Spinning Platters – Page 289 – Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds

Show Review: Stryper with Cry Wolf, Skinner and Radio Friendly at Avalon Night Club, 3/5/2011

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ConcertGoingPro

777 Lawrence Expressway in Santa Clara looks like any other nondescript building in any other shopping plaza. Tonight however, there is a tour bus parked in plain view in front, and upon further inspection of the parking lot, there is a sign (from God?): “3-5 Stryper”. Although the number “777” is not actually referenced by the Bible, the number “7” is traditionally associated with divine perfection. So it is with little surprise that Stryper’s return to the Bay Area would be to the hallowed grounds known as the Avalon Night Club. Continue reading “Show Review: Stryper with Cry Wolf, Skinner and Radio Friendly at Avalon Night Club, 3/5/2011”

Show Review: Morcheeba at The Warfield, 3/5/11

About thirteen years ago, while waiting first in line to get in to a Portishead show at the very same venue, a girl gave me a promo cassingle, yes, a cassingle, of “The Sea.” Some months later, I found myself at the The Fillmore, having one of the best times, seeing Morcheeba having one of the best times, performing that night. It was during the height of their most treasure release Big Calm, and the at the peak of their buzz. They shared a ridiculous amount of energy on stage, and that spark reflected mutually with the audience. I can’t remember one person who wasn’t dancing that night. Most often it’s very difficult for trip-hop bands to translate their sound in a full, warm, and lush manner, but somehow the simplicity of the music and the wizardry of the Godfrey brothers set them apart. Continue reading “Show Review: Morcheeba at The Warfield, 3/5/11”

Film Reviews: “Beastly” / “Take Me Home Tonight”

Beastly

starring: Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Neil Patrick Harris, Mary-Kate Olsen, Peter Krause, Lisa Gay Hamilton

directed by: Darren Barnz

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for language including crude comments, brief violence and some thematic material.

Take Me Home Tonight

starring: Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler, Teresa Palmer, Chris Pratt, Michael Biehn, Lucy Punch, Demetri Martin, Michelle Trachtenberg, Michael Ian Black, Angie Everhart, Bob Odenkirk

directed by: Michael Dowse

MPAA: Rated R for language, sexual content and drug use.

Continue reading “Film Reviews: “Beastly” / “Take Me Home Tonight””

Noise Pop Show Review: Ben Gibbard at Great American Music Hall, 2/27/11

Ben Gibbard is called out by Bob Mould at Noise Pop

Closing the Noise Pop festival with solo acoustic shows from Ben Gibbard and Zach Rogue was the right choice. People flew in from Europe, skipped the Oscars, even skipped church for an a relaxing evening at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. The young crowd was a mix of experienced Noise Pop festival attendees and those that made last night’s show their select choice. Continue reading “Noise Pop Show Review: Ben Gibbard at Great American Music Hall, 2/27/11”

Noise Pop Show Review: No Age, Grass Widow, Rank/Xerox and Crazy Band at Rickshaw Stop, 2/26/11

I want it to be understood that I’m fucking sick of irony…and I’m not being ironic here either. Continue reading “Noise Pop Show Review: No Age, Grass Widow, Rank/Xerox and Crazy Band at Rickshaw Stop, 2/26/11”

Noise Pop Show Review: Peanut Butter Wolf, Dam Funk, Guillermo and Hakobo at Public Works, 2/26/11

Tables — The balconies at Public Works allow for this kind of educational view of the DJs at work

Do you remember when Hip-Hop was good and everything that came out was, well fresh? I’m talking about the days of Tribe Called Quest, Pharcyde, Freestyle Fellowship, Nas, DJ Shadow, The Roots, Paris, KRS- One, The Fugees, DJ Greyboy… I do, that’s when I fell in love with it. Before shorties having birthdays, and milkshakes in the yard. When grillz donned by Method Man were being sold on the back page of The Source and before the term ‘bling’ was added to the dictionary. I am ready for this goodness of Hip-Hop to return. Continue reading “Noise Pop Show Review: Peanut Butter Wolf, Dam Funk, Guillermo and Hakobo at Public Works, 2/26/11”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 3/3/11 – 3/9/11

I know that you thought that Noise Pop ending means that you can take some time off… But that was before you learned that Stryper were coming to town. STRYPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 3/3/11 – 3/9/11”

Noise Pop 2011 — My Notes and Ramblings

koala 11 — Kid Koala capped off my Friday evening, and I wasn't drunk. He really was wearing a koala suit. (Kid Koala action photos by David Price.)

What you might be thinking is, “why does he get to write all of his Noise Pop comments in one post when everyone else did full reviews of each night they went?” From an excuse standpoint, I’ll just say that I’ve been so busy editing posts, resizing & captioning photos, and redesigning the website, I decided to give myself a little slack. (Editor’s privilege?) But really, this all started because of Wednesday night.

Continue reading “Noise Pop 2011 — My Notes and Ramblings”

Noise Pop Show Review: An Evening With Kimya Dawson and Aesop Rock at Great American Music Hall, 2/25/11

One of the best parts of Noise Pop is when they come up with something especially unique. This collaboration might be one of the most surprising, if you don’t follow either Kimya Dawson or Aesop Rock on Twitter. But if you did, you would know that they’ve been recording together for several months now. To find out what happened at this show, you will have to follow the jump:

Continue reading “Noise Pop Show Review: An Evening With Kimya Dawson and Aesop Rock at Great American Music Hall, 2/25/11”

Noise Pop Show Review: The Stone Foxes, The Soft White Sixties, The Ferocious Few and Voxhaul Broadcast at The Indepdendent, 2/24/11

stonefox 5 — The headliners playing with passion. (Stone Foxes photos on this post by David Price. All others by Jen Robie.)

The well matched line up at The Independent on Thursday night was a reinvestment in soulful swagger of rock n’ roll. Even from the street, I could hear the wailing from the stage. As I stood impatiently in the rain, chomping at the bit to get inside, I realized that I was not the only one. My lovely neighbor in queue Erica, with her beautiful rainproof parasol, had just walked 13 blocks after looking for parking for an hour to see them. Continue reading “Noise Pop Show Review: The Stone Foxes, The Soft White Sixties, The Ferocious Few and Voxhaul Broadcast at The Indepdendent, 2/24/11”