SA Shows to Look Forward to in 2017

Atmosphere/Brother Ali
January 18, Paper Tiger

If your identity was wrapped up in a particular music scene growing up, you could definitely feel a full spectrum of emotions when a particular artist from that scene starts to experience some conventional success: Stoked that your favorite artists are making some money but bummed that people you might not like start rocking merch from that artist (ugh, right?). With Rapper Slug’s smooth delivery and lush storytelling and DJ/producer Ant’s classic hip-hop sampling and production, it’s easy to experience that kind of ambivalence when the prolific duo that make up Atmosphere started to shine brightly as they rose from their underground roots into the light of the mainstream.

RA The Rugged Man/Afro
January, 21 Fitzgeralds

On the track “Chains” from his 2004 debut album Die, Rugged Man, Die, R. A. Thorburn (AKA R. A. The Rugged) man spits “They say ‘Rugged, by now you should have at least blown’/ It’s funny, I’m mad famous for being unknown.” A true lyric if ever there was one. With an extremely brief stint on Jive Records (Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys) Rugged Man never really found mainstream success despite his technical lyrical abilities and collaborations with rap royalty Wu-tang Clan and the late Notorious B.I.G.

The Growlers
February 24, Paper Tiger

As the crest of new wave of psychedelic rock began to shape in the late 2000s, California surf-rockers The Growlers dropped into the forefront of the scene. With live performances as magical as The Flaming Lips, the “Gay Thoughts” band continues to drop acid on our tongues in the form of psychedelic visual and aural experiences.

Isaiah Rashad
February 25, Alamo City Music Hall

Hailing from Chattanooga, Tennessee, 25 year old rapper Isaiah Rashad has been turning heads despite the short amount of time he’s been in the music game. At 21, Rashad jumped on the Smokers Club 2012 tour with Joey Badass and Juicy J then eventually signed with Top Dawg entertainment in 2014 alongside Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy-Q.

Circa Survive
February 28, Alamo City Music Hall

There have been plenty of singers that have tried (and failed) to hit the notes singer Anthony Green hits with seeming effortlessness. Forming in the early 2000s, Circa Survive continues to serve us a beautiful array of sounds and melodies ranging from indie rock, emo, and post-hardcore.

YOSA + Local Bands play Purple Rain
March 13, Tobin Center

With last year’s stellar performance and rendition of Radiohead’s Ok Computer, a dozen of San Antonio’s most talented bands will be accompanied by YOSA for a start-to-finish rendition of the late Prince’s Purple Rain. Acts like Alyson Alonzo, Nina Diaz, The Foreign Arm and Fisherman are set to bring about a magical night performing songs from the 80s pop opus.

Burger Records Hangover Fest
March 19, Paper Tiger

With its fifth installment manifesting in March at Paper Tiger, Burger Records’ Hangover Fest is a punk orgy you’re not gonna wanna miss. With, like, a million bands on the label who are playing the fest (including, most notably, the CBGB’s staple Television), Hangover Fest is sure to deliver a healthy dose of crusty, poppy, feel good punk rawk.

Ariana Grande
April 6, AT&T Center

Considering she’s the fourth most followed person on Instagram, you probably already know everything there is to know about Ariana Grande. As the only person in history to have singles from all their albums debut at number one on the Billboard charts, the Dangerous Woman doesn’t show any signs of throwing in the towel.

Testament/Sepultura/Prong
April, 8 Aztec Theatre 

Remember thrash metal? Oh yes San Antonio, you ‘member. So you definitely ‘member the Berkely thrash heads Testament. On tour with Sepultura and Prong, Testament is sure to deliver speed metal riffage that’ll send you head banging through pleasant metal memories.

Alice Cooper
May 8, Tobin Center

As the Godfather of Shock Rock, Alice Cooper’s influence on pop culture has had a rippling effect. Influencing the likes of Marilyn Manson and other spooky icons of the present, the Detroit rocker is coming back to remind us that that “Schooooool’s out forever!”

Kehlani
May 25, Alamo City Music Hall

With influences like Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu, Kehlani’s sound blends the stylings of neo-soul and R&B vocals with the contemporary sounds of trap rap. Hailing from Oakland, the beautiful bisexual, racially-mixed songstress with face tattoos is emerging as one the more noteworthy R&B artists of the twenty..teens? (shrug), or whatever the hell we call this era.

Green Day
September 8, AT&T Center

A video emerged on the internet recently of the three piece Berkely, California punk band Green Day impressively performing as teens in their high school quadrangle. Experiencing early success, and becoming one of the defining sounds of the nineties, Green Day’s early work remain as a staple and influencer in the modern punk scene today. 

This article appears in Dec 21-27, 2016.