Show Reviews – Page 4 – Spinning Platters

Show Review: Wardruna at The Greek Theater (Los Angeles), 09-08-2025

“Music Is Culture.”

It was another night of firsts for me. My first time shooting at the Greek Theater in the hills of East Hollywood, my first time seeing both Chelsea Wolfe and Wardruna, and I sure picked an interesting night for it. Thankfully, the temperature had dropped over the past couple of days so at least we wouldn’t be sweating it out with the sun down. The Greek is a seasoned and slick venue, boasting a damn good sound system. With the weather being nice and the wind nearly nonexistent, which is a rarity in outdoor music venues, it was a great experience.

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Show Review: The Sword at The Bellwether (DTLA), 08-30-2025

Big Fuzz Doom Rock Overtakes Los Angeles

I’ve never been to the Bellwether downtown before, but I gotta say I was digging the vibe. It’s a newer venue, from what I understand. Upon entering the stage floor, I immediately noticed that my hair was glowing. The whole room was bathed in blue theater lights, which had the fun effect of illuminating UV-reactive hair dye. The night before, I stayed up entirely too late at a Black Metal show with a friend, as a guest, so my brain was a little fried, but I was determined to rally forth and enjoy some loud, fuzzy music

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Show Review: Reba Meyers at The Moroccan Lounge, 08-24-2025

Eclectic Music Abounds At The Moroccan Lounge

It’s been too long since I’ve covered a show. Legitimately over half a year. That’s not to say that I didn’t get out of the house and into the dancehalls, but my camera stayed home, and the gigs were few. I’m not really sure WHAT to chalk this all up to, but I certainly hope that this drought is ending. Notably, the first show I’ll be heading to is at the Moroccan Lounge, where I last covered TsuShiMaMiRe.

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Show Review: Japanese Breakfast with Ginger Root at Woodland Park Zoo, 9/3/25

I first became familiar with Japanese Breakfast when they were the musical guest on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live hosted by Natasha Lyonne back in 2022. At the time, they were in the middle of the Jubilee album cycle, and they played the singles “Be Sweet” and “Paprika”. I was impressed enough by their SNL performances that I searched out and listened to Jubilee a few times, and I enjoyed it well enough. However, it fell out of favor for other listening, and I never came back to it. Not because I didn’t like it, but because sometimes a piece of art gets listened to at a time when other things are going on, and maybe you’re just not ready for it. Continue reading “Show Review: Japanese Breakfast with Ginger Root at Woodland Park Zoo, 9/3/25”

Show Review: Wet Leg with Mary in the Junkyard at Paramount Seattle, 9/1/25

At first glance, it appears as if the duo consisting of Hester Chambers and Rhian Teasdale, also commonly known as Wet Leg, is having a moment. However, if you look past the surface, you’ll see that it’s more than just a moment. Their video for the single “Chaise Lounge” in 2021 was everywhere. This is where I, like many, first became familiar with them. The next three years were incredibly busy for the two, as they toured the world, won Grammys and Brit Awards for their debut record, which also produced five more singles. They also became a proper 5-piece band, writing and collaborating, and had their aforementioned debut album go gold. After taking a year off, they released “Catch These Fists” in April and began playing shows in May with new songs in their repertoire, before releasing their sophomore album, Moisturizer, in July. Since then, they have been hitting this album cycle hard. Moisturizer has already produced three singles with videos for each one of them, and this English indie band hailing from the Isle of Wight had already played 50 + shows around the world before landing in Seattle for their first time to kick off the American leg of their world tour. Continue reading “Show Review: Wet Leg with Mary in the Junkyard at Paramount Seattle, 9/1/25”

Show Review: Béla Fleck and the Flecktones: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR 8/29/25

I’ve been listening to Béla Fleck and the Flecktones since 1995 and hadn’t seen them play live until this show. For whatever reason, over the years, the stars have never aligned just right for me to see them. A few months ago, on their website, a show opening for Dave Matthews Band at their annual Gorge Amphitheater Labor Day weekend run was announced. For a while, it looked like I was going to be heading to The Gorge to see a 45-minute set from a band that I did not want to miss out on for another year. When this show in Portland was announced, along with the rest of the tour, I knew I was going to go and finally get to see one of my most listened to bands of the last 30 years. I was not going to miss out on them again after countless missteps and near misses. What I got to experience was about as close to a perfect show as I possibly could’ve asked for. Continue reading “Show Review: Béla Fleck and the Flecktones: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR 8/29/25”

Show Review: 15 years of The Sword’s Warp Riders at GAMH

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ConcertGoingPro

In October 2022, the singer of The Sword announced the band was splitting up after 19 years. 21 months later… they’re back! It’s hard to say whether announcements like this helps or hurts a band, but the Great American Music Hall was sold out for weeks after the tickets went on sale for the 15th anniversary tour for their concept album Warp Riders. Spinning Platter’s enjoyed a pre-show meal at the legendary Tommy’s Joynt with guitarist Kyle Shutt and a few from the other bands and crew and was informed that a great many other shows on this tour have also been sold out well in advance. The moral of the story perhaps is to break up and get back together… it may help ticket sales!

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Project Pabst 2025 Journal

Project Pabst in Portland, Oregon, has a long and nuanced history that most music festivals don’t share. Launched as a Fall festival in 2014, Pabst Brewing Company hoped for it to be a “love letter to Portland”. In 2015, the time of year was moved to July and has remained a Summer festival ever since. In 2016, they changed locations from Zidell Yards, just a short jaunt down the road from their current home at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Throughout the years, they have experimented with putting on evening shows at different clubs and bars around town and have reinvented themselves after a chosen hiatus and some forced years off. In 2017, they had their last show until an attempted comeback in 2020 that was halted by COVID, only to return last year finally. Continue reading “Project Pabst 2025 Journal”

Show Review: Carly Rae Jepsen: Emotion 10th Anniversary Show at Troubadour, 8/19/25

Photos by Gordon Elgart

E*MO*TION by Carly Rae Jepsen is an extremely rare record. It’s simply perfect. It landed at #2 on our list of greatest records of the 2010s, and if we re-evaluated that list, it likely would be #1 five years removed from the last decade. When Jepsen announced that she was going to do one show in 2025, and it would be playing that seminal record in full, I decided it was best to make sure I was there.

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Outside Lands 2025: 15 Instant Set Reviews

I’m no stranger to Outside Lands, having only missed two iterations of it since its debut in 2008 (2010 and 2021 for those keeping score). I’ve seen a lot of changes, and I admit that I miss a few things that have gone away, such as the Barbary tent and the craft vendors in the Polo Fields. But, in return, the addition of the Dolores’ stage, spotlighting SF’s rich legacy of LGBTQ culture and arts, as well as the gorgeous Duboce Triangle stage, has been a welcome addition. This year, in particular, felt like the “nicest” Outside Lands has ever been. People were kind and polite. Taller folks were letting shorter folks in. I lost my water bottle leaving a set, and a kind woman RAN AFTER ME TO GET IT BACK TO ME! I’ve never hugged more strangers, and it was all just so very lovely! Also, everywhere I went, I saw a young person with “Fuck Ice” written on their clothes, or a Palestinian flag, rainbows, “No Kings” attire, etc- For those believing the hype that Gen Z is all conservative and MAGA, that certainly wasn’t what was happening in the park this weekend. Truly, Outside Lands 2025 was a welcome respite from the real pain the world is feeling right now.

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