Dakin Hardwick – Page 60 – Spinning Platters

Spinning Platters Interview: Jordan Kurland of Treasure Island Music Festival, Noise Pop, and Zeitgeist Management

Photo by Andrew Paynter

Jordan Kurland has been influential within the Bay Area music scene for over two decades. He helped make Noise Pop a major music festival, and is one of the masterminds behind the Treasure Island Music Festival, currently heading into it’s 10th year. As one of the primary forces behind the mainstream acceptance of Indie Rock, you probably owe about half of your record collection to him. Spinning Platters had the opportunity to talk to this legend about how to book a great festival, the future of Treasure Island Music Festival, and a bit about the new ways bands are getting creative with drumming up revenue.

FYI, Treasure Island Music Festival is October 15th and 16th, and tickets are on sale NOW! Also, Noise Pop 2017 (the 25th year!) Super Fan Badges, went on sale today, and are moving fast. These include admission to 25 shows in the months leading up to next year’s festival, in addition to the entirety of Noise Pop 2017. You can buy this here!

It seems that this is the last year that TIMF is happening on Treasure Island. What is the future of TIMF? Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Jordan Kurland of Treasure Island Music Festival, Noise Pop, and Zeitgeist Management”

RIP Prince: His Importance To My Life

I woke up in utter disbelief this morning. We’ve had a lot of music legends pass away in the last year, but nothing prepared me for the passing of Prince. The man was simply eternally youthful and filled with boundless energy. Less than six months ago, Prince played a 38-song set at Oracle Arena that got out around midnight, followed by another 18-song set at 3am at the Great American Music Hall — a feat that much younger musicians cannot accomplish.

Continue reading “RIP Prince: His Importance To My Life”

Spinning Platters Interview: Charlotte Cooper of The Subways

“I think people still are crazy. I think definitely older. I’d say we’ve kept fans from the first record and they’ve grown up with us.”

Over a decade ago, British garage-rockers The Subways burst onto the US music scene with their 2005 hit “Rock & Roll Queen”, and followed it with a set of tours across the States, along with television appearances and an appearance at Lollapalooza. Despite the continued force with which the band kept moving in the years that followed, it took another 10 years before The Subways would come to the US again for another tour, hot on the heels of their self-titled fourth record that was released in 2015. We caught up with singer/bassist Charlotte Cooper to see what’s been happening with the band in the long time that they’ve spent away from this continent.

(Also: don’t miss The Subways’ upcoming show at The Chapel in SF on April 30th!)

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Charlotte Cooper of The Subways”

Show Review: Iggy Pop’s ‘Post Pop Depression’ Tour at The Masonic, 3/31/16

The Stooges were one of the greatest American rock bands of all time. That core team of Iggy Pop along with the Asheton Brothers created a brand new sound that was so thick, dirty and ferocious, it made even the heaviest bands of the 60s sound like Peter Paul and Mary. As a young punk, I devoured the three records they put out in the 60s. Those records are perfection. However, that also meant that I avoided any and all of Pop’s solo material. Sure, if people were dancing to “Lust For Life”, I’d join in, but the little solo material I came across otherwise — “Candy”, “Real Wild Child” — all sounded like over produced parodies of that animalistic beast that was The Stooges.

Fast forward to 2016. I learn that Pop is releasing a so-called “farewell” album. He enlisted Josh Homme, the “too handsome for his own good” mastermind behind Queens of the Stone Age, to produce the album. He then drafted Homme, along with other members of QOTSA and the Arctic Monkeys, as his backing band. With the majority of the Stooges having passed away, I thought that these guys were capable of emulating that sound. I had high hopes for a back to basics, thick and dirty rock record and tour.

I was wrong, but I was wrong in the best way possible.

Continue reading “Show Review: Iggy Pop’s ‘Post Pop Depression’ Tour at The Masonic, 3/31/16”

Noise Pop Show Review: Carly Rae Jepsen, Cardiknox, Monika at The Warfield, 2/27/16

2015 was an interesting year for Carly Rae Jepsen. Tasked with the impossible feat of following up “Call Me Maybe” — likely to be remembered as the greatest pop song of the decade — Jepsen managed to do something that very few people in the pop world have done: release a follow-up that became one of the most critically lauded records of the year. Very few performers do well with their sophomore record, but Jepsen’s release hit #3 on The Village Voice‘s Pazz & Jop Poll, sharing space not with fellow popsters, but with folks like Kendrick Lamar and Courtney Barnett. This, plus a slot on the indie-centric Noise Pop Festival, prove that Jepsen has attained something that very few Top 40 artists have: respect from critics, along with acceptance by the very picky indie rock community. In fact, despite the presence of such long defunct acts as Drive Like Jehu, Her Space Holiday, and American Football at this year’s Noise Pop, Jepsen’s was the most anticipated set of the festival. Continue reading “Noise Pop Show Review: Carly Rae Jepsen, Cardiknox, Monika at The Warfield, 2/27/16”

Spinning Platters Interview: Chad Heimann, Noise Pop Talent Booker

The first Noise Pop Festival was in 1993. It was one show for $5 at The Kennel Club, and it was headlined by The Fastbacks — who are amazing, if you don’t already know them. 26 years later, we have a multitude of bands crossing over dozens of genres, and a festival that spans a week! Spinning Platters recently had a chance to speak to their music booker, Chad Heimann, about this year’s fest.

The fest is about halfway over, but there still are plenty of gigs all over town that you’ll be really sad that you missed. The schedule can be found here! Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Chad Heimann, Noise Pop Talent Booker”

Spinning Platters Guide to Noise Pop 2016

Korla Pandit, Godfather of Exotica Music (whom you can see on February 20th during this year's Noise Pop Festival!) — *Korla Pandit, Godfather of Exotica Music* (which you can see on February 20th during this year’s Noise Pop Festival!)

This is a really big year for Noise Pop, one of the most long-standing and widely-genred music festivals in the Bay Area. For the first time ever, the festival is running 10 days — double its usual duration. They’ve expanded the film portion of the event, featuring 22 films in addition to the usual assortment of bands covering the entire gamut of “noise pop,” including hardcore punk, bubblegum pop, hip-hop, jazz, garage, twee — everything, basically! Of course, with such a huge variety of entertainment taking over the town for nearly two weeks, you’ll need some help deciding on what to go to. That’s what we’re here for — letting you know our picks for the best things to see and hear at this year’s Noise Pop Festival! Continue reading “Spinning Platters Guide to Noise Pop 2016”

Spinning Platters Interview: Amy Miller

Amy Miller is an old friend of Spinning Platters. She’s also the funniest person in Portland, OR, and was on the final season of Last Comic Standing. She was one of the earliest fans of the site and, despite her continued fame, she still managed to squeeze out some time to talk to us.

She’s going to be headlining at Punchline in SF this Wednesday, January 27th. Tickets are available here!

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SF Sketchfest Review: The Great Collaborators Tribute: Billy Crystal & Alan Zweibel In Conversation with Ron Bostwick

There is no shortage of great talent that graces our SF stages during Sketchfest. Tonight, however, we got not one, but two, of the most important comic minds ever. Everyone knows Billy Crystal, star of Soap, Saturday Night Live, When Harry Met Sally, etc., and, although you may not know Alan Zweibel by name, you may have more of his words memorized than Billy Crystal’s. He was one of the main writers during the first few years of Saturday Night Live, as well as It’s Gary Shandling’s Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Monk, and many, many more.

Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: The Great Collaborators Tribute: Billy Crystal & Alan Zweibel In Conversation with Ron Bostwick”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts: 1/14/16-1/20/16

Sad you never got to see David Bowie? Don't regret that about any of these bands this week. — Sad you never got to see David Bowie? Don’t regret that about any of these bands this week.

We recently lost one of the most imaginative artists in the history of creation. As a result, this week is a special week. These are your best options for shows this week, and how Bowie-esque they are. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts: 1/14/16-1/20/16”