Show Review: Green Day + Fall Out Boy + Weezer = Hella Mega @ Oracle Park, San Francisco, 8/27/2021

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ConcertGoingPro

Oracle Park, home to the San Francisco Giants, historically does not host many concerts outside of the regular baseball season (and certainly not the post-season lately either!). Since 2013, there has been an average of six concerts per year, and a few of them are usually tied to corporations like the annual Genentech Gives Back or convention attendee parties for Salesforce.com’s DreamForce and Oracle’s OpenWorld.  In fact, the last concert to be held here was 21 months ago for DreamForce (UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital benefit).  Leave it to East Bay’s own Green Day to stage the first Hella Mega sized concert at Oracle Park since the world shut down early last year!

Continue reading “Show Review: Green Day + Fall Out Boy + Weezer = Hella Mega @ Oracle Park, San Francisco, 8/27/2021”

BFF.fm presents the inaugural San Francisco Music Scavenger Hunt

I’m just going to say it… I’m gutted that the Delta Variant has taken a toll on our ability to gather again. Yes, shows are happening. Yes, the vaccines we have are highly effective against even Delta. But, also, I’m not willing to put any loved one at risk that can’t get vaccinated yet. And, quite frankly, I don’t even want to put strangers at risk of getting sick. And I sure as hell don’t want the next mutation to be on my conscience. 

But I also miss seeing my fellow music fans. So, in lieu of packing into and sharing germs with strangers at Bottle Rock on Labor Day Weekend, our good friends at BFF.fm have designed something super fun that will keep you moving so you aren’t taking in stale, COVID-infested air and hang with your music-loving friends and possibly make some new friends. They are doing a city-wide San Francisco Music Scavenger Hunt!!! This will consist of 100 different music-related trivia and challenges that will send you all over town over the course of the Labor Day weekend. And you can do it at your own pace- so you can sprint through it all in a day or take it leisurely over the three days—specifically, September 4th – 6th. Teams are limited to six people, and you can register here! All proceeds go to keeping the excellent BFF.fm up and running. Unfamiliar with BFF.fm? Try starting with this episode of Slightly Sobbing that your’s truly appears on. 

Film Review: “Together”

It’s like looking into a lockdown mirror!

She and He are so “happy” in lockdown TOGETHER.

Sometimes a film comes along, for better or worse, too soon or too late, that captures current events and our collective state of mind. Together, the new film by Stephen Daldry (The Crown; Billy Elliot), may be THAT film for the COVID pandemic. While its 2020 relevance and verbose, stage play-esque script may turn off some viewers, the phenomenal performances by the lead duo and an honest, unflinching story about a romantic relationship in close quarters elevate this small film to more respectable heights.

Continue reading “Film Review: “Together””

Single Of The Week: “Money Honey” by Zelma Stone

There is something lovely about a song that takes a subtly builds up over a tight four minutes. “Money Honey” by Zelma Stone is one of those songs… It starts gentle, sparse, delicate. By the end, you find yourself bathed in the ferocity of layers of electric guitar. It’s a stunner of a track. One that sort of tricks you into a journey that you don’t know you’re taking, and I love it. 

“Money Honey” can be found in all the usual places, depending on how you prefer to take in music. Stone’s latest full record, The Best, can be picked up at Bandcamp. And for those of you that feel good about indoor shows, our good friends at The Chapel (who have been killing it in the COVID safety department) will be presenting her alongside Andrew St James, French Cassettes, and more on Thursday, September 9th, as part of the first “in-person” Fast Times since February 2020. Tickets are available here! 

SF Sketchfest 20th Anniversary Dates Announced!

GOOD NEWS! Our good friends at SF Sketchfest decided NOT to try to squeeze yet another festival into the hyper-crowded Fall 2021 space. Instead, they are coming back next year for their usual “just after the frenzy of the holidays are over and just before work gets busy again” slot in mid-January. Specifically, January 7th – 23rd. This is extra exciting because it’s their 20th installment of the event, and one can assume that it will be a little apeshit. 

If you are a comic / sketch troupe / audacious soul, they are accepting submissions here. However, it appears Scott Baio and Ricky Schroeder probably shouldn’t apply because SF requires all attendees, performers, and staff to show proof of vaccination. So if you want to enjoy the 20th SF Sketchfest, please, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GET VACCINATED!!! It’s free. They are effective. And I’m so sick of me having to put COVID disclaimers on EVERYTHING. 

Show Review: Rise Against + Descendents, Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco, 8/22/2021

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ConcertGoingPro

The first show of the final week of Rise Against‘s Nowhere Generation tour was also the first show at the Masonic Auditorium in 543 days (since February 27, 2020)!  Many precautions were taken, both by the band and by the venue, to ensure that this day would happen.  Proof of vaccination or vaccine cards were required and checked upon entry, band crew and local stagehands were masked, an audience mask policy was also in effect (although at least half were unmasked, even as they entered the building), the bar and merchandise appeared to be mostly cashless with contactless point-of-sale card readers, and even the ticketing happened through a mobile phone app (although we scored a real one!).

Continue reading “Show Review: Rise Against + Descendents, Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco, 8/22/2021”

Film Review: “The Night House”

Hall’s performance, ample scares make this House worth visiting

Beth (Rebecca Hall) is in her house, at night.

Halloween is still over two months away, but since decorations and candy are already on the CVS shelves, we may as well be treated to a late summer horror movie release, too. That comes to us today in the form of The Night House, a somewhat uneven but mostly enjoyable frightening picture that’s also a terrific showcase for actress Rebecca Hall.

Continue reading “Film Review: “The Night House””

Single Of The Week: “Quiet On Set” by Remi Wolf

There aren’t a lot of pure expressions of silliness these days. Remi Wolf gifted us with this enjoyable track that takes a throwback “new jack swing” groove over stream of consciousness musings making for the perfect antidote for the shitstorm that is this modern world. I kinda love fun for the sake of fun sometimes.

“Quiet On Set” is out now in all of the usual places. Remi’s debut album, Juno, is coming your way on October 15th and can be presaved/preordered here. Also she’s got a handful of fall tour dates that you still have time to vaxx up for so you can go!

Show Review: Korn + Staind, MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, 8/07/2021

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ConcertGoingPro

After the first couple months of 2020, as the music industry began to shutdown due to a worldwide pandemic, Korn was one of the few bands still on the road that was lucky enough to not have had the remainder of their tour cancelled.  Staind didn’t have to worry at all about that, as they have been on an extended hiatus, aside from a handful of shows and festivals here and there that they reconvened for.  This show at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre was the second stop of their current summer tour together as co-headliners.

Spinning Platters had to get creative at the last minute to photograph and review this show as our press request was not replied to due to a publicist change (Korn) and press access was retracted due to growing COVID concerns (Staind).  Thankfully, Live Nation had their annual summer $20 lawn ticket special the week prior, and since our metal music writer + photographer (who has been in Florida for most of 2021) is a seasoned concert veteran, he was smart enough to know to bring a decent camera without a detachable lens (Nikon Coolpix P80), and was cunning enough to know how to sneak on down to the main floor in order to get these photos (they are definitely not as good as what we usually get from the Canon DSLR)!

Continue reading “Show Review: Korn + Staind, MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, 8/07/2021”

Single of the Week: “Rabbit” by Kills Birds

I’ll be frank with you… I’m not specifically a fan of Dave Grohl. I love Nirvana, don’t get me wrong, but I find the Foo Fighters to be, well, boring. So I found it hard to force myself to listen to Kills Birds, a little band from LA that Grohl has been championing, down to inviting them to record in his personal recording studio. So, I bit my tongue and put on “Rabbit,” expecting to hate it. Instead, I fell in love! This song is so heavy and claustrophobic and intense and it’s just plain fucking great. And, yes, the f-word is necessary. Do you love Savages and X-Ray Spex? Do you not know what I’m talking about there, but love loud? This is a track for you!

“Rabbit” can be enjoyed in all of the usual places. And, if you want more, their sophomore album Married is due out on November 12th and can be preordered/presaved now so you don’t forget in November. Especially since this is likely to be your first Thanksgiving with family this decade, and something loud will be nice to escape into after that tension. Looking for more catharsis? Make sure you get vaccinated so you can enjoy their fall tour with Sleigh Bells!