oracle – Spinning Platters

Show Review: Shakira at Oracle Arena, 10/22/10

Shakira first became known to most of the world in the late 90’s as Columbia’s answer to Alanis Morissette. She was young, very pretty, yet very angsty. She even had the same hairdo as Alanis. As time went on, she has managed to move far beyond this, both visually & sonically. She is now one of those rare celebrities is recognizable in nearly every country in the world, and has pulled off what very few people can do: She has managed to become a pop music superstar. And she did it in the last decade, at a time when nobody was breaking out into this kind of territory. Even more impressive is that she’s done it as a musician, not some sort of business person that has musician as one of several hyphenates. It’s been a long time since we’ve gotten a stage show from her, in fact it’s been about 4 years since her last tour, and 7 years since she last graced Oakland with her presence.

Continue reading “Show Review: Shakira at Oracle Arena, 10/22/10”

Live 105’s Not So Silent Night: Muse, AFI, 30 Seconds To Mars, Vampire Weekend, Metric, Scene Of Action at Oracle Arena, 12/11/09

Matthew Bellamy, Showing Off His Firefly Collection To 20,000 Of His Closest Friends

Radio-sponsored concerts exist for multiple reasons. The first reason is, well, to make money. Since Nielsen-based ratings aren’t the most precise way to go, often times the best way to prove to advertisers your worth is to put on a big show that’s promoted by the station, and use those numbers to bring in big money for the commercials. The other, more dignified reason, is as a thank you for the listeners. It gives them a more hands on experience with the music they’ve grown to love by supporting their local radio station. I’ve been to many of these kinds of shows in my life, and I generally think that they are a pretty good time. Sometimes, though, they can be a bit too erratic to truly enjoy, much like most commercial radio. If there was any problem with this year’s show, it’s that the music was, stylistically, a little too varied for a common night. When the two bands that share the most similar influences are Vampire Weekend and AFI, you know it’s going to be a strange night.

Continue reading “Live 105’s Not So Silent Night: Muse, AFI, 30 Seconds To Mars, Vampire Weekend, Metric, Scene Of Action at Oracle Arena, 12/11/09”

Britney Spears/Pussycat Dolls Oracle Arena, 4/22/09: An Unrepentant Fans Thoughts

Not from our show, but she did wear this... Thanks to http://totallytheo.blogspot.com/ for letting me use this image. — Not from our show, but she did wear this… Thanks to http://totallytheo.blogspot.com/ for letting me use this image.

I go to a lot of shows. And I get excited about them. Very excited about them. But few shows have I anticipated as greatly as this one. I love the bubble gum pop, and there is just something about her that has drawn me in from day one. I think she always has reminded me of the person that I had always dreamt of being when I was younger. I really like the idea of being a child star, then becoming a pop star, followed by making some very poor decisions in public, leading to heavy scrutiny from the media. I really enjoy the idea of fame at all costs, and Britney has lived that dream. She lives her life as if every day was her big return to the spotlight.

But I digress; you want to hear about the show. Just to answer a few of the questions that you may have before reading on-

No, she did not refer to Oakland as Seattle, or Santa Barbara, or Sunol, or any other town she may have been thinking about that day. In fact, she did not address us by name of our city at all.

She did not storm off the stage because of pot smoke.

She did not fake a knee injury to get out of performing.

She did not sing live.

That being said, on with the review: Continue reading “Britney Spears/Pussycat Dolls Oracle Arena, 4/22/09: An Unrepentant Fans Thoughts”