Free Shit, Sake Tasting, Project (Red)

You know, if every Wednesday was like yesterday, I would be a pretty happy camper. The night started after work, when Andrea and I met up and headed down to 4th and B for the "Mercury Oasis" or whatever they called it. I've never seen 4th and B look so good (without beer spilled all over the vinyl tiled floors, that is). There were several little curtained cabana-like areas. We registered (yes, you have to give your personal info for swag sometimes), and went straight to the complimentary chair massage area. Andrea kinda got screwed, but my masseuse gave me an extended massage since there was nobody waiting behind me. From there, we grabbed our free Vitamin Water and watched a cooking demonstration by Chef Billy who claims to be famous, but I ain't never heard of him. Still, his food was awesome. Check my food blog later for some yummy recipes. After that we wandered over to the Oxygen Bar. I was trying anything to shake my cold so the idea of 95% pure Oxygen was appealing, though it takes a while to get used to the plastic up your nose. Here are some really attractive pictures of us.





We went back to Chef Billy for a little bit and some more samples and decided to bail after about an hour of having been at 4th and B. We were handed our swag bags with some bath products, water, lip stuff and lavendar scented oils. Junior, a 4th and B/House of Blues security guard that I know from way back was at the door and told us to grab a second bag. Double Free Shit!

Massaged and fed and clean lungs and light heads, we went to the Wine Vault. The event was sold out, so we were about to leave and I told CatDirt and CDW that it was too full, but Asako caught us and was able to squeeze the two of us in at a table with an older couple. Saké hits different people different ways and they were a few tastes ahead of us and the wife was pretty buzzed. Hilarious. Anyway, here's us around our 3rd tasting.



Berkeley (a guy I met through Daye a while back at the Casbah) works there, so here's my shameless plug for his new band Nautical Disaster. They played at Scolari's last week and are playing again January 19th, so keep an eye out.

From the Wine Vault we stopped at my house to let my dog out and have some of the saké we had leftover from the free tasting last week. We went to the Beauty Bar, which was having a benefit for Project (Red). For future reference, if a club is claiming to be accepting donations on behalf of a charity, they are supposed to have tax-deductible receipts for verification. The Beauty Bar did not, but I guess we were really only asking to be facetious.

Spell Toronto was playing when we arrived. We ordered drinks. Another Beauty Bar complaint- don't call it "$3 u-call-its" if that really just translates to "Half pours for Half price". Man, I wished Bryant was working.

I really liked Spell Toronto, although this performance was 2 guys on guitar (and at one point one on keys), so we know I'm a sucker for the stripped down music. I like the raspy vox and the tempo of the songs. I know this is not Andrea's kind of music, she doesn't like vulnerable music (because I refuse to say emo), but I liked them. And I wasn't the only one, judging by the number of girls up front swooning. I would definitely check them out again and am curious to see them with a full band. My digital camera really sucks, but here's a pic:



We hung out in the bar with Jamal with our weak drinks shooting the shit and laughing while 4 frat boys disguised as scenesters gawked at two girls in the corner practicing their best stripper moves on one another. It is pretty clear the Beauty Bar is trying to capitalize on the proximity to San Diego State, but I think that's a huge mistake. If I wanted to hang out with 22 year olds (or are they getting in there with fake IDs??) that think making out with their best friend is the best way to score a guy, then I would hang out in PB.

I went back to the patio when a guy asked me for a cig and told me he's sooo nervous. It was the craziest thing...the dancefloor was filling up and about 30 minutes had passed since Spell Toronto quit and they're gonna try and throw a guy onstage with just his acoustic guitar??



That guy is named Ben Brewer. He's a New York transplant who moved here for a girl and left his band, The Exit, back in New York. A strong soulful voice accompanied by his heavy guitar strumming and his occasional harmonica and he won me over right away. Even better was when his songs got political and evoked a couple "fuck yeahs" from Andrea and I. If he was nervous you'd never have known as he commanded the stage and the attention of the people who at first seemed disappointed that the DJ stopped spinning during the performance. Of course, kids these days with their ADD and all, the crowd dwindled a little because that pair of chicks went back to their stripper practice, but those of us that stayed got to see what is hopefully, a new remarkable addition to the San Diego music scene. And hopefully, for Ben and for San Diego, things work out with the girl...