Show Review: Eisley at Slim’s, 10/15/09

eisley

So often there are those bands that fall between the cracks of your musical world.  They fight and claw their way in, trying to have a place in your collection.  They try to pop up on your Pandora station, or while you’re trying to decide if you should buy this eighty dollar shirt at a trendy clothing shop, just so they might have a chance of sticking in your head.  And just when they get through (in my case it was the song “Marvelous Things”), they book a concert on the same night of another show you already have tickets for!  It’s beyond me how many times I’ve missed Eisley just because I was at a different show on the same night.  This show was somewhere around six years in waiting. Continue reading “Show Review: Eisley at Slim’s, 10/15/09”

Emiliana Torrini at the Great American Hall, 8/18/09

Emiliana_Torrini_narrowweb__300x302,0

Running as fast as I could from the Studio on the Tenth Floor on New Montgomery, after the newest Spinning Platters podcast recording (cough), I made it to the bus stop only to find myself hoping I wouldn’t miss Emiliana Torrini’s first song.  Long story short, I gave in, hopped a cab, and made it just into the middle of song two (sorry, I know I know, Blur pun….I couldn’t help myself). Continue reading “Emiliana Torrini at the Great American Hall, 8/18/09”

Show Review: Tori Amos at the Paramount Theatre, 7/13/09

What was Tori's surprise?  Read on.  (Thanks to Jon for the setlist photo.)
What was Tori's surprise? Read on. (Thanks to Jon for the setlist photo.)

I’m not going to sugar coat this, because there really isn’t much that could have been sweeter than this adventure, which was entirely one of the most awesome experiences I’ve ever had, concert or otherwise.

Oh, where to begin… Continue reading “Show Review: Tori Amos at the Paramount Theatre, 7/13/09”

PJ Harvey and John Parish at The Warfield, 6/19/09

The spotlight was on PJ for much of the night, as seen in this shot.
The spotlight was on PJ for much of the night, as seen in this shot.

It’s been almost five years since PJ Harvey has graced San Francisco with her electric energy.  Without a tour in the States for her previous release, “White Chalk,” the barest and probably quietest of all her records, she reemerged alongside old writing mate John Parish, with guns blazing and a fire simmering in the belly. Continue reading “PJ Harvey and John Parish at The Warfield, 6/19/09”

Bat for Lashes at the Great American Music Hall, 6/13/09

The Great American stage dressed up fancy.  Thanks to Flickr user smazurov for sharing.
The Great American stage dressed up fancy. Thanks to Flickr user smazurov for sharing.

It’s pretty easy to see why this show was so sold out.  Bjork and Radiohead endorsements aside, people always seem interested by an artist who opens up a portal into a construct they can deeply explore.  Natasha Khan who is, Bat For Lashes, carries you into her songs in the same way an author submerges readers into the lush world of their own creation.  Full of fairies, birds, ghosts and howling wolves, her thoughtful and refreshingly imaginative music invites you into a world you’re not sure she discovered, envisioned, or simply grew up in. Continue reading “Bat for Lashes at the Great American Music Hall, 6/13/09”