FM 94/9 Independence Jam Info

Tickets for Independence Jam went on sale on Monday at noon. According to a Twitter post, over 1000 tickets sold in the first day. It is my understanding that ticket sales have been consistent in which case I'm writing to say that if you wait to buy your tickets, you run the risk of missing out entirely. It is quite possible that tickets will sell out before this weekend.

But last year wasn't sold out, so why this year? According to this, DeVore Stadium's max capacity is 14,000. While I think that is a bit high, I think I remember hearing attendance topped of somewhere around 6,000. This year, however, the show is at the Oceanside Pier Amphitheatre, which according to this, seats only 2,700. Again, I imagine there is some flexibility in numbers as there will probably be a larger area barricaded for the festival beyond just the amphitheatre itself, but the difference in capacity is clear. Bottom line: if you want to see Black Keys, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Dead Confederate, and Metric, buy your tickets now.

No Doubt Add 2nd Chula Vista Date

No Doubt's return is so highly anticipated that in addition to the May 22 show, a second show has been added to the tail of the tour on August 8. Tickets for the 2nd show go onsale at noon on Saturday via Ticketmaster, but you can join the No Doubt fanclub for exclusive presale tickets (that started on Wednesday at 4pm) here.

Also, tickets for the recently announced Kings of Leon show at Cox Arena on August 21will go on sale on Friday at noon via Ticketmaster.

Weekend Highlights: San Diego Music

I finally got around to publishing the rest of this week's listings with Things To Do In San Diego and there's so much to do, I thought I'd highlight where you might be able to catch me. Some tough choices have to be made, but it's hard to consider that a problem when people will still tell you that this is a sleepy town. Check all my weekend picks after the jump.


First, I love Black Mamba, Drew Andrews, The Paddle Boat, and Tape Deck Mountain, I've seen all the artists several times this year. If you haven't, then it is going to be a stellar Casbah show and you should go. However, it has been quite some time since I've seen Dusty Rhodes as well as some time since I've been to Beauty Bar, so this show is where you'll probably find me.


Friday night has so. many. great. options. that I already feel hungover just by looking at all the choices, but it seems too easy to be able to check out art at Subtext, then walk across the street to catch Mike Doughty, and then stay for the second show with Transfer, Holy Rolling Empire, and Head Like A Kite. I don't know about the early show, but I guarantee the late show will sell out if it hasn't already, but thankfully there are numerous other options like Ben Lee at The Loft, The Creepy Creeps at Whistle Stop, River City at Bar Pink, or go check out The Bugs and The Postals at the Ken Club after catching opening night of Anvil at Ken Cinema.

I thought Saturday would be an easy day...that I'd just make my way to Mission Bay Park for Elemental Experience, but then I put the listings together and there's so much to do. Now I'm thinking I'll probably cut out after Pinback so I can catch Damien Jurado at the Casbah for another early show. If I don't stick around for the second show, I'll probably head back to the hood to catch Grey Ghosts & Secret Apollo over at Soda Bar, though I've heard some great things about White Gloves who are playing with Lights on over at Beauty Bar, too. I guess you can read my Twitter feed to see what I decide to do.

After all of that, Sunday will be a great day for the Healing Arts Festival. This year I know to get there early to sign up for massages and classes to enjoy between the great lineup of music. I wish my dog wasn't anti-festival or she'd be tagging along with me.



And, as if you thought I'd end my weekend mildly, I'm going to the Casbah for a show that I've been looking forward to for ages. William Elliott Whitmore is an incredible musician (and not too hard on the eyes, I must say) and I'm excited to see him again. But to make the night doubly great, Florida's Fake Problems are opening. When I caught these guys a few months ago, I was so into their sound that while they were still playing I tracked down their merch guy to buy a CD. The band is now signed to Side One Dummy and I'm sure they'll be hitting some big tours (warped tour, perhaps?) soon, so I wanna catch them while I can in my favorite small venue.

Here's William on KEXP:



Follow me on Twitter @sddialedin, and send me an @reply if you're following so I can follow you back and see where your San Diego adventures take you.

Things To Do In San Diego: April 30, 2009

Thursday, April 30, 2009:

• Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, His Orchestra, DJs Simon Bennett & Dustin Paul @ Beauty Bar
• Black Mamba (12 inch EP record release), Drew Andrews & The Spectral Cities, The Paddle Boat, Tapedeck Mountain (Atari Lounge) @ Casbah
• Rufus Wainwright, Lucy Wainwright Roche @ Belly Up
• Di Nigunim @ Kava Lounge
• Eek-A-Mouse, Humanlab, Tribe of Kings @ House of Blues
• Christmas Island, The Anasazis @ Bar Pink
• Dope, Aizen, One Theory @ Brick By Brick
• Greg Ginn & The Texas Corrugators, Jambang, Shabby Road @ Winston's
• Kniives!, Unwelcome Guests (nyc), I Dare You, Mermaid @ Soda Bar
• Lizeth Santos Solo Art Exhibit, perf. by Laugh Now, Cry Later @ Whistle Stop
• Deaf Zero, Chanauk, AEPNIA, Zank, My Elysian @ Canes
• Kemistry, Lindsey Hail, Rhiana Lewis, Fusse, Heart Pharmacy, iTremble @ Dreamstreet
• Flux Theory, Four Kings @ 710 Beach Club
• Maya Beiser @ The Loft, UCSD
• Modern Day Moonshine @ House of Blues (Salvation Alley)
• Jordan Reimer, Kenny Eng, Rob Deez, Tim Corley @ Lestat's
• Comedy Show feat Freddy Lockhart, Adam Ray, Mal Hall @ Bitter End Backstage
• Missy Anderson (CD Release) @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• The Ambassador, Pickup Girl, Compass, Patricia Mueller @ Portugalia
• Irish Night w/ Skelpin @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Anthology House Band @ Anthology (Early Show 7 pm)
• Radio Latina Night feat. Cristian Castro @ Anthology (invite only, 8:30 pm)
• Boombox Thursday feat. DJ Edgartronic @ A/C Lounge
• Super ART event @ Ruby Room
• 80’s and 90’s Hip Hop with DJ Artistic & Cros 1 @ U-31
• Club Purple @ Radio Room
• Karaoke @ O'Connell's
• Rock Out Karaoke @ 710 Beach Club (7-10p)
• "Seussical the Musical" (St. Augustine HS) @ Birch North Park Theatre

Transfer & AVicious Kick 9-Year Old Butt!

New Video: Dusty Rhodes & The River Band "Dear Honey"

Dusty Rhodes and The River Band are playing at The Beauty Bar tomorrow night. If you haven't seen them live before, you're missing out. Be prepared to dance & drink excessively. Take a cab.

New Video: Hotel St. George

Things To Do: April 29, 2009

Wednesday, April 29, 2009:

• Death Cab For Cutie, Cold War Kids, Ra Ra Riot @ Rimac Arena
• FM 94/9 "About The Music" Series feat Company of Thieves, Wendy Darling and Stripes and Lines @ Belly Up (Sold Out)
• Bob Log III, Willem Maker @ Bar Pink
• Commune Wednesday feat. The Burning of Rome, art & fashion@ Soda Bar
• SABA, Silverleaf & The Notice @ U-31
• El Monte Slim, Heavy Glow, The Old In Out @ Beauty Bar
• Dreamtiger, Eric Brendo, Eclipse 79 @ Ruby Room
• Rockit Presents A Scribe Amidst The Lions, Red Ivy Suspect, Someday Assassin @ Casbah
• Calstate Generals, Berbz, Reality @ O'Connell's
• The Shake Ups, Bam! Barcelona & guests TBA @ Brick By Brick
• Hightide, Inhale @ Winston's
• Celtic Woman : Isle of Hope @ SDSU Open Air Theatre
• In Most, Sound of Surrender, Eris, 1 Hundred TUFF @ Dream Street
• Intransit Audio, Bad Habit @ 710 Beach Club
• Rick Ortiz presents Noches Rockeras @ House of Blues
• Evan Bethany, Jake Allen, Kenny Eng @ Lestat's
• Stelita's Groove @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Tierney Sutton @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm)
• Tori Roze & The Hot Mess, Rhythm & The Method, Marian Call @ Portugalia
• Joe Wood & The Lonely Ones @ Hensley's Flying Elephant

Listen to Causes 2 on MTV2

This is straight from a press release, but this album has amazing artists and is for a great cause, so check it out:

Waxploitation and MTV are partnering up to premiere Causes 2 a week before the album comes out via MTV's The Leak. The album will debut April 28th to May 5th via The Leak, which gives music fans the chance to listen to new albums in their entirety, from start to finish, one week before their official release.

You can hear the album at www.mtv.com/music/the_leak. The album is available worldwide in both CD and digital formats. Pre-orders are available at www.waxploitation.com/buycauses

The album will be prominently featured on MTV, mtvU, MTV.com and Think.MTV.com, where people can learn more about the crisis in Darfur

Causes 2 is the second album from Waxploitation's ongoing benefit series for Darfur. 100% of the profits from the album go to Human Rights Watch, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Oxfam America.

The album includes rare and exclusive songs from some of the most compelling artists in the indie and alternative worlds: Black Moth Super Rainbow, The Decemberists, Devendra Banhart, Diplo, Federico Aubele, Gnarls Barkley, LCD Soundsystem, Matthew Dear, Mum, My Morning Jacket, Neon Neon, Richard Swift, RJD2, and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, as well as a contribution from Adult Swim's Tim & Eric.

Metric "Help I'm Alive"

I cannot get this song out of my head. Metric is on the lineup for FM 94/9's Independence Jam being held at the Oceanside Pier on June 7. Tickets went onsale on Monday. You can get yours here.

Things To Do In San Diego: April 28, 2009

Tuesday, April 28, 2009:

• Republic of Letters, Astra Kelly, Hotel St. George, Runway , DJ Leif @ Belly Up
• Thao with The Get Down Stay Down, Sister Suvi, Samantha Crain @ The Loft
• Too Cool For Karaoke: Yacht Rock, Pants hosts w/the 10,000 song laptop @ Ruby Room
• Comedy Night with Mal Hall @ Lestat's
• Acid Mother's Temple, Sonic Suicide Squad @ Casbah
• TONGUE IN CHEEK Tuesdays featuring Bob Murphy, Kit D, Jesi Di Palo, Loren Holiday, Jeff Bilodeau (Comedy) @ Brick By Brick
• New Thrill Parade, kitticat Lollipop, 60's Residue meets zsa Zsa Gabor @ Soda Bar
• Tierney Sutton @ Anthology
• Tiki Tuesday w/Craig Prior @ Bar Pink
• Art Show + Pulse Academy, Lay Of The Cid @ Radio Room
• Mechanical Bull Riding w/DJ Trenton & MC Veronica
• Karaoke @ Ken Club
• Karaoke @ O'Connell's
• Day of Anomie, Rio Peligroso, Someday Assassin, DJ G Rex @ Beauty Bar
• The Grey @ Hensley's Flying Elephant Pub & Grill
• Tuesday Night Jam Session w/ Gilbert Castellanos & His Live Jam Ensemble @Onyx/Thin
• Greensky Bluegrass @ Winston's

Things To Do In San Diego: April 27, 2009

Monday, April 27, 2009:

• Anti Monday League Presents Mr. Lif, DJ Statik, Willie Evans, Grieves, Destructo Bunny, Audios @ Casbah
• S. Brooks (Minmae), Joel P. West, Joanie Mendenhall @ Soda Bar
• Railroad Earth, Cornmeal @ Belly Up
• Lady Dottie and the Diamonds, DJ Jason Weedon @ U-31
• Common Dissent: Angels and Insects (film series) @ The Loft
• Stewed Screwed & Tattooed! Sailor Jerry @ Ruby Room
• Grown Folk Music w/The Husky Boy All-Stars, DJs Buddha and Duse @ Bar Pink
• Trio Gadjo @ Whistle Stop Bar
• Four Minutes TilMidnight, Science Fiction, FTB(LA), Theory of Funkativity @ Radio Room
• The Trail Draggers @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Robin Henkel @ Humphreys Backstage Live
• Heather Hardcore and Mayhem Mondays @ Club Kadan
• Open Mic @ Lestat's
• Mystery Train Blues Jam @ O'Connell's
• Electric Waste Band @ Winston's

a note: Today's listings were provided by Jeff who I'm gonna take the hint, doesn't like it when the listings aren't posted on Sunday night. Thanks for doing the legwork. All these options and I thought I was going to stay in tonight. Highly unlikely.

Dine Out for Life - This Thursday

Don't miss Dining Out for Life San Diego! On Thursday, April 30, 2009, participating restaurants, bars, coffee houses and nightclubs in San Diego will donate a minimum of 25% of sales to The Center's HIV/AIDS services and prevention programs.

Join CityBeat on Thursday night at "Dish at Universal." As you may or may not know, CityBeat Alternative Newsweekly, is one of the sponsors for the Dining Out for Life event this Thursday.

CityBeat carried the insert in it's Food Issue that listed all of the participating venues and that insert will be distributed at all of the venues.

As a partner, CityBeat secured Dish at Universal as its sponsor location. CityBeat would love for you to participate Thursday night for dinner. When you make your reservation at Dish tell your hostess you are with CityBeat.

Tonight! Amenity Video Release Party

I cannot even express how stoked I am for tonight. At East Village Tavern and Bowl, Amenity will be premiering their video for "Shine", but tonight is about so much more than that. I am really mostly looking forward to seeing friends from back in the day. We bleed Chula Vista, and tonight, we will Shine. The premiere is free, all ages, and open to everyone, so even if you're heading to the Casbah for tonight's free show, stop by and check out the video first. Also, a warning...I'm bringing my own bowling balls. Better watch out.

Transfer about to blow up Rogue Hero - Dangerous!

Rogue Hero Tonight, originally uploaded by AVicious.

We rolled into Bellingham after one hell of a fucking night in Seattle. The Tractor Room rocked and it was good to meet some great Seattle homeys. I have some great video to post up when I get back.



I am currently sitting on the near outskirts of a sweaty people pit. This club is packed and its only the opener. The club is cool enough but I have to say that I may not live through this one. I have only been nervous for my gear once before.



We will be streaming live from Seattle tomorrow. Check us out on Twitter @AVicious - updates hourly.


Posted up safe and sound and I will write later. Bellingham WA is about to go off!!!

Sent via AVicious Mobile

Click here to see AVicious inside updates

Things To Do In San Diego: April 25-26, 2009

Saturday, April 25, 2009:

• Adams Avenue Roots Festival @ Normal Heights (11a-9p)
• ArtWalk @ Little Italy (Noon-6pm)
• Dynamite Walls, Republic of Letters, Stripes and Lines and guests @ Casbah
• Lenka, Army Navy @ The Loft, UCSD
• Happy Hollows, Roxy Jones, The Modlins, The Dimes @ Soda Bar
• Tape Deck Mountain, Jamuel Saxon, The Feelings Mutual @ Pop! Boutique (All ages, Potluck, 2927 Lincoln, 8pm, $5)
• Says Rally, The Ringers, Desert Diamonds @ Beauty Bar
• The Howls, The Moviegoers @ Ken Club
• Sight & Sound feat. Mr. Tube and The Flying Objects, MC Flow, hosted by Tim Pyles @ Planet Rooth
• Silverleaf (CD release) @ Lestat's
• Four Minutes Til Midnight, Gandhis Lunchbox, Publicists, Signs and Signals, Beyond Karen @ Channel Twelve 25
• Skanic, The Upbeat, Bredren @ Belly Up
• End of Power, Fitz of Depression, OAKS, Sea Pansy @ Ruby Room
• Bombs Over North Park-DJs Corey Biggs & Adam Salter @ U-31
• Willard Grant Conspiracy, Winfred E Eye, Barn Burning @ Bar Pink
• Club Dead Line- DJ Liquid Gray (GVA Food Drive) @ Radio Room
• Sycuan Presents Panteon Rococo, Skalavera, Cabeza de Gallo, Quinto Sol @ House of Blues
• Never Say Blue Sky Blond, Hershel Abram, Amongst The Lost, Cyanide Vogue @ O'Connell's
• Shelle Blue @ House of Blues, bar stage
• Kid Koala, DJ Artistic, Frik n Frak, One Man Jazz @ Brick By Brick
• Assembly of Dust, Grand Canyon Sundown @ Winston's
• Braggin Rites @ Epicentre
• The Mystic Roots Band, RiceRockit, The Rise And Shine Band @ 710 Beach Club
• DJ Claire's End of the month happy hour & Kim's Birthday Party @ Whistle Stop (5pm)
• Booty Bassment @ Whistle Stop
• Cash'd Out (Tribute to Johnny Cash), Hard Fall Hearts, Los Sindicate @ Canes
• Protest The Hero, Misery Signals, The Number 12, Looks Like You, Scale The Summit @ Soma
• Talk Like June, Seaswallow, Inigo Figuracion @ Marquee (835 25th St, Golden Hill)
• FOOU @ Surf & Saddle
• Aten, Sunday Girl, Dive Bomber, October Burning @ Dreamstreet
• Thomas Connors & Catherine Beeks @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (6-8p)
• Makai @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (9p-1a)
• Michael Franks @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm, Late Show 9:30 pm)
• La Jolla Music Society Jazz Series feat. Marcus Roberts Trio @ Birch North Park Theatre
• TRC & I Got U Sound presents... @ Portugalia
• Sligorags @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Santa Cruz River Band @ San Dieguito United Methodist Church
• Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending: A Jacobs' Masterworks Concert @ Copley Symphony Hall

Sunday, April 26, 2009:

• Amenity "Shine" Video Premiere @ Gaslamp Tavern & Bowl (8-11p, Free, All Ages)
• Adams Avenue Roots Festival @ Normal Heights (11a-6p)
• ArtWalk @ Little Italy (Noon-6pm)
• The Local 94/9 Presents irradio, ...students, Demasiado, Hialeah w/ LIVE Broadcast, Free Food and Good Times - LOCAL bands bring your CD to the back bar broadcast @ Casbah (Free!)
• Syndicate, Best Friend (sf) @ Soda Bar
• Gurtrudestein, International Espionage @ Radio Room
• Arms Entwined, Burn Rodeo @ The Office
• The Thing @ The Loft, UCSD
• The Tighten-Ups @ Bar Pink
• Salsa Sunday feat. Orquesta Primo @ Belly Up
• Vanja James, Charlotte & Barbera, Blue In The Face @ Ruby Room
• Greg Ginn @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Tribe Of Kings/Reggae Vibes @ U-31
• Ariel Delmundo Presents Nati Ruts @ Canes
• Another Zeke Productions Presents...Behind The Wagon, Extinct Animals @ O'Connell's
• Ximena Sarinana @ House of Blues
• Julia Sage, Matt Haeck, Tim Mudd @ Lestat's
• Young Don & Fudge Dog, High Life, Educate, Myk & DJ Fame, Lewpaperfury, Serg @ Brick By Brick
• Jose Sinatra's OB-o-ke @ Winston's
• Citizen Video Matinee "Stranger Than Paradise" @ Whistle Stop (4pm)
• The Trash Man Comedy Night feat Jon Allen, Suzanne West, Chuckle Chum, Kevin Lahaie, Oliver Paragas, and Colby D@ Channel Twelve 25
• Jaeryoung Lee Trio @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
• Jakiem Joyner @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (11a-1:30p, 8p-12m)
• Robin Lee, Jack Davidson, Steve Keaney @ Portugalia

One Week Away: Elemental Experience

StayClassy.org's benefit concert to raise funds for a youth homeless shelter is one week away. Did you get your tickets? I'll be there and I'm excited because who wouldn't want to see live music on the bay?? Matisyahu is performing and has a message for San Diego.

Coachella 2009 - Day 2

Thought I should probably start on this before I head up to San Fran this weekend. I woke up on Saturday and could barely walk. My knees and ankles were swollen, but that's typical Coachella attire right? Anywho decided I would do my best to get an early start so I took a shower, hopped in the car and drove the 30 minutes to the polo fields where I was greeted with (from what I hear) the driest day of Coachella (NOT THE HOTTEST, DON'T FREAK OUT).

Click keep on reading for all the reviews and videos from day 2 of Coachella.


First up on my list was Doomtree's golden boy, P.O.S. on the Mojave stage. I have seen him twice in my life and he always puts on a good show. Hip hop in its truest form. Although this time he implemented a guitar which I thought was a very cool. He played most of the songs off his newest record, Never Better. And as always I loved his set and was actually only the 2nd set of the weekend that I got to stay the whole time for. So that was a great way to start my long day.

After that I reluctantly left the tent and started to head over to Cloud Cult who were about ten minutes into their set on the Outdoor Theater. This is where my opinion of that stage was solidified from the badness that took place the night before for Silversun Pickups. Again, the stage sounded like garbage. Cloud Cult was pretty decent for the 3 songs I saw before I bounced for a more heavier sound on the Coachella Stage.

One of the things I will never understand is how bands like Billy Talent go pretty much un noticed in the US while in Canada they have reached Grammy status and are selling out stadiums. An interesting thought. Let me know what you think. Anywho, I have never seen them and knew how big they were in Canada so I thought I would check them out. Straight punk rock. A very fun engertic show, all the while dressed in black. Here is a video of the song "Try Honesty:"



After the craziness that was Billy Talent I hesitantly walked about over to the Outdoor Theater to catch some of Liars, a band that I have been wanting to see for a LONG time. Well I could take about 2 songs before saying, F*%$ this stage and everyone performing on it. I was yet again disappointed at the other outdoor stage.

Every year there is a wildcard band for me that I feel like I need to check out. Last year it was Battles. And now I am a huge fan of them. This year was a band called thenewno2. Son of George Harrison, Dhani is the frontman for the indie outfit that absolutel BLEW me away. The melodies of the Beatles but the psychedelia of any prog rock band in the 70's. I was transfixed by the crazy guitars and the element of the keys all the while listening to Dhani's lyrics. Check out the video I shot for "Another John Doe" here:



I decided to put my former judgements against Dr. Drog behind me and try them out next. I was not a fan of their studio recordings but I was told that their live show makes up for it. Kind of put a bad taste in my mouth but I gave it a shot and I am glad I did. Such a visually appealing live show along with their dead on sound (despite some technical difficulties). They played a little bit of everything from all their records but their new stuff was what was really tingling my ear. Unfortunately I have since listened to the record again and still don't like their studio stuff. They are officially the first band that that has happened to me with. Here they are playing a song that I do not know the title of:



About this time I didn't really have much going on so I went and got some food and watched Amanda Palmer from a distance where she performed a very "weird" version of Creep with a ukulele from the production booth with everyone surrounding her. Pretty entertaining to say the least. I then realized I was gonna be late for Glasvegas. Don't worry though, they decided not to play due to exhaustion. Personally I think that is one of the most ridiculous reasons not to play a show, let alone a festival. Everyone is tired, everyone is hot, everyone got drunk the night before. That doesn't allow you to just bounce when you want to. I am done ranting.

Then I watched Calexico from a distance. Not much to see with their live show anyway. and from there I headed over to watch TV on the Radio on the main stage. I was kind of nervous cause of their performance at SNL. But I figured that was Saturday Night Live's deal. Which in the end it was. TV on the Radio are one of the best live bands I have seen and continue to be so. They had some guests up on stage, including a very attractive red head doing some background vocals that added some very cool sounds to the whole set. Here they are performing "Wolf Like Me:"



One of the other performances I was looking forward the most was TRV$DJ-AM. I downloaded their album the day they released it and it has been played in one cd player or another at least 12 times. And was the soundtrack to a New Years Eve party. I got their and the tent was pretty much overflowing. I squeezed my way through to get about 30 yards away from the stage and still could barely see what was going but was dancing my ass off. Here is a shorter video of what I could get:

Things To Do In San Diego: April 24, 2009

Friday, April 24, 2009:

• Republic of Letters @ X1FM.com Open Door (Free, all ages at X1FM or stream live on X1FM.com)
• Joel P. West, The Vision of A Dying World, Ms. Erika Davies @ The Boat House (2939 Monroe Ave, near 30th, 7pm, $5)
• Kingdom of Magic, Prize Country(OR), Loom, American Cheeseburger, Lands On Fire@ Radio Room
• Dave Gonzalez and the Stone River Boys, Paging Beto (members of Blasters, Rhythm Pigs, Cadillac Tramps), The Rumblers @ Casbah
• No Bunny, Rock & Roll adventure Kids, The Bomb Pops, Clean Cut DJs @ Ken Club
• The Beaters (es-Sess), Heavy Hawaii (ex-Fantastic Magic) @ Whistle Stop
• Autotonic, Black Hondo @ Bar Pink
• Glen Philips @ Yoga One (Sold Out)
• Foot Down- Critical Mass Official After Party @ Ruby Room
• Sean Healy Presents - Diplo, Jokers of the Scene, DJ Mr. Biggs @ Canes
• Rockers in the Round All Star Band feat. members of LIT, Cadillac Tramps, Adolescents, Royal Crown Review,Twisted Hearts, Wank, Handsome Devil, Bullets and Octane @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Four Minutes Til Midnight, Josh Fishel @ Winston's
• Feel The Noise-DJ’s Gabe Vega & Saul Q, Lady Dottie & The Diamonds @ U-31
• Jesse Lamonaca, Sven Erik Seaholm @ Bondi
• Happy Hour with Atomic Groove @ Belly Up (5:30 pm)
• Mutantspaceboy, Azure Down, Science Fiction @ Soda Bar
• Lez Zeppelin, The Grass Heat @ Belly Up
• David Michael, Kera & The Lesbians @ Marquee (835 25th St, Golden Hill)
• Anna Troy Band, Cyndi Harvell, The Northstar Session @ Lestat's
• Electric Feel-DJ Andrew Decade @ Beauty Bar
• West of Memphis @ House of Blues, Voodoo Stage
• Emergenza Music Festival feat. Metatonic, The Rumblers, 5 to Midnight, Mad Martigan, One Inch Punch, Raise the Guns, Red Llama Dog @ O'Connell's
• The Camel Tones, 3rd Identity & guests @ Brick By Brick
• Honor Society with KSM, Ruby Summer, Frankie J @ House of Blues
• 1K Entertainment @ Epicentre
• The Devil Wears Prada, A Day To Remember, Sky Eats Airplane, Emarosa @ Soma
• EvoPro Presents Underground w/Professor CC & DJ Brother Darkness @ the Stout House
• Train of Thought, Headrush, Motor Love, Spotlight Junkies @ Dreamstreet
• "The Green Scene" sustainable visual arts, film, fashion @ The Loft, UCSD
• Young Goodman (Cd Release), Scarlet Symphony @ 710 Beach Club
• Paul Seaforth with Mo’Sax @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
• Detroit Underground @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Michael Franks @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm, Late Show 9:30 pm)
• David Wilcox @ Acoustic Music San Diego
• Moderfire, trust One, Skrapez, Dr. Zarkob, 5th Child, Hill People & More @ Portugalia
• Creedence Clearwater Revisited @ Valley View Casino

Rafter At SXSW 2009

Rafter was one of the many bands who made the trek to SXSW this year, and Andy (on drums) alerted me that the video had hit 40,000 views, which is pretty stellar, though I suppose it helps that the showcase was in part, produced by YouTube.

Anyway, here's the band doing their thing:

Things To Do In San Diego: April 23, 2009

Thursday, April 23, 2009:

• Hostile Combover, Prize Country, Kingdom of Magic, Modern Rifles @ Casbah
• Sunnyside (Miggs' Birthday Party) @ Ken Club
• Floater, Scarlet Symphony @ Winston's
• Culture + Cocktails @ San Diego Museum of Art (6-9p, Members-free, Non-members $12)
• Lessons from Zeke, Jesse Nova, Zank @ Bitter End Backstage
• The Napoleon Complex, Incomplete Neighbor, The Minor Keys, Duchess @ Radio Room
• Eagle & Talon, The Dabbers @ Bar Pink
• An Evening with Hot Tuna @ Belly Up
• Free HOUSE dance party @ Beauty Bar
• Townhall with City Council Member Todd Gloria @ Whistle Stop (5:30 pm)
• Equality Benefit Event @ Ruby Room
• DJ Ratty @ True North
• Boombox Thursday feat. DJ Edgartronic @ A/C Lounge
• DJ Red October's Punk & Good Times @ Whistle Stop (10p)
• 80’s and 90’s Hip Hop with DJ Artistic & Cros 1 @ U-31
• Urban Legend Get Down, Red Llama Dog @ Dreamstreet
• Sycuan Presents Queensryche @ House of Blues
• Karaoke @ O'Connell's
• Gabriel Sullivan @ Soda Bar
• Canes & PolyUnderground Present Ooklah The Moc, Mystic Roots Band, Psydecar, Hi Roots @ Canes
• The Bayonics, Rock Out Karaoke (7-10p) @ 710 Beach Club
• Calder Quartet @ The Loft, UCSD (8pm)
• Camille Bloom, Nicole Torres, Veronica May @ Lestat's
• Anthony Smith's Trunk Fulla Funk @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Earl Thomas & The Kings Of Rhythm (CD Release) @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm)
  Benefit Concert for International Green Shield feat. Vokab Kompany, DJ Carlo @ Anthology (Late Show 9:30 pm)
• Chris Zavh, Jake Allen, Lou Evans Jr., Tuna Boot, Compass, Patricia Mueller @ Portugalia
• Irish Night with Skelpin @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• The English Elgar's First Symphony: A Symphony Exposed Concert @ Copley Symphony Hall

Lebowski Fest/Speed Of Sound Tour Coming to San Diego

Lebowski Fest will be coming to San Diego!
Sun/July 26 || House of Blues – Movie Party ||
Mon/July 27 || Kearny Mesa Bowl – Bowling Party||
Tickets onsale this Friday.



“What do you do for recreation?” Julianne Moore's character Maude Lebowski asks The Dude in the film. “Oh, the usual,” The Dude responds. “I bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback.” Lebowski Fest organizers have not strayed very far from that formula – much to the delight of Festival attendees. ‘Achievers' are regaled with two nights of events: live music and a screening of the movie on the first night; followed by an evening of bowling, replete with wild costumes, trivia contests, unlimited bowling, White Russians, and what-have-you.

All info can be found at www.lebowskifest.com.

Crystal Method Feat. Matisyahu "Drown In The Now"

I'm posting this video because it covers two fronts. As you know, Matisyahu is headlining StayClassy.org's Elemental Experience on May 2 at Mission Bay Park (Click banner above for more information). But it is also worth noting that Crystal Method is performing at House of Blues on May 25. Their new record, Divided By Night, drops on May 12 and features collaborations with Matisyahu, Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order), Samantha Maloney (Hole, Peaches), Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), Emily Haines (Metric), Meiko, Justin Warfield (She Wants Revenge) and LMFAO.

It's no secret that I'm not much into the club/dance/DJ scene, but I saw Crystal Method a while back at 4th & B and was blown away. I remember ordering a drink, and by the time I found the money in my wallet and handed it to the bartender, my drink had disappeared. What we figured out was that the thumping bass literally bounced my drink off the bar and into the adjacent trash can. Needless to say, earplugs are recommended.

Enter to win a flyaway trip to see The Method in Vegas here.

Things To Do In San Diego: Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Wednesday, April 8, 2009:

• The Old In Out, Monsters from Mars, Sunday Times @ Casbah
• John Wayne Gacy Daycare, Ded Pigeons, Street of Little Girls @ Soda Bar
• Golden Animals @ Bar Pink
• The Pheromones @ Bondi
• Aaron Bowen, Chris Robley @ Lestat's
• The Widows, Nightmares, The Pant Hoots @ Radio Room
• The Unruly Bangs, Melismatics, The Subadons, DJ G Rex @ Beauty Bar
• Agua Dulce, Bedford Grove @ U-31
• Battle of the Bands (Go support The Kneehighs) @ SDSU
• Breast Cancer Benefit feat. Kniives, Sex Mannequin, Verso, DJ Mike Taylor @ Ruby Room
• Don Carlos, Cualli, DJ Carlos Culture @ Belly Up
• Aquatribe, Carlos Blues Experience & guests TBA @ Brick By Brick
• BCMG Presents: Tattooed Wednesday feat Vanja James & Friends @ House of Blues
• Mad Traffic, Kinome @ O'Connell's
• Kova, Maddox Revolution @ Bitter End Backstage
• Manwhore Wednesdays @ Ken Club
• Schitzophrenic, Fusebox @ Winston's
• "Direct Democracy Tour" (spoken word, workshops) @ The Loft, UCSD (6 & 8 pm)
• Immortal Technique, Red Cloud, Chino XL, CF, DJ Static, Kahlee & Adikt 1" @ Canes
• A Simple Ending, Electro Gun Microwave, La Creaky Cahts, Solow @ Dreamstreet
• High School Battle of the Bands prelims feat. N.E.O.N., The Somatree, Unknown Motive, The Skains, The Colors.@ Channel Twelve 25
• Through The Roots, Drive By Jones. Trivia Plus hosted by Ed Decker @ 710 Beach Club
• Joe Wood & the Lonely Ones @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Blue Rockit @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• "Artist in Residence" Series feat. Charles McPherson, Gilbert Castellanos, Daniel Jackson @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm)
• The Rob Mullins Trio @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)

FM 94/9 Independence Jam Info Leaked?-- CONFIRMED!!

A reader gave a link to this site that supposedly leaks the FM/949 Independence Jam lineup for 2009. The site confirms the show on June 7, 2009, but surprisingly at a new venue this year...The Oceanside Pier amphitheatre. As someone with a car that literally won't start if I drive more that 12 miles in any direction, I can't say I'm enthusiastic about getting up to Oceanside, but hopefully the Coaster will run late or something to accomodate those of us to whom Oceanside might as well be Los Angeles.

Anyway, the lineup confirms Metric, and not surprisingly Dead Confederate, and also includes The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Black Keys as headliners, along with the local stage presented by The Casbah. According to the site, tickets are $30 flat and go on sale on April 27 at noon...online only.

Real? Probably. But listen to Halloran at 4 pm anyway for the official announcement.

update: it's official: Black Keys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Metric, Dead Conferderate. Locals include Dirty Sweet, Scarlet Symphony, Creepy Creeps, and Apes of Wrath.

Earth Day Ben Harper Concert

To celebrate April 22, Earth Day, Nat Geo Music channel is hosting a live broadcast concert featuring Grammy award-winning artist Ben Harper with Relentless7 along with Bibi Tanga, in Rome's famed Piazza del Popolo. The concert will air live on Wednesday, beginning at 8 p.m. in Italy (2 p.m. US ET), and will be featured Simultaneously on Nat Geo Music channel in the United States and www.natgeotv.com/earthday internationally. All of the concert's carbon emissions will be offset by planting 1,000 trees this fall in Rome's Riserva della Valle dell'Aniene park.

Silversun Pickups/The Bronx Interviews

I'm cleaning out emails and trying to get organized and realized I haven't done a diary post about anything in April so I've got some catching up to do, but in the meantime, I wanted to post these interviews.

First, I picked up Silversun Pickups latest album "Swoon" on Friday night at Coachella. Their performance knocked my socks off and I'm really hoping they make a couple appearanced here soon...perhaps Indie Jam? X-Fest? Anyway, we listened to the CD at least 4 times on the drive home and I'm definitely a fan. No sophomore slump for this band.



Shockhound also has a great interview from The Bronx, and since I had such a good time at their recent Casbah show, I thought I'd post their interview as well.

Things To Do In San Diego: April 21, 2009

Tuesday, April 21, 2009:

• Dan Deacon and Ensemble, Wavves, Double Dagger, Teeth Mountain @ Che Cafe
• Bang Camaro, Leslie, Die Sabotage @ Casbah
• The Outline, The Feelings Mutual, DJ G Rex @ Beauty Bar
• The Changing Colors @ Soda Bar
• UB40, The Devastators @ Belly Up
• Tiki Tuesday @ Bar Pink
• Too Cool For Karaoke: Citizen Video presents Silver Screen Serenade @ Ruby Room
• "The Room" hosted by Rich The Stitch (comedy) @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Jesse Davis @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Mechanical Bull Riding @ U-31
• Ken Club Karaoke @ Ken Club
• PRESSURE DROP w/ Jeff Graves and Skarina @ Radio Room
• Karaoke @ O'Connell's
• Comedy Night @ Lestat's
• Great American Taxi @ Winston's
• Friends Chill Game Night @ Whistle Stop
• High School Battle of the Bands feat. PK Fats, /b/laupunkt, The Fine Line, Mesita, Yttrium, Dress To Kill, Only On Wednesdays @ Channel Twelve 25
• Train of Thought Open Mic with Dave Booda @ Marquee Theatre (835 25th St, Golden Hill)
• Game Night @ 710 Beach Club
• Jazz up your Tuesdays feat. Anthology House Band @ Anthology (Early Show 7 pm)

Coachella 2009 - Day 1

I have officially returned from Coachella. Well I got back around 3 am on Sunday the 19th. 2 hours and 15 minutes from Indio to Santee, not too shabby. I have a shit ton of videos that you can catch along with reading. Keep in mind this was the first real time I had used my MinoHD flip camera, so the shots that are closer to the stage have a nasty over-modulation. But if you can stand that, they sound nice and look extremely nice. My artist wrap up is right here:

Click Keep on Reading for all the reviews and videos from Day 1


Day 1
I drove up Thursday night with my buddies: Shane, Jay, Jenna, Bobe, and Andrea. After getting to their hotel around 9:30 we were off to the Filter Pre-Coachella Party, which we had VIP access to I might add. So we drove out to literally an oasis called the Oasis Yacht Club. Pretty good times had there, sans the fact that they ran out of alcohol around 11:55 PM. Rookie mistake. But since it was all free I guess I can't complain. Got back to the hotel around 2 and passed the F out. Woke up around 8:30 to head over to my own condo to relax a bit and get ready for the day.

The plan was to get in the festival no later than 1 so I could catch Dead and the Headlights. Well traffic going in did not allow it. We got to the main stage around 2:30 just in time to catch We Are Scientists which are always a good time. I watched them play from about 2:50 till 3:40 cause I totally forgot about Cage the Elephant. I rushed over to the Mojave where I watched Cage absolutely rip their tent apart with a non single that I was stoked on hearing the non single, Sabertooth. You can catch the video right here:



After Cage, I thought I would give Steve Aoki a shot. Big mistake. Yes he has good beats, yes he is somewhat of a local boy, but what is the line between DJing and just pressing play. Aoki met that. He was barely behind the decks, was on the mic almost the whole time, and did a little too much raft riding. That being said, I danced my ass off to a couple songs including "autoerotique gladiator." Check it:



After Aoki I headed over to the Mojave tent to catch a band that I have been dying to see for a long time, The Hold Steady. They played to a super packed tent and I loved it. I was pretty close to the stage so the video isn't the best sound quality but it is definitely audible. The Hold Steady seem like they could be the nicest guys ever. Check out the video for Sequestered in Memphis (this is probably the worst sounding video):



I stayed for about half their set before leaving to go check out a couple songs of Los Campesinos. I had never seen them live but I have their older EPs and knew I was a fan. Despite some technical difficulties their set was awesome, the first half at least. I filmed them playing the song "Ways To Make It Through the Wall." Again not the best audio quality but its bearable:




After watching a couple songs of Los Campesinos and getting my ears blown away, I headed over to the Coachella Stage to catch one band that I took the trip to see, The Black Keys. Their latest album, "Attack & Release" is still one of my favorite albums from 2008. Pure rock and roll, and good times for sure. I saw about 90 % of their set which at times was a little boring, but for the most part, highly entertaining. I say boring because I don't really know what I was expecting but I didn't get it. Which isn't necessaily a bad thing, just surprised I suppose. Check out them playing Strange Times here:



I left Black Keys early cause I wanted to catch the last part of The Ting Tings. I immediately regretted that decision. I walked into what seemed like a kindergarten school teacher speaking to kids who are too young to even be in here class. Her voice was annoying, and I could barely hear the drums or the guitar, just her voice. This is sad for me cause I actually enjoy their album and not just the two singles. Disappointing to say the least.

Next up was another band that I was really excited to see. Their new album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, has made its fair share of visits to my CD player or ipod. I have seen them live once before but it had been awhile so I was stoked. They played from 6:35 to 7:25 and I enjoyed every bit of it. Playing stuff from every album including my now all time favorite Franz song, No You Girls. Audio is a bit rough when the bass drum hits:



NASA played the Casbah back in February and I was super bummed that I missed them. Anyone releases an album featuring Karen O, David Byrne, Sea Jorge, and Tom Waits definitely deserves my attention. By far the most visually appealing performance of the weekend included a moon landing stage, sexy aliens, a giant dancing robot, and guest appearances galore. Maybe not the guests I would have like to have seen but still very appealing. The video doesnt have the best audio quality but you definitely get some good shots of the dancing creatures:



Next up on the list was Ghostland Observatory in the Sahara Tent. Seeing them at Street Scene and at Coachella last year I was expecting another entertaining show. This is the best video I shot for the whole weekend. Sounds great, looks great, and I had a great time. Definitely overflowing the limits of the tent they played pretty much everything off their second record, Paparazzi Lightning. Including the song they opened with, Piano Man, which I filmed. Check it out here:



After Ghostland, I had probably the biggest schedule conflict of the whole festival. Dance and Mashup machine Girl Talk started playing within 5 minutes of Silversun Pickups. I had seen both groups before so I was conflicted. I decided to go with Silversun Pickups only because the amount of people I could already see would be at the Sahara Tent for Girl Talk. Plus there isn't much to see with his live set. At least with Silversun Pickups I can gauck at the bassist Nikki. This was the first time heading to the Outdoor Theater and I have to say for about 3 quarters of the set, the lead singer Bryan sounded like garbage. But then I heard from other people that every band did not sound good on that stage. By the time they got to Panic Switch their sound was dead on. Providing one of my favorite moments of the whole festival. Check it here:



I was planning on seeing three more bands at this point. It's about 10 PM and my original plan was to go watch Paul McCartney till 11, then go watch Genghis Tron till 11:30, and finish out my night with The Crystal Method. Well that plan went straight down the drain as I was watching McCartney. I enjoy the Beatles as much as everyone else, but I am not a crazed fanatic. But as I sat there watching this pushing 70 year old man completely entertain me. Witty, sharp, looks great, sounds great, everything was awesome. The 2 and a half hour set was shot full of everything you could ask for. Including 3 encores and an AMAZING backing band. I shot three different videos with my MinoHD that look and sound great. The first is of him playing Eleanore Rigby:



The next song I shot was Band On the Run:


And finally I decided to start filming in the middle of one song which in the end was a mistake cause the next song he played was Hey Jude. And my camera runs out of time right in the middle of the song. So here is half of Live and Let Die and half of Hey Jude:



This was just day 1 of the 2 I was there so expect the rest within the end of the week. Thanks for reading!

"I Love Pop Music" Ben Lee

This video is dedicated to Daye. He took me to my first Ben Lee show at Symphony Hall and introduced me to the music. I was so into it, the next day I went online and ordered every CD Ben Lee had put out. Ben Lee is coming to San Diego on May 1st, with a performance at The Loft at UCSD. If you want infectiously happy music, Ben Lee is for you.

I love pop music
This is how we do it
It's politics you can romance to
I love pop music
Sprinkle sugar through it
Philosophy that you can dance to

Amenity! Video Premiere: April 26, 2009

In 2008, San Diego/Chula Vista's first straight edge/hardcore band reunited for the first time in 18 years. Amenity got together and played to celebrate the release of "Radio Silence", a chronicle of the history of American hardcore. Founding member Tim Gonzalez explains, "Amenity got back together in October with the intent of playing one show, but since we ended up recording 4-songs, filming a video, getting more offers to do more things, and have enjoyed ourselves so much, we decided to stay together." Amenity is releasing an EP of new material this spring, but will be releasing a a video for the first song, "Shine", on April 26 at East Tavern Village & Bowl. The premiere is free and all ages and is going to be a really great event to launch what could be a whole new round of Amenity's groundbreaking music that paved the way for so many bands that still exist today.


AMENITY + RADIO SILENCE TRAILER from Millimeter Productions on Vimeo.

Concert News: Street Scene 2009, Green Day, Slightly Stoopid

A friend sent me some info to share with my blog readers.

Street Scene will be August 28 & 29 this year

Green Day is coming somewhere in San Diego on August 20.

Slightly Stoopid/Snoop Dogg/Stephen Marley are coming July 25 to Cricket.

Man, I really need a camera.

KenTal Update: Kensington Terrace

I haven't posted neighborhood news in a while, but a lot of people have asked me if I know why the gas station near the Ken Club on Adams Avenue has closed, so I thought I'd post the information direct from the Heart of Kensington newsletter:

Gas Station Closed on March 31st

The gas station at 4142 Adams Avenue (corner of Marlborough and Adams) closed for the sale of gas on March 31, 2009. The State Air Resources Control Board required all gas stations to install a "Phase II Enhanced Vapor Recovery System" by April 1, 2009. The owner of the gas station has decided not to pay for the upgrades necessary to receive certification from the State at this time, pending negotiations that would allow the station to reopen.

Jacob’s repair shop and the convenience store remain open. Only the gas pumps have been shutdown. The owner of the gas station is negotiating with Allard Jansen, the property owner. If the owner is able to secure a two-year lease, which would make the pump upgrade cost-effective, then the upgrades will be done. In that case,
after the State EPA inspector recertifies the pumps, they will re-open.

Stay tuned for more information about this topic. This has a direct connection to the development of Kensington Terrace.

Reading between the lines a little: Jacob was going to have to close his entire auto shop and gas station because the Kensington Terrace project was supposed to start construction this summer. With the economy the way it is, the project might be delayed, postponed, or otherwise reconsidered, which would allow Jacob to extend his lease and stay in business in his current location for a while longer. I would like to see Jacob stay, but now that the houses and apartments have been bulldozed, I don't know that I'd want to stare at that vacant property for 2 years either. I guess it's a wait and see what happens situation.

FM 94/9 Independence Jam 2009

FM 94/9 just announced via Twitter that their 2009 Independence Jam lineup will be announced on Wednesday. I have no inside information (well, except the Metric news that leaked and then was pulled), but I'd like to make a few guess/suggestions for 2009. If the original information was correct, the show will be on June 7, and we shall assume it will return to DeVore Stadium at Southwestern College.

Here are some guesses, or call it wishful thinking:
The Hold Steady (There was a tweet about Garrett being ecstatic this weekend after getting a huge confirmation and we all know he luuuurves The Hold Steady, though I don't know if they'd play the festival in back to back years)
Metric
Sunny Day Real Estate
Dead Confederate
Silversun Pickups (Brian said they "love" 94.9, but didn't know their summer tour schedule yet when I asked if they'd been invited)
Delta Spirit

Local Stage:
The Soft Pack
Grand Ol Party
Transfer
Scarlet Symphony
Apes Of Wrath

2007 Lineup: Interpol, Kings Of Leon, Spoon, Living Things, The Aggrolites, Test Your Reflex, Grand Ole Party, Mr Tube and The Flying Objects, Scarlet Symphony, Transfer, The Soft.lightes

2008 Lineup: Flogging Molly, The Hold Steady, Cold War Kids, MgmT, The Whigs, The Ting Tings, Santogold, Nortec Collective, Transfer, Silent Comedy, Kill Me Tomorrow, The Muslims, Blackout Party

I dunno, it's fun to guess, but in a couple days we'll know anyway. Feel free to comment your guesses or suggestions.

Things To Do In San Diego: April 20, 2009

It was a long weekend after going to Coachella on Friday & Sunday. I know I said I'd never go, but I'll explain what changed my mind in 2009 in a bit. Thanks to Jonathan and Travis for driving, I hope you had as much fun as I did. Thanks also to Jeff for sending me a head start on today's listings so I could post. I'll be tackling th2 200+ emails I received this weekend in addition to uploading photos and trying to crank out some updates. In the meantime, Natalie shot Coachella for Pitchfork again this year, so go check out her photos here and her website here. If you like what you see, you can buy her prints or hire her to shoot your band.

Monday, April 20, 2009 (insert pot smoking joke here):

• Anti Monday League presents HiFiClSi, Lands on Fire, Pretty Too Bad, The Gift/Curse @ Casbah
• Lykke Li, Afternoons, DJ Gabe Vega @ Belly Up (Sold Out)
• San Diego Jazz Musician's Guilds Show featuring the Jazz 88 All Stars, Daniel Jackson Quartet, spoken word artists, and Jazz Jam. Jazz photography exhibit featuring work from Michael Klayman @ Tango Del Rey Info
• Lady Dottie and the Diamonds, DJ Jason Weedon @ U-31
• Frontside Five(Colorado), Hightower, 300 Pounds @ Radio Room
• Grown Folk Music with The Husky Boy All-Stars- DJ Buddha and Duse @ Bar Pink
• Kipper's Pop Trivia Challenge @ Whistle Stop
• Steven Bradford (Get Back Loretta), Garrett Pierce, Mr. Mustard @ Soda Bar
• Chet Cannon's Blue Monday Blues Party @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Open Mic @ Lestat's
• Sing or Die Karaoke @ 710 Beach Club
• Mystery Train Blues Jam @ O'Connell's
• Electric Waste Band @ Winston's
• Common Dissent: Amisatad (film series) @ The Loft, UCSD
• The Tail Draggers @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• High School Battle of the Bands Prelims- Suburban Boredom, The Guze, Kris Kraft, Midnight Rising, Paint @ Channel Twelve 25

Things To Do In San Diego: April 16-19, 2009

Yes, it is Coachella this weekend, but there's plenty of good stuff happening in San Diego if you're not into music festivals with thousands of people and soaring desert heat. Don't forget Record Store Day at your local independent retailers like M-Theory & Lou's, a zero-carbon footprint rock festival in OB, and Balboa Park's huge Earth Fair on Sunday. There's also a Taste of Uptown & Hillcrest happening.

Thursday, April 16, 2009:

• Black Lips, Flowers Forever, Nautical Disaster, Atoms in the Atari Lounge @ Casbah
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joe Wood and the Lonely Ones @ Belly Up
• Scarlet Symphony, Theart (austrailia), BRAIINS!! @ Soda Bar ($3)
• The Fever Sleeves, MNML @ Bar Pink
• The Midwinters, The Notice, Atom Orr @ Ken Club
• Lualta, The Bloodflowers, Ninja Love, The Ratbirds @ Radio Room
• DJ Greyboy @ El Dorado Bar
• Hip Hop by Omar 10.0, Flux co, Ponder @ Beauty Bar
• Blues & Jazz Showcase featuring Veronica May, Blues Wizard, Devlin Jones Band @ Ruby Room
• The Applebrown Jazz Ensemble @ Lestat's
• One Hot Minute, Boys Don’t Cry, Bitter Sober @ Brick By Brick
• Rhythm & The Method, Endoxi, Grapes of Jade @ Winston's
• Caboose feat. DJ Trail-Mix-A-Lot @ Whistle Stop
• Collie Buddz & with The New Kingston Band, Pep Love (Of the Hieroglyphics), After School Special @ Canes
• Brendan B (CD Release) @ 710 Beach Club
• Shamey Jays, Stunt Double, Soul Vox, Jen Knight, Roxanne @ Bitter End Backstage
• Animated Activists @ The Loft, UCSD
• Modern Day Moonshine @ House of Blues (Voodoo Stage)
• Karaoke @ O'Connell's
• Lights: the Ultimate Tribute to Journey, Springsteen: The Premier Tribute Band @ House of Blues
• Ruby and the Red Hots @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Brian Auger's Oblivion Express @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm)
• Four Way Free, Talk Like June @ Marquee Theatre (835 25th St., Golden Hill)
• Wax Works @Dreamstreet
• Irish Night with Skelpin @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Ramblin' Jack Elliott @ Acoustic Music San Diego
• Boombox Thursday feat. DJ Edgartronic @ A/C Lounge
• 80’s and 90’s Hip Hop with DJ Artistic & Cros 1 @ U-31

Friday, April 17, 2009:

• WAVVES, Christmas Island, The Dabbers, Bipolar Bear, DJ Mario Orduno @ Casbah
• Calexico, Bartenders Bible @ Belly Up
• Juna, XIV, Gavin Castleton, DJ Robin Roth @ Beauty Bar
• The Vibrators (UK), Rat City Riot, Northern Towns, Larry And his Flask(OR) @ Radio Room
• Di Nigunim, Underscore Orchestra, The Yiffs @ Soda Bar
• River City & guests @ Whistle Stop
• Kevin Kinsella (John Brown's Body), Raiz Muzik, The Make Peace Brothers @ Winston's
• Happy Hour with Buick Wilson Band @ Belly Up (5:30 pm)
• Pau Hana @ Ruby Room
• Feel The Noise with DJs Gabe Vega & Saul Q @ U-31
• Perfecto Tour feat Paul Oakenfold, Liquid Todd, Kenneth Thomas @ Harrah's Rincon Casino Eclipse Pool
• Pocket @ Bar Pink
• Spaceman Spiff @ Onyx Room
• Avenged Sevenfold, Buckcherry @ San Diego Sports Arena
• Another Zeke Productions Presents...Strike The Design & TBA @ O'Connell's
• Samaon Irok’s Searching for my Polynesians Queenz @ Brick By Brick
• Lenny Morris, Erik Cram, Jamie Robb, Alan Silva & The Cosmic Originals @ Marquee Theatre (835 25th St., Golden Hill)
• West of Memphis @ House of Blues (Voodoo Stage)
• KPRI Present The Derek Trucks Band, Jackie Greene @ House of Blues
• Diamonds Underfire, Every Good Boy, Kathryn Ostenberg @ Lestat's
• Black Metal Night, Ritual Torture @ Epicentre
• Flight To Athena Children Of Nova (CD Release), The Haven, Sound Of Surrender, The Sequence, Five More Days @ Soma
• Stay Classy Presents Rock Out Karaoke @ 710 Beach Club
• 108, Pulling Teeth, Lewd Acts, Skin Like Iron, 7 Generations @ Che Cafe
• Eclipse Clup Party feat. DJ Mawkus & DJ Skyblu @ The Loft, UCSD
• Sashamon, C-Money & the Players Inc, Pali Roots & Sand Section @ Canes
• Brian Levy (tenor sax) & Mikan Zlatkovich (piano), Marshall Hawkins (bass) & Brett Sanders (drums) performing George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Cole Porter @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
• Rockola @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Guava Belly @ PB Bar & Grill
• Tom Scott, Paulette McWilliams @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm)
• Hilton San Diego Bayfront & Chris Chambers Presents Raheem DeVaughn @ Anthology (Late Show 10:30 pm)
• In Silence, One Theory, Sangre, Comfort in Rage, Downspell @ Dreamstreet
• Endoxi @ Surf n Saddle
• Duane Peters @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• "Unleashed" feat. DJ Brother Darkness @ Stout House

Saturday, April 18, 2009:

• Record Store Day: In-stores by Dramarama, Anya Marina, Silent Comedy, Maren Parusel and Foosball with Menomena! Guest cashiers Pall Jenkins of Black Heart Procession & Jimmy Lavalle of Album Leaf! Cheap sidewalk sale! Food & Drinks! @ M-Theory, 10a-8p
• Record Store Day feat. DJ sets by Greaser (Thee Corsairs), Adrian Demain (Cheap Leis), Eric Castaneda (Stone Senses), Mike Keneally, Pure Boom Hi-Fi @ Lou's Records
• Spring Busker Festival @ Seaport Village (Free, Noon-5pm)
• OB Global Rock Festival feat. Cash'd Out & more @ Newport & Abbott, Ocean Beach
• Buskers After Dark @ Seaport Village (Food court, 18+, 7-10pm)
• Menomena, Calico Horse, Writer @ Casbah
• Archons, Made Out of Babies, Gort @ Soda Bar ($4)
• Steve Poltz @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm, late Show 9:30 pm)
• Lyon Crowns, Royal Campaign, Steve Carson Band (CD release), DJ Lord Nelson @ Beauty Bar
• The Strikers, Old Devil, Ghost Town Deputies, The Rotten Livers @ Ken Club
• The Cured, Blasphemous Rumours, Luv'n Rockets @ Belly Up
• Urban Acoustic Playhouse @ Marquee Theatre (835 25th St., Golden Hill, 5:30 pm)
• India.Arie, Laura Izibor @ House of Blues
• 91X Presents Cage The Elephant @ House of Blues (Delta Room)- Sold Out
• John Prine @ Spreckels Theatre
• Wizard Loves @ Marquee Theatre (835 25th St., Golden Hill, 8pm)
• Red Alien Invasion! feat. Red Sonya and Alien Tom, DJ Construct @ Ruby Room
• Neon Beat with DJs Junior and Atari @ Bar Pink
• Students of the Drum @ Radio Room
• NSD Presents...Without Papers, Blackwater Conspiracy, Flight Or Fight, Geoffro Cause, Digeridon's @ O'Connell's
• Adler's Appetite, Bullet Boys & Enuff Z'nuff @ 4th & B
• West of 5 @ House of Blues (Voodoo Stage)
• Allison Lonsdale @ Lestat's (6-8p)
• Lou's Birthday Bash @ Lestat's
• Elijah Emanuel & The Revelations @ Winston's
• UFC 97, Pullman Standard, The Epilogues @ 710 Beach Club
• Transport 80s vs 90s- Vega vs. Saul @ Whistle Stop
• Seedless 4/20 Party - Andre Nickatina, Xzibit, Substance Abuse, DJ Fingaz @ Canes
• Murder On The Dancefloor, The 25th Hour, Seconds From Disaster, Aphotic Murder, Pink Sock, Eighth Round @ Soma
• Code Red @ Epicentre
• Kendra Shenk (CD release)@ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
• Viva Santana @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Cable Car For The Movie Star, New Age Heroes, Summit Grove, When You Wake, Off Track @ Channel Twelve 25
• Cannobliss, Back From Ashes, FM Revolver, My Elysian, Loked, 760 @ Dreamstreet
• Dolla Dolla DJs, DJ Groundfloor @ U-31
• Taryn Donath @ Hensley's Flying Elephant

Sunday, April 19, 2009:

• Earth Day EarthFair (ListenLocalSD.com Moon Stage: 10:00 AM Tori Roze, 10:40 Cathryn Beeks Ordeal, 11:20 The Flowerthief, 12:00 The Donnis Trio, 12:40 Christopher Dale, 1:20 Barbara Nesbitt, 2:00 Citizen Band, 2:40 Steph Johnson, 3:20 Deadline Friday) @ Balboa Park
• Spring Busker Festival @ Seaport Village (Free, Noon-5pm)
• The Gift/Curse, Tropical Depression @ The Office
• The Intelligence, Christmas Island, Pillow Queens @ Soda Bar
• The Beautiful View, china clippers, Roll Film @ Ruby Room
• Mod Amish @ Ken Club
• The Caburlesque Kittens, Zosia, Throwback to Now @ Beauty Bar
• The 9th Annual Seedless 4/20 Party with Diego Roots, Tribe of Kings, Sister Carol (doing "Black Cinderella") w/ Yellow Wall Dub Squad, the legendary Scientist and a special reggae set by members of P.O.D with Brigadier Jerry and Yami Bolo @ Belly Up
• Benefit Concert for the US Open Sandcastle Competition feat. Taryn Donath, Bill Magee Blues Band, Aunt Kizzy'z Boyz @ Anthology (2 pm)
• Foreigner @ Viejas Concerts In The Park
• Tribe Of Kings/Reggae Vibes @ U-31
• Novastellar, Blue in The Face, Wizard Wolves @ Radio Room
• Another Zeke Productions Presents...Londons Falling & TBA @ O'Connell's
• March of Dimes Benefit feat Goodnight Caulfield, Human Record, No K, Phalanx, and Bipolarmeltdown @ Epicentre
• Kottonmouth Kings, OPM, Sen Dog @ House of Blues
• The Robin Henkel Band @ Lestat's
• This is Music: One Month of Forgotten Hits and Secret Gems @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• NSD PRESENTS the 5TH annual Hemp Hop Festival @ Brick By Brick
• That 70's Rock Show @ Winston's (5-9p)
• Jose Sinatra's OB-o-ke @ Winston's (9pm)
• Too Many Creeps feat Mario Orduno & friends @ Whistle Stop
• SkateWitches, Die Sabotage, more tba @ Che Cafe
• Jesse Davis @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (11a-1:30 pm)
• Bradley Leighton & Evan Marks @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (5:30-6:30pm)
• Reggie Smith @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (8pm-12m)
• Roots Covenant @ PB Bar & Grill

One Night Only: Beer Wars

Tonight (April 16) there will be a one night movie event called Beer Wars, a documentary that follows the small, independent brewers who are challenging corporate giants in the beer industry. This is the first time it will be aired, and it will be followed by a live discussion led by Ben Stein with America’s leading independent brewers and experts. The film will be showing in theatres across the country including the following local theatres:

AMC Otay Ranch 12
AMC Mission Valley 20
Horton Plaza
Mira Mesa 18 with IMAX
AMC La Jolla Village 12

For full information and tickets, click here.

Ocean Beach Global Rock Festival 2009

Below is information for the first annual Ocean Beach Global Rock Festival:

This carbon neutral festival will take place Saturday, April 18, 2009 from 9am to 8:30pm at the foot of Newport Ave and Abbott St.

This event is a fundraiser for the Ocean Beach Mainstreet Association and will support local initiatives that will improve people’s quality of life in the community.

The day will begin with a Beach Clean Up at 9am, sponsored by the Stay Classy Foundation and The Surfrider Foundation, San Diego Chapter.

The festival will be an all ages event that will include a 21+ beer garden.

The all-ages grassy area adjacent to Abbott St will host a variety of earth conscious vendors and live music throughout the day.

The pier parking lot located at the end of Newport Ave will showcase a beer garden and a solar stage with performances by

* Cashd Out
* C. Money and the Players Inc, featuring members of Slightly Stoopid
* The Electric Waste Band
* Ishmael and the Peacemakers, and
* Knights of Monty Carlo.

For more info, click 'keep on reading'.

Working in cooperation with The County of San Diego Environmental Health and the City of San Diego Environmental Services, our goal is to reduce the overall carbon footprint left by residents and businesses through an annual comprehensive and measurable program.

A free shuttle will run every half hour between 710 Beach Club in Pacific Beach and Winston’s in Ocean Beach.

We also encourage alternative forms of transportation to the event such as walking and bicycling.

For additional information about the Ocean Beach Global Rock Festival, visit www.obglobalrock.org contact the OBMA at (619) 224-4906.

Things To Do In San Diego: April 14-15, 2009

Tuesday, April 14, 2009:

• Transfer, Roxy Jones, Apes of Wrath @ Soda Bar ($8)
• Los Aterciopelados, Alex Cuba @ House of Blues
• Jenny Lewis, Dawes @ Belly Up
• Anti Monday League Presents The Fascination, Northern Towns, Crescendo @ Casbah
• Tiki Tuesday feat. Cheap Leis @ Bar Pink
• Too Cool For Karaoke: Official Unofficial Coachella Pre-party @ Ruby Room
• Cat Party, Stereotech, and DJ G Rex @ Beauty Bar
• Ashley, John Compton, Zank, Shant, Lindsay White@ Bare Back Bar & Grill
• Nathan James @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Songwriters Showcase Competition Final @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Mechanical Bull Riding @ U-31
• Ken Club Karaoke @ Ken Club
• KNIIVES!, Breaker Breaker One Niner @ Radio Room
• Karaoke @ O'Connell's
• Comedy Night @ Lestat's
• Steve Baker, Oliver Paragas, Gordon Downs @ Brick By Brick
• The Jason Chase Trio @ Winston's
• Friends Chill Game Night @ Whistle Stop
• High School Battle of The Bands: The Color of Glass, Straight Trippin', Bending Planets, Oculus Sinister, and Play The Fox @ Channel Twelve 25
• Train of Thought with BViolin @ Marquee Theatre (835 25th St, Golden Hill)
• Game Night @ 710 Beach Club
• Jazz up your Tuesdays feat. Anthology House Band @ Anthology (Early Show 7 pm)

Wednesday, April 15, 2009:

• Hockey, Local Natives @ The Loft, UCSD
• Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Vivian Girls, Gary Wilson, DJ Mario Orduno @ Casbah
• Ryan Bingham, Clarence Bucaro, Josh Damigo @ Brick By Brick
• X1Fm Presents "Local gold" feat. Jamuel Saxon, Crescendo, Lanterns, DJ Kipper @ Ruby Room
• Animental, Bow + Arrow, Fortress of Amplitude, KillKillKill @ Soda Bar
• Wizard Wolves, Leisure Suit, DJ G Rex @ Beauty Bar
• Slightly Stoopid, DJ Unite @ Belly Up (Sold Out)
• Live Wednesday’s Presents The Color of Glass, The New Archaic, Bedford Grove @ U-31
• Francis Bacon, Scopes Collide, Platanos, Sidropunx @ Radio Room
• Bill @ PB Bar & Grill
• Red Hot Wednesday with Robin, DJs Trevor Young, Charlie Rock @ Bar Pink
• Katy Wong, The Flowerthief, The Walking @ Lestat's
• Whiskey Wisetales, Ramblin Outlaws, Franklin Lounge @ O'Connell's
• Manwhore Wednesdays @ Ken Club
• Cue Presents Ska vs. Dub feat. The Self Made Men @ Winston's
• High School Battle of The Bands @ Channel Twelve 25
• Chula Vista Soldier Club @ The Office
• Bluespring @ 710 Beach Club
• Jesse LaMonaco, Maddox Revolution @ Bitter End Backstage
• Hearts of Liars @ Dreamstreet
• Reggae on 5th Ave @ House of Blues
• Joe Wood & The Lonely Ones @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Curtis Salgado @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Novamenco @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm)

TRANSFER @ X1FM

Had a cool experience over @ X1FM studio Friday for TRANSFER's Open Door Session. This is a great forum for all you locals who want to check out a more focused concert experience. Attention is much more undivided with lights, cameras and no booze. lucky we came prepared!
There were quite a few kiddies as well as sober (or seemingly sober) barflies that stepped out of the confort zone of loud clinks of pint glasses and shouted conversation
AVicious bedazzled the environment once again with an acid trip for your eyes. Nothing like a team that constantly strives to make things look like a brilliant display of goodness. You guys really put the lotion in the basket.

. Mucho gusto to all the crew @ X1FM ...very hospitable hosts. TRANSFER will have a video of the performance posted quite soon!


xo,
~don't mind if I doobie

Oh yeah....don't forget to check out TRANSFER at The Soda Bar with the APES OF WRATH and ROXY JONES on Tuesday, 4/14. This will be the send off show before they hit the road on their West Coast Tour.

Things To Do In San Diego: April 13, 2009

Monday, April 13, 2009:

• Anti Monday League Presents TheNewNo2 (with Dhani Harrison), Illuminauts @ Casbah
• Monsters From Mars, What What Now, The Ironclads @ Radio Room
• Sholi, Odawas @ Bar Pink
• Endoxi, Dave Booda @ Dublin Square
• Nothingful, Dan Rojay, and Rebar & Plums @ Soda Bar
• Nathan James @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Open Mic @ Lestat's
• Sing or Die Karaoke @ 710 Beach Club
• Mystery Blues Jam @ O'Connell's
• Electric Waste Band @ Winston's
• Hjertestop, OK, Cold Stare @ Che Cafe
• Bitchy Bingo @ The Loft, UCSD
• The Tail Draggers @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• High School Battle of The Bands: Noose, The Deadbeat Babies, The Blonde Brothers, Rip-Off Johnny, and Whole Hearted Commitment @ Channel Twelve 25

Saturday Night Shooting In North Park

I met a friend for drinks at Toronado early last night. After being there awhile, we checked out Bar Pink as El Ten Eleven were setting up, but we weren't really feeling it--Saturdays in North Park just really aren't for me, so we left and went to Soda Bar. People continue to argue about the development in the area- and neither the development nor the arguing will likely end soon- but to me, any area that becomes a pedestrian destination is naturally going to have more noticeable crime--not necessarily more crime, just crime that might touch our lives a little more closely.

By the time I got home, I read on my Twitter feed that there was some stuff going on in North Park, with at least two helicopters and several police cars. Unfortunately I found out tonight that there was a shooting. It happened around 1:30 in the morning, when I was already belly to the bar at the Ken Club, but the fact that it happened on a busy Saturday night (after North Park Nights, at that), just around last call, is reason for everyone to pay attention to what's going on around us. According to the SDUT blog, a fight broke out inside a private party at Club 8Teen, then moved outside and around the rear parking lot. The victim is ok, and it sounds like she was hit in the ankle by a stray bullet from the people who were fighting after being warned to stay inside the venue. Club 8Teen is the relatively new all ages spot at 3925 Ohio that was briefly known as Avalon.

The incident is probably considered relatively minor, so coverage was sparse, but you can check it out here SignOnSanDiego.com, on 10News.com and here at NBC 7/39

In other North Park news, the arsonist who set 14 fires around North Park last week was arrested. Read about it here or here.

Decemberists at SXSW

Happy Easter! Today, just a little treat from the mountain of e-mail I've yet to sort through.

The Decemberists performed at SXSW this year. Below is O, Valencia and Billy Liar. Click here to see The Crane Wife.

Things To Do In San Diego: April 11-12, 2009

Saturday, April 11, 2009:

• No Age, Abe Vigoda, Christmas Island @ The Loft, UCSD
• The Gift/Curse, Death On Mars, Incomplete Neighbor @ Ken Club
• Monotonix, Kill Me Tomorrow, Hostile Combover @ Casbah
• '80's Fever - Hair Metal Party!" with Lipstick N' Leather, DJ Tommy Coxx @ Belly Up
• Agua Dulce, Cantua, DJ AR-O @ Beauty Bar
• Rephlex, info tba @ Ruby Room
• El Ten Eleven @ Bar Pink
• The Creepy Creeps, Batar-zan @ Radio Room
• Says Rally, Lady Vain, New York Rifles @ Soda Bar
• Method Rising, Filtered Aggression, Pulse Anatomy, One Inch Punch @ O'Connell's
• Nik Simon @ House of Blues (Voodoo Stage)
• Led Zepagain, Peace Frog @ House of Blues
• Lisa Sanders @ Lestat's
• Dannicus Live, The Dread Crew of Oddwood, Uncle Nancy & The Family Jewels @ Dreamstreet
• Retrolust, The Chase, Eternal Unborn @ Brick By Brick
• Papa Grows Funk @ Winston's
• Bipolar Meltdown, Silent Treatment, Dante's Boneyard, Breakhouse @ 710 Beach Club
• One Nation Under A Groove feat DJs Blackstone & Atari @ Whistle Stop
• Dead Man's Party (Oingo Boingo Tribute), Cover Me Badd's Blasphemous Guitars @ Canes
• Hello Marquee, Casino Madrid, Deadbeat Nightlife (EP Release), A Sky Like April, A City Serene, Adestria, Process For Enigma @ Soma
• Da Bears, The Valley Arena, Apes of Wrath, Chaz, and Railcars @ Che Cafe
• The Gilbert Castellanos New Latin Jazz Quintet @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary center)
• Mike Zito @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (6-8p)
• Viva Santana @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (9p-1a)
• Leon Redbone @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm)
• Revolt In Style & Late Night Live present Delsoniq @ Anthology (Late Show 9:30 pm)
• A Waltz Dream @ Birch North Park Theatre
• Rory Block @ Acoustic Music San Diego
• Battle of the Bands @ Epicentre
• 5's & 6's, Eyeninety @ Surf n Saddle
• The Bleeding Irish @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Viva Las Vegas!: A Winter Pops Concert @ Copley Symphony Hall

Sunday, April 12, 2009 (Easter):

• Gary Louris and Mark Olson (The Jayhawks), Teddy Thompson @ Belly Up
• Matt Sheehy & the Menders @ Soda Bar
• Stir Crazy Sunday DJs Jnav and RichDub @ Beauty Bar
• The Tighten-Ups, Shayna and the Bulldog @Bar Pink
• THIS IS MUSIC: One Month of Forgotten Hits and Secret Gems @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Hi Fi Colossi, DJ-D.J., Francis Bacon @ Ruby Room
• Skipjack, The Kings Kids,The Bombpops, Aces & 8’s @ Radio Room
• Another Zeke Productions Presents...Soup & TBA @ O'Connell's
• Cold, The Killer and the Star, The Drama Club @ House of Blues
• The Carlos Blues Experience @ Winston's (5-9p)
• Jose Sinatra's OB-o-ke @ Winston's
• Citizen Video Matinee "Ariel" @ Whistle Stop (4pm)
• Too Many Creeps feat. Mario Orduno & Friends @ Whistle Stop
• Run With The Hunted (socio-political hardcore from Arizona), In The Grey, A Better Hope Foundation @ Che Cafe
• Steve Keaney, Levon, Jason and Hester, Hurtmonica @ Portugalia
• Jose Serrano @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (10a-3p)
• Reel To Reel @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (8p-12a)
• A Waltz Dream @ Birch North Park Theatre

Rosey's Diary: March 26-28, 2009

I'm not even kidding when I say that while I love my family, my Vegas trip felt more like an intervention. My phone broke on the way there, so in three days, I had only a few hours of wi-fi, no twitter, and only had 3 beers my entire trip. My current lack of employment meant gambling was not an option, and shopping was pretty much out, too. It's funny how no matter how old I get, family vacations will always make me revert to the 14 year old me. I will say that I did get to spend more time with my niece than I have before and she is this amazing little person that makes me laugh endlessly, and some of the time I had online was shared with her as we watched the Wow Wow Wubbzy theme song about a hundred times on YouTube.



I did have a little time to write so click keep on reading where I pick up on day two of the Luce Loft shows and the rest of that week.


The second night of the Luce Loft featured John Meeks & The New Mexicans and The Donkeys. Once again, the show was intimate and the sound was perfect in the loft. John and his band brought sweet Americana sounds. Since the last I’d seen John Meeks perform at the Marquee, the vibe wasn’t all that different but I think I’ve come to prefer the band in a quiet room. After seeing them play these types of spaces, a bar just doesn’t do them justice.





As for The Donkeys, it had been quite a while since I’d seen them live. Fresh off SXSW, they seemed happy to play in front of their hometown friends. And in their usual style, they switched up instruments and vocal responsibilities throughout the set. There's just something about their music that is so positive, it's hard to resist the smile that you get from ear to ear while they perform. Along with drums, piano, guitars, bongos, and piano, they threw in a eukelele and a sitar for good measure. This band is crazy talented.









After Luce Loft, I left downtown and went to Bar Pink to catch San Francisco’s Two Sheds.



I’ve seen them a few times before and always dig them when I see them but to be honest, I ended up only halfway paying attention to their set because I got a surprise phone call from a very old friend of mine who was in town from New York for the weekend. He showed up with our other friend who lives locally. They’re not exactly into indie rock, and knowing how they love hip-hop, after Two Sheds I suggested we check out U-31. Kind of a mistake because..well, I don’t do dance clubs, let alone places charging cover for a couple DJs, but we hung out for a while anyway before we bailed and called it a night.

Friday night I realized I had an obligation to a show that was happening at the House of Blues. I don’t take it lightly when I’m put on a guestlist, especially when I’m granted a guest and a photo pass, but I’ve had a miserable time in the past there, so I didn’t bother inviting anyone. This time was no exception. I was supposedly on the list for Angus & Julia Stone who were opening for Brett Dennen. I got to House of Blues just before 7, with the opener scheduled to start at 7:30 and yet again, I was told there was no list submitted. The first couple times this has happened, I thought it could’ve been the error of a publicist or a tour manager, but it happens EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. It’s unfortunate because I have friends who work there: bartenders, security, and even sound and stage production, but nothing I can do or say has seemed to work to resolve the issue. I verified with the publicist that the tour manager had put me on the list but once 7:30 hit, there was no point in me sticking around. Too bad, too, because Angus & Julia performed a beautiful set a few months ago. You can see the videos on my YouTube page. (youtube.com/rosey928)

Fortunately I was already planning on hitting Luce Loft again, so I made my way to East Village, and circled the area far too many times before finally finding a place to park to walk to the loft. Fortunately they planned for people having a harder time finding parking, so I had time to hang out before Swim Party took the stage. After having seen the performance on Wednesday night from Black Mamba and Writer, the band practiced on Thursday working on ways to quiet their sound a bit, and what they came up with was phenomenal, including prearranging for the playing of bells and shakers by Frank, Dustin, and Daye from the balcony at the end of The Kids Are A Drag. Natalie has also stepped up to having parts through the entire set. Her mom would be so proud for the cute dress she wore onstage. Though they did adjust most of their songs for the quiet space, they did play their final song balls to the wall and it sounded just as great.





Swim Party was followed by a stripped down, four piece version of The Silent Comedy which was certainly a change from their usually raucous bar shows. Jeremiah played a new song that is absolutely stunning (check it out at YouTube.com/rosey928) and did a really intense version of “The Great American Novel”, a song written in the 60s but with lyrics hauntingly appropriate for today. The room was dead silent you could hear a pin drop…or someone in the upstairs bathroom taking an Austin Powers- style leak- which was a little funny, but the mood wasn’t lost. They let the audience choose between “49” and “Gasoline” and we couldn’t resist the singalong of the latter.






After the show, I stopped at The Corner to say hi to Abraham while he worked and some friends were there hanging out, so we chilled for a bit before I left downtown. When I did get home I was tempted to walk to the Ken to check out Lualta, but the coziness of home won over and I decided to take the rest of the night off.

My friend from NY was still in town, so Saturday I picked up Joe in Chula Vista, and we went to a BBQ at his parents' house for the afternoon. It's always good to catch up with high school friends in a chill setting and it was an awesome sunny day. Eventually the BBQ wrapped up and I hung at Joe's for a while, but I couldn't convince him to come out for the night, so it was off to Luce Loft for the fourth night. I'll save that for the next post.

I'll get back to the rest of the diary with regular updates soon. Till then, have a happy weekend.