Spinning Platters presents: How Did I Get Here?

How Did Scott Simoneaux Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 22:51:54 GMT

This is the story of Scott Simoneaux, the booker for ATG Live, an offshoot of ATG- the organization that brings touring productions of Broadway shows to big cities around the country. He's bringing touring bands and one-off events to those theaters while they are dark. In the Bay Area, this includes the original stars of Airplane! hosting a Q+A this Friday, as well as Robert Plant and Art Garfunkel shows coming up. We talked about how he found himself starting this career by simply liking a band and wanting to help them, taking him from New Orleans to Los Angeles and all the way in between. We also both realized we had stumbled across this book about the Stooges by accident.

Learn more about ATG Live here!

How Did Soft Palms (Julia Kugel & Scott Montoya) Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Fri, 15 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT

I wish I could say that no AI was used on this podcast. I hate AI, but I also don't have a budget for a producer, so I use Riverside.com to help edit these.

I know. I told Julia Kugel and Scott Montoya of Soft Palms, whose book "How To Be Self-Reliant In The Music Industry" is out now, and they are not fans of AI, either. They are smart folks that have been through a lot with Soft Palms, as well as their own bands, The Coathangers and The Growlers, and Julia's solo project, Julia, Julia.

Soft Palms have a new single out NOW, and their upcoming record, In Echo, is out TODAY! They will also be touring the US and EU this late Summer and Fall. Tour dates here.

How Did Eddie Argos of Art Brut Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 23:38:28 GMT

Eddie Argos is the lead singer of the British cult band Art Brut. They are currently on the road touring to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their classic debut, Bang Bang Rock n Roll. We talked about music, and name-dropped a bunch of very specific bands that only people born in 1979 think about (The Pipettes, Crash Test Dummies, The Donnas).

Art Brut have just released a greatest hits record, A Record Collection, Reduced To A Mixtape, as well as a box set, Sorry That It Doesn’t Sound Like It’s Planned! Battling Satan, 2009 -2020. Just click on the title to order.

Tour dates HERE!

How Did Salami Rose Joe Louis Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Thu, 18 May 2023 20:19:10 GMT

Lindsay Olsen, aka Salami Rose Joe Louis, is an incredibly hard to pin down musician. I have often found her loosely labeled "jazz" or "electronic" but neither of those seem quite right. She's doing a beautiful blend of jazz, pop, psych, house, and pure imagination that you really have to listen to in order to believe. We had a chat with her about her early influences, her time in a punk band where she played the blender, as well as the process if recreating a solo project with a full band. Her latest record is called Akousmatikous and is coming out on May 19th. Preorders / Presaves are ongoing. She's also going on tour and you can find tour dates here!

How Did Ghostwoman Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 07:09:00 GMT

Today's episode of "How Did I Get Here?" features the amazing psych duo Ghostwoman. We talked at length about music, being in a band, and what to do when you find an excellent musical partner that happens to live on an entirely different continent!

Ghostwoman's latest record, Welcome To The Civilized World, is out TODAY (September 5th!) on Full Time Hobby. You can either stream or order it delivered to your home FROM THIS VERY LINK!

How Did Sydney Kane Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 01:17:40 GMT

How Did I Get Here is back for its first episode of 2026. And my chat was with the amazing musical comedian Sydney Kane ahead of her bringing her one-woman show, Wife Material, on a West Coast tour! We talked about, well, a bunch of the usual tangential silliness, all while learning about how she found her voice and her way into comedy.

Sydney Kane is bringing Wife Material to SF for SF Sketchfest at Eclectic Box on Sunday, January 25th (Tix Here) and to LA at Hudson Backstage Theater on February 16th (Tix Here). Follow her on Instagram for more everything. And, if you really want to learn about all things Bay Area Burrito, here is such a bonkers and well-researched guide that I will still argue is wrong at times.

How Did Carlos Alazraqui Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 12:00:00 GMT

This is an exciting episode... For the first time in the five episode run of this show, our guest is someone that I have never met before! It's Carlos Alazraqui! He's probably most famous for voicing the Taco Bell Chihuahua. Or Rocko, of Rocko's Modern Life. Or as Deputy Garcia on Reno 911. We had a great chat about the Bay Area stand up comedy scene of the late 80's / early 90's. We also talked about moving from stand up to voice over to live action acting, and a bit about what it's like to work in TV during COVID.

Carlos can be found in Twitter and Instagram! You can also check out the season 7 of Reno 911 on Quibi, and his latest film, Witness Infection, is coming out soon!

If you have any feedback about this episode, feel free to email me at dakin@spinningplatters.com. If you like what you heard and want to help support this thing, feel free to Venmo me whatever tip you feel is adequate @Dakin-Hardwick. And, most importantly, please go to SaveOurStages.com to find out what you can do to help independent promoters and venues weather this COVID crisis so we have shows to go back to when this pandemic is over. Thanks for listening!

How Did Molly Neuman Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 23:47:52 GMT

Molly Neuman is a rock n roll legend. She is the drummer for Riot Grrl groundbreakers Bratmobile. She was also a member of The Peechees and The Frumpies. AND she helped run Lookout Records in the late 90s. AND managed The Donnas. AND was Vice President at early digital music distributor eMusic. This is only a small portion of her career.

She's now President of CD Baby and hitting the road with Bratmobile this Summer:

7/18: Los Angeles CA @ The Belasco

w/ Death Valley Girls, Trap Girl, doors 7pm (all-ages)

7/20: Oakland CA @ Mosswood Meltdown (all-ages)

8/21: Vancouver BC @ Hollywood Theatre

w/ PISS, Necking, doors 7pm (all-ages)

8/22: Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall

w/ Roselit Bone, All Girl Summer Fun Band, doors 7pm (all-ages)

8/23: Olympia, WA @ South Sound Block Party

w/ Team Dresch & more (all-ages, children under 12 free!)

How Did Mickey Darius Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 21:31:40 GMT

Mickey Darius is the owner of Broken Clover Records, a wildly eclectic record label featuring acts like June of 44, Enablers, Danielle de Picciotto, and many more. He also is the booking agent for several bands, including The Detroit Cobras, Negativland, and others. He ALSO manages The Lost Church, a 50 person performing arts space in San Francisco. And in his limited free time, he even DJ's a bit. He has basically overtaken the role of "hardest working man in show business" from James Brown. We got to talk about his brief flirtation with the cello, coming of age during the 90's rave scene in SF, finding work in ticketing, finding yourself, teaching a toddler to appreciate vinyl, and much much more.

Feel free to check out (and even purchase) some vinyl from Broken Clover's Bandcamp page. (Zones by Enablers is a personal favorite) Also, if you have some extra money and want to help keep some of your favorite Bay Area venues afloat, feel free to donate a few bucks to the Independent Venue Alliance! Lastly, The Detroit Cobras are coming to Bottom Of The Hill on September 17th and the Ivy Room on September 18th and Negativland will be coming to Gray Area on September 17th, which gives us something to look forward to after this is over.

How Did Victoria Bigelow Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 03:39:20 GMT

I didn't know what to expect when I got on a call with Victoria Bigelow. All I knew about her was that I'd kinda fallen in love with her head-swimmy brand of reverb-drenched country and shoegaze. We ended up talking a LOT about music in general, the struggles with being a DIY artist in this modern era, and getting the seal of approval from Willie Nelson.

Her latest release, Songs For No One, Vol 2, is out now on Immortal Records, which was, in fact, Korn's first record label. Her latest video, "Forever Now And Then," is a stunning piece of filmmaking.

Enjoy!

How Did David Owen Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 09:00:00 GMT

In this installment, I got to speak to SF Sketchfest co-founder David Owen about, well, how to put on an underground comedy festival, and what do you do when it's no longer underground. We talked about his first production, his first festival, how he met Cole Stratton and Janet Varney, the other two founders of the festival (SPOILER: It's Talking Heads related, just like the name of this podcast), and how they are handling things when it's entirely unknown when the festival will be safe to play out again.

SF Sketchfest is doing a virtual live read of Plan 9 From Outer Space just in time for Halloween. Well, just before Halloween. October 29th to be precise. Tickets can be purchased here!

SF Sketchfest's archives have also been opened up for rental, and those shows can be found here!

How Did Vickki Acuna Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:25:21 GMT

Vickki Acuna has been working in music for years, putting on shows before she was old enough to drive, street teaming for Part Time Punks, running the Box Office at The Echo in LA, and working as the Digital Coordinator for Goldenvoice Festivals in LA, including Coachella & Stagecoach. Now she runs General Election LA, an organization leveraging our darkened venues to help get out the vote!

Vickki is active on social media as herself, in addition to General Election LA. To follow:

Vickki Acuna

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vickkiacuna/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickki-acuna-09a168a3/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/123679209?si=M51PfEu8Qte1Xo7TWi8w8Q

General Election

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/generalelectionla/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/genelectionla

Website: https://generalelectionla.com/

General Election has a slew of resources for driving the vote, too! Here are a few of those:

Are You Registered to Vote

Voting Registration Deadlines

Mail-In Ballot Sooner Than Later Post

August Primary Dates

First Time Voter Guide

How to Register Guide

If you have any feedback about this episode, feel free to email me at dakin@spinningplatters.com. If you like what you heard and want to help support this thing, feel free to Venmo me whatever tip you feel is adequate @Dakin-Hardwick. And, most importantly, please go to SaveOurStages.com to find out what you can do to help independent promoters and venues weather this COVID crisis so we have shows to go back to when this pandemic is over. Thanks for listening!

Spinning Platters presents: How Did I Get Here? (Trailer)

Spinning Platters — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 20:23:35 GMT

How Did Dulce Sloan Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 17:59:23 GMT

We are trying something new with this episode. I am NOT doing any preroll. No theme song. No "warm open." Let me know what you think?

Dulce Sloan is best known for being a correspondent on The Daily Show, and often killing it in that role. We chatted about her move from theater to stand up, the folks that inspired you along the way, and, of course, The Daily Show and her upcoming book, Hello Friends! Stories Of Dating, Destiny, and Day Jobs, coming your way February 6th (Preorder Here!)

Sloan is in SF this weekend to play a slew of SF Sketchfest events, including a headline set at Brava Theater on Saturday, January 20th at 9:30pm. Her full schedule can be found here.

How Did Tricycle Records' Julie Schuchard get here?

Spinning Platters — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 03:43:16 GMT

Julie Schuchard is the co-founder of Tricycle Records, who have given us records by local acts such as The Hot Toddies, Everyone is Dirty, Andrew St James, Rich Girls, Geographer, and more. She also has done marketing for Battery, Mezzanine, and about a dozen other local venues, has served on the board for the SF chapter of the Recording Academy, and can often be found around town DJing from her impressive vinyl catalog. We got to talk about her history with music, the struggles of running a label, and also her move from focusing on music and into the world of graphic design.

She also has a Nasty Woman tattoo on her wrist as a reminder that being a woman in this industry (and in this world in general) takes an extra level of nasty. Enjoy her Nasty Woman playlist here!

How Did Russell Gatewood Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 09:00:00 GMT

This episode features one of my earliest music industry mentors, Russell Gatewood. I met him while interning at UMGD while I was in college. We discussed his career as a DJ, how he fell into music marketing, working for the early music tech startup Music Buddha, starting your own business, and so much more. This was a really fun chat, and I hope you enjoy it!

The World Famous Rick & Russ show can be found on the web at www.celebdjs.com, and every Friday from 12pm-4pm on Twitch! He can also be found in Instagram and Twitter as @bigggrusss, and, of course, LinkedIn!

How Did Amy Davidman Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 10:00:00 GMT

Amy Davidman is one of the partners of The TBA Agency, a booking agency that was formed by a team of booking agents that were all let go of Paradigm Agency due to COVID-19. We had a lovely chat about her start working at The Bowery Ballroom, the shock of being a major player in the NYC music scene in the 2000's but, somehow, not getting a mention in the book Meet Me In The Bathroom. We also talked a lot about what it's like to be a booking agent, and what it takes to help support each other during times of crisis. Oh yeah, and about starting a business in the middle of a pandemic!

How Did Maggie Arthur Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 04:12:44 GMT

Maggie Arthur is a Campaign Coordinator for Our Music My Body, an organization that works with music venues and festivals to raise awareness of sexual harassment in the music scene, as well as help work to make those spaces and the people that enjoy them safer. We talked about her early show-going days and the experiences that led to her involvement with OMMB. We also talked a bit about what we can do ourselves to make our scenes and spaces safer and more inclusive. I also learned a lot, and there were even moments in this conversation that were a little uncomfortable for me. But, really, getting to those uncomfortable moments is important.

April is also Sexual Assault Awareness Month. OMMB's parent organization, Our Resilience, has great resources to find out what you can do to help others, or if you have experienced sexual assault yourself, a place to find resources to get help. And please don't forget to follow Our Music My Body on Facebook and Instagram.

How Did Kate Mattison & Lola Adonna from 79.5 Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Fri, 05 May 2023 10:45:13 GMT

79.5 are a 5 piece R&B group from New York City, and we got to chat with band leaders Kate Mattison and Lola Adonna about their career path, the evolution of the band, finding each other, the joy of DIY spaces, and so much more. Their self-titled, full length debut is out TODAY in all the usual places! You can catch their latest, Sopranos-inspired music video here.

Tour Dates:

5/8: Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s

5/11: San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop

5/12: Los Angeles, CA @ The Paramount

6/2: Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Made

6/24: Philadelphia, PA, @ Johnny Brenda’s

How Did Zella Day Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 22:47:23 GMT

Zella Day is a singer songwriter that signed to Hollywood Records when she was merely 17, and has been putting out a steady stream of material since then, enough to be considered a "veteran" at the young age of 27. We had a lovely opportunity to talk about what it's like to be making decidely non-Disney music on a label owned by Disney, producing music as a teenager. The conversation ran through early tours, navigating the major label system, finding an off-ramp to the major label system, nourishing a community during the pandemic, and so much more. She may be one of the wisest humans I've ever had the pleasure of talking to. And, apologies- we both have pets that interrupt some pretty pivotal moments, so bear with that.

Zella Day's most recent record is called Sunday In Heaven, and is available now from Concord Records in all the usual places, included some lovely vinyl variants!

How Did Louise Post Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 23:17:43 GMT

Louise Post is the co-leader of Chicago rock icons Veruca Salt, an important distinction that she does, indeed, correct me on in this episode. We spoke about her influences, her process, and her time in both Veruca Salt and solo. Her debut solo album, Sleepwalker, is out today and is available to purchase here or at your local record store. North American tour starts June 12th in Vancouver, and VIP Packages are available here!

How Did Mo Herms Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 23:12:26 GMT

Mo Herms has done pretty much every job in music you can imagine... From record store clerk to radio programmer to journalist to licensing to, well, just imagine it and she's done it. Mo is currently the Music Editorial Lead at 1021 Creative, but we got to talk about all of it. From the first time she fixed a record her sister destroyed to getting hit on by, um, Ike Turner. It was a fun chat, and I think you'll enjoy it. You may also enjoy the playlist she made of important songs from throughout her career.

Oh! She also has a podcast of her own which we never brought up! It's fun- she talks about music with bartenders and it's called Music and Booze with Mo. If you don't feel like listening to my podcast, you should definitely listen to hers! Also, you can even befriend her on Facebook.

How Did Serge Nakauchi Pelletier and Maya Kuroki of TEKE::TEKE Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 20:31:16 GMT

TEKE::TEKE are a psychedelic rock band from Montreal that perform in Japanese. And by psych rock, I mean they are absolutely genre-bonkers. They bring together elements of Eleki, Punk, Spaghetti Western Score, Classic Rock, and Funk and blend them into something that makes Mr. Bungle sound like Celine Dion. I chatted with guitarist Serge Nakauchi Pelletier and vocalist Maya Kuroki about the band's origins as a Takeshi Terauchi cover band and how they morphed into the beauty of what they are now.

TEKE::TEKE are wrapping up a West Coast tour now, but promised me they'd be back soon. Their brilliant debut record, Shirushi, is out now on Kill Rock Stars.

How Did Mike Ziemer Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 22:34:29 GMT

Mike Ziemer is the founder of Third String Productions, a popular concert promoter based in Texas. He spoke to us about his humble beginnings as a concert promoter, how, 15 years ago, he learned how to leverage MySpace to help promote your shows and bands, and how he got to where he is today- a social media expert, concert promoter, band manager, record label owner, and owner of a recording studio.

How Did Stefan Aronsen Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Thu, 03 Sep 2020 00:57:19 GMT

Stefan Aronsen is the creator of Balanced Breakfast, which is a group of musicians and music industry professionals that get together for breakfast to discuss how to best help each other reach the widest audience. There are chapters all around the world, and they are meeting online during the pandemic. We talked about how he got his start in the music business and how to Balanced Breakfast managed to grow quickly and how to manage that. We even discussed the annual Balanced Breakfast Summit, mostly about how magical it was that they managed to get in a 2020 edition before the world closed.

Feel free to follow Stefan and Balanced Breakfast around everywhere:

Web:

http://balanced-breakfast.com/

http://stefanaronsen.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/blncdbrkfst

Instagram: @blncdbrkfst

https://www.instagram.com/blncdbrkfst

@stefanaronsen

https://www.instagram.com/stefanaronsen

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/blncdbrkfst/

Twitter: @stefanaronsen

https://twitter.com/StefanAronsen

Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/c/Blncdbrkfst

https://www.youtube.com/user/sfintercom

How Did Sergio Dias (of Os Mutantes) Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 22:51:33 GMT

We've made it to the fourth season of How Did I Get Here?!!! And our first guest of a bonafide rock legend- Sergio Dias, founding member of the groundbreaking rock n roll band Os Mutantes. We made a good-faith attempt to cover a 50+ year career in about 30 minutes, but I can already tell you that we could use another 4 hours to scratch the surface of his career.

Os Mutantes are hitting the road, headlining Freakout Festival outside of Seattle, November 10th - 13th, and coming to The Chapel in San Francisco on November 16th.

How Did Clara Bodacious Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 20:23:35 GMT

In our first episode, I ask burlesque dancer and mastermind behind the "Kind Of Blue Revue" about her path, taking us from her beginnings in burlesque, and through her development of the "Kind Of Blue Revue." You can find Clara at her website, ClaraBodacious.com, and you can follow her on Instagram @clarabodacious. If you want to learn burlesque, Red Hots Burlesque's School Of Shimmy is currently on hiatus, but keep an eye out here for classes resuming. If you want to support the venue that hosted Clara's first time on stage, El Rio is selling t-shirts designed by local artists to help get them through the pandemic-related closure. If you have any feedback about this episode, feel free to email me at dakin@spinningplatters.com. If you like what you heard and want to help support this thing, feel free to Venmo me whatever tip you feel is adequate @Dakin-Hardwick. Thanks for listening!

How Did Ashley Graham Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 09:00:00 GMT

Ashley Graham is the marketing director for The Fillmore and The Masonic. She's also the art director behind those amazing Fillmore posters. In her free time, she's also the advisor to Andrew St James. We talked about her career, of course, and what it's like to land a dream job where you actually get to work with Sammy Hagar. Yes, we talk about Sammy Hagar. We also talked about what it's like when you have a promo cycle plotted out for an artist, only to have it upended due to COVID and you have to get creative.

You can follow Ashley on Instagram here. And Andrew St James can be found here. His Fast Times project can be found here, and his new band, Juan Wayne, can be found here.

How Did Jennifer Clavin (Dear Francis) Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 22:58:33 GMT

Jennifer Clavin has been near the top of my interview bucket list since the inception of this site, a whopping 15 years ago. (!) I've followed her career through Mika Miko to Bleached, watching her mature as a songwriter while I've matured along with her, with her music helping me navigate my life. She's recently stepped out from behind the comfort of a band and has released three singles as a solo act under the alias Dear Francis. We discussed her career, her craft, and even hit on the joy of rescuing animals.

She's been posting links to her new music ⁠here ⁠as it's ready to share. She's playing Heavy Manners Library in LA on Sunday, October 27th. This is her first EVER solo show, and I'm sad I can't come down for it. But you should if you are in Southern California. Tickets ⁠here⁠!

How Did Pskyo Steve Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 09:00:00 GMT

This week's guest is legendary Phoenix-based concert promoter Stephen Chilton, aka Psyko Steve. We talked about how he got his start putting on shows in high school, and how he turned that into a full time job. Or several full time jobs. We also talked about what it's like to open The Rebel Lounge. He is also the Board Vice President of NIVA - National Independent Venues Associatio n, a coalition of over 3,000 venues, promoters, and festivals, working together to help keep each other afloat during this time when you can't run your business.

Recently NIVA hosted the SOS Fest: 35 artists performed short sets in empty venues across America over a weekend, all streamed on NIVA's YouTube page. This fest was to raise money for a fund to help keep our independent venues afloat until they can reopen. You can still watch every set here, donate to this worthy cause here, buy merch here, and, most importantly, press Congress to pass the Restart Act here!

How Did Black Polish Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 22:47:52 GMT

20-Year-Old Jayden Binnix, aka Black Polish, just released their second album, YUNA, a concept album about a succubus that feeds off the souls of men. It's pretty bonkers and amazing, and we had a wonderful chat about this record, their early work, being a non-binary artist on a major label, and, as usual, a bunch of nerdy wormholes are stumbled upon.

YUNA is out TODAY from BMG. Stream it at your favorite DSP!

How Did Angie Monroy of The McCharmlys Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 18:27:19 GMT

Last year, I had the opportunity to see The Sonics play at Great American Music Hall. It was a fantastic show, but I was particularly entranced by the Chicano Soul / Retro Garage band opening, The McCharmly's. We had the opportunity to speak to lead singer Angie Monroy about her musical journey.

The McCharmlys are on the road with SadGirl and put on one helluva live show. Tour Dates here. You can also pick up records and download music from their Bandcamp page.

How Did Kathy Foster of Roseblood Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 23:50:32 GMT

Odds are that you don't know the name Kathy Foster, but you've probably seen her live a few dozen times. She's probably best known as the bassist for Portland punks The Thermals. Or as a member of the supergroup All Girl Summer Fun Band. Or any of the 8,565,233 other bands she's been a part of. Alas, after decades of backing up other acts, she's released her debut solo record under the alias Roseblood. We talked about her pathway to rock, with some adventures and misadventures along the way. We even touched on the time she played "Faith" and "Rebel Rebel" with Sleater-Kinney, where her band Hurry Up got their name from, and a LOT of time talking about how amazing Maggie Vail is.

Roseblood's self-titled debut is out now and can be found on Bandcamp or wherever you stream your music from.

How Did Demi Adejuiygbe Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 17:06:53 GMT

Most people know Demi Adejuiygbe as the mastermind behind the legendary "September" videos. What you may not know is that he was a writer on The Good Place, possibly the greatest TV show ever, as well as The Amber Ruffin Show. As per the usual, we talked about his career, how he works, and, of course, there is a healthy dose of cat talk, complete with advice on how to properly AirTag your feline.

Demi has a sold out show at Great Star Theater on Friday Night as part of SF Sketchfest doing his classic one-man show Demi Adejuyigbe Is Going To Do One (1) Backflip , as well as appearing as part of Stamptown! at Club Fugazi on Saturday, January 18th. A limited number of tickets are available at the door, so I suggest you line up now for any and all of his SF Sketchfest appearances.

How Did Chris Appelgren Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 09:00:00 GMT

In this episode I got to talk with Bay Area music legend Chris Appelgren. We talked about many of his bands, including Bumblescrump (sadly not getting into exactly what this word means), The Potatomen, and The Peechees. We also discussed his rising through the ranks at Lookout Records, and even talked about its inevitable decline. And, of course, we talked about his time at Noise Pop, Bold Italic, and Ticketfly, as well as his return to the record business by helping Once And Future Band release their 2020 album Deleted Scenes. We never discussed on the podcast, but here is a link to Mouth Magazine & Records, another project Chris has been working on!

And if you liked hearing Chris speak, you'll love to hear him and his friends sing! Here is a playlist of some select artists / songs we talked about on the podcast!

How Did Liz Miele Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 09:00:00 GMT

In this edition of "How Did I Get Here?", I got to talk with stand-up comedy prodigy Liz Miele about her career, including getting started at 16 and continuing to nurture that career into adulthood. We discussed her first book, Why Cats Are Assholes, which of course digressed into talking about cat behavior. I even asked some specific questions about my own cat. We also talked about what it's like touring during a pandemic, and we had a TON of fun. For quick reference- Pasta is Liz's cat, Zoey and Ike are my cats.

We also talked a lot about influences, so Liz made me a list of important bits for her development as a comedian, giving you a companion playlist! We also talked about Miele's cat photoshoots, and those can be found on her Instagram! She also has a fantastic YouTube page where you can dig deep into her stand-up history. And she also has a podcast with Maria Shehata called 2 Non Doctors for your continued listening pleasure.

How Did The Loyal Seas (Tanya Donelly & Brian Sullivan) Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 04:19:24 GMT

Remember how I said a few weeks ago that I'm the 1st season of "How Did I Get Here?" was over? Well, I lied. I didn't lie, but I had the opportunity to snag the very first interview with The Loyal Seas. Who are The Loyal Seas? They are a bit of a supergroup featuring Bay Area-based indie veteran and all-around really lovely person, Brian Sullivan, aka Dylan In The Movies and Tanya Donelly. Yes, the Grammy-nominated Tanya Donelly m. Founding member of not one, but THREE of the most groundbreaking bands in rock history: Throwing Muses, The Breeders, and Belly. We got to talk about friendship, struggling to get your music heard, the logistics of having a transcontinental band, and a lot more. I even asked a very specific question about a moment that happened at a Belly concert in 1993, and, sadly, that moment is missing from the internet. You can literally watch the whole show except the part we talked about. The Loyal Seas first 7", Strange Mornings In The Garden, is coming out December 4th on American Laundromat. Pre-orders are happening NOW! A full-length is in the works, and we should be hearing that around Fall 2021. The best way to stay in the know there is to follow them on Instagram. You can follow Tanya Donelly on Instagram and Bandcamp, and you can also pre-order the Belly rarities/b-sides compilation Bees, too! Brian Sullivan can be found on Instagram and Dylan In The Movies can be found on Bandcamp. Keep an eye out at American Laundromat for more Dylan In The Movies news soon!

How Did Lani Torres Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 09:00:00 GMT

Our guest this week is Lani Torres, co-owner of Ivy Room, a great 200 cap room in Albany, CA. We talked about her first show, how she fell into working in live music, we waxed nostalgic about the Bay Area show scene, and talked a bit about running a music venue.

Ivy Room is located at 860 San Pablo Ave. Sadly, they aren't doing live music right now due to COVID, but they are open for take out cocktails and food from 4-8 Thurs-Sat and 2-6 on Sundays. If you want to support the venue while it's shuttered, they have a GoFundMe and some lovely merch for sale. They also have BITCH from Bitch and Animal and the legendary Detroit Cobras booked for shows next September, and you'll probably see me at one or both of these. You can pick tickets up for those here.

How Did Clare O'Kane Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Clare O'Kane is one of the finest stand up comics to come out of the 2010's SF stand up scene. She's been featured in Viceland's show Flop House, and is a writer on Hulu's Shrill. She's also one of my favorite people in the world to talk with. We had an excellent chat about her decade in stand up comedy, how she programmed her career, and how she fell into TV writing.

You can keep an eye on everything she's doing on her website, clareokane.com, and you can also find her as @babysfirstgun on Twitter and @clareisokane on Instagram.

If you have any feedback about this episode, feel free to email me at dakin@spinningplatters.com. If you like what you heard and want to help support this thing, feel free to Venmo me whatever tip you feel is adequate @Dakin-Hardwick. And, most importantly, please go to SaveOurStages.com to find out what you can do to help independent promoters and venues weather this COVID crisis so we have shows to go back to when this pandemic is over. Thanks for listening!

How Did Yo Kinky Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 11:00:00 GMT

Remember January 2020? It was a time of magic and optimism. It was an election year, and our Democratic contenders were such a supergroup that whoever we ended up with was going to win. The economy was looking up, the music industry was about to have a record year for live performances. That's when Laura Wight and Tom Unish met at a rock club and started talking music. They connected pretty deeply and quickly started writing and recording together. Two months later, a global pandemic hits the US, and hits New York City particularly hard, where Wight & Unish live. So, what do you do? Do try to work remotely? Do you put everything on hold til it's over? Or do you roll the dice on this relationship and move in with each other two months after meeting? Well, Laura & Tom decided to take the gamble, and Yo Kinky was born! We talked about these logistics, music, and a lot more. (YG even comes up!) Enjoy the episode and don't forget to pick up their debut EP at yokinky.bandcamp.com!

Note: This is episode 1 of season 2, and I haven't recorded one of these in a while. I made a few mistakes in terms of setting recording inputs, causing a handful of moments where the sound quality is less than great. I tried my best to reduce the noise, but I couldn't do it. I decided that the content was good enough that you, the listener, won't judge me too hastily here. Thank you for your support!

How Did Nadia Quinn Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:11:15 GMT

Nadia Quinn is an NYC-based singer, songwriter, comedian, writer, and actress, and she probably has 100 other jobs that we neglected to cover. We had a great conversation about family and comedy and the stress of comedy music.

Nadia has TWO appearances at SF Sketchfest this week. She is part of the Middle Aged Dad Jam Band at Great American Music Hall on February 1st and brings her own show, The Nadia Quinn Show, to The Lost Church on February 2nd. The State's Ken Marino and Thomas Lennon are expected to crash both events. I plan on attending both shows, so if you see someone who looks like a visually impaired Jack Black, feel free to say hello!

How Did Miki Berenyi Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Fri, 24 May 2024 23:58:19 GMT

This episode features Miki Berenyi, famous for fronting the legendary 4AD act Lush. We talked about her career, the nature of the UK music press, radio, the economics of touring, and accidentally putting together a band! Berenyi recently released a memoir called fingers crossed: how music saved me from success, and it's endlessly captivating. She is playing shows in the US in June, then returning to the UK in the fall. Those dates can be found here. And her latest single, Vertigo, is streaming in all the usual places.

How Did Jamie Loftus Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 20:38:02 GMT

Jamie Loftus is a writer, actor, comic, cartoonist, podcaster, and probably has about 3500 other jobs that we never covered on this episode because, well, there is only so much time in the day. In this episode we discussed her early playwriting days, stand-up comedy, the difference between eating dog food and condensed cream of mushroom soup, and, since this is Spinning Platters, we even talked about music!

She's taking her podcast, The Bechdel Cast, on the road! Tickets and tour dates are here, and it all kicks off with a visit to SF Sketchfest on February 1st at 7:30! You can also pick up Loftus' amazing book, Raw Dog, here. And, of course, you can find all other things Loftus here! Oh, and this is where you can enjoy the CVS Bangerz playlist!

How Did Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 23:55:04 GMT

Alexis Krauss is the lead singer of the popular band Sleigh Bells. Their noisy blend of grindcore guitars and pop beats may not be the most suited for casual radio listening, but it feels me and many others with great joy. I got to speak to Krauss about her time with the pop group RubyBlue, working on a TV show as a young teen, working as a session musician, and how a fateful meeting at a restaurant brought Krauss back to playing in a band.

Sleigh Bells' latest release, Texis, is available for you to enjoy NOW! The band is currently at the tail end of a North American tour, and will be kicking off another round of dates in early 2022. You can find an up-to-date schedule here. Please remember to vaxx up and mask up at these shows for the safety of the band and your fellow fans!

How Did Jean Grae Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Mon, 27 Dec 2021 23:00:36 GMT

It's been a loooong time, hasn't it? Fear not- I will try not to leave you, my loyal listeners, hanging for this long again. And it was worth the wait... This might be the only episode that is- ENTIRELY UNEDITED. I got to speak with noted polymath Jean Grae about, well, pretty much everything. We talked about being highly ambitious from a young age, we talked about her career in music, her jump into stand up, writing a book, composing score, and pretty much everything else you can imagine. We even discussed the Lisa Lisa in great detail. And for those that stop listening halfway through, we do ACTUALLY solve COVID in the last five minutes, so you will definitely want to hang on for that.

Jean Grae is coming to SF for SF Sketchfest the final weekend of the festival, which has sadly been moved to 2023. Her updated schedule can be found here! Grae is also still putting out music faster than most people can decide what to listen to, and her Bandcamp page is full of amazing stuff for you to listen to and purchase.

How Did Noga Erez Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 21:24:31 GMT

Noga Erez is a brilliant MC who, after years generating buzz in the underground, is putting out her major label debut, The Vandalist on September 20th. We had a great discussion about influences, working with Missy Elliott, her epic KIDS livestream, and even managed to discuss the complexities of promoting a record while living in a politically volatile country.

How Did Annie Hart Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 21:12:04 GMT

On this episode, we had Annie Hart, formerly of Au Revoir Simone, one of Spinning Platters' all-time favorite bands. We talked about the importance of Pee-Wee Herman, Heavy D & The Boys, Funkmaster Flex, David Lynch, Christmas Presents, and even Okuda Hiroko, the woman who wrote all of your favorite Casiotone beats! Her new record, The Weight Of A Wave, is available now, and fall tour dates are below:

Sep 12 Anchor Rock Club Atlantic City, NJ
Sep 13 Bowery Ballroom New York (NYC), NY
Sep 14 White Eagle Hall Jersey City, NJ
Oct 20 Space Gallery Portland, ME
Oct 21 Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre Somerville, MA
Oct 22 Press Room Portsmouth Portsmouth, NH
Oct 24 Velvet Underground TorontoToronto, ON
Oct 25 Bell's Eccentric Cafe Kalamazoo, MI
Oct 27 The Empty Bottle Chicago, IL

How Did Bethany Cosentino Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 16:45:51 GMT

You may know the name Bethany Cosentino as 1/2 of the popular LA duo Best Coast. After nearly 15 years of plugging away, they decided it was time to take a break. In the meantime, Cosentino has recorded a brilliant solo album on par with the best of Linda Rondstadt and Jenny Lewis. We had a lovely opportunity to chat with Bethany about her time in Best Coast and her noise band Pocahaunted. We talked about having a famous cat, about always being in the eye of the indie rock press, and about what she's doing now.

Bethany Cosentino's debut solo album, Natural Disaster, is in stores and online on Friday, July 28th, and can be preordered / presaved here.

How Did Rakel Mjöll of Dream Wife Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 16:01:46 GMT

Rakel Mjöll is the lead singer of UK punk band Dream Wife. This conversation was witty and full of positive, inspirational energy. Also, nothing has made me want to get drenched in shared sweat at a rock show more than this chat. Dream Wife's third full length, Social Lubrication, is available to preorder here, and is in stores June 9th. UK Fans (or those willing to pay more for shipping than the cost of the album) can get one of the few, remaining, extra-creepy gel-sleeve editions of the album here. (UK Fans coming to the US after this ships and looking for a present for me? This is a good option.)

Tour Dates can be found here, and, once again, I'd love to dance with you at Bottom Of The Hill on the 20th of September!

How Did Paige Parsons Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 10:00:00 GMT

Today's guest is rock photography extraordinaire, Paige Parsons! We talked her first shows, how she stumbled into rock photography, giving away ice cream at concerts, and her current photography project, the PPE Project, which is an effort to give a face to doctors working in PPE. We had a great conversation, that made me really sad that shows are off the table for the foreseeable future.

Paige can be found in Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. There is also a great documentary about her on YouTube.

Here's a quick list of links that were mentioned on our chat:

https://icecreamman.com

https://www.ellenby.com/

https://www.facebook.com/PPEPortraitProject

https://ppeportrait.org/create

https://www.kqed.org/news/11817046/from-ebola-to-coronavirus-a-simple-practice-of-sticker-photo-portraits-for-doctors

How Did Zoe Ko Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 18:49:44 GMT

Zoe Ko is a pop/rock songwriter who has gifted the world some great, highly infectious singles and an EP in 2023. 2024 has been incredibly productive for her, and we had a great chat about nurturing your career, finding your people and your sound, and a lot about her future, including touring and what we should expect in the studio.

Zoe Ko's latest single, "Lucky," can be found here. Her website is here, but her Instagram is the best place for new news as it drops!

How Did Rhian Teasdale of Wet Leg Get Here?

Spinning Platters — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 18:00:00 GMT

Most episodes of this show are with someone that has had a long and storied career. I mean, that's kind of the premise of the show. However, the opportunity to bring Rhian Teasdale of the great Wet Leg, the best thing to come out of the Isle of Wight since The Who's best live album, onto the podcast was too good to pass up. We talked about deciding to pivot from your academic studies to studying rock n roll. We talked about becoming a headlining act on the strength of a single, absolutely killer song. We talked about becoming the next big thing in the middle of a pandemic. And, most importantly, we talked about the difference between American and British names for a frozen, whipped dairy treat.

Life moves quickly for a young rock n roll band. Since we recorded this interview, not only has the band released their second single, "Wet Dream," which I can assure you has more blush-worthy lyrics than "Chaise Longue," but might even be more danceable. And you should get your dancing shoes ready because Wet Leg is coming to the US for THREE SHOWS!!

Dec. 8th Brooklyn, NY Baby's All Right

Dec. 14th Los Angeles, CA The Moroccan Lounge

Dec. 15th San Francisco, CA Popscene at Rickshaw Shop