Show Reviews – Page 18 – Spinning Platters

Show Review: Sammy Hagar & The Circle at Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando, FL, 5/26/2021

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ARPhotoSF

It must be Classic Rock Week at Spinning Platters!

With all of the venues in San Francisco having been shuttered since March 2020, and without knowing just how much longer Covid-19 is going to keep them closed, Spinning Platters grew tired of the waiting and decided to look far and wide to other places in pursuit of a Real. Live. Show.

Not only were we lucky enough to photograph rock and roll legends Foreigner mere days ago, now we can add 50% of Van Halen, the direct lineage of Led Zeppelin’s drummer, and even 25% of Mötley Crüe (more on that later) to the list. Our rock/metal photographer, who has been riding out the latter part of this pandemic in Florida, got invited to photograph and review another show!

Continue reading “Show Review: Sammy Hagar & The Circle at Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando, FL, 5/26/2021”

Show Review: Foreigner at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, 5/22/2021

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ARPhotoSF

WAIT, WHAT… A SHOW REVIEW!! Yes!

Granted, many of these other places are less safe than the cautious San Francisco (recall that SF was the first city in America to institute a lockdown), but Spinning Platters is vaccinated and willing to risk it all for you! Where did we find such an amazing live event? Well, since our rock/metal photographer has been riding out the latter part of this pandemic in Florida, we found that shows actually happen there.

Continue reading “Show Review: Foreigner at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, 5/22/2021”

Single Of The Week: “Helado” by Rudy de Anda

There were a lot of records in 2020 that got lost in the shuffle, mostly due to the fact that there weren’t any shows. And, without the ability to play shows, it’s hard to get people’s attention. Tender Epoch by Rudy de Anda was one of those. It’s a perfect party album, and the perfect live show record. But, in a year where partying just isn’t in the cards, it’s just a bummer for these. “Helado” is the latest single from Tender Epoch, and it’s perfect for dancing around your apartment. Since that’s all we can do these days, you might as well do it with abandon!

Tender Epoch is out NOW on Goldmine Records. You can stream it in all the usual places, but you probably want to purchase it in Topo Chico Bottle colored vinyl, which you can do here for $20.

SF Sketchfest 2021 UPDATE

I’m going to start with the bad news. SF Sketchfest, also known as the most insane three weeks of live comedy programming in San Francisco, was due to celebrate it’s 20th year next January in an epic fashion. Well, you may have heard that at little thing called COVID-19 has ravaged the live entertainment world, due to the fact that having fun in large groups is about the fastest way to get it, alongside side church, gyms, and working in an office. So, it looks like we are going to have to wait a bit longer to enjoy whatever the good folks at SF Sketchfest will bring us. And, whenever that happens, we will DEFINITELY need to get together and laugh. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest 2021 *UPDATE*”

Spinning Platters Presents: How Did I Get Here? Episode 3 with Vickki Acuna of General Election LA

Vickki Acuna has been working in music for years, putting on shows before she was old enough to drive, street teaming for Part Time Punks, running the Box Office at The Echo in LA, and working as the Digital Coordinator for Goldenvoice Festivals in LA, including Coachella & Stagecoach. Now she runs General Election LA, an organization leveraging our darkened venues to help get out the vote!

Vickki is active on social media as herself, in addition to General Election LA. To follow: Continue reading “Spinning Platters Presents: How Did I Get Here? Episode 3 with Vickki Acuna of General Election LA”

Show Review: Thundercat, Guapdad 4000 at The Fox Theater, 3/6/2020

Thundercat caught my attention with his 2015 release, Lone Wolf/Where the Giants Roam and continues to keep me intrigued today. Whether he was collabing with the late Mac Miller or releasing a chopped and screwed version of Drunk, he continues to showcase his broad musical tastes and deliver unmatched energy. The new single, Dragonball Durag, is a perfect example.

Before tonight, I’d only caught Thundercat for his set at Camp Flog Gnaw last year. Michael McDonald joined the stage to perform “Show me the Way” and treated the crowd to McDonald’s own “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near).” In my opinion, one of the top moments of the festival! Sadly, it was overshadowed by Millenials booing Drake off stage. Needless to say, I was psyched for this show and ready to see Thundercat deliver to the Fox Theatre in Oakland. Continue reading “Show Review: Thundercat, Guapdad 4000 at The Fox Theater, 3/6/2020”

Show Review: Habibi, Rudy de Anda, Babewatch at Bottom Of The Hill, 2/29/2020

In the world of garage rock, it’s expected for bands to put out material quickly and furiously. Bands like Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall have set the bar so high that one record a year comes off as “slow.” When Habibi didn’t follow up their 2014 debut – a delicious blend of garage crunch, 60’s girl group harmonies, and Iranian melodies – right away, people just assumed they called it quits. It wasn’t until 2018, when they put out a short EP, that I thought they were even still a unit. However, it took six long years before we got a proper follow up. It also meant six years without a proper visit to SF. I’m glad that 2020 gave us both. Continue reading “Show Review: Habibi, Rudy de Anda, Babewatch at Bottom Of The Hill, 2/29/2020”

Single Of The Week: Backyard by Personal Trainer

This week’s Single of the Week comes from Personal Trainer. This is the debut single from this power trio based out of both Philadelphia AND Brooklyn. (Odds are that there is some infighting about which town has the best pizza) This track starts out sounding deceptively simple, but builds into a delightful aural treat that spans an insane amount of emotions on 4:18. This song is a stunner, and I can’t wait to hear more from this band.

“Backyward” can be found on Soundcloud and Spotify. You can also follow the band on Instagram and Twitter to stay in the know when they put out more material.

Show Review: Wynonna & The Big Noise featuring Bob Weir and Cass McCombs, Christina Vane at The Fillmore, 2/6/2020

Tonight was an intimate, unique, and heartwarming night of music at the Fillmore, despite being a little rough around the edges at times. Continue reading “Show Review: Wynonna & The Big Noise featuring Bob Weir and Cass McCombs, Christina Vane at The Fillmore, 2/6/2020”

SF Sketchfest Review: Everything’s Great! at Cafe du Nord, 1/25/2020

Winding down my time at this year’s SF Sketchfest, I wanted to make sure to catch one more stand up variety show. Everything’s Great!, hosted by Demi Adejuyigbe, Nick Kocher, and Addie Weyrich, has been on my list as a must-see in Los Angeles. Past guests on their line-up have included Sasheer Zamata, Joel Kim Booster, Kyle Kinane and Rachel Bloom, amongst other big talents. Plus the hosts themselves are ridiculously entertaining; each of them has their own extensive and cool list of projects in comedy. Catching their SF Sketchfest show was exactly how I wanted to wrap up this year’s festival.

Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Everything’s Great! at Cafe du Nord, 1/25/2020”