Tom Brosseau – Spinning Platters

SF Sketchfest Review: The Watkins Family Hour on 1/26/14

I think, officially, we can all say that SF Sketchfest is more than just a comedy festival. It’s evolved into, more or less, a place where people that create can present their wares with as much or little levity as they so desire. The Watkins Family Hour performance was hardly a straight ahead comedy show. In fact, it was hardly even a straight variety show. Heck, it even lasted 90 minutes, so calling it an hour is, well, a bold faced lie! It was, however, pure entertainment from a crew of some of the most talented people on earth.

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SF Sketchfest Review: Nellie McKay with Tom Brosseau at The Verdi Club on 1/25/2014

Nellie McKay at The Rrazz Room, February 2012. The drummer and bassist did not come with her this time.

It’s been 4 long years since the last time Nellie McKay has released an album of original material. The last few times she’s come to California, she’s performed “I Want To Live,” a retelling of the story of Barbara Graham, the third woman every executed on death row through modern pop songs. It’s been a long time since we’ve gotten to enjoy a set of Nellie McKay songs done by Nellie McKay. I was both surprised and delighted to see her on the Sketchfest line up doing an “all music” set. So excited that it was the first show I bought when Sketchfest tickets went on sale, and I’ve been waiting for this day for six weeks. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Nellie McKay with Tom Brosseau at The Verdi Club on 1/25/2014”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 1/23/14-1/29/14

Wake up and go to shows this week! So many shows... — Wake up and go to shows this week! So many shows…

The thirteenth annual SF Sketchfest is upon us, littering San Francisco with night after night of too many good things at once.

To help with these sorts of problems, please consult “A Nerd’s Guide To Sketchfest 2014.” Yes, Dakin’s full-on once-over of this year’s fest is just the right guide to help you make those wrenching nerd decisions about which one-of-a-kind Sketchfest show to choose from on each jam-packed night. Too much good stuff is a good/ANNOYING problem to have. You are fortunate. We are fortunate.

This week! We have Canadiens! Sleepwalkers! Metal! Tim! Punk rock benefit shows! And science! O you lucky person, you — to have all of these awesome things to choose from.

Here’s what’s coming up this week.

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A Music Nerd’s Guide To SF Sketchfest 2011

chris hardwick — This is a picture of Chris Hardwick. He's not related to me, but he will be in San Francisco for Sketchfest. I will be hitting him up for birthday money, anyways. Hopefully I can fool him.

To the uninitiated, San Francisco’s Sketchfest is probably the most overwhelming 2 1/2 weeks out of the entire year, in terms of live entertainment booking. Its closest cousin is probably Austin’s SXSW festival, where you have a wide array of up-and-coming talent mixed with veterans, all playing some very intimate spots.

As a person that considers himself to be an expert of sorts on taste, I am going to sift through this year’s line-up, and let you know what you should be going to at this year’s Sketchfest. I will guide you through which Emmy winners or CSI corpses (both of which are well represented by this event), in my humble opinion, is most worthy of your hard earned dollar.

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