On September 7, 2025, the Greek Theatre in Berkeley hosted a remarkable double bill featuring Modest Mouse and The Flaming Lips -each band delivering at least a 75-minute set, separated by over 20 years from their breakout records. The evening carried the last heat of Indian summer, light winds hinting at fall as music fans filled the amphitheater. It was a night that underscored not only the legacy of both acts but also the profound evolution of their sound over the decades.
Category: Show Reviews
Show Review: Sunny Day Real Estate at The Catalyst, 9/10/25
The Catalyst in Santa Cruz is one of those venues where history hangs heavy in the rafters. It’s a place that has seen everything from Willie Nelson to punk chaos to indie legends, a club that is both small enough to feel intimate yet big enough to hold a restless crowd pressed shoulder to shoulder. Tucked downtown a few blocks from the ocean, the room itself is a rite of passage for anyone serious about live music in Northern California. On September 10, that stage belonged to Sunny Day Real Estate.
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Show Review: The Hives with Snõõper at The Warfield, 9/20/25
There have been a LOT of high-profile comebacks in the last year or so… Oasis, Rilo Kiley, The Prodigy, TV On The Radio, to name a few. Somehow, the return of the literal greatest live band of their generation, The Hives, seems to have crept on the radar. They played a handful of club shows in 2023, plus a handful of dates opening for Foo Fighters in stadiums (and covering for The Sounds at Just Like Heaven at the last moment), but 2025 was the first full-scale tour since 2013.
And if you are sleeping on these shows, you are vastly mistaken. Continue reading “Show Review: The Hives with Snõõper at The Warfield, 9/20/25”
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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