Show Review: Amyl and the Sniffers w/Die Spitz at The Vermont Hollywood, 02-06-2023

“Freaks to the Front!”
Amyl and the Sniffers Destroy Hollywood

It’s been a good goddamn while since I’ve had any time to pursue my love for concert photography. Between my day job eating up my weekends and evenings and unresponsive publicists/promoters, it’s been a rather tough time to get the camera out of the bag and catch those thrilling performance moments to share with everyone. So, not only was it a delight to be able to catch Amyl and the Sniffers, a band I’ve been following for a few years, for the first time at The Vermont Hollywood,  a venue I’d never been to before, but to have my camera in hand for the evening was downright uplifting.

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Single Of The Week: “Buy You A New Attitude” by Tianna Esperanza

Tianna Esperanza keeps blowing everyone out of the water. In just about a year we are on our third single from her that simply blew my mind. This one is a jazzy throwback number with a sense of humor. The video is fun, too. Her widly eclectic debut record is *finally* out today! Terror, Esperanza’s debut record is out TODAY. You can enjoy it both phyiscally and virtually in all the usual places! 

SF Sketchfest Review: Going Up with Sara Schaefer at Gateway Theater, 1/29/23

The brilliant writer and comedian, filled the theatre Sunday night: a one woman Pyramid Scheme scrambling Tony Robbin’s pitchman energy. Sara started a podcast during COVID. She had saved up a lot of clues from her Twitter trolls, mostly peer comics and fans that they had sicked on her, and information about the so-called the way to make it in comedy. The industry model. Multi Level multi-discipline classes in avoiding misogyny in the comedy business.  Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Going Up with Sara Schaefer at Gateway Theater, 1/29/23”

Finally. A West Coast Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Leg!

I don’t have a lot to say other than, yes, I WAS annoyed that Bruce didn’t give California any love when he announced tour dates last year. But that has finally changed, and he’s coming out west, including one (or more?) nights at The Chase Center. He’s doing the Verified Fan thing, and I’m expecting after the Taylor Swift debacle, this will be way more honed in. You can register here anytime before Sunday, February 19th at 11:59 pm ET for a shot at a password that gives you a shot at tickets. New dates, as well as his surprisingly intense cover of The Commodores’ “Night Shift” below: 

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SF Sketchfest Review: Janeane Garafalo at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/28/23

No, that’s not an unhoused person. It’s Janeane Garafolo! A clan of the cave bear silhouette, Janeane shuffled out from the side stage with self-proclaimed “unsolicited dreads” and control top tights & shorts. Two separate nude concealing undergarments, mind you. She claims that when she got hit by a car, Spanks™ saved her from going to the hospital. Which she just won’t do anyway. She claims to be a “Pedo~file:” she walks everywhere, hates working on her core, and refuses checkups and physicals.  Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Janeane Garafalo at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/28/23”

Single Of The Week: “Hot (Don’t Date A Musician)” by Dream Wife

I try to avoid picking multiple singles off the same album for “Single Of The Week,” but I damn, Dream Wife are fantastic. “Leech,” the first single from Social Lubrication (due out June 9th!) was a pretty passionate and angry song that hit all the right feels for me at that moment. “Hot (Don’t Date A Musician)” is a driving rock number that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Something that’s VITAL. It’s hard to find the fun in life sometimes, and this song doesn’t it nicely. 

Don’t forget to do all the “pre-” things to ensure proper listening enjoyment when Social Lubrication comes your way in June! 

SF Sketchfest Review: The Crossword Show at the Gateway Theatre, 2/3/23

If you’re reading this, there’s a chance you may already know that those of us who contribute to Spinning Platters are known around here as “music nerds.” While I absolutely identify as such, there’s another term that describes me even better: word nerd. I delight not just in clever wordplay but languages in general, etymology… you name it. So when I heard about Zach Sherwin‘s Crossword Show, which promised a night full of crossword puzzles, trivia, comedy, and fun, I knew I couldn’t miss it!

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SF Sketchfest Review: Red Room Orchestra does “Repo Man” at Great American Music Hall, 2.3.23

I should confess… I’ve never seen the movie Repo Man. I worked at a corporate music store in the late ’90s, and I recall stocking a CD called Repo Man and putting it in the punk compilations. Because, looking at the track listing, I just assumed that the “movie” was a fake movie for what was an AMAZING compilation of LA Punk. I honestly just assumed it was an early ’80’s version / LA version of the classic Kill Rock Stars compilation in the early ’90s / Pacific Northwest. I probably owned that CD for over a decade before I learned it was a real movie. 

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SF Sketchfest Review: Comedy For Bass Players, but Everyone is Welcome with Fred Armisen at Great American Music Hall, 1/29/23

Photo By Jakub Mosur

Fred Armisen knows music really well. His knowledge is vast and deep. He understands music theory, understands music’s relationship to pop culture, and knows how people “listen” to music. I can think of few other people outside of Tom Lehrer that could pull off shows such as “Stand Up for Drummers,” “Comedy for Musicians,” “Comedy for Guitarists,” and now, “Comedy for Bass Players,” which he brought to the Great American Music Hall for three packed nights. 

Similar to 2020’s “Comedy for Guitarists,” he brought out a different guest each night. Night 1 was Les Claypool of Primus fame. Night 2 was Kathy Valentine from The Go-Gos. I’m sure those shows were great, as I learned to play bass by emulating both of those folks. Well, I *tried* to emulate. Those two are monsters on the 4-string boomstick. (Why wasn’t Mike Watt invited to this?) But on the third night, we were graced by Bay Area rock royalty: Green Day’s Mike Dirnt.  Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Comedy For Bass Players, but Everyone is Welcome with Fred Armisen at Great American Music Hall, 1/29/23”

SF Sketchfest Review: River Butcher at Brava Theater Center, 1/24/23

My first SF Sketchfest show in 3 years! And it’s a double header of shows from my personal SF Sketchfest past at the wonderful Brava Theater Center! The festival has been rescheduled twice, and I am so happy to finally be doing it! The first one is this wonderful stand-up performance from River Butcher and opener Hayden Kristal. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: River Butcher at Brava Theater Center, 1/24/23”