Microwave in San Francisco

About Microwave

Microwave is an emo band from Poughkeepsie that treats anxiety like it's a subject worth getting angry about. They came up in the mid-2010s streaming era without much traditional label push, just building a quiet cult following through songs that balance vulnerable lyrics with the kind of guitar work that makes your stomach hurt. Their earlier records, especially "Much Love" and "It's Not About the Guitar," established them as the kind of band that could make a song about feeling trapped sound genuinely devastating. They're not reinventing emo, but they're not trying to. They're just very good at the specific thing they do: introspective songs that still hit hard, delivered with enough restraint that the heavy moments land differently. If you've found yourself rewatching their older music videos or relating to songs about overthinking, you're exactly who this band is for.

Known for Senators, Stressful, Dog Leather, Death Wish, The Most Beautiful Thing

Microwave + San Francisco

Microwave's been threading through San Francisco's venues for a bit now. They played The Regency Ballroom back in May 2025, which tracks with their pattern of hitting the city's mid-sized rooms. The band's found an audience here, the kind that actually shows up.

Microwave in San Francisco News

• Qorvo introduces new S-Band switched filter bank modules at IMS 2025 Military Embedded Systems · Jun 17, 2025
• We did the math on AI’s energy footprint. Here’s the story you haven’t heard. MIT Technology Review · May 20, 2025
• Mayday Parade Join Warped Tour DC and Long Beach idobi · May 1, 2025
• Microwave announce spring tour with Origami Angel, Heart Attack Man & Carpool Tunnel BrooklynVegan · Feb 5, 2024
• REVIEW: Gang of Four funnels rage at guitar, microwave, the establishment at the Chapel RIFF Magazine · Feb 10, 2019

Live Music in San Francisco

San Francisco's always had a soft spot for bands that don't fit neatly. The emo and indie rock crowd here appreciates authenticity over polish, which is basically Microwave's whole thing. The city's smaller venues and DIY ethos make it a natural fit for acts like them.

San Francisco road trip to see Microwave?

Stay in Hayes Valley or the Mission—both neighborhoods have the kind of restaurants and bars that make a weekend feel deliberate rather than touristy. Head to State Bird Provisions for dinner if you can get in; it's precise and inventive without being pretentious. Spend a day in Muir Woods or hiking around Twin Peaks for actual views of the city. The de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park is worth a couple hours if the weather holds. Hit up a coffee place on Valencia Street in the Mission just to sit and watch the neighborhood move around you.