Saturday, October 31, 2009

Things To Do In San Diego: October 31, 2009

This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the Halloween action happening in San Diego tonight, and chances are you have already made plans, but I'm back from Vegas and it just didn't feel right that I didn't get these posted, so here ya go. Have fun tonight.

Saturday, October 31, 2009:

  • Puscifer @ Spreckels
  • The Night Marchers, The Creepy Creeps, Black Whales, Spider Fever in the Atari Lounge @ Casbah
  • The Donkeys @ Ken Club
  • Lion Cut, The Yiffs, Microphone Mike, Bunky @ Soda Bar
  • Di Nigunim, Eskera, TrashAxis, Fkenal @ Tin Can Ale House
  • 80's Heat presents Halloween Heat with Blasphemous Guitars @ Belly Up (Sold Out)
  • Halloween Party w/ Jordan Reynolds, The Higherarchs, DJs Dimitri Dickinson, Onizo @ Beauty Bar
  • Halloween Costume Party" Ft. Chelsea Girls (Ft. Members Of Nashville Pussy, The Donnas & Hole), Lessons From Zeke, The Gift Curse, Pretty Too Bad@ Brick By Brick
  • Fishnet Follies Halloween Party @ Ruby Room
  • Alice Cooper @ Harrah's Rincon Casino Open Sky Theatre
  • Halloween Bash Disc-O Edgar Tronic and Headshake @ U-31
  • Junior The Discopunk Halloween Party @ Bar Pink
  • Halloween Bash @ Java Joe's at Cafe Libertalia
  • Halloween Party feat. Hey! Ho! Let's Go! @ O'Connell's
  • Halloween Party feat Chris Cantore on the decks @ Ono Sushi
  • Victory Nightlife Presents: The Halloween Block Party @ House of Blues
  • So We Say It All @ Lestat's
  • The Devastators @ Winston's
  • Red Not Chili Peppers, Boom Snap, Trouble In The Wind @ 710 Beach Club
  • Halloween Extravaganza feat. Kill Me Tomorrow, The Beaters @ Whistle Stop
  • Seconds From Disaster, Vanguard, As They Burn Alive, Murder On The Dancefloor, With Liberty, Remains Forgotten, LAmore, Antietam @ Soma
  • Metal Feast feat. Aghori, Eminent, Sight Unscene, 5 More Days, South of Heaven @ Dreamstreet
  • Rockola @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
  • Exa Radio Party @ 4th & B
  • Teedra Moses @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm)
  • Dr. Boogie @ Anthology (Late Show 10 pm)
  • Spin presents 'Montage - Haunted Mansion On Hancock' feat DJ/Producer Joe Guthereaux, DJ IDeaL, DJ Lil Chris @ Spin
  • Mozart's Requiem: A Jacobs' Masterworks Concert @ Symphony Hall

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Things To Do In San Diego: October 29-30, 2009

I'm heading out to Vegas for a couple days, which means I may or may not get to Halloween listings (because, as you know, it is probably the biggest events day of 2009), but below are the listings for tonight and Friday (Thanks again, Jeff!). If you have a Saturday event, please email me or leave a comment and please use my format (band, band, band @ venue) so I can get through them all. Not sure what the wi-fi situation will be at our hotel.

Thursday October 29, 2009:

  • LMFAO @ Hard Rock Hotel
  • Pelican, Black Cobra, Sweet Cobra @ Casbah
  • Rakim @ Canes
  • Blue In the Face, Save Amos, The Howls, D.S. Yancy @ Ruby Room
  • Bobby Long @ The Loft
  • Lindsey Yung, The Wendy Bailey band @ Lestat's
  • Gift of Gab (from Blackalicious), Deep Rooted, Addiquit, DJ Artistic @ Belly Up
  • Sycuan Presents: The Bouncing Souls, Broadway Calls, Bayside @ House of Blues
  • Vanja James, El Monte Slim, The Penny Lanes @ Tin Can Ale House
  • Novamenco @ Anthology
  • Expressway to Yr Skull @ Soda Bar
  • Guava Belly, Levi Weaver, Jenny & Tyler @ Kava Lounge
  • Grown Folk House Band, DJ Apollo @ El Dorado
  • The Blind @ Radio Room
  • 80’s and 90’s Hip Hop with DJ Artistic & Cros 1 @ U-31
  • The Flock of 80's @ Henry's Pub
  • Finn Riggins, Zion Laser Strike @ Bar Pink
  • Black Time @ The Ken Club
  • The Pheromones @ Longboard's PB
  • Ruby and The Red Hots @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
  • Brigitte Handley & The Dark Shadows, guests @ Brick By Brick
  • Arms Entwined, Ancient History @ Beauty Bar
  • Fire Corner @ Club Kadan
  • Jasper's Ain't Misbehaven @ Patrick's II
  • Lead Burns Red, Despite The Wolves, Dive Bomber @ Second Wind Santee
  • Roxy Blue and The Hand Full, Deeper Purple @ Second Wind Navajo
  • Self Preservation @ Winston's
  • Scar'd Sanity, Serpent Underground, Rotting Suits of Flesh @ Boar Cross'n (Carlsbad)
  • OK At Best, Katie Leigh, Keane Freeman, Heather Green, Jacky Mars, James Thomas Revoltion, Brenda Xu @ Dream Street Live
  • Skelpin @ Hensley's Flying Elephant Bar & Grill
  • The Riders @ Wine Steals (Hillcrest)
  • Alexis Taylor & Joe Goddard (Hot Chip) DJ, Vega, Salter & Diaz @ Voyeur
  • The Fabulous Mar Dels @ Georges on Fifth
  • Lisa Campbell @ Indulge La Jolla
  • Heroes @ Valley View Casino
  • Karaoke @ O'Connell's
  • Jason Weiss @ Bluegrass Jam @ Todays Pizza (Encinitas)
  • Evah Red Band @ Gallagher's Pub
  • King Fish Turner Band @ Coyote Bar & Grill
  • The Gregory Page Show @ Java Joe's @ Cafe Libertalia
  • Sandy, Burnett, John Guilano & Marly Waak @ Cafe La Maze
  • Bitter/Sober @ Universal
  • Irving Flores, Bob Magnusson, Duncan Moore @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
  • E-Z Pieces @ The Kraken
  • Jeffrey Joe Morin @ Hennessey's PB
  • Joef and Oscar @ Cafe Sevilla
  • Eamon Carroll @ The Field
  • Tyler Matthews Band @ Porter's Pub
  • The Manic Brothers @ McP's Irish Pub
  • Tuna Boot, Roxy Monoxide @ Portugalia
  • Bency @ The Office
  • Bad Science Fiction, Michael Head @ The Stage Saloon
  • Loot-N-Rock @ Ramona Mainstage Nightclub
  • Rob Hastings @ Bare Back Grill


Friday, October 30, 2009:

  • Le Loup, Cuckoo Chaos, Lyon Crowns @ Casbah
  • Alela Diane, Marissa Nadler @ The Loft
  • Dirty Projectors and guests @ Birch North Park Theatre
  • Buckfast Superbee, Rival Sons, Jackbirds @ Hard Rock Hotel
  • The Deere Johns, Bartenders Bible @ Whistlestop
  • Doves and Desperados, Zodiac Death Valley, Shapes of Future Frames, Erika Davies @ Tin Can Ale House
  • Syndicate, The Fascination @ Soda Bar
  • 80's Heat presents: The Nightmare Before Halloween with Freeze Frame @ Belly Up
  • KPRI Homegrown Presents Steph Johnson, Paul Cannon, SO3 @ Anthology @ 9:30
  • One I Red, Echo Revolution, Synesthetic, Amongst the Lost, DJs Armand van Rex (TJ) @ Beauty Bar
  • Weatherbox, Little Brazil, Life Deposits, Meseta @ Che Cafe
  • Aaron Bowen, Jeffrey Faucult @ Lestat's
  • The Union Line @ XiFM Garage Open Door Seesions
  • The Rumblers @ Riviera Supper Club
  • Get Back Loretta, Jackson Price @ Java Joe's @ Cafe Libertalia
  • Tim Flannery @ Acoustic Music San Diego
  • Electro Dance party with Gabe Vega & Saul Q @ U-31
  • Foot Down Critical Mass Official After Party @ Ruby Room
  • Monsters From Mars, Behind the Wagon @ Radio Room
  • Rick Ortiz Presents The Best Of Tributes @ House of Blues
  • Spencer Day @ Anthology @ 7:30
  • Girl In a Coma, Normandie @ Bar Pink
  • Inner Circle, Tribal Theory @ Canes
  • Bluebloodred, Opus Dai, Citradora, Opium Bride @ Brick by Brick
  • Good Times@ Henry's Pub
  • Coco Montoya @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
  • Evil Petting Zoo, The Amalgamated, ADF, The Guze, The Demeanors, DJ Jon the Mod @ Epicentre
  • Benny Benassi, Halloween Costume Extravaganza @ 4th & B
  • Luis Villaverde, Marcelo Briccola @ Kava Lounge
  • Miss Derringer @ Hensley's Flying Elephant Pub & Grill
  • Joey Fender & The 55's @ Patrick's II
  • OU 812, Children of The Grave, Jessie Taylor & The Riffs @ Dreamstreet Live
  • Four Minotes Till Midnight, Rhythm & The Method, The Brothers Cooley @ Winston's
  • The Sandy Chappel Quintet @ Cafe La Maze
  • Londons Falling, The Bermondsey Joyriders (UK), Tim Raldo & The Filthy Fuks @ O'Connell's
  • Smoke Staxx, DJ Gary @ Coyote Bar
  • Fooks @ Dublin Square
  • Claude Von Stroke, Barry Weaver, Yusef @ Voyeur
  • The Tighten Ups @ Tiki House
  • Serious Guise @ Second Wind Santee
  • 1 Louder @ Second Wind Navajo
  • Blindsiders, Heavenly Host, L.I.E. Prominent Talent, Lady Lane & 4Deuce, DJ Acive & Splifkin @ The Jumping Turtle
  • Blue Frog Group @ McP's Irish Pub
  • California Celts @ The Field
  • Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser @ The Dreamcatcher @ Viejas Casino
  • The Pheromones @ Gallagher's Pub
  • Jesse Lamonaca @ Bondi
  • Mower, Likewize, Riddle the Roar @ 710 Beach Club
  • 5 Miles High @ Cheers (Ramona)
  • Victoria Project @ El Dorado
  • The Buzzbombs @ Hennessey's san Diego
  • Dusty Highway Band @ Rhythm Lounge @ San Diego Sports Arena
  • Steam Powered Giraffe, Xach the Ripper @ Queen Bee's

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Live Music at Hard Rock Hotel

A very long time ago I visited the Hard Rock Hotel and was shown rooms that would be used as venues, and I even caught a show with Dirty Sweet and The Silent Comedy there. It has been a while since then and Hard Rock is stepping up their concerts and finally making use of the facilities they have at their disposal. This week has two such shows that should get your asses shaking and let you get your party on.

Tomorrow night, LMFAO will be performing, and on Friday, locals Buckfast Superbee headline.






Things To Do In San Diego: October 29, 2009

Wednesday October 28, 2009:

  • Art Brut, Princeton, Northern Towns @ Casbah
  • Apes of Wrath, DJ Erick Diaz, Mimi and Red @ U-31
  • Dynamite Walls, Love Hate Affair @ Soda Bar
  • An Evening with The Tragically Hip @ Belly Up (sold out)
  • The Old In Out, DJ Mikey Face @ Whistlestop
  • Geezer @ Surf n Saddle (Last night ever. Closing it's doors after 54 years.)
  • 7th Day Buskers @ Riviera Supper Club
  • Happy Ron, Johnny Shoebox, Paul Zepol @ Lestat's
  • WorkerBee, Dreamtiger, Perfect Blue, Itai, Erica & Neil @ Ruby Room
  • Rich White Males, Fuck Lordz, DJ Barnesey @ Radio Room
  • Mads Tolling Quartet @ Anthology
  • Fourth Wednesdays feat. Linnzi Zaorski @ Bar Pink
  • Cyro Baptista's Banquet of the SDpirits @ The Loft
  • Rockin Johnny White Presents: Fuzz Huzzi, Vonzeles, Even Break, Mad Martigan @ Canes
  • Wednesday Night Shakedown @ Henry's Pub
  • Death From a Distance w/ guests tba @ Brick By Brick
  • The Soul Persuaders @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
  • The Jackbirds, Westfire, guests@ Beauty Bar
  • Drum and Bass @ Club Kadan
  • Joe Wood & The Lonely Ones @ Hensley's Flying Elephant Pub & Grill
  • Missy Anderson @ Patrick's II
  • Nods to Nothing, Ringo Jones Gang, Cantankerous Grandma @ Dreamstreet Live
  • Jeff Moore & The Witch Doctors @ The Kraken
  • Roger, Snooze Button, Eben Brooks Band, The Bigfellas, The Donnis Trio @ The Bitter End
  • Rising Star, DJ Rue @ The Office
  • Dan Rocket, Danyavaad, DJ Blue @ Winston's
  • Private Domain @ Dick's Last Resort
  • Burnett's Bliss @ Cafe La Maze
  • Civil Unrest @ O'Connell's
  • Rhythm Method @ Coyote Bar
  • Astra Kelly, Elaine Faye, The Ambassador @ Dublin Square
  • Justin Newman @ Tiki House
  • Evona Wascinski @ Bondi
  • Jessie Taylor @ Bare Back Grill
  • Lee Coulter @ En Fuego Cantina
  • Lindsay White, Christopher Dale & Friends, Jesse Lamonaca @ Handlery Hotel
  • Victoria Project @ The Saloon (Encinitas)
  • The Blondes of Vertigo @ The Jumping Turtle
  • Bency @ El Dorado
  • Dead Record @ Second Wind Santee
  • Malamana @ Cafe Sevilla

Things To Do In San Diego: October 29-30, 2009

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Jeepers It’s Creepers!

Hey guys, so you might remember a bit ago our good friend Peter put together a lovely Christmas compilation. Well this year he’s back with, yup you guessed it, a Halloween comp! It promises to be just as amazing and is featuring the Modlins, Trashcan Fires, and Roxy Jones among many others. The songs I’ve heard are seriously good!

The release party will be on Wed at the Bluefoot Lounge and is featuring DJ’s P Star and Fancy Pants. So come on down, grab a free compilation CD, and have a beer with all us guys and ghouls, uhhh, sorry, such a bad joke, what a halloweenie...


Things To Do In San Diego: October 27, 2009

Tuesday October 27, 2009:

  • Land of Talk, Eulogies, Black Mamba @ Casbah
  • Pandora and Newcastle present Mystic Roots @ House of Blues (Hosted Newcastle. RSVP to zeidler@pandora.com)
  • Pumpkins & PBR @ Kensington Cafe (Pumpkins available for purchase)
  • Farewell to Canes @ Canes (Open Bar, 8-9p, RSVP thru Facebook by Monday)
  • Nothingful, Family Tree Analog, Cascavell @ Soda Bar
  • Flowerthief, Winter Colour @ Radio Room
  • KAI&I Radio presents The Soul Shakedown with Diversifyd, Tribal Theory, Almost Islanders, DJ Kingsley @ Belly Up
  • Yasmin Levy @ The Loft
  • Dash Riprock @ Riviera Supper Club
  • Hit the Lights, There For Tomorrow, Fireworks, Sparks the Rescue, I Rival @ Soma
  • Jon Ji, Golden Red, Bradley Keen @ Tin Can Ale House
  • Blue Rockit @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
  • Lavender Lens presents: Pamela Means, guests @ Ruby Room
  • Tiki Tuesday featuring Craig Pryor @ Bar Pink
  • Anthology House Band @ Anthology
  • Koffin Kats, Hard Fall Heart, Kasket Krawlers, Embalmers @ Brick by Brick
  • The Stilettos @ Henry's Pub
  • Peter Hall @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
  • Eddie Jason Coven @ Bare Back Grill
  • Fiends Kill @ Whistle Stop
  • Darkwave Garden @ Club Kadan
  • Comedy Night with Mal Hall @ Lestat's
  • Doug Allen @ The Kraken
  • Charlie, John Wayne Gacy Daycare, The Laggers @ Winston's
  • Rockin the Locals, Inside Switch @ O'Connell's
  • Shawline Expression @ Red Fox Steakhouse
  • Karaoke @ Cafe La Maze
  • Jim Moore @ McP's Irish Pub
  • Manic Diffusion @ Porter's Pub
  • Christian Tetzlaff @ Athenaeumn Music @ Arts Library
  • Halloween Costume Party w/ guest bartender Dru Downy @ U-31
  • Smooth Tran Zition @ Harrah's Rincon
  • Gilbert Castellanos @ Onyx Room
  • Kicking8, Saints of Insanity @ Second Wind Santee

Monday, October 26, 2009

Contest: Art Brut @ Casbah, 10.28.09

Art Brut return to the Casbah this Wednesday night in support of their latest release, Art Brut vs Satan. The record and tour are getting rave reviews and you can read and see some of that if you 'keep on reading', but the bigger point of this post is to tell you that I have a pair of tickets to giveaway. Shoot me an email with subject "Art Brut". Include your name and phone number. Must be 21+ to enter. I'll select a winner Tuesday evening. Princeton and Northern Towns, two awesome bands in their own right, will open the show.


Art Brut Play SAN DIEGO At Casbah On 10.28
Art Brut VS. Satan Out Now To Rave Reviews On Downtown Records

Play WNYC Soundcheck

Brooklyn Vegan


NPR : “Art Brut vs. Satan, Argos goes back to what he knows. When a song titled "The Replacements" appears, it's already the third of four consecutive tracks about rock 'n' roll itself. There are only two cuts about love, and soon enough, one of those ("What a Rush") moves on to the subject of music, too”

“Argos doesn't claim to live clean. Art Brut vs. Satan begins with one called "Alcoholics Unanimous" and ends with one called "Mysterious Bruises," keyed to the wonderful line, "I fought the floor and the floor won." But there are also several songs about being young and poor — or, in the case of the one called "DC Comics and Chocolate Milkshake," being 28 and still eating nothing but cereal.”

Pitchfork : “If they can't topple vague, pasty, barely breathing background rock from the charts, at least they can sing gloriously doomed songs about it.”

“Argos proclaims: "I fought the floor and the floor won." Satan always wins. The beautiful people and their sycophants will always outnumber lovable losers. But this is a record I like.”

Alternative Press : (**** 4 Stars ) “British indie outfit regain their charm/snark balance. Art Brut Vs. Satan is compelling for three crucial reasons. First, Black Francis—a guy who knows something about charging guitar rock—produced the sessions. Second: The guitar subterfuge of Jasper Future and Ian Catskilkin (the only good components to 2008’s rather dismal It’s A Bit Complicated), drive home these songs with a renewed enthusiasm. Lastly, frontman Eddie Argos’ sing-speak ruminations are inspired once again, whether he’s reminiscing about his youth (“D.C. Comics And Chocolate Milkshake”) or riffing on his allergy medications as on the loose jam “Mysterious Bruises.” His delivery is open-ended enough to confuse his intention (sincere? snarky?), which was the very reason their debut, Bang! Bang! Rock ’N’ Roll, was so engaging. With luck, “one Zyrtec, two Advil and a drink” will replace “that’s what she said” as 2009’s catchphrase of choice. “ Jason Pettigrew


Spin : “In a world where nothing is a metaphor, singer Argos still just digs "DC Comics and Chocolate Milkshakes," "The Replacements," and records that are "Slap Dash for No Cash." And as long as he does, the band behind him will give him three chords and a wink.”

Rolling Stone : “On Art Brut's third album, Argos is in his usual form, waxing wittily about suspended adolescence, hangovers and, in "Slap Dash for No Cash," hack musicians: "Why is everyone trying to sound like U2?/It's not a very cool thing to do."”

Billboard : “The English rock act Art Brut has established itself as the class clown of the indie scene, creating lightweight punk songs with a sarcastic edge.” “The seven-minute closer, "Mysterious Bruises," is Art Brut's most ambitious song to date, but a funky guitar hook and thoughtful lyrics make it a highlight.”

Things To Do In San Diego: October 26, 2009

Monday October 26, 2009:
  • Anti Monday League Presents Hoots and Hellmouth, William Elliott Whitmore @ Casbah
  • Land of Talk @ Lou's Records @ 5pm
  • Sycuan Presents Regina Spektor, Jupiter One @ House of Blues
  • The Upright Citizens Brigade Tourco @ The Loft
  • Adam G's Musical Pursuit, Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra @ Whistlestop
  • Foreign, Death on Mars, Ghost Orchid @ Ruby Room
  • The Styletones @ Bar Pink
  • Teddy Fantastico and Guests, Live Prank Phone Calls @ Soda Bar
  • Tyrone Wells, The Myriad @ Point Loma Nazarene University
  • Lady Dottie and The Diamonds @ U-31
  • Karaoke @ Radio Room
  • Club MAW @ Henry's Pub
  • Michele Lundeen @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
  • Open Mic @ Lestat's
  • Pyrate Punx @ Club Kadan
  • Doug Allen @ The Kraken
  • Len Rainey's Midnight Players @ Patrick's II
  • Electric Waste Band @ Winston's
  • Shawline Expression @ Red Fox Steakhouse
  • Pro-Invitatinal Blues Jam Hosted By Mystery Trai, John January @ O'Connell's
  • Karaoke @ Second Wind Navajo
  • Rock en Espanol @ Cafe Sevilla
  • Ron Bell @ Larry's Beach Club (Oceanside)

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Things To Do In San Diego: October 25, 2009

Things To Do In San Diego: October 25, 2009

Sunday, October 25, 2009:

  • Tape Deck Mountain @ SDRL
  • Kurt Vile and the Violators, The Dabbers, The Growlers @ Casbah
  • Alicia Bailey Benefit w/ UBUV, Cantua, Silent art auction, DJs Ricker, Carlo Crush @ Beauty Bar
  • Casbah Presents Peaches, Steed Lord @ Canes
  • FakeBook Matinee @ Belly Up (4:15 PM)
  • Salsa Sunday @ Belly Up
  • Maren Pursel, Shaun T. Morgan, Canton Mudders @ Ruby Room
  • The Brothers Cooley, Blackseed13 @ Radio Room
  • Emerson String Quartet @ UCSD Music Hall
  • Dinner with Emerson String Quartet @ The Loft, UCSD
  • Perfect Blue @ Soda Bar (FREE SHOW/FREE FOOD)
  • 100% Reggae Vibes Tribe of Kings Present DJ’s Jestor, Peril Dash Eye, Unite and Rashi @ U-31
  • Thomas Function, Yussuf Jerusalem @ Bar Pink
  • Happy Ron’s Open Mic Night w/ featured guest Jeffrey Joe Morin @ Java Joe's at Cafe Libertalia
  • Another Zeke Productions Presents…The Western Set @ O'Connell's
  • Bad Brains, DJ Unite Tribe of Kings Soundsystem @ House of Blues
  • Alexis Babini, Leila Broussard, Skyler Stonestreet @ Lestat's
  • The Carlos Blues Experience @ Winston's (5-8pm)
  • Jose Sinatra’s OB-o-ke @ Winston's
  • Dueling Pianos @ 710 Beach Club
  • Too Many Creeps @ Whistle Stop
  • Strike Anywhere, Polar Bear Club, Crime In Stereo, Skin Like Iron, Streetwalkers, Ruiner @ Che Cafe
  • Diconnected with DJs Barnesey & Mike Reed @ Kadan
  • Elliott Lawrence @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (11a-1:30pm)
  • Michael Ward @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (8p-12mid)
  • Tantrums & Tiaras @ Birch North Park Theatre
  • Catie Curtis @ Acoustic Music San Diego

Owl City: Epicentre

Post #1, hold on tight because I'm not a writer. I am a photographer.

Friday morning started with a facebook message asking if I wanted a mystery photo pass. A friend of mine had double-booked himself for Friday night, and I was the lucky recipient of said photo pass. I found out it was to see the sold out Owl City show at the Epicentre with a +1 and took the opportunity to score points with my fiance despite the poor lighting at this venue.

Knowing I would be far older than the entire crowd combined, I made my way to the side of the stage which was surprisingly empty. Actually, I was all alone. Rare for a band who currently has the #1 song on iTunes. Skeptical of a one-man-band who makes his music on a laptop and dances to happy lyrics, I watched as the lights dimmed. Out of the green room walks a small crowd. Drummer. Stage Technician (samples/acoustic guitar). Cellist. Violinist. Keys. Singer/Front Man. Impressive. The strings were perfectly integrated into the set in place of synth sounds from the record. Keyboardist/Vocalist Breanne Duren joined Owl City for the tour, taking time away from her own project.

All in all, this show sounded like the album. Fun interludes were added, unexpected changes to songs, and very little pitch correction was used (only for effect). My photos are below, please don't judge me, I just like happy music.

Owl City 1

Owl City

Owl City 3

Owl City 4 (breanne duren)

Necessary Links: @OwlCity // Owl City // MySpace

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Things To Do In San Diego: October 24, 2009

Saturday, October 24, 2009:

  • 2009 Kick Gas Festival feat Matisyahu, Vokab Company, Matt & Kim, and more @ Qualcomm Stadium (11a-12mid, $10, Info)
  • Blind Pilot, The Low Anthem, Mimicking Birds @ Casbah
  • Republic of Letters, Maren Parusel, Castledoor, DJ Sweet Baby Phil @ Beauty Bar
  • Dr. Ralph Stanley, Cherryholmes @ Poway Center For The Performing Arts
  • The First Annual “What Is Jazz To You?” Contemporary Art Exhibition & Wine Gala @ Tango Del Rey, Pacific Beach (Info)
  • Josh Damigo, Tori Roze@ Lestat's
  • Phantom Ratio, Sylvia Juncosa, Batar-Zan, Heavy Cessna, The Tarzans @ Soda Bar
  • Berkley Hart & The 7th Day Buskers Present: "Oh Berkley, Where Hart Thou?" featuring: Eve Selis, Tim Flannery, Gregory Page, Lisa Sanders, Dennis Caplinger, Barbara Nesbitt, Robin Adler, & more @ Seaside Center, Encinitas, 8 pm
  • The Attack!!, Irradio, The Feelings Mutual @ Tin Can Ale House
  • Zombie Party feat. The Glossines, Tiltwheel, The Phuzz, TheThingz @ Ken Club
  • Gator By the Bay presents the Bayou Brothers Zydeco Matinee @ Belly Up (4:15 PM)
  • The Tommy Castro Band, Joe Wood and the Lonely Ones @ Belly Up
  • $2 Drinks All Nite! May*Star Presents BEATIFIC! Do It All DJs , Hot Lips @ Ruby Room
  • Corey Biggs presents “Danger Danger” @ U-31
  • DJ Trevor Young @ Bar Pink
  • The 25th Hour, The Day Sets Fire, Roman Burial, Bound By Honor @ Epicentre
  • A Gothic Halloween @ Radio Room
  • John Katchur, Peter Bolland @ Java Joe's at Cafe Libertalia
  • Boys Like Girls, Cobra Starship, The Maine, A Rocket To The Moon, Versa Emerge @ Soma
  • Never Say Die Presents @ O'Connell's
  • Sycuan pres. Tech N9ne w/ Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun, Big Scoob, Slaughterhouse, Stevie Stone & Glasses Malone @ House of Blues
  • Ryan Montbleu, The Heavy Guilt @ Winston's
  • Cityzen, Alpha Prevail, Young Goodman @ 710 Beach Club
  • Booty Bassment @ Whistle Stop
  • Asian Film Festival Presents - Blowfish, Lyrics Born,Dannu, Key Kool & Zen of the Visionaries @ Canes
  • Seven Generations (LAST SHOW EVER), Gather (REUNION), The Separation, Run With The Hunted (AZ), Time For Change,Contend , Crushed On You (ex- Unbroken), Pussywhipped (Bikini Kill cover band) and Abandon @ Che Cafe
  • Yacht @ The Loft, UCSD
  • Punch Card, Sunday Girl, Faded Natives, 13 Rabbit, Special Delivery @ Dreamstreet
  • Rob Thorsen bass & Joshua White piano, with Duncan Moore drums @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
  • Laurie Morvan Band @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (7-9p)
  • Ronnie Baker Brooks @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (9:30pm)
  • Big Bang Theory w/ DJs Heather Hardcore& Eddie Kon@ Kadan
  • Mandy Lion of WWIII Hollywood's Premier Horror Rock Show Show @ 4th & B (Free)
  • Ronnie Laws @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm)
  • Michael Burks, Blues Bettie @ Anthology (Late Show 9:30 pm)
  • Shut Up Sweet Charlotte @ Birch North Park Theatre
  • The Ditty Bops @ Acoustic Music San Diego
  • DJ Homicide @ Eclipse Pool Experience, Harrah's Rincon Casino
  • Shinichi Osawa, Mr. White, James Monroe @ Voyeur
  • ”Montage- A Night of Stiel” feat. DJ Shane Stiel, DJ Ideal, DJ Lil Chris @ Spin

The Subjects, Bad Veins, Bear Hunter @ Soda Bar, 10.21.09

This was a hell of a week for music, wasn't it? It's really hard for me to say what night I enjoyed the most because every night I went out delivered. I already covered Tuesday night at House of Blues with Brand New, Manchester Orchestra, and Builders and the Butchers because I thought I should get something up before their second night at House of Blues, however, I should rewind and go back to Monday. (after the jump)

Friday, October 23, 2009

CMJ: Redemption!

Despite the lackluster start of our CMJ music week, we feel it has been redeemed--our ears are buzzing and our feet hurting from last night's line-up of fantastic talent.

The NME showcase at The Delancey took the cake with a dancey bill consisting of Yes Giantess, Dolorean, The Antlers and Bear Hands followed with a droney, stargaze, late night set from special guests, The xx. We still can't get the catchy chorus from "Crystalised" out of our head...well that, and we just uploaded our front-row iPhone video...

NOTE: turn your speakers down for The xx video, the recording is pretty loud
Dolorean

We did check out the AAM party at The Suffolk which hosted a few buzzy bands like Surf City; who didn't quite rock our world, but on their behalf, were a bit diluted by the big venue and not so big crowd.

One of the great things we love about our Lower East Side stomping grounds are the familiar faces we always seem to run into on the street. Last night's sighting was our friends Matt and Tyler who run Lefse Records. We had a nice chat en route about the insta-cred of their bands Neon Indian and the rising career of SD's own Tape Deck Mountain. These guys are definitely on to something and we couldn't be more excited for them.

Our night/morning concluded with our first dose of 3 a.m. munchies from our favorite post-show NY pizza joint, Ray's on Houston near our hotel. The employees were super excited to pose for their SDDIALEDIN debut.


Today, our friends at Planetary and Future Sounds threw a great party at Pianos. We kicked up our feet up for what seemed to be hours of great music, including a delicious spoonful of folk and harmonies from the campy trio, The Wheel, from Denver. Their stage banter was hilarious as they sipped shots of whiskey between songs--yes, this afternoon. Makes us want to pitch a tent with these guys--literally.

Another perk of our day was the five-finger discount we were allowed for band merch in the 7-10 Music office. Don't be surprised if we look like super fans, sporting The Virgins, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and AA Bondy schwag, the next time you see us.

On that note, it's 9pm and time to hit the scene...

~INDIGENOUS

Video: The Low Anthem "Charlie Darwin" & Blind Pilot "Go On, Say It"

Stereogum premiered The Low Anthem's video for "Charlie Darwin" this morning. Being that the band will be playing their second show of their tour at Casbah this Saturday night, I wanted to share it with you. I believe this is going to be a phenomenal show and one not to be missed.



Additionally, my buddy @IndieQuick told me that Blind Pilot were incredible on Wednesday night in San Francisco. They did a Daytrotter session you can download here.

Blind Pilot "Go On, Say It" from Team G on Vimeo.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Things To Do In San Diego: October 23, 2009

Friday, October 23, 2009:

  • Owl City, The Scene Aesthetic, Brooke Waggoner @ Epicentre (Sold Out, Doors 6:30)
  • The Heavy, The Styletones, Common Market @ Casbah
  • The Sounds, Shiny Toy Guns, Foxy Shazam @ House of Blues
  • Ezra Fuhrman and the Harpoons @ The Loft, UCSD
  • KPRi Homegrown Fridays presents Ghostbird, Astra Kelly, Apes of Wrath, Crash Encore @ Anthology (Trent's Goodbye Party, Late show, 9:30pm)
  • Roybot, The TM Band, and Capybara @ Habitat House (1008 21st Street, 7pm, 21+, BYOB)
  • Casbah presents Daniel Johnston, The Hymns, Vision of a Dying World @ Cane's
  • The New Assembly, The Ringers, Westfire, DJ Morgan Young @ Beauty Bar
  • Deatheater, Soft Hands, Gran Sasso @ Soda Bar
  • Autism Benefit “Banding Together” feat. Joseph Pfeiffer, Rheanna Downey, Matt Curreri, Caleb Greene, Dave Booda, The Kingsman @ Lestat's
  • Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Skanic @ Belly Up
  • Art Fag Records presents Pearl Harbour, Dunes, DJ Mario O. @ Whistle Stop
  • Happy Hour with The Mar Dels @ Belly Up (5:30pm)
  • Ladies Stardust Breats Cancer Benefit! Burlesque, Earthquake Soundsystems @ Ruby Room
  • The Sounds Official After Party @ El Dorado
  • Digital Leather, Earthmen & Strangers, Becky Lee & Drunkfoot, The Kabbs @ Ken Club
  • Electro Dance Party with Gabe Vega & Saul Q @ U-31
  • Triple Cobra, The Underground Railroad To Candyland @ Bar Pink
  • Hard Fall Hearts, The Strikers, Bill Cardinal, Chapel of Thieves @ Radio Room
  • Buried Under Carrots, The Jediah Band, Shapes of Future Frames @ Tin Can Ale House
  • True Stories with Bart Mendoza and Wendy Bailey @ Java Joe's at Cafe Libertalia
  • Jonathan KeiserBenefit-The Knockout Bell, Save Amos, The Flowerthief, Ryan Blue,Rson White, DJGonzo @ O'Connell's
  • Mike Pinto and The B Foundation @ Winston's
  • Hi Roots @ Gallagher's
  • Kontious & The Ko_Op, The Concrete Project, Samoan Irok @ 710 Beach Club
  • Trains And Clouds, Cell Therapy, Silver Leaf, Flagship Armada, Wintercolour @ Soma
  • Illfonix @ Kadan
  • David Patrone @ Marine Room
  • Three Fifths Human, Amongst The Lost, Someday Saints, Three Fifths Human @ Dreamstreet
  • Larry Washington drums/vocals, Andrew Carney trumpet, J.V. Collier bass guitar, Leon Bisquera keyboards, Adam Jackson vocals, Michael Sims guitars, & percussionist Jose Rosa. @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
  • Detroit Underground @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
  • Women With Attitude Comedy Show feat Thea Vidal @ 4th & B
  • Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm)
  • Shut Up Sweet Charlotte @ Birch North Park Theatre
  • Kyau & Albert, Victor Dinaire, Sharky @ Voyeur
  • Giant, Lifted, Soul On Beat & Injoy Present LTJ Bukem feat. MC Conrad @ Spin

Grey's Anatomy: Matt Hires "Out of the Dark"

Tonight's episode of Grey's Anatomy featured one of my favorite new artists of the year, Matt Hires, and his song "Out Of The Dark". I was fortunate enough to see Matt perform on a KPRI show on the Hornblower earlier this summer. Keep an eye out because the kid has some serious talent. Here's his performance of that song:



You can see the rest of the videos from the performance here.

Things To Do In San Diego: October 22, 2009

Thursday October 22, 2009:
  • Why? @ The Loft
  • Valient Thorr, Early Man, guests @ Casbah
  • Poncho Sanchez, Luna Llena @ Belly Up
  • Sycuan Presents Lila Downs @ House of Blues
  • The Paragraphs, London Disco @ Tin Can Ale House
  • Dust, Oculus Sinister @ Lestat's
  • California Transit Authority (CTA) with Danny Seraphine & Mark Bonilla @ Anthology
  • Expressway To Yr Skull w/ Jeremy Jay, Christmas Island, Sea Lions @ Soda Bar
  • Ststem And Station @ Radio Room
  • Platinum Rockstars (Tribute to Boston, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Foreigner & Journey) @ Canes
  • Whiplash with DJs Red Beard & C Wizard @ Whistle Stop
  • 80’s and 90’s Hip Hop with DJ Artistic & Cros 1 @ U-31
  • The Flock of 80's @ Henry's Pub
  • Arrington De Dionyso, Little Fowl @ Bar Pink
  • Thee Vicars, Cobalt Crane, Stalin of Sound, Los Sweepers @ The Ken Club
  • Fuzz Huzzi, Dying to Wake, Vonzeles, The Inversions @ Ruby Room
  • Scott Carter & New Breed @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
  • Tony Furtado, Mia Dyson @ Acoustic Music San Diego
  • NSD presents: Educate, Nick Fury, XO, Bman, Manzana Movement, Early the MC @ Brick By Brick
  • Fire Corner @ Club Kadan
  • 3rd Degree Blues @ Patrick's II
  • Chasing Claymores, Royal Campaign, Wendy Bailey @ Second Wind Santee
  • The Pheromones @ Longboard's PB
  • Double Standard @ Second Wind Navajo
  • Tomorrow's Bad Seed, Rice Rockit @ Winston's
  • Serengeti & Polyphonic, 11 11, Grief Share, HMS, Tactik @ Boar Cross'n (Carlsbad)
  • Trouble In the Wind, Neotoledo @ Dream Street Live
  • Skelpin @ Hensley's Flying Elephant Bar & Grill
  • Vega, Salter & Diaz @ Voyeur
  • Dos XX The most Interesting show in the world with Melody Sweets @ 4th & B
  • Charlie Rock, Grown Folk House Band @ El Dorado
  • The Fabulous Mar Dels @ Georges on Fifth
  • John Hull @ Indulge La Jolla
  • Hot Rod Lincoln @ Valley View Casino
  • Karaoke @ O'Connell's
  • Jason Weiss @ Bluegrass Jam @ Todays Pizza (Encinitas)
  • Battle Cry @ Gallagher's Pub
  • Boneyard, DJ Swoll @ Coyote Bar & Grill
  • Full Moon Fever: Tom Petty Tribute @ Tiki House
  • The Gregory Page Show @ Java Joe's @ Cafe Libertalia
  • The Riders @ Wine Steals (Cardiff)
  • Charlie Imes @ Hennessey's PB
  • Sandy, Burnett, John Guilano & Marly Waak @ Cafe La Maze
  • Cold Sweat Sextet @ Dizzy's
  • Danny Dicola & Those Guys @ The Kraken
  • Astra Kelly, Two Worlds Connect @ Dublin Square
  • Strive Roots @ Yogi's (Cardiff)
  • Subliminal Trip @ The Jumping Turtle
  • Malamana @ Cafe Sevilla
  • Brian Baynes @ The Field
  • Adam Kenworthy @ Porter's Pub
  • Justin James @ SDSU Aztec Center (12pm)
  • Rob Hastings @ Bare Back Grill
  • Jesse Taylor and The Riffs @ The Bitter End
  • Bordertown Blues @ McP's Irish Pub
  • Gilbert Castellanos Quartet @ Oceanside Museum of Art
  • Halloween Hallowdays @ The Flame
  • Isaiah Blas, Justin Froese, Don Julio, Peter Ray @ Queen Bee's
  • Ben Powell @ Wine Steals (Hillcrest)
  • Clay Colton Band @ Hennessey's Carlsbad

Things To Do In San Diego: October 22, 2009

Thursday October 22, 2009:

  • Why? @ The Loft
  • Valient Thorr, Early Man, guests @ Casbah
  • Poncho Sanchez, Luna Llena @ Belly Up
  • Sycuan Presents Lila Downs @ House of Blues
  • The Paragraphs, London Disco @ Tin Can Ale House
  • Dust, Oculus Sinister @ Lestat's
  • California Transit Authority (CTA) with Danny Seraphine & Mark Bonilla @ Anthology
  • Expressway To Yr Skull w/ Jeremy Jay, Christmas Island, Sea Lions @ Soda Bar
  • Ststem And Station @ Radio Room
  • Platinum Rockstars (Tribute to Boston, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Foreigner & Journey) @ Canes
  • Whiplash with DJs Red Beard & C Wizard @ Whistle Stop
  • 80’s and 90’s Hip Hop with DJ Artistic & Cros 1 @ U-31
  • The Flock of 80's @ Henry's Pub
  • Arrington De Dionyso, Little Fowl @ Bar Pink
  • Thee Vicars, Cobalt Crane, Stalin of Sound, Los Sweepers @ The Ken Club
  • Fuzz Huzzi, Dying to Wake, Vonzeles, The Inversions @ Ruby Room
  • Scott Carter & New Breed @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
  • Tony Furtado, Mia Dyson @ Acoustic Music San Diego
  • NSD presents: Educate, Nick Fury, XO, Bman, Manzana Movement, Early the MC @ Brick By Brick
  • Fire Corner @ Club Kadan
  • 3rd Degree Blues @ Patrick's II
  • Chasing Claymores, Royal Campaign, Wendy Bailey @ Second Wind Santee
  • The Pheromones @ Longboard's PB
  • Double Standard @ Second Wind Navajo
  • Tomorrow's Bad Seed, Rice Rockit @ Winston's
  • Serengeti & Polyphonic, 11 11, Grief Share, HMS, Tactik @ Boar Cross'n (Carlsbad)
  • Trouble In the Wind, Neotoledo @ Dream Street Live
  • Skelpin @ Hensley's Flying Elephant Bar & Grill
  • Vega, Salter & Diaz @ Voyeur
  • Dos XX The most Interesting show in the world with Melody Sweets @ 4th & B
  • Charlie Rock, Grown Folk House Band @ El Dorado
  • The Fabulous Mar Dels @ Georges on Fifth
  • John Hull @ Indulge La Jolla
  • Hot Rod Lincoln @ Valley View Casino
  • Karaoke @ O'Connell's
  • Jason Weiss @ Bluegrass Jam @ Todays Pizza (Encinitas)
  • Battle Cry @ Gallagher's Pub
  • Boneyard, DJ Swoll @ Coyote Bar & Grill
  • Full Moon Fever: Tom Petty Tribute @ Tiki House
  • The Gregory Page Show @ Java Joe's @ Cafe Libertalia
  • The Riders @ Wine Steals (Cardiff)
  • Charlie Imes @ Hennessey's PB
  • Sandy, Burnett, John Guilano & Marly Waak @ Cafe La Maze
  • Cold Sweat Sextet @ Dizzy's
  • Danny Dicola & Those Guys @ The Kraken
  • Astra Kelly, Two Worlds Connect @ Dublin Square
  • Strive Roots @ Yogi's (Cardiff)
  • Subliminal Trip @ The Jumping Turtle
  • Malamana @ Cafe Sevilla
  • Brian Baynes @ The Field
  • Adam Kenworthy @ Porter's Pub
  • Justin James @ SDSU Aztec Center (12pm)
  • Rob Hastings @ Bare Back Grill
  • Jesse Taylor and The Riffs @ The Bitter End
  • Bordertown Blues @ McP's Irish Pub
  • Gilbert Castellanos Quartet @ Oceanside Museum of Art
  • Halloween Hallowdays @ The Flame
  • Isaiah Blas, Justin Froese, Don Julio, Peter Ray @ Queen Bee's
  • Ben Powell @ Wine Steals (Hillcrest)
  • Clay Colton Band @ Hennessey's Carlsbad

CMJ: First Takes

Greetings from CMJ in New York City-- the annual music conference put on by College Music Journal designed to showcase up and coming talent. So far, the most interesting thing we've seen is this fish tank...



In all seriousness, we have yet to be blown away by any of the bands this year, but the weekend is still young. Our days have been filled with meetings with our favorite minds in the music biz and eating a lot of fantastic food, while enjoying the best of Manhattan neighborhoods, the Lower East Side. Oh, and we brought the sunshine with us - the fall weather is perfect.

The bands who are buzzing this year are:
Freelance Whales -- still unsigned, yet industry eyes are upon them. Our friend, Ian, said it best, "if a bomb went off at their showcase yesterday at Bowery, half of the music industry would have been demolished."

Bands we've seen:
@ SPIN Party:
Samuel - pop artist, just got signed to Columbia
Temper Trap - like the music, the band's appearance really threw us -- take a listen on myspace and then look at the photos, you'll get the drift.
@ The Rumble Brooklyn:
Casxio - discolicious, a Future Sounds favorite
Teenage Prayers - Brooklyn band
@ A Random Late Night Showcase:
Thephilous London
Ninja Sonik -- wins award for most entertaining (so far)...partly due to the drunk rocker chick on stage who's sole role was to grind on the band members and head bang to songs like "Somebody Gonna Get Pregnant." These guys were so blazed, we're surprised they remembered the words.
Ninja Sonik
@ Cake Shop:
Naam -- lovely, loud and heavy rock n roll... Beware-- shirtless drummer. Note: Cake Shop on the Lower East Side is the coolest coffee shop/bar/record store/music venue we've ever seen.

~INDIGENOUS




Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Contest: The Low Anthem & Blind Pilot at Casbah, 10.

This Saturday night at the Casbah, The Low Anthem will be playing their first show in San Diego along with Blind Pilot. I was late on the boat, but when I first heard the record I was instantly intrigued and was happy to see that they were coming to San Diego, and especially because I saw Blind Pilot open for Gomez earlier this year and they’re phenomenal. If YOU would like to see just how great both bands are for yourself, I have a pair of tickets (will call) to give away for the show. Being that the show is at the Casbah, this is a 21+ offer. E-mail me with your full name and phone number and I will randomly select a winner on Thursday.

The Low Anthem has been touring for the larger part of the year behind their Nonesuch debut, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, performing with Joe Pug, Ray Lamontagne, Josh Ritter and Elvis Perkins in Dearland among others. After hitting the summer festival circuit with performances at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, and ACL among others, the band will return to the road once again to finish out the year. Among the 27 instruments featured on the album (all ferried over to Block Island, RI in the process) are zither, pump organ, Tibetan singing bowl, and an oil drum.

"stately...lyrics contemplating faith, loss, destruction and self-destruction." - New York Times

"stunning...they deserve everything said about them." - BBC

"At times languid and haunting, but with detours into Tom Waits-esque stomping and hollering, The Low Anthem's music seems equally informed by Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, The Band and a late-night ride home in Joni Mitchell's car." - NPR


If you're not in San Diego, catch them in your city. Tour dates if you 'keep on reading'.


THE LOW ANTHEM US FALL TOUR:
October 15 Providence, RI Avon Cinema
October 17 Seattle, WA Chop Suey
October 18 Portland, OR Lola's Room at the Crystal Ballroom
October 19 Eugene, OR WOW Hall*
October 21 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall*
October 23 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour*
October 24 San Diego, CA Casbah*
October 25 Tucson, AZ Plush*
October 27 Austin, TX The Parish*
October 28 Dallas, TX Granada Theater*
October 29 Houston, TX Bronze Peacock at HOB*
October 30 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon*
November 2 Tallahassee, FL Club Downunder*
November 3 Orlando, FL The Social*
November 4 Atlanta, GA The Earl*
November 5 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge*
November 6 Asheville, NC University of North Carolina*
November 7 Norfolk, VA Attucks Theater*
November 9 Carrboro, NC Cats Cradle*
November 10 Charlottesville, VA The Southern*
November 11 Washington, D.C. The Black Cat*
November 12 Boston, MA Paradise*
December 1 Washington DC 9:30 Club#
December 2 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts#
December 3 Northampton, MA Calvin Theatre#
December 4 Burlington, VT UVM#

* with Blind Pilot
# with Josh Ritter

Things To Do In San Diego: October 21, 2009

Wednesday October 21, 2009:

  • Noah and the Whale, Robert Francis @ Casbah
  • Grizzly Bear, Beach House @ Belly Up (sold out)
  • 91X presents Brand New, Manchester Orchestra, The Builders and The Butchers @ House of Blues (Sold Out)
  • Rob Thomas, One Republic, Carolina Liar @ Open Air Theatre
  • Pink Snowflakes, Tennis Pro, Blackseed 13 @ Ruby Room
  • White Rhino @ Soda Bar
  • No Bunny, Hinx and His Punx, The Box Elders @ Ken Club
  • Astra Kelly, Dave Howard, Carlos Olmeda, Gregory Page @ Dublin Square
  • River City @ Riviera Supper Club
  • FuzzNMac, Even Keel, Players Touch, Frequenz Drop @ U-31
  • The Beltones, Tiltwheel, The Widows, DJ Barnesey @ Radio Room
  • Bernie Williams @ Anthology
  • Thee Oh Sees, The Fresh & Onlys, Dan Melchior Und Das Menace @ Bar Pink
  • Sara Petite @ Sunshine Brooks Theater (Oceanside)
  • Anna Troy, Lee Coulter @ 4th & B
  • Brother Ali, Evidence, Toki Wright, BK One @ Canes
  • Wednesday Night Shakedown @ Henry's Pub
  • The Soul Persuaders @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
  • Alexis Allan, Jonah Smith @ Lestat's
  • DJs Turbo Teen, Headshake, Hot Lips @ Beauty Bar
  • Ishmael and The Peacemakers @ Porter's Pub (3pm)
  • Andrea Wolper and band @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
  • Drum and Bass @ Club Kadan
  • Joe Wood & The Lonely Ones @ Hensley's Flying Elephant Pub & Grill
  • 145th St Deluxe Blues Band @ Patrick's II
  • Jennie Buss, Fuzz, Meaghan Maples @ Portugalia
  • Ruines Ov Abaddon, Sergulath, Within The Swarm @ Dreamstreet Live
  • Frankie-Dee and The Funk-natra Band @ The Kraken
  • Royal Krown, DJ Rue @ The Office
  • Pushing Rope, old Devil, The Screamin Yeehaws @ Winston's
  • Private Domain @ Dick's Last Resort
  • Burnett's Bliss @ Cafe La Maze
  • Ed Rapacci Duo @ Red Fox Steakhouse
  • Sour Soul, guests @ O'Connell's
  • Northstar @ Coyote Bar
  • Evona Wascinski @ Bondi
  • Audrey Napoleon, Brazzabelle, James Monroe @ Voyeur
  • Jessie Taylor @ Bare Back Grill
  • Suicide Chords, The All Wait, Children of Nova @ The Stage Saloon
  • Jesse Lamonaca @ Hennessey's PB
  • Malamana @ Cafe Sevilla
  • Clean Cut DJ Tyrone @ Whistlestop

Brand New, Manchester Orchestra, The Builders & The Butchers, HoB, 10.20.09

Last night I scored tickets to House of Blues to catch Brand New, Manchester Orchestra, and The Builders and the Butchers, who were playing their first of two sold out nights there. I have to be honest in saying I've never heard Brand New and was mostly in it for the openers.

I've seen Portland's The Builders And The Butchers several times now and they always put on an incredible show with constant percussion from two drummers playing side by side on a non-traditional kit, but I was wondering how they'd pull off a bigger venue because the crowd can't quite participate as they can in a small venue, but they used the space to their advantage, having the crowd sing mixed parts, join in on handclaps, and finishing with "When It Rains", they still had their suitcase of tambourines and shakers that they threw to the crowd. I even think they got most of it back, though I had to tell a dude his children's plastic tambourine wasn't a souvenir.



I was really looking forward to seeing Manchester Orchestra because I had a conflicting show the last time they were here on the HoB sidestage. The last time I caught them was at Epicentre when their first record dropped. Seeing how they have grown, not only as musicians but from boys to men, I realized just how long ago that was. Their music is incredibly intense, taking the audience on a journey to quiet whispers all the way to the screaming climaxes of every song. I was happy to hear "Where Have You Been?", especially because I think even my iTunes how many times I've played that song, and usually 5 or 6 times in a row in one sitting or car ride. Their set list seemed short to me, but most of the songs had these epic flourishes that extented each song to about 5 or 6 minutes. I definitely got my fill of selections from both records.



Last up for the night was Brand New. Chickrawker accompanied me to the show and told me there are three bands she will follow around the country on tour: NIN, Kings of Leon, and Brand New. I, on the other hand, have never listened to their music but once they performed, I wondered how I missed that boat, because I'll take a good emo band here and there...in small doses, but I'm not gonna act like I don't have a Dashboard Confessional CD or two. The crowd certainly loved this band and sang along to every word, in fact, so much that singer Jesse at times seemed to not really singing at full capacity so he could listen to the crowd singing back at them. They also had incredible lighting on stage for every song that made watching them and snapping photos even more fun, especially when dodging kids crowd surfing overhead and falling into the photo pit. In the bathroom I heard a girl bawling her eyes out, the kind of crying that makes you lose your breath, and I was taken back to times that I've cried like that...like when my 8th grade boyfriend moved to Texas...and I guess it is from that place that I enjoyed the show. I only wish I had known the words to join in the singalong fun.



I took a ton of pictures and posted some more of them, along with the setlists for Manchester Orchestra and Brand New if you click 'keep on reading'. Note that Chickrawker has the songs in actual order for Man. O. because they played out of order from the setlist. The bands will play night two at House of Blues tonight. The show is sold out, but if you plan on going, get there early, as it is an all ages show. First band is on at 7:30 and the show is done by 10:45.



























Tonight At Casbah: Don't miss Noah & The Whale

Noah & The Whale was one of my favorite surprises at Coachella this year, and they're playing a very limited U.S. tour. They played L.A. last night and will be at Casbah tonight. Their new record, The First Days of Spring, dropped on October 6th, and is quickly becoming one of my favorites of the year.


The First Days Of Spring - Noah And The Whale

Here's their press:

Noah and the Whale’s new album The First Days of Spring (Cherrytree/Interscope) is a staggering multi-media experience that has earned the band gushing reviews and sold out shows in Europe. The Guardian (U.K.) raved about the album’s vivid imagery, saying, "It is also a masterpiece. That, at least, is crystal clear." NME called it a work of "Spiritualized-tinged grandiose beauty." The Observer (U.K.) warned, "Sufjan Stevens had better watch his back… Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch has been served notice… this is a beautiful album."


There's an accompanying feature length film, and unfortunately there is no planned San Diego screening, but you can see the trailer here.

The First Days of Spring Official Trailer from charlie fink on Vimeo.



Tickets for tonight's show are $10 adv/$12 at the door. For more info on the band, click 'keep on reading'.



And in the unlikely event that the songs' lyrical tales aren't vivid enough, Fink has directed a feature-length film on a shoestring budget as a companion piece and is hosting intimate screenings as part of the band's U.S. tour, including a newly announced date at Piano's in New York on Nov. 1, the night before the band plays three consecutive evenings; residency at Mercury Lounge.

The First Days of Spring is the fruit of a labor Fink began in 2008, an album that was also a film, and as he sees it, vice versa. The album was recorded in London and New York with producer Emery Dobyns (Patti Smith, Antony & The Johnsons). The film was shot on location in London and Surrey with an ensemble cast including model Daisy Lowe.


TOUR DATES
Oct. 20 Los Angeles, CA The Roxy
Oct. 21 San Diego, CA Casbah
Oct. 22 San Francisco, CA Swedish American Hall
Oct. 24 Seattle, WA Crocodile Café
Oct. 25 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge (early show and BBQ)
Oct. 28 Madison, WI Majestic Live
Oct. 29 Chicago, IL Lake Shore Theatre
Oct. 30 Pontiac, MI The Pike Room
Oct. 31 Toronto, ONT Horseshoe Tavern
Nov. 2 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
Nov. 3 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
Nov. 4 New York, NY Mercury Lounge

FILM SCREENINGS
Oct. 6 Los Angeles, CA Cinespace
Oct. 6 Dallas, TX Good Records
Oct. 8 Minneapolis, MN Bryant Lake Bow
Oct. 8 San Francisco, CA Popscene
Oct. 9 Seattle, WA Comet Tavern
Oct. 19 Los Angeles, CA Space 15 Twenty (Q&A with Charlie)
Oct. 20 New York, NY Angels & Kings
Nov. 1 New York, NY Pianos (Q&A with Charlie)

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Things To Do In San Diego: October 20, 2009

Tuesday October 20, 2009:

  • 91X presents: Brand New, Manchester Orchestra, The Builders and The Butchers @ House of Blues
  • Monsters Of Folk @ Spreckels Theatre
  • Serena Ryder, Needtobreathe, The Alternate Routes @ Hard Rock Cafe
  • CANCELED: Jay Reatard, Nobunny, Hunx & His Punx, Box Elders, Digital Leather @ Casbah (no replacement show at Casbah)
  • Bob Mould Band, Spiral Stairs @ Belly Up
  • Greg Gibson, Gray Ghosts, Hotel St. George @ Tin Can Ale House
  • Ian Cooke @ Soda Bar
  • Jesse Davis @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
  • Pressure Drop, 2000 Tons of TNT, Skarina @ Radio Room
  • Too Cool For Karaoke @ Ruby Room
  • The Stilettos @ Henry's Pub
  • The Tail Draggers @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
  • Friends Chill @ Whistle Stop
  • Darkwave Garden @ Club Kadan
  • Comedy Night with Mal Hall @ Lestat's
  • Doug Allen @ The Kraken
  • Game Rebellion, The Aggronauts @ Winston's
  • Dead Record, My Client's Hands @ O'Connell's
  • Shawline Expression @ Red Fox Steakhouse
  • Karaoke @ Cafe La Maze
  • Tunes By Trent @ Tiki House
  • Lindsay White @ Bare Back Grill
  • Gene Warren @ McP's Irish Pub
  • Galt @ Porter's Pub

Monday, October 19, 2009

Dos Hermanos, Bar Pink, 10.18.09

A few weeks ago, I got an e-mail about a band coming from Germany to play at Bar Pink. It's one thing to get a U.S. band on tour to our fair city, and obviously there are plenty of British and even French exports, but it isn't often that we get German bands outside of some oom-pah-pah band here for Oktoberfest (which I love, by the way), so I paid attention to Dos Hermanos.

This is the e-mail:
Senor G.Rag:
megaphone, no singing, git, mülleimer, blech, hi-hat, harp, shaker, organetta
José aka the black rider:
singing, bass drum, git, snare, harp, kazoo, slide guit

Mitglieder des legendären caribbean trash orchesters 'g.rag y los hermanos patchekos'.

Country Trash, patcheko songwriting, lost ambient trash, y mucho mucho these two brothers shout, rock, whistle, blow harps, sing funny and sometimes sad songs about.....

There are people all over the world who say: ah oui oui, c'est pas mal. Others say: it's shit. And that's what we want. So if you like both: Country and a good mighty mezz .... you are right.
Minimalisme pure

you can hear more or less percussion, noisevoice and a spooky drum set.
You can feel trash at his best and on the other side: no it..s more like....................” heeee i can see tears in your eyes”.
It..s a strange respect for country in times he used to be cool and rock ..n roll was still angry and goddamn hot. (subterranean homesick blues, von hinten, drugstore cowboy).
Or takes Trio a friendly look over the hermanos shoulder?(foto foto, lala, lady -o- lady)

Their own compositions are mixed in a funny combination of german/english/french/or
whatever lyrics with or without use of an old megaphone.
The strange click clack dong you can hear in the background makes definitley more
space for charme.
Read it and think, "huh?". Yeah. Me, too. But they sent me a CD and I knew there was no way I was going to miss this show. We all know how I like my intense and moody indie music, so it isn't often that I see a band that has me smiling a toothy grin for their entire set, but Dos Hermanos do just that. The guys later told me that many Americans describe them as 'funny' and wondered if that is a veiled insult. It is not. They were infectious and hilarious and with their drumkit fashioned out of hardware store goods like beer buckets, pots, pans, and door handles, Los Hermanos were so engaging and entertaining that even if people were only at Bar Pink for the cheap drinks, they were hooked by the performance. One of the doorguys described them as "a two-man one man band".

I recorded several songs because they just kept pulling me in, and they did a video introduction, too. Read and see more if you 'keep on reading'.






I pretty much recorded most of the show so you can see for yourself better than I could describe how it went down. I should also go into the fact that Dang had tweeted that Dos Hermanos were looking for a place to crash while in San Diego. When I found out that nobody had ponied up a place, I offered up my humble abode. Before the show I introduced myself and I have to admit I was a bit intimidated approaching them. Here I am, some random chick, offering two foreign men a place to crash. For one, I didn't know if we'd have a language barrier, second, I'm letting total strangers into my home, third, my place is really small and not the best space for visitors, and last, I don't usually just walk up to two incredibly good looking men and invite them to sleep over. (I usually get them drunk first ;) But that's exactly what I did and they said they were still in need of a place, there was no language barrier, they were incredibly polite, and that was that.



Dos Hermanos came off as shy and quiet when I met them, but their onstage personas were certainly not so. As I mentioned, they were quite engaging and I loved that they had little quips and stories before and after every song. There really is no comparison to draw from as their songs were a little bit of this and a little bit of that, drawing from many influences from all decades and all genres.





They played for nearly an hour and the crowd grew throughout the set. The more they played, the funnier they became and they were completely endearing. The crowd ate them up.



I love the next video because someone from the crowd was trying to crack a Ron Burgundy "Whale's Vagina" joke and it completely went over their heads, which was funny simply for the fact that so many bands come here and use that recycled material so much it's become like yelling "Freebird" at a show. Later the guy explained it to them but they still didn't understand whale's vagina but instead thought it was "made in china" or something like that. "No, VAGINA," I explained when we were back at my house. "What is this word?" I don't know if they were pulling my leg, but had to point to my female region to which I got a resounding, "ahhh!", and they finally got the joke.





After the set, Jeff was ready to go so I chatted with them about their plans for staying with me and agreed that I would just come home with them. I ran into an old friend and sat at the bar as we watched Joey Harris and The Mentals. After the show they packed up and we came to my house, had some Stellas and I got to know them better. They talked about their tour, about the heat of Phoenix, about driving off the 8 so that they could take a picture of the Calexico sign (because they love the band), about how much they loved the banda and ranchero music on the radio as they drove west, about their girlfriends and there excitement to hang out with them in San Francisco, about bands they love and are influenced by, and about life in Europe, which was funny because my friend in Bern came online via Skype to chat, so we talked about Switzerland and how I need to go there and how it's their favorite country to tour.

We went to bed around 4 am and I insisted that they take my bed as I cozied up in my living room with my dog. Come morning they quietly showered and got their things together as I made coffee and we looked over the videos I shot so we could give them proper titles, they checked their emails, and around noon they left and I was sad to see my new friends go. I have my issues with The Royal Dive, but if I didn't already have plans on Tuesday night, I would make an effort to catch the band again in Oceanside. It is my hope that in sharing these videos that anybody who gets the chance will go see these guys as they make their way around California. I know I look forward to seeing them again, perhaps in 2010.

Here are the rest of their tour dates if you get a chance to catch them.

Oct 19 2009 avec the Honkys Huntington Beach, CA, Bar or Grill
Oct 20 2009 avec the Honkys Oceanside, CA, Royal Dive
Oct 21 2009 avec the Honkys La, California, Redwood Bar & Grill
Oct 22 2009 San Francisco, California, Club Amnesia,
Oct 23 2009 Santa Cruz, California, Streetlight Records
Oct 23 2009 Santa Cruz, California, the Parish Public House
Oct 24 2009 Monterey, California, Jose`s Lounge Underground
Oct 25 2009 Berkley, CA, Bay Area, 924 Gillman Street

The Black Heart Procession At Casbah, 10.17.09

The Black Heart Procession kicked off their national tour at home base on Saturday night and it was an absolutely incredible show. The last few times the band played at Casbah, I was doing merch and didn't have a chance to catch the show, so this time I made sure to see the whole thing.

They started the set with "Drugs" which was incredibly intense and I was impressed by the restraint the band uses in performing the song live, to make the entire crowd hang on every word of the song. I didn't know how much memory I had left on my camera and so I had made the decision to record two of my favorite from the new album, Six, "Rats" and "The Witching Stone". Fortunately there was a setlist in front of me so I new when to start recording. The tour is in support of that record, and I highly recommend picking it up, whether you buy the beautiful CD book, vinyl, or the collector's tin with a heart shaped pendant that has the whole record on USB.









Read more and see more video if you 'keep on reading'.


I was up front with Kathleen and Sean and I was happy to have shaken off the dust from the earlier incident at Snow Patrol. Then low and behold, we're about 3 songs in, and there's this chick behind us, a woo-girl, who was screaming her woos at the band. In the middle of the songs. Annoying. Kathleen asked her to hold back her cheering for an appropriate time, like between songs, but being asked kindly only made her more deranged and she continued to scream, said something about being a guitarist and that she would cheer whenever she wanted. Great. Confrontation #2 for the night. There was some back and forth and the girl started turning all neck sway and calling Kathleen "Sweetheart" in that bitchy way women do, so she tried to ignore it until she couldn't and went to get the door guy, who happened to be Jake. He came and told the girl she needed to tone down and when she got in his face, he told her to go to the back of the club and stop bothering people. She went off on him, and we could hear her screaming "Bitch!" repeatedly from the back of the room. Apparently this was the same girl who at the last BHP show, decided to join the band onstage until she was kicked out. I was later informed that she left the show, and we went on enjoying the show in peace.

The rest of the night was without incident, thankfully, and Pall and the band did their thing, demonstrating why anything Pall touches turns to gold. The dude is an amazing talent and a treaure in the San Diego music scene, whether in any of his bands, or the touches he gives to so many bands in producing and recording their records.



As I mentioned, this was the first night of their tour, so hopefully they get the love they deserve as they tour the country.

Oct 17 @ Casbah, San Diego, CA w/ The Mumlers

Oct 18 @ The Echoplex, Los Angeles, CA w/ The Mumlers
Oct 20 @ Rhythm Room, Phoenix, AZ w/ The Mumlers
Oct 21 @ Launch Pad, Albuquerque, NM w/ The Mumlers
Oct 23 @ The Mohawk, Austin, TX w/ The Mumlers
Oct 24 @ Hailey's, Denton, TX w/ The Mumlers
Oct 25 @ One Eyed Jacks, New Orleans, LA w/ The Mumlers
Oct 26 @ The Bottletree, Birmingham, AL w/ The Mumlers
Oct 27 @ The 40 Watt, Athens, GA w/ The Mumlers
Oct 28 @ Cat's Cradle, Chapel Hill, NC w/ The Mumlers
Oct 29 @ The Black Cat, Washington, DC w/ Bellini, The Mumlers
Oct 30 @ Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA w/ Bellini, The Mumlers
Oct 31 @ Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ w/ Bellini, The Mumlers
Nov 1 @ The Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY w/ Bellini, The Mumlers
Nov 3 @ Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA w/ Bellini
Nov 4 @ La Sala Rosa, Montreal, QC w/ Bellini
Nov 5 @ Lee's Palace, Toronto, ON w/ Bellini
Nov 6 @ The Crofoot, Detroit, MI w/ Bellini
Nov 7 @ Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL w/ Bellini
Nov 8 @ 400 Bar, Minneapolis, MN w/ Bellini
Nov 11 @ Chop Suey, Seattle WA w/ Bellini
Nov 12 @ The Biltmore, Vancouver, BC w/ Bellini
Nov 13 @ The Aladdin, Portland, OR w/ Bellini
Nov 15 @ The Independent, San Francisco, CA w/ Bellini

The band didn't start their set until midnight, which meant they pretty much played right up until last call. We sat at the back bar rehashing the night and discussing the show until it was time to go. I was full of adrenaline when I got home and didn't fall asleep until about 4 am, but my lack of sleep didn't prevent me from spending Sunday with my family at Sea World and then the night at Bar Pink with Dos Hermanos. Post on that to come.

The Flaming Lips on KCRW, 10.16.09

Did ya catch The Flaming Lips on Friday on KCRW? It was a helluva session and now that Ray's tour with The Killers is done, he's been hanging with Wayne and is all over the place.(When I asked if he can resume blogging here again to keep us abreast of his crazy music adventures, his response was "from today onward, it's my hot body, i do what i want." Hopefully that was a "yes".

Snow Patrol, SDSU Open Air Theatre, 10.17.09

To say Saturday was a very interesting day/night is an understatement. I didn't plan on staying up all night Friday, but by the time I got home from the Casbah and was settling in to some late night TV, I saw people tweeting about English Premier League Soccer on tv and decided to catch the fun while my videos from Friday were uploading. At that point I should've gone to sleep, but instead Devin came over and we kept watching soccer, listening to music, and catching up. Around 1 pm, when he realized my eyes wouldn't stay open, he sent me to my room and left. I was out for the next 6 hours. When I awoke, I discovered that I'd missed my ride and a pre-show dinner offer with Jeff, and that there was concern about my whereabouts. Anyway, I quickly got ready, called Taxi Rob, and arrived to Open Air Theatre with 10 minutes to spare before Snow Patrol started.

I kinda feel like Snow Patrol is one of those bands you have to apologize for liking. Somehow being on Gray's Anatomy does that to a band, they get relegated to the guilty pleasure corner and nobody wants to admit to liking them. But then I see them, know every song, have emotional epiphanies, and realize I've seen them every time they've played in San Diego and just have to come out of the proverbial closet. I love this band.



This is a fairly long post. Click 'keep on reading' for videos, setlist, and how I almost got in a fight.


Jeff bought great seats to the show, about 4 rows back from the orchestra area so that we were perfect eye level with the stage. OAT was about 2/3 capacity and the crowd was really mellow. Except for the assholes in front of and to the side of us. This was where the night got weird. I'm just trying to enjoy the show like everyone else, but when I get annoyed with something, I tend to fixate...like if I hear the bass of a car getting gas across the street from my house, it becomes THE ONLY THING I can hear. If I see someone being completely absurd, I will just stare as they become the only thing I see. So I'm watching the show, taking some photos and video for the bloggy blog, and notice the woman next to me making the craziest noises ever throughout every song. On video it sounds like she had a pekingnese dog in her purse, or a bird, but in person, it sounded like she was having an orgasm or had some sort of Tourette's. To accompany the "Oh...oh...oh....", she was thrusting her hips. Air-fucking, if you will. Whatever it was, it was driving me crazy. Add that to the two guys who within 5 minutes of the show, lit up a joint, and the cosmos aligned for them, giving them about 4 seats of space on either side, so they could flail their arms as if conducting a symphony. For the whole show. Not only that, but these assholes threw an inhaler onto the stage, which very easily could've hit Gary, or just pissed him off so much he could've called it quits on the show right then and there. Fortunately he joked that the idiot wouldn't get very far without his inhaler should Gary want to chase him down and kick his ass. I wish he had.





So anyway, at some point I just looked at the lady in totally disbelief, I believe my jaw was dropped to the floor. She got in my face and asked if I had a problem, which is when I realized the chardonnay she was drinking was probably her 6th. In a nutshell I replied that I did have a problem, that I was trying to enjoy the show, and that her orgasm was preventing me from doing so. Add about 20 expletives, asking her is she's retarded (so un-PC, I know), and telling her to STFU and you kinda catch the drift, to which she replied that she didn't care what I thought and very lightly pushed me on my sternum. Being that she was middle aged and had those crazy drunk googly eyes, I refrained from getting physical, but there was a definite "fucking touch me again and I will beat your fucking ass" threat somewhere in there. Don't make me get all Chula Vista on a bitch. Anyway, I was really trying hard to move past it, and she actually stopped at a point, but then I suppose just to antagonize me, did it even more than before. At that point I told Jeff what was going on, the people around me were getting angry at her, so there were some final words and we attempted to move away. Drunk bitch kept moving toward us so there was no escaping but I did my best to move on. So yes, I almost got in a brawl at Snow Patrol. Now we can move on to the show.

Setlist:
Signal Fire
Final Straw
Hands Open
Chocolate
The Golden Floor
The Finish Line
Make This Go On Forever
Run
Shut Your Eyes
Chasing Cars
Crack The Shutters
Just Say Yes
Take Back The City
Open Your Eyes

Encore:
The Lightning Strike (3 parts)
You're All I Have

There are a lot of reasons I love Snow Patrol. I kind of have attached meaning and sentimentality to just about every single song, whether it's a memory of a friend, a movie, an ex-boyfriend, or the crush that cannot evolve into anything more, the music speaks to me, and I know it is probably the same for a lot of people. The band plays with such precision that every song sounds perfect, especially on a chilly foggy night in the open air. Gary is such a great frontman, leading the band but never a showoff, telling stories and still being completely humble, like someone you wanna just have a beer with. A couple girls screamed "I love you" to which he replied "Thank you, I love you, too, but you wouldn't love me if you got to know me." Somehow I don't believe him. He talked about the soccer games that I'd stayed up all night watching, too, which was pretty hilarious and while I didn't get the whole story on video, you can see him explain why he carried a red balloon with 1-0 written on it across the stage and handing it off to his guitar techhere.

I was still trying to get over the people around me intent on ruining the concert for me, but Snow Patrol rose above and performed a phenomenal set.





For the encore, a scrolling text explained that the band, collaborating in Dublin on a stormy night, created three songs that became their own story, to which they called the end result "The Lightning Strike". This is part one of that story.



The show was amazing. The near fight and douchebags in front of us, not so much, but I'm glad I didn't miss this show and can be pretty sure that anytime the band return to San Diego, I will be there.

The band is releasing a 'best of' compilation, too. Here are the details of that:

Multi-platinum recording artists, Snow Patrol, will release the compilation album, Up To Now, on November 10th, 2009 via Fiction/A&M. This 30-track double album is a must-have for Snow Patrol fans everywhere as it features all their hit singles, cover versions, rarities and album tracks that span the part-Irish, part-Scottish quintet’s amazing 15-year career.

Up To Now includes three previously unreleased songs, “Just Say Yes” “Dark Roman Wine” and “Give Me Strength”, as well songs from the two albums Snow Patrol released on UK indie label Jeepster Records: 1998’s Songs For Polarbears and 2001’s When It’s All Over We Still Have To Clear Up. The album also includes two songs by The Reindeer Section — an indie supergroup featuring members of Belle and Sebastian, Idlewild, Mogwai and Teenage Fanclub, among many others — from their 2002 album for Bright Star Recordings, Son of Evil Reindeer.

Other highlights include a cover of Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love” that was recorded as a live track for BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe’s evening session at Maida Vale in London (with a rap performed by Lowe). Up To Now also features live versions of Snow Patrol’s hit singles “Run” (from their 2003 album Final Straw) and the double-platinum “Chasing Cars” (from 2006’s Eyes Open) that were recorded at London’s Union Chapel as part of an exclusive one-off show put on by Radio 1 presenter Jo Whiley to raise money for the charity MENCAP.

Snow Patrol is singer, songwriter Gary Lightbody, bassist Paul Wilson, guitarist Nathan Connolly, drummer Jonny Quinn and keyboardist Tom Simpson. Since the mostly-Irish band formed in Scotland in 1994, the band’s hard-earned rise has seen them become one of the world’s biggest bands, culminating in sales of more than 10 million copies of their last three albums, taking in Grammy, BRIT, BMI, Meteor, and Ivor Novello nominations and awards along the way.


This was just the start of my Saturday night. Jeff and I left and made our way to the Casbah to catch The Black Heart Procession to conclude an amazing Saturday night. Post on that to come.

D-Pain Pimping "App 4 Dat"

Dan Reed (from SD band SayVinyl) is featured on FunnyOrDie.com. Just be careful before opening, as it is NSFW.

The Soft Pack, Casbah, 10.16.09

After Yo La Tengo, I headed over to the Casbah with O to catch the return of The Soft Pack, whom I hadn't seen since they were still called The Muslims. There were other bands on the bill, but frankly I was too busy catching up with friends to pay attention, not to mention it's not often a crowd makes me feel old, but let's just say you won't catch me in boots, leggings, and wayfarers anytime soon. That said, I think Ganglions, The Drug Wars, and even Wavves all had pretty good sets from what I heard and saw, but you'll have to find photos of the three somewhere else. And we got there after Beaters finished so I can't speak to their set at all but I love those guys as people and the feedback I heard testified that they were pretty great, too.

So fortunately O was up front for The Soft Pack and let me squeeze in with him to take some photos and video. The photos are typical of my photography- dark, grainy, and not worth posting, and you can pretty much get the idea with the videos. I'm really looking forward to The Soft Pack releasing a full length in the coming year. I also did a 'paper napkin' interview in an attempt to minimize my voice in the recording...you can't see shit, but if you wanna hear the audio, go here.



Two more videos if you 'keep on reading'.