This year’s SubZERO Festival boasts a lineup of top local and national talent. From veteran punk rockers, Talky Tina, to acoustic warrior and hometown hero Brother Grand. The festival’s organizers even snagged the avant-punk duo and Sub Pop Records artist No Age. Here is our list of can’t-miss music at this year’s festival.
Eyes On The Shore: 7:15pm | Anno Domini Stage (Fri)
Just before their performance at Live 105’s sold-out BFD, Eyes On The Shore will be playing the Anno Domini stage on friday night. This four-piece indie rock outfit is local to San Francisco, formed from members of the band Ambiance Antrom Kury and Kayhan Golkar, who have been writing together for more than a decade. Joined by vocalist Cory Tauber and drummer Kyle Albery last year, the band put out their debut album A Golden Blue, which features dramatic drum and bass lines accompanied by melodic surf guitar rhythms to create a sound that reflects the band’s variety of influences, from ‘60s surf rock to blues to post-modern bands like Radiohead and Sigur Ros.
Rin Tin Tiger: 8:30pm | Anno Domini Stage (Fri)
Rin Tin Tiger, an alternative folk rock trio from San Francisco (with some members originally hailing from San Jose). This group carries the high-energy, lyric-heavy, acoustic guitar-lead sounds of modern folk music, while still aiming to retain a contemporary feel. Rin Tin Tiger pulls influences from a plethora of genres—anything from Bob Dylan to Morrisey to Tupac. Their new single, “Small Cuts That Bleed A Lot,” is full of introspective lyrics and a killer harmonica hook.
Picture Atlantic: 10:30pm | The People’s Park Stage (Fri)
Another pre-BFD performance by San Jose based Picture Atlantic will be headlining the People’s Park Stage Friday. Hailed by The Owl Mag as “an exquisite mix of thrilling, boppy synth highs, and dark, heavy bass lows,” the band’s 2012 album strives to push musical boundaries and create sounds that have both ingenuity and longevity. They have developed a bit of a cult following in the South Bay and have played alongside the likes of Coldplay, The English Beat, STYX, Say Anything, Eisley, and Dan Black.
Convenient Lovers (Single) by Picture Atlantic
Brother Grand: 9:30pm | The Secret Garden Stage
Psychedelic-folk rock duo Brother Grand will grab audiences with an engaging live performance Friday at the Secret Garden Stage. Each song, be it stripped down to a banjo and upright bass or screaming into a wall of electric sound, highlights the band’s passion and dynamic stage presence. Combining live loopings, chaotic string melodies, thunderous drums, and yes, even a rhodes piano, Brother Grand is mixing the best of folk, psychedelic, and “film-score soul,” proving they can push boundaries without completely breaking ties with their musical roots.
Scissors for Lefty: 7:15pm | Anno Domini Stage
Heading off Saturday’s set at the Anno Domini stage is SF-based Scissors for Lefty. Brothers James and Peter Krimmel started the band with Bryan Garza while attending college in San Luis Obispo. Garza’s energetic vocals lend an air of Brit-pop pretension to the band’s dance-punk vibe, standing tall among contemporaries like Arctic Monkeys and Panic! at the Disco. With their debut album Bruno turning 10 this year, Scissors for Lefty is an indie art pop band that still retains a high-energy dance pop feel and a sense of humor.
Bruno by Scissors For Lefty
No Age: 9:45pm | Anno Domini Stage
Performing at 9:45pm Saturday at the Anno Domini stage is the LA-based punk duo No Age. No Age has the experimental qualities of more avant-garde noise pop while still remaining fundamentally punk rock. On their 2013 album An Object, produced by Sub Pop records, guitarist Randy Randall and drummer Dean Spunt turn their carefully cultivated dream-punk sound on its head with melodies that are more emotional than they are technically perfect and drums that combine traditional lumber and steel with experimental sounds of contact mics and electric bass. Cut, packaged, and labeled by Spunt and Randall themselves, An Object is protest music to the core.
Talky Tina: 8:15pm | The Secret Garden Stage
Coming to the Secret Garden Stage on saturday is Talky Tina, a local band that boasts a Metro alum as one of its own. Started by former members of another San Jose band Odd Numbers in 2009, Talky Tina modernizes classic elements of punk and power pop. Talky Tina’s sophomore album Just a Little Broken has made them a staple of the reemerging San Jose punk scene.
Just A Little Broken by Talky Tina
There will also be a multitude of great art and crafts on display at SubZERO. Here are just a few that we’re excited about:
Black & Brown
SubZERO wouldn’t be complete without fashion. Come to the Black & Brown booth—one of the best vintage clothing shops in the South Bay—and check out their expertly cultivated collection of vintage wear.
SLG Publishing + APE-POP
This locally based comic books shop is about much more than super heroes. At SLG, you can find plenty of gritty, punchy and humorous 2D characters as well. Since 1986, Slave Labor Graphics Publishing has been at the cutting edge of independent comic book and graphic novel publishing. It is perhaps most notable for its dark and strange sense of humor. SLG will bring back the Alternative Press Expo, a showcase of non-mainstream artworks. Come and pick up some original comics from the Bay underground artists.
Spectrum Glass Art & Works/San Jose
The Glass Art Society’s 44th annual International Glass Conference is overlapping with this year’s SubZERO Festival. Check out SPECTRUM at Anno Domini and Enlightened Glass at Works/San Jose. Both exhibits aim to change the way you think about glass artwork. Much more than just decor, the pieces in these exhibits tell stories, express emotions and contemplate philosophy.
Current Tattooing
Current Tattooing will be displaying some of the best work they’ve done on that most precious of all canvases—the human body. Whether you’re completely inked, are considering taking the plunge, or just appreciate the artwork, stop by the Current Tattooing booth.
For more information on SubZERO, click here.
