Monday, November 30, 2015

New Video: MC Flow- "Pot In The Latkes"

I'm not sure if you were listening to the Local 94/9 last night, but it was quite a party to celebrate the one year anniversary of TJ as the host. There was amazing food from Big Front Door (with Pork Loin and Smoked Salmon that must have crack in it because I couldn't stop shoveling it into my mouf), lots of friends in the room, and I even got to pick three songs to close out the show. I knew that MC Flow was dropping a new song today and reached out in an attempt to make it one of my picks last night, but she was in NY and didn't get my message until a few hours later, so I just decided to wait until it released today, and the song is so good, it warrants its own post.

So here you go, a little holiday message from your old friend, MC Flow.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, November 30-Wednesday, December 2, 2015

December is upon us, so forgive the lack of listings for The Balboa, Black Cat Bar, Hideout, Ken Club, and Whistle Stop. I usually try to update these during the week, but I'll be in Austin for a few days this week, so don't count on it. It was a pretty chill weekend...we spent some time at Balboa Park and the Museum of Art's Art of Music exhibit. I worked at the Irenic on Friday and Sunday, went to X on Friday night, and mostly just laid low, trying to hit up local businesses like Mariposa, Venice Pizza House, Nate's Garden Grill, and City Nursery. Monday through Wednesday archives are after the jump.


Friday, November 27, 2015

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, November 27-Sunday, November 29, 2015

It's my favorite time of year- the temperature has dropped and Lifetime and Hallmark have no end of cheeseball holiday films. Thanksgiving was pretty awesome and I feel really grateful for so much in this wonderful little thing we call life. Honestly, that my dad is still here after his health scare last year just makes it a joy to be with family, lounging and watching movies together, eating a feast, and lounging around the house. I've got some cool things coming up, including some travel for a new endeavor, and having this past week mostly off was pretty great, getting in a rare date night with Darren while Nova had a sleepover, and getting salon time in for all of us, cooking with Nova, and hanging out at Waterfront park- a bunch of little things that might seem so trivial, but to me, these little things are priceless. I'll be at the Irenic tonight and Sunday, possibly dropping by some of the other great shows going on after my shifts. Friday through Sunday archives are after the jump. Don't forget to #OptOutside this Black Friday. The faux sales aren't worth it.



Upcoming Casbah and Casbah Presents Shows (Updated 11.27.2015)

In usual Casbah fashion, there are several shows booked all over town this weekend, including the 2 nights with X at the Casbah, Robert Delong at the Music Box, Nashville Pussy at the Hideout, Copeland at The Irenic, FRNKIERO ANDTHE CELLABRATION at HoB Voodoo Room. The Peach Kings at Casbah, and The Bird and The Bee at The Irenic. I'll be working both shows at the Irenic, so come by and say hi. December shows and beyond are after the jump.

Fri Nov 27 - X, mike watt and the secondmen @ Casbah

Fri Nov 27 - Robert Delong, Coleman Hell @ Music Box

Fri Nov 27 - Nashville Pussy, In The Whale, Chica Diabla @ The Hideout

Fri Nov 27 - COPELAND, Eisley, We Are The City @ The Irenic (SOLD OUT- Doors at 6pm)

Fri Nov 27 - FRNKIERO ANDTHE CELLABRATION, Roger Harvey, Jared Hart @ House of Blues Voodoo Room

Sat Nov 28 - X, mike watt and the secondmen @ Casbah

Sun Nov 29 - The Peach Kings, Smoke Season, Toothless George and His One Man Band @ Casbah

Sun Nov 29 - The Bird and the Bee, Alex Lilly @ The Irenic

The Bird and the Bee


Mon Nov 30 - NofacE Shadowmen, Stone Horse, Podunk Nowhere @ Casbah ($6 at the door)

Mon Nov 30 - John Waters Christmas Show @ The Observatory North Park (Seated Show) 




Upcoming Shows at The Observatory North Park (Updated 11.27.2015)

I'm not speaking on behalf of the Observatory here, just as someone who has been involved in music for a really long time, but don't expect a lot of updates to show calendars over the next month. It seems to me that all of the great indie bands who'd play a venue the size of the Observatory are holding off to plan tours around festivals, so March and April should start to be booked heavily after the new year right up to and launched from Coachella, but January and February are more for short runs or one off shows. I can always be proven wrong, but the only new show the venue has announced this week is Duke Dumont on December 28. December shows and beyond are after the jump. note: Just got word that Warren Haynes is postponing their tour due to a family emergency. All tickets refunded at point of purchase.

11/29 Silverstein, Senses Fail, Hundredth, Capsize, 6pm, All Ages



11/30 John Waters Christmas Show, 8pm, 21+



Monday, November 23, 2015

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, November 23-Thursday, November 26, 2015

I had a very chill weekend. I went out on Friday to the Broncho show at the Hideout, and worked at the We Were Promised Jetpacks show on Saturday, but other than that we mostly laid low. I was pretty bummed out on Sunday to hear that Nola, the San Diego Safari Park's lone Northern White Rhino had died. Apparently she recently had surgery on an abcess but couldn't shake a bacterial infection and the staff had to make the decision to euthanize her. There are only three of her kind left in the world and watching an animal go extinct in front of our eyes is tragic, but it happens every day. This was an especially big blow since Francesca, the pygmy hippo at the Zoo just last week lost her baby at a week old. Anyway, that stuff just really gets to me. I'm looking forward to this week and spending time with family and relaxing before December comes on like a full assault. Hope you all have a great holiday. Monday through Thursday archives are after the jump.



Saturday, November 21, 2015

Preview: New Found Glory and Yellowcard at House of Blues Sunday Night


image courtesy of Razor + Tie Records


New Found Glory and Yellowcard bring their fall tour to a close tomorrow night at the House of Blues.  New Found Glory is touring to promote the release of "Resurrection: Ascension", reissued this October.  Coheadlining with them on tour is Yellowcard, who releeased "Lift a Sail" on their new label Razor + Tie Records in 2014.  Despite being mainstays of the emo/pop-punk scene of the 00s, both bands had never toured together until now.  Check out New Found Glory's newest single featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore after the jump.  Tickets can be found here for the All Ages show, doors are at 6p and Tigers Jaw opens.

Friday, November 20, 2015

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, November 20-Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sorry these are coming so late, but I figured I would update because (1) Pyles always fails to give me his Mary Jane Underground shows, so I added that for tonight, and (2) the RAC & Big Data show was moved from The Observatory to the Music Box on Sunday. I normally try to keep it all chipper around here, but the reality is that I'm cranky as hell. Work is mostly awesome, but man, some people are so damn stupid it hurts. Hasn't email been around long enough that we should all know if you don't want to get anymore subscription emails that there is always an UNSUBSCRIBE button on the foot of the email instead of replying back and being a dick? And then Facebook is just exhausting. I miss days when all the shit was about Kanye and Kim because these Republican candidates, the gun-toting right, the xenophobes, the Anti-Muslim, Anti-Syrian, Anti-refugee rhetoric is just too much. And then the little beautiful pygmy hippo at the San Diego Zoo died. It's all too much. So I'm going to go out tonight and get lost in music. Friday through Sunday archives are after the jump. This is a shot of Friday's sunset from Sunset Cliffs.



Upcoming Casbah and Casbah Presents Shows (Updated 11.20.2015)

So here's the updated rundown of Casbah shows. There are so many shows this weekend I can't even start to decide where I'm going to be. This is a full update, including new shows with Polica, Rob Crow's Gloomy Place, Hot Chip DJ Set, Ziggy Shuffledust, Tim Heidecker, Crocodiles, Eleanor Friedberger and more. December shows and beyond are after the jump.

Fri Nov 20 - The Good Life, Big Harp, Jake Bellows with Morgan Nagler @ Casbah

Fri Nov 20 - Broncho, The Shelters, Pearl Charles @ The Hideout

Sat Nov 21 - Holly Golightly, The Loons, Dani Bell and the Tarantist, Madly @ Casbah

Sat Nov 21 - We Were Promised Jetpacks, Seoul @ The Irenic



Sat Nov 21 - Minus the Bear, Murder By Death, Aero Flynn @ The Observatory North Park

Sat Nov 21 - Author & Punisher, Muscle and Marrow, Skrapez @ The Hideout

Sat Nov 21 - Dreamers, Systems Officer, Scuffs @ House of Blues Voodoo Room

Sun Nov 22 - Allison Weiss, Mal Blum, Winter, Kid in The Attic @ Casbah

Sun Nov 22 - Lucero @ Belly Up

Sun Nov 22 - Sturgill Simpson, Billy Wayne Davis @ The Observatory North Park

Mon Nov 23 - DJ Artistic's Hip Hop Battle Bot @ Casbah

Tue Nov 24 - Yuna, Francesca Blanchard @ Casbah

Yuna appears at the Casbah on November 24


Wed Nov 25 - Cash'd Out, Nancarrow @ Casbah

Upcoming Shows at Observatory North Park (Updated 11.20.2015)

So last week we got a little caught up with San Diego Music Thing, but there are a plethora of shows coming up at the Observatory. I think the only addition since my last update is the Decibal Mag show in March, but I thought I'd note that it is exciting to see artists returning after playing the venue last year or earlier this year-- RAC, St. Lucia, Jackie Greene, Tribal Seeds, Lake Street Dive, Bone Thugs n Harmony, and of course, in just a couple weeks, John Waters. Decemeber shows and beyond are after the jump.

11/20 Skinny Puppy, Youth Code, 8pm, All Ages



11/21 Minus The Bear: Menos El Oso Tour with Murder By Death, Aero Flynn, 7pm, 18+



11/22 Sturgill Simpson, Billy Wayne Davis 6pm, All Ages


11/22 RAC, Big Data, Karl Kling, FLOUS 10:30pm, 18+ MOVED TO MUSIC BOX. Doors at 7pm, Show at 8pm.

11/24 Jackie Greene, 7pm, 18+



11/25 Dom Kennedy, 6pm, All Ages



Thursday, November 19, 2015

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, November 19-Sunday, Novemeber 22, 2015

Nova's school has minimum days this week for teacher conferences, so while I was still a little under the weather on Monday, I've been fine the rest of this week (with allergy pills close at hand). On Tuesday, our day was wide open, so we went to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park because I heard there were six new rhinos. Though we didn't see them (they might be quarantined or I heard wrong?), we had some really special encounters. On the tram at the end of the day, we got to see the one month old rhino chasing Momma, and there was a baby giraffe that was born that morning, she even had her umbilical cord still attached! Then we had the cheetahs and lions super curious about us and giving us more action I've ever had with either enclosure. That night I went to see Boy & Bear and Oh, Spirit! at Soda Bar, and while they sounded great, there was this beast of a woman seriously lacking in her situational and spacial awareness, so I sat at the bar for most of the show. There are some great shows this weekend, so live it up before the lull in touring kicks in. Thursday archives are after the jump.



Things We Did In San Diego: San Diego Music Thing 2015

I take a lot of photos. I used to post them here all the time but it takes an awful lot of time that I don't really have to organize and cull and by the time I get around to it, days or weeks or months have passed. This year alone, I have taken in excess of 88 gigs of photos and videos. The fun for me is more in the shooting and less the sharing, though I do manage to get more of them on Facebook than here, but I thought I'd at least post a spattering of my San Diego Music Thing photos from last weekend. Obviously some lighting is better than others and bear with me, as this was my first time really shooting shows with my Canon, though a couple were with the Samsung (Greg Graffin, Bakkuda, and Album Leaf). See them after the jump.




National Geographic Traveler Names San Diego/Tijuana in Top 20 "Go Now" Top Trips of 2016

It's November 19, just a week shy of Thanksgiving, and it is 78 degrees outside in Normal Heights. No doubt San Diego is an amazing place to live. It recently occurred to me that November 5 marked 9 years of San Diego: Dialed In, and my output has certainly changed and morphed over time (though not my ability to craft run-on sentences). Despite our worthless mayor and our city's financial future being threatened by this thrust to make the Spanos family and the NFL rich off of our city that is literally falling apart and currently declared a state of emergency, I still love this beautiful city and the life this little blogging pursuit has afforded me (including a new job I'm super excited to share in the coming months). So I haven't done a local news roundup in ages, but my buddy Derrick Chinn of Turista Libre posted this link on Facebook and it seemed worthy of reposting while I have some screen time. In a shocking twist, this article, about the San Diego & Tijuana Region as a travel destination, didn't even mention craft beer. What it did mention was our coastline, Quatro Milpas, our culinary scene, The Lafayette hotel, the zoo, and of course, Turista Libre.

BEST TRIPS 2016 - NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER: SAN DIEGO/TIJUANA

Baja Artesenal Craft Beer Bar in Tijuana, 1/1/2015

View of Revolucion from patio at Hotel Ceasar, 1.1.2015

Patio of Mamut Brewery in Tijuana 1.1.2015




Monday, November 16, 2015

Things to Do In San Diego: Monday, November 16-Wednesday, November 18, 2015

It is incredibly difficult to be celebratory about the weekend when such horrible tragedies transpired across the globe and it is hard to not relate and feel especially affected by Paris when you imagine the horror at the Bataclan, a theatre about the size of the Observatory, and the death of the merch manager, Nick Alexander, who died doing a job I do dozens of times a year. It is easy to feel sheltered from such a terrorist attack, but the reality is 30,000 people are year are killed by guns in the US, so we should be worried every single day that another lunatic will snap. There are a million people more eloquent than I and there's also a lot of scum to filter through in the wake of such a tragedy, so all I really feel we can do is live on, be the best people we can be, and be the love and peace we want to see in this world. In spite of the weekend tragedies, both manmade and natural (Paris, Beirut, Brazil, Mexico), life did go on here, as San Diego Music Thing brought epic performances to our corner of the world. I was able to catch Greg Graffin's keynote on Friday, and performances by Matt Vasquez, Beach Slang, Ilya, and the Album Leaf. On Saturday I caught L7 and Joy Formidable, Subsurfer, Here We Go Magic and In The Valley Below. Sunday was a work and sleep day as I tried to recover from a busy week and also fighting off aches and pains that feel like I'm coming down with something. Monday through Wednesday archives are after the jump.

 

Friday, November 13, 2015

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, November 13-Sunday, November 15, 2015

I must sound like the most vocabulary strained writer on the planet because every time I update, I'm just overwhelmed with how much stuff has passed since my previous post, even if only a day or two has passed, and really resort to words like "Wow!" or "Awesome" or whatever. At the same time, I feel like I am living so fully that it is absolutely okay to be wowed (and it certainly beats the alternative). This week I had some fun family time, went to see Quilt and Widowspeak at the Hideout, went to Knott's Berry Farm on Veteran's Day, went to the Heritage of the Americas Museum for Nova's class fieldtrip, saw Martin Atkins keynote speech at the Lafayette, caught Blitzen Trapper and Yo La Tengo at the Observatory, saw AA Bondy at the Hideout, and balanced a whole bunch of work and fun in between all of it. This weekend is going to be busy, which is why I frontloaded a couple blog updates. I will be at SDMT on Friday, hopefully hit the tamale festival on Saturday, then the SDMT Music Fest, then Sunday is my big work day, and then who knows. I just know I won't be looking at my laptop much the next few days, so hit me up on Facebook if you really need me. Friday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

AA Bondy at the Hideout for San Diego Music Thing

Upcoming Casbah and Casbah Presents Shows (Updated 11.13.2015)

If I was a little bit better as a blogger or whatever, I'd tell you all of the new shows added to this list since last time, but honestly, I'm not Type A enough to keep track of that. I know there are some new Belly Up and Observatory shows on this list, some local nights, too, but as far as major news, you'll have to find the links below for Chuck Ragan, Vanessa Carlton, The Silent Comedy and others. Archived list is after the jump.

Upcoming Shows At The Observatory North Park (Update 11.13.2015)

So, first point of information is that the Mayhem/Watain show tonight has been moved to Brick By Brick. Also, this week we added shows with Lettuce, Beats Antique, Lake Street Dive, and St. Lucia at the Observatory. It seems crazy to me to be talking about February and March 2016, but obviously time flies and those shows will be here before you know it. Ticket links provided below.

11/13 Tokimonsta, 7pm, 18+
11/13 Mayhem, Watain, Rotting Christ, 7pm, 21+ (moved to Brick By Brick)



11/14 Lagwagon, Runaway Kids, Brian Wahlstrom, Bobgoblin, 7pm, All Ages



11/15 X Ambassadors- The VHS Tour, Skylar Grey, Kevin Garrett, 6pm, All Ages



11/16 Atmosphere, 7pm, All Ages (SOLD OUT)

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

mewithoutYou returns to San Diego at the Observatory North Park

The Menzingers (courtesy of the Agency Group)


mewithoutYou (courtesy of the Agency Group)

Eschewing their recent habit of touring the west coast once a year, mewithoutYou returns to San Diego to a much larger venue and opening for acclaimed punk act, the Menzingers.  Still touring on the momentum of their 2014 Absolute Punk album of the Year “Rented World”, the Menzingers boisterous and simple brand of punk comes across immediately when listening to highlights like “I Don’t Want to be an Asshole Anymore”.  mewithoutYou has been on a transformative journey from their screaming genesis all the way to freak-folk and back again.  Their recent album, Pale Horse, has been a contemplative take on their posthardcore roots.  So if #SDBW madness has you in the mood for music you can shout along to, head over to the Observatory North Park right now.  Tickets are $17 at the door for this All Ages show.  



San Diego Music Thing Music Fest - Get 2-for-1 Tickets Now!

This weekend is the San Diego Music Thing. If you're already a badgeholder for the conference or if you already purchased a single day pass for Saturday, you've already got access to the Music Fest on Saturday night in the parking lot behind The Observatory North Park. However, if you haven't, it's time to start planning your weekend and this should definitely be on your radar. Plus, tickets are 2 for 1 if you buy them now through Thursday night.

San Diego Music Thing Music Fest:
The Joy Formidable
L7
Milo Greene
Chicano Batman
The Moth & The Flame
Madly
Neighbors to the North 
The Palace Ballroom

Saturday, November 14
2pm-10pm
21+
$25


Monday, November 09, 2015

San Diego: Dialed In - 9 Year Anniversary!

I'm trying to take a few nights at home since I expect to be running around all weekend for San Diego Music Thing, and the house is quiet and I was farting around on the internet and it occurred to me that I completely blew off the anniversary of this website. I first started writing online back in 2003, but it was November 6, 2006 when I made the jump to this site with more of a focus on music. I can't even begin to think about what a crazy 9 years it has been, not without some serious lows, but how fortunate I've been to do and see and be a part of so many amazing things, through today, where I get to do what I love on my terms, with my own little family.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, November 9-Thursday, November 12, 2015

I don't know about you, but I had an incredible weekend. On Thursday night, Of Montreal played an amazing show at the Irenic and then I caught singer-songwriter David Ramirez at Soda Bar. It was the first Friday in ages that I didn't have to be anywhere specific and Nova was with us, so we had dinner at Phil's BBQ and then walked around Old Town and then did an evening tour at the Whaley House, which would've been fine if the docent didn't taunt Nova with, "How will you sleep tonight?". At her bedtime, I went to Leon Bridges which was a pretty incredible performance, but then came back home after because North Park on Friday night feels like the Gaslamp. On Saturday we went to the Mesa Rim Rock Climbing Gym grand opening which was awesome. It was busy so we never got harnesses, but Nova and Johanna got a kids one to share and Jo climbed all the way to the top of the 55' wall. Nova went off with my sister for an overnight so that Darren and I could go to the San Diego Brewer's Guild Beer Festival at the Port Pavilion. We got a nice afternoon nap in after that, and then I went to Soda Bar for Gill Landry and Stelth Ulvan and then Sunday was just kind of a catch-up-on-work day as Nova spent time with her mom and then we went to the Irenic for Jordan Krimston's surprise 18th birthday party. This week there are a ton of shows, including the San Diego Music Thing which is definitely something I'm looking forward to. Monday through Thursday archives are after the jump.



Friday, November 06, 2015

Thursday, November 05, 2015

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, November 5-Sunday, November 8, 2015

It has been a beautiful week in San Diego and I'm looking forward to exploring the Old Mission Dam today in hopes that the rain made the water rise a bit. It's also been busy with work, as I worked Antemasque on Tuesday, Botanica Chango on Wednesday, and will be at the sold out of Montreal tonight. Then this weekend there are obviously tons of choices, so I'm not locking into any specific plans just yet, but probably looking at going to Leon Bridges and Gill Landry. Lots of good stuff coming up, and don't forget to grab your San Diego Music Thing badges, too, because next weekend is going to be crazy. I haven't had my camera out much this week, but we were around Mission Gorge yesterday and the clouds were amazing. Thursday through Sunday archives are after the jump.



Tuesday, November 03, 2015

91X Wrex The Halls Lineup Announced: December 13 at Valley View Casino Center

Bud Light presents 91X Wrex The Halls 2015 
at Valley View Casino Center 
on Sunday, December 13.

Jane's Addiction
Foals
Run The Jewels
Pvris
The Wombats
Will and The People

Pre-sale Start Info: Tuesday, November 3rd at 10am (that's TODAY!)
Pre-sale Ends: Thursday, November 5th at 10pm
Public On-sale: Friday, November 6th at 10am


Upcoming Casbah & Casbah Presents Shows (Updated 11/3)

Okay, so it has been a couple weeks since this running list of Casbah shows has been updated and we now have shows booked into March 2016! I'm particularly excited about the announcement of Martin Courtney of Real Estate coming in January, but there are a ton of shows between now and then to be excited about. Shows from next week and beyond are after the jump.

Tue Nov 03 - The Rocket Summer, Paradise Fears, Plane Without A Pilot @ Casbah

Tue Nov 03 - Antemasque, Eureka The Butcher @ The Observatory North Park



Wed Nov 04 - Spencer Moody, The Fink Bombs, Foreign Bodies @ Casbah

Wed Nov 04 - Botanica Chango, Gary Wilson and the Blind Dates, Bit Maps @ The Irenic

Wed Nov 04 - Dilly Dally @ The Hideout

Thu Nov 05 - Quel Bordel, Sculpins, Lexington Field, Wicked Monk @ Casbah (FREE)

Thu Nov 05 - of Montreal, Diane Coffee @ The Irenic

Of Montreal return to The Irenic on Thursday, November 5

Thu Nov 05 - David Ramirez, Liza Anne @ Soda Bar

Fri Nov 06 - Pimps of Joytime, Con Brio @ Casbah

Fri Nov 06 - Leon Bridges @ The Observatory North Park (SOLD OUT)

Sat Nov 07 - Fall Brewing One Year Anniversary feat Mr. Tube & The Flying Objects, Widows, Victory Mansion @ Casbah (FREE!!)



Sun Nov 08 - Radio Eterno, Marujah, Viri y Los Bandidos @ Casbah ($6 at the door)

Monday, November 02, 2015

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, November 2-Wednesday, November 4, 2015.

I've not really ever been a big fan of Halloween, but it was a really great weekend. We spent Saturday afternoon at the Dia De Los Muertos festival in Sherman Heights, then took Nova trick or treating with her schoolmates, and then I was dropped off at the Casbah for No Knife where I had just a little too much fun of my own. Sunday was the first day of November, but you wouldn't know it if you went to the beach. The parking lot was jam packed and the beach was full of people and the water is still very (relatively) warm. There are some great shows tis week, though a very noticeable reduction from the insanity of October. It's the beginning of the month, so The Balboa, Gallagher's, and Whistle Stop hadn't updated their sites as of this post. Monday through Wednesday archives are after the jump.