Zach Sherwin’s Crossword...

If you’re reading this, there’s a chance you may already know that those of us who contribute to Spinning Platters are known around here as “music nerds.” While I absolutely identify as such, there’s another term that describes me even better: word nerd. I delight not just in clever wordplay but languages in general, etymology… [&hellip

Doug Benson’s Movie...

Oh, SF Sketchfest, how I’ve missed you. Fortunately, now that we’re living in what I can only call a ‘semi-post-COVID’ world, our favorite local comedy festival has returned. For me, there was only one way to properly celebrate the restoration of a few weeks’ worth of laughs like only Sketchfest can give us: by getting [&hellip

Rodrigo y Gabriela...

It’s been two and a half years since the start of the pandemic. For many of us, things have begun to feel increasingly “normal” again, whatever that means. For me, that means seeing live music regularly, and I couldn’t be happier to have this opportunity back. Every once in a while, I even get to [&hellip

John Mayer at...

Holy hell, it’s been a while. It’s been more than two years, in fact, since I last saw a show. For a music nerd like me who considers live music vital to her mental health, that’s saying a lot. But as things slowly seem to be moving closer and closer to what we considered “normal” [&hellip

Dermot Kennedy at...

I don’t know what it is about Dermot Kennedy. I first discovered his music when I heard “Power Over Me” on a music channel on my TV. It was literally love at first listen. Kennedy’s voice is unlike any other I’ve ever heard: haunting, soulful, and incredibly powerful. Add to that his ability to write [&hellip

LoveLoud 2019: USANA...

It’s July, and another successful SF Pride Parade is in the books… or so I hear. I personally missed it, sadly, but I did so for good reason. Obviously, we live in one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world, and while it would have been fun to come out to share the celebration [&hellip

Dennis Lloyd at...

The first time I heard Dennis Lloyd’s single, “Nevermind,” I was intrigued. I started hearing the song a lot on satellite radio, and on the music channel I turn my TV to when I’m in the kitchen. A month or so ago, Lloyd’s name came up on my radar: he was coming through the Bay [&hellip

Dermot Kennedy at...

You know how sometimes all it takes is the first listen to a great new song by an artist you’ve never heard before, and you’re in? That’s how it was for me the first time I heard Dermot Kennedy’s “Power Over Me.” Not long ago, I was in my kitchen cooking dinner, with a music [&hellip

Iron Comic with...

Every year, I make a point to catch Greg Behrendt at least once while he’s in town for Sketchfest. This year, I thought the show Iron Comic sounded like fun. The premise is based on Iron Chef: five stand-up comics have about 8 minutes wherein each puts together a two-minute “set” based on topics chosen on [&hellip