San Francisco – Page 33 – Spinning Platters

Sketchfest Review: Iron Comic hosted by Nato Green at The Punch Line, 1/20/11

IMG_0507_0987 — Per Brendan Lynch, this is a white person's problem.

To be honest, when I arrived at the Punch Line on Thursday night I still had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that one of my favorite comedians, Matt Braunger, was performing and that he would be funny. Since it is a SF Sketchfest show, I knew I wouldn’t be watching a standard stand-up performance. What I got was an evening full of pleasant surprises, where women dominated, the guy with all the sex jokes bombed, and I laughed so hard I cried. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Iron Comic hosted by Nato Green at The Punch Line, 1/20/11”

Show Review: Public Enemy at Yoshi’s SF, 1/14/2011

Yoshi’s might not be a typical spot for a hip-hop show, especially one that can incite the kind of passion that Public Enemy can. However, recalling that Public Enemy put out their first record nearly 24 years ago, Yoshi’s might actually be the perfect place for one of the undisputed best Hip-Hop groups to Bring the Noise. Continue reading “Show Review: Public Enemy at Yoshi’s SF, 1/14/2011”

Show Review: The Velvet Teen with Silian Rail at Bottom of the Hill, 1/7/11

The Velvet Teen is a force of indie-noise-pop-rock to be reckoned with that everyone should know about. This is something I spent years of my youth slowly convincing all my friends of, and now, finally, this show proved that people have been listening. Bottom of the Hill was packed before the first band even started playing and the energy in the room was palpable. There was no question that something great was about to be heard. Continue reading

Show Review: The Dresden Dolls with Pomplamoose at The Warfield, 12/31/2010

Forget what you thought you knew about how to celebrate for the beginning of a new year. Forget what you thought could happen with two Bostonians, a collective of YouTube musicians, a pile of balloons, two cannons of confetti, and two thousand lovers of punk cabaret. If you were not one of the aforementioned fans that filled San Francisco’s Warfield Theater to nigh-overflowing to see the triumphant Bay Area return of the Dresden Dolls, you missed one of the greatest shows in the band’s career, and one of the best shows of 2010, and, quite likely, 2011 as well.

Continue reading “Show Review: The Dresden Dolls with Pomplamoose at The Warfield, 12/31/2010”

Show Review: X-Mas with X (An Evening With) and Ray Manzarek at Slim’s, 12/28/2010

John Doe of X and Ray Manzarek of The Doors

As 2010 comes to a glorious end, it’s once again that time of year for annual traditions. While the New Years’ Eve shows will be gigantic and exciting, and the late November / early December weeks are filled with last-minute surprise gigs, it’s good to have a few things that can always be counted on to keep up that holiday spirit. Of course, this is not to say that said traditions can’t be spiced up with a few new flavors added to the recipe, and the Los Angeles punk quartet known as X returned to Slim’s this year to prove it.

Continue reading “Show Review: X-Mas with X (An Evening With) and Ray Manzarek at Slim’s, 12/28/2010”

Show Review: Bell Biv Devoe at Yoshi’s SF, 12/23/2010

BBD — This is what they looked like. No idea who the smiling guy in the hat is.

When I thought about what to expect out of a Bell Biv Devoe show at a jazz club in 2010, I thought this: a 12-minute version of “Poison,” a 10-minute version of “Do Me!”, an instrumental jam by the band and a medley of everything else. “What about New Edition? I bet they do a lot of that,” remarked one friend. What about them? What does a Bell Biv Devoe show look like in 2010? The short answer: it looks like MTV in 1990. The long answer? Continue reading “Show Review: Bell Biv Devoe at Yoshi’s SF, 12/23/2010”

Show Review: Monsters of Accordion Featuring Jason Webley at Slim’s, 12/18/2010

JW_Pear — Jason Webley holds a pear over his head. If you're a fan, this makes sense.

At Slim’s Saturday night was the San Francisco stop of the 5th Annual Monsters of Accordion tour. For me, it was my first annual. For although I’ve never been to one of these shows before, I am absolutely sure to go again. This was a fun night with a lively crowd, and something I intend to repeat soon. Very soon, in fact, for there is a secret additional Monsters of Accordion show this Tuesday night in Oakland. Want to know where? Better read on … Continue reading “Show Review: Monsters of Accordion Featuring Jason Webley at Slim’s, 12/18/2010”

Show Review: Dandy Warhols at the Regency Ballroom 12/11/10

When thinking about the place of the Dandy Warhols at this point in their career, in their genre, it’s hard not to think about the Brian Jonestown Massacre (an unoriginal thought considering the bands were contrasted in the rockumentary “Dig!”). BJM was another talented psych-rock 90’s band with a tendency to go far out and meander into extended riffs. Actually, the Dandys brought this history up all on their own when they called out in the audience to see if “Joel from Brian Jonestown” was around. Continue reading “Show Review: Dandy Warhols at the Regency Ballroom 12/11/10”

Show Review: MNDR at 330 Ritch – Popscene, 12/09/10

I don’t know what’s happened to Popscene over the years. When I was in my early and mid-20s, it was pretty much just a dance club. Then every once in a while, a really awesome band would come play. It was a fabulous treat, but really, it was still a dance club with lots of dancing before and after the band played (if there was one that night). Moved away to LA, moved back, basically fast forward to a world where I’m now 31 and haven’t been going out dancing as much. But I have been coming for shows every once in awhile. But maybe that’s what happened, more and more relevant bands have been playing this venue, so its turned more into a place for great late night shows than it is a place for dancing. Because there was sure no dancing going on this past Thursday night, well besides me with my recovering foot dancing almost by myself, when all the young kiddies were being lame and hanging out by the walls. Continue reading “Show Review: MNDR at 330 Ritch — Popscene, 12/09/10”

Show Review: The I Am Donald tour with Donald Glover and Childish Gambino at Slim’s 12/11/10

DonaldGlover&band — Donald Glover and band (my apologies for the iPhone photo)

Home from the first ever I Am Donald Tour I find myself, though my ears are ringing and my feet are aching, sitting here smiling as I write this. Although the evening was based around one person it was one of the most entertaining and well rounded performances I’ve ever seen. Maybe it is because Mr Donald Glover is such and entertaining and well rounded guy. He wrote for 30 Rock before he was 25 (as attested to in “Let Me Dope You”), does stand up, stars on NBC’s Community and raps under the name Childish Gambino. The most impressive part being that he does all these things well and with all his heart. There was never really a chance that this wouldn’t be an amazing show. Continue reading “Show Review: The I Am Donald tour with Donald Glover and Childish Gambino at Slim’s 12/11/10”