The Velvet Teen – Spinning Platters

Countdown to SXSW: The Velvet Teen

Josh Staples, Judah Nagler and Casey Deitz of The Velvet Teen

Maybe it’s weird to be excited to stalk your favorite local band to Texas, but what can I say? I’m pretty weird and I have a long history of practically stalking The Velvet Teen. So what if it’s been almost 5 years since they’ve released any music? Unfortunately, that has kind of been their pattern since I discovered them in 2001, so why would I lose my faith now? The real question is, how do I convince you to have the same faith that this is where you should spend your precious SXSW time? I think the only way is to take you through, step by step, of how this band has changed, and been great every part of the way. Continue reading “Countdown to SXSW: The Velvet Teen”

Show Review: Desaparecidos with The Velvet Teen at Bottom of the Hill, 8/28/12

Waiting in line for the doors to open at Bottom of the Hill last night I knew it would be a nostalgic evening. Ten years ago I came to the same place, early and excited, to find a printed paper sign saying that Desaparacidos would not be performing, that instead Conor Oberst would be performing a solo acoustic show. That show was great, though it was hindered by the fact that Conor Oberst had played the same show as Bright Eyes earlier that year at Great American Music Hall and that anyone going to see Desaparecidos at Bottom of the Hill should have been expecting a night of feverish music and aggression not intense sadness and introspection. As I walked inside I just hoped my dreams of ten years ago would not be destroyed. Continue reading “Show Review: Desaparecidos with The Velvet Teen at Bottom of the Hill, 8/28/12”

Spinning Platters Picks Six: Ways To Spend New Year’s Eve In The Bay Area

For some silly reason, we’ve all decided that we need to spend the change over of the year in “party” mode. We count down til midnight, then pick somebody to make out with when the clock strikes 12. Well, I’m a firm believer in any excuse to go to a show, as well as any excuse to make out with somebody, so here’s a list of the best six shows to spend your New Year’s Eve with.

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Picks Six: Ways To Spend New Year’s Eve In The Bay Area”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 7/21/11-7/27/11

oscars-08-wolfgang-puck — Appearing at The Regency Ballroom

There’s a whole lotta indoor gigs for you this week… Perfect for getting out of the brisk cold July air. Now, got get your groove on!

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 7/21/11-7/27/11”

Show Review: The Velvet Teen with Silian Rail at Bottom of the Hill, 1/7/11

The Velvet Teen is a force of indie-noise-pop-rock to be reckoned with that everyone should know about. This is something I spent years of my youth slowly convincing all my friends of, and now, finally, this show proved that people have been listening. Bottom of the Hill was packed before the first band even started playing and the energy in the room was palpable. There was no question that something great was about to be heard. Continue reading

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: December 16th-December 22nd

Playing Thursday Night At The Independent. Seriously.

By a show of hands, who has started their holiday shopping…

Nobody? Good. Let’s keep it that way.

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: December 16th-December 22nd”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: August 25th-31st

If anybody thinks bats are ugly, make them look at this picture. And go see one of their two shows Tueday night. — If anybody thinks bats are ugly, make them look at this picture. And go see one of their two shows Tuesday night.

Outside Lands Festival is this weekend, which has booked nearly every touring act hitting the west coast in late summer, making it a tough to find something else to do… But, I’ve compiled the list for all of the people that aren’t willing to pay $100 a day to hike through Golden Gate Park.

If you insist on supporting the big mega-festival, here’s the schedule by day and by night. And if you have a spare 3-day pass that you just feel like giving to a sad blogger that can’t afford one, e-mail me at dakin@spinningplatters.com, or you can join me at one of these shows:

(Note: You can also e-mail if you think your show is deserving of being on my list… Just link me to sound samples, and e-mail me by Friday the week prior to the show. As you can see, I do my list Tuesday-Monday.)

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: August 25th-31st”