Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
Happy Independence Day! That’s why you are getting the rare list where nearly every band is from the US. And the only English band has an umlaut in it’s name. Alright, enough chatter:
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 6/28/12 – 7/4/12”
Directed by: Timur Bekmambetov
Written by: Seth Grahame-Smith
Starring: Benjamin Walker, Rufus Sewell and Dominic Cooper
Continue reading “Film Review: “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter””
featuring the voices of: Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Craig Ferguson, Kevin McKidd
written by: Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman, Irene Mecchi
directed by: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell
MPAA: Rated PG for some scary action and rude humor
As a self professed music nerd, it’s almost embarrassing that I don’t go see the San Francisco Symphony more often. We are really lucky to have a world class orchestra in are backyard, playing nearly every night. Davies Symphony Hall is also one of the most perfect rooms to experience live music in, where every seat has an excellent view, and the sound is near perfect. This is my first time here since I took my dad to see PDQ Bach in 2008. And it took a pop musician to bring me there. Natalie Merchant, best known as the lead vocalist for 10,000 Maniacs, isn’t your average pop singer, and the idea of that majestic voice backed by a full orchestra sounded like a perfect combination.
It’s summer time! Officially. Finally. And that means it’s time to see some outdoor shows, some bands from your youth, and maybe even see one of the worst concept tours I can possibly imagine. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 6/21/12 — 6/27/12”
It’s been a few years since Jenny Lewis last graced our presence. In the two years since the release of I’m Having Fun Now, her Rilo Kiley bandmate Blake Sennett declared the band broken up, and her first ever acoustic tour (which would have included her first appearance at Neil Young’s annual Bridge School Benefit) ended up getting derailed due to a family emergency. When she finally returned to San Francisco, so booked the incredibly intimate and historic Swedish American Hall, and it sold out in moments. Since this show was initially announced in late Summer of 2011, people have been waiting almost a year for this show. This show was a big deal.
Continue reading “Show Review: Jenny Lewis with Nik Freitas at Swedish American Hall, 6/16/12”
In the dystopian romantic comedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Steve Carell and Keira Knightley star as Dodge and Penny, two strangers in the same apartment building who unexpectedly find themselves becoming close companions for the final few weeks of Earth’s existence. As the film begins, we learn that the final effort to stop a massive asteroid hurtling toward Earth has failed, meaning that the apocalypse is imminent. While everyone around him chooses to celebrate with drug-fueled orgies and looting, Dodge would rather mope in private. But then he meets the exuberant Penny, who lives just below him and has been getting his mail for years. When a dangerous riot imperils their building, Dodge and Penny embark on a road trip across a bizarro end-of-days landscape, searching for one last connection with whatever had been meaningful to them in their lives. This delightfully imaginative film comes to us from writer/director Lorene Scafaria.
My editor in chief and I had an interesting conversation by text specifically about my musical tastes. I confessed that it seems that the older I get, the more I like louder, faster, more aggressive music, and this seems to be counter the normal musical evolution. He made note that loud, fast music isn’t really fashionable right now, and that the main reason I relate to it is because I feel the need to counter mainstream musical taste. There’s a chance that he’s right. There is a better chance that the rest of the world is simply missing the glory of a dynamic performance by a ferocious rock band. And, on a beautiful Summer’s night in Potrero Hill, we were treated to an amazing evening of all that is loud and fast.
Continue reading “Show Review: Ume with Kitten at Bottom Of The Hill, 6/13/12”
Thrice’s Farewell Tour was the last chance for all the devoted and die-hard fans to see the melodic hardcore outfit before their indefinite hiatus. I consider myself a newly minted Thrice fan, despite being introduced to them four years ago thanks to their tour with Rise Against. With the release of their new album Major/Minor, I found myself scrambling to buy a physical copy of the album and played it in heavy rotation for weeks afterwards. Although I am a newer Thrice fan, I was throughly elated to learn I had the honor of attending this concert.
Continue reading “Show Review:Thrice’s Farewell Tour at the Regency Ballroom, 6/12/12”
starring: Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Malin Akerman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mary J. Blige, Paul Giamatti, Bryan Cranston
written by: Justin Theroux, Chris D’Arienzo, Allan Loeb
directed by: Adam Shankman
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sexual content, suggestive dancing, some heavy drinking, and language