San Francisco's Noise Pop starts with farewell to beloved music venue

• This year's headliners include the experimental rock band Tortoise, Stephen Malkmus of the seminal '90s indie band Pavement and the shoegaze singer-songwriter Wisp.
• The farewell concert series for the longtime Potrero Hill indie music venue where the festival was born more than three decades ago features seven shows, including Hudson Freeman (Feb. 20), Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage (Feb. 21), Carpool Tunnel (Feb. 26) and the Illuminati Hotties (Feb. 28).

Catch up quick: The 10-day event has been a longtime fixture in the city's nightlife scene and has launched numerous emerging indie acts that later broke into the mainstream.

Flashback: Last year's performers were St. Vincent, Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and the Postal Service and rapper Earl Sweatshirt.

My thought bubble: Noise Pop is still one of the surest ways for discovering your next favorite band and catching an indie favorite before they get too famous. Think of it as our own homegrown version (albeit smaller) of South by Southwest.

What we're watching: Shannon Shaw, best known as the frontwoman of the garage rock band Shannon and the Clams, will play an intimate set at The Commons at KQED next Thursday (Feb. 26).

If you go: Individual tickets are available per show. Consider buying a badge for access to parties and happy hours — plus entry to all shows, even those that are already sold out.