Oakland – Page 9 – Spinning Platters

Show Review: Vampire Weekend at the Fox Oakland, 4/19/10 and 4/20/10

ezra — Thanks to Flickr user Alloyous for the use of the picture

Vampire Weekend proved without a doubt at their two sold out shows at the Fox in Oakland that they are a strong band. I didn’t hear any mistakes either night. The drums, brought to you by C.T. (Chris Tomson) were solid, holding everything together. Chris Baio danced and played the bass masterfully. Rostam Batmanglij fleshed out the melody with keyboard and guitar and Ezra Koenig gave it all a focal point with his charm and strong vocals center stage. This was the third and fourth time I’d seen Vampire Weekend and I knew they could deliver a good show like this, but could they still surprise me? Continue reading “Show Review: Vampire Weekend at the Fox Oakland, 4/19/10 and 4/20/10”

The Avett Brothers at The Fox Oakland, 4/17/10

3536816349_a47fe943c9 — Some good 'ole average people. Thanks to Inhisgrace for letting me use the picture.

Anyone who hasn’t seen The Avett Brothers perform live is missing out on one of the most dynamic, and talented bands to tour in (my) recent memory. Lucky for those people, they have been consistently putting out material since 2002, and touring the world is not likely to ease up anytime soon. I, myself, am still a couple of albums behind. While The Avett Brothers are touring to promote their newest album, I and Love and You, I’m still learning songs from The Second Gleam. But whatever song from whatever album you claim favorite, they probably played it tonight. Continue reading “The Avett Brothers at The Fox Oakland, 4/17/10”

Show Review: Hot Chip with The xx at The Fox Oakland, 4/16/2010

Anyone passing through the lobby of the Fox Theater last night would have guessed, by the WHOMM WHOMM WHOMM of thudding bass and the polychromatic splashes of color across the glass entrance doors, that the normally-rock-band-friendly theater had been taken over by a massive rave. While there were, indeed, sparkling electronics, trumpeting synthesizers and a solid sense of rhythm, a live band was to be found onstage, with five total members contributing to intricate layers of percussion, electronics, and even vocal duties. The quintet, however, was not a group of tribal-clad or neon-covered techno gods; they were, well, five fellows who love music just as much as the next guy. Collectively, they are known as Hot Chip.

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Show Review: Atoms For Peace (Thom Yorke) at the Fox Oakland, 4/15/10

An international man of mystery. No, not that one. Thom Yorke’s experimental genius continues to grow over the years and has culminated into his current project entitled “Atoms For Peace.” Bay Area music fans were treated to two performances on what has been a very brief and selective tour, ending with a headlining performance at this year’s Coachella music festival. As most ticket holders to Wednesday’s performance have already claimed, they did not leave disappointed. It would be safe to assume that a large majority of Thursday’s audience were veterans of the previous night’s performance. Given the opportunity, who wouldn’t allow Thom and his new group of lads to dazzle them two nights in a row?

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Show Review: Muse with Silversun Pickups at Oracle Arena, 4/14/10

Matt Laser — Matt Bellamy of Muse shined lasers at the audience. Is this safe?

Do you miss seeing a rock band put on a real show? Do you miss vast arrays of colored lights, moving platforms, spinning drum sets … do you miss lasers? If you do, Muse is the right band to see right now. Yet hidden behind all of the flashiness of their show is also a strong musical core. The two sides of this fight against each other, though, making the whole thing less than the sum of its parts. The question, though, is how big are those parts?
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Show Review: Atoms For Peace (Thom Yorke) at the Fox Oakland, 4/14/10

I think we’ve reached the point where if Thom Yorke’s name was attached to a juggling festival, the show would be sold out in three seconds flat. Nobody in music today holds the same trust in the eyes, ears, and hearts of fans more than he does. All Radiohead fans seem to blindly follow, and with good reason, whether it’s his own project, or if he’s simply recommending some new music. As one of those followers, although I do like to think I have my eyes open (I haven’t purchased every piece of music he’s recommended, or own every b-side put out!), I was there at the beautiful Fox Theater with everyone else ready to lose ourselves in the live version of the mostly electronic The Eraser. Continue reading “Show Review: Atoms For Peace (Thom Yorke) at the Fox Oakland, 4/14/10”

Show Review: Spoon with Deerhunter and Micachu & The Shapes at The Fox Oakland, 4/13/2010

The bands of the Fox Theater have, as of late, been jumping back and forth across a gamut of incredibly popular to somewhat-smaller-but-still-with-a-chance-of-selling-the-place-out. This has caused the audience to span from regular concertgoers to I-came-tonight-because-I-loved-that-band-on-the-radio; as a result, most of the shows have brought a large, but someone random, selection of their fanbase. The crowd for tonight’s Spoon show, however, was solid in their intention and dedication. Gone was the stunned disbelief of seeing a band onstage for the first time; absent were the jaded showgoers who had “seen this band a thousand times.” The fans for tonight’s show were much like the band’s performance: steadfast, tightly-knit, and full of rock-and-roll energy.

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Show Review: Air with AM at The Fox Oakland, 3/26/2010

Electronic acts far and wide have begun to embrace the digital world as a new means of performance, production, and musical composition. Despite the ease and shimmer that is brought to songs of digital birth, there is really nothing quite like the humming, warm drones of analog circuits, whether they be in new-school oscillators or old-school synthesizers — or possibly both. Tonight’s performance at the Fox Theater welcomed two acts — Air from France, and AM from Los Angeles — who brought the gentle charm of analog and the sweeping beauty of ambient electronics to a theater which often plays host to some of the loudest and most bombastic rock acts of today. Continue reading “Show Review: Air with AM at The Fox Oakland, 3/26/2010”

Show Review: Metric, Codeine Velvet Club and Nico Vega at the Fox Oakland, 3/24/10

Wellll, damn. If I wasn’t worshiping at the shrine of Metric already, last night’s show at the Fox Theater easily convinced me: this band is fierce and invincible. Their live set was a tight performance; it seems doubtful that there was more than a moment where they didn’t hold the audience firmly in their grasp. Guitarist James Shaw has mentioned that the band “toured the new songs a lot” and it shows – they move effortlessly through a set, never missing a note, and still look as though they’re having as much fun as the audience. Continue reading “Show Review: Metric, Codeine Velvet Club and Nico Vega at the Fox Oakland, 3/24/10”

Show Review: Tegan and Sara with Holly Miranda at The Fox Theater, 3/5/10

A Tegan and Sara show is pretty much a sure thing. The Canadian pop-punk-folk duo’s songs are so tightly and energetically structured, so immediately accessible and entertaining, that a good time is basically guaranteed. Tegan Quin + Sara Quin + fans = party time. And at last night’s sold-out show in Oakland, that was certainly true. The Quins’ formula is so airtight that even if the girls seem bored (which they did), or if belligerent fans nearly bring the show to a halt with their bullshit (which they did), everyone will still hop and dance themselves crazy.

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