SF Live and the Bottom of the Hill host free Halloween-themed concert in McLaren Park
The Bottom of the Hill has teamed up with SF Live to present a free Halloween punk-rock party Saturday afternoon at McLaren Park with Austin, TX-based band Die Spitz, local favorites Nobody's Baby and more.
San Francisco has hosted a flurry of free live concerts since summer as part of the SF Live program aimed at bringing more visitors to the city. The shows kicked off back in June when the Bottom of the Hill presented African psych-funk legends WITCH in McLaren Park. Since then, there have been multiple free concerts at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell, in China Basin Park and the recent international psychedelic rock blowout hosted by The Chapel and show promoter (((folkYEAH!))) that was headlined by Australian band the Babe Rainbow.
For this Saturday afternoon all-ages "Halloween Rock 'n' Scream" concert back at McLaren Park's Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, the Bottom of the Hill teams with SF Live, Illuminate Live and SF Rec and Park to present a line-up of cutting-edge punk bands topped by all-female Texas quartet Die Spitz. Though they have been together less than three years since being founded in early 2022, the caustic band has made some serious noise. Featuring bassist Kate Halter and multi-instrumentalists Ava Schrobilgen, Chloe Andrews and Ellie Livingston (who swap between playing guitar, drums and singing lead vocals), Die Spitz quickly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with live on the Austin, TX, music scene that led to the band winning several Austin Music Awards (Best Punk Band, Best Music Residency, and Best New Act) within the first year of their existence.
With a tuneful punk sound that nods heavily to their '90s forebears -- particularly Nirvana, the Pixies and Hole -- Die Spitz has already built a wide audience outside of their native Texas with extensive touring in support of like-minded acts including Australian upstarts Amyl and the Sniffers (who they opened for a the Fox Theater in Oakland), '90s powerhouse L7, and now sadly defunct punk supergroup OFF! Die Spitz were also one of the highlights of last summer's Mosswood Meltdown in Oakland. The band has only released a few singles and the double EP Teeth so far, but a full-length album is in the works. The band headlines this free outdoor show in San Francisco before heading back to play its hometown as a featured act at the Levitation Festival in Austin the weekend after Halloween.
Also appearing at the Halloween Rock 'n' Scream will be the McCharmlys, a popular quintet from Santa Ana that mixes doo-wop, surf and '60s rock with a contemporary twist. The Bay Area will be represented with a couple of bands performing at the show. Nobody's Baby similarly combines throwback influences of doo-wop, R&B and '60s psychedelia with a modern approach, but instead cross-pollenates those elements with punk and noise-rock for a darker, more menacing sound. Opening act Lost Puppy Forever is a costumed bass-and-drums duo that mashes up the hooky primitive rock of the Cramps with the fuzzed-out onslaught of such noted pairings as Big Business and Blood Red Shoes. The band will also host a pet costume contest after their 1 p.m. set. While there will be vendors on hand, attendees are encouraged to bring food and drink.
Halloween Rock 'n' Scream with Die Spitz
Saturday, Oct. 26, 1 p.m. Free
Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in McLaren Park
