King Sunny Adé & His African Beats
June 19th at the Independent, San Francisco

Although he remains hugely popular in his native Nigeria, it’s been more than a decade since King Sunny Adé’s heyday in America. Adé’s last album release here, Seven Degrees North, was off the market since 2000 (it was recently re-released). But that hasn’t stopped a litany of Western artists from digging into his immense catalog of juju music for inspiration. Any fan of bands like Foals, TV on the Radio, Vampire Weekend, and Animal Collective has heard Adé’s influence. Dirty Projectors’ recently released album, Bitte Orca, features plenty of the multipart vocal harmonies and dissonant guitar that have been hallmarks of Adé’s sound over his 42-year career. Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio once cited Adé’s use of “a lot of people playing small parts that are intertwined together” as a major influence.

So it was with great anticipation that the 62-year-old guitarist and bandleader played a set at the Independent in San Francisco. His 12-piece backing band strode on stage and proceeded to dive into a beast of a rhythm, driven by a sea of dunduns, or “talking drums.” Looking years younger than a sextagenarian, Adé immediately led his group through one of the hallmarks of juju music: A lengthy, multipart a cappella harmony, sung in Yoruba, with an unmistakable cadence of short bursts followed by long verses. During many of the a cappella sections, which were the set’s mainstay, Adé and his fellow singers would act out choreographed dances and mime acts like passing food to one another. The only sign of Adé’s age—he’s released a mind-blowing 120 albums in his career—was the fact that he only picked up his axe once during the two-hour set. But when he chose to do so, as he was joined by two Nigerian dancers with superhuman powers in the gluteus maximus department, his playing was light and crisp.

The crowd was treated to a set that was the perfect mix of sweet and savory. The harmonies were about as sweet and upbeat as you’ll ever hear, while the massive wall of percussive and rhythmic sound, accented by lead guitar and keyboard flourishes, provided plenty to chew on. The sonic palate was sated. – Jim Welte

Listen: King Sunny Adé, Various Tracks [at myspace.com]

Starfucker and Atole
June 23rd at Bottom of the Hill

Trickling into Bottom of the Hill at 9pm when the show was scheduled to start, the intimate venue felt cold and vacant—the crowd didn’t form until 10pm. Sucking down a cigarette outside of the venue in between Atole and Starfucker’s sets, the streets were littered with shadows of hipsters. And suffocating in the mosh pit that gathered for Starfucker, the crowd’s ejaculations (of beer, sweat, and filth) stained my white tee. But hell, the discomfort was worth it.

Cranking out massive energy, Atole popped out post-punk dance tracks during their opening set for Starfucker. Their songs, mostly instrumental with minimal vocals, are eccentric balls of energy. With sparse basslines, ghostly whooshes, alto chip tunes, heavy percussion, and echoes, Atole’s set was an ideal balance of electro and rock. Though they encountered technical difficulties and, consequently, dead air a couple times during their set, Atole shook the crowd. After spinning off the stage and into the audience, frontman Manny Reyes wove through concert-goers spreading his party cheer. And during their last song, a half-naked Reyes flailed on stage after ripping off his Whitney Houston tee.

Rather than stomp the stage with vacant eyes, Atole and Starfucker engaged the audience. And through bushels of wires, pedals, MIDI controllers, analog synths, and keyboards, the crowd saw Starfucker in rare form. Despite their seemingly vestigial costumes—three out of four members donned articles of women’s clothing and make-up—Starfucker hit all the right notes. Their guitars came alive. Their vocals wailed. Their onstage presence jolted.

While many of their songs are electro-pop drones with similar beats per minute, the members of Starfucker are undeniably talented. The drummer simultaneously shaking a morocco and slapping his sticks, the keyboardist jiggling a tambourine while typing on his keys, the bassist shifting from chords to a synth, and the lead singer trading off between vocals, a turntable, and a guitar, they swapped instruments mid-song and their transitions could not have shown less seams. What commenced in hairnets, grandma sweaters, and pencil skirts, finished in tattered threads. Starfucker has a loose energy, and their DIY antics suggest a new approach to music: Let the beat beat down on you. – Marissa G. Muller

Listen: Starfucker, Various Tracks [at myspace.com]

Papercuts, Port O’Brien
June 25th at the Independent, San Francisco

There’s something about seeing San Francisco band the Papercuts that makes you feel like you’re in on a secret, or at the very least, a part of something special. The band keeps a notoriously low profile, and that certainly lent itself in part to the relatively under-attended show at the Independent on Thursday night. Papercuts make the sort of music that you have to seek out. It’s unobtrusive, so pleasantly warm and mild-mannered that it’s easy to glide right over it, never stopping to realize that under its dreamy façade simmers tight and beautiful arrangements, delivered by singer Jason Robert Quever’s unique voice. It’s like floating along in a blissful valium stupor, directionless but self-aware. Papercuts just released a new album, You Can Have What You Want, and the absence of the cello, which previously had a prominent role in their arrangements, made their newer songs sound more like centered indie pop than chamber folk. They’re a band of beauty and substance, of mystery and accessibility. And like I said, being in the know on this lovely, lilting four-piece sheathed us in a sense of community, those of us who stood there watching the band play under the venue’s cool purple lighting.

Fellow beloved local act Port O’Brien provided support on this night, and as they’ve been steadily gaining more and more prominence, both locally and beyond, it’s been interesting to watch how they’ve evolved. The only remaining original members are singer/guitarist Van Pierszalowski and cello/banjo player Cambria Goodwin. The first time I saw them, I was struck more than anything by the manic energy behind their performance, but as they developed, they’ve taken to tighter execution and more refined songwriting. Indeed, local veteran musicians Tyson Vogel (Two Gallants) on drums and Gram LeBron (Rogue Wave) on guitar (who alone on an acoustic guitar prefaced this performance with three numbers) have joined the lineup. Port O’Brien now stands as a powerhouse of local talent. Though the set predictably ended with their old closing standby, “I Woke Up Today” (they bring members of the audience on stage to clang on percussion with the band), the rest of their repertoire delivered some sweet surprises, notably allowing me to witness the transcendence of a band that has moved beyond raw, young energy and into an established musical institution. I love the talent in this town, and nights like this one prove time and again that San Francisco’s music scene is alive and wonderfully thriving. – Angela Zimmerman

Listen: Papercuts, Various Tracks [at myspace.com]

Tags:King Sunny Adé, live review, Atole, Starfucker

Phish: June 20th and 21st at Alpine Valley, WI and Elvis Costello: June 22nd at Amoeba Music, SF

Bonnaroo: June 11-14, Manchester, TN

Art Brut: June 15th at the Independent, SF and Northside Festival: June 11th to 14th, Brooklyn