Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
As November rains its way into December, the Bay Area does its part in the War on Christmas with the onset of our annual secular holiday concert season. Relive that scene in My So-Called Life where Rayanne went flyering drunk in the school parking lot when Toad the Wet Sprocket play not one but two full-length album shows. And also: THE BOSS. All this and more after the jump.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 11/29/12-12/5/12”
Until recently, I barely knew the names Andy Grammer or Ryan Star. Rachel Platten, however, was a name I knew – I’d just seen her open for the musically delicious Keaton Simons back in October. Adorable, charming, and a catchy singer-songwriter, I made a mental note to review her set next time she came to the Bay Area. Which is how I found myself researching the likes of Ryan Star and headliner Andy Grammer last week, in preparation for last night’s show at SF’s Great American Music Hall. I knew a song or two from each guy (“Start a Fire” and “Breathe” from Mr. Star, and last year’s catchy hit “Keep Your Head Up” from Andy), all of which I liked enough to get excited to discover new tunes. As it turned out, the show would exceed my expectations tenfold. Continue reading “Show Review: Andy Grammer with Ryan Star and Rachel Platten at Great American Music Hall, 1/15/2012”
San Francisco’s disproportionately large population of ex-Ohioans once again flocked to Great American Music Hall to see the Buckeye State’s finest cultural ambassadors – Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist of Over the Rhine – perform another exquisitely drowsy set of their infinitely soothing jazzy Americana.
Continue reading “Show Review: Over the Rhine at Great American Music Hall, 11/15/11”
Just about two weeks shy of one year ago today, a hotly rumored about Wild Flag embarked on their first tour. Nobody new what to expect. Yes, we knew what the pieces were, and most of the people in this band have played together before. As we know from history, without even a single note on a myspace page, they managed to sell out every venue they played along the west coast, melting faces off in each town. This time the band has done some of the more traditional things, like put out a record. (Mind you, one of the best reviewed records of 2011, the self titled Wild Flag) On this chilly November night, the good people of San Francisco were treated to their second ever dosing of Wild Flag. If you weren’t in attendance, which was a rather silly decision to make, after the jump, I will tell you what you missed.
The one thing more dangerous than the “supergroup” is the “super star collaboration.” We’ve seen a lot of them lately, and for every great one like Bjork & The Dirty Projectors or Kimya Dawson & Aesop Rock, there are 100 Jay-Z & R. Kelly’s floating out there. On a warm Thursday Night, I ventured to the Tenderloin to see which side of the coin this Thao & Mirah project fell on.
Architecture in Helsinki is an unfortunately named band. Whenever I tell people about them, the response I hear has something to do with traveling in Europe. I have to explain that, no, they’re a fun, synth heavy band from Australia. Or more recently, since I’m going to Finland this summer, they’ll think I’m mentioning the architecture in Helsinki, for real. I can’t imagine what they go through. Apart from answering questions about their band name (which they’ve had for years — get over it already), they also come to San Francisco to play shows, including this week at Great American Music Hall.
Uh Huh Her, a.k.a. Camila Grey (formerly of Mellowdrone) and immortal lesbian crush-girl Leisha Hailey (of The Murmurs and The L Word), are on a small club tour testing new material from their upcoming sophomore LP. Last night they introduced some new jams, as well as fan favorites from their 2008 debut album, Common Reaction, to a small but devoted crowd at Great American Music Hall. Did the audience respond favorably to the new tracks? Could anyone hear the new tracks over the incessant shrieks of Ms. Hailey’s name? Did she finally admit to killing Jenny? Look after the jump to find out.
Continue reading “Show Review: Uh Huh Her at Great American Music Hall, 3/29/2011”
Ben Gibbard is called out by Bob Mould at Noise Pop
Closing the Noise Pop festival with solo acoustic shows from Ben Gibbard and Zach Rogue was the right choice. People flew in from Europe, skipped the Oscars, even skipped church for an a relaxing evening at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. The young crowd was a mix of experienced Noise Pop festival attendees and those that made last night’s show their select choice. Continue reading “Noise Pop Show Review: Ben Gibbard at Great American Music Hall, 2/27/11”
“You need to be dancing harder.”
I stared into the face of the woman who’d just punched me in the arm to get my attention and tell me this. She continued, “You need to be dancing more, like this, up and down, having fun.” I ignored a passing instinct to punch her in the face, and smiled instead. “Ay-ay-ay-ay-ay!” she shrieked in closing.
A moment later, she punched me again. “Are you from Barcelona?” she inquired.
“No. I’m from Pittsburgh.” She stopped talking to me after that.
Continue reading “Show Review: Delorean, Lemonade at Great American Music Hall, 11/10/10”
The Vaselines are a band from a very different musical era. They are a hard-to-define band from a period of time when it was difficult to find bands that you couldn’t easily market to people. They didn’t really do punk rock, they don’t really do folk music, they aren’t a new wave band, they are merely themselves. They put out a few ep’s in the 80’s, and were supposed to fade away into obscurity. That was, of course, until a young man managed to come across some imports in his local record store, became entranced by them, and ended up covering not 1, not 2, but 3 of their songs with a little rock trio that became one of the most influential bands of all time.
They officially broke up in 1990, but played a few shows in the early 90’s supporting Nirvana in Europe. Then, in 2008, they decided to reunite at the urging of another influential band from the 90’s. This time it was Belle & Sebastian urging this band back into the limelight. After all, their blend of girl group, twee, punk and lyrics that would make Luther Campbell blush is something the world will finally be ready for. And, at the Great American Music Hall, we experienced what that band sounds like today.