Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
Set List: Comedy Without a Net was my last show of Sketchfest and my hopes were high. The show is an improve stand-up show where the comedians have to do a stand up routine based on random and weird topics that are projected on a screen behind them. I decided to go because it sounded like an opportunity to witness greatness and tragedy. Which worked out perfectly because that’s exactly what we got. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Set List: Comedy Without a Net on 2/8/2014”
It was a dark and stormy night. At a Bay Area venue, thousands of brightly colored hair adults descended in the night lighting the way with their dollar store glow sticks. This was not that place. Outside The Independent, rain did nothing to make the mood soggy. Instead, people were willfully lining up along Divisadero Street eagerly waiting to enter the sold out show.
Continue reading “Show Review: Lucius at The Independent, February 7, 2014”
There is something about Yelp that inspires some of the finest creative writing out there today. I really enjoy reading pieces where the writer is in so much pain and frustration over the poor treatment they got at a commercial establishment, that they feel compelled to write a letter to the entire world about the demons that can be found in such a place. One Star with Thomas Lennon and Matt Mira is a show that pays loving tribute to those passionate writers. Until last night, those voices could only be heard if you stumbled across them on the web. Now, those voices can be heard by all.
Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: One Star with Thomas Lennon and Matt Mira on 2/8/14”
To this familiar with Jen Kirkman’s “I Seem Fun” podcast, it’s hard to imagine this being done live. It’s one of my favorite podcasts because it’s so very personal. It’s essentially stream of consciousness musings from Kirkman’s home. There is nothing else quite like it, but I can hardly imagine it being done in front of an audience. I would be worried that we’d lose that sense of intimacy with an audience on tow.
Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Jen Kirkman: I Seem Fun Podcast on 2/8/13”
Picture This!, the amicable marriage of sight, sound and more sight just made it’s San Francisco debut hours ago at the Dark Room Theater. Concocted in Los Angeles by comedian Brandie Posey and animator Sam Varela, the show paired stand-up comedians with illustrators, each performing their due diligence to visualize this crazy thing called funny. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Picture This! on 2/8/2014”
Last night, Jake Fogelnest hosted his podcast, The Fogelnest Files, live for Sketchfest with guest Chris Gethard and they talked, as possibly only they can, about Manhattan Public Access Cable Shows. And it might go down as the best night of my Sketchfest. The Fogelnest Files is a podcast where they play some YouTube videos and discuss them. It might not sound like something really special, or even the best idea for a podcast, but it was a real honor to have two such passionate people talk sincerely about a bizarre art form that they so dearly love. It’s not often enough that I get to see that level of enthusiasm with that much clarity to the way it was presented. Of course, it was also a weirdly nostalgic evening for me, and left me with the strange longing and excitement of a teenager. But I’m going to save that personal stuff for the end and just start off by attempting to explain what a wonderful show this was. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: The Fogelnest Files on 2/7/14”
When I first learned of a LEGO movie, I was cautiously optimistic. I was raised on LEGO. I still vividly remember setting up Robin Hood-esque forest fortresses, flag-covered castles, and farming villages (yes, the medieval times was my go-to theme). The instructions that came with each box provided the groundwork for my imagination to later run wild. The idea of a LEGO feature film confused me, since I couldn’t conceive of a plot worthy of the great expanse of LEGO wonder. But then I saw the trailer, and it seemed to click. In a brilliant maneuver, LEGO and the filmmakers have included it all – legos from across “universes” and time periods – into a charming underdog story with a genuinely heartfelt message. The Lego Movie succeeds in its perfect execution of jam-packed jokes, self-referential humor, pop culture teases, talented voice acting, frenetic action that borders on being chaotic, and jaw-dropping animation. So yeah, it succeeds all over the place.
The name of the panel is Inside Inside Amy Schumer. There were so many deliciously raunchy options that they could’ve gone with. Like, Deep Inside Amy Schumer. But, no. They had to take a beautifully dirty title, and make it, dare I say, CLEAN! I was worried that this meant that we would be getting a watered down version of Amy Schumer tonight’s event. I was worried that maybe this meant that Amy Schumer wasn’t so raunchy on the inside. I’m starting to think that I worry too much.
Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Inside Inside Amy Schumer on 2/6/14”
Did you know that going to see live music is good for your health? Keep yourself young and healthy and go see a band or seven!
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 2/6/14-2/12/14”
Remember the good ole’ days of Super Bowl movie trailers (~15 years ago) when there were only 2-4 of them and they were completely jaw-dropping? Armageddon and The Mask of Zorro in 1998, The Mummy and The Matrix in 1999, Gladiator in 2000. Nowadays, the internet is set ablaze with news of movie trailers set to premiere during the big game (with some premiering online before the game). Super Bowl movie ads just don’t have the ‘wow’-factor they used to. This year, more than eight movies had their trailers broadcast during the commercial breaks. It was mostly a visual feast of action/adventure fare, and most were new, aside from a few including 3 Days to Kill and Monument’s Men (which has too many ads playing currently). So, here are the cream of the crop:
Transformers: Age of Extinction
No Shia? I’m game! No, seriously, we’re all fairly confident that this movie has little chance of being any better than the previous three crap-fests. That being said, Optimus Prime riding a robo-dinosaur? Again, I’m game!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNfOcV0eeg4