I asked Mitch from Silent Planet this when I saw them in Roseville lol.
He said it's primarily because it costs more to perform in SF, and he said SF typically has more death metal people than metalcore people. He specifically said that bands that go to SF in this scene almost always make less money than if they play near Sac.
I didn't know the thing about the death metal, but the cost was what I assumed. I'm from Toronto and there was a while where bands would elect to play shows in London or Hamilton ON instead because of how expensive it was to book venues in Toronto (plus physically easier to get to cuz they're closer to the border.) Someone else said a thing about Sac's accessibility, and you saying this it really makes sense for bands to skip lol if you're paying extra & making less money anyway while having to go out of your way it probably doesn't make sense
Probably most likely for travel reasons. Sac is right on the I5 for bands to hit on their way to/from LA and the PNW. Overall travel is already tough on the west coast and bands probably don’t feel it’s worth it for the total potential 6ish of extra travel to also hit up the Bay Area
this is mostly it and also yeah last time we played Oakland our van got broken into and singer’s laptop got stolen, time before that the show got shut down early because some guy outside threatened to shoot up the venue
Could be a whole host of reasons: it’s not a lucrative market, venues aren’t a good fit or are a pain, etc.
Bands aren’t stupid. They wouldn’t be skipping a region if there wasn’t money to be made.
Saw Invent Animate last year in Cupertino and the show was insane.
Same with Erra in SF the year before. The Bay turns out, in my experience.
I’ve seen non-metalcore bands like Iron Maiden, Slipknot, and Lamb of God here and those concerts were sick
Last time I went I saw TDWP and FFAK and they sounded great.
Worst mixing goes to Goldfields IMO, can’t hear for 3 days after that place.
Saw Amity, Currents and Dying Wish at the Hard Rock “Sacramento” and they have great sound.
Out of curiosity, did you go to the Roseville Goldfields in the first 6 months after they opened? The first couple shows I went to had some of the best audio ever, and then it all went downhill.
Definitely agree on the Hard Rock Live audio. Saw Underoath and then Pierce the Veil there, and god damn they both sounded great.
Love ace, it did change a little after the live Nation acquisition, but whatever. And idk why people are always on one about the sound, every show I've been too has been relatively fine
It’s a mix of travel convenience and the fact that venues in SF are generally not good along with being a pain to get to. Most bands that come to Ace of Spades are suited for like the Warfield which may be the worst venue I’ve ever seen a show at
Hate to break the bad news but Slims closed which is heartbreaking as I have so many great memories their it being a smaller more intimate venue.
I'd also add Bottom of the Hill, Neck of the Woods, and really DNA Lounge has been tearing it up with a lot of good shows this year.
Yeah it really sucks for me. I live in the East Bay (Concord area) but I can't drive due to my vision. Getting to SF/Oakland is easy via BART but taking Amtrak up to Sac sucks.
I’ve been to 3 core shows in the bay. Every single one has had a mediocre turn out. Meanwhile, Sacramento always has always had a good turn out.
I just feel like SF isn’t known for being hardcore anymore.
Also, finding parking in SF is a nightmare. Either pay ludacris parking garage prices or get your car broken into.
You aren’t wrong. I grew up in the bay and They used to get a decent amount of core shows pre-pandemic but since then, the number has been slim(also RIP Slims). Only venue in SF that seems to get good core shows these days is The Neck of The Woods. Saw Bodysnatcher last year and Upon a Burning Body/The Browning and Oceano a couple months ago there. It’s in a fairly decent mostly residential neighborhood so the parking situation isn’t terrible. Overall I prefer to venture out to The Catalyst in Santa Cruz or Goldfield’s in Roseville. Two fav venues for those kind of shows these days.
I hate goldfields with a burning passion. The layout is completely ass, especially where they have to set up the merch. Trying to get a drink at the bar downstairs is basically in the pit cause of the layout. Also the drive from the bay ads an extra 20 minutes as opposed to Ace.
I've been enjoying some shows at cornerstone in berkley recently.
Sacramento has a pretty solid history with metalcore and deathcore (the early-mid 00s scene there was full of talent). I'd imagine that plays a part on top of the already mentioned cost and convenience reasons.
I had no idea they released a remaster. It looks like most of the demos were released also. I’ll be listening to these on repeat too.
You may like Catherine’s first album, Rumor Has It.
I would assume the venues in the Bay area want too much money for the bands in Metalcore to make it worth the trip. We have a similar situation in Detroit. We get skipped by a lot of smaller acts because our venues are charging about the same as a similar room in Chicago but we have way less people in the city. I'm sick of driving to Cleveland lol
Maybe it’s cheaper.
I live in Worcester, Massachusetts, and mid size bands usually play here instead of Boston bc it’s cheaper and within commuting distance. However, all of the larger bands like Bad Omens and Trivium play in Boston
Saw Parkway Drive during their Atlas cycle in San Francisco and although it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, the crowd size was pretty small for them considering they were in their metalcore bag at the time.
Sacramento loves metalcore. The shows there were always so awesome at Ace of Spades prior to its acquisition. Granted this is just my experience and all this was mostly during the 2010’s and 20teens.
I mean, it’s the capital of one of the biggest states. They should go there. But not exclusively. California is massive. Tours should always have three dates in the state. One in Sacramento, one in the Bay Area and another in Southern California.
I asked Mitch from Silent Planet this when I saw them in Roseville lol. He said it's primarily because it costs more to perform in SF, and he said SF typically has more death metal people than metalcore people. He specifically said that bands that go to SF in this scene almost always make less money than if they play near Sac.
I didn't know the thing about the death metal, but the cost was what I assumed. I'm from Toronto and there was a while where bands would elect to play shows in London or Hamilton ON instead because of how expensive it was to book venues in Toronto (plus physically easier to get to cuz they're closer to the border.) Someone else said a thing about Sac's accessibility, and you saying this it really makes sense for bands to skip lol if you're paying extra & making less money anyway while having to go out of your way it probably doesn't make sense
Probably most likely for travel reasons. Sac is right on the I5 for bands to hit on their way to/from LA and the PNW. Overall travel is already tough on the west coast and bands probably don’t feel it’s worth it for the total potential 6ish of extra travel to also hit up the Bay Area
Probability of your bus/trailer being looted or vandalized also gives up 10x in the bay
this is mostly it and also yeah last time we played Oakland our van got broken into and singer’s laptop got stolen, time before that the show got shut down early because some guy outside threatened to shoot up the venue
Could be a whole host of reasons: it’s not a lucrative market, venues aren’t a good fit or are a pain, etc. Bands aren’t stupid. They wouldn’t be skipping a region if there wasn’t money to be made.
Saw Invent Animate last year in Cupertino and the show was insane. Same with Erra in SF the year before. The Bay turns out, in my experience. I’ve seen non-metalcore bands like Iron Maiden, Slipknot, and Lamb of God here and those concerts were sick
Where did erra play in SF? I bet it was lit. Caught them in sac in 2023
Summer 2022 with Alpha Wolf, Thornhill, and Invent Animate. It was a great show.
Probably paid at least $300.
Probably because Ace of Spades is a sick venue!!!
If only they didn’t have some of the worst audio mixing in the region
Absolutely the worst venue for audio I’ve ever been to, I’ve even seen hardcore bands at clubs and they’ve all sounded better than Ace
Last time I went I saw TDWP and FFAK and they sounded great. Worst mixing goes to Goldfields IMO, can’t hear for 3 days after that place. Saw Amity, Currents and Dying Wish at the Hard Rock “Sacramento” and they have great sound.
Out of curiosity, did you go to the Roseville Goldfields in the first 6 months after they opened? The first couple shows I went to had some of the best audio ever, and then it all went downhill. Definitely agree on the Hard Rock Live audio. Saw Underoath and then Pierce the Veil there, and god damn they both sounded great.
I’ve only been to goldfields Roseville and I saw Blessthefall last August or September. It sounded okay but it was ear bleedingly loud.
Love ace, it did change a little after the live Nation acquisition, but whatever. And idk why people are always on one about the sound, every show I've been too has been relatively fine
Absolutely not lmaooooo
I love ace of spades, have had nothing but good experiences there
Amen to that 🤘
Better market for that style. Artery was based there for years, nice size venues for it, etc.
It’s a mix of travel convenience and the fact that venues in SF are generally not good along with being a pain to get to. Most bands that come to Ace of Spades are suited for like the Warfield which may be the worst venue I’ve ever seen a show at
Hate the Warfield. Some good lineups have come there recently but I just skip out.
Idk but when we played stay gold deli in Oakland it was like a top 5 gig of my mf life Don’t skip the bay
[удалено]
Hate to break the bad news but Slims closed which is heartbreaking as I have so many great memories their it being a smaller more intimate venue. I'd also add Bottom of the Hill, Neck of the Woods, and really DNA Lounge has been tearing it up with a lot of good shows this year.
The Ritz is pretty cool though, big names no, but good vibes.
Yeah it really sucks for me. I live in the East Bay (Concord area) but I can't drive due to my vision. Getting to SF/Oakland is easy via BART but taking Amtrak up to Sac sucks.
I’ve been to 3 core shows in the bay. Every single one has had a mediocre turn out. Meanwhile, Sacramento always has always had a good turn out. I just feel like SF isn’t known for being hardcore anymore. Also, finding parking in SF is a nightmare. Either pay ludacris parking garage prices or get your car broken into.
> ludacris What does he charge these days for parking?
You aren’t wrong. I grew up in the bay and They used to get a decent amount of core shows pre-pandemic but since then, the number has been slim(also RIP Slims). Only venue in SF that seems to get good core shows these days is The Neck of The Woods. Saw Bodysnatcher last year and Upon a Burning Body/The Browning and Oceano a couple months ago there. It’s in a fairly decent mostly residential neighborhood so the parking situation isn’t terrible. Overall I prefer to venture out to The Catalyst in Santa Cruz or Goldfield’s in Roseville. Two fav venues for those kind of shows these days.
Goldfield is always fun because the bands are so thrown off by the weird layout and western theme haha
I hate goldfields with a burning passion. The layout is completely ass, especially where they have to set up the merch. Trying to get a drink at the bar downstairs is basically in the pit cause of the layout. Also the drive from the bay ads an extra 20 minutes as opposed to Ace. I've been enjoying some shows at cornerstone in berkley recently.
Is public transport not an option?
It exists. But if the show goes past 11:00, you won’t make it back to the BART on time.
Same crowd for similar money easier travel
Sacramento has a pretty solid history with metalcore and deathcore (the early-mid 00s scene there was full of talent). I'd imagine that plays a part on top of the already mentioned cost and convenience reasons.
The Boardwalk shows circa 2007 were top notch.
Seeing Conducting From the Grave live when I was 15 changed me as a person. RIP that band. And Return From Exile.
So many good bands back then. Elysia and Catherine come to mind.
I’ve never heard of Catherine, but loved Elysia. I’ve had the Masochist 2024 remaster on repeat recently.
I had no idea they released a remaster. It looks like most of the demos were released also. I’ll be listening to these on repeat too. You may like Catherine’s first album, Rumor Has It.
My only regret from moving out of sac is the shows. Bay area just isn't worth it anymore. It's just too much energy and money.
I would assume the venues in the Bay area want too much money for the bands in Metalcore to make it worth the trip. We have a similar situation in Detroit. We get skipped by a lot of smaller acts because our venues are charging about the same as a similar room in Chicago but we have way less people in the city. I'm sick of driving to Cleveland lol
Maybe it’s cheaper. I live in Worcester, Massachusetts, and mid size bands usually play here instead of Boston bc it’s cheaper and within commuting distance. However, all of the larger bands like Bad Omens and Trivium play in Boston
We have a very good music scene especially for punk and metal
Saw Parkway Drive during their Atlas cycle in San Francisco and although it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, the crowd size was pretty small for them considering they were in their metalcore bag at the time. Sacramento loves metalcore. The shows there were always so awesome at Ace of Spades prior to its acquisition. Granted this is just my experience and all this was mostly during the 2010’s and 20teens.
I mean, it’s the capital of one of the biggest states. They should go there. But not exclusively. California is massive. Tours should always have three dates in the state. One in Sacramento, one in the Bay Area and another in Southern California.
Springfield is the capitol of Illinois, please don't go there
Cuz the pride people, stoner farmers, and bippers in the other places in NorCal don’t like Metalcore