set list – Page 15 – Spinning Platters

Show Review: Keaton Simons with Curtis Peoples and Whitney Nichole at Hotel Utah, 4/13/2011

Keaton Simons has a degree in ethnomusicology (the study of world music). Curtis Peoples calls his style of music “coffee shop/arena rock.” At first glance, these two may seem an odd pair for a mid-week one-night stint at the Hotel Utah. The truth is, though, that the two have been friends (and sharing stages) for years. Both are LA-based singer/songwriters with mostly acoustic sets and guitars, sprinkled with a little piano here and there, and both have been so hard at work on new albums that neither has been to the Bay Area in at least a year. And both have fans that were happy to skip the Giants game in favor of a night’s worth of their music. Continue reading “Show Review: Keaton Simons with Curtis Peoples and Whitney Nichole at Hotel Utah, 4/13/2011”

Show Review: Bright Eyes with Farmer Dave Scher at The Fox Theater, 4/12/11

In sharp contrast to the last show I went to at Oakland’s beloved Fox Theater, the crowd was overwhelmingly mellow, especially considering this could be the last time Bright Eyes plays the Bay Area. Luckily this ended up being more telling about Bright Eyes’ fans maturity than their level of worship. Just like every other time I’ve seen Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis and their team of talented musicians (this was number nine if anyone’s counting), the audience still fell into a hush while a sense of quiet worship filled the room as the band took the stage. And they held that stage for over two hours of intensity. Continue reading “Show Review: Bright Eyes with Farmer Dave Scher at The Fox Theater, 4/12/11”

Show Review: Scala & Kolacny Brothers at The Independent, 4/12/2011

ScalaKB — Guess which 2 of the 24 people on stage are the Kolacny Brothers

Scala & Kolacny Brothers need marketing help. They admitted during their set on Tuesday night that the had sold “500,000 units in Europe, and about 50 in the U.S.,” and asked us, “tonight, let’s make it 60!” Part of this is probably due to piracy, but part of this must be name recognition. I told many people beforehand that I was going to see them tonight, and they said, “who?” I said, “Y’know, the group that does the cover of ‘Creep’ from the Social Network trailer.”

“Oh! Them! I bet that’ll be good.” But none of them came. The crowd was made up of people more likely to be seen at a classical music event than at the Independent. But then again, the Independent has proven itself to be a versatile venue. So how would a Belgian choir go over on a cold San Francisco night?

Continue reading “Show Review: Scala & Kolacny Brothers at The Independent, 4/12/2011”

Show Review: Metalliance Tour featuring Helmet, Saint Vitus, Crowbar, Kylesa, Red Fang, Howl, and Atlas Moth at The Mezzanine, 4/3/2011

Page Hamilton, frontman of Helmet, the headliners of the Metalliance Tour

October 22nd, 2006. That was the final day for a San Francisco club known as The Pound, a smallish, low building stranded out in the middle of the dreary reaches of Pier 96 near Heron’s Head Park. For true metalheads of the Bay Area, it was a dark day in history, for no venue besides the Pound was better known for providing a consistent schedule of hardcore punk, furious grindcore, and every genre of metal under the sun (which, considering metal, is quite a lot). While larger clubs like Slim’s and the Regency Ballroom have stepped up to the plate to try and appease the hundreds of roaring voices that bellow out for the return of a good metal venue, they have been hard pressed to draw the same underground caliber that the Pound was able to pull in night after night. If the Mezzanine continues to host shows like Sunday night’s Metalliance Tour, however, then we may once again have a contender that fares well in the ring.

Continue reading “Show Review: Metalliance Tour featuring Helmet, Saint Vitus, Crowbar, Kylesa, Red Fang, Howl, and Atlas Moth at The Mezzanine, 4/3/2011”

Show Review: My Chemical Romance with Neon Trees and Architects at The Fox Oakland, 3/31/11

MCRFists — Fists in the air for My Chemical Romance

MCR!!!! That’s all my fangirl heart was screaming while walking towards The Fox and the hoards of people, clad mostly in black, slowly making their way in to the theater. Of course, I didn’t have a ticket, just a photo pass, but trivial details will not keep me from a show! After a brief panic the ticket was procured and I made my way in and was amazed by the crowd already formed on the floor. By the excitement radiating through the room I could tell that this, the fourth time I’ve seen My Chemical Romance, was going to be the best. Continue reading “Show Review: My Chemical Romance with Neon Trees and Architects at The Fox Oakland, 3/31/11”

Show Review: Revolver with Hey Rosetta! and 7 Orange ABC at Rickshaw Stop, 3/11/11

RevolverReviewHeader — Revolver giving us their sweet harmonies

Sometimes I like to know as little as possible when I go to shows, all I need is a recommendation from a friend of good taste and I’m off! Seeing a great show from a band you know is fun, but even better is seeing a band you know nothing about and being blown away. This show was one of those.

Show Review: The Dillinger Escape Plan in Yerba Buena Gardens at GDC, 3/2/2011

Original Dillinger member Ben Weinman exhorts the crowd onward. Guitar above head in the middle of a song? Yes.

“Sometimes words just can’t express exactly how we feel. The deep complexity of our emotions is something I’ve always felt was better conveyed in song. Sometimes we are put into a situation that we don’t always know how to deal with quite right. Here’s my attempt at letting you know how I feel. All I can offer is my deepest thanks to everyone who sent a card, everyone who wrote about the situation in a zine, did a show, donated money at a show, or offered their sympathy to what amounts to be a stranger. You always put a smile on this cynical asshole’s face and helped me get through the hardest year of my life. I hope I’ll be seeing all of you soon.”

– From the liner notes of the Dillinger Escape Plan’s album Calculating Infinity by former bassist Adam Doll.

As Doll said, some emotions can’t be summed up neat and tidy through words. Sometimes what we feel can only be expressed through sound.

This is where the Dillinger Escape Plan excels. Continue reading “Show Review: The Dillinger Escape Plan in Yerba Buena Gardens at GDC, 3/2/2011”

Show Review: Stryper with Cry Wolf, Skinner and Radio Friendly at Avalon Night Club, 3/5/2011

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ARPhotoSF

777 Lawrence Expressway in Santa Clara looks like any other nondescript building in any other shopping plaza. Tonight however, there is a tour bus parked in plain view in front, and upon further inspection of the parking lot, there is a sign (from God?): “3-5 Stryper”. Although the number “777” is not actually referenced by the Bible, the number “7” is traditionally associated with divine perfection. So it is with little surprise that Stryper’s return to the Bay Area would be to the hallowed grounds known as the Avalon Night Club. Continue reading “Show Review: Stryper with Cry Wolf, Skinner and Radio Friendly at Avalon Night Club, 3/5/2011”

Noise Pop Show Review: Ben Gibbard at Great American Music Hall, 2/27/11

Ben Gibbard is called out by Bob Mould at Noise Pop

Closing the Noise Pop festival with solo acoustic shows from Ben Gibbard and Zach Rogue was the right choice. People flew in from Europe, skipped the Oscars, even skipped church for an a relaxing evening at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. The young crowd was a mix of experienced Noise Pop festival attendees and those that made last night’s show their select choice. Continue reading “Noise Pop Show Review: Ben Gibbard at Great American Music Hall, 2/27/11”

Show Review: Linkin Park with Prodigy at HP Pavilion, 2/22/2011

Chester Bennington, bathed in the spotlight. (All photos on this post by Alan Ralph.)

I make no secret of the fact that A Thousand Suns was my favorite album of 2010. I’ve been jeered by other music nerds many times for this. Then, when hanging out near the box office trying to buy a decent ticket to last night’s show, one woman said “It’s not completely sold out, I guess. Because the new album’s no good.” Now this may be the conventional wisdom of a lot of Linkin Park fans, including many in attendance at the HP Pavilion last night, but they’re wrong. It’s a great album that’s pushed the band and their live show about a thousand times forward. Continue reading “Show Review: Linkin Park with Prodigy at HP Pavilion, 2/22/2011”