So-called novelty bands tend to have a short shelf life. The progression tends to go something like this: you see the band open for someone else and you immediately tell your friends, then you see them again with your friends and have a great time, and then you keep going but your friends are over them. Meanwhile you’re telling the friends who have stopped going that the band is special; it’s not just a shtick. Sometimes you’re wrong, but sometimes you’re right. So am I right about Gil Mantera’s Party Dream? Continue reading “Show Review: Gil Mantera’s Party Dream with Triple Cobra and Go Going Gone Girls at Bottom of the Hill, 5/15/10”
The most photographed keyboard setup in the history of the world?
Before the show even started, and long after it ended, fans were gathered around the stage to take photographs of the famous synthesizer on stage at The Regency Ballroom on Monday night. This is the actual synthesizer that was used on “Lucky Man,” the classic track by Emerson Lake & Palmer that both kicked off their career and ended this concert. That prog nerds (like me; I was taking a photo, too) worship equipment is well known, but what about the people playing it? What about Emerson Lake & … well … nobody?
Everything you really need to know about Transatlantic’s virtuoso performance on Sunday night at The Palace of Fine Arts can be summed up like so:
Six songs, three-and-a-half hours.
If this doesn’t appeal to you, you’re probably done reading. If the thought of such things makes you grin uncontrollably for hours, then this review is for you. Read on, prog nerd. You’re among friends here.
Matt Bellamy of Muse shined lasers at the audience. Is this safe?
Do you miss seeing a rock band put on a real show? Do you miss vast arrays of colored lights, moving platforms, spinning drum sets … do you miss lasers? If you do, Muse is the right band to see right now. Yet hidden behind all of the flashiness of their show is also a strong musical core. The two sides of this fight against each other, though, making the whole thing less than the sum of its parts. The question, though, is how big are those parts? Continue reading “Show Review: Muse with Silversun Pickups at Oracle Arena, 4/14/10”
Perhaps he's disgusted by a restaurant suggestion? Suggest a better one below!
If you went to the Warfield on Tuesday night to see Faith No More, you got to see a legend who hasn’t lost a step and a San Francisco institution blow the crowd away.
I have the set-list napkin Eddie Argos is holding here. I've tucked it into a copy of Booster Gold, no joke. (All photos on this post from my iPhone unless noted)
This year at South By Southwest Music, I lost my voice and my glasses, drank tons of free booze, walked for miles, collected paper wristbands, failed at my attempt at seeing a house party show, and saw a whopping 2.6% of all showcasing acts! (Remember, even an inspired effort will get you, at most, 6% of the acts, so when you see a Top 10 list, it’s working off of a small sample.)
In keeping with the tradition I started last year, I will now answer your important questions about SXSW Music 2010.
1. Who did I see playing on the street four different times?
2. Which Canadian band was my big Wednesday afternoon surprise?
3. What band got a $100 tip in their guitar case?
4. Who tested the stage to make sure it was OK to jump up and down on it?
5. Who took way too long to set up, but then made it worthwhile?
6. Of all the bands that “killed it,” which one killed it most often?
7. Who’s gonna make me skip Hot Chip?
8. What band should have said its name more often so I’d know to miss them in the future?
9. Which act seemed to appreciate my personal enjoyment of them more than any other?
10. Who made 50 people at a 1000-person venue feel like a packed house?
11. Which act finally made me lose my voice for good?
12. What was the best totally improvised, organized-on-the-fly event? Continue reading “Gordon Answers Your SXSW 2010 Questions”
The Spinning Platters crew was way too tired to do a podcast on Wednesday night/Thursday morning but we did one anyway because we’re troopers. This one gets a little snippy as we disagree about the pronunciation of a few things, and we argue over the use of the phrase “killed it.” You can subscribe by clicking the button to the left or you can listen below.
Yes, we've already been to Waffle House. Didn't take long.
The Spinning Platters editorial board has landed in Austin, so of course we recorded a podcast. Join Gordon, Dakin, Marie, Caroline and our producer D.P. for nightly updates from the greatest music nerd event in existence, the South By Southwest Music Conference. You can subscribe by clicking the giant subscribe button, or listen below. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Podcast — SXSW Tuesday Review”
Episode 19 of the Spinning Platters podcast is a two-part affair where Gordon, Dakin and D.P. welcome Gabe and Amy from Sonic Living into the Studio on New Montgomery for our official SXSW preview episode. We discuss how we each approach seeing as many of the nearly 2000 bands playing as we can (including some insiders’ tips), and go off into assorted topics like the genius of R. Kelly, what it’s like working at Pixar, and more. You can subscribe by pushing the giant button to your left, or you can listen within. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Podcast Episode 19 — We Are the Wolves in the Throne Room”
The amps were turned up high and the lights were turned down low at the Great American Music Hall on Wednesday night, as some feedbacky, shoegazery throwback bands were on the bill. The Big Pink showed up with half of the band missing, A Place to Bury Strangers ended their set in blood, and hardly anyone got there early to watch io echo. It was a weird show that featured good music, but was less than satisfying in the end. It could have been better. Continue reading “Show Review: The Big Pink, A Place to Bury Strangers and io echo at Great American Music Hall, 3/10/10”
