The Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco once played host to legendary parties that
are still talked about today, from Acid Tests to Grateful Dead ‘dance
concerts.’ It was originally commissioned by the late Chet Helms for his
production company The Family Dog. Now renamed the Regency Center, the
historic venue played host to an equally epic all-night dance party on Saturday
night called Zero Ground. The event featured Bassnectar, Z-Trip, Glitch Mob,
Tipper, EOTO, and a special 3AM set by the Symbiotic Orchestra, an all-star
collective which this time included Dan Leibowitz (ALO), Steve Molitz
(Particle), Michael Travis and Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident), Boreta
(Glitch Mob), Jamie Janover, and local musician-at-large Jordan Feinstein. In
addition to the symbiotic collaboration, the other highlight of the night was a
first-time ever pairing of Z-Trip and Bassnectar as the two overlapped their
sets in an interlocking ‘jam.’ Before his appearance with the Symbiotic
Orchestra, Liebowitz headlined the nearby Independent for the first of three sold-out New Year’s Run shows with his band, ALO. Report by Benjy Eisen