Dakin Hardwick – Page 58 – Spinning Platters

Film Review: All Eyez On Me

It’s hard to keep ya head up when you have ambitions az a ridah

Demetrius Shipp, Jr. as Tupac Shakur, with Kat Graham as Jada Pinkett. Yes, they really were best friends!

The full name of the film is All Eyez On Me: The Untold Story of Tupac Shakur. It’s an ambitious premise for a film about one of the single most well documented figures of the last 30 years. There may have been superstar rappers before 2pac, but 2pac was the first superstar rapper since the dawn of the 24 hour news cycle. All of the highs and lows of his career were narrated by Kurt Loder on MTV News. So, really, how much of his story is actually “untold”? How will director Benny Boom find a new story to tell about one of the most talked about figures in modern history?

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Spinning Platters’ Guide to Colossal Clusterfest

Colossal Clusterfest, for the few of you who have managed to miss any of the billboards, radio spots, or blog posts, is a three day comedy and music festival coming to Civic Center Plaza. It’s being put on by Superfly & Another Planet, the same folks who bring us Outside Lands, which would be a three day music and comedy festival. This is the very first year of this event, which is bringing comedy legends Jerry Seinfeld and Kevin Hart to the Bay, alongside plenty of other very special performances. This also being the first year, it’s not easy for us to really “know” how to optimize your experience. However, after scouring the FAQ’s and analyzing the map, I think we can help guide you to maximum fun.
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Spinning Platters Interview: Spike Slawson of Me First & The Gimme Gimmes

Me First & The Gimme Gimmes have been the most successful cover band in America for well over 20 years. What started out as a joke has turned into a successful career of rearranging classic pop, soul, and showtunes as pop punk. Spinning Platters had an opportunity to chat with their lead vocalist, Spike Slawson.

Me First & The Gimme Gimmes will be playing Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas May 26th-28th. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Spike Slawson of Me First & The Gimme Gimmes”

The Next Day: Reflections on the Outside Lands 2017 Lineup

But how do you really feel about the 10th Outside Lands lineup?

Yesterday brought us the news that every music nerd has been eagerly awaiting in the Bay Area—the lineup for the 10th edition of the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival. High hopes were raised for this one, and I had a bit of a chat with the staff afterward to learn what we all thought of it.

If you don’t wish to read about our thoughts, and just want to know how to buy tickets, they go on sale Thursday, April 6, at 10 am. You know, the day BEFORE payday. 🙁

Let’s talk about the top line, as the headliners generally set the theme for the weekend.

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SXSW 2017: 32 Instant Band Reviews

32 bands in five days. My feet still hurt.

For those who aren’t in the know, SXSW is a conference in Austin, TX. It’s a place where folks in the technology, film, comedy, and music worlds come together and share ideas. The music portion is the primary reason why I come down, because it gives you an opportunity to see a large amount of music, often crossing dozens of genres, all in intimate venues all across town. This year, I feel like I “took it easy” and managed to see 32 different bands during the week (I saw Lizzo and Bleached both perform twice. You’d want to, too, if given the chance).

Without further ado, here are my thoughts on all 32 bands that I saw, in venues ranging from a donut shop to a lakeside amphitheater.

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Spinning Platters Interview: Monique Powell of Save Ferris

Monique Powell of Save Ferris hasn’t performed live in San Francisco since her ill-fated solo show at Bottom Of The Hill in 2003, where the upper deck caught fire, causing that show and a few more shows at the venue to cancel. Spinning Platters had a chance to talk with her about what she’s done in her downtime, how that show affected her as a performer, and about the rise of Incubus and Maroon 5.

Save Ferris will be playing at The Independent in SF on March 23rd, and their new EP, Checkered Past, is available wherever you can find music.

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Spinning Platters Picks Six: Road to SXSW: Six Acts That Time Forgot Playing SXSW 2017

SXSW is the first significant music festival of the year. It’s sort of a teaser for what music is going to take over for the rest of the year. It’s primarily young bands fighting to get heard by the right people, alongside bigger bands there to entice you to check out the little bands. There is also, however, a small slice of bands from yesteryear that pick a SXSW appearance to simply scream, “WE ARE STILL ALIVE AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A NEW RECORD OUT!” This is an assortment of my favorite bands that have picked 2017 as their year to make a return.

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Spinning Platters’ Guide to the 2017 Noise Pop Festival

Noise Pop 2017 is upon us. For eleven straight days, we will be enjoying the finest in film and music that the scene has to offer. There is literally too much to do, and there is no way you can be everywhere at once, so here is a quick guide to the best of the fest. Of course, you may disagree with my choices, and if so, there’s the full schedule to choose from.

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SF Sketchfest Review: Turnt Up with Eliza Skinner at The Eureka Theater, 1/27/17

Freestyle rap and improv comedy have plenty in common. First, both have some very strict rules: you aren’t supposed to come in with any pre-written material, and you have to adhere to a commonly expected rhythm that is consistent with the rules of your craft. So it seems almost obvious that improv comics would want to at least try their hand at freestyle rap. And, who knows? Maybe they might actually be good at it. Comedian Eliza Skinner decided it was worthwhile to find out, so she put together a show that challenges comics to attempt to freestyle rap. And she brought that show to SF for the first time as part of this year’s Sketchfest, just to show us that it kind of works a bit.
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SF Sketchfest Review: Upright Citizens’ Brigade: A.S.S.S.S.C.A.T. at The Curran, 1/21/17

Saturday, January 21st, 2017 was a historic day. It marked the most significant single day of protest the US has ever experienced. Nearly one out of every hundred Americans went to the streets to protest the agenda of the incoming administration. It was an amazing and profound experience, and I was proud to participate in it. With it, another, smaller record was broken: on this fateful day, 1,667 people experienced what will be known as the largest improv show in history. (Please don’t fact check this. It’s a joke. Don’t be that person.) Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Upright Citizens’ Brigade: A.S.S.S.S.C.A.T. at The Curran, 1/21/17”