Single Of The Week: “Fast Car” by Syd

I’ll level with you- these days are rough. The Republican Party is dead set on making sure that no working-class people and people of color are ever able to vote again. COVID is spiking all over the place, making for the conditions of a much worse variant than Delta to take over. Haiti is experiencing a tragedy that could ruin them. People are starving in Cuba due to, um, some ancient trade embargo that prevents them from participating in capitalism despite the only reason it’s in effect is because they don’t participate in capitalism. (That’s one helluva catch-22) And there is SO MUCH MORE HELL RIGHT NOW THAT MY BRAIN CAN’T HOLD IT ALL! I almost didn’t do a single of the week this week. I wanted to stay in bed and away from my computer. 

Then I heard “Fast Car” by Syd. That’s the artist formerly known as Syd Tha Kyd. The frontperson of The Internet. The most talented member of Odd Future (Sorry Tyler and Frank!). And this song is great. And this video is one of the most romantic short films ever made. Did it totally turn my mood around? Well, no, I’m still anxious as hell. But for 4:43, I felt a little removed from the hell we are in. So please go to all the usual places to enjoy this lovely soul jam. 

Film Review: “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain”

Thoughtful doc considers life and loss

Chef, writer, and world traveler Anthony Bourdain.

Director Morgan Neville, who won an Oscar for 20 Feet from Stardom and multiple awards for the Mr. Rogers documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor takes on the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain in his new film Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain. The subtitle is somewhat curious; yes, the film is about Bourdain, but while Neville briefly touches on Bourdain’s early life, anyone looking for a thorough biographical sketch of the man won’t find it here. Ultimately, the film is less of an all-encompassing biography, and more of a meditation on life and its attendant joys and sorrows and suicide, loss, and grief. On that level, it works exceptionally well.
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Spinning Platters presents “How Did I Get Here?” Season 2, Episode 7 with Julie Schuchard

Spinning Platters presents “How Did I Get Here?” is available almost everywhere you enjoy podcasts. You can find us and subscribe here!
 
Julie Schuchard is the co-founder of Tricycle Records, (Download their latest free compilation here!) who has given us records by local acts such as The Hot Toddies, Everyone is Dirty, Andrew St James, Rich Girls, Geographer, and more. She also has done marketing for SF Sketchfest, Mezzanine, and about a dozen other local venues, has served on the board for the SF chapter of the Recording Academy, and can often be found around town DJing from her impressive vinyl catalog. We got to talk about her history with music, the struggles of running a label, and also her move from focusing on music and to the world of graphic design. 
 

She also has a Nasty Woman tattoo on her wrist as a reminder that being a woman in this industry (and in this world in general) takes an extra level of nasty. Enjoy her Nasty Woman playlist below:
 

Show Review: Brad Paisley, MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, 7/09/2021

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ConcertGoingPro

With the grand reopening of live music in America already pushing ahead full-steam and it almost feeling like COVID-19 is over and done, Spinning Platters home base of San Francisco is presently a little bit behind that national trend.  The Independent SF, the free Stern Grove Festival, Punch Line and Cobbs comedy clubs, and Cornerstone have each recently reopened, with Bottom of the Hill, Shoreline Amphitheatre, The Fillmore, The Warfield, The Regency Ballroom, The Chapel, August Hall, Fox Theater, and The UC Theatre all looking at August or September.

For the past several months, our rock photographer has been in Florida, a place that never completely stopped gathering for concerts.  Although the vast majority of our coverage is throughout the Bay Area, with the past 16-month drought of any live event here, we have been extremely thankful to have been invited to attend and review a variety of shows down there in Florida.  Even more exciting, most of these musicians (Foreigner, Styx, Sammy Hagar) have never before been showcased at Spinning Platters, and we are thrilled to be able to add one more artist and genre to this recent diversity, country music icon Brad Paisley!

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Single Of The Week: “dumb dumb” by maize

I hate remembering the horrific events of January 6th, 2021. It was the first time that I really felt that forces of evil were really capable of dismantling democracy in America, and it became clear that all someone influential had to do to destroy this country is muse about something possibly happening and thousands of people would decide to, um, take control of The Capitol. To this day the rage leaves me so scrambled that I can’t even clearly convey my thoughts. But, you know who did? mazie. She gifted us with this lovely track called “dumb dumb” that takes the narrative for what it is and manages to take the power back from the terrorists that attacked us that day using the most potent weapon at her disposal: PURE SNARK! Both lyrical snark and even the bouncy instrumental backing are a bit snarky. This track is genius. 

“dumb dumb” is out now in all the usual places! Her debut EP, the rainbow cassette, will be out on August 25th! 

CONTEST!! Enter To Win Passes To see LION BABE on Flymachine!

Spinning Platters wants you and a friend to join us for the upcoming Flymachine Livestream with LION BABE. On us. And, no, you will not automatically be added to any marketing list. 

To join us for LION BABE on 8/5, click here to enter with just your name and email and here to purchase. (Winner will be notified by email on Friday, July 30th)

This is why: Continue reading “CONTEST!! Enter To Win Passes To see LION BABE on Flymachine!”

Show Review: Perfume Genius, Madame Gandhi at Stern Grove, 06/27/21

The Shy Reverence of Being Back Together Again…

Towering silver eucalyptus and cascading gold nasturtium cradled the colorful crowd on Pride Sunday. This was the first live music many of the Stern Grove goers had attended since the pandemic. The vibe was a mellow picnic; towels, shawls, and blankets quilted the ground, families and friends gathered carefully upon them. We aren’t quite back to normal yet, but it seems promising. Continue reading “Show Review: Perfume Genius, Madame Gandhi at Stern Grove, 06/27/21”

Film Review: “The Summer of Soul”

The revolution is finally televised

Gladys Knight and the Pips at the Harlem Cultural Festival
Gladys Knight and the Pips at the Harlem Cultural Festival

The scene: Thousands of music lovers packed around a stage. Guitars, drums, keys, horns, harmonicas all playing together, and together getting heads to bob and bodies to sway. It’s the summer of ‘69, and this isn’t Woodstock. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Summer of Soul””

Single Of The Week: “I Confuse Us” by Caitlin Cobb-Vialet

“I Confuse Us” is a song that feels equally warm and uncomfortable. It’s the rare genius composition that incorporates unusual rhythms and the occasional off-key note not because the performer made a mistake but because the performer wants you to feel the song’s awkwardness. Not since the early works of Regina Spektor have, I heard someone reinvent the simple sound of voice and piano in such a glorious way. 

Oakland’s Caitlin Cobb-Vialet will be releasing her debut EP in October. For now, you can enjoy and follow Cobb-Vialet’s work in all of the usual places. 

Show Review: Teenage Bottlerocket, Skatepark of Tampa, 6/26/2021

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ConcertGoingPro

Over the past month or so, there has been a huge increase in the amount of indoor tours being announced nationwide.  Despite the grand reopening of America, COVID-19 policies still exist and are different for every venue and every city and every state.  Some are still intensely enforced, while others are not and were put in place just to comply with local statutes.

In early May, shortly after Laramie, Wyoming’s Teenage Bottlerocket announced a 12-date tour, their St. Petersburg (Florida) tour date garnered headlines when the local promoter Leadfoot Promotions announced, for the safety of everyone in attendance, that they will be charging $999.99 per ticket (up to four total) or a discounted price of $18 for those who could prove that they are fully-vaccinated.  By the end of the month, the venue in St. Petersburg got cold feet, the show was moved to Skatepark of Tampa, and this story hit the national news circuit on CNN, even as all 250 discounted tickets to the show had already sold-out.  

Although San Francisco, the international headquarters of Spinning Platters, is slowly reopening from its now 16-month COVID lockdown, our rock photographer is still in Florida.  Since the promoter relied on a crew of volunteers to make the show happen, fully-vaccinated Spinning Platters volunteered to help out, and in the process, was able to photograph and attend Teenage Bottlerocket!

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