by Petyr Campos
Bay Area punk band Black Gold Sun performed at Bottom of the Hill. The band is comprised of Anita on guitar, Veronica Savage on bass, and QLynn on drums. They are a hard-driving punk trio that is raw, loud, emotional, and alive. Their performance was loose and improvisational, with Anita chasing the crowd’s energy and Veronica adjusting in real time, with mistakes becoming part of the fun rather than something to hide. The audience that spanned four generations of punks feed off the energy of the band’s performance. Their sound shifts between heavy, weighted moments that suddenly explode into a release, and their lyrics aren’t ornate or hiding behind cleverness; they’re built to be a plainspoken “release” for the listener, closer to catharsis than poetry.
Skip The Needle is an Oakland-based queer female quartet made up of Vicki Randle on bass, percussion, vocals; Shelley Doty on guitar, vocals; Kofy Brown on drums, vocals; and Katie Cash on guitar and vocals. The members met each other performing around the Bay Area and formed the band in 2014. Their sound is a blend of rock, funk, and soul, with their songs collectively showcasing each member’s individual voice. Their performance was full of emotion, laughter, and joy. The band is a lot of fun to listen to and watch.
The Kofy Brown Band is led by Kofy Brown, an Oakland-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (keys, guitar, bass, and drums) who has been a pioneering force in the Bay Area’s hip-hop soul scene since the early ’90s. KBB’s sound blends funk, rock, blues, and hip-hop, topped off with a style that moves seamlessly between singing and rapping. Live, the band delivers an electrifying show full of vitality and energy — irresistible grooves, cool soul, eclectic funk, and lyrics that move you.
