Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: December 9th-December 15th

It’s a really big week this week, mostly because this is widely viewed as the last week people can get down and party before focusing their attention (and finances) the the wretched beast known as “Late December Holiday Season.” So, for all of you out there that wish to blow all that money you’ve been saving on a nice new golden chariot for grandma, here are a few really great shows for you to attend:

Wednesday, December 9th

Marie Digby, Alpha Rev at The Hotel Utah Saloon, 9 PM

Marie Digby came in to the public consciousness during the great social-networking revolution of 2007. Her cute and unassuming folk covers of pop songs helped make her one of the most popular musicians on YouTube, and her cute and unassuming face helped make her a MySpace star as well. Her second release, Breathing Underwater, is going to help break free of her past, and lead her to a long career as a legitimate musician.

White Rabbits, Band of Skulls, The Lovemakers, The Downer Party, DJ Aaron Axelsen at Bimbo’s 365 Club, 8 PM

Thursday, December 10th

The Gossip, Passion Pit, Hey Champ at Mezzanine, 8 PM

I have been following The Gossip for nearly as long as they have existed. I saw them play their very first live show in California, opening for Sleater-Kinney at The Fillmore, and even at this very early show, they managed own the room as if they were a veteran headlining act. Beth Ditto has been referred as the greatest frontperson in rock, and I would have a difficult time disagreeing. And, after missing several shows in the Bay Area in the past few years, we get two Gossip performances within six months, proving that God really does like us most.

Bebel Gilberto, DJ Lara Gerin at Bimbo’s 365 Club, 8 PM

Friday, November 11th

MUSE, AFI, 30 Seconds To Mars, Vampire Weekend, Metric, Scene Of Action at Oracle Arena, 6:15 PM

Yeah, we all know about MUSE- the prog-rock wunderkinds that took America by storm. We all know about AFI, the former underground punk kids that lived in a warehouse in Berkeley, only to sell out to the majors but adding complex musicianship and real life issues to their silly songs about mohawks and hating football. We all preferred 30 Seconds To Mars during the brief time Rayanne Graff was the lead singer, you know, before the drugs and the baby scare and all. And, well, Vampire Weekend are great. But the real reason to go to the show is to see Metric, a band that seem to really despise playing headlining shows in the Bay Area. This is their third festival appearance this year, and well, Fantasies is one of SpinningPlatters Top 15 albums of the year, so you are going to have to groove to it here, because, well, 30 minutes is all you’re going to get with them live. And, just to tide you over, here’s their new acoustic EP. Still brilliant.

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Saturday, December 12th

Carla Bozulich’s Evangalista, Thrones, Late Young at Hemlock Tavern, 9 PM

Carla Bozulich is a living legend. With Evangalista, she has created the most stunning post-punk noise I have ever heard, and this show is going to be a stunning array of dissonant beauty.

The Aquabats, Action Design, Monkey at Slim’s, 9 PM

Sunday, December 13th

Lady GaGa, Kid Cudi, Semi-Precious Weapons at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 7:30 PM (Also 9/14)

Lady GaGa is riding the wave of last year’s monster hit The Fame, by taking on one of the biggest spectacles an artist has every attempted on their first full scale headlining tour. Kid Cudi is along for the ride, playing the hits off his critically acclaimed major label debut Man On The Moon: The End Of A Day. But, the person you have never heard of on the bill? Let me introduce you:

Mew, Surrogate Party at The Independent, 8 PM

Monday, December 14th

SoVoSo at Yoshi’s – Oakland, 8 & 10 PM

Yes, this has been billed as a holiday show, when it comes down to it, a capella acts have the right to Christmas music, and at this show, you will hear all of the great holiday standards, but performed in a manor in which you forget that you can’t afford to buy anyone anything this year.

Tuesday, December 15th

Zero 7, Phantogram at The Warfield, 8 PM

Zero 7 are the production duo that introduced SIA in to the world. Sadly, she won’t be at this show, but you will hear the finest live downtempo combo in the world, and this will be one of the grooviest and sexiest shows you will ever see.

Kid Cudi at The Regency Ballroom, 8 PM

Dakin Hardwick

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