With 5000 phones in Phoenix: An Olivia Rodrigo Diary

                                           This happened. It turns out I was wrong about this.

This is the text conversation I had on the morning the Sour Tour went on sale. Emerging superstar Olivia Rodrigo had announced her first ever tour and put the entire thing on sale on the same day. And rather than play venues fit for her popularity, the tour was booked as 100% underplays, and was bound to sell out immediately, creating a lifeline (gold rush?) for professional ticket sellers they have desperately needed since COVID hit the concert industry hard. 

No, my sister-in-law did not get tickets that day for my niece and her best friend. The tickets would come much later. Continue reading “With 5000 phones in Phoenix: An Olivia Rodrigo Diary”

Spinning Platters Interview: Laurent Brancowitz of Phoenix

Phoenix - Phoenix - General 3

It’s been a pretty amazing year so far for Phoenix. Their latest record, Bankrupt!, is receiving amazing reviews, and they are playing to the biggest crowds of their career! We had the opportunity to chat with their guitarist Laurent Brancowitz ahead of their upcoming set at Outside Lands. They are playing the Twin Peaks stage at 8:40 PM on Saturday night. Just a warning, we pretty much only talked about how much we like R Kelly.

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Laurent Brancowitz of Phoenix”

Show Review: Phoenix with Mac DeMarco at The Independent, 4/1/2013

Photo by Jenz.
Thomas Mars, as if he’s in front of the sun.

The announcement sent panic waves throughout the indie rockers of San Francisco: Phoenix at The Independent on April Fool’s Day. And this was not a hoax. What it was, though, was an impossible ticket. A representative of The Independent was quoted in the paper as saying the show sold out “immediately.” It sent everyone I know scrambling for tickets, wanting to be at what was officially the welcome back party for Steve Masters of Live 105, and would also serve as the unofficial kickoff to FauxchellaContinue reading “Show Review: Phoenix with Mac DeMarco at The Independent, 4/1/2013”

Show Review: Live 105 Not So Silent Night with Smashing Pumpkins, My Chemical Romance, Phoenix, The Black Keys and Broken Bells at HP Pavillion 12/10/10

My Chemical Romance poses for the cameras

Not So Silent Night really lived up to its name this year.  It was loud and booming in the half empty HP Pavillion in San Jose.  Unfortunately this made for some pretty bad sound, especially from the back of the room.  Why it was so empty I have no idea as the line up of Broken Bells, The Black Keys, Phoenix and My Chemical Romance seemed like they could draw a crowd (yes I’m leaving Smashing Pumpkins out on purpose).  Or was this a case of just too many disparate bands? Continue reading “Show Review: Live 105 Not So Silent Night with Smashing Pumpkins, My Chemical Romance, Phoenix, The Black Keys and Broken Bells at HP Pavillion 12/10/10”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 12/09/10-12/15/10

The best thing to come from Smashing Pumpkins?

I know that it’s pretty rainy out here in the Bay Area, and also very cold, so going to shows is a tough thing to do, but I think that these options are worth braving the elements!

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 12/09/10-12/15/10”

San Francisco’s Outside Lands Festival 2010: Day 2

The far eastern Twin Peaks stage of Outside Lands (photo by kelp: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kelp/4896077718/)
The far eastern Twin Peaks stage of Outside Lands (photo by kelp: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kelp/4896077718/)

The second day of San Francisco’s Outside Lands Festival was met with both tiredness and anticipation from the thousands of fans who arrived to see the remainder of the odd but interesting festival lineup. While the day began just as overcast and somewhat gloomy as it had when it faded out the night before, blue sky finally broke through the clouds in the early afternoon, treating those who arrived to warm sunlight and renewed energy (especially with those who had been drained of theirs the night before). With a handful of big acts to come in the evening, it was expected that the opening bands would parallel their predecessors of the first day and serve as appetizers to the eventual banquet of concert frenzy; today, however, things got off to a rather slower, smoother start, which caused thankfulness in some and restlessness in others.

Continue reading “San Francisco’s Outside Lands Festival 2010: Day 2”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: January 20th-January 26th

Grace Jones Picture. Why Not?

Coachella was announced today. Pretty good. Pretty much on the other side of the state. And four months away. Musicians work far more often than that. Why don’t you seen them cold and indoors?  Sorry that I don’t have Grace Jones to offer you, but here are other things!

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: January 20th-January 26th”

Spinning Platters Presents the Official List of the Top 15 Albums of 2009

She's clearly got the best album cover on our list, but where did her album end up?
She's clearly got the best album cover on our list, but where did her album end up?

by The Spinning Platters Staff

The past month at the Spinning Platters offices (everyone telecommutes) was spent passing albums around to try to determine a staff list of the Top 15 Albums of 2009. We chose 15 because we had 15 voters, so maybe everyone would get one of their pet favorites on the list. There was a nomination step, a finalist selection step, a final voting step, some senior staff picks,  and then we had a list. No list is perfect (and we recognize that albums are still coming out this year), but ours is not only pretty darned good, it also manages to represent the wide variety of  musical tastes among our team here (i.e. some of us hate some of these albums). Now, read and enjoy The Official List of the Top 15 of 2009. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Presents the Official List of the Top 15 Albums of 2009”

Spinning Platters Podcast Episode 11.5 – Heather Locklear 1997

We're like the Melrose Place gang
We're like the Melrose Place gang

In Episode 11.5 of the Spinning Platters podcast, we continue talking about our favorite albums of the year.  We also mercilessly pick on the editor in chief, shamelessly promote the website, announce our next business venture, and say goodbye to a podcast member that gets voted off. Click the big button on the left to subscribe, or continue on to listen now. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Podcast Episode 11.5 — Heather Locklear 1997”

Show Review: Phoenix & The Soft Pack at The Warfield Theater, 9/17/09

Thomas Mars feels at home among his fans
Thomas Mars feels at home among his fans

Phoenix is something of a rarity these days:  they’re a band that can sell out the Warfield.  It’s been a pretty slow-selling concert season here in San Francisco, and a lot shows are going undersold in many venues around town.  Some venues are offering season passes, some are offering their shows for half price on sites such as Goldstar, and others are simply papering the house.  None of that was necessary for Phoenix, who are riding the wave of their extremely well received album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Continue reading “Show Review: Phoenix & The Soft Pack at The Warfield Theater, 9/17/09”