Fox Theater – Page 6 – Spinning Platters

Show Review: Mika at The Fox Oakland, 10/24/2009

Either singing or reacting to the painkillers

I didn’t find out I was reviewing this show until I stumbled in to the beautiful Fox Theater, stressed and tired, in the middle of opener Gary Go’s last song. “Who’s reviewing the show?” I ask David Price and Gordon Elgart, senior members of the Spinning Platters staff. They laugh and say “You are!” and I protest: “my computer’s still broken!” But I was betrayed by the fact that my ancient laptop can slowly chug along and allow me to post this. Three blog writers, all unwilling. I lose. Boo! There was a time when I would have loved to review a Mika show, but now is not that time. Continue reading “Show Review: Mika at The Fox Oakland, 10/24/2009”

Show Review: Echo & the Bunnymen at The Fox Oakland, 10/22/09

my ship's a-sail, can you hear its tender frame?

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”

Show Review: Stone Temple Pilots at The Fox Oakland, 10/20/09

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”

Show Review: Gogol Bordello at The Fox Oakland, 10/15/09

Between the pit and the constant movement on stage, photo opportunities were few and far between.

I was standing by the door into the floor last night when someone walked by, looked inside the floor section of the Fox Theater, and said, “Oh good, it’s a small venue.” I had the opposite reaction when I heard Gogol Bordello was playing the Fox, as it’s a big venue for them, and specifically for our time together. Though I missed the Bottom of the Hill days, I did spend a few evenings with them at Slim’s, throwing back vodka shots and carrying Eugene Hutz around over my head. How would the insanity of a Gogol Bordello show translate to this classic theater? Continue reading “Show Review: Gogol Bordello at The Fox Oakland, 10/15/09”

Show Review: Kylie Minogue at The Fox Oakland, 10/01/09

Tonight was all about The Locomotion for me.

Kylie Minogue. The sound of her name conjures images of bubbly goodness. As my memory serves, I celebrated my 9th birthday at Round Table Pizza, and insisted that we put “The Locomotion” on the jukebox. It’s the song with the dance in the lyrics that I have always wanted to see performed. I kept waiting for her to play a concert. This was 1988.

In 1998, I decided to look up Kylie Minogue. Since I am an American, she hadn’t had a song on the radio in a decade. That’s when I learned that she plays stadiums in the rest of the world, and is a huge star still. I also learned that she was in “Bio-Dome”. So I watched it and pretended that I’m nine again. In 2002, she has some hits in America. I decide that I’m going to see Kylie when she comes around. Doesn’t happen. Rumors of American tours pop up on the Internet for the bulk of the decade. And finally, in 2009, it happens. I finally see Kylie Minogue. I buy a ticket right away, only not fast enough. I miss the first show in America. I bought a ticket for the second. Tonight, I finally learn how to do The Locomotion.

Continue reading “Show Review: Kylie Minogue at The Fox Oakland, 10/01/09”

Show Review: Kylie Minogue at The Fox Oakland, 9/30/09

The stage was hardly big enough to contain Kylie's show.

First off, a spoiler warning. Although usually seen in movie reviews, I think one applies here. If you don’t want to know what songs she played, how many costume changes there were, and how she reworked some of her classic songs, then read no further. If, on the other hand, you want to know what’s coming soon, or you aren’t going to have a chance to see for yourself, jump on board, take a ride, yeah. Continue reading “Show Review: Kylie Minogue at The Fox Oakland, 9/30/09”

Reseñar de concierto: Paulina Rubio en teatro de Fox – Oakland, 9/26/09

How does she keep her legs looking so toned? Double Dutch, of course! — ¿Cómo ella guarda sus piernas así que entonó? ¡Brincando soga, por supuesto!:How does she keep her legs so toned? Double Dutch, of course!

Una de las mejores cosas sobre viviendo en los Estados Unidos es el hecho que todos quieren ser el crossover aquí. Esto significa que conseguimos a las estrellas arena-clasificadas de los países extranjeros que aquí tocan pequeños lugares a las pequeñas audiencias. Incluso si usted no conoce el trabajo del artista, todavía recomiendo enteramente ver uno de estos conciertos. Es una experiencia bastante asombrosa para conseguir un espectáculo grande en un pequeño lugar.

One of the greatest things about living in America is the fact that everyone wants to crossover here. This means that we often get arena-sized stars from foreign countries playing small venues to small audiences here. Even if you are unfamiliar with the artist’s work, I still wholly recommend seeing one of these shows. It’s a pretty amazing experience to get a big spectacle in a small place.

Continue reading “Reseñar de concierto: Paulina Rubio en teatro de Fox — Oakland, 9/26/09”

Animal Collective at The Fox Oakland, 5/26/09

The Animal Collective stage was colorful all night long

Animal Collective are one of those bands that people either love or hate. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground with them. Yet I found myself smack dab in the middle before seeing them live. Admittedly, I don’t know their material all that well. I love some of their songs; I hate some of their songs. My favorites of their songs are ones that sound an awful lot like Conspiracy, the ridiculously obscure Yes side project that featured tons of vocal interplay. The songs I can’t stand are the ones that meander endlessly, seemingly without purpose.

So what was the live experience like? A little from column A, a little from column B. Continue reading “Animal Collective at The Fox Oakland, 5/26/09”

M. Ward at the Fox Oakland, 5/16/09

M.Ward considers what exactly to do with the pieces of a broken heart. Might I suggest composting?

Dear M. Ward,

I went to your show this weekend at the Fox, and I have to be honest with you, I was a little apprehensive about seeing you again. The first time I saw you was in Brooklyn a few years ago (or at least long enough for me to forget the name of the venue). I had just started to listen to End of Amnesia after discovering Transistor Radio, and I was completely enamored of what I heard. There was no song that could do wrong on either album. I enjoyed the dark moodiness of your songs dispersed by charming tract about inanimate objects, and instrumentals. The show was equally compelling, especially when guest star Jim James came onstage to lend a hand.

It’s hard to top such an exciting show that manifested all my warm fuzzy feelings of the time.

Which brings me back to the topic at hand. Saturday night’s show at the Fox. Continue reading “M. Ward at the Fox Oakland, 5/16/09”

Fleet Foxes at the Fox Oakland, 4/21/09

Fleet Foxes at the Fox. Thanks to Flickr user Gussifer.

Robin Pecknold, lead singer of Fleet Foxes, emerges from stage right for an encore after an hour set; he comes wielding his acoustic guitar and a great looking beard. He banters with the crowd of the nearly sold out Fox theater in Oakland, then tell us all that he is going to “do this one without a mic”. He unplugs his guitar and steps up to the very front of the center apron of the stage and begins to play truly acoustically. Robin’s powerful voice emanates through the theater of about twenty-two-hundred perfectly quiet listeners. With a revolving cast of players in the five-piece Seattle-based band, it seems that Pecknold is Fleet Foxes. I enjoy the simplicity of a singular Pecknold in an other wise deeply woven creation of sound. Continue reading “Fleet Foxes at the Fox Oakland, 4/21/09”