Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
This is my fifth year straight where I descended to the great city of Austin, Texas to enjoy the most insane week of live music you will ever enjoy. I took a little easier than most years, but I still had a very fulfilling week of music. I get to enjoy a wide array of great stuff, and, without further adieu, here are my thoughts on that time:
Continue reading “Spinning Platters SXSW Report: 25 Instant SXSW Gig Reviews”
San Francisco has a cloudy yet storied history of nurturing eclectic, eccentric geniuses. The tradition spans from Irwin Corey to Ron Lynch to Brent Weinbach and every sideways side-splitter in between. Many are unsung, underexposed and uncompromised: the inspiration for peers with wider appeal and fans with sharp hearts and heads. Festivals, artistic hodepodge, are optimal for such comedians, an extended focus for latest convolutions and tinkerings in front of fertile or familiar audiences. Will Franken and Drennon Davis, two locally brewed humorists of the aforementioned ilk, evoked the spirit of a sentient armchair: alarmingly absurd, wonderfully witty, warm and comfortable. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Will Franken/Drennon Davis (2/4/2012)”
starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Ice Cube, Rob Riggle, Nick Offerman, Ellie Kemper, Jake M. Johnson, Chris Parnell
written by: Michael Bacall and Jonah Hill
directed by: Phil Lord and Chris Miller
MPAA: Rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, drug material, teen drinking and some violence
Just because half of the music blog world, including many Spinning Platterers (Spinning Platypuses?), are off in Austin at SXSW doesn’t mean that the music stops up here in the Bay Area. We’ve even got a unique and fantastic event this coming weekend that will blow the lid off of anything being offered down South this weekend. And no, that’s not just me being envious of those partying in Austin, although I am. So those of us left behind, we so-called SXSF folks, where will we be? Read on! Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 3/15/12-3/21/12”
A rather frustrating phenomenon that exists for enthusiastic concertgoers who follow up-and-coming artists is the long, long wait that precedes a band’s “official” rise to stardom. This term is placed in quotes, because the true mark of becoming a major player in the live music scene is being the headlining act of the tour you’ve embarked upon. The last two times that the Welsh trio known as The Joy Formidable have made their way to the Bay Area, they’ve taken residence on the smaller Sutro stage of the Outside Lands Festival, and opened for The Naked And Famous at a special pre-party concert that preceded Live 105’s Not So Silent Night. Despite bringing along some heavy hitters whose reputation and following would allow them to take the reigns and lead the way, the trio of Ritzy Bryan, Rhydian Dafydd and Matt Thomas have finally claimed their spot as the main event, and they’ve taken their newfound thrones with all the explosive fury and unrelenting power that was present at their last few appearances — with absolutely no sign of slowing down as they stunned the packed-in audience at the Independent on Monday night.
Many of you aren’t going to believe me when I say this, but that won’t stop it from being true: the New Kids on the Block just keep getting better with age. Here’s how I know this: I’ve been a fan since I was a first grader. Back then, for me, it was definitely more about cute boys and catchy music than whether or not someone had any actual talent. Happily, though, by the time that ceased to be true, the vocal and musical talents of the group’s main singers had begun to impress me more than I ever dreamed they would. And even if you don’t believe me enough to give them a listen, the photos speak for themselves: these guys are making forty-something look unbelievable. But perhaps I digress a bit…
Continue reading “Show Review: Jordan Knight at Yoshi’s San Francisco, 3/12/2012”
The lineup at Yoshi’s San Francisco on Wednesday evening was basically the ideal music program for a dreamy hipster cruise of the Caribbean. It was a night of transporting melodies and gently swaying rhythms, soothing vocals and sleepy-eyed acoustics. There were moments I could literally feel little blasts of sea breeze on my face. But then Mia Doi Todd complained that the air conditioner was too strong, so they turned it off.
Continue reading “Show Review: Mia Doi Todd with Bells at Yoshi’s SF, 3/7/2012”
This weekly show preview is a day late. This makes me very Twilight Sad because that was the show I would have told you to see. Because of this, I’m going to have make up for my mistake, and suggest even better shows than normal. So stick with me; this next week is going to be fun. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 3/9/12-3/14/12”
starring: Jennifer Westfeldt, Adam Scott, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Kristen Wiig, Jon Hamm, Megan Fox, Edward Burns
written and directed by: Jennifer Westfeldt
MPAA: Rated R for sexual content and language
starring: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, Bryan Cranston, Polly Walker
written by: Andrew Stanton, Mark Andrews, and Michael Chabon
directed by: Andrew Stanton
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action