John Vanderslice

San Francisco local musical gem John Vanderslice kicked off a Cd-release tour at The Rickshaw Stop on Tuesday , and... yeah! what a show. JV is one of those artists who writes songs that feel like short stories that rock. Bunnies escaping, deer outside the front door and horses can be perfect metaphors. He has a new Cd Romanian Nights with songs so good I wasn't too disappointed I didn't hear some of my favorites from Emerald City at the show. If you don't catch one of his lives shows this tour-round, check out his discs.

This was my second time seeing him, and it was incredible. He is so friendly, fun, and has great stage presence (loads of energy). Plays all his best songs, and puts you in a great mood. Highly, highly recommended. I also find it amazingly admirable that he plays a lot of tiny (inexpensive, intimate) shows when he probably could be playing bigger venues. Super friendly dude too - say hi to him at the merch table, he'll sign stuff and chat with you, and actually seem really happy to do it.

I have been an avid John Vanderslice fan for over ten years, and this was by far the most amazing show I have seen. Magik Magik is awesome.

i was afraid the orchestra would drown JV out but they totally enhanced his presence. awesome concert!

John Vanderslice and a 30-piece orchestra far exceeded expectations. Besides great music, the show featured an opening Q&A on how the music was arranged and a post-show gathering where fans could talk to everyone who performed.

Great synergy among orchestra players, JV, and Jason; penetrating music, unforgettable trumpet solo.

This show was exceptional to me for these reasons: It was personal, like a really big band in your living room. They talked about the music, repeated sections that were exceptional, and acknowledged the audience like we were sophisticated listeners. The music is beautiful. The arrangements are interesting and alive. JV sings effortlessly (apparently) and puts life into his music. I have a couple of friends in the band, and it is always exciting to see your people contribute to something wonderful.

Pure genius. One of the best shows I have ever seen. Ever, ever...

John Vanderslice will knock your socks off every time, throw the Magik*Magik Orchestra into the mix and... just.... wow. This was an incredible show, unique and special.

I've seen John Vanderslice play on three separate occasions now, and every time it's been a stellar performance both technically and in the human sense of the word. Although his songs don't always reflect it, Vanderslice's happy go-lucky attitude is absolutely contagious, and I'd say it's one of the unique things about his performances. It really is fun to watch him have fun and he's always sure to get the audience involved. Additionally Minna Choi and the Magik Magik Ochestra are totally genius within their own right. The collaboration between JV and Magik Magik really deserves some sort of award. I would also highly recommend any show mixed by JV's sound crew. I've never attended a show where the sound was this well mixed (bear in mind here that there were upwards of 20 different instruments performing at a given time).

Vanderslice was cute and charming and all, but essentially he really is only an aging hipster. I actually bought my tickets to see his opener, The Tallest Man on Earth. I hoped to be pleasantly surprised by Vanderslice and company, having never really enjoyed them before. However, as expected, Tallest Man's set overshadowed the headliners by far. Most of the stuff he did was from Shallow Grave, and while some people seemed to already be familiar with it, the general reaction from the audience was one of surprise and enthusiam for his music. The best part of the show was Tallest Man's cover of 'Moonshiner'. Understated yet emotional, the song fit in well with his repertoire. It was great to see him do another cover, considering he's been rocking 'These Days' for a while. If there is any justice in the world, Tallest Man will be headlining next year and Vanderslice will be his opener.

JV is THE most generous performer. No two shows are ever alike, yet the experience is always signature JV. I've never been to one of his shows that wasn't packed, but always walk away feeling as though it was a small and intimate performance in someone's livingroom.

TMOE is excellent. Perfect venue to hear him, too.

John Vanderslice, the highly underrated singer again put on an amazing show with his mostly new band. A++ would go again.

One of the best intimate shows I've ever seen. The Morning Benders are a "hip" indie band that write great songs and have a ton of new material that they played at this show. John Vanderslice owned it, a live set that was a beast entirely of its own compared to his studio work. Do yourself a favor and see John Vanderslice while he is playing with this group of musicians in intimate venues doing this current material. FYI: What I was really feeling about the set was the guitar tone and some serious dub reggae undertones a la The Clash.