Run River North
Matt Jaffe
This event is 21 and over.
$20.00 – General Admission (Advance)
$22.00 – General Admission (Door)
*plus applicable service fees
Tickets available at The Independent box office (628 Divisadero, SF) with no service charge.
All doors & show times subject to change.
Having ushered in a new era of the band with the release of Monsters Calling Home, Vol. 1 earlier this spring, the alternative Los Angeles-based group Run River North are set to embark on yet another exciting chapter with the second half of that EP collection, Monsters Calling Home, Vol. 2. With a fistful of their most ebullient, catchy, and radio-friendly songs to date, the trio – Alex Hwang (guitar/vocals), Daniel Chae (guitars/vocals), and Sally Kang (keys/vocals)—have completed their journey into the light, focused fully on a fresh, joyful sound while embracing their true communal identity and feeling-driven instincts. And with lead single “Wake Up” paving their way, it’s clear that 2019 will be looked upon as the year Run River North truly began.
Fully functioning as a three-piece since the departure of three founding members of the band in 2016, Hwang, Chae, and Kang have come into their own as a unit, forging a complementary axis from which to write, record, and play. Their bond is made even stronger by the level of trust and respect they share for one another. “We have a really nice perspective of what it means to be a band now,” Hwang says. “Whether in songwriting or being a good tour mate, everyone wants to help each other out and knows how to do that within the group. It’s made for the perfect environment to make songs.”
For Run River North, that sensibility serves as their guiding principle and has allowed them to finally reach the musical heights to which they have always aspired. With the collaborative, communal effort of Monsters Calling Home, Vol. 2, the band will surely see themselves atop the airwaves for many years to come.
“To us, the record feels new and youthful and at the same time very pure and happy,” Hwang says. “That contagious, genuine sense of joy is something we’ve been wanting to get to, and it’s been really fun to discover while working with other musicians we respect and looking inside ourselves as well.”
Oftentimes, a fresh voice makes the most noise. A culmination of indie spirit, alternative whimsy, and pop ambition, New Dialogue speaks for the moment. The Los Angeles-based quintet—Ela Kitapci [vocals], Taylor Morrow [vocals], Jason Rodriguez [drums], Michael Sevilla [guitar], and Jeff Badagliacca [bass]—spent a year quietly writing and recording in the studio with producer Charlie Park [lovelytheband] before making their live debut during June 2018.
Signed to RED Music, they introduce a style all their own on the first single, “Fake Smile.” Lush but simple production underscores Ela and Taylor’s intimate delivery as they ask, “Do you love me, anymore?” A rich sonic backdrop compliments the pleading reprise, “Yeah, I’d even take a fake smile.”
That intimacy extends to “Neon Ocean”, a dark and powerful follow up single, and then further to “Pilgrims”, the resonant anthem boasting “You can be anyone!”. Resounding guitar echoes behind the vocal interplay of Ela and Taylor as the hooks soar to epic heights.
The group has recently come off the road with lovelytheband and plots more music for release, videos, live shows and tours. They’ve just begun what promises to be a lasting conversation.
After cutting his teeth on open mics around the Bay Area, San Francisco songwriter Matt Jaffe was discovered by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads. Together, they produced his first album at the age of 16, cementing Matt’s dedication to music. Soon, he formed a band, dropped out of college, and has not looked back.
Since then, Matt has written more songs than he can remember the words to, crisscrossed the country opening for Blues Traveler and Wilco, and co-written with Tom Higgenson of the Plain White T’s. Inspired by the great lineage of rock n’ roll, he marries literary lyrics with the undeniable urge to dance.
Matt has served as musical director for experimental theater, collaborated with poets on genre-bending spoken word, and curated residencies among fellow songwriters. Having suffered from seizures since 2015, Matt also uses his music to unite local and national epilepsy communities. Matt will release his sixth album, White Roses in the Snow, in Summer 2022.