Show Review: Mavis Staples at Yoshi’s Oakland, 2/13/10

Mavis Staples testifying at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in October 2009 (photo by Debra Amerson)

There was nothing conventionally romantic about soul legend/civil rights icon Mavis Staples’ Valentine’s Day weekend shows at Yoshi’s Oakland. But while the fleeting whimsies of romance may have been absent, they were replaced by something much more substantive: the fiercely passionate love, devotion, and commitment with which Ms. Staples, 70, has tackled her stirring, liberating material ever since she first began recording with her family band, The Staples Singers, sixty years ago.

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Spinning Platters Unofficial Guide to $7.11 Tickets

Oh thank heaven this is the most disturbing picture of a slurpee I can find on the internet... Got better? E-mail me: dakin.hardwick@gmail.com
Oh thank heaven this is the most disturbing picture of a slurpee I can find on the internet... Got better? E-mail me: dakin@spinningplatters.com

So, as some of you may know, 7-11 is giving away free slurpees on July 11th this year. What you may not know, is that those slurpees come with a coupon code that allows you to buy tickets to select LiveNation tickets for a deep discount. These are all GA tickets, and most of them are for $7.11. Some are for a bit more, but all are very cheap. Since neither Livenation nor Slurpee is telling people what tickets will be discounted, we did the research for you.  Here is a list of the events that they will be selling in the bay area. Go to LiveNation.com on July 11th. Remember, these events are subject to change, and only a small quantity will be available at that price. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Unofficial Guide to $7.11 Tickets”

This Week In Shows That We Think You Will Enjoy

Animal Collective Will Be Playing At The Fox Theater In Oakland
Animal Collective Will Be Playing At The Fox Theater In Oakland

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Maria Taylor at Cafe Du Nord, 5/1/09

Maria Taylor showing off her one eye hypnosis skills
Maria Taylor showing off her one eye hypnosis skills

Admitedly, I was a bit apprehensive about this show.  I love Maria Taylor’s albums and singing along to her songs in the car.  But her songs are slow and moody, so I was a worried the show would be boring.   But Maria Taylor was hypnotic.  She has that special charisma or ‘it factor’ where you really can’t take your eyes off her.  Or really, it’s that you can’t look away from her eye: big, shining and soulful.  It reminds me of love story where a man sees a woman sing and instantly falls in love.  The voice, the eye, the giant left handed guitar, she is an indie dream woman.

Though Maria’s sultry left eye was the star of the show, there was a lot of good music too… Continue reading “Maria Taylor at Cafe Du Nord, 5/1/09”