Show Review: Paramore with Kitten at The Warfield, 5/4/13

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It’s been a rough three years for Paramore. In that time, they’ve gone through almost as many drummers as Spinal Tap, and had to deal with one of the most public and bitter band break ups in recent memory. However, they have returned with a self titled album that is a collection of tracks that bring to mind their early forays into emo and hardcore, as well as some of the most positive songs they’ve released in years. Since it’s been a while, they are warming themselves up with small venue tour. However, since they like a challenge, they brought Kitten along for the ride- a live experience so dizzying that only the most confident band should try to play afterwards.

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 5/16/13-5/22/13

Appearing with the San Francisco Symphony
Appearing with the San Francisco Symphony

Sometimes I get exhausted just putting this list together, let alone trying to figure out how I can be in 20 places at once…

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Show Review: Justin Townes Earl with Tift Merritt at The Chapel, 5/10/13

All Photos By Michelle Viray
All Photos By Michelle Viray

Usually when festivals come around, the most exciting thing about them is the pick up gigs bands make around them. With Bottle Rock’s inaugural outing this year, we were lucky enough to score a solid double bill Steve Earle’s song Justin Townes Earle and North Carolina songwriter Tift Merritt. To make the show even more special, the two acts on the bill opted to play a stripped down set. Just voice, guitar, and a single accompanist. Put that into one of the most acoustically perfect venues in San Francisco, and you have a night out.

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 5/9/13-5/15/13

Opening for Kate Nash on Saturday!
Opening for Kate Nash on Saturday!

While the majority of the bands playing in the Bay Area this week are up at Bottle Rock in Napa, which, yes, in an amazing looking festival, it isn’t quite the Bay Area. The following shows (with one exception) are all easily accessible via BART. So enjoy your rock n roll, and remember not to drink & drive!

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 5/2/13-5/8/13

Don't drink bleach. Go see Bleached! You have three opportunities this week!
Don’t drink bleach. Go see Bleached! You have three opportunities this week!

May is looking almost as crazy as April on the show front. And this time there isn’t a Coachella to blame it on. You just need to blame it on how awesome the bay area is! Now, got do some rocking. Or Else…

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 4/25/13-5/1/13

grownmantypennington

Looking for a better time than a bath tub full of rubber duckies? Look no further!

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Fauxchella Review: Metric with Mona at The Fox Theater – Oakland, 4/18/13

All Photos by Misty Brewster
All Photos by Misty Brewster

Fauxchella is a brutal time for music fans. The night Metric played at The Fox, we also had to contend with like minded bands How To Destroy Angels and Savages playing across the bridge. It was a tough night of you enjoy powerful women fronting danceable rock bands. And, as much as I truly love this band, I was thinking hard about what I was missing. I didn’t want to feel buyers remorse. Deep down inside, I knew this was the right place to be. And the sold out crowd at The Fox tonight knew it, too.

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Fauxchella Review: Cloud Nothings, Japandroids at The New Parish, 4/17/2013

 

All Photos By Michelle Viray
All Photos By Michelle Viray

Oakland is a blessed city for music. We have some of the best venues and best crowds on Earth. For far too long we were treated as the ugly stepsister to San Francisco. However, San Francisco seems to do a great job of attracting the type of concert goer that attends because they feel obligated, and simply hangs on in the back of the room with their arms folded across their chest. In Oakland, the room explodes. Case in point: Vancouver, BC’s Japandroids played a sold out show at The Independent last year. It was shortly after the release of Celebration Rock, an album that hit with near universal acclaim. And, of course, the whole room stood still throughout the entire set. However, this warm Wednesday night in Oakland was a completely different story.

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 4/18/13-4/24/13

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Appearing at The Great American Music Hall on Wednesday, April 24th

More prime Fauxchella shows making it really hard to get a good night’s sleep on a school night. But you only live once, eh?

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Midnight Music Movies at The New Parkway: R. Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet Singalong

R. Kelly is a literary man.
R. Kelly is a literary man.

For our third installment of Spinning Platters “Midnght” Music Movies (this one starts at 10:30) at The New Parkway, we are thrilled to be able to present to you the first 22 chapters of R Kelly’s magnum opus Trapped In The Closet. Tickets are moving awfully fast (not just marketing speak), and you should buy them right away!

For those of you aren’t in the know, here’s a little background on Trapped: Continue reading “Midnight Music Movies at The New Parkway: R. Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet Singalong”