setlist – Page 7 – Spinning Platters

Show Review: Counting Crows with the Wallflowers at America’s Cup Pavilion, 7/18/2013

Thanks to Daniel Gluskoter (dgpics.com) for the awesome Crows pics! — Thanks to Daniel Gluskoter (dgpics.com) for the great Crows pics!

Imagine a terrible day: you’re sick. You’ve been fighting with one of your best friends all day. You’re late to an important appointment because traffic is insane, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it. Said lateness makes you miss a fantastic opportunity, so you’re even more upset than you already were. Oh, and it’s chilly outside, with the wind picking up. Your saving grace: you’re seeing two awesome bands that night. Do Counting Crows and The Wallflowers have the superpowers necessary to turn your whole day around, and end it on a bright note? I showed up last Thursday evening at America’s Cup Pavilion to find out. Continue reading “Show Review: Counting Crows with the Wallflowers at America’s Cup Pavilion, 7/18/2013”

Show Review: Palms, Crypts at Slim’s, 7/13/13

Supergroups are a hard thing to review fairly. It’s difficult to be a “brand new” band without the prejudice of their prior bands. Palms is a new project featuring 3/5’s Boston based “post metal” band ISIS and Deftones’ vocalist Chino Moreno. Two bands with an established legacy that, by a twist of fate, are two of the few bands that I am not familiar with at all. So my experience with Palms was entirely fresh.

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Show Review: The Package Tour – New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, and 98° at HP Pavilion, 7/7/2013

In the little world that exists between the New Kids on the Block and their fans, I’m what’s affectionately referred to as a “BH:” a Blockhead. I don’t say this with any level of chagrin or irony, and there’s nothing I feel guilty about in the pleasure I take from this group. The fact of the matter is, I’ve loved them for more than 25 years, and at this point, I don’t feel the need to explain or justify that to anyone who doesn’t get it. (And honestly, why do we feel the need to ridicule each other for something that brings us joy?) If anybody is experiencing anything like the fun I have with the NKOTB, I would be a fool to try to tear it down – that’s the kind of thing I think we ought to seek out and celebrate! Which is exactly what I did, when The Package Tour (NKOTB, Boyz II Men, and 98°) pulled up to HP Pavilion last night in San Jose. Continue reading “Show Review: The Package Tour — New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, and 98° at HP Pavilion, 7/7/2013”

Show Review: She & Him, Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, Tilly & The Wall at The Greek Theater, 6/22/13

There were more reasons to visit The Greek Theater last Saturday night than a mere love of ampersands. It was a rare night at The Greek where the weather was absolutely perfect- not too warm, not too cold. The early signs of the upcoming “Super Moon” were in the the sky. The crowd, a bit older than expected, and happily ironic mustache-free, arrived early enough to make sure they enjoyed every act on the bill.

Continue reading “Show Review: She & Him, Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, Tilly & The Wall at The Greek Theater, 6/22/13”

Show Review: Kate Nash with Peach Kelli Pop at The Chapel, 5/11/13

Remember the year 2007? It was the year that gave us Lily Allen, a bratty pop singer that was going to change the world. From the same city we also got to meet Kate Nash, a timid 20 year old singer / songwriter that played piano and wrote catchy songs primed for radio and play on british teen soaps. Here we are, six years later, and Lily Allen has essentially fallen out of view, and Kate Nash is a world away from the Kate Nash that we knew and loved in 2007. The piano has long been put away, and it has been replaced by loud, fuzzed out guitars. The question is- will the sold out crowd at The Chapel be willing to embrace this new Kate Nash?

Continue reading “Show Review: Kate Nash with Peach Kelli Pop at The Chapel, 5/11/13”

Show Review: Paramore with Kitten at The Warfield, 5/4/13

It’s been a rough three years for Paramore. In that time, they’ve gone through almost as many drummers as Spinal Tap, and had to deal with one of the most public and bitter band break ups in recent memory. However, they have returned with a self titled album that is a collection of tracks that bring to mind their early forays into emo and hardcore, as well as some of the most positive songs they’ve released in years. Since it’s been a while, they are warming themselves up with small venue tour. However, since they like a challenge, they brought Kitten along for the ride- a live experience so dizzying that only the most confident band should try to play afterwards.

Continue reading “Show Review: Paramore with Kitten at The Warfield, 5/4/13”

Show Review: Sara Bareilles at Slim’s, 05/13/2013

Sara Bareilles wants to see you be brave.

It’s been two and a half years since Sara Bareilles released her last fantastic record, Kaleidoscope Heart. Now she’s got a great new single, “Brave,” and is challenging herself to be just that by touring solo. The “Brave Enough Tour” challenges Sara to play not only alone on stage, but without the support of an opening act. This week it was San Francisco’s turn to get up close and personal with Miss Bareilles at a sold-out, standing-room-only show at Slim’s on Monday night. And what a treat it was, as usual… Continue reading “Show Review: Sara Bareilles at Slim’s, 05/13/2013”

Show Review: Marnie Stern with SISU and E V Kain at the Rickshaw Stop, 4/28/2013

Incendiary guitar goddess Marnie Stern returned to San Francisco on Sunday night in support of her fourth and most accessible LP, the wondrously titled The Chronicles of Marnia. The show, which transpired at the Rickshaw Stop, drew a full house of giddily enthusiastic fans, or at least what passes for “giddily enthusiastic” on a Sunday night in San Francisco. By which I mean we all pretty much stood there stone-faced for three hours. But we were into it! Honest! I think Marnie might actually prefer our notoriously chill style of audience participation; when she noticed that the only overtly expressive dancers in the entire club had positioned themselves directly in front of her, she actually ordered them to go dance in front of her bassist, Nithin Kalvakota. “It’s distracting! And confusing! And it’s making me dizzy!” she protested in that vaguely “It’s Pat” voice of hers. And what the lady wants, the lady gets.

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Fauxchella Review: Metric with Mona at The Fox Theater – Oakland, 4/18/13

Fauxchella is a brutal time for music fans. The night Metric played at The Fox, we also had to contend with like minded bands How To Destroy Angels and Savages playing across the bridge. It was a tough night of you enjoy powerful women fronting danceable rock bands. And, as much as I truly love this band, I was thinking hard about what I was missing. I didn’t want to feel buyers remorse. Deep down inside, I knew this was the right place to be. And the sold out crowd at The Fox tonight knew it, too.

Continue reading “Fauxchella Review: Metric with Mona at The Fox Theater — Oakland, 4/18/13”

Show Review: Phoenix with Mac DeMarco at The Independent, 4/1/2013

Photo by Jenz. — Thomas Mars, as if he’s in front of the sun.

The announcement sent panic waves throughout the indie rockers of San Francisco: Phoenix at The Independent on April Fool’s Day. And this was not a hoax. What it was, though, was an impossible ticket. A representative of The Independent was quoted in the paper as saying the show sold out “immediately.” It sent everyone I know scrambling for tickets, wanting to be at what was officially the welcome back party for Steve Masters of Live 105, and would also serve as the unofficial kickoff to Fauxchella. Continue reading “Show Review: Phoenix with Mac DeMarco at The Independent, 4/1/2013”