Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 8/22/13-8/28/13

Opening for Roxy Erickson!
Opening for Roxy Erickson!

School is back in session soon, right? So you should go out and enjoy some shows before you have to return to the old grind!

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 8/22/13-8/28/13”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 6/16/11-6/22/11

Can’t think of anything funny or witty to say… So here’s some Breeders lyrics:

Saints alive you’re saying
Walk in … squares
The hid are out, out for the year
It’s a lot of face
A lot of crank air
Eroding around here

Summer’s ready
Summer is ready when you are

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 6/16/11-6/22/11”

Dakin’s SXSW Journal: 47 Instant SXSW Gig Reviews

 

It ain't no party unless the cops show up!

Another SXSW has passed, and this year, I intended on doing a daily diary, but the internet kind of sucked in our hotel, and I also really wanted to sleep, so instead you get this: a big, huge list of everything awesome at SXSW, including some amazing day parties thrown by our friends at Terrorbird, Force Field PR, Ticketfly, SPIN, NPR, and MOG (thanks!), leaving me pretty tired and delirious. For those of you that don’t want to read, I’ll sum it up: Best bands that I’ve never heard of before were Attic Ted, The Death Set, and DOM. The Kills did not kill, but TV On The Radio, Death From Above 1979, and The Dead Milkmen all played great comeback sets. Now, sit back, relax, have a Shiner Bock and read on:

Continue reading “Dakin’s SXSW Journal: 47 Instant SXSW Gig Reviews”

New Release Round Up 4/20/10 – 43 Instant Album Reviews

What's better than some 420 on 4/20? When one of these comes out.

Man I got through a lot of albums this week. Not a record but I kinda don’t know where I’m at right now. Need to go outside and lay in the sun. Continue reading “New Release Round Up 4/20/10 — 43 Instant Album Reviews”

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival Journal, 10/03/09

So, this is the kind of crowd you get to see a retired amusement park employee play banjo? San Franciscans are weird...
So, this is the kind of crowd you get to see a retired amusement park employee play banjo? San Franciscans are weird...

The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival is different than most music festivals in several ways. The best thing about it is that it’s free. That might also be it’s biggest downfall, as well. It attracts a lot of people that normally don’t go to shows. The crowd veers a bit older, and they tend to prefer to bring lawn chairs and stay in one place. If you really want to get up close and personal with a big act, you essesntially have to get there at the crack of dawn, stake a place, and hang out. If you go to the show thinking that you can jump stages and get a good spot for everyone, you are really out of luck. The best way to enjoy this festival is to drop most expectations of actually seeing the performer, and jump between stages freely, taking an the smorgasboard of music in little sample sizes. You will end up with a much more eclectic palate, and you will have a much better time. Continue reading “Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival Journal, 10/03/09”

Show Review: Wilco and Okkervil River at The Greek Theater in Berkeley, 6/27/09

Wilco played the Greek Theater in Berkeley on June 27th, 2009. Somebody fainted. People wore tie-dye.

Wilco. Not pictured: Berkeley.
Wilco. Not pictured: Berkeley.

I’ve seen a lot of bands in my day.  I’ve seen a lot of very famous people, and I have been very close to them.  I often think that I am immune to the surprise of seeing someone in the flesh that I primarily know from pictures, but Jeff Tweedy is one of those frontpersons that has such a unique charisma, that I my heart skips a beat whenever I see him.  Continue reading “Show Review: Wilco and Okkervil River at The Greek Theater in Berkeley, 6/27/09”