San Francisco is a city that has a remarkable history for music, changing the shape of sound in the world’s musical consciousness. It’s a fabulous city to visit, where there are always wide varieties of entertainments to choose from, and one of those beautiful cities where it’s possible to wander all day and never seem to mind the passing of time. It has an unusual beauty that is both contemporary urban and also very timeless, inspiring artists and thinkers from all over the world.

It’s as evocative now as it’s ever been, and a night in San Francisco is always a treat, but visitors might be tempted to make travel plans for early June, when the London-based the xx plays in town. It’s a perfectly minimal name for a perfectly minimal band, and their sound is nothing less than haunting. Oddly, even though they’re far from here, their sound perfectly suits the early morning fog of the Bay, earning comparisons to another emo-electronic English group, Portishead.

This is three very young and very interesting musicians. Composed of Oliver, Romy, and Jaime, the xx picks up where the Cure left off. The music here is technically brilliant, sparse, dark, gothic, and deep, making for a kind of reluctant anthem for a reluctant time. If there’s any irony here, it’s buried it in the electronics, which provides for a sonic landscape that is immersive without being overwhelming, allowing space for the mind to wander.

They’re playing at the Great American Music Hall , which is a perfect setting, having seen the likes of the Grateful Dead and Duke Ellington, among many, many others. It’s been open since the turn of the 20th century, making it the longest continually-running nightclub in the city. It has a solid history, and the xx seems to be entering into the history of music with a remarkable beginning, and these waves are always more lovely when they’re caught at the start.

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