Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
For the longest time I have been looking for an electronic DJ to bridge the gap from DJing and samples to actually playing tracks live. The Bloody Beetroots seem to have done it. Not only have they done it, but they did it in a way that demands you to rethink electronic music! Continue reading “Show Review: The Bloody Beetroots (Live) at The Independent, 4/22/10”
Openers. As a general rule of thumb they tend to be doomed. The crowd isn’t usually there to see them and this can lead to feelings of impatience amongst the audience. This was not the case last night at the Great American. I had never heard of or seen Sean Bones prior to last nights show. A quick Google image search led me to assume that this was going to be a Brooklyn based indie band with stupid instruments. This also, thankfully, was not the case. Continue reading “Show Review: Dr. Dog with Sean Bones at the Great American Music Hall, 4/24/2010”
When I approached the Great American Music Hall box office last night to pick up my tickets for the Shelby Lynne concert, something very startling happened: the box office rep also handed me two backstage passes with the instructions to “come down and say hello” afterward. This has never happened to me before. And while I was giddily excited about the prospect of meeting Shelby, I was also a complete basket-case. My interactions with celebrities have ranged from moderately successful (when I have enough time to plan my words carefully) to sheer blood-curdling disaster (when the opportunity catches me by surprise). So how would tonight go?
Continue reading “Show Review: Shelby Lynne and Findlay Brown at Great American Music Hall, 4/23/10”
Everything you really need to know about Transatlantic’s virtuoso performance on Sunday night at The Palace of Fine Arts can be summed up like so:
Six songs, three-and-a-half hours.
If this doesn’t appeal to you, you’re probably done reading. If the thought of such things makes you grin uncontrollably for hours, then this review is for you. Read on, prog nerd. You’re among friends here.
Continue reading “Show Review: Transatlantic at The Palace of Fine Arts, 4/18/10”
La Roux performed their third San Francisco concert in less than a year last night at The Fillmore, and it was a roof-shaking culmination of everything that’s been hinted at by their smaller-scale previous appearances.
Continue reading “Show Review: La Roux at The Fillmore, 4/14/10”
Well now, that’s one mouthful of a title. Out on the marquee it just says “special guests!” On the other hand, it also lists “special guests” being present at all three nights — Monday, Tuesday, and tonight’s final show of Faith No More’s 3-night residency at the Warfield Theater. With the warped minds of Faith No More vocalist Mike Patton, and anti-comedian Neil Hamburger, each show has promised to be one hell of a treat. Along with an infamous punk-rock act from the San Francisco area, each night also has a second opening slot reserved for some form of bizarre entertainment — with a great emphasis on the bizarre. Continue reading “Show Review: Faith No More with White Trash Debutantes and the El Camino High School Cheerleaders at The Warfield, 4/14/2010”
If you went to the Warfield on Tuesday night to see Faith No More, you got to see a legend who hasn’t lost a step and a San Francisco institution blow the crowd away.
You also got to see Faith No More. Continue reading “Show Review: Faith No More with Jello Biafra and the Barbary Coast Cloggers at The Warfield, 4/13/10”
Every so often, something positive will happen.
A puppy may cross your path. Sometimes, a meal will far exceed expectations. Occasionally, a friend will find someone who is a really wonderful match for themselves. These are all simple good things.
This year, my favorite band from when I was much younger decided to get back together. Continue reading “Show Review: Faith No More at The Warfield, 4/12/10”
I was excited for the opportunity to see Murder By Death again. The last time I had seen them was at 12 Galaxies on July 12, 2004. An eternity ago, as that venue doesn’t even exist anymore. Murder by Death was at the beginning of their career and their 2002 debut album Like The Exorcist, But More Breakdancing has forever been a favorite of mine since I first heard it back then. Actually, that’s all I’ve really known of them, and I was fine with it because I loved it so much. So in gearing up to see this show, I gave their new album Good Morning, Magpie a listen. Boy was I surprised that they barely sounded like the same band! I had to get my hands on everything in between to catch up to how they’ve been developing over the years, as they’ve been working hard putting out albums every two years. Continue reading “Show Review: Murder By Death with Ha Ha Tonka and Linfinity at Slim’s, 4/08/2010”
In July of 2009, I saw Owl City’s San Francisco debut in a tiny club at 330 Ritch, the home of Popscene, the city’s center stage for brand new acts. Adam Young, the main brain behind Owl City, and Matthew Decker, who added live drums to the wall of synthesizer sound, performed seven songs for a crowd of less than 200 people. Now, see the speed at which fame moves you: less than nine months after that show, Adam and Matthew — along with a new plethora of performers — have returned to San Francisco for two — two! — sold-out performances. I think I should also point out the fact that both shows were completely sold out MONTHS ago — not an hour or to before the show, as was the case for their Popscene debut. Needless to say, I was bewildered — but excited — when I found myself returning to the Fillmore for the first of these two concerts. Continue reading “Show Review: Owl City with Lights and Paper Route at The Fillmore, 4/5/2010”