Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
It’s called BlakRoc, and it has just got me all hot and bothered because it’s apparently real. Back on June 4 Jim Jones tweeted, “I’m on my way to meet the black keys a new rock n roll group then summer jam rehearsal lg.” However, there was no proof that anything was really happening in that studio. Were the Black Keys really holing themselves up in there working on a rap-rock fusion project? Continue reading “Album Preview: The Black Keys — Blakroc”
I’ve been thinking about how every show review I write is positive, which makes sense since, if I’m going to a show, it is someone I like and listen to. But tonight was a little different. I’ve had the hots for Adrian Grenier since the movie Drive Me Crazy, and continue to love him on the HBO show Entourage, so when our Editor-In-Chief wanted a live edition of Sing it Hasselhoff I was happy to oblige. I was even more excited when I found out Soko, who I was sad canceled her spot at SXSW 2009, was opening. But I had no real idea what I was in for and thought this might be my first negative show review. But when, during the second song from the opening band his Orchestra, two of the band members started running around the audience laughing and playing I knew that either this was going to be the best show ever or one giant letdown.
Today I attended the show as a volunteer. It’s a good deal, you help out with some element if the show in the morning, and by late afternoon, you are free to enjoy the rest of the show. If you work at night, you get to see an entire different day. It’s a pretty decent deal, and if they do it next year, I recommend it. Just check out the official site next year, and you will find the instructions on how to sign up.
Continue reading “Outside Lands Festival Journal: Log 2, Day 3”
Here’s my Outside Lands story. You may already be asking yourself why I am starting on Day 2. The answer is simple. I did not attend the first day. I went last year on Friday, and was so annoyed by the set up of the festival, that I did not attend again, and I was considering not doing it at all this year. I felt that security was far too sparse throughout the inside of the venue, and I also felt that they layout of the stages made it difficult to navigate through the venue. The biggest issue from 2008 was placing Radiohead on the main stage immediately after Beck played a side stage, which was about 15 minutes away by foot on a normal day, but they also made the walkway between the two stages about 2 people wide. To make matters worse, the audio kept cutting out during Radiohead’s set.
Continue reading “Outside Lands Festival Journal: Log 1, Day 2”
I was excited to wake up and find my cold had subsided, and off I went back to Golden Gate Park for an early afternoon of volunteering and listening to bands chosen especially for me based on their proximity to my volunteering site. My exciting adventures for today included potentially getting food poisoning, a random passerby saying some really strange stuff to me, and almost getting into a fight. Join me on Saturday at Outside Lands. Continue reading “Outside Lands Festival Diary: Part 3 — Saturday, 8/29/08”
You know how when you have a little cold and you take cold medicine, and when the medicine finally kicks in, your cold breaks? And you get really sweaty? Now what if you were taking cold medicine on a hot day at a sunny music festival? You’d be having my day. So for me, and surely for many others, Friday at Outside Lands was a fun, sweaty time. Continue reading “Outside Lands Festival Diary: Part 2 — Friday, 8/28/09”
Some news organizations get full access to festivals like Outside Lands. They get a photo pass, backstage access, free tickets, free food, special parking, and other forms of special treatment. Some blogs get a lower level of access to these festivals, which would include free tickets, and perhaps a photo pass. And finally, there’s up-and-coming, fast growing music sites like Spinning Platters, who work for a ticket. This will give you an entirely different perspective on Outside Lands, access be damned. We’re not here to hobnob, we’re here to have a good time. And answer your questions at the info booth. Continue reading “Outside Lands Festival Diary: Part 1”
Episode 4 of the Spinning Platters podcast is now available below, and in iTunes. Dakin, Gordon and D.P. are joined on this episode by Carlos Rodela of Mevio. You can see him weekly on Rad on the Web and Press Pause, or hear him below. This week’s topics are:
Click on to listen, or even better, subscribe to the Spinning Platters podcast on iTunes. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Podcast: Episode 4 — Outside Lands Festival”
Last year, Scarlett Johansson released a record called Anywhere I Lay My Head, a moody collection of Tom Waits songs arranged by David Sitek. He put together a band consisting of members of TV On The Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, and the Celebration. Reviews were very mixed, but I enjoyed the record a great deal. The record has its fans, but in the end was a bit of a flop. I don’t think anybody expected her to put something out again, especially so quickly.
Continue reading “Sing It Hasselhoff: Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson Break Up”
I took quite a few photos at Wanderlust Festival: nearly 500 of them. Since I didn’t have any sort of media credential, you’re not going to see any amazing closeups of performers’ nostrils, but my handy pocket camera does a pretty good job of it. I’ve selected 19 of my favorites, showing every musical act I saw over the weekend and more. If you were there, I hope these act as a nice reminder of a wonderful weekend; if you weren’t, I hope it will inspire you to go next year. Feel free to share these photos around. Please just tell everyone where you found them! Now, on to the photo gallery. Continue reading “Wanderlust Festival Diary: The Photos”