Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
Michael Franti has been putting on the Power To The Peaceful festival every year since 1999, and it has always been the middle weekend in September. It’s a fun event that combines social activism and music, and is headlined by Franti every year. It’s also free. And seems to get bigger every year. This year gave us The Honey Brothers, Sly & Robbie, Alanis Morissette, and, of course, Franti and his band Spearhead.
So, Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit is October 24th-25th. For those that aren’t already aware, Neil and Pegi Young have a school for the developmentally disabled. Every year, they put together an acoustic show with a few friends in the business. In the past, these friends have included Tom Waits, Paul McCartney, Green Day, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Ministry, and, well, the list can go on for miles. Today, I am going to try to predict six of the bands playing. They usually announce the bill about six weeks in advance, so we have a bit more time, and as some acts get confirmed, I will revise the bill. Well, on with the show: Continue reading “Spinning Platters Picks Six: An Early Educated Guess At Bridge School”
Underworld formed in 1986, yet are often considered part of the mid-90’s electronica craze that also included acts like Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers, and Crystal Method, among others. I’ve always felt that this was a bit of an unfair distinction, only because they are a bit different from the rest. (No disrespect to any of the aforementioned acts, they are all respectable within their own genres.) I feel that they are a pop group that incorporates elements of house, trance and industrial music. They also pay much closer regard to lyrics, oftentimes telling complete stories within their songs. Continue reading “Show Review: Underworld at The Fox Oakland 8/7/09”
Wilco played the Greek Theater in Berkeley on June 27th, 2009. Somebody fainted. People wore tie-dye.
I’ve seen a lot of bands in my day. I’ve seen a lot of very famous people, and I have been very close to them. I often think that I am immune to the surprise of seeing someone in the flesh that I primarily know from pictures, but Jeff Tweedy is one of those frontpersons that has such a unique charisma, that I my heart skips a beat whenever I see him. Continue reading “Show Review: Wilco and Okkervil River at The Greek Theater in Berkeley, 6/27/09”
The old story is that whenever The Velvet Underground came to town, everyone at the show started a band. On the contrary, whenever TV On The Radio come to town, everyone gives up. Few bands seem to set the bar as high as these gentlemen from New York.
Continue reading “TV On The Radio w/The Dirty Projectors at The Fox Oakland, 5/22/09”