Show Review: The Dresden Dolls with Pomplamoose at The Warfield, 12/31/2010

Amanda Palmer surveys the crowd
Amanda Palmer surveys the crowd

Forget what you thought you knew about how to celebrate for the beginning of a new year. Forget what you thought could happen with two Bostonians, a collective of YouTube musicians, a pile of balloons, two cannons of confetti, and two thousand lovers of punk cabaret. If you were not one of the aforementioned fans that filled San Francisco’s Warfield Theater to nigh-overflowing to see the triumphant Bay Area return of the Dresden Dolls, you missed one of the greatest shows in the band’s career, and one of the best shows of 2010, and, quite likely, 2011 as well.

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Show Review: Monsters of Accordion Featuring Jason Webley at Slim’s, 12/18/2010

Jason Webley holds a pear over his head. If you're a fan, this makes sense.

At Slim’s Saturday night was the San Francisco stop of the 5th Annual Monsters of Accordion tour. For me, it was my first annual. For although I’ve never been to one of these shows before, I am absolutely sure to go again. This was a fun night with a lively crowd, and something I intend to repeat soon. Very soon, in fact, for there is a secret additional Monsters of Accordion show this Tuesday night in Oakland. Want to know where? Better read on … Continue reading “Show Review: Monsters of Accordion Featuring Jason Webley at Slim’s, 12/18/2010”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 12/16/10-12/22/10

Twas the week before Christmas, and all throughout the Bay Area clubs, things are looking a bit sleepy. But, fear not! Because there is something high quality in the cards every night for the next 7 days, including a few rare performances by legends!

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Show Review: Ex’pression Session: OK Go and Amanda Palmer @ Ex’pression College for Digital Arts

OK Go, with bells
OK Go, with bells

While a great number of artists have passed through the doors of Ex’pression College to perform at the school’s Meyer Performance Hall, in intimate shows offered to a handful of lucky radio winners and passionate students, never before has one of these performances — dubbed “Ex’pression Sessions” — included more than one band at a time. It’s also not terribly easy to predict exactly who will be coming through the doors, since all manner of musicians, performers and artists have taken the stage over the last several years. With these considerations in mind, Monday’s performance was a never-before-attempted feat, as it involved two artists of a fairly well-known stature: Amanda Palmer, expert pianist and purveyor of all things art, and OK Go, arguably the Most Famous Band Thanks To The Internet. Continue reading “Show Review: Ex’pression Session: OK Go and Amanda Palmer @ Ex’pression College for Digital Arts”

Show Review: Evelyn Evelyn with Amanda Palmer, Jason Webley and Sxip Shirey at Great American Music Hall, 5/22/10

Evelyn Evelyn answer life's important questions

When Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley decided to join together to do a musical project, they decided to literally join together. They created Evelyn Evelyn, conjoined twin musicians, built a story and characters, recorded and released an album, and they’re now on tour together. This show was billed as Evelyn Evelyn with Amanda Palmer, Jason Webley and Sxip Shirey “also appearing.” There’s a point in this absolute pleasure of a three-hour show when Amanda Palmer thanks people for coming to such an odd show, and practically begs the audience to tell their friends in whatever way they can that they should come see the show. I’m game for this; read on to be convinced. Continue reading “Show Review: Evelyn Evelyn with Amanda Palmer, Jason Webley and Sxip Shirey at Great American Music Hall, 5/22/10”