leonard Cohen Festival hosted five events in four different venues as the scope and attendance continues to grow for this fabulous, niche very San Francisco event. Honoring its homey roots at the intimate The Lost Church and Four Star Theatre, the festival is growing and growing up by hosting opening night at the Great American Music Hall and hosting two nights at The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Blue Shield Theater.

Coming Up Next on Static & Blur

We’ve got more shows lined up as we head into the last stretch of November. Here's one:

Jens Lekman

November 30 · The Independent

The beloved Swedish songwriter returns with his signature blend of sincerity, wit, and impossible-to-hate pop craftsmanship.

Don't touch that dial. Full galleries and reviews coming soon.

The Last Waltz at Winterland

The Band played their farewell concert at the long gone Winterland Ballroom on November 25, 1976 joined by music legends Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Muddy Waters, Emmylou Harris . . . do I have to keep going? This historic show was filmed by Martin Scorsese and later became the concert documentary The Last Waltz. If you haven't seen the movie, check it out this week on the 49th anniversary of the show.