San Francisco Chronicle (Sunday)
Getting to know S.F.’s new arena
The Warriors’ billiondollar home promises to be much more than a basketball court. It’s also a concert venue, a food and drink emporium, and a neighborhood hub. Here’s a guide to getting the most from it.
How are the Golden State Warriors going to keep the lights on all those nights at Chase Center when the team is away?
The 18,064seat venue has a robust entertainment calendar lined up for its opening weeks, bringing superstars to the stage with the help of LiveNation, which helps produce BottleRock Napa Valley, and Another Planet Entertainment, which brings the Outside Lands festival to San Francisco.
“We’re not just a sports team anymore,” Warriors owner Joe Lacob said at a news conference in March, making the announcement that the arena will be christened with a performance by Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony. “We now are an entertainment organization — and we want to be just as good at that as we have been at the sports side of things.”
Here’s a look at some of the highlights from the starting lineup of entertainment at San Francisco’s newest major venue.
Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony, Sept. 6 and 8:
Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony will team up to christen the new arena. The concert, which will be conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas and Edwin Outwater, marks the 20th anniversary of the hard rock act’s first performance with the orchestra at the Berkeley Community Theater in 1999, which yielded the live album “S&M” (that concert was conducted by the late Michael Kamen).
Eric Clapton, Sept. 11:
Despite his ongoing threats to retire, Eric Clapton is playing a three-date U.S. tour in 2019, including a stop at Chase Center. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist has indicated that performing live has become increasingly difficult for him in recent years, as he battles tinnitus and nerve damage. But he still plans on delivering the hits, backed by an all-star band.
Elton John, Sept. 13 and 15:
The 72-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee — who performed in January at SAP Center in San Jose, the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento and Oracle Arena in Oakland — is finding it hard to say goodbye to Bay Area audiences. He plays two dates at Chase Center as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. John, the subject of the biopic “Rocketman,” will mark the occasion by rolling out a careerspanning set that covers fan favorites like “Bennie and the Jets,” “Rocket Man” and “Crocodile Rock,” as well as a handful of deep cuts.
Janet Jackson, Sept. 21 and 22:
Janet Jackson is marking her only U.S. appearance this year following her Las Vegas residency “Metamorphosis” with a pair of concerts at Chase Center. The five-time Grammy winner and recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee is calling the performance a special 30th anniversary celebration of her blockbuster 1989 album, “Rhythm Nation,” which includes the hits “Miss You Much,” “Alright” and “Escapade.”
The Who, Oct. 9:
The British rock icons — featuring two surviving members, singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend — are still out there swinging guitars and belting out the hits, charging through FM radio staples like “I Can’t Explain,” “Who Are You” and “My Generation.” This will mark the Who’s second official San Francisco concert since its appearance at the Winterland Ballroom in 1976 (the group also played the Outside Lands festival in 2017).
The Black Keys, Nov. 20:
Following a five-year hiatus, the fierce blues-rock duo from Akron, Ohio, is set to make its comeback with its first set of new music since 2014’s “Turn Blue.” The group’s newish single, “Lo/Hi,” marks the return of its classic fuzzy blues-rock vibe. It sounds like it was recorded in a trash can inside a condemned garage, and we can assure you that is most certainly a good thing.
Cher, Nov. 21:
It may appear as if Cher is spending most of her time on Twitter these days. But the 73-year-old Oscar-winning actress and infomercial star hasn’t forgotten about her music career. She’s bringing her “Here We Go Again” tour to Chase Center, covering six decades of hits. The tour follows the release of her Abba tribute album, “Dancing Queen,” but fans can also expect to hear old favorites like “If I Could Turn Back Time,” “Believe” and “I Got You Babe.”
The Chainsmokers, Nov. 29:
For a moment, it felt like the charts belonged to The Chainsmokers. The electronic-pop duo made up of producer Alex Pall and vocalist Drew Taggart was riding a streak of massive hits, including “Closer,” “Don’t Let Me Down” and “Something Just Like This,” a collaboration with Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Its latest single, “Who Do You Love,” featuring 5 Seconds of Summer, is hovering near the top of Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Music songs chart.
Andrea Bocelli, Dec. 5:
Andrea Bocelli, the four-time Grammy Award-nominated tenor who expertly straddles the opera and pop worlds, is celebrating his 60th birthday this year with career-spanning performances that include his takes on arias from “La Bohème,” “La Traviata” and “Il Trovatore.” “Sì,” Bocelli’s 2018 release, is also his first to top the Billboard 100 album chart. It probably helped that it includes collaborations with Ed Sheeran and Josh Groban — and that it was given away with tickets for his previous tour. He will be joined onstage by the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus.
Ariana Grande, Dec. 17 and 18:
Her latest album, “Sweetener,” made the former child star a serious pop contender. Shaped by circumstances — from her numerous celebrity breakups to the bombing at her concert at Manchester Arena in 2017 — the third most popular person on Instagram was forced to mature well beyond her 25 years on this record. With it come sleek, sophisticated hits that defined the year: “No Tears Left To Cry,” “God Is a Woman” and “Thank U, Next.” She brings it all to the stage for back-to-back shows at Chase Center.