Thursday, May 31, 2012

Things To Do In San Diego: May 31-June 1, 2012

I'll just say that I've made little progress in catching up on email or unpacking any of these boxes in my new place, but I've been trying to get out and I saw some great shows this week.  This weekend has so much going on, I don't know how you're going to choose what to do, but I'm gonna go ahead and post listings all the way through next Thursday and Friday archives are after the jump.

Sunday Set Times: SPF949 & X-Fest

If you ask me, it's a bummer that FM 94/9 and 91X are going head to head with summer concerts on Sunday. I listen to both stations and have friends at both stations and I think both offered good lineups. SPF is sold out, but keep in mind that the capacity is about 1/3 (or maybe 1/4 of the size) of Cricket. It's also a bummer that they're at the extreme north and south fringes of the county, because theoretically I could do both if I found someone adventurous enough. Ah, well, can't do it all. Here are your set times for both.

X-Fest @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre:

Jane's Addiction (9:50 pm)
Garbage (8:50 pm)
Angels & Airwaves (7:55 pm)
P.O.D (7:00 pm)
Neon Trees (6:10 pm)
Rebelution (5:25 pm)
Grouplove (4:45 pm)
Of Monsters and Men (4:10 pm)
Eve 6 (3:45 pm)
Walk the Moon (3:20 pm)
Doors: 3pm

FM 94/9 SPF 2012 @ Oceanside Pier (SOLD OUT):

Santigold (8:45 pm)
The Naked and Famous (7:15 pm)
Imagine Dragons (6 pm)
Electric Guest (4:45 pm)
Federal Reserve of Consumption (3:45)
Gates at 3pm.

San Diego Musicians: Get on Staring at the Sun 10!!

I got the following from Timmy P and wanted to share it with all of you. Keep in mind that while you're submitting to be on the Staring At The Sun 10 compilation, Bart and Tim are two of the most influential music guys in town. Even if you don't win the slot, getting your music heard by these guys could lead to booking and other opportunities, so it's a no-brainer to get your music to them ASAP:

Attention San Diego County based musicians!

Blindspot Records and FM94.9’s local music show, the Local Pyle, hosted by Tim Pyles are teaming up for a special contest.

The winner receives a spot on the compilation album, Staring at the Sun Volume 10, and will headline one of the CD release shows later this summer. More details TBA.

The Staring at the Sun series spotlights San Diego’s music scene and the area’s top comics artist’s. This year’s edition will feature art from Chynna Clugston, creator of the acclaimed Blue Monday and Scooter Girl, as well as titles such as Legion of Superheroes. Staring at the Sun is given away free at a series of events throughout the summer.

All you have to do to enter is send in a CDr of your best track under 4:00. Your track must be received by June 2. (Extended to June 6)

Do you have a song in your set list that everyone thinks should be a hit or really gets a crowd going? That’s the song we’re looking for.

The contest is open to any genre. It doesn’t cost anything to enter the contest.

The winner will be selected by Tim Pyles and Bart Mendoza (of Blindspot Records) and announced June 10 on the Local Pyle Show.

Send music to:

FM949
Attn: Tim Pyles / SATS
1615 Murray Canyon Road, Suite 710
San Diego, CA 92108

Jeff's Weekly Pick: The Duke Spirit at The Casbah Friday June 1, 2012


The London based five piece band The Duke Spirit will be bringing their brash form of indie rock to The Casbah this Friday. This group has what one might call a “blues-collar” approach to music, touring as both openers and in support of bands they model themselves after, such as Jan’s Addiction, Queens of The Stone Age, etc. Formed in 2003, The Duke Spirit have released three full length albums, their latest titled Bruiser in 2011. Blond singer Liela Moss fronts the band and is definitely the center of attention both live and on record. Her vocal delivery is strong yet varied enough to keep things interesting. A great introduction to the band can be found in their sophomore release Neptune in 2008. This is hard hitting rock which must be fully appreciated in a live setting. San Diego gets its chance this Friday at the intimate Middletown venue. Surely this will be a great way to start the weekend with a frenetic high energy show.

Hacienda sets the stage.

Watch a video of Don’t Wait below.




Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Tuesday Night: Barcelona at The Griffin

credit: Kelly Stonelake
Last summer, Sunset Sessions added a second session that focused on the "Active Rock" format instead of the strong AAA (adult album alternative) format they've focused on at the spring sessions. There were a few bands out of place who certainly would've done better in the spring session, but in my opinion we were given a special treat. Early one morning, those of us who got up early enough were invited to a "Bed-In", where three acts performed in a hotel room completely unplugged, while literally sitting on the bed. One of those bands was Barcelona and as far as I can remember, the band hasn't had a proper show in San Diego in a long time (if ever?) so tonight's show at the Griffin should not be missed. Check out the playlist of the three songs Barcelona performed at the Bed-In.

Things To Do In San Diego: May 29-30, 2012

What a weekend! My dear mom helped me clean my old apartment for about 10 hours straight on Saturday, so Sunday was a well deserved funday as Chase and I went to the I Love This City festival. Not necessarily my scene, but we ran into some friends and I had a photo pass to keep me engaged and we drank enough beer for a small fraternity, so it was pretty fun, as was Bad Veins after at Bar Pink. Yesterday was an amazing barbeque at my boss' house and I discovered that I'm terrible at horseshoes, but it was fun and then I ended the weekend with my family for the last night my cousin was in town. Super good times but now I've got all those emails to catch up with and 20 unpacked boxes in this tiny little studio that I need to unload. There are some great shows this week...don't miss out! Tuesday and Wednesday archives are after the jump.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Memorial Day Music

Since I haven't posted at all this weekend, I thought I'd just post a couple songs that I think of when I think about vets and Memorial Day.



Saturday, May 26, 2012

Things To Do In San Diego: May 26-28, 2012

I know I've been pretty absent here lately, but I wanted to just take a deep breath and catch up for a second. My landlord allowed me one extra day at my old place so I'll be cleaning today (waste of a perfect day if you ask me) but then I'm done and can get back to living my real life. Last night was super awesome and it was so good to catch up with so many good friends that I don't get to see nearly enough. The funny thing is that Pyles came to my new pad the other day and joked that "four guys could still crash here if you bring a band home" and though I laughed at the thought, last night Dinosaur Feathers from Brooklyn crashed here. There were only three of them, but still super sweet guys who just preferred a roof over their heads than sleeping in their car. They're off to Phoenix today, so I hope the rest of their tour with Margot goes well. Anyway, thanks for putting up with me lately. Listings for Sunday through Thursday are after the jump.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Slacker Invites You To A Private Show with Hot Water Music

Photo Credit: Marco Krenn
Earlier this week I got a press release about Hot Water Music's new album, Exister.
Hot Water Music’s EXISTER debuted this week at number #33 on the Billboard Top Current Albums this week with over 10,400 records sold. This marks the band’s highest debut in its illustrious career. Exister, which was released on May 15, 2012 via Rise Records also logged in at #3 Vinyl Albums, #8 Independent Albums, #3 Top Hard Music Albums, #15 Top Current Rock Albums, and #78 Overall Digital Albums (#68 Current Digital Albums). Considering this is their first full-length album in over eight years, it's quite a warm welcome from fans, both old and new. The release of the record was benchmarked by a handful of sold out shows on both coasts. East Coast fans were treated to a sold out First Unitarian Church show in Philadelphia (it sold out in a little over an hour), and two nights at the Gramercy Theatre in New York. The band will finish out their new release festivities this week on the West Coast with two sold out shows in California – the first at the Satellite in Los Angeles this Thursday, and the second at The Glasshouse in Pomona Saturday night. In addition, the band will head out this fall supporting Rise Against, along with The Gaslight Anthem.

The bad news is that tour will not be coming through San Diego (the nearest stop is in Anaheim on 9/29).

The good news is that my friends at Slacker worked out a private performance here in San Diego. Originally it was going to be a session for a small crowd, but after the band's sold out shows, they want to pack the room, which means YOU, my loyal readers have a chance to attend the show.

Doors will be at 1:45pm on Friday, May 25th. If you already RSVP'ed through Slacker, you should get a confirmation email. However if you didn't, I've got some spots held just for you. (Please only RSVP if you are over 21 and can attend the afternoon session). It will be a plugged-in session with a full set of about 8-9 songs.

The first 30 people to RSVP to VIP@Slacker.com with the password ‘SDdialedIn” will get in to the private/secret show with Hot Water Music tomorrow at 2P.

Slacker will reply to your approved RSVP with the location.

Things To Do In San Diego: May 24-25, 2012

This week has been so hectic but hopefully you're all looking forward to a nice long holiday weekend and this city has so much to offer it is kinda ridiculous. I'm still moving so if anyone wants to drop by today and help pack and load boxes, I'll be at my old pad most of the day. If anything, you can come pilfer through all of the shit I'm donating or dumping. In the meantime, you can thank Chase for the weekend listings and Jeff for the weekly listings because I would not have had the time to do them. Thursday and Friday archives are after the jump.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Let's Get Wasted With Vodka Tampons

Last night, the local news reported on the latest teen rage, vodka-soaked tampons. As I rolled my eyes and cringed at what a lame ratings grab the story was, now it seems to be all over the news. Again. There is something seriously so lame about a meme that keeps resurrecting. And it is also really lame that certain concert events (including the Identity Festival last year) won't even allow you, as a woman, to take tampons into the concert unless they're in a factory sealed box, because everyone needs 18 tampons for a one day festival and you might try to pre-soak to save $9 for a drink.

I really didn't even want to post this but it seemed better than commenting on Facebook and then having to read every subsequent idiotic response for the rest of the day. So now I'm part of the problem, I guess.

Can we just think rationally here? A tampon soaks liquid (its fundamental job) and then expands. Just try to imagine the dynamic of shoving a soaking wet expanded tampon into an orifice and well, just seriously. `Can we please stop being so ridiculous?

Colbert:

Gawker Coverage on Teen Crazes

Here's a lady who wanted to test the stories to see if it was even possible. (note the date: Nov 21, 2011)

Snopes: Claim: People soak tampons in Vodka to get drunk: FALSE.

Can this story just die? Again?

Slacker Presents: Silversun Pickups at the Belly Up

Last Friday night, Silversun Pickups performed at the Sun God Festival at UCSD, but the day before, they did a small media blitz, including performance at 94/9, 91X, and this one at the Belly Up for Slacker Radio. It was short and sweet and somehow I forgot to post these over the weekend. If you didn't see the full concert I shot in Santa Ana, you can watch that here (but all of the titles are off- I haven't had the chance to change them)

Monday, May 21, 2012

Things To Do San Diego: May 21-24, 2012

I am not gonna say much today. I'm still moving, and now in the process of dumping 8 million memories and it totally sucks ass, but I'll get over it and I had such a great weekend and know that there is so much goodness ahead that I just have to let go. Thanks for making the North Park Festival of Arts so amazing, and I'm sorry I missed Spiritualized and the Suckers, but a girl has to do what a girl's gotta do. Tuesday through Thursday listings are after the jump.

Monday May 21, 2012:

  • Anti-Monday League Presents: Plants And Animals, River City, 7th Day Buskers @ Casbah
  • Trampled By Turtles @ Belly Up
  • Black Cobra, Ghetto Blaster, Fed To the Wolves @ Soda Bar
  • Breakhouse, Hot Mustard, Andy Mauser @ Tin Can
  • Monday Mass w/ DJs Buddha, Grimm & Switch @ Bar Pink
  • Morrissey Monday w/ Kevin Cavanaugh @ Riviera Supper Club
  • Dirty Mondays w/ DJ Gabe Vega @ The Saloon (Encinitas)
  • Cathouse Thursday @ Anthology
  • Pyrate Punx Present @ Tower Bar
  • Bingo Benefit for Aids Lifecycle @ Eleven
  • Robin Henkel @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
  • Crystal Riot @ Flying Elephant Pub & Grill
  • Open Mic @ Lestat's
  • Dave Scott & Monsoon Jazz @ Croce's
  • Mellow Mondays feat. DJ Mello D @ House of Blues
  • Sweet Dreams @ Tiki House
  • Karaoke @ Til-Two Club
  • Off The Clock Industry Night @ Henry's Pub
  • Bar Quiz Trivia Night @ Whistle Stop
  • Electric Waste Band @ Winston's
  • Missy Andersen @ Patrick's Gaslamp Pub
  • Soul Purpose Mondays @ Club Kadan
  • Karaoke @ Coyote Bar & Grill
  • Doug Allen @ The Kraken

Partial Eclipse Of The Heart

In case you missed it, there was a partial solar eclipse and I was so grateful that Chase bought a bunch of eclipse viewing glasses from the Reuben H Fleet Science Center. I was at the post-North Park Festival of Arts gathering, but as I shared the glasses with people, the amazement and wonder was so worth any threat of eye-born yuckiness. People were trying the hole in the paper thing all wrong and then there were people stacking four pairs of sunglasses. I've never appreciated a $2 investment quite so much, and I was happy to share them with everyone on the sidewalk . There is no way that my photos demonstrate just how cool it was to see an eclipse, but here are a couple photos nonetheless. Keep in mind that this was just about 6pm and through an all black filter for proper viewing.


Sunday, May 20, 2012

Trampled by Turtles Ticket Giveaway

Photo by Dave Carrol, Trampled by Turtles's banjo player second from left

Trampled by Turtles are playing The Belly Up Monday, May 21, 2012.  You can purchase tickets here, or you can test your luck and try to win a pair from your friends at San Diego Dialed In.  Trampled by Turtles blend together new grass, blue grass, puck, and rock to bring together a unique sound and have songs that are slow and sweet and songs that make you get up and start foot stompin.  What ever genre they are in does not matter as they bring it in their live performances.   Trampled by Turtles just released their sixth album, Stars and Satellites, make sure to pick it up before the show or buy a copy at the show.  I will see you Monday night at The Belly up and give Trampled by Turtles a warm welcome to San Diego coming from frigid Duluth Minnesota.

The show is on it's way to selling out, but I have two pairs of tickets to give away, so to enter, like sd:dialed in on Facebook and leave a comment with a hashtag #trampled. I'll choose a winner later tonight.

Today: North Park Festival of Arts - FREE!!

Today is the 16th Annual North Park Festival of Arts. As you may or may not know, I book the main stage on 30th and University, which this year is sponsored by Antengo, an app for iPhone and Android that features real time classifieds. The app is free and since they're the sponsor, that's the place to grab set times, vendor information, and any other information you might need for the event. I'm already an hour late, so I better head over there, but I hope to see you later today. The festival has 6 stages and runs from 10am-6pm, but my first act goes on at 11.

North Park Festival of Arts. May 20. Free!!
(Craft Beer Block Tickets are $30 advanced and can be purchased here.)

Main Stage lineup
11:00am- Archery For The Blind
12:00pm - Rodello's Machine
1:00pm – Craft Mafia Fashion Show
1:30pm - The Treaties
2:30pm - Maren Parusel
3:30pm – Craft Mafia Fashion Show
4:00pm - The Black Sands
5:00pm - The Beautiful View

Bar Pink Stage lineup
11:20am - Los Loaded Saints
12:20pm - Fire Eaters
1:20pm - Hello Trouble
2:20pm - Hills Like Elephants
3:20pm - Rookie Card
4:20pm - The Creepy Creeps

Friday, May 18, 2012

Things To Do In San Diego: May 18-20, 2012

It's Friday and I'm a little bummed out by the timing of this move because there are so many great shows this weekend plus I'm stage producing the Antengo mainstage at the North Park Festival of Arts and I feel like I've been so absent minded. I'm hoping to have wi-fi up at my new place by late Friday and I'll be hopping back and forth between the two apartments as I try and get all of my crap sorted, but in the meantime, Jeff was kind enough to get the weekend listings done. He did an incredibly thorough job (as he always does), but he's not on Facebook, so if there are any events we missed, add them to the comments and I'll try to update as I can. Thank you all for being patient with me and especially the friends who've helped or offered to help me move. I genuinely couldn't do it without you. Archives after the jump.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

SD@140bpm Recommends...

Every Thursday night there is a new EDM dance party focusing on Bass Music at The Stage Bar in the heart of the Gaslamp.  Bass Tribe brings progressive futuristic bass music from underground local and national talent.  Bass Tribe brings the feel and energy of a festival environment.  The Stage Bar has a great sound system to make sure that the audience can experience the real low waves that rattle the audience.  The light system brings lazers that are hypnotic and go well with the overall festival vibe.

The best part is that there is no cover so fans of the Bass music scene have a place downtown that will not break the bank.  They also have $5 tall boys which is a decent price for downtown.  This Thursday, May 17th, will be the third installment of Bass Tribe and the crowd at the events are growing rapidly.  (The poster says that the event happens March but I assure you that this event is happening this Thursday, they care more about the music then getting the poster dates right.)

Make sure to get there by 10:30 as Painful Plea5ures is the first act on.  This is Painful Plea5ures debut show and will be bringing a live production set that once the world experiences it he will be a headliner in no time.  I know I say often you do not want to miss this but trust me you do not want to miss Painful Plea5ures.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Coachella 2013 Advance Sale Announcement


UPDATE ADVANCE TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT FOR BOTH WEEKENDS,  General ticket sales will happen early next year.

Yes Coachella just happened not to long ago and yes April 2013 seems like a long way away, but it is already time to buy some tickets to next years show.  Coachella 2013 will be held again over two consecutive weekends.  Advance Passes go on sale beginning this Thursday, May 17th 2012 10:00am PDT and will continue to be on sale until May 24th, 2012 10:00 pm PDT, unless they sell out before that.  Considering how fast tickets have been selling for Coachella in recent years I would not wait to purchase these advance tickets.  Tickets this year will be $349 and the advance tickets are the only tickets that can be bought on a payment plan. more information can be found after the break.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Friday Night: Beach Fossils @ The Irenic (5.18.2012)

You should already know by now how stoked I am that The Irenic has allowed local purveyors of San Diego music to use their facilities for some great shows. Back in December, I had the first show ever and fell in love with the room. Since then, Soda Bar has had a couple shows there, but it was probably the sold out show with The Rapture that did the best to expose the venue to new eyes and ears. Well, the all ages venue has another show this week, in conjunction with the Soda Bar and Art Fag Recordings. The show features Beach Fossils, Catwalk, Mini Death, and DJ Mario Orduno. The hazy dream pop will sound so fantastic in the high ceiling venue, and for those of you 21+, there is a cash bar for your enjoyment.

The Irenic is located in North Park at 3090 Polk Avenue. Parking is tough immediately around the venue, but if you park on 30th or University, you'll only walk a couple blocks to get there.

Please keep in mind that this is an ALL AGES show in a residential area, which means the whole thing will probably be over by 10 or 10:30. I can't tell you how many people showed up late for The Rapture only to miss most of their set. Doors for Friday night are at 7 pm, so you can expect the music to start shortly after that. If I can get you set times before Friday, I'll tweet them or update here, but just plan on being there early.

Tickets are $12 and can be purchased here.



Things To Do In San Diego: May 15-17, 2012

I'm going to try to take a few nights off from the scene. Tonight I'll attempt to pack at least 15 boxes of things and hopefully make some progress in getting the majority of my stuff out of this place before the weekend. There are some great shows, however, so hopefully you'll go out and enjoy and then tell me all about the good stuff I'm missing. There are 35 tickets available for the Casbah tonight, so if you didn't buy tickets in advance, I suggest getting there early for the show. Wednesday and Thursday listings are after the jump.

Tuesday May 15, 2012:
  • Flight To Mars, Mistress Of Reality, Vendetta Red @ Casbah
  • Daniel Hart, Adams and Eves, Ugly Boogie @ Soda Bar
  • Balloons, Neat Beats, Room E, Mystery Cave & Ryan Haynes @ Tin Can
  • Pass The Axe, Audio Addiction, Oliver Trolley @ Belly Up
  • OFF!, Spider Fever, FIDLAR @ Che Cafe
  • Tiki Tuesday @ Bar Pink
  • Tekno Sessions Presents: Carlo Lio @ The Griffin
  • Dita Von Tease "Burlesque: Strip Strip Hooray!" Variety Show @ House of Blues
  • Local Brews Local Grooves feat. Patrick Norton, John John and the Time Traveling Bicycle, Nikki Wilkins Band, HumanXing @ House of Blues Voodoo Stage
  • Anthology House Band @ Anthology
  • The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Sparks The Rescue, Steal The Scenery, Namesake, Keep The Change @ Soma
  • Westside Inflection @ Riviera Supper Club 7 pm
  • Lost Dog, This Is Confusing @ Ruby Room
  • Darkwave Garden @ Club Kadan
  • Michele Lundeen @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
  • Fruition String Band @ Winston's
  • Train of Thought @ Queen Bee's
  • Comedy Night @ Lestat's
  • Fully Loaded Comedy @ Til-Two Club
  • Trent Hancock @ Tiki House
  • Tomcat Courtney @ La Gran Tapa
  • Friends Chill @ Whistle Stop
  • Gio Trio + 1 @ Croce's
  • Comedy Night @ Til-Two Club
  • Tommy Price & The Stilettos @ Henry's Pub
  • Doug Allen @ The Kraken
  • Open Mic @ Patrick's Gaslamp Pub
  • Laguna @ McP's Irish Pub
  • Quintinn @ Davina's Cabo Grill
  • Karaoke @ Kensington Club

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Things To Do In San Diego: May 13-14, 2012

What a great weekend so far! I got the keys to my new apartment, so my mom and sister came by to help me start packing so naturally my apartment is in complete disarray and I have two weeks to get it all done, but in the meantime, I spent the day at Gator By the Bay with my family and now I'm at the Casbah gearing up for comedy with Todd Barry. He is hilarious, so if you don't have plans tonight, you should definitely check him out. I know it's late in the day so some of these Sunday things have already passed but I thought I'd update anyway. Sunday-Monday archives are after the jump.

Tennis & Vacationer @ The Casbah, 5.3.2012

Last Thursday night Vacationer and Tennis hit The Casbah. To be honest before Thursday I had never heard of either of these bands, but a friend called me up that afternoon and asked if I wanted to go and I never say no to live music.

Vacationer took the stage first and were very well received. They were given a long enough set to play their entire album which was nice to get a good idea of what they were all about. The entire time they were on stage I couldn’t help but compare their sound to Vampire Weekend. Vacationer will be back at The Casbah in October and I recommend you check them out.

Tennis was the headliner for the night and I’m happy to say I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed them. I am always impressed when I see a band that I don’t know any of their songs and they can make me feel like I have been listening to them for years. Tennis did just that. Their music felt very familiar and comfortable to me. This is definitely a band I can see filling up much larger venues in the near future. Next time Tennis is in San Diego get your tickets early, I know I will.



Saturday, May 12, 2012

Snow Patrol @ Pechanga, May 11, 2012

The other day I told a friend I was going to see Snow Patrol in concert and he was like, "On purpose? Is that like, your guilty pleasure?" I didn't really understand, Snow Patrol has never been I've been embarrassed to like, (though the time I saw them wasted on my birthday and cried through most of the show was probably pretty embarrassing). Or maybe I'm just old enough now that "guilty pleasures" have merely become "pleasures" and I don't really care if everyone else doesn't like what I love.  Anyway, Jeff bought tickets for this show a while ago (and they were RIDICULOUSLY expensive, so I can't blame most people I know who are fans for skipping their nearest stop to San Diego). The show was fantastic and I was kinda in between just wanting to film it for the audio and then realizing that my camera was no worse than the 100 iPhones that recorded the show, and eventually I realized security wasn't stopping anyone with cameras, so the videos actually get better as the show moves along, but my camera was sitting on my purse which was on my lap and honestly I was trying not to pay too much attention to what I was shooting, so the visuals on these are pretty terrible with my frame drifting to the ceiling more often than not, but this is the entire concert in case you wanna check it out.

In the end, there's nothing more to life is there?

Setlist:
Hands Open
Take Back The City
Crack The Shutters
This Isn't Everything You Are
Run
In The End
New York (with Ed Sheeran)
Set Fire To The Third Bar
Dark Roman Wine
Make This Go On Forever
Shut Your Eyes
Chasing Cars
Final Straw
Called Out In The Dark
Fallen Empires
Open Your Eyes

Encore:
This Is All I Ever Wanted From Life (acoustic)
Just Say Yes


Friday, May 11, 2012

SD@140bpm recommends........

Saturday, May 12, 2012 at Kava is an event so massive that it took two big San Diego EDM promoters to put it on. Elev8 and Dragon Lounge bring some of the best national and local underground EDM artists at the Kava Gallery and the Kava Lounge.  In the Kava Gallery artists include Stephan Jacobs, Nico Luminous, Osal8, Arkon, and Squama.  Anyone who was lucky enough to see Stephan Jacobs play U31 a while back knows that this is going to be one hell of a party, but it gets better.  In the Kava lounge artists include Stiletto, Miss Brisk, Geneveve, Asteya  and urBn:LgNd.  Come early to enjoy this massive lineup and grab a tipsy gypsy or any of the great drinks that Kava has to offer.  Make sure not to miss Stephan Jacobs a great multi genre producer from LA and Nico Luminous who is a producer, MC, beatboxer, DJ, and multi instrumentalist who mixes them all together live to produce some innovative hip hop, future dub, and bass

Patton Oswalt Live In San Diego To Kick Off Comic-Con, Tickets Onsale Today at 10am

I am trying to catch up with email and I really wanted to post about this earlier this week, but never had the chance. I love Patton Oswalt and seeing comedy shows at Spreckels is actually better than seeing a concert there, in my opinion. Full press release is after the jump.

Patton Oswalt
SPRECKELS THEATRE – SAN DIEGO, CA
Thursday, July 12, 2012
On Sale Friday, May 11th at 10 AM
Ticketmaster Link

Things To Do In San Diego: May 11-12, 2012

I am really looking forward to this weekend. There are a ton of great shows and events, but I'm also getting the keys to my new place. Last night I went outside to take my trash out to the bin and my asshole neighbor had taken out every single bin except mine (which only involved turning it and moving it 12 inches.) I still haven't packed anything, so that is gonna be tough, but now I kinda can't wait to get out of here and get away from this passive aggressive piece of shit. Stilll, I'll be doing it around all of these great shows and events so I'll try and catch up with all of these little things along the way. Friday-Saturday archives are after the jump.

Western Scene "Listening" (Free Download)

It is always sad when bands break up or go on hiatus or disappear without any information, but sometimes a project just runs it's course and it is time for something new. With Dynamite Walls' last effort shelved by their label, Tom Pritchard wasn't satisfied to sit around and wait for something to happen, so he started a new project. He moved to LA and joined forces with friend and one-time D Walls manager, Jason Burkhart to form Western Scene. They've been in the studio recording with some notable players and producer Hugo Nicolson (Primal Scream, Radiohead) and finally have a single to share. Check it out, and keep up with the band on their site and through Facebook.

San Diego Zoo Garden Festival: May 10-13, 2012

Spring is in the air and the San Diego Zoo is once again celebrating with the annual Garden Festival. In addition to all of the regular goings on around the zoo, during the Garden Festival, there are interactive booths, crafts, food sampling, and educational bonuses that make really open your eyes to the fact that the zoo isn't just about animals. I was invited to take the VIP Bugs & Blooms Tour (2 tours per day, $69 per person, Reserve Tickets Here), so I borrowed my four year old niece (tour is limited to ages 4+) and we made our way to the zoo. More after the jump.










Thursday, May 10, 2012

Deer Tick w/ Turbo Fruits @ Casbah- 05.04.12


Last Friday night the Casbah brought in a duo of East Coast acts to kick off the weekend in style.  Nashville- based Turbo Fruits started things off before Providence, RI natives Deer Tick took things to another level, much to the sold-out crowd's appreciation.  More words and pix below.

Things To Do In San Diego: May 10, 2012

A week ago I was at the San Diego Zoo for the welcome reception of the Craft Brewer's Conference, and now I'm on my way with my niece for a behind the scenes garden and bug tour. Life is so fun. Anyway, I haven't formatted the listings, but I at least got the weekend outta the way. Thursday archives are after the jump. I'll catch up with ya later.

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Things To Do In San Diego: May 9, 2012

Oh me oh my, when will weekend listings get done? That is the mystery of the week. Wednesday archives after the jump.

The Wombats FTP Session/ See Them At The Casbah Tonight (5.9.2012)

I am not exaggerating when I say that I've actually had dreams about (1) setting all of my possessions on fire (2) being on a TV show that was a hybrid of "Clean Sweep" and "Hoarders". Don't ask me how packing/moving is going because it isn't. I have 20 empty boxes in my house and really all I want to do is take all my stuff to my alley and let people go to town finding what they need.

Needless to say, life has been a little bit more hectic this week than I predicted. Today we had a Casbah meeting and I have a grip of shows to add to our calendar, Pyles and I dropped by the Pacific San Diego Magazine offices, then went to FM 94/9 to record a session with The Wombats, dropped the band off at the Casbah, and picked up some pet food for my starving babies. Now it's 5:30 and I'm reheating leftovers (my first meal of the day) as I wait for some dude who might want to buy my car.

Not that you care about any of this.

The main point, after all, is that The Wombats are playing at the Casbah tonight for the first time in about four years and there are still plenty of tickets available for the show. After spending a little time with the band, I can tell you that they're all great guys and tonight promises to be a great show. They also joked that they're looking for alternate revenue streams and will be starting a butter company called Road Butter. We deduced that there is some gross and devious meaning, but maybe they just meant this. Below are the two songs they played in studio, "Jump Into The Fog" and "Tokyo".


Rocky Votolato & Kevin Long @ The Casbah, 5.7.2012

Aside from the people talking at the show (which I've already addressed), Rocky Votolato played an amazing show once again at the Casbah. Kevin Long of Spokane opened the show and was pretty stellar, too. Rocky bummed me out at the end of the show when he said he'll probably give up touring next year because he's just not making enough to sustain the lifestyle, but for rabid fans like me, all we can continue to do is spread the word. Despite having a digital copy of his latest, Television of Saints, I grabbed a vinyl copy and picked up Kevin Long's CD, too.

Anyway, this is most of Rocky's set. I stopped for a couple songs to grab drinks, so I think I missed Tinfoil Hats and another song that I don't remember but I wanted to sing along without capturing my own voice on the camera. This playlist of videos has 16 videos.



And here are three songs (that I have yet to title) from Kevin Long.


Unacceptable.

Earlier this week I was trying to convert the unconverted to attend the Rocky Votolato show at the Casbah. I know at least one person who took a chance and was blown away, however I wanted to talk about something for a second. I know most people lead normal, everyday lives. I don't mean that in any condescending way at all, I did the corporate 9-5 thing and worked among rules and bitchy bosses, and when I got off of work, I wanted nothing more than to unwind and have fun with friends or just veg in front of the TV with a glass of wine (or four). I understand that for most people, going to shows is your chance to unwind and let loose and that most people only actually attend a handful of shows each year (statistically, the average is TWO). I also understand, going to shows night after night, that sometimes you might get a little bored with opening bands, you just want the headliner to play so you can get home in time to get some semblance of normal sleep before having to go back to work. I get it. I really do. What I don't get is paying $15 to see an acoustic artist, and in this case with an acoustic opener, and then talking at the bar throughout the entire show. It was rude during Kevin Long's set (which was amazing if you were actually paying attention), and he was so delicate when he addressed the crowd. But I was completely floored by the four or five people who continued being completely obnoxious throughout Rocky Votolato's set. One guy kept yelling for "Suicide Medicine", and even once Rocky relented and played the song, that was apparently the dude's cue to become even louder at the bar since the one song he obviously came to hear was already done. I appreciate that those people also paid their $15, but it isn't their right to ruin a show for everyone else by merely paying the cover. Both artists were absolutely amazing about how they handled the situation, but I swear it is so tempting sometimes to grab the mic and just tell people to shut the fuck up. Learn some freaking etiquette. The artist, especially the headliner, should never have to get to this point:

"I would just so much appreciate your respect and kindness and just shutting the fuck up."

This is why I love Rocky.








Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Grab A Free Fitz & The Tantrums Live EP

Fitz and The Tantrums have certainly put their work in and are certainly going places with their fierce performances. The band is heading into the studio to record their second record and promise to bring fans along for the ride as they facebook, tweet, and blog about everything behind the scenes. When you grew up thinking about musicians and rockstars, you never imagined that people like Fitz and the Tantrums would be such gracious and kind and genuinely cool people, so all of their success is well deserved. Anyway, they recorded a performance at the House of Blues in Boston and are giving it away in exchange for your email address. I can tell you they're not a spammy bunch, so you'll really only get pertinent news about the band (though I'm pretty sure Topspin might accidentally add you to similar artists email lists, but you can unsubscribe and be done with them). Anyway, enter your email address below and you'll get the link to download.



Monday, May 07, 2012

Monday At The Casbah: Rocky Votolato

I can't really write anything about Rocky Votolato that I haven't said before, but I thought in light of Junior Seau's passing and the release of Rocky's new album, I thought I'd share this song that is on the new record, though this video is from a performance last spring. The song is called "Sunlight".



And I'm not generally one to post lyrics, but this song gets me every single time I hear it.

Rundown and run over
watch the car's wheels as they cover up
the last of the green pastures
and still water we lost somewhere
The truth you went looking for
is still hiding under a miracle
till you fall you never know what you've been standing on

Oh, mental health where have you been hiding?
These illusions they can be so blinding
Look at all the beautiful colors
Blue lines, white lines, sunlight bleeding out from a corner
Where you drew it, sunlight waits in a world we knew

Till you fall you never know what you've been holding onto for so long
And the day that I realized what I wanted
These illusions they can be so blinding
Look at all the beautiful colors
Blue lines, white lines, sunlight bleeding out from a corner
Where you drew it, sunlight waits in a world we knew
Where you drew it, sunlight looks like it might be true
Where you drew it, sunlight waits in a world we knew

Things To Do In San Diego: May 7-8, 2012

Holy shit, what an insane weekend. As I've tried to tell you, I try to give myself Monday's off from blogging, emailing, and such, but there were just a couple things I wanted to post before Rocky Votolato performs at the Casbah tonight. I'll try to get a big wrapup of the Craft Brewers Conference and World Beer Cup winners, but you can see them all here, with plenty of San Diego area winners to be proud of.  The Casbah is packed with amazing shows this week so I'd highly suggest checking out some shows this week. I'll also tell you that while there are plenty of tickets for all of them so you can save yourself some service charges by just paying at the door, for next week there are very few tickets left for Off! (only 12 left) and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (only 8 left), and you can count on The Jezabels and Flight to Mars being sold out by next week, so grab those tickets if you wanna see either of those shows. Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has been so helpful and supportive in getting me boxes, giving me rides, and just offering support as I go through this move. While moving really sucks, I can't wait to never have to deal with this landlord ever again, and I look forward to living even closer to all of the great action in North Park and City Heights. If anyone needs furniture, dishes, pots/pans, or other housewares, please let me know. I have a lot of stuff that I will just be setting out for dumpster divers, but friends get first dibs if you want anything. Monday-Tuesday archives are after the jump.

Public Invited to Celebrate The Life Of Junior Seau

photo credit: Chargers.com
Last week's news of Junior Seau's suicide hit San Diegans and fans worldwide in the gut. People really want to make sense of the circumstances, but whatever they are, his death is no less tragic because it was by his own hand. I find many public statements about mental illness, depression, and PTSD to be quite offensive and no matter how revered, successful, or happy someone may seem, you can never know what darkness people find unbearable and enough to break. Anyway, I thought I'd post this information in case you hadn't heard that there will be a public celebration of Junior Seau's life and contributions to our city.
Chargers host a celebration of life honoring Junior Seau on May 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Qualcomm Stadium.
The San Diego Chargers will host a Celebration of Life in honor of Chargers linebacker and San Diego community icon Junior Seau on Friday, May 11 at 6:30 pm at Qualcomm Stadium. The ceremony is open to the public and parking and admission are free. The Celebration of Life will allow San Diegans to join in a community-wide tribute to their native son who passed away on Wednesday, May 2. Special guest speakers will share stories and memories of the positive impact Seau made on them and countless others.
The parking lot at Qualcomm Stadium will open at 2 pm and the stadium gates will open at 4:30 pm. There is no reserve seating and a large crowd is expected, so fans are urged to arrive early and carpool or take the Trolley.
Donations in Junior’s honor can be made to the Junior Seau Foundation and mailed to the Junior Seau Foundation, 5275 Market Street, Suite B, San Diego, CA 92114. Donations also can be made online at www.juniorseau.org.

Saturday, May 05, 2012

Silversun Pickups @ The Observatory (Santa Ana), 5.4.2012

I just told Nikki I wanted her setlist and she handed it to m... on Twitpic
Last night, Jeff and I went up to The Observatory to catch Silversun Pickups. The band, whose new record Neck Of The Woods will be released on Tuesday with Dangerbird, have been busy making this record and with their only announced San Diego performance being at UCSD's Sun God Festival, this was a show I couldn't miss. You can hear the record in it's entirety below, and I shot video of the whole show, so that playlist is below, too. If you have the chance to check out the Observatory, it was an awesome venue with great sightlines everywhere, a liberal photo policy, and very chill security.






Thursday, May 03, 2012

Portugal. The Man Return To San Diego

This Saturday night, rockers Portugal. The Man return to San Diego with a show at 4th & B. As you might recall, the band recorded their last record in San Diego at White Horse Recorders and did a private listener concert for KPRI on the Hornblower. This time around, the show is very much public and it would behoove you to check them out. The show is presented by Bring On The Bright Lights and Jagermeister. Hyena will be opening the show. Click the flyer for tickets.



This is a playlist from their KPRI show on the Hornblower.



Sexytime With Har Mar Superstar @ Casbah, 5.2.2012

I love Sean Tillman, aka Har Mar Superstar, and wanted to share some of the awesomely sexy photos from last night. Few people are more entertaining onstage and if you've never seen a show, you really need to get on that train.

Things To Do In San Diego: May 3-6, 2012

This week has been incredibly busy, which I kinda expected at the beginning of the week, but with the CBC it has been even more so. I don't want to say that I bullied Jeff, but he kindly did the weekend listings for me (and for you) in addition to the Monday through Thursday listings which he does regularly. Since he sent everything so early, I decided that I'd just post them all for you now. I still have to go through all of my Facebook event invites and I'm sure there are a few Cinco de Mayo things I will need to add for the weekend, but this is the bulk of them for now. Friday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Craft Brewers Conference: Keynote and Opening Session, 5.3.2012

Brooklyn Brewery Sorachi Ace (Saison) for the morning toast    
This morning I woke up at the ass crack of dawn* to make it to the keynote and opening speakers at the Craft Brewers Convention.  There were a handful of speakers including Mayor Jerry Sanders, Congressman Peter DeFazio, Paul Gatza (Director of the Brewers Association), and the keynote by Steve Hindy, founder of Brooklyn Brewery. Since keynotes are kinda you-had-to-be-there kinda things, I just wanna share some interesting factoids I picked up. I mean, I have to act like I earned this badge, right??

In 2011:
  • Craft beer was up 1.3 million barrels
  • Brewers sold 11.5 million barrels
  • There were 250 new brewery openings
  • There are 915 breweries in planning
  • 270 breweries brew less than 100 barrels
  • 174 microbreweries opened; 12 closed
  • 28.4% growth in microbreweries
  • There are 367 more breweries than in 2007
  • 179 craftbrewers are canning 73 styles of beer
  • There are 1940 total craft breweries operating. Of those, 1083 are brewpubs, 789 are micros, 88 are regional crafts
  • The top three styles by sales (in order) are Seasonals, IPAs, and Pale Ale. This is the first year that IPAs outsold Pale Ales. 
  • California leads in breweries with 280 followed by Washington (134), Colorado (127), Oregon (121), Michigan (102)
  • Vermont leads in most breweries per capita. 
So there ya go and now you know. Now I'm off to get a more direct education about all of these fantastic brews. 

*I know 7:45 isn't the "ass crack of dawn" to most people, but when going to bed early means 3:30 a.m., it is.

Craft Brewers Conference: Opening Reception @ San Diego Zoo, 5.2.2012

Last night, the Craft Brewers Conference kicked off with an opening reception at the San Diego Zoo. As I picked up my badge from the Town and Country, I overheard a brewer laughing. "Yeah, I called my wife and told her we were taking a field trip to the Zoo." While all of the exhibits were closed, there were plenty of beers to be had. The breweries brought out their big dog beers and, well, it is hard not to try one of everything- and in some cases- two or three of the same. Since I'm not close to a beer expert nor a beer snob, I'll just say there was only one beer I had a hard time drinking because it was a little too smoky, everything else was pretty damn good, though Harlot by Societe takes my choice for most appropriate name, based on how I was feeling after I drank it. I pretty much just shot photos of the beers I tried and I'd say if you can get your hands on any of these, you'll find yourself in a happy (and hoppy) place.






Father John Misty at the Casbah, 5.2.2012

So yesterday was all craziness as I mentioned, and part of the great fun of it all was seeing Father John Misty and Har Mar Superstar at the Casbah. Father John Misty is Josh Tillman, formerly of Fleet Foxes. His record, Fear Fun, was released on Tuesday by SubPop, done with great fanfare with a performance on the Late Show with David Letterman. It was my responsibility to let them into the Casbah early yesterday afternoon, so I helped get them set up with whatever they needed before heading off to the Craft Brewer's welcoming reception at the Zoo. By the time I got back, Har Mar was about to take the stage and while the Casbah was only about half house, it was definitely one of my favorite shows of the year, thus far. Below are some videos and some photos of me and J, me and Mason (who also plays with AA Bondy), and Sean, aka Har Mar Superstar. My stage shots really aren't even worth posting, though I might send some Har Mar ones I took from my phone a little bit later.

(There are five videos, if anyone wants to title these for me, please feel free. I ain't got the time, yo!)










More photos after the jump.

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

The Horrors w/ The Black Angels @ Belly Up- 04.19.12


Between their back-to-back appearances closing Friday night in the Gobi tent on consecutive weekends at Coachella, The Horrors and The Black Angels made the short haul west to Solana Beach to treat a sold out Belly Up to an evening of guitar and synth- driven psychrock.  More words and photos below.

Congratulations To Michael Tiernan!- ISC Honorable Mention

Today the International Songwriting Competition 2011 winners were announced. There is a grand prize which went to Kimbra for her song, "Cameo Lover" and then winners in several categories were announced. You can see and hear all of the winners here, but I wanted to give an extra congratulations to local Michael Tiernan, whose song "LA Can Wait" grabbed an Honorable Mention in the AAA (Adult Album Alternative) category.
This year, ISC received over 16,000 entries from 112 countries throughout the world, representing all genres of contemporary music. With an esteemed panel of judges including luminaries Tom Waits, Kelly Clarkson, Wynonna, Jeff Beck, McCoy Tyner, Ozzy Osbourne, Lucinda Williams, Keane, and many more, winning the ISC Grand Prize is an extraordinary accomplishment that recognizes excellence in the craft of songwriting.
You can see Michael Tiernan and his band perform at Anthology on May 19 for The Reader's Loyal Reader Appreciation night.

Things To Do In San Diego: May 2, 2012

Wow! What a week. On Monday I was saying how I was going to be offline this week, then I turned around and spent almost 17 hours straight online catching up on old blog posts, Casbah calendar updates, learning about the CBC, tweaking some website stuff (and I still didn't get to half the shit I intended!). Today we had our Casbah meeting, a great lunch at Chris' Ono Grinds in Mission Gorge, then I checked out a studio in North Park. The GREAT news is that I decided to take it, because even though it is small, the location is perfect for me and I'll save so much in rent I might actually stop being so damn broke (once deposits and all that stuff even out). I also went down to grab my CBC badge and now am at the Casbah to let Father John Misty and Har Mar Superstar in so they can have a pre-show rehearsal since this is the start of their tour. I have no idea when I'll get to the weekend listings but I'll do my best. There are plenty of tickets for the show at the Casbah tonight, so come down and have some fun this humpday. Wednesday archives are after the jump.

Craft Brewers Conference: O'Brien's Events for CBC Week

As Mike Bebee mentioned in his previous post, there is a whole slew of events going on this week for the Craft Beer Conference and the World Beer Cup taking place right NOW in San Diego! I am trying my best to find some time this week to sneak over to the conference, but I thought it would be worth sharing some of the incredible events lined up at one of my favorite bars in San Diego, O'Brien's Pub. Check the event list after the break.

Wednesday, 5/2: Firestone, Sierra Nevada and Nor Cal Night with a cask of Hollister Porter. We have a ton of great specialty beer from Northern California from the likes of Marin, Russian River, Speakeasy, Bear Republic, Drakes, Firestone and Sierra Nevada. Some of the beers are already on tap like the Bear Republic Roggenbier (Rye Beer) and Drake's Denogginizer double IPA. Tyson has been working with Sierra Nevada and Firestone to bring in some great specialty beers, so be sure to check the Facebook page for what he will be tapping that night. The cask from Hollister will be a special treat you will not want to miss. Look for Cesar's awesome Taco Night specials from the kitchen.

Thursday, 5/3: Ballast Point Smoking Hot Night. When we did this event earlier in the year for our anniversary in January, it turned out to be one of my favorite Ballast Point nights at the pub. The boys at the brewery have mixed up some very special beers for us including 2 amazing casks - Habanero Sculpin and Black Eye (Big Eye and Black Marlin blend) with Scorpion Peppers. On tap we will have Black Marlin Porter with cocoa nibs, chipotle and orange peel, Indra Kunindra Curry Stout (it has cayenne peppers in it), Wahoo Wheat with lime, ginger and red thai chilis (it makes you want to eat curry), Yellowtail with roasted serranos, Calico with dried guajillos, Smoke Screen Smoked Helles with Jalapenso (brewer Colby Chandler's faux chipotle ale - a smoked beer with jalapenos, instead of a beer with smoked jalapenos. Very clever that Colby) and finally a new creation that I am very excited about - Navigator Doublebock with dried cascabel and habanero peppers. I got to smell the dried peppers for this beer and the dried fruit aromas were insane, I can't wait to try it.

Friday, 5/4: Artisinal Imports Night with La Trappe, St. Feuillien, Bosteels, Urthel and Bockor (makers of the Cuvee des Jacobins). Unfortunately, Lodewijck from La Trappe is sick and did not travel to San Diego for the conference. So I am working to see who will be at the pub representing the breweries. Look for more updates later in the week on Facebook and Twitter. We will have lots of great draft beer and several batches of the La Trappe Barrel Aged Quadrupel no matter what along with the very tasty St. Feuillien Grand Cru, which is on the bottle list now.

Saturday, 5/5: Green Flash Day at the Pub. We have a number of great specialty beers tucked away from this wonderful brewery including Winter's Folly, Imperial IPA, West Coast IPA, Hamilton's 5th Anniversary Ale, Barleywine and bottles of the delicious Rayon Vert (Green Flash in French). We will also be getting a keg of the Founders/GFBC collaboration White IPA and Chuck just might send a few other goodies our way as well.

Tom Nickel
O'Brien's Pub
Bailey Barbecue
Julian Brewing Company
San Diego International Beer Festival

Kitty Diamond Set To Open This Month (kinda)

If you were paying attention, you might have noticed a quarter page ad in last week's CityBeat. The ad featured a cat with diamond shaped eyes (kinda reminded me of those kitty stickers sold in the sticker machines at 24 hour taco shops) with small writing under the collar that just said "Kitty Diamond".

Last week I ran into Gabe Vega at the Hard Rock Hotel for SoundCheck at 207, and he said something about "the new spot" and how he can't wait to book bands again and how it would be kinda "how the Beauty Bar was when it first started" and of course my eyes and ears bugged out, but he said he couldn't say anymore because it was premature and he didn't want me to go blabbing. Well, Kitty Diamond is almost here, located at 3780 Park Boulevard just south of University (formerly/currently The Flame).

Rewind: Squeeze & Steve Poltz at House of Blues, 4.10.2012

Sometimes it is challenging to remember what I've posted and where. I mean, sometimes I upload photos to my Photobucket account, sometimes I send them to SoundDiego, sometimes I post them on Facebook, and sometimes they just sit in a folder organized by date just waiting for something to happen.  I mean, I still have a diary post that I started BEFORE I left to South By Southwest and never posted. Don't count on that ever getting finished, though I wish I knew where to pick up from there.

Other times, like in this instance, I just post photos randomly weeks after a show because when I'm given a photo pass, it is expected that there is some evidence that I used it. That said, all the way back on April 10, I went to the House of Blues to see Squeeze and Steve Poltz.

Steve kicked off the night with a signature set, performing old and new songs, playing some serious ones and then following immediately with his more tongue-in-cheek songs. The show wasn't quite sold out, but it was pretty close, and the crowd was mostly people who were in their teens and twenties when Squeeze was most popular in the 80s, so very generally speaking, they're affluent and this was a big night out for them so everyone was especially drinky & chatty, but Steve did his best to play to those of us who were paying attention. He performed a new song called, "The Days Are Beautiful" that was amazing, and wouldn't you know that you can already here a live recorded version of it. The song is about Cpl Nick Kimmel, a 21-year-old wounded veteran of Afghanistan that Steve met when he sang the national anthem at Petco Park.




Squeeze came out shortly after Steve finished and they sounded so perfect. It's amazing how familiar their music is even if you think you only know a handful of the hits. The crowd ate it up and were dancing and singing along throughout the night. I kinda moved around throughout the show, starting in the photo pit for the first three songs, then a couple rows back for a few songs, then back by the bar for the middle of the show. Incidentally, while back there, I met a rep from Taylor Guitars who was super cool. He was taking notes on the setlist because he was going to be interviewing the band a few days later, so I shared my setlist photos with him. For the encore, I moved over toward the side where Tim Mays and his group were in a roped off area and I shot a couple videos from there (which is why they are so bad). It was definitely a worthy show and I'm glad I went because there was no chance I was gonna see them at Coachella at the time they played. You can see the photo slideshow after the jump (including some of the photos of Housse De Racket, which was after the Squeeze show) as well as a couple videos I shot.




Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Things To Do In San Diego: May 1, 2012

On the kickoff of Beer Week last year (and the day of this site's 5 year anniversary party), I was with my friend Johnathan and he was catching me up on all the geeky beer stuff that I should know. He mentioned the Craft Brewer's Conference would be held in San Diego in 2012 and filled me in on how he was involved. This week, I started seeing #CBC tweets on my twitter stream and though it took Mike decoding it for me, I realized it was here! The Craft Brewer's Conference is in town, and as Mike  already pointed out, there are several great events, beer releases, and total bar tap takeovers that don't require a badge, so consider this a bonus to all of the other beer events we have in San Diego. If you know of some special events or secret parties we should know about, hit us up. We scored some media badges to the conference, too, so check back often for updates. Tuesday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Craft Brewers Conference Edition

It’s no secret that as craft beer lovers we have an embarrassment of riches here in San Diego with the seemingly endless supply of great brews from amazing local breweries. But this week is enough to get even the most dedicated SD beer fan drooling over as the top brewers from all around the nation visit America’s Finest City for the 2012 Craft Brewers Conference. Now, all of the “official” CBC events are limited to conference attendees only, but if you don’t have a badge that’s no reason to miss out on some great opportunities to sample some beer not typically (if ever) available in Southern California.

Most of the craft beer bars around town have a full slate of special kegs and casks on this week available to ALL of us, not just badge holders. It’s a schedule so packed that I’ve even heard of some breweries asking some bars for “the special favor” of putting their beer on for one night this week. This list is in no way exhaustive and is just a small sampling of what what caught my eye or what will be the most popular and widely anticipated events around town. I’d recommend getting there early and often. If I missed anything too great to pass up be sure to let me know on the twitters (@mikebeebe). For even more CBC Events (some official, some not) check the Conference’s event weppage here: http://www.craftbrewersconference.com/cbc-week-events or the calendar over at http://www.craftbeer.com/pages/news-and-events/calendar. Again, I’m only posting two or three per night and only through Friday, but rememeber there are a TON of additional options out there. Drink up! (Events after the jump)

Jeff's Weekly Pick: Father John Misty @ The Casbah Wednesday May 2, 2012

Creating a pseudonym in the music world is nothing new, rather an attempt to create a new identity when separating one’s life from the past. This appears to be what Josh Tillman has done with his new recording name, Father John Misty. Many will recognize Mr. Tillman as the (former) drummer of popular indie band Fleet Foxes. Josh has recorded half of a dozen albums under the J Tillman moniker. Fear Fun is the first offering from Father John Misty. Why the name change after such a prolific output from J Tillman? From what I have read Josh has been suffering from bouts of depression, so maybe this is a way for him to journey into a new life phase . The music is a form of Americana but the songs are not sad at all. His honest folksy style is captivating and keeps everything on an even keel throughout the record. Having seen josh perform at Casbah a few years ago, I promise you an enjoyable and introspective listening (and viewing) experience. There appears to be new life in Father John Misty and his music.


 Har Mar Superstar sets the stage.


 Watch a video of Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings below.