written by: Lee Hirsch and Cynthia Lowen
directed by: Lee Hirsch
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense thematic material, disturbing content, and some strong language – all involving kids
Film Review: “Bully”
Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 4/12/12-4/18/12
The best 7 days of live music ever? Maybe… Read on!
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 4/12/12-4/18/12”
Show Review: Chilly Gonzales: “The Piano Talk Show” at Hotel Utah Saloon, 4/7/12
Chilly Gonzales is not a household name in the USA, yet he is a very accomplished and successful musician. In America, his two most famous pieces of work are connected to Apple commercials, where his identity is entirely concealed. It puts him in a interesting place where he essentially has the freedom to do as he wishes, while still making a living as a musician. Thus bringing him to the tiny SOMA bar, Hotel Utah Saloon, doing a one man show on a Saturday night.
Continue reading “Show Review: Chilly Gonzales: “The Piano Talk Show” at Hotel Utah Saloon, 4/7/12″
Show Review: Sleigh Bells with Javelin and Elite Gymnastics at The Warfield, 4/5/12
The life span of a band under the current hype machine can be rather short. Often times, the hype is so intense that people are sick of you before your first single is released. By the time the second record comes out, all of the ironically facial haired masses will have you filed away under Friendster. The only option a band has if they want to stay alive is to introduce themselves to a whole new audience. Sleigh Bells are at that place. The cool kids that embraced them in the beginning have totally rejected them, and it’s time for genuine music fans to take them in.
Show Review: Rodrigo y Gabriela and C.U.B.A. at The Fox Oakland, 4/5/2012
Transitioning from being a solo artist (or in this case, a minimalistic acoustic duo) to having a full band behind you is a great risk, no matter what type of musician chooses to take it. Your songs transform, in scope and shape, in feel and form, and the result can either pull in a larger audience than ever before, or cause even the most adoring critics to suddenly turn their noses up at you. Such a dramatic shift in the mood and presentation of your art requires a great deal of work and dedication to perfecting your craft, and it may even require you to explore new methods of songwriting and arrangement that you had never approached within your career. When Mexican thrash-flamenco maestros Rodrigo y Gabriela traveled to Havana and recorded their new album, Area 52, with a host of 13 Cuban musicians (tonight appearing in the form of musical ensemble C.U.B.A.), fans and critics alike paled at the thought of the super-concentrated thrill of the pair’s frenetic guitar mastery drowning in a sea of lush but overwhelming sound. On their 2012 tour, the two have set out to prove that none of the magic that they’ve amazed audiences the world over with has disappeared; indeed, new life has been breathed into it, as it scales into a higher, deeper, and even more magnificent form.
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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 4/5/12-4/11/12
Welcome to April… The beginning of Fauxchella, when all of those bands that were paid an obscene amount of money to perform in the desert for rich kids on copious amounts of drugs get to play for normal people, in normal venues, where you get to hear a band with a soundcheck and a real venue. Not to say that festivals don’t have their place- I have a lot of fun at these things. But I both couldn’t afford a Coachella ticket, nor could I take the time off my day job. Which means that I’m seeing fIREHOSE at Slim’s. (Sorry Radiohead!)
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 4/5/12-4/11/12”
Show Review: fun. at Bottom of the Hill, 3/29/2012
Sometimes when a band has a giant hit song, they cancel their long-ago-booked club gig to move into a bigger venue at a higher price. This has happened recently with Gotye, and it’s kind of a bummer for early adopters who were excited about seeing a beloved band in a small club. And other times, the band keeps those dates and plays a fantastic show to a small, ecstatic group of their biggest fans. This week, San Francisco won because the band with the current number one single in America, the ubiquitous “We Are Young,” played at both The Independent and Bottom of the Hill, and in doing so, proved that they are definitely not going to be one hit wonders. They’ll play the big rooms next time around. Continue reading “Show Review: fun. at Bottom of the Hill, 3/29/2012”
Show Review: Kelly Clarkson with Carolina Liar at The Event Center at San Jose State University, 3/27/12
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to interview legendary bassist Mike Watt. We spoke about a lot of things, including many of his musical projects. As any good journalist does, I made sure to ask him about his sessions working with Kelly Clarkson on her underrated 2007 release My December. His response was great. He said, “Working on the record was a lot of fun. They gave me a lot of freedom to experiment in the studio, and Kelly was very sweet. She had a great voice and learned to sing in the church. Somebody told me that she also won a game show or something. I get asked about this a lot. Is she famous?” It was in interesting response. This is one of the most famous singers to emerge from the last decade, yet to the people that she worked with, one would never be the wiser. This humility could be either good or bad for a live performance. Luckily, I had the opportunity to make a rare journey into San Jose to see her play live. I was hoping it was worth the journey. Continue reading “Show Review: Kelly Clarkson with Carolina Liar at The Event Center at San Jose State University, 3/27/12”
Show Review: Tyrone Wells with Mike Annuzzi and Joe Brooks at The Independent, 3/29/2012
At first glance, he might just be a very large, very bald man with a tiny guitar and a voice that mesmerizes. Upon closer inspection, though, Tyrone Wells is just tall, talented, and playing a ukulele. Well, at least until he starts yodeling, anyway…if it’s all a bit to take in for the first time, I understand. It’s a unique (and thoroughly enjoyable) experience, and I can still remember the first time I witnessed it myself, several years ago. Since then, I’ve fallen for albums like Remain and EP Metal & Wood, as well as the brand new release, Where We Meet, which brought him to The Independent this Thursday, alongside local opening act Mike Annuzzi and English singer/songwriter Joe Brooks.
Film Review: “Mirror Mirror”
starring: Lily Collins, Julia Roberts, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane, Mare Winningham, Michael Lerner, Sean Bean, Mark Povenelli, Martin Klebba
written by: Marc Klein and Jason Keller
directed by: Tarsem
MPAA: Rated PG for some fantasy action and mild rude humor