Show Review: Kelly Clarkson with Carolina Liar at The Event Center at San Jose State University, 3/27/12

Photos by Tom Owen

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to interview legendary bassist Mike Watt. We spoke about a lot of things, including many of his musical projects. As any good journalist does, I made sure to ask him about his sessions working with Kelly Clarkson on her underrated 2007 release My December. His response was great. He said, “Working on the record was a lot of fun. They gave me a lot of freedom to experiment in the studio, and Kelly was very sweet. She had a great voice and learned to sing in the church. Somebody told me that she also won a game show or something. I get asked about this a lot. Is she famous?” It was in interesting response. This is one of the most famous singers to emerge from the last decade, yet to the people that she worked with, one would never be the wiser. This humility could be either good or bad for a live performance. Luckily, I had the opportunity to make a rare journey into San Jose to see her play live. I was hoping it was worth the journey. Continue reading “Show Review: Kelly Clarkson with Carolina Liar at The Event Center at San Jose State University, 3/27/12”

Show Review: The Ting Tings, MNDR at The Fillmore, 3/25/12

The Ting Tings

The sophomore slump is a tough thing to get over. Whenever you come out of the box with a huge album, the public is always skeptical of whatever you do next. The Ting Tings are one of those bands. They essentially took over the world with their debut record, full of amp’d up bubblegum pop with the right dose of punk energy. With such an explosive beginning, they would need to put out the audio equivalent of the Sistine Chapel in order to be respected. This tour is their moment of truth.

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 3/22/12-3/28/12

In tribute to fun. playing The Indy this week, I googled the word "fun," and this looked like the best example of the word that I could find.

Well, I have returned from Texas ten pounds heavier, with several new calluses on my feet, and a slew of new bands for you to go see, and several old favorites. So, do yourself a favor and come see a few amazing bands this week.

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Spinning Platters SXSW Report: 25 Instant SXSW Gig Reviews

Approximately .0003% of the attendees at SXSW 2012

This is my fifth year straight where I descended to the great city of Austin, Texas to enjoy the most insane week of live music you will ever enjoy. I took a little easier than most years, but I still had a very fulfilling week of music. I get to enjoy a wide array of great stuff, and, without further adieu, here are my thoughts on that time:

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 3/1/12-3/7/12

 

Appearing tonight at Rickshaw Stop

As we near SXSW, we find that the quality of touring acts increases dramatically. This week is full of difficult decisions, and even a farewell tour by one of the most underrated and innovative bands of all time.

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Show Review: Nellie McKay: “I Want To Live” at The Rrazz Room, 2/28/12

There aren’t enough artists like Nellie McKay in the world. Stylistically, she sounds like classic jazz pop, but she isn’t afraid to push those boundaries. Unlike many similar artists, her politics are always worn on her sleeve, and she isn’t afraid of offending people. Her records have explicit lyrics stickers on them, yet you wouldn’t realize it if you weren’t paying close enough attention. Which surprised me that she ended up booking the traditional jazz lounge The Rrazz Room, inside the upscale Hotel Nikko.

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Show Review: Buck 65, Busdriver, Kristoff Krane at Slim’s, 2/19/2012

The is how we dance in Canada. (All photos by Kara Murphy)

Canada has had a very difficult relationship with hip hop in the US. It seems that very few acts can break through, despite all the talent that is brewing in our great white north. Aside from Drake, there has yet to be a true superstar to come from the great white north. Which means that such great acts like k-os, K’Naan, and Buck 65 are stuck cris-crossing America, playing small clubs on weekday nights to have full rooms. Which is a shame, because there is so much serious talent coming from our “America’s hat.” On a a cold Sunday night, San Francisco was treated to a performance from Nova Scotia’s Buck 65.

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Spinning Platters Guide To Noise Pop 2012

For the last 20 years, the good folks of Noise Pop have turned a single show at Kennel Club (now known as The Independent) into a huge, weeklong festival that causes Bay Area music nerds to clear their calendar every year. In recent years, the fest has expanded beyond music- we have movies, craft fairs, and literary events in addition to one of the best programmed music fests you will ever go to. Go to 2012.noisepop.com for a full listing, but if you want to know what I think you should go to, follow the jump!

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 2/16/12-2/22/12

We are on our way to the beginning of Noise Pop…  But, since you are addicted to show going like I am, I have prepared a list of warm up gigs that you should attend. I know that I will be!

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 2/9/12-2/15/12

Comin' To Oakland!

February is a pretty nutty month for shows in SF. And that’s not just counting Noise Pop… The weeks warming up to Noise Pop are pretty insane, too! So, clear your schedule, and go out to a few shows!

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 2/9/12-2/15/12”