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“NightLife Live” 2023 Summer Concert Series (Cal Academy of Sciences)

Every 2nd Thursday Through October 12th.
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Thursday, September 14, 2023 - 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Cost: $20*
*NightLife tickets range from $20-30, and it's recommended to purchase early for the lowest ticket price

California Academy of Sciences | 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA

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“NightLife Live” 2023 Summer Concert Series (Cal Academy of Sciences)

The four-part NightLife LIVE 2023 summer concert series returns to the California Academy of Sciences for the first time since 2019, with genre-spanning live outdoor music performances on July 13, August 10, September 14, and October 12, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The beloved music festival’s 2023 lineup includes headlining acts Tommy Guerrero, No VacationA-1 and Baghead, and Tanukichan performing live on the West Garden stage. Inside the museum, some of the Bay Area’s most sought after DJ’s lend their vibe to the Academy, featuring performances by resident artists from internationally franchised DJ nights Motown On Mondays and Cuffin’ All Thangs, as well as grassroots turntable icons Saizon Libre and Love Supreme.

Soulful jazz fusion performances will enliven the Philippine Coral Reef courtesy of Mellow Sessions, who bring some of the Bay’s leading jazz artists together with their signature laid back, lounge format to one of the Academy’s most beloved and vibrant underwater environments.

Each NightLife LIVE will also feature a curated exhibition of local art and art market in collaboration with Helvella Art, an artist-run gallery and studio showcasing contemporary fine art in Oakland. As with all NightLife events, the museum will be open for guests to peruse iconic exhibits and discover living collections as they enjoy live music and art in a one-of-a-kind venue.

The 2023 NightLife LIVE series is co-presented by Another Planet Entertainment, in collaboration with Outside Lands, and Noise Pop.
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2023 NIGHTLIFE LIVE LINEUP

July 13

Tommy Guerrero
Born in San Francisco, Tommy Guerrero is a skateboarding legend and accomplished bassist and guitarist. Guerrero is one of the original members of the legendary “Bones Brigade” skateboarding team, and draws heavily on his skate and punk roots in music that spans rock, hip hop, funk, soul, and jazz.

with Ritmos Tropicosmos
Hailing from Oakland, Ritmos Tropicosmos is a seven piece psychedelic cumbia group, merging electric and acoustic instrumentation to create heavy tropical rhythms with an emphasis on live percussion, synthesizers and familial stories put into song.

DJ set by Motown on Mondays
Mellow Sessionspresents Spencer Hoefert Trio

Main stage performers co-presented by Noise Pop

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August 10

No Vacation
Indie-pop band No Vacation brings their signature nostalgic, instrumentally dynamic bedroom-pop to their hometown of San Francisco. Sab Mai’s unmistakable subdued, warm vocal style is grounded by Nat Lee’s classical string and piano background and electrified by Harrison Spencer’s distinct guitar, resulting in a multigenre foray that calls on the sounds of shoegaze, 90s alt rock, and Romantic era string arrangements.

with Sour Widows
Bay Area trio Sour Widows is known for luminous vocal harmonies, complex guitar interplay, and understated drumming that draws power from restraint and intentionality. Influenced by artists including Big Thief, Pile, Duster, and Mitski, Sour Widows expose tender moments with an edge, making space for themes of self-reflection and painful change.

DJ set byCuffin All Thangs
Mellow SessionspresentsLate Aster

Main stage performers co-presented by Another Planet Entertainment in collaboration with Outside Lands

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September 14

A-1andBaghead
San Francisco hip hop legends A-1 and Baghead come together for a memorable performance ahead of the release of their first full-length project this fall. A swiss-army-knife of a rapper, A-1 is known for emotionally evocative wordplay, meaningful storytelling, and razor sharp freestyle. Traversing genres and time periods effortlessly, producer Baghead has solidified his own role in the burgeoning creative renaissance in the Bay Area, including performing at and curating shows with his artists collective, Family Not A Group.

with ASTUandIsaiah Mostafa
Fusing retro soul, nineties R&B, and new wave-inspired synth-pop, Oakland-based singer, songwriter, and producer ASTU’s critically acclaimed music refuses to pledge allegiance to a single genre. A Black, queer, and gender expansive artist, ASTU left life as a minister and found herself in R&B, expressing her sexuality, identity, and life experience in her music. She is joined by Bay Area native and Brooklyn-based Isaiah Mostafa, who calls his sultry, haunting approach to contemporary R&B “music to stretch to.”

DJ set by Sazon Libre
Mellow SessionspresentsVooo

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October 12

Tanukichan
Created by classically-trained multi-instrumentalist and Bay Area native Hannah van Loon in collaboration with Grammy-nominated chillwave pioneer Chaz Bear of Toro y Moi, Tanukichan’s most recent record remains rooted in the eerie shoegaze she’s become known and loved for, but also incorporates elements of grunge, industrial synths, nu metal basslines, and electric guitars – melding vague, devastating lyrics about love and loss with gorgeous dream pop music.

with special guest to be announced

DJ set by Love Supreme
Mellow Sessions presents Camino de Agua

Main stage performer co-presented by Noise Pop

NightLife Basics

  • What: NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences (for adults ages 21+), featuring music, cutting-edge science, and food and drinks available for purchase
  • When: Thursday nights, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
  • Where: California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
  • Ticketshttp://www.calacademy.org/nightlife
  • Press Contact: Jeanette Peach, jpeach@calacademy.org
  • Images and access: Press images available for download. Complimentary event access available upon request.

About the California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is a renowned scientific and educational institution with a mission to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. Based in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, it is home to a world-class aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum, as well as innovative programs in biodiversity science, environmental learning, and collaborative engagement—all under one living roof. Museum hours are 9:30 am – 5:00 pm Monday – Saturday, and 11:00 am – 5:00 pm on Sunday. Admission includes all exhibits, programs, and shows. For daily ticket prices, please visit www.calacademy.org or call (415) 379-8000 for more information.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.


Cost: $20*
*NightLife tickets range from $20-30, and it's recommended to purchase early for the lowest ticket price
Categories: *Top Pick*, Adults Only, Art & Museums, Club / DJ, In Person, Live Music, Nature, Outdoors
Address: 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA