Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
Generation Y’s favorite frat party band, Bowling for Soup, visited San Francisco. Because it’s 2011, that means a crowd of recently divorced dads with their preteen sons. And Bowling for Soup was fully prepared for that.
Continue reading “Show Review: Bowling for Soup with Dollyrots and Sunderland at Bottom of the Hill, 8/7/2011”
For four years running now, the good people at Another Planet and Superfly have put together a massive outdoor music festival in the part of San Francisco so far west that most people don’t even know it exists. The weather is unpredictable, the terrain in this portion of Golden Gate Park is difficult, and with 5 stages, decisions are always tough to make. Well, all I can say about the first two is to bring layers and wear sturdy, comfortable shoes. As for who to see when? Well, I’ve studied the band schedule and the map, and based on my impeccable taste in music I am ready to present to you the most fulfilling plan for your Outside Lands experience.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Tackles Your Tough Outside Lands 2011 Decisions”
starring: James Franco, Freida Pinto, Andy Serkis, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo
written by: Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver
directed by: Rupert Wyatt
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for violence, terror, some sexuality and brief strong language
Continue reading “Film Review: “Rise of the Planet of the Apes””
starring: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Mann, Olivia Wilde, Alan Arkin
written by: Jon Lucas and Scott Moore
directed by: David Dobkin
MPAA: Rated R for pervasive strong crude sexual content and language, some graphic nudity and drug use
starring: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Raad Rawi, Mem Ferda, Dar Salim
written by: Michael Thomas
directed by: Lee Tamahori
MPAA: Rated R for strong brutal bloody violence and torture, sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and pervasive language
The definition of “arena rock” has changed shape a great deal in this modern era of music. While it’s mostly connected to which genres of music or artists can sell enough seats to fill an amphitheater with up to 22,000 people, it is also evocative of a time when a band’s show and stage set were so extravagant, flamboyant, and over-the-top that only a massive stadium could even hope to provide ample real estate for the performance. Thus, it is always quite amazing to see both of these factors fall into place, especially when the bands in question are of a somewhat-bygone era. This isn’t the 1970s, or the 1980s, but you would never have been aware that time had passed since that era, judging from the explosive response that greeted the two biggest acts of the Shoreline Amphitheatre’s KIHNCERT 2011: Chicago rockers Styx and English progressive godfathers Yes.
Continue reading “Show Review: Styx with Yes at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, 8/3/2011”
In order to warm up for Outside Lands, here is a list of many lengthy, multi-band shows this week that also are awesome.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 8/4/11-8/10/11”
Saturday Night’s show at the Hemlock was a reunion of sorts. Most people there probably didn’t realize that each band was a new project of a former member of the queercore band BoySkout. What that gave the audience was a varied show with seasoned musicians that somehow fit together just right. Continue reading “Show Review: Schande / Silent Pictures / Bam! Bam! at Hemlock, 7/30/11”
Friday night at the Independent saw and infusion of fuzzed out low fi, 60’s garage rock revival with New Yorkers, Woods and San Francisco’s own The Fresh & Onlys. This common bond of lo fi revivalism is about where the comparisons end with these two bands however. While Woods is known for their spaced out psychedelic jams that hover below singer Jeremy Earl’s haunting falsetto, The Fresh & Onlys play a much more straight forward style of rock and roll, relying on surf rock guitar lines. Where Woods will let their songs meander through dreamy solos, The Fresh & Onlys keep their songs straight forward and stick to their musical point.
Continue reading “Show Review: Fresh & Only’s, Woods at The Independent, 7/29/11”
I have received a lot of free music over the years and all of it has either been good enough to steal or bad enough to be free. I’m happy to say that this was a rare exception to my klepto habit from an up and coming Antioch rock group called Playing in the Streets and their new album Right There for You.
Continue reading “Album Review: Playing In The Streets — Right There For You”