San Francisco was warm and getting warmer up when gates opened at noon on Saturday for the 7th Annual Phono Del Sol Music Fest. By the time the music started at Potereo Del Sol Park in the outskirts of the Mission district, the largest skate park in the city, we were well on our way into a beautiful 77 degree Summer day.
Even with 10 bands on the bill instead of 12 like we saw back in 2013 when I last attended, the non-profit Music Fest has grown. Ten food trucks lined San Bruno Ave which included a few favorites from the Outside Lands food line-up: Curry Up Now, Humphry Solcombe and Mozzeria! Sizeable beer gardens flanked a side of each of the two stages and booths with vendors signing people for free stuff, sampling products and selling merchandise were set up around the park.
Along with this being a non-profit event, which is wild as far as the world of music fests go, the team of voulenteers at The Bay Bridged build a line-up chalk full of local bands. Aside from Duckwrth and The Coathangers, all of the other bands who played this year are from the Bay Area or are transplants. An occurance that's become way more common around the City, musican or not.
The greatest attributes of this small festival is indeed it's size and also that the opposing set times don't greatly over-lap each other. With the stages just a short walk over a little grassy knoll, Phono Del Sol offers it's fest-goers a chance to see as much music as possible which is always great at any music fest but especailly those that only run one day.
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| Flamingo Fountain@ Phono Del Sol Music Fest 6/17/2017 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
People trickeled in as SF's own Tino Drima and Oakland dwelling, Seattle transplant Madeline Kenney opened the show respectively at 1:00pm on the Mission Stage and 1:30pm on the Potereo Stage.
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| Bells Atlas @ Phono Del Sol 6/17/2017 Photo by Marc Fong |
Families played in the playground, people chowed on Food Truck grub and those who weren't bathing in the sunshine at the stages gathered in slivers of shade. And the beer gardens were absolutely packed, sometimes more so than the general grass area around the stages!
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| Bells Atlas @ Phono Del Sol Music Fest 6/17/2017 photo by Marc Fong |
The afternoon was filled with an eclectic mix of sounds: from new age R&B with a an old school soulful spin by Richmond's 22 year old songbird, Rayana Jay to blends of percussion, worldly beats and melodic vocals from Oakland's Bells Atlas and a spirited performance of indie infused rap from Bay Areaian via South Central rapper, Duckwrth.
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| Duckwrth @ Phono Del Sol Music Fest 6/17/2017 photo by Marc Fong |
The sound delivered from every band differed yet they all flowed really well. Moving from one stage to the next, one band to another, was a smooth transition to your sense of sound. Oddly enough, they all fit. As one set came to an end it was a humbling sight to see the serge of people flooding over the other stage to catch the next band.
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| Duckwrth @ Phono Del Sol Music Fest 6/17/2017 photo by Marc Fong |
With about half an hour between each 30 - 45 minute long set, there was just enough time to catch the start of one act before moseying over to catch the tail end of another, or vice-versa. That's pretty much how my Saturday went. It was an easy-breezy Music Fest experience and the impecible, warm Summer weather made it that much easier to fully enjoy.
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| Sean Hayes @ Phono Del Sol Music Fest 6/17/2017 photo by Marc Fong |
Gears shifted a little when Sean Hayes took the Mission Stage later in the day. The New York born, South Carolina rasied, San Francisco transplant singer-songwriter filled the air with more of a country vibe. The strumming of his guitar and gravelly voice had a down-to-earth feel, like sipping lemon-aide out on your porch after a long day, letting golden rays of the setting sun wash over you.
This rock based shift bled into the next sound shift of the day and before you knew it things got punked up.
The Coathangers were up next and they took to the stage in a quiet kind of furry!
Back in March the all girl, grunge outfit from Atlanta Georgia played Brick & Mortar on the other end of the Misson District and I gotta say, their grit and wit are a perfect fit for it.
The Mission District that is.
They rock the "you don't want to be on our bad-side, don't call me a hipster" attitude, so it was very fitting that they played The Mission stage on Saturday.
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| The Coathangers @ Phono Del Sol Music Fest 6/17/2017 photo by Marc Fong |
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| The Coathangers @ Phono Del Sol Music Fest 6/17/2017 photo by Marc Fong |
Cracking jokes as they tied a huge Happy Birthday balloon to an amp in celebration of guitarist Crok's B-Day before they started, the girls effortlessly made an instant connection with the crowd.
In matching red t-shirts, Crok Kid, Minnie and Rusty gave Phono Del Sol the first full-fledged dose of wholesome punk rock.
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| The Coathangers @ Phono Del Sol Music Fest 6/17/2017 photo by Marc Fong |
While Minnie's vocals tweetered on the falsetto spectrum, Rusty off-set them with her raspy baratones. You don't see too many singing drummers and I loved watching Rusty throw it down on the mic as she thrashed on the drums! Their style of punk rock is more grungy than it is dirty and they were great at get us riled up for the punks up next, headliners, Thee Oh Sees!
Four years ago they co-headlined the 3rd Annual Phono Del Sol with YACHT. This was Thee Oh Sees second time playing Phono Del Sol, their second time headlining the festival and it was my second time being there and seeing them, too!
Two of the fest's co-founders introduced band before front-man John Dwyer did and then, like only a true punk would do, he invited fans to go over the baricades and join them on stage if they wanted to.
Seconds into their first song the stage was packed with jumping, headbanging, crowd surfing fans surrounding the band. People weren't rude or rushed as they pushed past either! It was awesome!
Even from the top of the grassy knoll, you couldn't really see them unless you were literally standing right in front of them but there was no doubt that Thee Oh Sees were rocking! And people were rocking out!
They gave SF a high energy, highly engaged set. Thee Oh Sees left their heart in San Francisco when they relocated down to L.A a few years ago and it is oh so very good to have them back!
Fun in the sun, live music, food, drinks and a ticket price that's right you can't really go wrong!
See you next year at the 8th Annual Phono Del Sol Music Festival!
Four years ago they co-headlined the 3rd Annual Phono Del Sol with YACHT. This was Thee Oh Sees second time playing Phono Del Sol, their second time headlining the festival and it was my second time being there and seeing them, too!
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| Thee Oh Sees @ Phono Del Sol Music Fest 6/17/2017 photo by Marc Fong |
Two of the fest's co-founders introduced band before front-man John Dwyer did and then, like only a true punk would do, he invited fans to go over the baricades and join them on stage if they wanted to.
Seconds into their first song the stage was packed with jumping, headbanging, crowd surfing fans surrounding the band. People weren't rude or rushed as they pushed past either! It was awesome!
 |
| Thee Oh Sees @ Phono Del Sol Music Fest 6/17/2017 photo by Marc Fong |
They gave SF a high energy, highly engaged set. Thee Oh Sees left their heart in San Francisco when they relocated down to L.A a few years ago and it is oh so very good to have them back!
 |
| Thee Oh Sees @ Phono Del Sol Music Fest 6/17/2017 photo by Marc Fong |
Fun in the sun, live music, food, drinks and a ticket price that's right you can't really go wrong!
See you next year at the 8th Annual Phono Del Sol Music Festival!
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| Thee Oh Sees @ Phono Del Sol Music Fest 6/17/2017 photo by Marc Fong |
Check out the full photo gallery and more on KFOG.com!
