There was a time when I'd sit at my desk in my office and just pounce on new news related to San Diego or music or festivals. Perhaps I just figure everyone has the same information at their fingertips or perhaps I've lost my edge or maybe I've just been finger-wagged too many times for posting things prematurely that I just don't feel that urgency to be first or break stories. Maybe I'd rather just link you to other sources so I don't get the backlash of incorrect information. Or maybe I have been having too much fun freelancing and not being confined to a desk or laptop all day that I just figure I'll get to all of it some other time. Whatever it is, there have been some things mulling around my brain that I've been meaning to share, so I'll get to it in one long post. If you don't take the time to read, you can blame yourself for not knowing later. North Park Festival of Arts open for band submissions, Cricket becomes Sleep Train Amphitheatre, Eleven becomes The Void, Che Cafe Cracks down on bigotry, Givit sends you to SXSW, CityBeat Demo Review...read about all of it after the jump.
NORTH PARK FESTIVAL OF ARTS:
First of all, I'm once again the stage producer for the North Park Festival of Arts. For the first time ever, the festival will be on a Saturday, so save the date: May 18, 2013. The festival is free (though the Craft Beer Block is ticketed) and all-ages (except for the Beer Garden Stage). In the past I've pretty much gone into the festival with bands in mind that I'd like to book, and while that is still true, I will listen and am open to all submissions. Every stage producer ultimately decides on their bands and the goal is to maximize festival attendance, so I still have a dreamlist of bands, but let me give you a few tips as to how I will be determining the bands on the Main Stage.
1. Have your music on Soundcloud or Bandcamp. I don't care about your Reverbnation ranking or your Sonicbids account, nor do I want to hunt down the music player on your website or Facebook page.
2. This is not a showcase for new bands. This is a showcase for the best that San Diego has to offer. If your band can't draw 50 people at a local venue or club, this is not your big break.
3. This is a rock/indie-rock stage for bands with original music. There are other stages for acoustic, world, and other niche genres.
All that said, here is the link for submissions: North Park Festival of Arts Open Submissions
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Last week, NBC SoundDiego announced the news that Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre Has Become Sleep Train Amphitheatre . I don't really have an opinion about this; most people I know still call it Coors, and the venue is still a LiveNation venue which means it will only change in name and not booking or services or on site vendors. It is still the main outdoor "shed" (as they call it in the biz) for our region. If you go to big shows, chances are you'll go there no matter what they call it, just take note when the summer shows are listed here, they'll be under the new name.
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CityBeat has been on top of the story of Eleven changing to The Void. The sale of the bar was something I mentioned a few months ago and then was scolded for reporting, and over the past few months the word up until last week was that "everything is going to stay the same". Obviously that isn't so as CityBeat has reported. So I haven't talked to Alex but I'm there at least 3 or 4 times a week so as long as I get to see Kelsey and Justin and Ziggy and Sunday Night Pants Karaoke, I don't really care who owns the bar or what they call it. It's the nearest spot to my house so you'll probably see me there no matter what. Eleven Becomes The Void
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Over the weekend, the Che Cafe Has Taken A Stand against any form of racism and bigotry within the club. In their words:
"In light of recent events: The Che Cafe Collective will not support any form of racist, homophobic, or sexist slurs/actions. Respect others. Respect our space. No justifications can replace our disappointments in regards to the disrespect of others while present. This has always been our policy, and we feel it a shame to remind anyone that this is our stance."
When pressed further by comments on their Facebook page, this statement was issued.
"There is huge reason behind this post condemning the use of slurs in the space. Last night a fight had occurred as a result of someone using homophobic and racist slurs. You aren't supposed to assault people. That's the law. But since there are no laws restricting speech it is our responsibility to be clear that the Ché Café is a space in which such language is not tolerated. This is a drug free, alcohol free and hate free space where people of all walks of life can come to and feel safe and enjoy the music. Of course we do not allow violence in our space and that is why the fight was stopped as soon as the members could get involved. We hope you will all understand and help us make the shows here more welcoming to others and foster progression within our community."
As a teenager I had the great fortune to see bands like Inside Out and Shelter in the tiny space of the Che Cafe. The collective changes as students outgrow the venue, but it is still one of the great places to see an all-ages show in San Diego, so hopefully whatever is going on over there is squashed quickly and they can get back to being a great outlet for fans of all ages.
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Get SXSW Expenses Covered By Givit and PledgeMusic
I have been meaning to tell you about this really incredible app called Givit. In a nutshell, you can use an iPhone or iPod to shoot video and then edit the video with transitions and all right on the device. I'm still a BlackBerry user (I can hear your scoffs!), so I haven't experimented with the app myself, but in one lunch sitting I witnessed a 10 minute video edited and pieced together ready for direct upload to YouTube and all the other relevant video services. Plus I have have an "in" with the App, so if you're a local band and interested in trying it out, I can get you a ton of free storage if you shoot me an email with your interest. But the more important thing is that you should take advantage if your band is planning on going to SXSW, officially or unofficially, and get your trip expenses covered. Click here to find out how.
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Finally, it's time for the San Diego CityBeat Great Demo Review of 2013. You have until February 3 to submit, so get your stuff on disc, make sure your packages are complete, and Submit Demos For CityBeat's Great Demo Review 2013. I always give you a laundry list of things to do, but you're on your own this year. If you're a musician you should care enough to learn how to submit a package from San Diego Music Thing or reading this site or other music resources.
That's all the newsy stuff I've got for now. Get to work!!
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