Shannon Shaw – Spinning Platters

Single Of The Week: “The Moon Is In The Wrong Place” by Shannon & The Clams

As much as I *love* a Shannon & The Clams live show, I’ve yet to find myself actively listening to Shannon & The Clams at home. “The Moon Is In The Wrong Place” marks Shannon & The Clams really does take the energy and enthusiasm of the band’s live set and turns it into 3:03 of pure psych pop andrenaline. I dare you not to dance to this one, or at least find yourself excited about sweeping the kitchen to it.

“The Moon Is In The Wrong Place” is the first single of their upcoming record, also called The Moon Is In The Wrong Place, available in stores and at your local streaming service on May 10th. Preorders are happening now and you can select your preferred tripped out vinyl edition here!

Thee Stork Club Hath Returned

One night, maybe about a decade ago, I found myself bar hopping with a group of friends and, somehow, my high school girlfriend. It was already a weird night, and we landed on The Stork Club. I had heard about this place for years, but, somehow never entered it’s hallowed halls. There was a real drunken haze to the night already, but I am pretty sure there was a burlesque show happening when we arrived at like 11pm. Then at midnight it turned into an 80’s goth dance party. Then at 1am, I’m pretty sure a jam band started setting up. It was a very weird night. But it brought me much joy, too… So I was gutted when they ended up shutting in 2020.

Fast forward to 2022, and the folks behind Mosswood Meltdown, Eli’s Mile High Club, and Hemlock Tavern have gotten together to reopen the place. Only with an extra “e”, so it’s now Thee Stork Club! And there will be a retro cocktail bar, a live performance space, and what is especially vital in this day and age- THEY ARE OPENING UP IT’S BACK YARD!!! So you might actually be able to enjoy a drink with a limited threat of COVID!

Opening night is July 1st, and it will be a special show with John Waters, Shannon Shaw, and Budget Rock’s DJ Chris Owen. Sadly tickets are sold out, but there will be plenty more fun where that came from!

Burger Boogaloo Has Moved To July 2021

“Like a punk rock Leap Year, BB2021 will be back next July to slam your ass and tickle your musical pleasure!” – John Waters

God. COVID-19 is the worst, and has managed to bring out the worst of humanity, at least in the US and much of Europe. Sadly, because we are in capable of comprehending how helping others avoid getting sick will, in turn, help prevent us from getting sick, everything is being pushed til 2021.

There are a lot of bad people out there, but the organizers of Burger Boogaloo are not those people. Remember when we all gushed over how amazing the Burger Boogaloo 2020 line up was? Well, they worked hard and managed to get nearly every single one of those bands on board for Burger Boogaloo 2021, coming to you July 10th & 11th! That means we get the triumphant Bay Area returns of Bikini Kill, Circle Jerks, and Carbonas. We also get to see California punk legend Alice Bag as well as Bay Area legends Flipper, The Rubinoos, and Pansy Division. We also have Bleached and Shannon Shaw, both of which have released career best records in recent years. Rounding out the line up are The Fevers, Hammered Satin, Midnite Snaxxx, and Younger Lovers. Well, until they release more bands that will inevitably knock your socks off.

So, you know you are going to go. Why don’t you buy your tickets now so you can finally get excited about something? I know damn well I could use a little joy in this world.

BottleRock Napa Valley 2019: A Preview

The powers-that-be behind BottleRock Napa Valley never fail to impress me. This year’s festival lineup was announced this morning, boasting so many exciting artists it made my head swim a little: Imagine Dragons. Logic. OneRepublic. Sylvan Esso. Jenny Lewis. AJR. Anderson East. The Dandy Warhols. Neon Trees. Just Loud. Shannon Shaw. Flora Cash. And that’s just day one!

Days two and three add to the excitement, with Neil Young + Promise of the Real, Pharrell Williams, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Gary Clark Jr, Cypress Hill, Elle King, Sir Sly, Mumford & Sons, Santana, Bishop Briggs, Skylar Grey, Houses, and so many more. Also, anyone who watches Top Chef may have noticed that this year’s winner will have a slot on the culinary stage, which is always a fun place to check out between sets.

It’s hard not to look at this list and know you’ve got to be there. I think the hardest part will be, as usual, determining how to get from point A to point B in such a way that you catch at least parts of all the acts you don’t want to miss! Until BRNV releases an actual schedule, however, there’s not much to do but listen to these bands and look forward to May in eager anticipation. To help you do that, I made a little playlist: I’ve included some of my favorites from the artists that are generating the highest levels of impatience. Let’s hope these next 4 ½ months fly by, and I’ll see you this summer in Napa!

BottleRock Napa Valley 2019 preview playlist

BottleRock ticket info: 3-Day Tickets On Sale 1/8/19 at 10am. Single day passes on sale 1/10/19.

Outside Lands 2018: Top 10 from the Bottom Half of the Poster

As we head into the 11th year of Outside Lands, it’s also important to commemorate the fact that this is the 5th year in a row that I’ve been encouraging you to show up early and check out the smaller stages. I am well aware of the fact that my first one of these, in 2013, managed to guide you to several amazing bands, but missed the fact that a little bass and drums duo on Fueled By Ramen called Twenty One Pilots was playing. This also proves my point that you should get there early, because you never know when you are gonna stumble across a band that’s gonna be selling out arenas in just a couple years. Other passed “bottom-halfers” included The Black Keys, Courtney Barnett, Portugal. The Man, Janelle Monae, Father John Misty, Foster The People, and others that moved on to be massive stars.

So, here are my top 10 favorite acts from the bottom half of the 2018 Outside Lands line-up. Continue reading “Outside Lands 2018: Top 10 from the Bottom Half of the Poster”