SXSW
Our newest addition to the Spinning Platters crew, Misty Brewster, had a daunting first assignment: SXSW 2026. Here’s SEVEN days straight of music: Continue reading “SXSW 2026 Diary”
Category: Show Reviews
Photo Gallery: Lamb of God at The Masonic Auditorium!
Photos by: Alan Ralph @ConcertGoingPro
On Friday, April 3, Lamb of God, Kublai Khan TX, Fit For An Autopsy, and Sanguisugabugg rolled into San Francisco for a the sold-out show at Masonic Auditorium!
Continue reading “Photo Gallery: Lamb of God at The Masonic Auditorium!”
Show Reviews: fast Thrash meets slow Sludge at DNA Lounge!
Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ConcertGoingPro
DNA Lounge has been on a tear lately with their metal bookings in the last 10 days of March. Starting with the Bay Area’s own gore metal band Exhumed, to English thrash metal band Onslaught several days later, culminating in a one-two punch of NWOBHM band Raven alongside Bay Area’s newest thrash metal supergroup Nefarious and New Orleans sludge metal masters Crowbar and Eyehategod to close out the month!
Continue reading “Show Reviews: fast Thrash meets slow Sludge at DNA Lounge!”
BUMBERSHOOT 2026: BIKINI KILL! TURNSTILE! DEATH CAB! DIE SPITZ! PEACHES!!!!
YES! YOU CAN RESIST PSYCHIC DEATH at BUMBERSHOOT 2026
The longest-running music festival in the US has announced its 2026 lineup, and it’s killer. Despite Peaches being on the bill, it’s still a family-friendly affair in Seattle, complete with Seattle legends Death Cab For Cutie headlining alongside “the biggest hardcore band ever” Turnstile. (How the hell did hardcore finally have a mainstream face?!?!) Fellow PNW legends Bikini Kill are playing, too. Plus De La Soul, Die Spitz, W.I.T.C.H., Yves Tumor, and so much more. Tickets start at $90.50 a day, $155.50 for the weekend (fees inclusive!) with payment plans starting at $40 down! Tickets here, full music lineup below!
Bumbershoot Arts & Music Festival 2026 Lineup Continue reading “BUMBERSHOOT 2026: BIKINI KILL! TURNSTILE! DEATH CAB! DIE SPITZ! PEACHES!!!!”
Show Review: Gelli Haha with Big Sis and Molina at Brick & Mortar Music Hall, 3/26/26
The world is really ready for an Electroclash comeback. Peaches is touring on the regular. GRAVY TRAIN!!! and Le Tigre have returned to the live stage. But where are the young electroclash acts here to carry the torch? SLAYYYTER and Charli XCX are definitely bringing the influence into the modern era. Yet, the DIY, artpunk side of it was 100% on display this lovely Thursday night at Brick & Mortar Music Hall. Continue reading “Show Review: Gelli Haha with Big Sis and Molina at Brick & Mortar Music Hall, 3/26/26”
Show Review: Gogol Bordello ignites The Warfield!
Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ConcertGoingPro
For whatever the reason, it has been a decade-and-a-half since Spinning Platters last wrote about Gogol Bordello (archives). Having seen at least them eight times since the last written review, it’s a real wonder why?! Last summer, Gogol’s publicist really pushed to get their Mountain Winery show covered, but that was just too far for the majority of Spinning Platters’ staff to trek to.
Continue reading “Show Review: Gogol Bordello ignites The Warfield!”
Noise Pop 2026: A Reminiscing…
Let’s talk about Noise Pop 2026 in San Francisco, where a lively gaggle of badge-wearing music fans and industry folks zigzag across the city each night trying to see as many shows as humanly possible in a single week. Since its founding in 1993, Noise Pop has been one of the city’s most beloved independent music festivals, built around the small venues and a musically inclined spirit that define San Francisco’s culture. What started as a modest gathering of indie and underground bands has grown into a weeklong celebration that still feels intimate, with shows scattered across rooms like Bottom of the Hill, Swedish American Hall, and Great American Music Hall. This year’s lineup carried that tradition forward, featuring artists including Jeffrey Lewis, Stephen Malkmus, Rogue Wave, illuminati hotties, Black Marble, Sun Ra Arkestra, and many more. I had the pleasure of catching several of these sets as both a writer and photography guest, bouncing between venues and soaking in that unmistakable Noise Pop energy where the whole city briefly feels like one interconnected stage. Continue reading “Noise Pop 2026: A Reminiscing…”
Noise Pop Review: The Fiery Furnaces with Spacemoth. at The Chapel, 2/26/26
I’ve seen The Fiery Furnaces just once before. Opening for The Shins at The Warfield just about 20 years ago. I was taken aback by their joyful weirdness… So many layers, and it was magic. And I’d yet to have an opportunity to see them again. So when Noise Pop added them to The Chapel, one of the most stunning spaces in SF, I jumped on tickets. Yet, I had no idea what I was in for…
Before Eleanor Friedberger and her brother Matthew, the sibling duo that leads The Fiery Furnaces, took the stage, we were treated to a rare solo performance by local psych hero Maryam Qudus. Better known by her stage name, Spacemoth.. She treated us to layers of samples and washes of guitar and synths, all played by Qudus herself. She crafted blissful pop symphonies, effectively replicating the full-band sound of her debut record, No Past No Future. Early in the set, she played “This Shit” with its chorus, “When is this shit gonna end? Gonna End?” a statement that resonates really well in the current climate.
Matthew sat at the piano, and Eleanor picked up the mic. Fiery Furnaces treated us to… An acoustic duo set! The layers were stripped away, and the songs were brought to the forefront. They played a career-spanning set, hitting almost every album. But, instead of the big, experimental songs, we got cabaret. Eleanor’s voice was in fine form tonight, sending chills at the right moments. Matthew played a delicate balance of jazz, showtunes, and pop on the piano. It was a fantastic show, despite not being the show I expected.
Show Review: Cat Power at The Fox Theater, 2/18/26
I found out about the show late. I had asked the magazine for a photo pass and was told Chan wasn’t allowing photography. No cameras in the audience. That was the boundary. Instead, they handed me a viewing ticket at the last minute, which felt generous and slightly strange. I’m usually moving around the pit thinking about light and angles. This time I took a seat. Front row balcony, the Fox opening up beneath me.
Continue reading “Show Review: Cat Power at The Fox Theater, 2/18/26”
Noise Pop Review: Death Valley Girls, Forty Feet Tall, Grooblen at Kilowatt, 2/23/26
Photos by Emily Anderson
You know how some venues seem to have the right “vibe,” and you can feel the fun as you walk in? It seems that the classic Mission District bar, Kilowatt, has that energy. Because there was an intense joy that I felt from the moment I walked in. To my right was the perfect long bar with silly things behind it, including Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. I understand why the folks of Noise Pop have gone all in on this space. And with the loss of Thee Parkside and the impending death of Bottom Of The Hill, I felt optimistic that SF won’t be without a small rock n roll venue. I bought a $15 cocktail that was a very strong pint of Mexican Mule because it seemed right, and the price was clearly right, and from a time long ago in SF. I window shopped the merch, and then found a spot right in front of the stage, ready for some rock n roll. Continue reading “Noise Pop Review: Death Valley Girls, Forty Feet Tall, Grooblen at Kilowatt, 2/23/26”