setlist – Spinning Platters

Show Review: JoJo with Emmy Meli at The Warfield, 3/6/25

JoJo has spent the last 21 years as the “other” one. When she was a 13-year-old prodigy, she was marketed as the “new” Aaliyah. She spent years making movies and putting out records without achieving the notoriety of fellow prodigies of her era like Hilary Duff and Miley Cyrus. I can’t decide if this is bad or not. She has immense talent, but it’s also allowed her to create her own identity and continue pushing the boundaries of what you would define as R&B or Pop. Her sound has developed in a way that places her as a precursor to boundary pushers like SZA and The Weeknd, and the folks that kept their ears on her learned this.

I feel like in 2025, with her new EP, NGL, and her book, Over The Influence, it’s time for JoJo to make her formal re-introduction. This live show cements that. Continue reading “Show Review: JoJo with Emmy Meli at The Warfield, 3/6/25”

Show Review: Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy and Friends with Dave Hill at The Neptune Theater, 2/21/25

Shannon, Narducy & Hill: Attorneys at Rock

When I told people that I was going to see Michael Shannon perform the music of R.E.M. fronting a band that’s the alt-rock world’s equivalent of Ringo’s All-Starr Band, their reactions, for the most part, were Doc Brown in tone, asking, “Michael Shannon! The actor!?” Yes, that Michael Shannon. This particular music project of Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy (more on him later) is ten years in the making, and this is the second year they’ve been playing REM-themed shows exclusively. Continue reading “Show Review: Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy and Friends with Dave Hill at The Neptune Theater, 2/21/25”

Show Review: Pretty Girls Make Graves with Cig Corpse at The Regent Theater DTLA, 11/2/24

When When We Were Young dropped their 2024 lineup, I only barely glanced at it at first. It was all album plays, and I assumed that meant there wasn’t anything surprising in the lineup. Then I looked at the poster again and saw a familiar, blurry image in the corner that looked like Pretty Girls Make Graves’ classic record, The New Romance. Sure enough, someone did what they needed to do to get what I considered to be the greatest band of the early oughts emo revival back together. The band is near the top of my list: “I’d do anything to see them again.” Tour dates opened up, and, sadly, nothing in the Bay Area. So, I used Southwest credit and decided to spend less than 24 hours in Los Angeles. Continue reading “Show Review: Pretty Girls Make Graves with Cig Corpse at The Regent Theater DTLA, 11/2/24”

Show Review: Switchfoot with Ben Goldsmith at Ace of Spades, 11/10/23

What’s better than a three-day weekend thanks to those who have fought to keep America safe? Getting to see a band you love on the Friday night of said three-day weekend, giving me a full weekend after a fun night out, of course! That was my good fortune this Veterans Day weekend as I drove to Sacramento to catch Switchfoot at Ace of Spades. For one reason or another, I have had to miss several Switchfoot tours, and then the next thing I knew, it’s been over a decade since I’ve caught them live. Suffice it to say I couldn’t wait to get to the venue to catch them again, finally! Continue reading “Show Review: Switchfoot with Ben Goldsmith at Ace of Spades, 11/10/23”

Show Review: John Mayer with JP Saxe at Chase Center, 11/7/23

Does everyone else have artists they will see over and over forever, or is it just me? Sometimes, this is because I want to see what’s new in the artist’s/band’s set (as is the case with someone like Pink, who will change much of her songlist, set, costumes, etc, every time she hits the road). On the other hand, sometimes this is just because I’m such a fan of the artist’s voice, lyrics, and music that I’ll see them every single time I have an opportunity, regardless of whether or not things have much changed since the last time. Such was the case this week with John Mayer’s Solo tour, which arrived at Chase Center on Tuesday. Continue reading “Show Review: John Mayer with JP Saxe at Chase Center, 11/7/23”

Show Review: P!nk with Grouplove and KidCutUp at Chase Center, 10/14/2023

When I was nineteen, my friends and I had been known to crash a Hollywood party or two. At one party in particular, there was a beautiful young woman who looked about our age. She had spiky, cool hair dyed a shocking pink, oozed sexy confidence, and could sing like nobody’s business. I became a fan instantly. In the twenty-five years since, my love for Pink has only grown exponentially, not just because I think she has the best voice in the business, but because who she is as a person is someone I truly admire. Suffice it to say, I do everything I can not to miss her when she comes to town. This past weekend, that meant getting myself to Chase Center on Saturday night to catch her Trustfall tour. Continue reading “Show Review: P!nk with Grouplove and KidCutUp at Chase Center, 10/14/2023”

Show Review: John Mayer with Yebba at Chase Center, 3/18/2022

Holy hell, it’s been a while. It’s been more than two years, in fact, since I last saw a show. For a music nerd like me who considers live music vital to her mental health, that’s saying a lot. But as things slowly seem to be moving closer and closer to what we considered “normal” pre-pandemic, I’ve been missing the whole concert experience more and more. Fortunately, the arrival of John Mayer‘s Sob Rock Tour at San Francisco’s Chase Center arrived just in time – last Friday night, to be exact… Continue reading “Show Review: John Mayer with Yebba at Chase Center, 3/18/2022”

Show Review: Thao Nguyen at The Chapel, 06/24/21

I’ve seen Thao perform in a lot of non-traditional spaces and situations. I’ve probably seen her perform more non-traditional sets than traditional sets at this point… I’ve seen her do a high concept stand-up and music variety show, I’ve seen her as the special guest of a fake talk show where Moby taught her how to play “Purple Rain,” I’ve seen her absolutely kill “Push It” by Salt-n-Pepa while being backed by Fred Armisen & Carrie Brownstein, and I’ve even seen her create a live score to a series of classic film shorts! And that’s just what I’ve written about… So it seems appropriate that Thao is my first “COVID-Safe” show.

Continue reading “Show Review: Thao Nguyen at The Chapel, 06/24/21”

Show Review: Dermot Kennedy with SYML at the Masonic, 1/30/2020

Dermot Kennedy’s got that power over me.

I don’t know what it is about Dermot Kennedy. I first discovered his music when I heard “Power Over Me” on a music channel on my TV. It was literally love at first listen. Kennedy’s voice is unlike any other I’ve ever heard: haunting, soulful, and incredibly powerful. Add to that his ability to write lyrically and musically beautiful works of art, and I’m a fan for life. For now, Kennedy is still relatively unknown in the US, but those who know his music flock to his shows, resulting in regularly sold-out shows. Such was the case at last night’s show with SYML at the Masonic.

Continue reading “Show Review: Dermot Kennedy with SYML at the Masonic, 1/30/2020”

Show Review: 2 Nights of Sleater-Kinney with Kaina at The Fox Theatre, 11/16-11/17/19

These two shows at The Fox Theater in Oakland marked what was basically the last night on the road for what may have been the most challenging tour in Sleater-Kinney’s 25 years on this Earth. Not only were they out to support the single most-divisive record in their catalog, but their long-time drummer, Janet Weiss, abruptly quit the band in the middle of rehearsals.

A lot of hardcore fans felt betrayed. People were demanding refunds because they bought tickets under the impression that they were getting the core trio of Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss and Carrie Brownstein. All of this meant that, instead of hitting the road in celebration of their career, Sleater-Kinney have to prove themselves all over again. They couldn’t rest on their reputation of being the fiercest live band around.

Continue reading “Show Review: 2 Nights of Sleater-Kinney with Kaina at The Fox Theatre, 11/16-11/17/19”