Tag: show reviews

Staff Picks from Treasure Island Music Festival – Sunday 10/17/2010

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Monotonix did not get the memo on the San Francisco weather

I sent out an email to everyone from Spinning Platters that went to the Treasure Island Music Festival on Sunday. I asked them to send me back something about their favorite act from the day. From some people, I got nothing, but from nearly everyone who responded, I got the same news. Belle & Sebastian was their favorite act.  So you’re about to read mainly a Belle & Sebastian love-fest, and look at a whole lot of pictures of Monotonix. And other than the rainy, windy, cold conditions and some energetic sets from Surfer Blood, Superchunk and Rogue Wave, that’s my biggest takeaway, too. Continue reading “Staff Picks from Treasure Island Music Festival — Sunday 10/17/2010”

Show Review: Tom Tom Club at Great American Music Hall, 10/8/2010

Available for weddings and bar mitzvahs?

How much would you pay to hear one song? What if that song was going to be played by the most accomplished one-hit wonder in the history of music? When that song is “Genius of Love,” and that band is the Tom Tom Club, the long lasting musical project of Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz of Talking Heads, then apparently that price is $26. This was, however, a 13-song set. So what about the other 12 songs? Were they worth the price of admission?

The short answer?  Continue reading “Show Review: Tom Tom Club at Great American Music Hall, 10/8/2010”

Show Review: Biffy Clyro with Picture Atlantic and New Diplomat at Rickshaw Stop, 9/28/2010

Shirtless Muppets? Scotish rock band? You make the call!

Put a giant band in a small club in a faraway land, and you never know what you’re going to get, or who’s going to show up. I was surprised when I walked into the Rickshaw Stop to see the sort of people I wouldn’t expect at a hard rock show. In SF parlance, we call them “Marina types,” where I had thought the place to be filled with anglophiles and socially awkward rocker types. By the end of the night, all would become clear. There aren’t a lot of Biffy Clyro fans in San Francisco, and this show won’t go too far for upping that count. Continue reading “Show Review: Biffy Clyro with Picture Atlantic and New Diplomat at Rickshaw Stop, 9/28/2010”

Show Review: Rusko at The Mezzanine, 9/28/2010


If you’re not into electronic music, then Rusko might be hard for you to swallow. However, if you are, it might be exactly that new pill you’ve been asking about that no one seems to have. Rusko is undisputedly one of the premier dupstep producers and DJs in the world, and also one of the busiest. By the end of 2010 he will have attacked San Francisco four times! Cramming all those gigs in might seem tiresome, that is until you see Rusko. With more power and energy than that drumming pink bunny, Rusko takes hype and turns the heat up. In fact. the heat was quite literally turned up Last night at the Mezzanine mostly due to the 80 degree weather outside at 10pm, but also due to a room full of half-naked 20-somethings most likely juiced on more then just a tall boy of Pabst. Continue reading “Show Review: Rusko at The Mezzanine, 9/28/2010”

Show Review: Dirty Projectors with J. Tillman at Brookdale Inn and Spa, 9/26/2010

dirty-projectors

As I was driving down the windy Bear Creek Lane toward Brookdale, California, it got headlights dark. It was daylight, still, but the sunlight was completely obscured by trees. It was a bit creepy. And I passed yet another sign warning me of more windy roads ahead, and yet another hairpin turn, I thought that this crazy drive through the Santa Cruz Mountains had better be worth the effort. You see, (((FolkYeah!))) has this habit of throwing really cool events in out-of-the-way places, and tonight they were presenting the Dirty Projectors “with special guest” in a room whose claim to fame is that “a river runs through it.” I just had to see it for myself. Continue reading “Show Review: Dirty Projectors with J. Tillman at Brookdale Inn and Spa, 9/26/2010”

Show Review: Kele with Does It Offend You, Yeah? and Innerpartysystem at The Mezzanine, 9/18/2010

Kele was all smiles

Hiatus is a dirty word when bands you love start throwing it around. Sometimes, the band returns, re-energized and ready for action. Other times the band returns, gets together for a little while, realizes the hiatus was the right move, and just breaks up. And then there are times when the band doesn’t come back at all. So when Bloc Party announced their hiatus, I was concerned. What would come of Kele Okereke, one of my favorite front men of all time? This weekend, I found out. Continue reading “Show Review: Kele with Does It Offend You, Yeah? and Innerpartysystem at The Mezzanine, 9/18/2010”

Show Review: Paramore with Tegan & Sara and New Found Glory at the HP Pavillion, 9/17/10

The night I got notified that I was getting the opportunity to see the Honda Civic Tour, I was ecstatic. The lineup looked extremely star-studded: Paramore, Tegan & Sara, and New Found Glory. I haven’t seen any of these bands perform with the slight exception of New Found Glory, whom I watched from afar a year or two ago when they were traveling with the Warped Tour. With the way my night started, I was afraid that the rest of the night would go horribly. Luckily for me, these bands did not let me or the rest of the packed stadium see a dull moment.

Continue reading “Show Review: Paramore with Tegan & Sara and New Found Glory at the HP Pavillion, 9/17/10”

Show Review: Rondo Brothers with Oona, King Midas in Reverse and Matthew Hansen at Slim’s, 8/26/2010

On Thursday night, Slim’s hosted a dynamic range of Bay Area music.  Opening with R&B, eased into alternative rock, Pop with soul, then jumped into Hip Hop and ended with fans twirling to Electric Trance. Contrary to logic, the various of styles had a smooth transition from one band’s music flavor to another, which was appreciated by a tight crowd as loyal as family. Continue reading “Show Review: Rondo Brothers with Oona, King Midas in Reverse and Matthew Hansen at Slim’s, 8/26/2010”

Show Review: Crowded House with Lawrence Arabia at The Warfield, 8/23/2010

Neil Finn, hundreds of amazing songs into his career.

Crowded House is a band with only two real American “hits.” But don’t be fooled by that. If you go see Crowded House live, you’d better be ready to sing. And although your less astute friends will assume the loudest singing will be for “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” the band’s biggest U.S. hit, those same friends will wonder what the heck this “You always take the weather with you” song is about. Congratulations, singer! You’re the smart one. Continue reading “Show Review: Crowded House with Lawrence Arabia at The Warfield, 8/23/2010”

Show Review: They Might Be Giants with Oona at The Napa Uptown, 8/21/2010

This is They Might Be Giants with confetti, but not all that much, really. See inside for details.

If I had to give a title to this review, apart from the boring, SEO-friendly titles we always use here, it would be “They Might Be Giants vs. The Napa Uptown Theatre.” I think that the band started the show really loving the beautifully restored theater, but by the end of the performance, I feel like there may have been some antagonism between the two. Was this an actual fight? Or merely a love-fest in disguise? It was a bit hard to tell. Continue reading “Show Review: They Might Be Giants with Oona at The Napa Uptown, 8/21/2010”