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″

Show Review: Cody ChesnuTT with Siddhartha at The Independent, 1/29/2013

Cody ChesnuTT
Cody ChesnuTT

If you combined equal parts James Brown and Otis Redding, a splash of Hendrix and a dash of old time swagger, you might come close to figuring out just what Cody ChesnuTT is made of. In his own way, he’s found out how to blend hip-hop beats, soulful jazz stylings, silky smooth vocals and a sprinkling of Motown showmanship into a performance that feels almost… nostalgic. Cody’s pure love for the show and the art of the song truly comes from his heart, bursting at the seams with passion and care.

Continue reading “Show Review: Cody ChesnuTT with Siddhartha at The Independent, 1/29/2013”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 1/17/13-1/23/13

On Sunday, if you don't watch his team. he may get mad. Don't make him mad.
On Sunday, if you don’t watch his team. he may get mad. Don’t make him mad.

Dakin’s off this week, and he left me in charge, which means I totally mentioned sports. It’s championship week in the NFL, and for those of you not as sports minded as the rest of us (aka those of you make jokes like “what’s happening in sports ball this week?”), I’m also recommending some “music concerts” for you. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 1/17/13-1/23/13”