Things To Do In San Diego: August 30-31, 2008

Today is the day! My second attempt at "presenting" a show at the Ken Club, whatever that means. Mostly it means YOU show up to my pre-show BBQ with beer and shit to grill, I clean up the yard of Pascha's landmines, and WE have a ton of fun. Don't drive because I am 90% certain we'll have an after party situation, too. See you all in a few hours. I'm on Adams, 2 blocks east of the Ken Club, behind Clip Art Salon, FYI.

Saturday, August 30, 2008:

• SD:Dialed In presents Republic of Letters, AM Vibe, The Lanterns @ The Ken Club. Pre-show BBQ at 5 pm at my place. Email for address. BYOE.
• Devo @ Del Mar Race Track
• Vena Cava (CD Release Party), Shark Pants and Kipper @ The Basement, 21+
• Polvo, Trans Am, Roxy Jones @ Casbah
• Bedford Grove, The Upstarts, Fing, Dropjoy @ Headcase Warehouse $15 all you can drink
• Jack Johnson, Rogue Wave, Paula Fuga, Culver City Dub Collective, @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheater
• Silverleaf, Austin James Band @ Lestat's
• Joe Wood @ Hensley's Flying Elephant (7-10pm)
• Bredren & Hi Roots @ Portugalia
• Soulshine Breast Cancer Benefit, Split Finger, Irieside, Flight to Athena @ 710 Beach Club
• Danger Danger feat DJ Corey Biggs @ Beauty Bar
• Never Say Die Presents...Off Track, Don't Say Vegas, Starving For Gravity @ O'Connell's
• Shake Shack @ Bar Pink (Elephant)
• Melissa Etheridge @ Viejas Concerts In The Park
• Mogul @ Surf & Saddle
• Spazboy, The Mice, Unruly Bangs, Balls Deep @ Radio Room $5 donation for a dog named Whiskey's cancer treatment
• Armor, No Sucker DJs, DJ Artistic @ U-31
• Sycuan Presents La Grange - A Tribute To ZZ Top with Neil Deal and Monsters of Rock @ House of Blues
• DANCING NIGHT w/ blackblack, Fantastic Magic DJ set and djs Mario Orduno, Sir Charles and Brandon Welchez @ Whistle Stop
• Boogie Nights feat. Metal Snake with guest DJs @ Belly Up
• Starline Theorie, One Lonely Robot, New Day Mile @ Brick By Brick
• RX Bandits, Portugal. The Man, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground @ soma
• Pidgeon John, Destructo Bunny, JFeve, Kruse, DJ Artisitic @ Winston's
• SD's Homegrown feat. Deep Rooted and more @ 4th & B
• Little Brother, Wylde Bunch, DJ D-Rock of Z90 & Sighphur One @ Canes
• Dave Mason @ Anthology (Early Show, 7:30 pm, Late Show, 9:30 pm)
• Labor Day Blues Fest @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (6p-1:30 am)
• 1812 Tchaikovsky Spectacular @ Summer Pops Concerts at the Embarcadero

Sunday, August 31, 2008:

• Joanie Mendenhall, The Ex-Friends @ Lou's (free in-store, 3pm)
• The Local 94/9 Presents A Free Show Celebrating SD's own Secret Society Scooter Club 25th Anniversary w/ Manual Scan, Self Made Men and Downs Family followed by Jivewire/One Nation Under a Groove @ Casbah
• Love or Parish, The New Dress @ Ken Club
• Boomsnake, Witt, Wild Weekend and The Colour Revolt @ Che Cafe
• Pre-Labor Day party feat. Past Lives (Ex Blood Brothers) & The Crocodiles @ Whistle Stop
• Baname Metalik, Wrecking Dead, Stitch Hopeless and the Sea Leg, The Strikers @ Radio Room
• The Solana Beach World Series of Beer Pong Satellite Tournament presented by SCBP @ Belly Up, Noon
• Mr. Lewis and the Funeral 5 @ Bar Pink (Elephant)
• The New Up, Secret Apollo, The Burning of Rome @ The Beauty Bar
• Tim Mudd B-day Show @ Lestat's
• DJ Blair Alley (brit-pop) @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Jeff Densen @ Portugalia
• Soulshine Breast Cancer Benefit, Northstar, Escape Note, Causeway, Strangely Attractive, Close Talker @ 710 Beach Club
• Tribe of Kings/Reggae Vibes @ U-31
• The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Bonedaddys @ Belly Up
• Decades Party! 70’s, 80’s and 90’s! feat. Radiostar @ Bitter End Backstage
• Victory Nightlife Presents: Club Massive-Victory 10 Year Anniversary @ House of Blues
• Funk-n The Trunk @ Winston's (4-7p)
• Jose Sinatra's OB-o-ke @ Winston's
• Atomic Punks (Early Tribute to Van Halen), Damage Inc (Metallica Tribute) & Just Like Priest (Judas Priest Tribute) @ Canes
• Jerome Dawson @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (Early show, 10a-2p, late show, 8 pm)
• Labor Day Jazz Celebration @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (6p-1a)
• Satoko Fujii ma-do featuring Natsuki Tamura trumpet, Satoko Fujii piano, Norikatsu Koreyasu bass, & Akira Horikoshi drums @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
• 1812 Tchaikovsky Spectacular @ Summer Pops Concerts at the Embarcadero

Meet Slash in LA

If you had interest in the panels at North By North Park, it is possible that you might want to take a day off to head to LA next week.

Guitar Center in Northridge, CA will be hosting an informative panel session with Slash. The event is on September 3rd. It is free and open to the public and includes a book signing for 2008 Pop-Culture Book of the Year Reckless Road: Guns N' Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction (Real Deal Media).

The evening will be powered by Gibson, Ernie Ball and Real Deal Media and is designed to provide informative, provocative conversation and hands- on tutorials. Topics for this session with Slash include guitar techniques, songwriting tips, touring and music business advice and much more.

Things To Do In San Diego: August 29, 2008

Friday, August 29, 2008:

• Writer (CD Release), Joel P West @ Whistle Stop
• Party Politics Debate Health Care 6-8p, followed by music from Silver Summit, Derek Papa, Calico Horse @ Habitat House (1008 21st Street) 7pm, BYOB
• Get Back Loretta, Vision of a Dying World, Boomsnake, Silverghost in the Atari Lounge @ Casbah
• House Party: The Sess, Scarlet Symphony, Thin Man, Which Hats, BRAAIINS!!, Chaz @ The Yard (39 17th Street) $5
• The Postals, The Bugs, Heavy Cessna, D.P.I. @ The Ken Club
• 4 o'clock Friday presents Steel Pulse @ Del Mar Race Track
• The Drowning Men @ Hensley's Flying Elephant (7-10pm)
• Matt & Kim, Best Fwends, Doctor Bird, and The Anasazis @ Che Cafe
• Bill, Skirt Alert @ Longboard's
• Soulshine Breast Cancer Benefit, Bitter: Sweet, Audible Mainframe, Carbine @ 710 Beach Club
• Pocket @ Bar Pink (Elephant)
• Millionaires, MC Flow, C Wizard, Andrew Decade @ Beauty Bar
• Jimmy Dean & The Sausage Kings, Behind The Wagon, Cathouse Thumpers @ O'Connell's
• Syndicate, The Feeling's Mutual, The Valley Arena (long beach) @ Radio Room
• In Every Breath, Signs of Betrayal, Black Ambulance @ San Diego Sports Club
• Rebel Rebel, The Mob (CD Release), The Strangers, The Whiskey Dicks, the Fakes @ Brick By Brick
• Chris Cornell @ House of Blues
• Melissa and The Monkey Bites @ Surf & Saddle
• TRC Sound Systems @ Portugalia
• A Shattered Hope @ Epicentre
• Alex Depue, Miguel De Hoyos @ Lestat's
• Rub-A-Dub-Fridays Hosted By Dub Traffik Control, Get Your Dub On @ Belly Up
• The English Beat @ Wiens Family Cellars
• Suffokate, His Irate Life, Northwall, Seconds From Disaster, As They Burn Alive, The Cost Of Salvation @ soma
• Blue Turtle Seduction @ Winston's
• Latin Comedy @ 4th & B
• Stranger, High Tide, Psydecar, Dirty Heads, DJ Artistic @ Canes
• Jackie Greene, Chelsea Williams @ Anthology (Early Show, 7:30 pm)
• Radio Latina presenta "Fiesta de Salsa" con Sirak Baloyan y Su Sonora Antillana @ Anthology (Late show, 10 pm, Invitation Only)
• Plato Soul @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (6-8p)
• Rockola @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (9:30p)
• 1812 Tchaikovsky Spectacular @ Summer Pops Concerts at the Embarcadero

Let's Get Political (Let me hear your body talk)

Tonight there's a lot going on around town but it's also Barack Obama's big night to shine and to accept the nomination at the Democratic National Convention. MoveOn is promoting house parties where people in communities get together and watch the speech together, then join an online dicussion afterward. I've been to several MoveOn events in the past and they're always really cool. Meeting like-minded people is always fascinating, and it's not too late to sign up and head to a house party. I know the idea of going to a stranger's house can be weird, but the hospitality of neighbors is truly an overwhelming experience and everyone should try to make one if possible.

Check out the San Diego parties here.

Additionally, the Democratic party is hosting parties all over town. My mom really wanted me to mention the one at 3rd and Park Way (Between F & G)in Chula Vista at the Democratic headquarters down there, from 6-10pm. There are other democratic party events listed here or here, including the main DNC party at the Eagle's Lodge, or other viewing parties at places like Winston's, Extraordinary Desserts, the VFW, and some more house parties.

The last two elections pretty much had me voting against Bush and not so much FOR Gore or FOR Kerry. It's finally nice to cast a vote FOR a candidate instead of just trying to defeat the alternative.

Things To Do In San Diego: August 28, 2008

Thursday August 28, 2008:

• Matt & Kim, Best Fwends, The Crocodiles, DJ Mario Orduno @ Beauty Bar
• Sight & Sound feat CircaNow, AcroYoga performers, Slapjazz & Spoonful, hosted by Trev from the X1FM Gun Show, free hors d'oeuvres and wine @ Kava Lounge
• Patty Griffin, Langhorne Slim- presented by KCRW @ Belly Up SOLD OUT
• The Melvins, Big Business, @ Canes
• Farewell to Adventure Max - Kill Me Tomorrow, Max Fields, Fantastic Magic @ Casbah
• 102.1 KPRI Home Grown Hour feat. Dynamite Walls, Astra Kelly, Maddos Revolution, Jenn Grinells @ U-31
• Boomsnake, Brian Warren, The Paddle Boat @ Lestat's
• The Whiskey Dicks, Flexx Bronco(SF), Homeless Sexuals @ Radio Room
• Adam Gimbel's Musical Pursuit Trivia @ Whistle Stop
• The Material @ Epicentre
• Someday Assasin, Opus Dai, Breakhouse @ Brick By Brick
• The Mannequin Men @ Bar Pink (Elephant)
• New Colossus, Dream Tiger, Jesse Nova @ Bitter End Backstage
• DJ Mikey Ratt @ The Ken Club
• Skelpin @ Hensley's Flying Elephant (7-10pm)
• Karaoke @ O'Connell's
• Poison @ Pala Casino
• Blue Spring, Kyle Van Band, Blue Suede Buick @ 710 Beach Club
• Darkest Hour, Parkway Drive, Misery Signals, Winds Of Plague, Stick To Your Guns, Arsis, Abigal Williams, After The Burial, Arsonists Get All The Girls @ soma
• Blue Turtle Seduction @ Winston's
• Black Mountain Boys @ Surf & Saddle
• Anthology House Band @ Anthology (Early Show, 7:30 pm)
• Laurie Morvan @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge

This is why my boots are muddy as shit

Play everyone's new favorite game, "Where's Ray (best heard and not seen)?"

The mud at Reading and Leeds is fairly legendary. I, unlike the guys from Louis XIV, didn't think to buy Wellies. I guess I was breaking the law when I forgot to declare all the foreign mud I was bringing back on my boots when I was coming back through customs.

Everything became real to me after seeing the BBC footage of the Killers at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. Before I had seen it, my memory was starting to blur all the festivals into each other, there was nothing to distinguish one from the next. The most fun I was having was watching other bands (like The Raconteurs, Bloc Party, the Ting Tings, and most of all Rage Against the Machine), certainly not playing.

*The Evidence Taps Ray on the Shoulder* "Uh.... you played in front of 80,000 people last night buddy."

*Ray snaps his head around* "Huh?...No shit?! Really? No shit!"

*The Evidence* "Yes, and people enjoyed themselves. The light show was really a highlight."

*Ray* "Wow! I can see it!"

Now so can you.

Reading Festival, The Killers - All These Things That I've done, 8.23.08

8.25.08 Buddy Akai, Head Like a Kite, Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra @ Casbah

Well, Monday was pretty fun, didn't really know what to expect since Buddy Akai played SoCo Festival on Saturday and must had a lot of there crowd there for the amazing $5 concert with about 10 bands playing all afternoon. But this is monday. I got to the Casbah about halfway through the Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra, which was what I really wanted to check out since it is obviously one of the more "unique" musical groups in SD. I had watched the video from sddialedin.com after their last show, and to tell the truth I was disappointed. So I had to see it for myself. But unfortunately, the video was very accurate. You really are just staring at a giant hunk of metal, with a tiny TV Screen in its bellly, and then listening to very simplistic keyboard/midi-sounding pop music. I applaud them for taking a creative approach, but the show definitely needs more (either better music, dancing robot, more moving props, better light show, smoke machine, explosions, R2D2 C3PO guest appearances, etc.)

Next was Head Like a Kite, I beleive from Seattle?, they were electro rockers. I spent most of the time talking outside to Daye and Wendy while they played. There were a couple crazies at the Casbah that night (one guy flicked a cig at Wendy's hair, another guy looked like Chris Farley in a tucked in polo shirt and slacks, weird). While I was talking I could help but notice the band actually sounded good. I was shocked when I went inside to find only 2 guys playing. One on drums and one guy playing everything in-between (keys, computer,...) I was impressed with their performance, especially since it was only two guys. I feel like they could really benefit from a stobe light and/or fog/other stage props.

Lastly, Buddy Akai, they brought a lot of energy and the crowd was dancing to their electro-pop-rock music. It was good to see they still had some excitement at the Casbah, when two nights previous they were playing to between 500-1,000 (I am not good with numbers). They played well and seemed like a tight group. I thought any moment the disco lights would start spinning but they never did.

Overall I thought Head Like a Kite stole the show with their 2 man electro-rock performance.

P.S. It's too bad when one crazy dude can ruin the night for many. Skinny, glasses wearing, cig flicking dude was being a prick to everyone. Lame. Stay home next time.

Film & Culture Preview: Thursday 8/28/08

While this blog is focused primarily on live music, occasionally there are great events that fall in other categories that still deserve some mention. Tomorrow (Thursday 8/28) there are several film and arts events around town.
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First is the POP Thursdays (Photography Off the Prado) event at the Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) at Balboa Park. The event is every few months and features music, drinks, interactive photography projects and cult films. This week's movie screening is the essential college film Animal House. Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School will also be there, "San Diego's premier cabaret life drawing group! "

Animal House
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Event begins at 6pm
Film begins at 7pm
Cost: $6 general public, FREE to MoPA Members
*Theater seating is provided on a first come, first serve basis


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Also screening Thursday evening is the last of this summer's Balboa Park "Screen on the Green" film series.

Thursdays, 8:00 p.m.
Paper Moon(1973, PG)
August 28
East Lawn, near the Botanical Building and the
Casa del Prado
Free

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The last item at Balboa Park is the monthly series "Tower After Hours" at the San Diego Museum of Man. This month, Germany is the country of choice that will be showcasing their booze, dancing and music. From their site:

Experience Tower After Hours,™ our ongoing series celebrating San Diego’s unique and vibrant ethnic mix.

Don't miss this pre-Oktoberfest party at the San Diego Museum of Man! Join the German American Societies of San Diego, the La Jolla Brew House, and The House of Germany as they kick off the Oktoberfest season with a celebration of Germany during Tower After Hours on Thursday, August 28. Enjoy an array of regional German food and drinks as you experience this showcase of German culture. We are featuring the Edelweiss Band with dance performances by the Balboa Park Dancers. Enjoy the tantalizing tastes of German food and the vibrant experience of German music and dance during this festive event."

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Up the coast a little ways at the La Jolla branch of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD-LJ) they are screening the sixth annual alt.pictureshows, where Sherwood Auditorium and portions of MCASD’s galleries are transformed into San Diego’s premier short-film showcase and the definitive experiment in “physical channel surfing.”

As numerous short films screen on a loop throughout the Museum during the one-night festival, MCASD becomes a movie funhouse featuring a cross-section of innovative cinematic works by filmmakers from around the globe. This year’s featured filmmakers include David Lynch, Nash Edgerton, Ari Gold, Ken Wardrop, Rob Meyer, Mads Matthieson, Justin Nowell, David Michod, Amanda Micheli, and Isabel Vega, among others. The themes of this year’s alt.pictureshows ricochet from dark comedy, twisted romance, and offbeat drama to personal, experimental documentaries. Please note: Many of the program’s short films have adult content and have not been rated.

ALT.PICTURESHOWS
Thursday, August 28 > 7 PM
MCASD La Jolla
Free for MCASD Members; $5 General

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With all of these options, it's hard to decide where to go. Also you could just head down to Kava Lounge for this month's "Sight & Sounds" event featuring CircaNow, AcroYoga performers, Slapjazz & Spoonful, hosted by Trev from the X1FM Gun Show, free hors d'oeuvres and wine.

Street Scene 2008 Daily Lineup Announced

The specific lineups for Friday and Saturday, September 19 & 20, 2008 were recently announced. Street scene returns to downtown San Diego this year, and with the announcement of who plays on what day, the 1-Day tickets went on sale.

1-Day Tickets for each day are $65 and the 2-Day passes have gone up to $95 and can be purchased here: http://streetscene08.frontgatetickets.com/

As always, get the actual set-times from the Street Scene official site in the days prior to the show: http://www.street-scene.com/

San Diego: Dialed In Presents! Republic of Letters, AM Vibe, The Lanterns @ The Ken

pre-party! BBQ at my house, 5 pm Saturday. Bring food for grilling and drinks for sharing. And beggin strips if you want my dog to like you.

Things To Do In San Diego: August 26-27, 2008

Highlights this week (besides Radiohead, duh!)
I've got a couple pairs of tickets for Matt & Kim at the Beauty Bar on Thursday night. E-mail me with subject "Skull Kontrol" with your name and phone number and I'll notify winners on Thursday.

Also, SD:Dialed In presents a great show this weekend at my neighborhood bar. Republic of Letters, A.M. Vibe and The Lanterns are playing at the Ken Club on Saturday night and we're having a pre-party at my pad before. Everyone is invited, so don't be shy...just bring some stuff for grilling and sharing and some drinks for mixing. Rite-Aid in Normal Heights usually has some great Labor Day weekend specials, FYI. If you haven't been here before, just email me for directions. Or just ask the guys at the Ken Club if you get lost.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008:

• circaNow, Whiskey Circus and Fing @ Casbah
• Crescendo, Pretty & Nice, Tropical Depression, Transmission Tuesdays’ DJ Heather Hardcore @ Beauty Bar
• "Connect" feat. Junior the Discopunk @ The Ken Club
• Too Cool For Karaoke @ U-31
• Lucinda Williams, Buick 6 @ Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay
• Sebastian Bach, Rob De Luca @ Viejas Dreamcatcher Showroom
• Another Zeke Productions Presents...Incomplete Neighbor, Pocket Utopia & TBA@ O'Connell's
• Tiki Tuesday freat. Craig Prior @ Bar Pink (Elephant)
• Friends Chill @ Whistle Stop
• Totes Tuesdays!!! DJs Sid and Buddha @ Radio Room
• Nevermind: A Tribute to Nirvana, Dirty Frank: a Pearl Jam Tribute @ House of Blues
• Los Amigos Invisibles, The Bankhead Press @ Belly Up
• Game Night @ 710 Beach Club
• Def Comedy Night @ Brick By Brick
• I-90, The Blackbirdz @ Winston's
• Industry Night/ Karaoke Night with Levi Strauss - $3 U Call Its @ Canes
• John Cruz @ Anthology (Early Show, 7:30 pm)
• Citizen Band @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge

Wednesday, August 27, 2008:

• Radiohead, Liars @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
• An Evening with Joe Purdy, Meiko, Jay Nash, and Chris Seefried of the Low Stars @ Anthology (Early Show, 7:30 pm)
• HiFi Colossi, The Littlest Viking, Sex Mannequin @ Casbah
• Eastern Conference Champions, Austin Nicolai, DJ Andrew Decade @ Beauty Bar
• Commune! feat Hotel St. George, Jersey Fresh DJs, Art, etc. @ Whistle Stop
• John Fogerty @ Pala Casino
• Behind the Wagon, Off With Their Heads, Nothington, Breaker Breaker One Niner, The Anchor @ Radio Room
• Steve Poltz @ Petco Park
• Manwhore Wednesdays @ The Ken Club
• Kimmi Marthers, Mary Dolan, Vanja James and her band @ Portugalia
• Joe Wood @ Hensley's Flying Elephant (7-10pm)
• Umalali : the Garifuna Women's Project @ World Beat Center
• Kings X, Given Life, Hectic Watermelon @ Brick By Brick
• Desert Rose Band, The Slidewinders (acoustic trio) @ Belly Up
• Mike Pinto, The Canton Mudders @ O'Connell's
• Red Hot Wednesday with Robin and DJ Ratty @ Bar Pink (Elephant)
• Sycuan Presents Toad the Wet Sprocket, Paul Freeman @ House of Blues
• The Buddy Wuddy Blues Show @ Lestat's
• Outta Control, Young Mass, John Doe @ 710 Beach Club
• Old Devil, Pushing Rope, Jimmy Dean & The Sausage Kings @ Winston's
• Maddox Revolution @ Bitter End Backstage
• Never Say Die Presents - Ben Johnston Knight's of Monte Carlo & Elvie @ Canes
• 145th Street Blues @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge

Kinda Recap: The Predicates, Jeremy Enigk, Parties, yeah.

So I've mentioned that I've been working on a huge project at work, so I've not had quite the time to write as I wish, and on the occasions that I have gone out, well, it's been less about this blog and more about the escape from reality, even if just for a couple hours at a time.

And so it was last week. If you care to read about my (mis)adventures, click 'keep on reading'.

I didn't really go into the shows I saw last week. On Tuesday it was the Predicates at the Casbah which was really fun because it was their first time playing the Casbah. The Swim Party kids were there, as were Republic of Letters, Dagart, a couple Modlins and more, so it was nice to see everyone out to show their support and lovely to spend time with friends I hadn't hung with in a while. Their set was good, though there was a HUGE crowd there for Wendy Darlin and they didn't seem to care that a band was on stage while they all hung at the bar. It was hard to gauge that crowd...I was thinking they were (a) a PB crowd or (b) from SDSU, but someone told me they were all South Bay kids? I dunno, but there were a lot of them and they were ONLY there to see Wendy Darlin, which was fine as I was only there to see The Predicates. I did take some pics and video of them but they came out terribly, so I won't even waste the space. Let's just say they are way cuter than my pics would lead you to believe. After their set, the Casbah was packed as I said, and I had other plans, so I hung out on the patio for a bit before meeting friends at the Ken Club.

On Wednesday I hoped to make The Frantic Romantic at U-31, but I wasn't feeling well, and I did not want to be sick going into the big weekend, so I took it easy, made some soup and chilled out.

Thursday I was much better and made sure to catch Jeremy Enigk at The Casbah. I'm sorry that I missed Anya Marina's first hometown set since her UK tour, but I ran into Abraham and Andy and they made sure I met Sean, one of the new owners of the to be renamed San Diego Sports Club. We hung in the back bar until Jeremy's set.

Once Jeremy played, I made my way to the side of the stage and his one voice filled the bar to an eager crowd. He played solo stuff, some old Sunny Day stuff, and he played a pretty lengthy set. It was hot and muggy in the bar, so I took some time on the patio, too, talking to his merch guy about their travels with Damien Jurado and some stuff they're working on. We also talked about Jeremy's hair...to shave his head or not, and later, when the set was done and Abraham and I were at the back bar, Jeremy joined us and was incredibly nice, so much so that I relayed that we decided he should definitely shave his head. Even if he thought we were morons, he was sweet and gracious and we all had a laugh.

Come Friday night, it was a night of party hopping. I had been invited to the Jeff n Jer 20th anniversary party that was taking place at the Hyatt. Nothing makes me RSVP faster than "hosted bar and food". There was a listener party from 7-11, but the VIP party before was where it was at. I went with Sarah (a friend from work) and Dagart, we got close parking just outside the hotel, and helped ourselves to the beer and wine and the incredible spread of food until 7:30, when the VIP closed and moved into the main ballroom.

This is Gary, my AA sponsor. (kidding)




Seriously, there must've been 2000 people there, easily, with a cover band onstage, buffet lines, and people just really excited to be there. We watched a few minutes of the 20 year slideshow, but we had another event and decided to move on.

Our next event was the San Diego Magazine Best of San Diego event at NTC/Liberty Station. Jake was playing with Bushwalla, so we got there around 8:30, met him, got our tickets, and were amazed at the event. I guess we should've done our research because the top restaurants of San Diego were there with food samples and tons of wineries and wine sellers with a few vodkas mixed in. I had loaded up on food at the previous event so I mostly sampled wines until we found the Stone Brewery booth and stuck to beer during Jake's set as we kicked back at a table near the stage. Toward the end of Bushwalla's set, a bunch of people started dancing, including a girl who flashed beaver about 10 times as she showed her best stripper moves on a chair and in the grass. Poor girl, you couldn't help but feel bad that she didn't have a friend to put her in check. The main difference between say, a bunch of drunk 20 somethings at a dive bar and drunk 40 somethings at a fancy schmancy event is that the 40-somethings get WAY. MORE. DRUNK. In fancy clothes, no less.

When Jake finished, the party was winding down, so Dag dropped Sarah off at the Pearl and Jake and I made our way to the Beauty Bar for Under The Influence of Giants, Castledoor, and Elephone. We missed one of the bands but the two we saw were fun and dancey and there were a lot of people there to catch them, which was impressive seeing how many other good shows were going on around town. Of course, third show in a week and my pics suck balls. Maybe I've just been looking at Natalie's photography too much and have suddenly gotten insecure, or maybe it was the 5 hours of free beverages, or maybe it's the weather with all the humidity that makes everything come out fuzzy, but I'll spare the pictures from that night, too. I'll work on my camera settings to see if I can improve that situation.

So, yes, it was a good week even though my life has been a little hectic of late. Thanks to Dag for hanging out, Jake for driving my silly ass around and hooking up the party tickets, Sarah at Beauty Bar and my peeps at the Casbah for always taking care of me, and for those of you who allow me to just me to be completely ridiculous sometimes.

Things To Do In San Diego: August 25, 2008

Monday, August 25, 2008:

• Matthew Sweet, The Northstar Session @ Belly Up
• M-Theory and Anti Monday League present Buddy Akai, Head Like a Kite, Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra @ Casbah
• Taang Records Night w/ DJ Curtis Casella @ Hensley's Flying Elephant (7-10pm)
• Debaser (Adults Read from their teenage journals) @ Whistle Stop
• Free Manicure Monday w/ DJ Miss Liss @ Beauty Bar
• Hootie & The Blowfish, The Drew Davis Band @ Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay
• Blues Jam Hosted By Mystery Train @ O'Connell's
• Mechanical Bull Riding @ U-31
• "Singled Out" @ 710 Beach Club
• Karaoke @ The Bitter End "Backstage"
• Electric Waste Band @ Winston's
• Scott Carter & New Breed @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge

SCMX 2008: Common, The Black Keys, Kinky, Saul Williams, Grand Ole Party & More

I went to some shows last week that I still need to recap, but I had such a blast at the Southern Comfort Music Experience so I wanted to get those pics up first. I thought there was no way this year could compete with last year's festival. I mean, it was headlined by The Flaming Lips, after all, but I truly enjoyed myself, perhaps a little too much. Full post if you 'keep on reading'.



We headed downtown early, arriving just before 4. We decided to park in a garage since Jake had gear in his car and decided that $8 for the whole day wasn't too bad. Right off the bat we ran into Matt and Andrew before going in and making our way to the other entrance so I could retrieve my media passes. By the time we had those secured, we had missed Burning of Rome's set, but their music filled the venue. I noticed right away that there were a lot more people at the show early than there were last year at the same time, so I guess that's a testament to better promotion.

American Cornhole

We wandered around for a bit, got some SoCo and Lemonade, then went to check out Grand Ole Party. Kristin and the kids sounded great as ever and clearly all the performing and touring has made an experience band for large stages and festivals like this one.

After a couple songs, I met up with Jake who was hanging with Halloran in the broadcast area and watched the set from there. I guess it was time to test the waters with the pass and access, so I wandered over to the dressing rooms and made myself a drink. It wasn't until after that I realized they were band specific, so sorry to GOP for scabbing your shit. Of course once I had a drink I was not shy about pilfering and sorry to Chuck and Brandon who kindly put up with me. On the way back to the broadcast platform, a security guard told Jake and I that our passes didn't allow us to be in the broadcast area, but he talked to his boss and would let only Jake and I back there. He was nice about and once we got the warning, I would switch up to a staff pass to get around. At this point we were able to get a pass for Dagart, too, thanks to Sarah for that.



We stayed up in the broadcast area for a while, until Saul Williams took the stage. I had no idea what I was in for, thinking Saul was more about spoken word, but his band started off the set with their crazy outfits and he joined them with an aural blitz. They killed it, big time.










By that time, the VIP area had opened, so I met up with my friends and we hung out there for a while. I don't really understand the drinks policy for the party. You could bring drinks into the VIP but not take them out. This makes sense when there's unlimited booze- you don't want people on the inside taking shit out to their friends, but the VIP wristband only provided 3 free drinks. Making people down their alcohol is not exactly encouraging people to drink responsibly. Oh well, it really ended up not being a big deal.



After a while there, and once Saul was finished, I headed over to the local stage for The Silent Comedy. I really dig the two stage events like this or Independence Jam, because there's really little to do except to watch the bands, and it's great exposure for local music. I had talked with Josh earlier and he was pretty bummed out because the bands rented trailer was stolen. It was empty, but apparently it was not insured. Still, even with such downer news, the band gave no indication that they were anything but happy to be there.



My only other complaint of the day was this stupid obstacle course. These barriers had no purpose whatsoever and made taking pictures at the local stage challenging.
After The Silent Comedy finished, I wandered back to the mainstage and noticed The Ice Cream guy was backstage. Kristin had told me there was a bathroom trailer behind the stage, and man, did it sure beat having to use port-a-potties. Anyway, I shoulda grabbed a popsicle when I had the chance.


Kinky was next up on the mainstage and I should've planned better, because while I was waiting for them to start, I took way too many crowd photos which resulted in me running out of memory for Common.

I loved Kinky's performance, and loved loved loved the bassist. The crowd was going nuts for the band, too. I was about to bail the photo pit but then they busted out an accordion so I stayed up there a little longer. It was nice that the security wasn't enforcing a 3 song photo rule because you could float in and out of the pit at your own leisure.









I ran into my ex and we went to the VIP area to watch the show from the roof of the SoCo bus. I eventually met back up with Dagart and Jake, too, so we kicked it in the VIP area until The Black Keys started. I was kinda glad Shark Attack was doing their thing because it meant there was time to wander around and chill for a bit before photographing the Keys.



The Black Keys sounded amazing and as the sun had set, allowed for some great lighting. It's amazing that a two piece like the Keys or a three piece like Grand Ole Party can still sound so full and not drown in the space of such a huge stage.




I guess the alcohol had well lubricated my senses because I decided to watch the band from onstage for a couple songs. Nobody said anything to me, either, but I didn't wanna push my luck, so I left the area on my own accord.


I watched the remainder of their set from the So Co bus where there was quite the party going on.



Then it was back up front for Common where as I mentioned, I only took a couple pics because I'd run out of memory card space. I guess I'll need to get a backup card before Street Scene rolls around.


Common was awesome and the crowd was huge, but it wasn't quite as momentous as The Flaming Lips, because how can you really compare the acts? The Lips are just made for this kind of thing. Still, Common held his own and was a good way to end the long day.




After the show, we went to SDSC for the first night under new ownership, got some tacos, and then Jake dropped my wasted ass off at home where I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow. I really wish I had some time off from work soon, because the end of summer has been kicking my ass, but alas, looks like I'll have to wait until our major project wraps before I can take a few days off. Sigh. But I guess if you're gonna be tired all the time, it might as well because you're having way too much fun.