Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
The 46th Mill Valley Film Festival will take place Oct 5 – Oct 15, 2023, with screenings at theaters all around the North and East Bay (and a few in SF).
For a full view of special awards, spotlights, and centerpiece films, check out the complete festival guide. Tickets can be purchased here.
Below is a preview of the festival, featuring brief looks at four films:
Continue reading “Film Feature: Preview #1 of the 46th Mill Valley Film Festival”
Y’know, as often as I try to keep on top of hip, new things, I’m 43 years old (going on 44 next month!), and I DEFINITELY reminisce about the Bay Area of my youth (Read: 30’s). And Talkies at the old Cinecave (The best comedy venue in history, RIP) was something that I always loved. Well, ever since George Chen moved to LA, the show moved, too. We’d only get to enjoy the blend of film, PowerPoint, stand-up, sketch, and storytelling that is TALKIES during his annual Sketchfest visit. Well… FEAR NOT! TALKIES is ON TOUR and it’s coming home during the off-Sketchfest season!
TALKIES is hosted by Nick Stargu, Aviva Siegel, George Chen, and Land Smith-Abbinate. Special Guests for these shows will be Drennon Davis and Jack Brown, along with Ashley Monique in SF and Jessica Sele in Sacramento and Santa Cruz. (BTW: I bloody love those last two comics AND don’t drive, so, yeah, I’m a little sad about them being on different shows.)
Next week, they are bringing the show to Punch Line in SF on October 3rd, Comedy Spot in Sacramento on October 4th, and Blue Lagoon in Santa Cruz on October 5th!
Show Preview by: Alan Ralph @AlanHasPicks
The extended weekend of October 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the year 2 0 2 3 has been leaving fans of heavy metal music in decision limbo since the beginning of April. In mid-March, the annual heavy metal pilgrimage to Sacramento, called Aftershock Festival, announced another stellar (as always) 4-day lineup for an unforgettable weekend of Rock N Metal. What nobody knew then is that a mere two weeks later, Power Trip (not the band) would announce a killer classic metal lineup for their festival, to take place simultaneously on the same weekend, albeit in the southern California desert. Goldenvoice had just put Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP) on notice, and fans then had to decide which to go to! Now, with t-minus two weeks and counting, Spinning Platters is here to explain why Aftershock Festival is thee festival to attend and how they will not be relinquishing their West Coast Fall Festival crown…
Continue reading “Aftershock 2023… and why it will be better than Power Trip!”
I get a little bit of Hollywood Bowl / LA FOMO. SF is certainly a world-class city with one of the finest symphonies in the US. Yet, we seem to rarely get big-name pop and rock acts coming through to perform with the SF Symphony. Well, Ellie Goulding is only doing this in three cities, and ONE OF THEM IS OURS!!!! On sale Friday, September 8th at 10 am, Ellie Goulding is bringing beautiful symphonic arrangements of her catalog to Davies Symphony Hall for one night only on Monday, November 20th.
Another day, another festival announcement… But this one is special, mostly because it’s bound to be the loveliest and weirdest event of the Fall. Atlas Obscura, the only travel website that I ever use, has teamed up with Sacred Bones Records and Oakland’s very own SPELLLING to curate a very special evening in, of all places, Children’s Fairyland.
There will be art; there will be amusements; there will be tarot readings; there will be SUN RA ARKESTRA, for crying out loud! And, of course, SPELLLING, and LA’s Sasami (possibly the most dynamic performer I’ve ever seen on a stage), and so much more! And did I mention it’s at Children’s Fairyland from 7 pm-11 pm on Saturday, September 16th?
Tickets are $70 and available here. Only 1200 tickets for sale, so buy fast so you don’t miss out!
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”
Last Saturday night, I was moments away from calling a Lyft to take myself to the Chase Center after one of the most exhausting Saturdays I’ve had in years. Literally right before I was going to “Select Lyft” button, I got a text from a friends letting me know that the show had been postponed. Someone appears to have gotten sick in the touring party. OH NO! The worst part about it was that I was kind of relieved… I ended up introducing my four year old to Oliver & Company instead that night, and it was an excellent decision. The SF Show was moved to August 7th, as well as Seattle moving to the 9th, Portland to the 10th, and the 2023 tour is now closing up in Seattle on the 13th. This is sad news for most people, but excellent news for folks that were sold out of these shows, as the postponed shows are allowing for refunds for a week. You can snag those tickets as they become available here!
In the meantime, here are my six favorite tracks from Paramore’s catalog. Continue reading “Picks Six Reasons To See Paramore This Year”
Photo by Grant Kerber
Did you attend Mosswood Meltdown this last weekend? Did you enjoy yourself? OF COURSE, YOU DID!!! Do you want to relive the fun/ live the fun for the first time? While, for another week or so, the whole thing is streaming on Twitch! Are you ready for next year already? Well, super-discounted early bird tickets are available NOW for Mosswood Meltdown 2024. The dates are July 6th & 7th. Do I know who’s playing? Absolutely not. But I like a bargain, and there is no way it won’t be stupid fun. Besides, both GA ($79+fees) and VIP ($159+fees) are $100 less than the door prices!
GUESS WHAT!?!?! Mosswood Meltdown is THIS WEEKEND! Possibly the best lineup I’ve ever seen for an event, and it’s finally here! There are only a few tickets left for sale, and those can be purchased here. Join us to see legendary, groundbreaking acts Le Tigre, ESG, JJ Fad, and Bratmobile, as well as so many of my favorite bands ever- Mika Miko, Avengers, Snooper, Teddy Bear Orchestra, The Rondelles. Set times are below, and here’s a quick introduction to everyone playing! Continue reading “MOSSWOOD MELTDOWN SET TIMES ARE HERE! JOIN US THIS WEEKEND!!!”
