BottleRock Napa Valley 2014 Festival Journal, Day 2

Local reggae band Pion 2 Zion jams just inside the gate.
Local reggae band Pion 2 Zion jams just inside the gate.

Day 2 of BottleRock Napa Valley 2014 got off on the right foot for me with Napa Point Brewing‘s BottleRock IPA and a special, very acoustic treat: local reggae band Pion 2 Zion were playing with absolutely no electricity (unless you count a battery-powered megaphone that died partway through). I’ve known members of this band for years: I was first introduced to them by their former drummer, a then-coworker of mine. In the years since, there have been a few lineup changes, but the current drummer, Gary Paddock, is another former coworker of mine. Moreover, I’ve known the current lead vocalist and saxophonist, Chad Schuler, since elementary school. It’s a small town, it’s bound to happen, right? Anyway, as I said yesterday, I’m admittedly not big into reggae, but these guys have always been an exception. They’re a really great band, they have local fans who truly love them, and I’ve never seen someone not enjoy hearing the band play live. Continue reading “BottleRock Napa Valley 2014 Festival Journal, Day 2”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 12/23/10-12/29/10

The Tenderlions are at Popscene tonight.

Hey folks… Sorry, but this is a short list this week. Even musicians and club owners need to take a holiday! But, if you really can’t deal with it anymore, here are a few outings you can make:

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 12/23/10-12/29/10”

Show Review: Cracker & Camper Van Beethoven at The Independent, 12/28/09

I got there too late to really see the band...

Cracker is a good band.  They have nice fun upbeat songs, all the musicians are more than capable, their songs don’t all sound the same, and there is decent stage banter.  The music is pretty straight forward likable rock.  Much the same could be said about Cracker’s counterpart Camper Van Beethoven, especially since they basically have the same band members (take Camper Van Beethoven, subtract a violinist/guitarist and add a female back up singer to get Cracker).  There really is no logical reason not to enjoy their live show, yet somehow, I spent the entire evening vaguely wanting to die.  Why? Continue reading “Show Review: Cracker & Camper Van Beethoven at The Independent, 12/28/09”