Author: Dakin Hardwick

How Did I Get Here? with Jamie Loftus

Jamie Loftus is a writer, actor, comic, cartoonist, podcaster, and probably has about 3500 other jobs that we never covered on this episode because, well, there is only so much time in the day. In this episode we discussed her early playwriting days, stand-up comedy, the difference between eating dog food and condensed cream of mushroom soup, and, since this is Spinning Platters, we even talked about music!

She’s taking her podcast, The Bechdel Cast, on the road! Tickets and tour dates are here, and it all kicks off with a visit to SF Sketchfest on February 1st at 7:30! You can also pick up Loftus’ amazing book, Raw Dog, here. And, of course, you can find all other things Loftus here! Oh, and this is where you can enjoy the CVS Bangerz playlist!

Single Of The Week: “The Moon Is In The Wrong Place” by Shannon & The Clams

As much as I *love* a Shannon & The Clams live show, I’ve yet to find myself actively listening to Shannon & The Clams at home.  “The Moon Is In The Wrong Place” marks Shannon & The Clams really does take the energy and enthusiasm of the band’s live set and turns it into 3:03 of pure psych pop andrenaline. I dare you not to dance to this one, or at least find yourself excited about sweeping the kitchen to it. 

“The Moon Is In The Wrong Place” is the first single of their upcoming record, also called The Moon Is In The Wrong Place, available in stores and at your local streaming service on May 10th. Preorders are happening now and you can select your preferred tripped out vinyl edition here! 

Single Of The Week: “BYE BYE” by Kim Gordon

Kim Gordon is well over 40 years into her career, and with every turn, she surprises me a little bit more. But “BYE BYE” is the last thing I expected to come out from her, and it’s bloody amazing. She has captured the soul and energy of HYPERPOP and has released a track that falls somewhere between Pussy Riot, Charli XCX, Nine Inch Nails, and her own Free Kitten project. Fresh and vital and noisy and… It’s just everything good about music in general. 

“BYE BYE” is the first single from Gordon’s second solo album, “The Collective,” coming your way on March 8th. Preorders can be done here. She’s also embarking on a very short tour this Spring, and those tickets can be secured here. 

How Did I Get Here? with Dulce Sloan

We are trying something new with this episode. I am NOT doing any preroll. No theme song. No “warm open.” Let me know what you think.

Dulce Sloan is best known for being a correspondent on The Daily Show and often killing it in that role. We chatted about her move from theater to stand-up, the folks that inspired you along the way, and, of course, The Daily Show and her upcoming book, Hello Friends! Stories Of Dating, Destiny, and Day Jobs coming your way on February 6th (Preorder Here!)

Sloan is in SF this weekend to play a slew of SF Sketchfest events, including a headline set at Brava Theater on Saturday, January 20th at 9:30 pm. Her full schedule can be found here. If you choose not to leave home, she’s also starring in The Great North, which can be seen on Hulu as well as Sunday Nights on Fox! 

A Nerd’s Guide To SF Sketchfest 2024

Whoa! This is my 12th Nerd’s Guide to SF Sketchfest! And after 14 long years (including two really, really long years not too long ago) of writing these, I can declare that SF Sketchfest has finally done it! They’ve booked the holy trinity of surreal sketch comedy! Eric Idle (of Monty Python fame), Kids In The Hall, and The State are all appearing! These three are the unifying forces that brought together both the stoners and the kids afraid of weed. AND I AM HERE FOR IT!  Honestly, this year’s SF Sketchfest, which I believe is the 21st edition of the event, is probably the most bonkers year yet. I have barely started to figure out what gigs I’m seeing… I need to write this almost for myself as much as for you, my loyal reader. 

A complete schedule and links to tickets can be found here! 

Thursday, January 18th Continue reading “A Nerd’s Guide To SF Sketchfest 2024”

Spinning Platters’ Top 10 Albums of 2023

By The SPINNING PLATTERS STAFF

Hello! It’s your favorite procrastinating music blog here to present you with… THE LAST TOP ALBUMS OF 2023 LIST! I know everyone else is trying to be first. But the one you remember best is the last one you read, and this is probably the best list anyway. It’s also only 10 records, so you can really sink your teeth into it. 

Continue reading “Spinning Platters’ Top 10 Albums of 2023”

Single of the Week: “Push” by Naomi Sharon ft Omah Lay

Afrobeat is having a serious, significant renaissance right now. So much good stuff coming out of the genre, and “Push” by Naomi Sharon is a track that has definitely been pumping the serotonin for me this week. It’s a simple, sexy, easygoing groove that feels utterly relaxed and somehow, well, “hot” at the same time. I love it. 

“Push” comes from Sharon’s debut album, Obsidian. You can find it at your favorite DSP! 

Single of the Week: “Misty Rose” by Sandra Kluge

I’ll be frank- I miss Tilly & The Wall. There is nothing more pleasing to me than taking the art of tap dance and using it as the primary percussion instrument in pop music. Sandra Kluge is the tap dancer/vocalist that’s filling the void right now. Although Tilly gave us indie and folk rock accompanied by tap, Kluge is squarely rooted in the jazz tradition, creating a sound that may be a bit more pure but still very inventive. “Misty Rose” is a great song, with layers of beauty propelled by the tap rhythms. 

“Misty Rose” can be found in all the usual places. I can’t wait for more from Sandra Kluge! 

Show Review: Ellie Goulding with SF Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall, 11.20.23

12 years ago, while wandering around Outside Lands, looking for something to enjoy, I was drawn in by a captivating Brit that I’d never heard of before that moment. Her name was Ellie Goulding, and I was mesmerized by her entire set. I’ve been wanting to recapture that joy, but also have been worried that it wouldn’t quite be the same. However, when it was announced that she would be doing a short stretch of shows backed by symphony orchestras, I decided that I needed to make this one happen. 

Continue reading “Show Review: Ellie Goulding with SF Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall, 11.20.23”

SF SKETCHFEST 2024 LINE UP!

Way back in 2019, I ended up seeing Phil Collins with SF Sketchfest founder David Owen, and I told him that all I wanted at SF Sketchfest was to get a reunion of The State. Well- in 2024- WE ARE GETTING THE STATE DOING A WHOLE SET OF NEVER BEFORE SEEN SKETCHES AND “MIS-FIRES”!!! WHOA! 12 year old me is SO STOKED!!!! We are also getting two different shows from The Kids In The Hall, as well as an evening with Monty Python’s Eric Idle. So the “Sketch Comedy forever warped my pubescent brain” trifecta WILL BE REPRESENTED! 

On top of that, we will also get an Amber Ruffin Tribute, Paul Giamatti’s CHINWAG Podcast, Actor Michael Shannon alongside Jason Narducy doing REM’s Murmur and Reckoning albums (!), Pylon Reenactment Society which is pretty much as close as we are ever gonna get to a Pylon reunion, a return of kid’s programming with Mo Willems doing a story time with W Kamau Bell, Dulce Sloan, and Weird Al Yankovic (!), Tim Capello doing the music from The Lost Boys with the Red Room Orchestra and too much more for me to even begin to highlight. As usual, we will get our Nerd’s Guide up in early 2024. Tickets for all shows are on sale Sunday, November 19th at 10 am. 

Here’s a full list of all the wonderful stuff they’ve got in store. I literally haven’t been able to take in all of it: Continue reading “SF SKETCHFEST 2024 LINE UP!”