Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
The setting: A 27 year old dude sitting in a bar where the definition of cool can no longer legally apply to him. He is sitting in an 18+ club. The clientele ranges from creepy E-ridden middle-aged men in sports jackets to fresh, young 18 year-old girls trying to define their sexuality.
Imagine the scent of pickled matter slowly overpowering your senses. Imagine confusion. Continue reading “Show Review: Dragonette at 330 Ritch (Popscene), 10/22/09”
Why review Heart? Why now? They haven’t been relevant in quite a long time, and the last round of hits were arguably pretty hokey power ballads.
Well, there are a number of reasons to revere Heart. Primarily, they were the first rock band where women called all of the shots. They had complete creative control over songwriting, as well as marketing. Even if Heart were terrible, they still deserve a place in Rock n’ Roll history. (Seriously, Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. I love the punk rock, but how aren’t Heart inducted yet?)
Continue reading “Show Review: Heart at The Warfield, 10/22/09”
Kid Sister didn’t cancel! Hooray! Apparently the last few times that Kid Sister tried to play San Francisco, she had to cancel. However, that was not the case this evening. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Kid Sis was definitely in the house and OMG was it welcome! Continue reading “Show Review: Kid Sister at the Rickshaw Stop, 10/22/09”
The thing about secret shows is that they never stay secret for long, especially when they are produced by organizations like MySpace that harness the power of the blabbermouths. I was fortunate enough to hear about Weezer’s appearance the day before, but most importantly, I didn’t have to work the next day so it left with the whole afternoon to stand in line. Continue reading “(Secret) Show Review: Weezer and Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head at The Regency Ballroom, 10/21/09”
My experiences of Echo & The Bunnymen have been few and far between. The first was hearing “The Killing Moon” while watching the opening of Donnie Darko, while others included their cover of The Doors’ “People Are Strange,” and listening to Jello Biafra’s humorous rant about his first appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show, where guest Tipper Gore spoonerized the band’s name into “Bunny and the Echomen”. While I listen to them casually, I’ve never had a deep appreciation for their music; with this in mind, I was still very excited to see their second of three performances this year, which included two sets: their 1984 album Ocean Rain, in its entirety, and a second set of old and new songs. Continue reading “Show Review: Echo & the Bunnymen at The Fox Oakland, 10/22/09”
I have difficulty, sometimes, when it comes to getting out to do certain things that are common. I rarely see movies or plays because the numerous showings mean that I don’t have to pinpoint a particular time and day to do it, which inevitably means it doesn’t happen. The same often happens with touring musicians that come around a lot. Brandi Carlile is one of those artists. San Francisco has rarely gone more than a year without her coming to town, and more often than not, it’s closer to every six months. So, of course, I look at my schedule and decide it’s inconvenient for me to see her this time around, so I’ll just catch her next time. I’ve put her off for about for years, and tonight I finally decided to stop stalling and check her out. Continue reading “Show Review: Brandi Carlile and Katie Herzig at The Fillmore, 10/20/09”
You had to wonder how much love was left for La Roux, going up against the Treasure Island Music Festival closing with The Decemberists and The Flaming Lips, just a few miles away on the very same night. But all bets were off, because whatever it is that gets people started, whatever it is that makes your booty want to shake, and whatever it is that you can never quite put your finger on about an artist, La Roux has it. Continue reading “Show Review: La Roux at The Great American Music Hall, 10/18/09”
Stone Temple Pilots were considered a derivative band by people who never really spent much time listening to them. I know them to be a creative band with a distinctive sound, yet a rocky history. Back in their heyday, you never knew what you were going to get. Would Scott Weiland make it on stage? Would he hit the notes? Would the show be canceled? Now, he appears to be straight as an arrow, and although I’m extremely happy he’s made it through to today, he’s lost a bit of his fire, as has the band as a whole. What’s it like when one of your old-time favorites cashes a paycheck in your presence? Continue reading “Show Review: Stone Temple Pilots at The Fox Oakland, 10/20/09”
The Swedish American Hall was the host to a brand new event last night. This was called W00tStock, and was advertised as “3 Hours of Geeks & Music.” It turned out to be part concert, part convention, and part comedy show. I can say without a doubt that it focused on the geeks more than the music, and that what music there was also fell onto the left side of the ampersand. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Continue reading “Show Review: W00tstock: 3 Hours of Geeks & Music, Swedish American Hall, 10/19/09”
Sunday at Treasure Island Music Festival was my first Sunday at the festival. In previous years, I always had something going on that Sunday, or the weather was bad, or I was too darned tired from being at a Mezzanine afterparty on the previous night. But this year, as a conscientious journalist, I had to come on Sunday and report on the entire day. Well, almost the entire day. I should explain. Continue reading “Treasure Island Festival Diary Part 3: 10/18/09 Sunday”