San Francisco Blog

Earth Wind and Fire, 8 at Paramount Theatre. $45.50-85.50.
“With each new album, Earth, Wind and Fire remain relatively true to their original sound: elaborate, neatly orchestral funk, influenced equally by American and African sources. But the band also keeps its ear to the radio. Accordingly, Raise! reflects the current wave of street-gritty black pop, from Lakeside to Rick James. Most of the tracks crank up the bass and feature rattling percussion that scrapes against the beat.” --Rolling Stone

Ani DiFranco, 8 at the Warfield. $40.50.
“It seems odd that Ani DiFranco’s latest album Reprieve would begin with a gunshot, until you consider just how muffled and distant that gunshot is. Consider it as a violent expression quieted, and it becomes a perfect metaphor for the rest of Reprieve, an album that houses big ideas in humble packages, calls-to-arms, protests, and confused relationships presented in a quiet, laid-back, acoustic setting. As such, it’s one of the few Ani albums for which one may not be able to form an immediate opinion—these are songs that have to gestate, plant their seeds in your mind and let them grow to their full potential over the course of many, many listens.” --PopMatters

Incubus, 8 at Greek Theatre. $40.
“November 28, 2006 marked the release of their 6th studio album, Light Grenades, a collection of songs primarily revolving around the topics of love, relationships, and friendships, and while I certainly concede that these topics are generally as cliché as they come, Brandon and the guys have found a masterful way to inject their own personal powerful juices into the record, and again allow an amalgamation of styles and techniques to project their music into a realm all its own.” --IGN