Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
You might not be able to tell by the weather, at least in Napa today, but it’s almost summer! Memorial Day Weekend marks the unofficial start of summer and the arrival of BottleRock Napa Valley’s 10th festival! The day started out pretty chilly, which had me worried that the weekend might be colder than I’d hoped for a festival weekend, but thankfully it eventually warmed up to a nice breezy, sunny day.
Continue reading “BottleRock Napa Valley 2023 Festival Journal, Day 1”
Can you feel it? Summer’s almost here, finally! Besides the fact that the rain has finally stopped and the temps are heating up, you always know it’s just about summer when it’s time to take a look at the upcoming BottleRock Napa Valley festival!
As usual, the folks organizing this magical event in my sweet hometown have done a brilliant job providing us with not just fantastic headliners but quite a few awesome smaller bands. It starts in less than 10 days, and as usual, I can’t wait!
This year, the Red Hot Chili Peppers return to headline along with The Smashing Pumpkins, Lizzo, Duran Duran, Post Malone, and Lil Nas X!
Beyond that impressive lineup of headliners, there are countless other interesting acts I hope to see, including Bastille, Phantogram, Kennyhoopla, Jean Dawson, Beach Weather, Paris Jackson, local band High Noon, Leon Bridges, Carly Rae Jepsen, Tove Lo, Dayglow, Danielle Ponder, Wu-Tang Clan, The National, Caamp, Sheryl Crow, Los Lobos, The Wrecks, and The Alive. And that’s without listing any of the extensive food, wine, or cocktails available to tempt and delight tastebuds, too!
Here’s my 2023 BottleRock preview playlist for your listening enjoyment, and I look forward to seeing you there soon! Don’t have tickets? Try here, and come on out to Napa for some sunshine at the best fest in the west!
BOTTLEROCK LINEUP HAS DROPPED!!!! And it’s looking like it might be the most fun year yet! Not only do they have 3 of our top ten of 2022 (Lizzo, Carly Rae Jepsen, Ashe), but the top line also features the classic lineup of Red Hot Chili Peppers finally making up their lost 2020 set, hitmaker Post Malone, New Romantic heartthrobs Duran Duran, groundbreaking genius Lil Nas X, and 90’s Lollapalooza veterans The Smashing Pumpkins (still minus D’Arcy, however. :grumpyface:)
Other Spinning Platters favorites at this shindig include The National, Sheryl Crow, Tove Lo, Nile Ridgers & Chic, Phantogram, Japanese Breakfast, and, hiding at the very bottom, Paris Jackson (!). Full lineup after the jump. And then the “About Damn Time” video because that song never gets old.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 2/20/14-2/26/14”
If there was one thing the contributing writers, and staff, of Spinning Platters agreed on during our annual gathering to determine the best albums of the year, it was that 2013 was a bit underwhelming for music. The silver lining in what was mostly a mundane, forgettable time for music was that a lot of women broke through and achieved some well-deserved recognition. Daft Punk and Deltron 3030 returned after a near-decade hiatus and did not disappoint. Still, the fact that Miley’s antics garnered any attention, whatsoever, and were even considered “interesting” didn’t exactly bode well for collective musical output.
It’s time to move forward and hope for a better turnout these next 350-plus days (some of us are still recovering/getting acclimated, thank you). If you’ve noticed a pattern in titles such as “50 must-hear albums coming your way in 2014,” with an emphasis on the staggering figure, from other publications, it’s because, well, there are already that many hotly-anticipated releases to look forward to in the coming year. Of course, there are more to be found here because we’re delightfully (right?) exhaustive (in case you haven’t noticed our other, alternative best-of-2013 round-ups).
This list offers an alternate variation on what has already been published by the likes of SPIN and Consequence of Sound; but if there’s one thing we can all agree on, we’re stoked for the return of Beck. Not included: soundtracks, EPs, reissues, and live recordings. Special thanks goes out to Pause & Play, a wonderful, consistently updated resource for new album releases on the horizon. Without further ado, here are the anticipated links – some with videos, links to singles, and even full album streams. Enjoy.
Continue reading “From Beck to The Boss, here are 70+ albums to look forward to in 2014”
There were quite a few hurdles over this year’s Treasure Island Music Festival. Not only were they up against a the BART strike, essentially crippling transportation into San Francisco, but it may have been the coldest October weekend I’ve ever experienced in San Francisco. However, those things didn’t stop the people from coming out in full force to this year’s event. In fact, it was a sell out year for the event! Proof that us San Francisco residents don’t let little logistical nuisances spoil our fun.
Continue reading “Treasure Island Festival 2013 Journal, Day 1”
For four years running now, the good people at Another Planet and Superfly have put together a massive outdoor music festival in the part of San Francisco so far west that most people don’t even know it exists. The weather is unpredictable, the terrain in this portion of Golden Gate Park is difficult, and with 5 stages, decisions are always tough to make. Well, all I can say about the first two is to bring layers and wear sturdy, comfortable shoes. As for who to see when? Well, I’ve studied the band schedule and the map, and based on my impeccable taste in music I am ready to present to you the most fulfilling plan for your Outside Lands experience.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Tackles Your Tough Outside Lands 2011 Decisions”
Sure, one could write hundreds of words about each band on the bill at the Treasure Island Music Festival, but then the entire comment section would be filled with a lot of “tl;dr” comments, which aren’t much fun. And I could write a “best-of” post, which basically translates to “I took a nap during Jamaica’s set.” Instead, in the tradition of our fan-favorite Instant Album Reviews columns, I instantly review Saturday Treasure Island Music Festival, with the help of some great photos from David Price. Continue reading “Day 1 of Treasure Island Music Festival 2010 — Instant Band Reviews”
Whenever a hot new band bursts on to the scene, there is inevitably a backlash. At some point, all of the critics, bloggers, and tastemakers that once adored a band eventually decide that they no longer have that affection they once did. They start calling the band boring, and then they start following something else. Although many people complain about the backlash, I think it’s time to embrace it. Because seeing a band during the backlash is the best time to see them. The people that are only at the show to brag about being at the show are gone, as well as the hipsters in the back that are only at the show because “they are supposed to be.” Instead, you get to really enjoy the music, and it feels really good to be in a room full of pure fans.
Continue reading “Show Review: The xx, Phantogram at The Great American Music Hall, 6/1/10”
Every have one of those days where you can’t think of anything witty? Today is one of those days… Time to go see some live music to get inspired…
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 5/27/10-6/2/10”
