Nightbeats: Mark Valentine’s Day with lovely live music

As a kid, Valentine's Day meant finding nifty cards to trade with my classmates. Now, it means people watching at coffee shops while singles furiously scroll through Tinder, Happen, Bumble, or whatever the current dating app is, to find a last-minute Valentine's partner.

Really, it's moments like these that make me wonder if perhaps we should rename the holiday “Singles Awareness Day,” or wonder why we can't all continue to buy cool Pokemon valentines to give each other because man, those little holographic cards were way cooler than anything a valentine has given me as an adult.

Don't get me wrong. The idea of a romantic night out with a date sounds nice but as a current single in February, I'd rather treat myself to live music than search through apps for a date. Luckily, there are tons of upcoming artists stopping in the area this year and hey, some of these might also make a cool Valentine's Day date if you feel like nixing the mushy traditional candle-lit dinner.

Whole Lotta Love

Burlesque and Led Zeppelin, how can you go wrong?

The first annual Whole Lotta Love show kicked off years ago back when Aubergine Af-ter Dark was still around and event managed to survive to see its sixth birthday though its first location is long gone.

What a better way to spend Valentine's Day than to listen to one of the most iconic English Rock n' Roll bands with a little sparkle and sass from Cabaret de Caliente, who promise to make you “laugh and light your fire.”

See enchanting Vaudeville acts, bluesy belly dance while listening to the group's tributes to Robert Plant's powerful pipes and Jimmy Page's soulful guitar riffs.

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10

Where: HopMonk Tavern, 230 Petaluma Ave,, Sebastopol

Admission: $20-$120

Information:cabaretdecaliente.com

Sing your heart out

Forget about getting serenaded on Valentine's Day, and sing a love song to your self instead. Who needs a date to sing you a song when you can belt a song out at the top of your lungs?

Treat yourself to a decadent dinner at Sonoma Cider at Tuesday Night Karaoke. Bring friends or make new ones over a glass of delicious organic craft cider made by father and son duo David and Robert Cordtz.

Don't worry if you're tone-deaf - everyone sounds better after a glass of hard cider or two.

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13

Where: Sonoma Cider. 44F Mill St, Healdsburg

Admission: Free

Information:sonomacider.com

Noise Pop Festival

Over the course of six days, the Noise Pop Music And Artist Festival transforms a plethora of Bay Area venues into a giant festival ground celebrating music, art and film. The festival scatters concerts, art shows and happy hours through out San Francisco and East Bay for a week-long celebration of creative energy.

Instead of cramming performances on stages within a mile of each other, like most festivals, this one showcases music at close-knit venues such as Bottom of The Hill, The Independent and legendary spaces like The Fox Theater, which allow you to see performances in a standard concert setting and appreciate music at your favorite venues without breaking the bank.

With more than 90 different acts on the bill including Built To Spill, Parquet Courts, San Fermin, Jay Som, and dozens of others, your the best deal is to buy a week-long pass to catch acts as you please.

If you missed out on the early bird tickets and can't afford a $205 ticket, you can also buy tickets to catch your favorite acts on their own. Some shows like Atlanta's punk-rock trio The Coathangers at The Independent only cost $25. You can also catch a number of free happy hour performances too. Take The Friendless Summer and Bear Call pop-up show at Bender's Bar and Grill for example.

Make sure to check out the Noise Pop website for a full list of show times and performances.

When: Feb. 19-25

Where: San Francisco & East Bay (Bimbo's 365 Club, Brick & Mortar, Cafe Du Nord, Bottom Of The Hill, California Academy Of Sciences, The Chapel, The Fillmore, Great American Music Hall, The Independent, The New Parish, Swedish American Hall, Star-line Social Club, The UC Theatre, 1015 Folsom, The Great Northern, Slim's, Rickshaw Stop, Mezzanine, Gray Area Theater, Cornerstone, Fox Theater)

Admission: Free- $399

Information:noisepopfest.com

Help us keep the beat. Write Estefany at nightbeats@pressdemocrat.com