Act: The Cry!

Location: Hemlock Tavern

Start Time: 8:30pm

Price: $6

The Cry! represents the quintessential (and somewhat stereotypical) image of a rock band. The sound they deliver will ring familiar to classic rock enthusiasts, as they are somewhat akin to early '70s rock n’ roll outfits like The Ramones and Thin Lizzy. The band's image is straight out of the golden era of rock and roll, with all of them sporting the old school mop-top haircut, colored jeans, and vintage guitars. If you’re in for a new take on an old concept, The Cry! is a safe bet for a rocking evening.

​

Act: Kat Dahlia

Location: Slims  

Start Time: 8pm (Doors 7:30pm)

Price: $21

Kat Dahlia exudes the presence of a self-reliant and motivated individual. She’s risen to her level of significance by independently funding herself for years, determined to make her mark on the industry. Formerly known as Kat Hue, this Floridian writes all of her own music which could be classified as pop if it weren’t for her unique vocals, which contain rhythm patterns that border on the edge of rapping. Kat is a storyteller by nature, and definitely an artist to watch .

Act: Cool Ghouls

Location: Brick & Mortar Music Hall

Start Time: 9pm

Price: $6

This psychedelic garage rock collective born out of SF State borrowed its moniker from George Clinton, who addressed the crowd as “cool ghouls” during a performance in the 1970s. Despite its love for all things funky, Cool Ghouls heavily derives its sound from bands like Thee Oh Sees, with a fusion of upbeat rock, roll rhythms and melancholy vocal tonalities. This band is perfect for those who want to quickly relive their recent (or not so recent) college experience.

Act: Ryan Hemsworth

Location: The Independent

Start Time: 8pm (Doors 7:30pm)

Price: $20

A sought-after DJ and producer, Ryan Hemsworth's list of credits and collaborations with artists such as Bay Area hip hop artist Shady Blaze far exceed what one would expect from someone who's been on the scene for just four years. The Canadian-born artist specializes in sampling and has released several notable remixes of tracks from artists such as Frank Ocean, Kanye West and Cat Power, gaining him a huge Internet presence (his remix of Frank Ocean's "Thinking About You" has over 8 million views on YouTube). Between his massive following and laundry list of credits, there’s no question that Hemsworth is one to look out for.

Act: Seatraffic

Location: Rickshaw Stop

Start Time: 9pm

Price: $17

Seatraffic has quickly spread its sound across the local scene since its inception in 2011, when this electronic dream-pop duo caught the attention of audiences with a full sound that’s bigger than most acts with double the number of members. Seatraffic exemplifies the way that music can provide an escape from reality: the summary of the band on Facebook simply reads “synthesizers, drums and dreams”, and those three words accurately sum up both the sound and feeling to expect from the group's live performance.

Act: Kendra Morris

Location: Brick & Mortar Music Hall

Start Time: 8pm

Price: $10

Kendra Morris, this week's second female Florida-born artist, has found her place in the music industry with deep and soulful instrumental tonalities, a penetrating voice and a powerful presence. The singer-songwriter gets a lot her sound from early influences like Marvin Gaye and the Temptations, and is somewhat reminiscent of more recent soul artists like Amy Winehouse. Currently based in New York, Morris is in California for three nights only, starting at The New Parish (Oakland) on the 12th, and ending at Hopmonk (Sebastopol) on the 14th. 

What shows are on your radar for this week? Let us know what other acts to look out for in the week ahead, and what must-see shows are on your calendar in the near future.