Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
Treasure Island, Day Two: It was sunnier, and the music was, well, more guitar driven. It was also the first time in the six years of the festival that I was here for every note of music. I made it to the festival at 11:55, and walked in for the opening note of Imperial Teen. I was on the final shuttle leaving the island. It was a beautiful day.
Thanks again to Kelly Hoffer for taking all of these amazing photos!
How often do you find yourself enthralled with an opening band? For most of us, the answer would usually be “not very often”, and in a fairly large sum of concertgoers, “hardly ever”. What, then, do you say when you find yourself attending a headlining show of that same band? Do you bite your tongue and feel a hypocrite, or do you revel in the fact that you are experiencing them again, and this time in a fuller, more realized capacity? It was, most likely, these sorts of thoughts and sensations going through the heads of many members of the crowd inside the Fox Theater tonight, for the band that had returned to Oakland for their second performance at this historic venue were doing just that: headlining. The xx were the opening act for the electronic masterminds of Hot Chip back in April; this time around, the dark, haunting-yet-danceable London rockers were the ringleaders of the show, which apparently sold out even faster than their previous Fox Theater show from 5 months ago.
Continue reading “Show Review: The xx with Warpaint and Zola Jesus at The Fox Oakland, 9/23/2010”
Instead of a quick, witty thing to say, I just want you to figure out which band playing this week is being spoofed with the photograph above. Winner gets a note from me telling you that you won!
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 9/23/2010-9/29/2010”
Whenever a hot new band bursts on to the scene, there is inevitably a backlash. At some point, all of the critics, bloggers, and tastemakers that once adored a band eventually decide that they no longer have that affection they once did. They start calling the band boring, and then they start following something else. Although many people complain about the backlash, I think it’s time to embrace it. Because seeing a band during the backlash is the best time to see them. The people that are only at the show to brag about being at the show are gone, as well as the hipsters in the back that are only at the show because “they are supposed to be.” Instead, you get to really enjoy the music, and it feels really good to be in a room full of pure fans.
Continue reading “Show Review: The xx, Phantogram at The Great American Music Hall, 6/1/10”
Every have one of those days where you can’t think of anything witty? Today is one of those days… Time to go see some live music to get inspired…
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 5/27/10-6/2/10”
Anyone passing through the lobby of the Fox Theater last night would have guessed, by the WHOMM WHOMM WHOMM of thudding bass and the polychromatic splashes of color across the glass entrance doors, that the normally-rock-band-friendly theater had been taken over by a massive rave. While there were, indeed, sparkling electronics, trumpeting synthesizers and a solid sense of rhythm, a live band was to be found onstage, with five total members contributing to intricate layers of percussion, electronics, and even vocal duties. The quintet, however, was not a group of tribal-clad or neon-covered techno gods; they were, well, five fellows who love music just as much as the next guy. Collectively, they are known as Hot Chip.
Continue reading “Show Review: Hot Chip with The xx at The Fox Oakland, 4/16/2010”
Like any other San Franciscan, I claim to abhor Los Angeles and all it stands for. Its sleazy, overtly sexualized, and full of plastic looking waiters trying to be actors. While trying to not enjoy the perfect weather in Venice Beach last weekend listening to a borrowed ipod, I stumbled upon a playlist called Songs to Get Down To. Naively, I thought I’d be bouncing through traffic to some dance hits. But as it turns out, the owner of the ipod is a Los Angeles Casanova, and what I got instead was a bunch of slow jams.
I was originally going to give this list a little feminine mystique and some sort of demure title hinting at what these songs are for. But in the spirit of the sleaziest city on the West Coast, I give you 6 Songs to Get Down To. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Picks Six: Songs to Get Down To”
So, it looks like the people of the ABC are getting super angry, and are doing some nasty things to our DNA. It also looks like the economy is laying to waste one of San Francisco’s greatest venues at the end of the year. So, please, please help keep live music alive by going to a show or two this week. And next week is Black Friday, a day that you will be shopping early in the morning. I suggest all of our readers power shop, then power nap, and then attend an all ages show somewhere in town, then head to Annie’s Social Club afterwards for some late night punk rock karaoke. But, we won’t have an extensive Black Friday show guide until next Wednesday. Until then, here’s this week:
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: November 18th-November 24th”