Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
Officially, this is the last weekend of Summer. Which means, of course, a lot of weird festivals. Including a 90’s rock festival, a leather fest, and an amazing multiband gig full of wonderful jangle pop!
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 9/20/12-9/26/12”
Carrie Brownstein might be the hardest working person in show business. Not only has she, within about a year, assembled one of the most explosive and critically acclaimed new bands in rock music, she is the star of the highest rated program on IFC, the sketch comedy series “Portlandia.” Now she’s managed to squeeze some time out of her busy schedule to piece together a Portlandia stage show, alongside her costar on the program, Saturday Night Live’s Fred Armisen. All of this getting done, of course, before they unleash a new season of Portlandia. And then, her band Wild Flag will be launching a big Spring tour; and then, she will probably write two or three books, make a movie, and cure cancer all before June.
Continue reading “Show Review: Portlandia the Tour with Thao & Mirah at Mezzanine, 12/30/11”
Although I knew nothing about the silent film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I had high expectations for this evening, all of which were piled on Stephin Merritt’s shoulders. His amazing ability to craft the perfect quirky pop song seemed well suited to the project: creating a live score to a silent film. This is a mainstay of the San Francisco International Film Festival, after last year’s The Lost World with Dengue Fever, and I’m very happy it is. It is a great opportunity for a songwriter/composer to showcase his song-craft and experiment, but composing almost 2 hours of music that will enhance someone else’s work? It’s a tall order for even the most talented and interesting songwriter. Continue reading “SFIFF Film Review: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with Stephin Merritt at Castro Theater, 5/4/10”