Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
Guess what?!? This is the first time I’ve ever recorded an interview with the intent of the video being seen and not heard. And it was with the incredibly talented and friendly Izzy Bizu! Her most recent EP is a horn-laden bit of R&B confection called Flower Power and can be enjoyed RIGHT NOW from your favorite streaming service here!
I also took some photos with her from the Outside Lands Press Tent:
Continue reading “Outside Lands 2023: 22 Instant Set Reviews”
It’s the time of year again!! When you get to stress over the Outside Lands, schedule for a week and a half, attempting to both optimize your experience and agonize over clashes. Not only that but there are now TWO dance music areas instead of one… So get ready to figure out the fastest way between the SOMA Tent and Dolores’ stage. Feel free to plot your own schedule here. And, obviously, if you are foolish and haven’t picked up tickets yet, you can still get Sunday GA and Golden Gate Club tickets here.
Now, on with the schedule: Continue reading “Outside Lands Set Times Announced!”
It’s late July / early August, which means it’s time to start plotting out your Outside Lands plans! This means you get to hear MY OPINION on the best acts from the “lesser known” half of the poster! There is a lot of good stuff happening early in the day, so get your money’s worth, load up on coffee, and get to the park when the gates open! A full slate of performers can be found here, and there are still *some* tickets left as of press time, and those limited ticket types can be found here.
In addition to the list below, Outside Lands added a new, gay-centered stage named after every hipster’s favorite Castro-adjacent park, Dolores‘! On Friday the area is being taken over by Fake & Gay. On Saturday, SF Drag Laurette, D’Arcy Drollinger is bringing her club, OASIS, to the park. And on Sunday, the most legendary local party, Hard French will be making sure you feel very French all Sunday long. Continue reading “Top 10 from the Bottom Half of the Outside Lands Poster 2023”
The 43rd San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (the world’s longest running Jewish film festival) will take place July 20 – Aug 6, 2023, with screenings at theaters in San Francisco and Oakland. The festival will showcase 67 films from 18 countries, all touching upon the complexities of Jewish life, history, and culture.
For a full view of special awards and opening and closing night events, check out the complete festival film guide. Tickets can be purchased here.
Below is a preview of the festival, featuring brief looks at six films: Continue reading “Film Feature: Preview of the 43rd San Francisco Jewish Film Festival”
As we dig deeper into Summer, it’s time for Outside Lands to start trickling out their “bonus content.” First off- the night shows! (Still to come- the Gastromagic Stage and Grass Lands lineups, and then we start our petition to bring back The Barbary!) Highlights (for me at least) include No Vacation (with Sour Widows) at the California Academy Of Sciences (!) on August 10th, L’Impératrice at Bimbo’s on August 11th, and an epic double bill of Soccer Mommy and SASAMI at The Independent on August 12th. So, yeah, it might be worth leaving Foo Fighters a hair early to ensure you get to The Indy by 10 pm, because you REALLY don’t want to miss SASAMI.
Eager Beaver & Golden Gate Club ticket holders have the first opportunity to grab tickets with those presales running Wednesday, 6/21, from 10 am PT to Thursday, 6/22, at 11:59 pm PT. The festival ticket holder presale is Thursday, 6/22, from 10 am PT to 11:59 pm PT. Any remaining tickets still available for Night Shows will go on sale to the public on Friday, 6/23, at 10 am PT. Promo codes will be emailed to ticketholders shortly. Ticket links can be found here! A complete list is below: Continue reading “OUTSIDE LANDS 2023 NIGHT SHOWS ANNOUNCED!”
Here at Spinning Platters, we are REALLY excited about the second year of the Mill Valley Music Festival. We are getting the return of Northern California legends Cake, alongside SP favorites Tank & The Bangas, Adrian Belew & Jerry Harrison doing a Talking Heads set, Durand Jones, Valerie June, Black Joe Lewis, and many more. The party is NEXT WEEKEND- May 13th and 14th. Tickets and more info here. We had a chance to chat with their Executive Director, Jim Welte about this year’s event, and here’s a bit of our conversation:
I’ve just got a couple of questions to ask you about this insane endeavor you’re pulling off in one of the hardest cities in the Bay Area to get to, which prompts my first question, what made you pick Mill Valley? Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Jim Welte, Executive Director of the Mill Valley Music Festival”
“Mosswood Meltdown is a pissed-off July 4th weekend celebration for the punk rock elite. Slum-goddess feminists, butch twinks, homo-masculine straight guys-we’re all ready to pogo our way to musical mayhem.”
– John Waters
Our good friends at Mosswood Meltdown continue to make the greatest festival lineup ever (according to me) even greaterest! (WTF? Grammarly didn’t flag that word?!?!) In addition to the previously announced returns of Le Tigre, Bratmobile, Gravy Train!!!!, Mika Miko, The Rondells, JJ Fad, and too many more to name, we have been gifted with four ridiculously cool additions! We have Oakland’s Twompsax bidding us adieu with their last two performances ever. We also have Japan’s greatest surf band, The 5678s, returning to the US for the first time in a while. For those of you sick of music played by humans, the Teddy Bear Orchestra (which really is a band comprised of robot teddy bears) will give pleasure to your ears as a distraction while they plot to take over the human race.
They’ve also FINALLY let us know who is playing on which days. For me, personally, that stretch of SNOOPER to Bratmobile on Sunday is about as perfect as a music festival could possibly be. Full details are below, as well as info on the afterparties! Tickets are available here, and get them while you can! This is looking like selling out is not out of the question…
Continue reading “Mosswood Meltdown- Single Day Line Ups // Afterparties // New Acts!”
We are so very lucky in San Francisco. The lineup for the Stern Grove festival was just released, and it feels unfair how good it is. We are already lucky enough to live in the greatest place on Earth, but to see this array of acts FOR FREE?!?!?! In an absolutely stunning outdoor amphitheater? The rest of the world is full of envy for us.
I kinda want to go to everything… I mean, it opens with jazz experimentalists Snarky Puppy on June 18th. Then a bill where NEKO CASE IS THE OPENER?!?! Of course, she’s opening for the legendary Indigo Girls on June 25th for a bill that’s way more than closer to fine. (Sorry!) Avant-Pop icon Santigold on July 2nd. Lyle Lovett with our dear friend Andrew St James on July 9th. Legendary singer Angelique Kidjo is gracing our presence on July 16th. Jammy Funksters Lettuce is playing with the SF Symphony, which is just, um, !!!!!!. On July 20th, we’ve got the house double bill of Bob Moses and Neil Frances. August 6th brings us the FINAL SF PERFORMANCE from Buddy Guy. Competing with Outside Lands on August 13th (Damn right, I’m angry) is Patti Smith, possibly the most captivating live performer I’ve ever seen, paired with former Husker Du and Sugar frontman Bob Mould. And closing the whole thing out? The Flaming Lips on August 20th.
As with the last two years, tickets are free but do require RSVP. RSVP Links are below, along with the day and time they go live. (Which appears to be the same date as the show in the prior month at 2pm) And, as usual, they are selling tables to The Big Picnic with The Flaming Lips on August 20th.
June 18 Snarky Puppy, Isaiah Sharkey (RSVP Opens May 18th at 2pm)
June 25 Indigo Girls (with Full Band), Neko Case (RSVP Opens May 25th at 2pm)
July 2 Santigold, Ogi (RSVP Opens June 2nd at 2pm)
July 9 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, Andrew St. James (RSVP Opens June 9th at 2pm)
July 16 Angelique Kidjo, Jupiter & Okwess (RSVP Opens June 16th at 2pm)
July 23 SF Symphony with Special Guest Lettuce (RSVP Opens June 23rd at 2pm)
July 30 Bob Moses, Neil Frances (RSVP Opens June 30th at 2pm)
August 6 Buddy Guy Damn Right Farewell Tour, Eric Gales (RSVP Opens July 6th at 2pm)
August 13 Patti Smith, Bob Mould (RSVP Opens July 20th at 2pm)
August 20 The Big Picnic Featuring The Flaming Lips, Alan Palomo (Neon Indian DJ Set) (RSVP Opens July 20th at 2pm)
The 66th SFFilm Festival concludes today, with screenings through this evening. We wrap up our Fest coverage with two final spotlights for you: Here’s a look at a documentary and a feature film that have been playing the film festival circuit, but may receive theatrical distribution. Continue reading “Film Feature: 66th SFFILM Festival Wrap-Up”
