Sunday, November 30, 2008

Things To Do In San Diego: November 30, 2008

Sunday, November 30, 2008:
  • Blitzen Trapper @ M-Theory (Free, All Ages, 1pm)
  • Subtle, Zach Hill and illuminauts @ Casbah
  • Brazilian pre-Carnaval Ensaio featuring Jangada @ Belly Up
  • The Kris Special, Your Favorite Band @ Soda Bar
  • Jake Newton, Gayle Skidmore @ Lestat's
  • Smashing Pumpkins @ Rimac Aren
  • Fishnet Follies Rock n Roll Burlesque Animal Rights Benefit @ Ruby Room
  • Street of Little Girls and friends... @ Radio Room
  • The Grass Heat @ The Office
  • Disconnected w/DJs Barnesy & Mike Reed @ Kadan
  • Purists Are Boring Mashup Night feat. DJ Shyboy, DJ Professor CC, and DJ Brother Darkness @ A/C Lounge
  • Tribe of Kings/Reggae Vibes @ U-31
  • Another Zeke Productions Presents Family Wagon, Longstay, Carolina Fever, The Bowery Boys @ O'Connell's
  • Sycuan Presents Bell Biv Devoe @ House of Blues
  • Karin Carson & Friends @ Portugalia
  • Too Many Creeps weekend wrap feat. Mario Orduno & Dwise @ Whistle Stop
  • Jose Sinatra's OB-o-ke @ Winston's
  • Toni Reed @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
  • Compañia Flamenco José Porcel: A Winter Pops Special Concert @ Symphony Hall, 2pm

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Things To Do In San Diego: November 29, 2008

Saturday, November 29, 2008:

  • Blitzen Trapper, The Parson Redheads, Team Abraham @ Casbah
  • Ziggy Suffledust and the Spiders from Mars (Bowie!), Rafter, DJ Saul Q @ Ruby Room
  • Black Arches, The Burning of Rome, Crescendo @ Soda Bar
  • The English Beat, Self Made Men @ Belly Up
  • The Wrong Trousers, Kenny Eng @ Lestat's
  • Braaiins!, Bad Parents, Mermaid @ The Ken Club
  • Sycuan Presents The Sisters of Mercy, Hypernova @ House of Blues
  • Agua Dulce, Tomorrows Bad Seeds @ Winston's
  • DJ Corey Biggs @ Beauty Bar
  • Red Llama Dog, Revival, DJ Ev @ O'Connell's
  • Neon Beat feat. DJs Junior and Atari @ Bar Pink
  • The Tragic Tantrum Cabaret, Victoria and the Vaudevillains @ Radio Room
  • Fire Corner presents: The Night Doctors, DJs Ivan (of hsss), Skarina & Jesse @ Kadan
  • Happy Hour with DJ Claire @ Whistle Stop (5-8p)
  • Caboose! Dance Party @ Whistle Stop
  • Soulstice w/DJs Mark Marcelo, Mahjestik & Earwax @ U-31
  • Beatles Tribute Show @ Surf n Saddle
  • Bending Planets (and Guests) @ Channel Twelve 25
  • The Cured @ 710 Beach Club
  • Fast Heart Mart, The Chimney Fish @ Portugalia
  • Otep, Ill Nino, Walls of Jericho, Sister Sin, Unset, Despite the Wolves @ Brick By Brick
  • Pierce The Veil, Breathe Carolina, Four Letter Lie, Emarosa, Hello Marquee @ soma
  • The Carlos Blues Experience @ Winston's (5-8pm)
  • Cash'd Out, Sara Petite, and Graceland @ Canes
  • Dave Dresden @ On Broadway
  • Viva Santana @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
  • The Gilbert Castellanos New Latin Jazz Quartet @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
  • Rockola: The Beatles’ White Album Live with M.S.Y.O. @ Birch North Park Theatre

Tonight! Blitzen Trapper, The Parson Redheads, Team Abraham @ Casbah

I know last night's Deerhunter show killed it, but tonight's lineup is pretty stellar and definititely a night not to be missed. This is some video of Blitzen Trapper at the Casbah from last year, doing "Country Caravan".

Friday, November 28, 2008

Things To Do In San Diego: November 28, 2008

Friday, November 28, 2008:

  • Deerhunter, Times New Viking, Nite Jewel @ Casbah
  • The English Beat, Skanic @ Belly Up
  • The Old In Out, Braaiins! @ Whistle Stop
  • Zombie Surf Camp, The Revenge Club, The Dirty Legs @ The Ken Club
  • Goodnight Caulfiled, Dead City Outbreak, Bella Novela (long Beach), War Like Party @ Radio Room
  • Lilith Velkor @ Soda Bar
  • The Mar Dels @ Belly Up, 5:30 PM
  • 'Electric Feel' w/ DJs True Pseudo, Fresh Mess, Andrew Decade @ Beauty Bar
  • Another Zeke Productions Presents Mean Dinosaur, Reason To Rebel, Avitia, Dogmatic @ O'Connell's
  • The Dollyrots, The Glossines @ Bar Pink
  • Chinese Democracy Release Party, music by Dizzy Reed of Guns n Roses, Way Cool Jr. @ 710 Beach Club
  • Rise and Stand Presents: Blue In The Face, Save Amos, Browley Brothers, Counter Launch @ Channel Twelve 25
  • Poly Underground Presents Psydecar, Tribal Theory, Almost Islanders, Steel Foundation & DJ Carlos Culture @ Canes
  • Back to the Garden with special guests Eve Selis, Jerry Rainey of the "Beat Farmers", and
    Sven Eric Seaholm backed by Cactus Twang and Whyte @ Anthology (Early Show, 7:30 pm)
  • Sycuan Presents Tesla, Cinder Road @ House of Blues
  • Feel The Noise w/DJs Gabe Vega & Saul Q @ U-31
  • V Child & More TBA @ Portugalia
  • Viri Dimayuga, Silverleaf @ Lestat's
  • The Birthday Massacre, Tub Ring, Creature Feature, Mursic @ soma
  • Stranger @ Winston's
  • Fedd Le Gand @ On Broadway
  • Citizen Band @ Handlery Hotel
  • Crush @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
  • Dean Brown feat. John Rekevics & Steve Steinberg saxophones, with Cliff Almond drums, Dave Curtis bass @Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
  • Cheech and Chong: Lite Up America @ Symphony Hall
  • Tom Russell @ Acoustic Music San Diego (4650 Mansfield, Normal Heights)
  • Rockola: The Beatles’ White Album Live with M.S.Y.O. @ Birch North Park Theatre

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving! How 'bout some free music?

Today I will be without internet for most of the day. One day I will convince my parents to get wi-fi. Either way, I've got two good nuggets for you to make it through your day, namely TWO free album downloads.

The first, from Matt Pond PA, is a free EP available for download from the official site here.

From the press release:

Mister P. and his party have taken themselves captive to become the their own producers, manufacturers, and distributors. It was a deferential revolt against inertia, a clearing of the throat to answer the quiet. Or maybe it was an inevitable reaction to seeing Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.

In adherence to their demands, these songs were recorded in a cabin in Bearsville, NY, as a simple sonic manifestation of their opinions concerning the arguable value of a waterlogged paperback.

A Free EP prospectively titled: The Dawn before the Dark Leaves or Water off a Black Dog's Back or Amazing Life or Butterfly Mornings and Wildflower Afternoons or May we never go go mental, may we always stay stay gentle or The Fear of not Being Afraid or The Warmth Within the Warren or Dreaming of Sleeping or Saying It to Keep It From Happening or This is not the Dark Leaves or Living for Liv Ullman or The Odds of a Sunrise or Whispering Pines or You'll be the Rhythm and I'll be the Beat and I'll be the Rhythm and You'll be the Beat or The Grass Harp or Goodbye Barcelona or Why is my copy of the Moviegoer Floating in a Puddle Beside the Car.

Or simply, The Freeep.


The second comes from The Vacation.

After being dropped from American Recordings after successfully releasing their first album and touring with the likes of Alice Cooper, Living Things and more, The Vacation didn't lose any steam and released their sophomore record themselves.

Get Used is now available thanks to Playboy Magazine and trueAnthem.com for FREE to all. In fact, the album is downloadable from a widget that can be posted on any website, blog, social networking profile, etc. Sharing is caring.

Check it out here.

I hope to see lots of people out tonight after you've had your fill of turkey, tofurkey, pot roast, ham, turducken, or whatever it might be that fills your belly on this day of thanks.

xo,
rosey

Things To Do In San Diego: November 27, 2008

Thursday, November 27, 2008 (Happy Thanksgiving!):
  • Devlin Jones Band @ Ruby Room
  • Open: Ruby Room, Ken Club, Hensley's Flying Elephant (free turkey & fixins), Whistle Stop, Bluefoot, Bar Pink, O'Connell's, Kadan, U-31 (note- bars open at varying hours. After 8 pm you should be good)
  • Closed: Belly Up, Beauty Bar, Casbah, Brick By Brick, Radio Room, Soda Bar
  • Karaoke @ O'Connell's
  • Fire Corner w/ DJs Skarina & Lord Aggro @ Kadan
  • Jose Molina @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (10-3p, Thanksgiving Brunch)

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Overdue Recap: Angus & Julia Stone, Hey Ocean @ The Loft, UCSD, Grand Ole Party & Casbah 11.17.08

Monday night I checked out another relatively new venue, The Loft at UCSD. I really haven't had any reason, other than Che Cafe and RIMAC, to go to UCSD in several years, so I felt completely lost on the campus. I bought a parking permit and circled lots until I finally parked at the Gilman structure which turned out to just be a short walk to Price Center. There's a huge student center and lounge adjacent the original Price Center and after wandering, I finally got directions and found The Loft. There was a film screening, so I played on the free computers until the movie and Q&A ended. Jeff was there and we hung out until the bands started.

The Loft is a great space for bands and I'm kicking myself for missing Yeasayer who played there last night, but that is neither here nor there. There is ample seating, an open floor in front of the stage which is average sized, but perfect lighting and an even better sound system. They certainly didn't cut corners to get top of the line sound equipment. For more, click 'keep on reading'.





Hey Ocean is a band from Canada. This was their first US tour, and I believe only their third in the states. They were cute and it was clear that they really love playing music. They had multiple instrumental garnishes, like the use of flute, a xylophone, and a triangle, along with shakers and such. My thought was they follow in the vein of Jason Mraz, happy lyrics and music, not quite jaded by life, and it was refreshing, though don't get me wrong, I still love the angsty and introspective stuff, it was nice to see them enjoy themselves onstage. I felt very old at the show, and it was a sea of digital cameras flashing the whole show, but the bands didn't seem to mind.





Hey Ocean "Beat Boxer"


Hey Ocean "Alright"


Hey Ocean "Jolene"


I was really excited to see Angus & Julia Stone, thanks to some press releases I'd received and the recent burst of Aussie musicians that have been brought to my attention (Paul Turner, An Horse are a couple others). They're a brother and sister duo, and were backed by a bassist from Australia and a drummer that they knew from Australia but who currently lives in San Francisco.

The two of them trade off vocals. Julia has a beautiful raspy voice with a touch of Julie Garland from the Wizard of Oz, emphasized even more by her flower adorned braids and her dress and knee high stockings, she had the look of someone who loves to dance in a field of daisies on a rainy day.

And while she was the sweet one, Angus is more weathered, with his bushy beard and denim shirt, he looks like someone who had been told to finally get out of the tree he was trying to save against loggers in the Northwest. The contrast of the two created a perfect balance and the room was nearly dead silent from the first note to the very last of the set.







Angus & Julia Stone "Just A Boy"


Angus & Julia Stone "Mango Tree"


A couple other people who were at the show also posted their videos on YouTube. You can see those here and here.

It was great to see an intimate show a respectful venue such as The Loft and I hope to see more shows there in the future. For the record, most shows are $5 or "pay what you can" for students with a valid student I.D.

After the show I didn't waste much time, and headed to the Casbah to catch Grand Ole Party. Obviously a very different crowd and type of music. It was packed and frankly I've taken enough pictures of them that I didn't fight too hard to get a spot up front but they put on their typical great set, though it seemed a little short at 40 minutes. The crowd was happy and I was too, after having seen two great shows in one night.

Overdue Recap: The Shaky Hands & Followers @ Soda Bar, 11.16.08



On Sunday, the 16th, I made my way to Soda Bar. I had gotten a preview of the bar from Peter from Roxy Jones, who works there and does the booking, but when I went there was still sawdust on the floor, and tables and sound and bar equipment that had yet to be installed. Somehow, amazingly, the bar pulled it off and opened two nights after that visit, but this was my first time checking it out since the opening. It was incredible what they pulled off. The interior is warm and inviting, the spacious booths comfortable, and it was nice to see a good crowd hanging out for the bar and the bands. For more, click 'keep on reading'


The night started with a stand-up comedian who was heckled by the crowd. His jokes were mostly about bragging about his cock and getting laid and oh, yeah, did he mention he has a huge and active cock? Snooze. I guess he was there with The Shaky Hands or something, and I don't think he'd planned on doing stand-up, so I'll give him at least a star for bravery.

He was followed by The Followers, an all instrumental band featuring Gabriel Sundy on sax, and backed by Simeon Flick, Kenseth Thibideau, Pea Hix, Chris Fulford-Brown, and Brent Asbury. They were good, jamming out a 4 or 5 song setlist, but with each song in the 6-10 minute range.



The Shaky Hands are from Portland but I guess they have ties to San Diego area. They a solid indie rock band. I saw them back in February at the Casbah when they played with Rafter and though I have none of their recorded music, I recognized some of their songs, so I guess they left an impression.



After the set, I asked the band for a setlist so I could attempt to title the videos I took, and I thought it was cute that not only did they get me one, but the guitarist went through the trouble of writing out all the titles for me.



So here are a couple of the videos I took that night...though I still didn't match titles to songs. Sorry.





This one I took while sitting at the bar, so that reflection is from the bartop.



After the show, Jake, Gabriel and I went for some late night food at the Asian Bistro in Hillcrest, which serves till 3 a.m. before I was dropped off at home. It was a good night, though I was sorry I missed Joel P West at the Habitat House. Can't do it all, I guess.

Holiday Fun: Things To Do In San Diego For the Holidays

I'm listening to the rain falling outside my window and I'm snuggled up in bed with my dog at my feet in my favorite pajamas and I couldn't help but get excited for the holidays. Despite losing my job, I have a lot to be thankful for this year, specifically the health of my friends and family, the joy my niece brings, the excitement of the birth of my nephew (due on Christmas Day!) and the safe deployment and recent return of my brother from Iraq. Not to mention the elation I feel with the presidential election.
Photobucket Photobucket

As always, there are lots of fun activities this holiday season. Click 'keep on reading' to read all about some of them.
  1. December Nights (Formerly Christmas On The Prado)- This family friendly annual event takes place this year on Friday, December 5 from 5-10p and Saturday December 6 from noon-10pm. There are children's activities, singers, dancers, choirs, pictures with Santa, food tastings and more. The event is free. Parking is available around the park with shuttles available from City College.
  2. Fantasy on Ice: The outdoor ice rink at Horton Plaza is back. Benefitting the Rady Children's Cancer Care Center, the rink will be open through January 4. Open daily rom 10am-10pm, the cost is $10 for adults, $8 for kids under 10, and $2 for skate rental. I have gone for the past couple years and my recommendation is to take extra socks because they will get soaked, and avoid midday skating, when the ice melts and has a lot of water floating on top. Also, leave your bags and personal items at home or locked in your car, because people just shove personal belongings under benches. Note: The Hotel Del also has an outdoor skating rink through January 3, for $10-$20 depending on the session and $5 skate rental.
  3. NBC Tree Lighting- in conjunction with the Fantasy on Ice, we get our own "Rockefeller Square" type tree lighting. This year, the event takes place on Wednesday, December 3.
  4. Kensington Tree Lighting, Dec. 13, 2008, Santa pics 3:30-7:30, tree lighting 8-9pm - I know there are lightings all over San Diego, but this one happens to be across the street from my house, and features tree lighting by Mayor Jerry Sanders, who is a resident of Kensington. Assuming it will be similar to the past couple years, there will be food from local restaurants to sample for just a couple dollars (Last year there was mac n cheese from Ken Grill and Onion rings from Burger Lounge, among other tasty treats). But the best part about this tree lighting is that Santa is the most perfect Santa anywhere. In the past you could pay for professional photos, or donate a couple bucks and use your own camera to take a photo session. I'm hoping that hasn't changed. Those pics at the top of this post are of my niece, Johanna, from 2007.

CONCERTS: Most radio stations in town will be hosting some sort of Christmas Show. Though FM 94/9 will not be hosting a Holiday Hootenanny this year, other stations are having smaller events. Here are a few:

  1. KPRI 102.1- December 11, KPRI hosts Ingrid Michaelson, Tristan Prettyman, and Matt Nathanson in The Abbey in Hillcrest. This show is sold out, however
  2. Radio Sophie 103.7 - December 13, Sophie presents "A Green Christmas" at Anthology featuring Alanis Morrisette, O.A.R., Justin Nozuka, Buckcherry, and Safety Suit. General Admission tickets are $40 and can be purchased here.
  3. 91X Wrex The Halls, Friday, December 12th at 4th & B featuring Slightly Stoopid, Cake, Alkaline Trio, Gaslight Anthem, and Coldwar Kids. Tickets are $32.50 GA or $42.50 for the seated box area (plus service charges), and are available at Ticketmaster.com.
  4. The Vandals Winter Formal is back this year with The Phenomenauts at the House of Blues on December 12.
  5. Star 94.1 Acoustic Jingle Ball, December 14 & 15 at Anthology. GA tickets are $30. December 14 features John McLaughlin & Matt Nathanson. December 15 features Sara Bareilles & Plain White T's. (This night is sold out). Tickets for the 14th can be purchased here.

There are some great online resources of holiday events. Jack FM has a very comprehensive list here and SignOnSanDiego has a great list here.

Things To Do In San Diego: November 26, 2008

Wednesday, November 26, 2008:

  • Glory Bound Productions presents... Writer, Jamuel Saxon, DJ Nathan Black & Mike Taylor @ Ruby Room
  • Commune Wednesdays presents Desert Diamonds, DJ Trevor Young @ Soda Bar
  • Jivewire + One Nation Under a Groove - DJ's MR ATARI, T-Money, Ratstar + Rookie Ricardo live @ Casbah
  • The Melvins, Big Business (reschedule date from 8/28/08) @ Canes
  • Buck-O-Nine, The Devastators, Social Green @ Belly Up
  • Sweetness, The Fascination, DJs P Prez, Do it Digital, Grey Member & Jules @ Beauty Bar
  • Airport 81, Alpha Channel, Dr. Yes @ The Ken Club
  • Red Hot Wednesday with Robin and Junior the Discopunk @ Bar Pink
  • Shark Attack, Disco Villains, DMN Days, Memo Rex, Andrew Decade, Mike Delgado's Birthday Bash @ U-31
  • DJs Cota Pop and Veet Reekins @ Radio Room
  • Victory Nightlife presents Club Massive @ House of Blues
  • Pre-Turkey Day Bash DJ Mario Orduno @ Whistle Stop
  • Knight Vision w/DJs Jayvon, Ghost M.D. & Root @ Kadan
  • Alex Depue, Miguel De Hoyos @ Lestat's
  • Rhythm & The Method, Tori Roze @ Portugalia
  • Kennedy's Curse, The New Dayz, Pettycab Driver @ 710 Beach Club
  • Revelationz, Wes Nile, DJ N’ Litened @ Brick By Brick
  • Metro Station, Tyga, The White Tie Affair, Cash Cash @ soma
  • 40oz To Freedom @ Winston's
  • McCoy Turner, Christian Scott @ Anthology (Early Show, 7:30 pm, Late Show, 9:30 pm)
  • The Soul Persuaders @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge

Christmas Shopping: InSound, Paste Magazine & CollarFree.com

With the economy in the tank, you can bet lots of companies will be vying for your shopping dollars. I'm part of a couple affiliate programs, and thought I'd pass along some specials this week, in case you are like me and prefer to do all of your shopping online.

First, at Insound.com, all this week you can get 10% off on any order or 15% off any orders over $75.00 by using these coupons at checkout:

10% Off Storewide - Coupon Code: turkeytime10
15% Off Storewide (over $75) - Coupon Code: turkeytime15

Along with music, you can find band merch, shirts, posters, music equipment, turntables, indie rock clothes for babies and a whole lot more.


Buy it at Insound!


Also, over at local company CollarFree.com, t-shirts are on sale for 28% offthrough Friday. All shirts are user-designed then voted on. Winning shirts get printed and sold in limited quantities, so you can be sure you won't be wearing the same shirt as everyone else.



Last, Paste Magazine is offering two-for-one subscriptions again this year. For $19.95, you can get a full subscription to Paste for yourself and one for a friend, with each additional subscription for just $10. Paste is a great mag and comes with a new music sampler in every issue, so you're definitely getting your money's worth.
Subscribe HERE.

On a side note, one reason to celebrate my unemployment: no goddamn "White Elephant" or "Secret Santa" gift exchanges. God, I hate those things.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

XO, Shanti, Paper Mache, Smile Smile @ Ruby Room 11.24.08

This post is starting with a story of seemingly random coincidence and the power of music, friendship, and touring.

About 4 years ago, a friend drove down from OC to see a band at The Casbah and I met up with him there. Somehow he got the wrong date and the band he meant to see wasn't even playing that night. We decided to make the best of it and watch these bands that were on tour with Transit War. This young band, Parksideview, from Atlanta, took the stage and totally rocked it with amazing tunes and lots of energy. They were too young to hang at the Casbah so they spent the night outside by the vans, my friend and I decided to keep them company and we ended up having rad conversations with Jake and Jeff Turner, two brothers in the band. After that night, I followed them online, witnessed the break-up of Parksideview, and the brothers formation of XO. Just as they were finishing their first XO EP, they announced that they were moving to NY to play in the band Say Anything. Well, they have been playing with Say Anything for the past 2 1/2 years, while also keeping their original project, XO, going. I have seen them play with Say Anything countless times and every time they are still the same awesome guys who we hung out with on the corner at the Casbah. It is so amazing how you can connect with someone and create a friendship with someone who lives miles away, but you get to see and hang with every time they tour through. So awesome.

So all of that leads up to XO going on an acoustic tour, where they landed at the Ruby Room last night. When I arrived, Smile Smile was starting and they are a duo that create beautiful harmonies and very rich, warm tones to nestle into. Very nice band.


I had checked out all the bands on myspace, and Paper Mache had pretty heavy electric sound, so I was wondering how it would go over as acoustic. Honestly, it was awesome. The lead singer was belting out these really emotional lines and I thought they sounded way better than the electric versions online. Best quote of the night was "This stuff is way better than those street drugs" when referring to his mixture of sore throat spray and beer, he had gotten sick on the road and had his CVS bought medicines on stage.


Closing out the night was the combo of XO (actually, just Jeff this time) and Shanti backing each other up and trading songs. They complimented each other really well, Shanti has great control of her voice ranging from a beautiful whisper to the most powerful crescendos that were out of this world, and Jake has a really honest voice that makes every song of friendship and love feel like a great diary entry. They played an especially good Death Cab cover and took a request from the crowd, it was a very beautiful and personal show.

Things To Do In San Diego: November 25, 2008

Things to do this weekend if you click 'keep on reading'.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008:
  • Yeasayer, Icy Demons @ The Loft, UCSD Price Center
  • My Brightest Diamond, Clare and the Reasons @ Casbah
  • Art Show Darren Pearson of Darius Twin, Crescendo, Tape Deck Mountain, Silverleaf, DJ G Rex@ Beauty Bar
  • Joe Buck (From Hank III), Capt. Sean(Throwrag), The Whiskey Dicks, The Strikers @ Radio Room
  • Live music with Nathan James and Olivia Pierson @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
  • Ken Club Karaoke @ The Ken Club
  • Sycuan Presents Who's Bad (A Michael Jackson Tribute), DJ LV @ House of Blues
  • Tiki Tuesday with Craig Prior @ Bar Pink
  • Open Mic Night w/Jefferson Jay @ Portugalia
  • Friends Chill game night @ Whistle Stop
  • Mechanical Bull Riding @ U-31
  • Open Mic Comedy Night @ Lestat's
  • Game Night/ 25 Cent Wings @ 710 Beach Club
  • Bombay Status, In Transit @ Winston's
  • Lindsay White, Joe Khoroosi, Brent Curtis, Cathryn Beeks Ordeal, Folding Mr. Lincoln, Matt Commerce @ Bare Back Grill
  • McCoy Turner, Christian Scott @ Anthology (Early Show, 7:30 pm)
  • DJ John Phillips @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
  • New Kids On The Block, Natasha Bedingfield @ Cox Arena

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Things To Do In San Diego: November 24, 2008

Monday, November 24, 2008:
  • Anti-Monday League Presents: The Gift/Curse, Die Sabotage and The Subadons @ Casbah
  • Von Iva, Roxy Jones @ Bar Pink
  • XO (Say Anything side project), Shanti, Paper Mache, Smile Smile @ Ruby Room
  • Beauty Bordello! 2nd to last night to audition to win $500 in cash prizes! @ Beauty Bar
  • Cody Canada and Randy Rogers -to benefit the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Walk @ Belly Up
  • Clinging to the Trees of a Forrest Fire @ Soda Bar
  • Blues Jam Hosted By Mystery Train @ O'Connell's
  • Adam Gimbel's Pop Music Trivia Challenge @ Whistle Stop
  • Nudity(WA) @ Radio Room
  • 91X New Music Mondays @ Air Conditioned Lounge
  • Sycuan Presents Ben Kenney, Heavy Young Heathens @ House of Blues (Voodoo Stage)
  • Sycuan Presents Eric Benet @ House of Blues
  • Lady Dottie & The Diamonds @ U-31
  • Pyrate Punx Mayhem Mondays presents: anarcock, djs sid row & pu pu ca ca @ Kadan
  • Electric Waste Band @ Winston's
  • Luke Helms, The Flowerthief, Astra Kelly, Ken Lehnig, Paul Zepol @ Dublin Square
  • Michele Lundeen @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
  • Open Mic Night @ Lestat's
  • Monday Night Football @ 710 Beach Club
  • Australian Pink Floyd @ Symphony Hall

Overdue Recap: Mudhoney, Japanese Motors, The Heartaches @ Casbah

Just for my own diary sake, I have to say that November 15 was a great day. Not that I did anything exceptional, but Abraham hosted a "South Bay Folk Festival" at the Wits End. For me, I got to experience a new bar/venue for the first time, I got to hang out with my good frend Miggs at Taang! Records for a while, I had a great dinner, and I got to see some cool music. It was like being at a boozy coffee shop, and to me that works just fine.

From Wit's End, I went to Casbah so I could sell merch for Mudhoney. When I arrived, the band had bailed, but left a couple boxes of merch with everything selling for a flat price. I guess it was a good thing they were working with a veteran merch girl :) I say that in jest, but I actually showed up with my own hangers. So no, I never even met the boys of Mudhoney. But I did meet the boys of Japanese Motors and then completely regretted not catching their in-store at M-Theory earlier in the afternoon.

I can't really say that I caught much of the show. Not The Heartaches (though I was happy to sell some of their merch), and none of Japanese Motors or Mudhoney for that matter, but I had a great time on the patio. I met nice people and everyone was super kind to me, bringing me beer and shots of Makers and I always love hanging out with the bands, and I guess since Japanese Motors didn't have their own crowd, they chilled with me for most of the night at the merch stand. The funny thing about Japanese Motors...Alex was chill, quiet, and talking to me in his torn up sweater. We talked about how interviews generally suck, with the same questions asked all the time, and it wasn't till later I found out he was once a pro surfer, so he has been interviewed about a lot of boring shit for a long, long time . (See video here.) In fact, they were interviewed by someone and they were so unamused by the interview, they probably came across like assholes, but I heard the questions and they were so lame and boring that I can't blame the band for their disinterest in the whole thing.





Anyway, it was a fun night at the merch stand. Mudhoney had some hand silkscreened posters by the same dude that did the Melvins posters when I did merch for them. Not exactly posters you'd hang in your house unless you plan on being a bachelor for life, but cool nonetheless.


At the end of the show, the Mudhoney dudes came out for their merch and here's how un-cute we looked at the end of the night. And, since the posters were dated, they let me keep a stack, though I'm a little mad I didn't ask for a t-shirt because I'm all about brown t-shirts. Anyway, here's me and Mark.



While it is few and far between that Mudhoney come back to town, I will personally make sure that Japanese Motors do come back, and I will actually get to enjoy the rock.

Things To Do In San Diego: November 23, 2008

Sunday, November 23, 2008:

  • Drew Andrews @ M-Theory In-store, 3pm, Free, All ages
  • O'Death, Old Devil, Tobyn Clarke and the Faeries @ Casbah (I'm selling merch. Say Hi!)
  • Clinging to the trees of a forest fire, Stiletto Silhouette, Black Ambulance @ The Ruby Room (former San Diego Sports Club)
  • The Tighten Ups, Pleaseeasaur, Joe Jack Talcum @ Bar Pink (Elephant)
  • SALSA SUNDAY Feat. Orquesta Primo @ Belly Up
  • The Predicates @ Lestat's
  • Too Many Creeps feat Mario Orduno @ Whistle Stop
  • Deverb, Justin Linn, The Bomb Pops @ Radio Room
  • Folk Series with Whispertown2000 featuring Joe Pug & Dawn Mitschele @ The Loft , UCSD Price Center
  • Cosmologic feat Jason Robinson (winds), Michael Dessen (trombone), Scott Walton(bass), Nathan Hubbard (percussion) @ Kava Lounge & Gallery
  • Another Zeke Productions Presents...Rat City Riot, Patriot (NC) @ O'Connell's
  • Megan Combs, Allegra, Austin Jennings @ Bitter End Backstage
  • Sycuan Presents GWAR, Kingdom of Sorrow, Terror & Toxic Holocaust @ House of Blues
  • Jose Sinatra's OB-o-ke @ Winston's
  • Johnny Polanco @ Anthology (Early Show, 7:30 pm)
  • Reggie Smith @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (Early show, 10a-2p, late show, 8 pm)
  • The Mattson 2 @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
  • Stravinsky: Petrushka (1947): A Jacobs' Masterworks Concert @ Copley Symphony Hall
  • Doyle Dykes @ Acoustic Music San Diego (4650 Mansfield, Normal Heights)
  • Brazilian Jazz Tribute Concert to Chico Pinheiro featuring: Kamau Kenyatta, Russell Bizzett, Louisa West, Allison Adams Tucker, Danny Green, Evona Wascinski, Dylan Savage, Chad Farran, Fabio Oliveira, Scooter Oyama, Sky Ladd, Grant Clarkson, Jimmy Patton, Steve Haney, and JP Dietrich @ Encinitas Library(540 Cornish Drive), 2-4 pm, $15

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Tonight: Army Navy @ Beauty Bar with The Shys

I intended to post this earlier this week. My bad.

Army Navy - "My Thin Sides" (feat. Paul Scheer)


From the press release:

Army Navy has released the music video for their first single "My Thin Sides" off the self-titled debut album. The album of some of the sweetest power pop was produced by Adam Lasus (Yo La Tengo, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah). Two songs off the album are featured in the critically acclaimed film "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist." The video directed by cult web-video director Jeremy Konner known for his hilarious Drunk History series, stars comedian Paul Scheer from MTV's "Human Giant" and "Best Week Ever."

After a successful week of performances at CMJ Music Marathon in late October, Army Navy kicked off their first nationwide tour. The tour's final date end this week on November 21st in San Diego.

Army Navy frontman Justin Kennedy moved to Los Angeles from Seattle after co-fronting the band Pinwheel with Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard. While in Los Angeles, Kennedy concentrated on developing his own project that soon found its way into LA's music scene.

Best Billboard Ever: Apology for the passage of Prop H8TE

I still have a week's worth of posts to catch up on. Wondering why I can't keep up even though I'm unemployed? Yeah, I have no answers. Blame late nights on Twitter, Hulu, ABC.com, CBS.com, HBO On Demand, Craig's List and Huffington Post. Oh yeah, and looking for a job. That part really sucks. So anyway, I went to Bar Pink tonight, and noticed this awesome billboard. I'm not much a fan of religion, but I have to give major props to The Mission Gathering Christian Church for giving me a glimmer of faith in humanity and the idea that some religion is there for comfort and love and not to promote hate and division.



The billboard reads:

Mission Gathering Christian Church
Is Sorry
For The Narrow-Minded, Judgmental, Deceptive, Manipulative
Actions Of Those Who
Took Away The Rights And Equality
Of So Many
In The Name Of God.

You can see the Billboard on the corner of University & 30th, above the Union Bank.

Things To Do In San Diego: November 22, 2008

Saturday, November 22, 2008:

  • 'Peace, Love, and The Beatles' feat. Dave Humphries, The Baja Bugs @ Mariposa Ice Cream (3450 Adams Ave, Normal Heights), 12 pm
  • Sight & Sound feat. Cuckoo Chaos, Tropical Depression, art, fashion, more @ Planet Rooth Gallery
  • The So-So Glos, Crocodiles, Mermaid @ POP! Boutique(North Park between 30th and Kansas on Lincoln) $5, 7pm, all ages
  • The Shys, Army Navy, Takeover UK LIVE, DJ Mr. Biggs @ Beauty Bar
  • Hotel St. George, The Stereotypes, Writer @ The Leucadian
  • a.m. vibe, Killola @ Bar Pink (Elephant)
  • Chelsea Roop's 21st Birthday - Di Nigunim, La Ballena de Rosa @ Casbah, Early Show, 7:30 pm, Free
  • Shake Appeal by Ikah Love with DJ's Mark E. Quark, Morgan Young, Jeff Graves, Siavash @ Casbah, Late Show 10:30 pm (Presale tickets at Neighborhood Boutique and 5 and A Dime)
  • DJ Ratty @ Soda Bar (former Chasers)
  • Boogie Nights presents LMFAO "I'm in Miami B*tch", Buddy Akai, Boogie Nights DJs @ Belly Up
  • Breaker Breaker One Niner @ The Ken Club
  • SweetTooth, Joey Harris & The Mentals, Moontucky Risin @ O'Connell's
  • Salt of The Earth Presents Doom Hawk, Filth Matriss, Stilletto Silhouette @ Radio Room
  • Pocket @ Portugalia
  • Joe Wood @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
  • War Stories, White Apple Tree @ Epicentre
  • Sycuan presents Face to Face, Youth Brigade @ House of Blues
  • Ride the Sun, Magdalene, Dali’s Llama (Palm Desert), Hallowed Engine (LA) @ The Ruby Room (former San Diego Sports Club)
  • Upright Citizens Brigade Tour Co. @ The Loft , UCSD Price Center
  • Booty Bassment feat. DJ Dmitri Dickinson @ Whistle Stop
  • David Maldonado @ Spreckel's Theatre
  • Lanterns, Weatherbox, Meho Plaza @ Che Cafe
  • Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gustavo Dudamel @ San Diego Civic Theatre
  • Melissa & The Monkey Bites @ Surf n Saddle
  • The Turtle Project, The Flowerthief, Brenda XU @ Lestat's
  • 40 oz To Freedom, Natural Incense @ 710 Beach Club
  • Circuit, Whizard w/ MC XYZ, Ronnie w/ MC Ridda, MC Subliminal, Rebel Lion, MyStro, DJ Intrigued @ Brick By Brick
  • The Faceless, Born Of Osiris, Abigail Williams, Shai Hulud, Decrepit Birth, Veil Of Maya, After The Burial, Burning The Masses @ soma
  • Mower, Canobliss, Aizen, Unset @ Winston's
  • Barry Jones (Hypnotist) @ 4th & B
  • Benefit for Ernesto Garcia - Stranger, Project Out of Bounds, T-Irie Dread, Roots Covenant & Lambs Blood @ Canes (Early Event 12-5 p.m.)
  • Tainted Love (80's Tribute) @ Canes (9 PM)
  • Charles McPherson @ Anthology (Early Show, 7:30 pm, Late Show, 9:30 pm)
  • Detroit Underground @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
  • Skirt Alert - feat. guitarist Sean Martin, Jason Littlefield bass, Jake Najor drums, & saxophonist Gerard Nolan, Joshua White keyboards. Plus, complimentary CD's to the first 25 people who come to the show @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
  • Stravinsky: Petrushka (1947): A Jacobs' Masterworks Concert @ Copley Symphony Hall
  • Vance Gilbert @ Acoustic Music San Diego (4650 Mansfield, Normal Heights)
  • Trans-Siberian Orchestra @ San Diego Sports Arena

Overdue Recap: Tape Deck Mountain & Hotel St. George @ Whistle Stop, 11.14.08

Eager to be a bit more loose and comfortable with friends after an evening at the Marriott, I picked up Dagart and we went to the Whistle Stop to check out Tape Deck Mountain (finally!) and to see Hotel St. George for their CD release party.



full post if you 'keep on reading'



The bar was crowded as it always is on a Friday night. Lots of people were out to hang out and check out the bands. Tape Deck Mountain started out the night, and Travis sounded great. They're a two-piece, with distortion pedals a plenty and the drummer also playing keys and synth. I dug it, and the crowd clearly did, too.



I had the pleasure of meeting Matt Binder's parents, who were in town from Colorado for the weekend, and they seemed to be happy with the show. I don't really know how Hotel St. George keeps pumping out CDs, but they do, and they were not only playing new material from their CD Hundreds and Thousands, but even newer stuff that they have written since recording the album. They had a wall to wall crowd (as they should) and it was a loose and fun set.



We stayed for a little bit after the set ended, but eventually I dropped Dag at his place then closed out the night at the Ken to hang with my peeps. It was definitely a full night and though I was exhausted by the time I got home, I ended up staying up late and making a blogger blunder by posting news that was "NFB" (not for blogging). That resulted in waking up to some panicked phone calls, a friend showing up at my house, and me spending Saturday posting a bunch of videos and random blog things to fix my error and to fuck with the blog aggregators that repost my blog. (My posts automatically show up on a few sites that I have no control over.) I guarantee that will not happen again. Sorry to my friends for causing that freak out. Regardless, Saturday was a good day. I will get to that in another post.

Overdue Recap: Delta Spirit @ Arterra, 11.14.08

My friend Jeff e-mailed me asking if I wanted to see a KPRI private listener show at Arterra, a restaurant attached to the Marriott in Carmel Valley/Del Mar. The show featured Delta Spirit. I was game since I'd missed most of their set the week before at the FM 94/9 anniversary show.


Read the full recap if you click 'keep on reading'


Jeff picked me up and had made dinner reservations at the restaurant. I don't spend much time north of the 8, and especially not in Del Mar, but this was a really great night. The restaurant was pricey but it was really pretty inside, and definitely not your typical hotel attached restaurant. We ordered, and while I was going to have the chorizo and lobster stuffed trout, when Jeff ordered the steak, the waiter said it was their best plate, so I ordered the same. We shared the 'fish sticks', which were lightly battered white anchovies and were melt in your mouth delicious, with a great house made tarter sauce.

My dinner was incredible. It was sliced rib-eye served on veggies, a white potato cooked in duck fat topped with pearl onions and arugula, and braised shortribs served on a butternut squash puree (albeit, just for appearance). Personally, I can't say that I'd go back to the restaurant with my current lack of gainful employment, but for the area, it seems like an optimal spot for business movers and shakers to meet for business lunches and dinners, as well as a cool nightspot for the upwardly mobile and trendy people in the Del Mar and Carmel Valley area.

After dinner, we made our way to the pool where Delta Spirit performed. I already posted all the videos here but here are some additional pics.





The stage was set up behind the corner of the pool, so the crowd was not up in front. They were spread around the length of the pool, in cabanas, and in the bar area around the pool. A few people decided to roll up their pants and dip their feet in the pool, and that's when I moved up close to the sound techs to take the videos. The band played nearly an hour and they definitely won over the crowd. I told Jeff how I'd had a MySpace correspondence with the band about the whole debate about them being a little too religious for my tastes and while I feel they're less so, Jeff told me that a woman told him how she really liked their "spiritual" music. So at least I'm not the only one who thinks it's so, but again, definitely less than when I first saw the band way back when.

After the set, the crowd chanted "Jump in the pool" and the band obliged, with two of them diving off the stage fully clothed straight into the pool. There was a girl dancing in front, and they ended up pulling her into the water, too, though they clearly asked her if it was cool before they did it.

We stayed for a drink as the pool area turned into a quasi-night club, with a DJ, people dancing, and lots of expensive cocktails flowing. This is the sports coat and t-shirt wearing crowd on the guys, and heel and miniskirts and lots of faux blonde highlights on all the women, a parking lot full of Beemers and Benz's, and frankly, it is not even close to comfortable to a girl like me who opts for a hoodie with jeans instead of heels and a halter top, so once we finished a drink, Jeff dropped me at home. And then, as I do, I changed into my jeans and a hoodie, and went to a place more in my comfort zone. I made my way to the Whistle Stop.

Overdue Recap: Crooked Fingers, Port O'Brien, Sarah Jaffe @ Casbah, 11.13.08

Last Thursday night, I decided to head to the Casbah and arrived early enough to see all the bands. Sarah Jaffe started the night off and had an incredible voice that ranged from sounding hard and with a heavy country tinge like Lucinda Williams all the way to a soft, sweet, haunting sound a la Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star. She was great and had amazing range, and the standup electro-bass added just the right sount to her acoustic guitar. I could've done without the 3 drunks talking on the side of the stage, but she tolerated them.



Then, the reason I was at the show, Port O'Brien hit the stage. I cannot get enough of this band, and I was up front for the whole set, anticipating the audience participation for "I Woke Up To Day" which has become their signature way to end their sets, providing a box of pots, pans, and other cooking utensils for everyone to clang together. But it wasn't just the closing song that was great. The whole set, with their Alaskan fisherman themes are all gorgeous.

Port O'Brien "Stuck On A Boat"




Last was Crooked Fingers, and in spite of the drunks screaming for Archers of Loaf, Eric Bachmann and his band played a mostly quiet and delicate set of folky rock. I first saw Crooked Fingers a few years back at Belly Up, and though the band seemed completely different, the music still complemented the beautiful voice behind the music.



Admittedly, I missed the end of the set because Bob gathered a bunch of people at the back bar to toast Tim Mays' birthday, but the drunk Archers of Loaf fans were pleased that the encore included some Archers hits.

After the show, Jake and I joined everyone at the Turf Club to close out the night until the clock ticked 2 and I turned back into a pumpkin.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Newsy Bits

I haven't done newsy bits in a while but there are some things I wanted to mention:
  • Soda Bar is open. It has been for a couple weeks now, and since I'm lagging on my recap of The Shaky Hands who played there on Sunday, I thought I should mention it. It's on El Cajon Blvd, located at what used to be Chasers. It's pretty, clean and safe inside. Parking can be tough and people never cease with the 'sketchy neighborhood' comments, but if you park on El Cajon and not side streets, you should be just fine.
  • El Dorado is opening on Monday. Located downtown on Broadway between 10th & 11th in what used to be the Hong Kong, it promises to be a great spot and with close proximity to Chee Chee, maybe there is reason to go downtown again. This is not to be confused with El Camino, the new Mexican restaurant in South Park next to Rebecca's. I haven't tried it out yet, but my friends really liked it (though since it's beer & wine only, skip the margaritas)
  • Manuok released a new album this week called No End To Limitations. Last night was the CD release show with Little Dragon at the Beauty Bar, and they're on a quick Cali tour this week, but I'm sure we can look forward to some local shows in the near future.
  • XIFM.com has a local radio show. This was the second week and it sounds great. The show can be heard & streamed on Friday's from 6-8pm. Local bands can submit music via the same website.

Things To Do In San Diego: November 21, 2008

Friday, November 21, 2008:

  • Gram Rabbit , Mr. Tube and the Flying Objects, John Meeks, The Blackout Party in the Atari Lounge @ Casbah
  • Syndicate, Jezebel, The Predicates @ Ken Club
  • Scarlet Symphony, Slang Chickens @ Bar Pink (Elephant)
  • Not An Airplane, Chelsea Wolfe @ Soda Bar (former Chasers)
  • Beware of Sunday, Japanese Sunday @ KSDT, UCSD, All Ages, Free, 6 pm
  • Wild Weekend @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
  • Happy Hour with Atomic Groove @ Belly Up, 5:30 PM
  • Common Sense, Project: Out of Bounds @ Belly Up, 9:00 PM
  • Electric Feel w/ DJs BUL!M!ATRON!, Andrew Decade @ Beauty Bar
  • NSD Presents...Flight To Athena, Jack Left Town (LA), Lisa The Lush, Even Elroy (SF), Ticket To Tokyo @ O'Connell's
  • Christmas Island, The Anasazis @ Whistle Stop
  • Josh Damigo, Chuck Cannon @ Lestat's
  • JinxKing @ Rosie O'Grady's
  • TRC Prestents The Battle of San Diego @ Portugalia
  • Until The Fall, New Tomorrow @ Radio Room
  • Kathleen’s Jam Bands: Four Minutes to Midnight, 3rd Ally, Jackson Price @ The Ruby Room (former San Diego Sports Club)
  • CANCELED: Scars on Broadway, The Duke Spirit @ House of Blues
  • Rick Ortiz Presents Noches Rockeras @ House of Blues
  • "Enjoy the Bad Times: worst music of the'80s" feat. The Deejays & Vinylphiles Club @ The Loft , UCSD Price Center
  • Superunloader doing Superunledded (Led Zeppelin Tribute) @ 710 Beach Club
  • In Every Breath, Electric Dynamite, London’s Falling, Mad Martigan @ Brick By Brick
  • Murder On The Dancefloor, To Something Beautiful, Life Or Death, Dukes Of The Kumatai, Process For Enigma, Pink Sock @ soma
  • The Professors @ Surf n Saddle
  • Delta Nove, Quactus @ Winston's
  • Bobby Valentino @ 4th & B
  • Vokab Kompany, The Concrete Project, The Kneehighs, Randam Luck @ Canes
  • Al Stewart @ Anthology (Early Show, 7:30 pm)
  • Late Night Live feat. Those Dang Robinsons, The Upstarts @ Anthology (Late Show, 9:30 pm)
  • West of 5 @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (6-8 pm)
  • Rising Star @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (9:30 pm)
  • Bassist Rob Thorsen with a Quartet featuring pianist Joshua White, Danny Campbell drums, & Ian Tordella saxophone @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
  • Stravinsky: Petrushka (1947): A Jacobs' Masterworks Concert @ Copley Symphony Hall

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Things To Do In San Diego: November 20, 2008

Thursday, November 20, 2008:

  • 'UnScene San Diego' @ W Hotel, 6-9 pm. 944 magazine photo contest and exhibit.
  • KCRW Presents Little Dragon, Manuok, Anomie Belle @ Beauty Bar
  • Molly Jenson, Brett Bixby, Joel P West @ Lestat's
  • Bedford Grove, Kyle Van Band, Drop Joy @ The Ken Club
  • Portugal. The Man, Earl Greyhound, Wintersleep @ soma
  • Billy Midnight, Desert Diamonds, Trophy Wife @ Casbah
  • Kraack & Smaak @ The Loft , UCSD Price Center
  • DJ Chucko @ Soda Bar (former Chasers)
  • The Bacon Brothers, Michael Tiernan @ Belly Up
  • The Fascination, Lisa the Lush, Someday Assassin @ Radio Room
  • Orange Tulip Conspiracy (members of Secret Chiefs, Estradasphere) @ The Ruby Room (former San Diego Sports Club)
  • Karaoke @ O'Connell's
  • Underground Railroad to Candyland, Japanther @ Bar Pink (Elephant)
  • The Glossines @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
  • Sycuan Presents Alejandra Guzman @ House of Blues
  • Boombox Thursdays feat DJ Edgartronic @ Air Conditioned Lounge
  • Caboose! feat. DJs Hashem & Sir Trail Mix-A-Lot@ Whistle Stop
  • DJ 1979 dance party @ U-31
  • Charbra, Chris Zack & The Chimney Fish @ Portugalia
  • Clay Pigeons @ 710 Beach Club
  • Chris Murray Combo, The Self Made Men @ Winston's
  • 5 Dollar Comedy Show w/Chris Franjola, Sarah Colonna, Mal Hall, Jason Lawhead @ Bitter End Backstage
  • Wet Hair, Peaking Lights @ Che Cafe
  • Bobby D Presents Live Boxing @ 4th & B
  • Rockin Johnny White Presents - Deny the Silents, Groove Theory, Red Ivy Suspect, Bombay Status @ Canes
  • Anthology House Band @ Anthology (7-10 PM)
  • Scott Carter & New Breed @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
  • Pianist Richard Thompson, Russell Bizzett drums, Bob Magnusson bass, & special guests saxophonist Tripp Sprague, trumpeter Derrick Cannon, & vocalist Carla van Blake-Bizzett @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

MoveOn Event: Thursday, November 20, 2008

From a MoveOn member in Hillcrest:

Like so many others, I've been savoring Obama's historic victory -- and I want to make sure we keep the momentum going!

So on Thursday, 11/20, I'm hosting a "Fired Up and Ready to Go" gathering for everyone in the area who wants to keep this campaign going--and you're invited!

MoveOn is organizing these all around the country. The plan is to kick off a big campaign to help Obama pass bold, progressive changes. We're going to get started organizing locally to make sure Congress feels pressure to work with Obama on his key initiatives. And we're going to brainstorm about what else we can do.

I'm hopeful that Obama's going to push for real change on the economy, the climate crisis, health care, and the war. But there's no way he can do it without millions of us by his side.

That's what we're here for.
Here are the details:

"Fired Up and Ready to Go" Gathering
Host: Edward M—fellow MoveOn member
Where: 6th Avenue at Balboa Park (in San Diego)
When: Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008, at 6:30 PM
Can you come? Click here to RSVP

Free Compilation Download from Absolutely Kosher/Misra

I am not the best person about staying on top of new releases. While I get info and music all the time, I prioritize with bands that tour through San Diego. However, I must say I've been completely pleased by so many releases I have received this year, and now, I can share some of it with you.

Absolutely Kosher and Misra have released a sampler featuring artists from all of their 2008 releases and you can download the whole sampler for free here. The link is to a zip file.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Absolutely Kosher 2008 releases:

Xiu Xiu - Women as Lovers 2xLP
Frog Eyes / Hello Blue Roses - limited 7" split (only 500 copies)
Chris Garneau - C Sides CD EP
Okay - Huggable Dust CD
Sybris - Into the Trees CD
The Gang - Zero Hits CD
Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles LP (re-issue)
Xiu Xiu - La Foret LP (re-issue)
The Dudley Corporation - Year of the Husband CD
Azeda Booth - In Flesh Tones CD
Little Teeth - Child Bearing Man CD
Pidgeon - Might as Well Go Eat Worms CD
+/- {Plus/Minus} - Xs on Your Eyes CD

Misra 2008 releases:

Centro-matic/South San Gabriel - Dual Hawks 2x CD/LP (split)
The Low Lows - Shining Violence CD
Sleeping States - Old vs. New Digital EP

Things To Do In San Diego: November 19, 2008

Wednesday, November 19, 2008:

  • Mac Lethal, Grieves, soulcrate music, Silent Army, vegassaint @ Casbah
  • Earthless, Sleepy Sun @ Bar Pink (Elephant)
  • 8MM, Inspired Flight, Melissa Vaughan @ U-31
  • The Loaded, Gurtrudestein, Mr. Plow Djs Heather Hardcore @ Radio Room
  • The Rodney Crowell Acoustic Trio Featuring Jenny Scheinman @ Belly Up
  • Derry and the Monkfish, Hialeah @ Beauty Bar
  • Ephrain Sommers, Plow, Cathryn Beeks Ordeal, Citizen Band @ Bitter End Backstage
  • Neo Toledo, Longstay @ O'Connell's
  • The Pant Hoots, The Pasties (oly, WA), River City @ The Ruby Room (former San Diego Sports Club)
  • Movie Night @ Soda Bar (former Chasers)
  • Sycuan Presents Misfits, D.I., Authentic Sellout @ House of Blues
  • Todd Hannigan, Rey Fresco, Fernando Apodoca @ Lestat's
  • Bipolar Meltdown, Flux Theory, Ruben Angel @ 710 Beach Club
  • Sir Sultry, the Jason Chase Trio, Seaswallow @ Brick By Brick
  • Drop Joy & After School Special @ Portugalia
  • Cue Presents Live Dub feat. Hightide, Dubby Conquerors @ Winston's
  • Sean Healy Presents - Mest, Rookie of the Year, The Ability @ Canes
  • Novamenco @ Anthology (Early Show, 7:30 pm)
  • Anthony Gomes @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge

Overdue Recap: CityBeat Best Of San Diego & Dead Confederate @ Casbah


The day after my anniversary show, my wi-fi quit on me. I planned on writing, but instead had to catch up with real life...like cleaning my house, doing laundry, running errands, job hunting, and realistically, catching up on my shows, being a hermit, listening to music, sorting through e-mail and trying to figure out how I'm so behind on everything when I have so much time on my hands. Oh, and if you're on Twitter, it is so easy, when the wi-fi comes back, to just lose whole chunks of time reading tweets, following links, and reading online articles that people post.

But then there was Wednesday and I was back, ready to participate in real life. Jake and I had tapas at Cafe Sevilla before the CityBeat party. After the CityBeat party, we saw Dead Confederate at the Casbah. You can read all about it if you click 'keep on reading'.


While I knew there would be food at the party, one can never be sure how much food will be available or how many people you have to fight with for said food. And I love Sevilla. If you have never been, or haven't been lately, I recommend checking it out. Their happy hour is from 5-6:30 and the tapas are great. If you don't know what to order, here's my recommendation: Pan para dos (bread for two). Ask for pure alioli (in english, its aioli, but in Spanish it 'al' for garlic, 'i' for and, and 'oli' for oil.) Make sure to get the kalamata olive loaf. We also ordered the Albondigas al Jerez- meatballs in a brandy sauce, Croquetas de pollo (chicken croquettes), Queso Fundido (melted cheese to top on bread), and tortilla espanola (almost like a frittata but better). The best thing is that Sevilla is trying to get your business...so if you text a comment using their comment card, you get a discount code that knocks $10 off your next visit. I will be back very soon.

Anyway, from there, we walked to the Children's Museum, and it has been a while since I've been in this part of downtown and I was stunned by the beauty of the building. I wish the regular kids exhibits hadn't all been put away, but it was cool. I definitely know I'll be back with my niece. There was a ton of food to be had, and plenty of drinks, too, and Steph Johnson and Lady Dottie entertained the crowd. It was definitely a fun party.

From the party, we made our way to the Casbah. We found out upon arrival that Apollo Sunshine would not be performing because the engine of their converted grease bus had blown up and they were stuck somewhere east of San Diego. We barely caught locals The Northstar Session, but the sold out crowd was in full force for Dead Confederate.

I have to say it was one of the most fun shows I've been to of late, if only because they had their own lights that made taking pictures a total joy...trying to time my snaps on an uncontrollable digital point and shoot with the flashes of their lights made for an experimental night. Not to mention being completely blown away by their music. I was able to squeeze up front with Jeff and go flashless for the night.

Video of 'The Rat' here.

I will say I got this sort of sad nostalgic feeling because Hardy on vocals has this disarming resemblance to Cobain in his posture, and at moments, even matching vocally. I don't think the band sounds like Nirvana, but there was just that something that made me feel something about Nirvana that I never felt before, I suppose making me appreciate Kurt in a whole new way for no specific reason, and in turn making me absorb and feel Dead Confederate's performance all the more wholly.









I should also say for the record that I had the chance to talk to Walker and he was such a cool guy, super friendly, and when we were at the bar he was so polite, like an ambassador why people should visit Athens.

I was completely blown away by the show and it was clear why FM 94/9 chose the band as one of their recommended for the month.

Incidentally, I've talked to the publicist for Apollo Sunshine and the band is fine so hopefully they can get their vehicle functional and make their way here.

I have the sad feeling that the next time Dead Confederate comes around, they'll already have outgrown the Casbah, but I'll keep my fingers crossed that they enjoyed the venue enough to demand it when they come back. And I do hope they come back because they were so good. If anyone there didn't see the magic in their performance they must be dead.

Overdue Recap: SD: Dialed In 2 Year Anniversary

I have to say I was so nervous about Monday. I celebrated the first year anniversary of this website at the Ken Club last year with Swim Party, Writer, and Pocket Utopia, and it was awesome, but it felt more like a birthday party or like when I held my high school's 10 year reunion...people could hang out or watch the bands, and it was just a big social event. While I've helped promote shows, never was I given the reins to book a show, and I booked bands that I love and hoped people would show up and be equally as enthusiastic as I am about the music they were hearing.

Well, clearly, I should've worried less, because Writer and Joel P. West are both amazing local acts, and people were enthusiastic about Low Red Land from San Francisco, despite most not having seen or heard them before. It was a weird thing, feeling all this support for this website but also knowing that it was the real talent behind the music that drew so many people to the Casbah on a Monday night.

So first, let me link to all the videos from the night in case you missed them...

Joel P. West

Writer & More Writer

And Sezio.org, who I can definitely can say was responsible for a large amount of the crowd, posted about the show here.

You can click 'keep on reading' for my take on the rest of the show and some more pics.

Before the show, I got a call from two of my best friends who were having drinks at the Ken Club. Jake was kind enough to be willing to drive for the night, so after catching up with Sara and Stef for about 45 minutes, he picked me up and we made our way to the Casbah. We arrived just as all three bands did and it was a little chaotic. The bands didn't get sound checks so much as line checks, and I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing, but thankfully Justin and Doom managed everything and made me chill out.

The rest of the night was just amazing. Joel brought out so many people. I've never seen 120 people in the Casbah by 9:15, but he did it, and it speaks to his amazing music and how much San Diegans would like to see him play more.



I had seen Low Red Land twice before this show- once at Scolari's and once at Chasers, and I should say that while we had e-mail correspondence after both shows, I still didn't really know the guys in the band. In fact, this whole show kinda came about because they were on tour and had two dates they were hitting San Diego...one in October which they played at Surf n Saddle with Writer, and November 10th which was up in the air when they contacted me. So honestly, I can say this anniversary show came about because they were looking for a show and after having listened to their EPs and seeing them, I wanted them to get a crowd because I want them to come back often, because they're everything I love about music...they sometimes take me back to the old Straight Edge hard core shows I saw in basements and garages, they've got melodic rock that I see in bands of today, and then there's that awesome tinge of alt-rock-country that I listen to so much these days. I wish I'd gotten video, but I was all over the place that night, so just check out their MySpace and do yourself a favor and buy their latest release, Dog Hymns. I was happy when Randall poked me and said how good they were. "I know! That's why I did this!"





I should say thanks, on a side note, to all the people who were there, and to those handing me drinks. Perhaps I was a little over-celebratory, but it was so good to see so many friends out that night and if I ever doubted that people read this site or that people don't support great bands, I was wrong on both counts.

Writer closed out the night and as they do, they brought the crowd in with their beautiful songs that have now reached anthem status, with everyone dancing and singing along. I know it was a late night but I guess it was fortunate for at least part of the crowd that it was Veteran's Day the next day, so people stayed out till the end of the show and I definitely appreciated that on behalf of the band.





I had an amazing night and it really made me appreciate every person that takes the time to read this site, whether regularly or just on an occasional basis, because so many people had so many nice things to say that night. Sometimes I think I should be less personal, sometimes I wish I could do more, sometimes I think I should hang it up, and sometimes, like that Monday, I know I should keep on just because whatever this is or whatever it becomes, I can't beat the community I felt and continually feel at home here in San Diego with my fellow lovers of music. I might not be a musician, but if this is my tiny contribution to helping San Diego get the attention it deserves, then I'm in for the long haul.