Oakland – Page 7 – Spinning Platters

Sketchfest Review: Reggidency: A Reggie Watts Series

Comedy, as a method of entertainment, works best when we can relate to the entertainer, and the exaggeratedly hilarious (yet quite often true) stories that they tell. Most standup artists use this science as the core of their act, pointing out the sometimes terribly obvious, but far more often insignificant, details that we all have experienced, barely speak about, and yet go through on a regular basis. That excess blast of thought over such inane minutiae succeeds at hitting our funny bones hard, not only because of the presentation, but because we can, in fact, relate. If this is a regular formula for comedic success, then anyone willing to break the mold and give those common trivialities a winning partner with absurdity, disconnection, and whimsical rambling has the potential to turn heads, and in the case of Reggie Watts, he succeeds spectacularly, and leaves you wondering what the hell just bowled you over with laughter.

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Show Review: Wilco, White Denim at The Fox Theater – Oakland, 1/31/12

The success of Chicago experimental-alt.country-indie rock combo Wilco really defies the conventions of a successful rock band. Where most bands become as big as they will get within about 5 years of performing, these guys seem to get bigger and bigger every year. At nearly 20 years into their career, they are doing a “small venue” tour of 3,000 seat theaters, and each date on this tour seemingly sold out in minutes. SpinningPlatters were lucky enough to check them out on the third night of a mini Bay Area tour, where the hit San Jose and San Francisco on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

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Show Review: An Evening with Pink Martini featuring Storm Large at the Paramount Theatre, 11/20/2011

Storm Large fills in brilliantly for China Forbes

It’s very easy to get lost in the concert scene with a want to see the greatest technological innovation in stage design or the wildest antics ever displayed by an up-and-coming act — so much so that the music, quite sadly, sometimes gets lost in the struggle. Venues are built with impressive sound systems that make the foundations shudder and quake, and incredible arrays of lights, lasers and smoke work in tandem to paint a dazzling dreamscape over the faces of the musicians onstage — and that’s not taking into account any props they may, themselves, throw in for an extra layer of excitement. While it’s probably more common to forego a want of musical satisfaction in the face of a bombastic display of utter chaos that takes us to another world, it is important to find those special acts who take the stage with a minimum amount of fancy arrangements and eye candy, instead devoting their attention to their elegant sound that rings gloriously about the ears like a breezy summer susurrus rather than a blistering sirocco. To these expert talents, we look to the Portland collective known as Pink Martini to bring us back to a world of music so often heard in our daily lives that it seems impossible to fully appreciate it on a stage, or in a tremendous theater like the Paramount in Oakland — and they rise to the challenge magnificently, particularly with frontlady Storm Large taking a new place at the helm.

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Show Review: Shpongle Live Halloween Ball at the Fox Oakland, 10/29/2011

We can take this huge universe and put it inside a very tiny head — Simon Posford and his band of psychedelic freaks and phantasms

October 29th, 2011. Possibly one of the biggest party nights of the year, thanks to the world-recognized holiday celebrating the bizarre, the underworldly, and the otherwordly, just around its corner. We’re speaking, of course, of Halloween, and in addition to being a fantastic occasion for costumes, candy, and chaotic parties, it’s also one of the best opportunities for live shows, allowing artists to come out in a blaze of style and passion with something unique and special for the night when spirits walk and demons dance. The Fox Theater in Oakland is no stranger to guests of many colors, persuasions, and strangeness, and with stiff competition to draw in concertgoers tonight — with deadmau5 taking residence at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, Primus rocking the streets of Berkeley at the Greek Theater, and the Damned keeping the San Francisco punks packed to the gills in Slim’s — it seemed only fitting for them to play host to one of the most anticipated acts of the entire year: Shpongle Live, the full-band-plus-dancers-and-more ensemble to masterfully color the otherworldly psybient music of UK psytrance masters Simon Posford and Raja Ram.

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Show Review: Thievery Corporation w/ AM & Shawn Lee at The Fox Theater – Oakland, 9/16/2011

6164521637_3a4cf3aacf_z — Clavier striking a pose, Myers looking cool on the sitar, and Rob Garza on keys, one of the masterminds behind all of this

One of my favorite experiments is to go see a band that I know nothing about. Usually this tends to be a low key affair, in a small venue somewhere. It’s rare for a band to play a venue in the 3,000+ capacity range that I’ve managed to miss. Although it can easily be a gamble, the pay off can be great. On the warm Indian Summer night, I took the new band challenge.

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Show Review: Bettye LaVette at Yoshi’s Oakland, 7/21/2011

ScreenShot001 — Bettye LaVette performing earlier this month. Photo by Nancy Rae Gilliland.

Bettye LaVette, the 65-year-old soul phenom who toiled in relative obscurity for over 40 years before exploding onto the buzz meters with her 2005 collection of female singer/songwriter covers, I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise, played to a overflowing, standing-room-only crowd at Yoshi’s in Oakland on Thursday evening. LaVette has a special attachment to the Bay Area, as her self-proclaimed “return from the crypt” was largely triggered when she was signed to the SF-based Rosebud Agency. And that gratitude was lovingly incorporated into her stunning 90-minute set of one explosive show-stopper after another.

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Show Review: Rammstein with Combichrist at the Oracle Arena, 5/18/2011

There has been a recent trend of fantastic bands, both old and new, being prevented from making their way to this side of the Atlantic due to all manner of circumstances. Most often, it’s an inability to acquire visas by an international deadline, but in the case of more controversial and explosive acts, their arrival has often been deterred by high tensions overseas — acts of terrorism and war, both abroad and at home — which put a damper on the transport of any act, musical or otherwise, that is loud, aggressive, and armed to the teeth with fire, smoke and dynamite. Last night, the biggest name on this list — the German industrial metal collective known as Rammstein — finally made their way back to the Bay Area for their first show in 10 years, and brought their full cataclysmic performance with them, offering one of the biggest, loudest, and hottest shows ever seen within the walls of the Oracle Arena.

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Show Review: Railroad Revival Tour (Mumford & Sons) at Oakland Middle Shoreline Park, 4/21/2011

Not technically the headliners, but you could've fooled me

The Railroad Revival Tour is a concept tour package where one of the main conceits is that all the bands have equal billing and play equal set lengths. That’s a nice thing to say, but the tickets sold lightning quick due to the recent boom of success of Mumford & Sons. While they weren’t officially the headliner, the singing along told another story. But by the end of the show, they convinced me that this was, indeed, a true group package. Seeing all three bands was a bit of a challenge, but worth it. Continue reading “Show Review: Railroad Revival Tour (Mumford & Sons) at Oakland Middle Shoreline Park, 4/21/2011”

Show Review: Bright Eyes with Farmer Dave Scher at The Fox Theater, 4/12/11

In sharp contrast to the last show I went to at Oakland’s beloved Fox Theater, the crowd was overwhelmingly mellow, especially considering this could be the last time Bright Eyes plays the Bay Area. Luckily this ended up being more telling about Bright Eyes’ fans maturity than their level of worship. Just like every other time I’ve seen Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis and their team of talented musicians (this was number nine if anyone’s counting), the audience still fell into a hush while a sense of quiet worship filled the room as the band took the stage. And they held that stage for over two hours of intensity. Continue reading “Show Review: Bright Eyes with Farmer Dave Scher at The Fox Theater, 4/12/11”

Show Review: My Chemical Romance with Neon Trees and Architects at The Fox Oakland, 3/31/11

MCRFists — Fists in the air for My Chemical Romance

MCR!!!! That’s all my fangirl heart was screaming while walking towards The Fox and the hoards of people, clad mostly in black, slowly making their way in to the theater. Of course, I didn’t have a ticket, just a photo pass, but trivial details will not keep me from a show! After a brief panic the ticket was procured and I made my way in and was amazed by the crowd already formed on the floor. By the excitement radiating through the room I could tell that this, the fourth time I’ve seen My Chemical Romance, was going to be the best. Continue reading “Show Review: My Chemical Romance with Neon Trees and Architects at The Fox Oakland, 3/31/11”