It’s Labor Day weekend, and half the editorial staff a Spinning Platters is heading up north to Bumbershoot. Because sometimes you just don’t get tired of music festivals, and word on the street is that this one is one of the best. (Sadly, both Charlie XCX and Icona Pop canceled on their sets at Bumbershoot and the Bay Area this week) We’ve got a lot of Bumbershoot bands playing the bay this week, so you won’t be missing out too much. Heck, you probably won’t need an umbrella for any of these show!
Thursday, August 29th
Cafe Tacvba at The Warfield
Cafe Tacvba might be the best band to ever come from Mexico. They commit more acts of genrecide than any other band in the history of music, and they do it with sincerity. This band brings together the worlds of disco, metal, pop, ska, punk, power pop, banda, and pretty much everything else ever done with a guitar.
Fidlar, Meat Market, Bicycle Day at Bottom Of The Hill
This is the best music video of the year. However, it’s totally NSFW. Please don’t watch this at work or on a public computer. You will get fired immediately.
Friday, August 30th
Alt-J, Royal Canoe at The Fox Theater – Oakland
One of the most prestigious awards in music is the Mercury Prize. Alt-J are one of the few bands to win it on their first record. And they are the first band to obtain real mainstream success in the US as a nearly direct result of winning this prize.
Lil Wayne, TI, 2 Chainz, B.o.B. at Sleep Train Pavilion – Concord
Saturday, August 31st
Andy Bell, Howard Jones, Information Society, Men Without Hats at Mountain Winery
On the surface, this is just another retro package tour. Maybe it even is deep on the inside. Nonetheless, Andy Bell is one of the greatest frontmen in rock, and seeing him in the picturesque Mountain Winery will be pretty amazing. The support acts are pretty good, too.
Sonny & The Sunsets, Shannon and The Clams, Warm Soda at The Chapel
Sunday, September 1st
En Vogue, Sheria Johnson, JC Jones at Oakland Pride
Not many people think about Oakland Pride. It stands in the shadow of San Francisco’s event. San Francisco, however, didn’t get En Vogue. Oakland did. And that’s what matters.
Monday, September 2nd
Heiro Day at Linden St Brewery
Oakland’s finest sons, Heiroglyphics, have pieced together an another amazing labor day hip hop festival. They moved it from the the street in front of The Paramount Theater to Linden St Brewery, but still promises to be a great afternoon of the best hip hop you will ever hear.
Ty Segall, Jessica Pratt, Mike Donovan, David Novick at Great American Music Hall
Tuesday, September 3rd
Gary Numan, Cold Cave at Oakland Metro
Yes, you read that right. One of the most important innovators in New Wave music is playing Oakland’s home of metal and punk. Maybe he understands that Oakland is pretty amazing. You should understand that, too!
Superchunk, Mikal Cronin at The Fillmore
Wednesday, September 4th
The Zombies at Yoshi’s – Oakland
There were a lot of amazing bands to come out of the 60’s. And if the tides were switched just slightly, The Zombies could have been as big as The Beatles. Their pitch perfect harmonies combined with brilliant hooks and amazing lyrics should have been huge. Instead, we get to experience this legendary group on the intimate confines of Yoshi’s in Jack London Square.
ZZ Ward, The Wild Feathers, James Bay at The Fillmore
