From Central Richmond to Nob Hill — with a cameo from Berkeley’s own UC Theatre — San Francisco’s annual Noise Pop Festival brought waves of bands that traversed genres and subcultures, allowing for music lovers of all shapes and sizes to come and listen. Kicking off Feb. 19, the 11-day festival rang out as a true celebration of music, encouraging Bay Area residents to journey through a city landscape of unique settings and sounds. Although a week of live music may have caused practically permanent hearing damage, Noise Pop provided me with a catalog of artists incredibly varying in style, but identical in musical caliber, making the loss absolutely worth it.
On the first Saturday of Noise Pop, I was transported to the early to mid 2000s by DeVotchKa and its tribute to the soundtrack of “Little Miss Sunshine.” Primarily known for its tracks in the critically acclaimed movie, the Colorado-based quartet provided the audience with ripples of nostalgia as the group performed songs such as “The Winner Is” while snippets of the film projected behind them. As scenes of Paul Dano’s character screaming in guttural disappointment played, the indie millennial audience euphorically swayed to DeVotchKa’s cinematic sound. Presenting a diverse instrumentation with violins, sousaphones and even an accordion, DeVotchKa’s whimsical folk pop sound sonically fed those in attendance the indie revival they needed.
Journeying to another side of the city, Wisp performed at the Great American Music Hall the next day. The emo rock groups Junebug and Car Underwater opened the concert with screaming vocals and dense, alternative musicality. Primarily consisting of teenagers and 20-somethings, the audience was readily prepared for a night of fried vocal cords and sweaty collisions. However, even with the piercing, loud atmosphere, nothing was as airy and light as Wisp’s lead singer Natalie Lu’s voice. While Lu’s croon was a softer presence within the band’s overall shoegaze, nu-metallic sound, it still inspired the audience to mosh well into Monday that Sunday night.
Come Tuesday, I was searching for some sonic shelter from the week’s rainy beginnings, which ultimately came in the form of R&B artists Dana Williams and rum.gold. Walking into Rickshaw Stop, I was instantly struck by the softness of Williams’ voice, which beautifully wove together runs and vocal flips with her sweet string-plucking.
Despite the venue’s small size, which allows for a comfortable intimacy, rum.gold’s strong emerging presence seemed to enlarge the space. While sat upon a pile of clothes that mimicked his lyric and sonic vulnerability, his vocals soothed the audience as they swayed to his airy voice and hypnotic band. Mesmerizing the audience through their musical charm, both artists’ soulful voices provided solace from the stormy weather outside.
Noise Pop’s promise of promoting local bands was made apparent once entering San Francisco’s beloved venue, Bottom of the Hill, on Thursday. Including indie rock performances from the Bay Area’s own Small Crush, starbelliedbug and Carpool Tunnel, each band spoke to the raw artistry of the city. Although Carpool Tunnel did not come on until after 10 p.m., the crowd continued to dance and collide with unwavering excitement; the flourishing sound flowing through their performance spoke to them being an indie staple. Despite being alone in the crowd, the energetic, community atmosphere of the venue and bands made this detail easy to forget.
As music lovers entered more than a dozen venues and witnessed more than a hundred concerts, Noise Pop curated a diverse lineup that beckoned people to explore varied artistic spaces by hopping from one show to the next. While the idea that one could pop into several shows in a single night is somewhat unrealistic given the distance between venues, Noise Pop still shines as a staple of San Francisco’s independent music scene. Highlighting musicians from emerging indie bands to rapper-singer-songwriter CupcakKe, who performed at Public Works, Noise Pop is made for everyone. My hands are still stained with layers of venue stamps, but each mark reminds me to listen to music the way it was meant to be heard: live!