Mosswood Meltdown Line Up Announcement!

Remember late 2019 when the amazing Bikini Kill announced they were touring again, and those dates included an appearance at Burger Boogaloo in Oakland? And remember how excited we all were? And then a self-destructive GOP gambled away anything possibly enjoyable in 2020 by deciding that “COVID-19 will just go away on its own” instead of doing something bold and decisive and fast, and over a year of our lives was stolen from us? 

Well, I’ve got some good news for you. Coming to Mosswood Park on July 2nd and 3rd, 2022, is a brand new festival, rising from the ashes of Burger Boogaloo. The event organizers have cut all ties with Burger Records and are bringing you two days of punk rock fun, and John Waters is still on board as the master of ceremonies! It’s called Mosswood Meltdown, and your original Burger Boogaloo tickets will still be good for it!

Who is playing? Well, the legendary Bikini Kill is making their first Bay Area appearance since the late ’90s. Belgium’s new wave pioneer Plastic Bertrand is playing their first Bay Area EVER. The Carbonas are playing their first Bay Show in over a decade, too! Rounding out the first wave of bands are my favorite modern band, BLEACHED, local icons Shannon Shaw, Pansy Division, and Rubinos, as well as The Fevers, The Younger Lovers, and Midnite Snaxxx. Plus many more to come, including what is rumored to be an absolutely amazing second headliner. 2 Day GA and VIP Passes as well as single-day tickets are ON SALE NOW!!!

Vinyl Re-Reissue Spotlight: Group Sex by Circle Jerks

So, this reissue’s first pressing sold out in like a day or so. BUT!!! They are doing ONE MORE PRESSING, and then it’s gone. And, for the next 48 hours, they will also be selling a nifty looking t-shirt from an old flyer. GO HERE TO RESERVE YOUR COPY OF BOTH!

2020 was going to be a great year. My concert calendar was pretty much full for the year by the end of February. One of the most exciting things for me was that Bikini Kill and Circle Jerks, two of bands from my most formative music experiencing years, were going to grace the world with full tours for the first time in decades. Circle Jerks were due to play their debut record, Group Sex, in it’s entirety on this tour. Sadly, I sold my CD of this long ago, back in my most broke days. So, to celebrate, I found myself using Spotify (I know…) to get amped for this tour, as well as introduce my 18-month-old kid to this music. Which did make for epic dance parties throughout the house during the early days of “Shelter In Place,” while awaiting for us to get our act together and stop transmission of the virus so we could enjoy our Summer. 

Sadly, as the pandemic progressed, hopes were dimming for that tour to come to fruition. THEN- THE WORST THING HAPPENED!!! Group Sex abruptly disappeared from streaming services. Sure, there are other fine Circle Jerks records, and a live album from the 80’s that features many of these tracks, but it wasn’t the same. (Thank god we can still listen to their Debbie Gibson collaboration!) There was a giant, gaping hole in my child’s hardcore education. But, fear not- it’s coming back! ( Continue reading “Vinyl Re-Reissue Spotlight: Group Sex by Circle Jerks”

Outside Lands Daily Lineups & Single Day Tickets

I’m forever grateful that the good folks of Another Planet and Superfly are working hard to make Outside Lands happen this year. And I know many of you loyal readers are sad that they missed out on buying 3-Day passes. Or didn’t buy them because they were waiting for the daily lineups to see if they can cancel their usual Halloween plans for this. 

Well, cancel those Halloween plans because Outside Lands announced their single-day lineups, and, well, Tame Impala, Brittany Howard, Kehlani, and freaking Nelly are playing on Halloween! Also, whoever decided to book Neal Francis and Neil Frances for the same day deserves a prize. The rest are below the jump. Single Day Tickets are on sale Thursday, April 29th at 10 am! Continue reading “Outside Lands Daily Lineups & Single Day Tickets”

Soccer Mommy is dropping tour dates, too? WOAH! Could this thing actually end this year?

We all saw the sad news that My Chemical Romance and Rina Sawayama both decided to push their Fall tours to 2022. It made me feel a little nervous about the tours and festivals betting on getting out of this by Fall. And then, I opened my inbox to see that Soccer Mommy, who put out one of my favorite records of 2020, color theory, is making a go out of touring this year, and it made me feel a LOT calmer. Tickets and on sale dates can be found here! Purchase, stream, or download color theory HERE(you won’t regret it!).

TOUR DATES

9/15 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse *
9/16 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle *
9/17 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar *
9/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *
9/19 – DC @ 9:30 Club *
9/21 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel *
9/22 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club *
9/23 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club *
9/25 – Montreal, QC @ Fairmount Theatre *
9/26 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre *
9/28 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop *
9/29 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
10/1 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom *
10/21 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall ^
10/22 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s East ^
10/23 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater ^
10/26 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom ^
10/27 – San Diego, CA @ Music Box ^
10/28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre ^
10/29 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore ^
10/31 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre ^
11/1 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall ^
11/2 – Boise, ID @ Olympic ^
11/4 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre ^
11/6 – Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room ^
11/7 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue ^
11/8 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre ^
11/9 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall ^

* w/ Squirrel Flower

^ w/ Emily Reo

 

Single Of The Week: “I Miss The Band” by Alanis Morissette

This song came out last Friday, but it deserves a little more attention. This track literally made me cry. Like, not even gentle tears. A full-on sob. I have yet to hear a song that really hits the profound darkness and loss the world has suffered from COVID and how heavy and long this fight has been going. “I Miss The Band” is just a masterpiece of a song. 

The proceeds from this single go to Backline Care, an organization that connects people who work in the music industry with mental health and wellness care. It’s not just musicians, but it’s road crew, box office staff, security, everyone that works in music. And we need it badly now. 

“I Miss The Band” is available in all of the usual places. Lord willing, Alanis is scheduled to hit the road late Summer with Garbage and Liz Phair. Tour dates are here, and I really hope we get this thing crushed in time for these shows to happen. So, please, for the love of God, MASK UP, VAXX UP, AND STAY ISOLATING! We are almost there!!!!

Spinning Platters presents “How Did I Get Here?” Season 2, Episode 4 with stand-up comic Liz Miele, author of “Why Cats Are Assholes”

Spinning Platters presents “How Did I Get Here?” is available almost everywhere you enjoy podcasts. You can find us and subscribe here!
 
In this edition of “How Did I Get Here?”, I got to talk with stand-up comedy prodigy Liz Miele about her career, including getting started at 16 and continuing to nurture that career into adulthood. We discussed her first book, Why Cats Are Assholes, which of course, digressed into talking about cat behavior. I even asked some specific questions about my own cat. We also talked about what it’s like touring during a pandemic, and we had a TON of fun. For quick reference- Pasta is Liz’s cat, Zoey and Ike are my cats.
 
We also talked a lot about influences, so Liz made me a list of important bits for her development as a comedian, giving you a companion playlist! We also talked about Miele’s cat photoshoots, and you can find those on her Instagram! She also has a fantastic YouTube page where you can dig deep into her stand-up history. And she also has a podcast with Maria Shehata called 2 Non Doctors for your continued listening pleasure.


Film Feature: SFFILM Festival Spotlights #4

 

The 2021 San Francisco International Film Festival concluded yesterday, and announced its awards on Saturday. Those can be found here, but we have a final wrap up, too – nine capsules highlighting some of the Festival offerings – six dramas and three documentaries.  Check them out below, and see you next year!

Continue reading “Film Feature: SFFILM Festival Spotlights #4”

Film Feature: SFFILM 2021 Festival Spotlight #3 – “Home” Review

When doing the time isn’t enough for doing the crime

Marvin (Jake McLaughlin) returns home after 17 years in prison
Marvin (Jake McLaughlin) returns home after 17 years in prison.

American cinema and television thoroughly covers the events leading up to someone’s arrest, trial and conviction or exoneration. But what happens after prison, when the convicted must return to their community, and face an entirely different kind of trial?  Continue reading “Film Feature: SFFILM 2021 Festival Spotlight #3 — “Home” Review”

Film Feature: SFFILM 2021 Festival Spotlight #2 – “Supercool” Review

Filmic FOMO

Gilbert (left) and Neil (right) Just Dance at a high school party
Gilbert (left) and Neil (right) Just Dance at a high school party.

Oh, that Superbad, that super, super, somewhat bad 2007 film that spawned, or launched, or squirted out a thousand imitators. Well, maybe ten or so, but it sure feels like a thousand. Supercool, the subject of this review, and an entry in the 2021 San Francisco International Film Festival, is a tag-along that desperately, and I mean desperately, wants to get into the big kids’ party. It’s the lonely, undersexed, over-analyzed teen with a gawky face, messy hair, and a loopy gait who spends all night looking for the party, only to find it’s been broken up by the cops. Continue reading “Film Feature: SFFILM 2021 Festival Spotlight #2 — “Supercool” Review”

Single Of The Week: “The War Clock” by Various Artists

One the list of things you don’t know you needed- Kyp Malone of NYC art-rock legends TV On The Radio is in a psych-jazz band with John Dwyer of OSees and Dwyer-verse players Tom Dolas and Brad Caulkin. They are called Various Artists and their debut album is called Moon-Drenched. Or maybe this is just the band Bent Arcana’s second record? Either way, this track of a fierce piece of brain-melting fuckery that’s also 12 1/2 minutes of pure energy. Do you need something to help you focus on spreadsheets or cleaning the bathroom? This is it. Looking to get lost in your own head? This is also it. Just looking for guitar and sax fury? Yup! This is it.  The one thing “The War Clock” doesn’t sound like to me is actual war… The song is “happy” exciting, not “scary” exciting. You may interpret it as you wish. 

“The War Clock” can be played loud off Bandcamp and a full length, Moon-Drenched, is coming to this world on May 28th