Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts: 2016-03-17 – 2016-03-23

Conan, by Frazetta
Appearing Monday, March 21 at The Metro in Oakland
St. Patrick’s Day. Irishness! Excellent.

To go with this week in the Bay Area we also have metal, self-described “country-fed punkabilly,” and the Melvins. Also! Bilingual punk rock with horns as well as bilingual Rickenbacker-wielding one-woman guitar rock. And Conan. Conan!

Let’s preview. Faugh A Ballagh! Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts: 2016-03-17 — 2016-03-23”

Show Review: UnderCover Presents A Tribute to Green Day’s Dookie at The Fox Oakland, 2/19/2016

Lyz Luke and the cast of UnderCover
Lyz Luke and the cast of UnderCover

A record like Dookie, the magnum opus from the Bay Area’s arguably-most-popular punk band, Green Day, was not so much another album in the shop as it was a sonic bombshell going off, whose waves were felt in scenes across the Earth. The raw energy and youthful vigor had rarely been presented in so straightforward and familiar a manner, especially in a format and at a time that it was almost universally accessible to everyone looking for something refreshing and powerful in the current world. Dookie, by scene purists, may be remembered as the record that shoved one of the loudest, wildest dimensions of the music world into the spotlight, and while they may revile this fact, Dookie’s influence and impact on all music that came after it is undeniable. It still stands tall as one of the greatest records of its age, and one of the most famous to come from the East Bay of Northern California. It was fitting, therefore, that the Bay Area collective UnderCover culled together a collection of local players, all passionate fans of the effect this record had on them in their younger years, to kick off this year’s UnderCover Presents series with a 15-band tribute to one of the seminal works of 90s punk rock.

With so much to cover, I’ll be doing this in the style of the show: 15 mini-reviews of all of the songs, with photos for each, and a wrap-up at the end. Read on!

Continue reading “Show Review: UnderCover Presents A Tribute to Green Day’s Dookie at The Fox Oakland, 2/19/2016″

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts: 12/3/15-12/9/15

Playing this Friday at Gilman!
Playing this Friday at Gilman!

This week around the San Francisco Bay Area: Love! Honey! Medicine! Class war! Typos! Beards! And a moonlighting winemaker.

Let’s preview the week’s upcoming shows, shall we?
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts: 12/3/15-12/9/15”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 7/24/14-7/30/14

It's Kitten vs Poodle Tonight in the Bay Area! Who are you going to see: Kitten at Bottom Of The Hill or Pookie & The Poodlez at The Night Light?
It’s Kitten vs Poodle Tonight in the Bay Area! Who are you going to see: Kitten at Bottom Of The Hill or Pookie & The Poodlez at The Night Light?

Thursday, July 24th

Kitten, Dear Boy, Your Cannons at Bottom Of The Hill

Kitten are, hands down, one of the top 10 live bands I’ve ever seen. Frontwoman Chloe Chaidez is the most fearless woman I’ve ever seen take to the stage. Sometimes I’m amazed that she is still alive, considering the type of torture she puts her body through on stage. This is their first time in the Bay Area since the release of their first full length record (after three excellent EPs). Their eponymous debut is a fun collection of synth pop songs with infectious hooks, and I highly recommend it. Although the live show is really the bread & butter with this band.

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 7/24/14-7/30/14”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 3/14/13-3/20/13

At Cafe du Nord
At Cafe du Nord

Yes, all of our friends are enjoying SXSW this week. That doesn’t mean that we can’t party up here! Let’s have a better time than them without the chaos or terrible beer selection!

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 3/14/13-3/20/13”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 9/2/2010-9/8/2010

Labor Day weekend is filled with musical adventures in the Bay Area… Including two of the very, very few worthwhile summer shed shows that seem to be timed out perfectly for the weather getting good. Here are the highlights:

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 9/2/2010-9/8/2010”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 8/12/2010-8/19/2010

Pigeons hate beard rock. Love the Outer Richmond. Let's see what happens to Kings Of Leon this time!

This is Outside Lands weekend, and a surprising number of excellent non-Outside Lands related gigs are happening concurrently. So, if you don’t feel like watching Kings Of Leon getting pooped on (although who wouldn’t love to see that!), you’ve got some crazy good options. Read On!

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 8/12/2010-8/19/2010”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 5/5/10-5/11/10

So, he hangs out with Murder City Devils, and gives giant eggs to chickens... I think you need to keep your children away from this guy!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo de SpinningPlatters.com. He aquí una lista de formas divertidas y fabulosas para pasar sus vacaciones, así como la semana siguiente. Si me ves en cualquiera de estos programas, por favor, gracias a mi me entregando una margarita o tamal!

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 5/5/10-5/11/10”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: January 6th-January 12th

Opening for Devildriver.

Next week brings us Sketchfest, where some pretty amazing musicians will be in town to accompany some pretty amazing comedians. Then we have the Winter Music Festival, which will be followed by Noise Pop, which will be followed by a series of bands making there way through on their way to SXSW, and then Coachella, then it’s summer. So, please enjoy your last week of regular programming before summer.

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: January 6th-January 12th”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: October 6th-October 12th

Appearing Saturday with Thursday. Huh? Yeah, that's right.
Appearing Saturday with Thursday. Huh? Yeah, that's right.

October is upon us, which means everyone is playing all the time. I guess it really is Rocktober! Lotsa great shows this month, all on the same day. Happy decision making!!

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: October 6th-October 12th”