We Speak Pop

ILLENIUM Rings Out the Year at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium Starting December 30

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2026

Photo: @illenium

San Francisco knows how it wants to end the year. ILLENIUM takes over Bill Graham Civic Auditorium for the final nights of 2026, starting Wednesday, December 30, and both shows sold out so fast that a third night had to be added.

ILLENIUM plays Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Wednesday, December 30, with a second performance on Thursday, December 31, New Year’s Eve. Both shows start at 8:00 PM and are 18 and over.

The demand tells the story on its own. Both year end dates sold out, and a third show on New Year’s Day 2027 was added by popular demand, turning a two night stand into a three night takeover of the same hall.

ILLENIUM, the Denver based producer Nicholas Miller, has built one of the biggest live draws in electronic music on melodic, emotional productions and arena scale staging, with albums like Ascend and Fallen Embers and a Grammy nomination to his name. His multi night headline runs at this venue have become a Bay Area tradition, and the year end slot is the most prized of them.

Bill Graham Civic Auditorium at 99 Grove Street is the city’s great indoor gathering place, and there is no bigger way to close a year in San Francisco music than a sold out hall counting down with the lights up. The December 30 show is the warm up night, and warm up is a relative term when the room is already full.

Brett Badner Asks the Question We’re All Thinking: ‘where did summer go?’

Published

1 day ago

November 6, 2026

Joni Jones

The New York-based pop artist, songwriter and producer captures the bittersweet feeling of summer slipping away with his nostalgic yet infectious single.

Is it just us, or did summer disappear in the blink of an eye? One minute we’re soaking up the sunshine, making spontaneous plans and wishing the days would never end, and the next we’re wondering where all that time went. Sound familiar? Well, Brett Badner has put that very feeling into a song.

The New York-based pop artist, songwriter and producer has just released ‘where did summer go?’, a catchy, guitar-driven pop track that perfectly captures the bittersweet feeling of watching a favourite season become a distant memory. Blending warm guitar textures, polished production and heartfelt songwriting, Brett delivers a song that feels like looking through your camera roll at all the moments you wish you could relive.

Think the melodic charm of Taylor Swift, Shawn Mendes, Niall Horan, Conan Gray and Lauv, with a nostalgic twist that makes you want to turn the volume up and perhaps spend just a little longer reminiscing.

Interestingly, the inspiration came from a rather relatable moment. In early August, Brett found himself sitting on the edge of his bed with a guitar, already dreading the end of summer. For him, the season represents freedom, warmth, beach days and those short-lived romances that somehow become the best memories. With summer slowly slipping away, one question kept popping into his head: where did summer go?

And just like that, a song was born.

“‘where did summer go?’ is about nostalgia and fleeting moments—the feeling of wanting time to slow down as something perfect slips away,” Brett explains.

What started as an intimate acoustic idea soon grew into a fully realised pop production, drawing inspiration from the polished, guitar-driven sounds associated with producers such as Max Martin and Ryan Tedder. But here’s the really impressive part: Brett did absolutely everything himself, creating the entire track independently from his bedroom.

Yes, everything. From writing and producing to recording, mixing and mastering, Brett took complete creative control, building the song around acoustic and electric guitars, bass, drums, percussion and synth pads. Not bad for a bedroom project!

Beyond its infectious melodies, ‘where did summer go?’ also showcases a more reflective side to Brett’s songwriting. Rather than simply celebrating the excitement of summer, he explores what happens when it ends: the memories, the people, the little moments and the realisation that some chapters are only meant to last for a season.

And there’s plenty more to come from this rising independent artist. A songwriter and guitarist since the age of eight, Brett has already accumulated more than 85,000 Spotify streams across his growing catalogue of six singles and a remix. His releases have received consistent playlist support, while HypeFresh has also highlighted his potential, describing him as “a talented performer on the fast track to stardom”.

With ‘where did summer go?’ now out in the world, Brett Badner is giving us the perfect soundtrack for those end-of-summer feelings. Whether you’re missing beach days, reminiscing about a holiday romance or simply wondering how the year managed to fly by so quickly, this one might just hit a little too close to home.

So, before you get completely lost in your autumn playlist, give ‘where did summer go?’ a listen. Because if there’s one thing Brett reminds us, it’s that sometimes the best way to hold on to a moment is to turn it into a song.