Saturday, December 31, 2016

My Favorite Shows of 2016 in Photos

I can't really muster a reflective post on the year. I feel like if you thought 2016 was bad, just hold on for 2017. I can't even. What I can do is remind you that we are an amazing city for music. I have the privilege of seeing hundreds of bands every year (though admittedly, I probably went to about half as many shows this year than last), and because of my various jobs, this year I was a lot better at having my camera in tow. I thought I'd share some of my favorite shows of this year, with honorable mention to Kero Kero Bonito, where some mixup left me without a photo pass, and Rocky Votolato, whom I've shot more times than I can count and left my camera at home so I could just enjoy the 10 year anniversary of Makers. The following are in no particular order. 

Blind Pilot at the Belly Up, 10.28.16

Car Seat Headrest at Casbah 1.18.2016 (and again in Nov at the Irenic) 
Frightened Rabbit at Belly Up, 5.21.16


Glen Hansard at The Observatory, 9.28.16

Joshua James at Moniker Warehouse, 8.17.16

Lucius at Belly Up, 11.19.16

Lucy Dacus at Casbah, 8.12.16

Silversun Pickups at The Observatory, 4.19.16

Bad Religion at Ye Scallywag at Waterfront Park, 10.22.16

Hey Marseilles at Soda Bar, 3.26.16

Friday, December 30, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego (NYE Edition): Friday, December 30, 2016-Sunday, January 1, 2017

Back when we became full time parents earlier this spring, I dreaded the idea of Nova having to leave three times a year, but with this being her third visit of the year, we now know to take advantage of the time. We've been organizing our studio, purging old clothes and things, going out to restaurants the kid would snub her nose at, going out, and of course, catching up on sleep. While we miss her terribly, I can't say it isn't also awesome to sort of wrap up the year ready for a fresh 2017. This week we checked out False Idol, went to Blonde on the Kings of Leon tribute night, saw Henry Rollins, saw the Melvins, have been having evening walks, and we've been communing with the opossums my cat used to look after when they were babies, with three separate visits this week alone. Of course, it's NYE weekend so there are a gazillion things to do tonight and tomorrow, so I thought I'd repost the listings to make it easier to navigate. Saturday and Sunday archives are after the jump. If you don't hear from me tomorrow, Happy New Year to all. May we stand in solidarity against the impending havoc and doom about to be unleashed upon our country. 

A blurry shot of Grayson through the filter of our Christmas lights
(and no flash so as not to freeze him). 

ROI and the Music Industry: A Guest Post by Josh Damigo

Josh Damigo is playing at Lestat's TONIGHT (Friday, December 30) at 9pm for his 10th annual Birfday show. We had a conversation the other day that lead to me inviting him to post. Sorry to get this up so late, but you still have time to make plans for Lestat's. (Happy birthday, Josh!! I love you, Bestie!!)




Whattap? It’s Josh Damigo. I took over SDDIALEDIN to teach you all a quick lesson on Return of Investment and it’s role in the life of a musician. It’ll be quick, and it’ll help with your business skills. Ready…. READ!!!

Let’s start with the basics. I’ve been a singer/songwriter in Southern California since 2006. I have a bachelor’s degree in Communications from San Diego Christian College and my Master’s Degree in Organizational Management from Ashford University. I’m a member of SESAC for my PRO (Performing Rights Organization) and have opened for Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson, Zac Brown, Eric Hutchinson, Andy Grammar, name drop, name drop, name drop… When you put all of that together, it means that I’ve studied the music industry pretty extensively over the last ten years. I’ve had my ups and downs, like the $28,000 royalty check from live shows to losing all of my money and then some on a 30 city - US tour. (It’s give and take in a musician’s life, so buckle up!)

I’m playing at Lestat’s West tonight for my 10th annual “Birfday” Show. Unfortunately, this will be my last show, at the venue, because they are increasing the cut that the venue will take, starting on January 1st from $3 a head (when I started) to $5 a head. (That’s going to cut into my profits by 40%!) And as you know, profits for a musician are already pretty minimal. That got me to thinking – When is a gig TRULY worth it? Let’s talk about what an ROI is and what it means to your music business life. (Read the rest after the jump)

Monday, December 26, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, December 26, 2016-Thursday, December 29, 2016

Today Nova leaves to visit her mom for 11 days and while I know it will fly by, it doesn't get any easier when she leaves. I only hope with each trip she is embraced for who she is and doesn't feel like she has to pretend she's someone she's not, but I know she struggles with other people's expectations. The past week was pretty great...Darren's mom and nephews visited and despite the rainy weather, we were able to pull off a trip to Safari Park, to the Zoo, to Cabrillo Monument, and plenty of hang time around the house. After they left, Nova got in one final slumber party with my nieces and Darren and I enjoyed Friday at the Casbah for Pony Death Ride and El Vez. On Saturday we saw a picture of Laguna and though we didn't get on the road until after 2, we had enough time to pack up the van, drive to the Sunrise Highway, get our chains on, and had about 40 minutes of intense and cold snow time. Of course Christmas was spent at my mom and dad's and there was plenty of food, gifts and napping all around. This week Darren and I have some household projects we'll reluctantly dive into and hopefully you'll see us out and about on our first childless week since summer. Monday through Thursday archives are after the jump, including a massive list of NYE events. If you plan on going anywhere, get your tickets ASAP because just about everything is selling out.


Monday, December 19, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, December 19-Sunday, December 25, 2016


Last week we tried to keep it mellow. Darren was pretty sick, so we mostly laid low, which means I didn't do much in the way of shows or photos. I worked the X shows on Thursday and Sunday, I worked at the Irenic on Friday, and we went to Magic Mountain on Saturday. It's possible I'm regretting making those passes my Cyber Monday purchase because I am too old for those terrifying and nausea inducing mechanical terrors. It was still fun and seeing Nova's eyes was, in the end, worth it. Darren doesn't really know it, or maybe he does, that I just like an excuse for a road trip. We have the best talks on the road. I'm gonna be as offline as I can be this week because D's mom will be here, then the holidays, then our little Nova leaves to St. Louis for her maternal visit. No idea how we're gonna get through that again. But happy holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and all that biz. Hold the ones you love.
Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.


Monday, December 12, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, December 12-Sunday, December 18, 2016

I don't know about you, but I am really struggling. Life is good with my family, we're all good on the homefront, and work is just fine, too. But I thought after the election I would start to get used to the idea of a Trump presidency. But I'm not. And every outburst, every cabinet selection, every word out of his mouth, all of it, and it's like a depression I just can't shake, an anger I can't contain, and a heartbreak I can't resolve. I'm still living life...this weekend I worked at the Album Leaf show, caught the Spits at Whistle Stop, hung out at the Ken Club, went on an evening hike at Mission Trails, hung out with some old friends at the Casbah, got lots of work done. But man, it's hard. Watching the news and having a 9-year-old ask questions, it's so daunting. I look for glimmers of hope. It's not easy.
There are some great nights of music this week, the Zoo's Jungle Bells kicked off, and maybe the holidays will bring some warmth to such depressing times. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.



Friday, December 09, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, December 9-Sunday, December 11, 2016

It's been a pretty good week around here but I'm not gonna lie, I am definitely looking forward to the weekend. On Monday, Darren and I took Nova to see one of her favorites, Miike Snow at the Observatory which was a pretty great show because it was more band than synthy dance as I'd expected. On Tuesday we went to The NAT for Free Tuesday in hopes of catching the Animals in Motion exhibit, but didn't realize it was $18 on top of entry ($28 on a regular day!!). We love science but couldn't justify dropping $50 for it. So we explored the regular parts of the museum before going to the Zoo for a couple hours. After Nova's dance class on Wednesday my whole family met up and my parents house to celebrate December birthdays of my uncle and two nephews. Afterward I went to the Casbah to catch CRX who were awesome, albeit a pretty short set. On Thursday Nova had a school field trip at The Living Coast Discovery Center in Chula Vista. Darren and I both chaperoned as the kids walked the trails, pet the rays, and planted native species in a restoration area. We were able to check Nova out and lingered for some extra time so we could see all the raptors and turtles at feeding time. Incidentally, if you're ever interested in going, you can check out a family pass from various libraries (Chula Vista Library has a few, for example) which gives complimentary admission for two adults and two children. After that, we picked up our Christmas Winter Solstice Tree. This weekend is going to be a good one...I'll be working at the Album Leaf show tonight at the Irenic, and we're considering a trip to Magic Mountain sometime this weekend or next unless I can get my grubby hands on Saturday X-Fest tickets. Speaking of, Kaleo cancelled on Sunday and have been replaced with AFI, who also announced two upcoming shows at the Observatory. Have a great weekend! Friday through Sunday archives are after the jump.



Monday, December 05, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, December 5-Thursday, December 8, 2016

It was pretty much an all soccer weekend for us and though Nova's team was basically crushed in their tournament, I think she was really lucky to have a great team experience, an awesome coach who clearly loves the game, and two weeks of intense soccer skills training that really challenged her and made her really enjoy the game. Mostly I think she was excited she got to play with my niece after all. My uncle is in town, so we went to the dinner on Saturday night, and the kids all had a big sleepover, so Darren and I went to the Ken Club where there was a show with Amenity and Forced Down with Tony Savala filling in on vox for Amenity. I'm looking forward to some fun times this week and some great shows. Monday through Thursday archives are after the jump.



Saturday, December 03, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Saturday, December 3-Sunday, December 4, 2016

An old friend posted a link to my site and it kinda nudged me to update. I thought when I, uh, uncluttered my life of extraneous jobs I'd suddenly have a whole world of time open up, but the reality is that I'm still just as busy, just not so tethered to my Note quite as much. With Nova having daily soccer practices for All-Stars and the Thanksgiving holiday, and dealing with some bullshit family business to help my mom and dad, I've been pretty much a homebody at night. We did go to the Safari Park on Monday in the drizzle which was awesome, and I made it out to the Office on Wednesday for Metallica Under Cover and that was pretty rad despite me never being a fan of that band. Nova's tournament is under way this weekend and if they win 4 games, they'll be in another tournament next week. Yikes. We'll just see how it goes. I've got family in town this weekend so get out and enjoy all the shows, events, and beer fests that I'm gonna miss, okay? By the way, Bar Pink wanted me to let all of you know that Head Wound City is playing there on December 15, and tickets go on sale today at 10am here and you should buy tickets because it's a benefit for The San Diego LGBT Community Center and after this bullshit election, we need to give our money to worthy causes when we can afford to. Saturday and Sunday archives are after the jump. 



Monday, November 28, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, November 28-Friday, December 2, 2016

It was a pretty great week having Nova off school, runnig her to and from soccer practice, and spending time with family. I also had a couple fun nights out, like Tuesday I worked for Warpaint, then caught Red Fang at the Casbah or Friday night when Darren, my sister, my cousin and I went to Blonde for their Oasis and New Order tributes. I also worked for The Mother Hips on Saturday and spent most of the weekend lazing around the house in pajamas. I'll come back with updates once Bar Pink, Black Cat Bar, El Dorado, Ken Club, The Merrow, Sycamore Den, and Whistle Stop post their December calendars. I didn't really have the energy to chase them down. Monday through Friday archives are after the jump.  




Monday, November 21, 2016

Hot Off The Presses: San Diego Music Awards To Return 3/21/2017

Leave it to Kevin to send a press release at 11pm on a Tuesday night...

REFORMED SAN DIEGO MUSIC AWARDS
SET TO RETURN ON MARCH 21, 2017

SDS Events is proud to announce the return of the San Diego Music Awards, the annual awards gala that recognizes the diverse achievements of the talented San Diego music community. The 26th version of San Diego's premier local music event is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 21, 2017. As in the past, a portion of the proceeds from the event will continue to benefit the San Diego Music Foundation, in partnership with the Taylor Guitars for Schools program.

The event has been reorganized. "After 25 years, it was time for change. I was asked to step in to once again produce the event," said awards show founder Kevin Hellman, who had retired after the 2015 event. "I'm pretty excited to once again have the opportunity to continue what we started 25 years ago. It's already been alot of fun putting the team back together. We are planning to once again produce a great event, one which will make a difference in our community."

The 2017 San Diego Music Awards will be held at House of Blues, located at 1055 Fifth Ave, in downtown San Diego - a new location for the event. The new venue will allow for both VIP seating, reserved seating and also general admission tickets. In additional to the new venue, a major change for 2017 will be a brand new award trophy. Hellman adds, "With the new venue, it's a new era for the event. It just seems to be the right time to create and present a brand new San Diego Music Award."

Over the past 25 years, awards have been presented to San Diego artists including Jason Mraz, Jewel, P.O.D., blink-182, Slightly Stoopid, Switchfoot, Pierce the Veil and countless others. And while the event has and will always focus on homegrown music, the main goal of the event is to keep music education alive in public schools in San Diego County. As such, proceeds from the San Diego Music Awards will once again be used to purchase and place "Baby Taylor" guitars into elementary, middle and high schools in San Diego County, via the non-profit San Diego Music Foundation, in partnership with El Cajon's Taylor Guitars. To date, over 75 schools have participated in the Taylor Guitars for Schools program.

Additional event details will be announced on Sunday, January 15, 2017, including performers, nominees, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, plus several affiliated events. Event tickets will go on sale on Monday, January 16, 2017 at 3pm, via the official event website, sandiegomusicawards.com.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, November 21-Sunday, November 27, 2016

 You know, if you're gonna lose two jobs at the same time, it might as well be right before Thanksgiving. Nova had a week of minimum days last week and is off school the whole week, so perhaps the freed up time means we can do more fun stuff. Last week, for example, we went up to the Safari Park and got to see the new baby gorilla. As it is, she was selected for her soccer league's all-star team so she'll have 8 more practices between now and the actual rec league tournament a week from Saturday. Besides the Safari Park, last week was pretty busy. I worked at the Irenic for the Copeland show, went to emo night at The Office, caught Smokey Brights at Soda Bar, on top of taxiing Nova to her soccer, dance, figure skating, and derby. On Saturday Darren and I got to see one of our favorites, Lucius, at the Belly Up, and it was a magnificent show, even though Jess was apparently sick. This week is pretty chill, but Wednesday should be pretty raging all over town before we all hunker down for Thanksgiving. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.



Monday, November 14, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, November 14-Sunday, November 20, 2016

What a rollercoaster week, amiright? I am still processing the election and as a result have been backing off social media just a little bit because I can't take any more bad news. That being said, while we can no longer control the national outcome of the election we can still fight for this City and today at 2pm, the City Council is voting to authorize $80m in bonds to build #FaulconersFolly- a bypass bridge off the Cabrillo Bridge and a completely unnecessary parking structure. I'm going to do my best to be there and cede time to SOHO (Save Our Heritage Organization) and if you can, you should be there, too. I'll leave that there. As for the weekend, it was pretty great, with San Diego Music Thing, I spoke at the Social Media panel on Friday, and worked at the Irenic for both Touche Amore and Car Seat Headrest. I also got to catch Sweet Spirit, Har Mar Superstar, and Open Mike Eagle. We also had Nova's soccer game where she scored a goal from midfield (her first goal of the season because she's usually a defender or goalie), and on Sunday night we hiked the West Fortuna/Camp Elliott side of Mission Trails to see the beaver supermoon. So it was a good weekend, life as we know it goes on for now, and I'll take some time to talk about last week when I'm ready. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump. 



Friday, November 11, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, November 11-Sunday, November 13, 2016

I'm not quite ready to talk about this week, but I'm at San Diego Music Thing right now and realized my listings are a little hard to get to this week, so I thought I'd update and repost here. I'm on a social media panel on Friday at 3:15 if you want to come down to Chuckalek Biergarten. I'll talk about all the nightmarish things that happened this week another time. Friday through Sunday archives are after the jump.



San Diego Music Thing Weekend Is Here!

San Diego Music Thing is under way with the first panel kicking off as I type this. I decided to post the whole schedule here for you for easy reference all weekend. As far as I know, individual tickets are still available at the door for all showcases, but if you want a full event wristband, you have to come to Chuckalek Biergarten to purchase. Event schedule after the jump.




Monday, November 07, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, November 7-Thursday, November 10, 2016

I want to deeply and sincerely thank everyone for your responses to my post last week. I didn't really expect it to reach so far, and it really means a lot that so many people read it, liked it, and reached out to me about it. Things are going just fine over here, SoundDiego and The Casbah are still keeping me busy and I'm working with the San Diego Music Thing right now, too. San Diego: Dialed In quietly turned 10 years old (!!) over the weekend, which is kinda crazy but I certainly appreciate the support after all of these years. Last week I worked at Boy & Bear and Max Frost, and checked out the Gram Rabbit show as well as the Fall Brewing Anniversary Party at the Casbah. We also spent some time at Nova's soccer and skating, hanging out with my sis and nieces at Mission Bay, visiting my parents, and crashing a girl scout campfire sing-along. This week is obviously the election, we're in the midst of San Diego Beer Week, and San Diego Music Thing is on Friday and Saturday. This week you can find me at the Irenic on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and I'll be at the Peter Hook show this week. I'm also speaking on the social media panel at SDMT, so come by and say hi. Monday through Thursday archives are after the jump.  



Tuesday, November 01, 2016

Rosey's Diary: Ch-ch-changes

Photo by Tim Fears
I seriously hate when people post vague messages or cries for help on social media. "Send good thoughts" or whatever just irritates the shit out of me without an explanation. In that spirit, I thought I would share, long story short, that I am no longer with DoSD nor at the Observatory.

For the short story long version, I'll start with DoSD. Ultimately, DoSD is continually growing and Marjy has set up an office in North Park with a handful of interns each school semester. When I was hired, it was with the intent to work 15-20 hours a week. After nearly a year, however, they need someone full time who can share in the management of the office, and with my schedule with Nova and my family and other work, it just wasn't feasible to move forward. It was agreed I'd finish out the month of October so now that's passed. I totally support what they're doing with DoSD and there's no bad blood at all, and I think Marjy is going to make it a powerful site and app for San Diego.

Meanwhile, I was recovering from the big Halloween Bash at the Lafayette last night but had to go meet with my Observatory manager at some point today. Since Nova's piano lesson is in South Park, I dropped her off, went in for the meeting where I was informed I was being let go, that there had been discussions and meetings in Orange County, that they're looking to "be more efficient" and that they need to make cuts and that my functions would be absorbed by other staff. I always suspected this day would come-- from the day I heard the owner of Affliction had bought the venue in the first place-- so it didn't come as a total surprise. When we were officially notified of the change nobody really seemed to know what my role would be, so I had to make it up as I went along, and while I found my niche, I was always pivoting, my roles never firmly defined. It would be really stupid for me to say anything further on this matter, especially because I still work for the Casbah which will continue to promote shows at the venue, so instead, I'm gonna make a listicle on looking on the bright side of this situation.

1. I can actually watch TV and movies without a laptop in front of me.
2. I have already deleted my account on Trello, the worst project management site on the planet.
3. My Friday mornings will no longer be spent formatting newsletters.
4. My daily email will be cut by approximately 60%.
5. No more mandatory Tuesday meetings.
6. I will continue to have access to shows and photo passes as a music blogger.
7. No more agents asking for "back end marketing plans" that I can't actually implement.
8. I won't spend the majority of my time chasing down and tracking other people's deadlines.
9. More time with and for my family.
10. Having the time to create listicles on meaningless blog posts.

Obviously the loss of income from both jobs is going to sting a bit and I sure am gonna miss that West Coast Tavern discount, but all in all, I'm going to be just fine.

Monday, October 31, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, October 31-Sunday, November 6, 2016

Last week was a pretty good week. I saw Reeve Carney & Josh Damigo on Tuesday, worked at the Preoccupations show on Wednesday, and worked at Damien Jurado on Thursday. Darren and I went to FIDLAR and SWMRS, then caught Dead Feather Moon on Friday, and Saturday I went to see Blind Pilot at the Belly Up. Sunday was a chill day cruising CicloSDias (and shoving tacos in my face) and catching up with work. It's Halloween, but it's also the end of the month, so I don't have listings from Bar Pink, Black Cat Bar, El Dorado, Sycamore Den, and Whistle Stop. I'll try to get them updated when I can. I'll be working at the Lafayette on Monday night so I'll see ya there if you're coming for the big show. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.


Monday, October 24, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, October 24-Sunday, October 30, 2016

I really intended to get some massive posts up last week, but Nova was still on break, I took on another job, and managing life is just out of control these days. I also found out an old friend and coworker died from the big C...we hadn't been in touch much over the years but I have very fond memories of her from my advertising days, and she's only a couple years older than me and though apparently she'd been battling for a couple years, it came as a bit of a shock to me. As for my family, we had a great time seeing Young the Giant and Ra Ra Riot on Wednesday and then seeing Kero Kero Bonito on Friday, and then I declined Beach Goth tickets so I could see Bad Religion at Ye Scallywag. The other bands were definitely a flashback, too, but Bad Religion is one of the best bands of all time and I didn't want to miss it. This week is going to be pretty busy and I'm already looking forward to next weekend to see Blind Pilot and participate in CicloSDias. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump. 



Saturday, October 22, 2016

Ye Scallywag Map & Set Times





Ye Scallywag goes down today at the Waterfront park. If you have tickets, you should make sure you look over the prohibited items and such before you arrive at the venue. All the details can be found on the event page or on 91X's page. What you really want to pay attention to is that the beer and wine tasting only lasts until 3pm, so get there early if you really want a tasting experience.

Ye Scallywag @scallywag_sd

91X  @91X

Waterfront Park

Schedule:

11:00 AM - Festival Doors Open

11:50 AM - The Bombpops @thebombpops

12:25 PM - Wakrat @Wakrat

1:10 PM - Reel Big Fish @ReelBigFish

2:15 PM - Against Me! @againstme

3:20 PM - Goldfinger @goldfingermusic

4:30 PM - Bad Religion @badreligion

5:55 PM - NOFX @NOFXband

Monday, October 17, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, October 17-Sunday, October 23, 2016

This weekend was not long enough. Our trip to Hercules was great, but it was pretty taxing driving the 500 miles each way in the span of a couple days so I've been a little out of it and will probably be laying low as much as possible until I feel that spring in my step again. I did go out on Friday to catch my dear friend Matt Haeck at Grassroots Oasis, then I went to Casbah for Goblin Cock and Systems Officer, and finished the night at the Ken Club. Nothing else super exciting to report except maybe that we signed up for the Amazon Prime free trial and binge watched One Mississippi, which sadly is only six episodes at the moment, but I super recommend it. We've also started The Man In The High Castle so we'll be watching that when the kid is asleep.  There are some great shows this week, including The Faint, Young The Giant & Ra Ra Riot, and Kero Kero Bonito and Ye Scallywag this weekend. Tuesday through Sunday listings are after the jump.  



Monday, October 10, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, October 10-Sunday 16, 2016

It was a crazy busy week and weekend with work, coaching Nova's soccer, two birthday parties, two weddings, and trip planning before we head back up to Hercules this week. I caught some good shows over the week, like Pete Yorn and Springtime Carnivore, and actually stayed home on Friday night because I just had to catch up on work and be ready for the huge weekend of running around. Listings for the week are after the jump.



Monday, October 03, 2016

Wrex The Halls 2016 Tickets On Sale Now!



I'm not gonna lie, last week was crazy busy and I was a little checked out with my birthday and work and everything going on. So Wrex The Halls 2016 announced two dates this year, and tickets went on sale Friday. And I know if you know me and know this site you're not going to believe what I'm about to say, but Band of Horses ACL set on Friday night was pretty amazing and on point. Anyway, details and ticket links are below.

91X Presents
Wrex The Halls
December 10 - 11, 2016
Valley View Casino Center
Tickets now on sale to the public!


NIGHT 1 - December 10:
Beck
Band of Horses
Local Natives  
Glass Animals
Bishop Briggs

NIGHT 2 - December 11:
Blink-182
Pierce the Veil
Jimmy Eat World
Kaleo
TICKETS

**Thanks to the reader who caught my error...this is WREX THE HALLS, not X-Fest. Duh. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, October 3-Sunday, October 9, 2016

I had a really great birthday week and I'm kinda hoping this week will be a little more mellow. Nova's got soccer on Mondays, piano on Tuesdays, and figure skating on Wednesdays, so we're always a little hectic anyway, but Darren and I had a lovely birthday night out joined by Roger & Sara, Jesse, and Randall, on the balcony for the Glen Hansard show. He was amazing and played for a solid 2 1/2 hours. After the show, everyone dispersed, but I went to Bar Pink for a quick bevvie, then to catch Fruit Bats at the Hideout before calling it a night. On Thursday I sold merch for Erika Wennerstrom at the Casbah, and Friday night, we had a little family dinner at Volare and then Nova spent the night with my nieces so we could hit the Rocky Votolato show. It was the anniversary of Makers and naturally I was in my happy place the whole show. Saturday we had to get up early for the girls' soccer and it was amazing to watch these little things we practice with Nova totally click for her and she was rightfully proud of her game. We went to PBeachfest afterward for a few hours before chilling at home long enough to decompress before going to FM949's Loud@Soundcheck with Phantogram. It was awesome, but also made for a really long night. Fortunately it was our first weekend without a birthday party or any Sunday commitments so I was able to catch up on some sleep and some work and we got some downtime at home. I'm ready for this week, but not. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.



Monday, September 26, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, September 26-Sunday, October 2, 2016

The weekend is over and I only did about half the things I planned on doing but it was still pretty awesome. We stayed in on Friday to be ready for the long day that was Saturday. Nova had morning derby then a soccer game, then I worked the DoSD booth at Adams Avenue for a few hours before going to the final Bay Sessions with The Silent Comedy. Afterward, I caught Geezer at Bar Pink then hung out at the Ken Club. The heat really kicked in on Sunday so I pretty much vegged around in our A/C until we went to see Tegan and Sara at the Observatory. This week has a ton going on. Besides all the usual shows, and weekend Oktoberfests, I turn 40 on Wednesday, so I'll be celebrating at the Rocky Votolato show on Friday at the Casbah for anyone who wants to hang out. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.



Friday, September 23, 2016

Last Chance to RSVP For Bay Sessions with The Silent Comedy


Our little team at DoSD have had such an amazing time partnering with the Casbah and Loews Coronado Bay Resort with this summer's Bay Sessions. Admittedly, I missed the El Vez show last week, but was fortunate enough to be there for the Redwoods Revue and Creepxotica. Those were both relatively tame shows, however, and so I'm excited that we're closing out with a bang and The Silent Comedy. It's been ages since I've seen the band play and the setting is really just stunning. The whole thing is free including parking, and the bar offers affordable beer, wine and cocktails for your enjoyment. Don't miss it!

Casbah & DoSD Present 
Bay Sessions with The Silent Comedy
Saturday, September 24
7-10pm
21+

Seu Jorge: A Tribute to David Bowie @ Balboa Theatre - November 30, 2016


SEU JORGE
presents
THE LIFE AQUATIC
A Tribute To David Bowie
November 30, 2016
at
Balboa Theatre

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, September 23-Sunday, September 25, 2016

It has kinda been a crazy week. Between my workload, Nova's extracurriculars (soccer, piano, and rollerskating), and going to or working at shows (Animal Collective, Futuristic, Foy Vance), and even sneaking in a quick zoo visit yesterday, I'm hoping to lay low today before the craziness of the weekend begins. Nova has derby Saturday morning, then a soccer game, then I'm working at Adams Avenue for a few hours before Bay Sessions at Loews in Coronado. Yikes. That means once again I'm missing Tour De Fat, but what can ya do? It's gonna be a good one...hopefully temperatures stay mild so it doesn't harsh on all the fun. Friday through Sunday archives are after the jump.



Monday, September 19, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, September 19-Thurday, September 22, 2016

I have to say that coming back from a vacation, even a short weekend jaunt, was transitionally challenging. I had no desire to read emails or open my laptop, no desire to tweet or snapchat or facebook, but it's all part of the job so I sucked it up until I was back in the routine. I did enjoy going to see Ray LaMontagne, and on Thursday we had fun taking Nova to see Local Natives. Friday we grilled out and my sister dropped by with the girls which was pretty great. She took Nova for a slumber party so Darren and I could check out Adam Ruins Everything at Music Box and then catch SoundDiego Live at U-31. We also got to watch Nova in her first real soccer game (our girls got crushed), and I worked at the Irenic for This Wild Life. To close out the weekend, we spent the afternoon at Belmont Park for a birthday party, then spent the evening with Nova's maternal Great Uncle. So yeah, not exactly relaxing but what can ya do? I guess there was a lot of fun at KAABOO, but realistically, as long as they keep booking it on this particular weekend of September, I don't imagine I'll ever be able to pull the trigger.

There are a million amazing shows coming up, Adams Avenue Street Fair is this weekend, and the countdown to my 40th is in full force. Monday through Thursday archives are after the jump.


Friday, September 16, 2016

Halloween Night: Rocket From The Crypt @ The Lafayette Hotel presented by DoSD, Casbah, and 91X Loudspeaker


So, this is happening!!

Casbah, DoSD, and 91X Loudspeaker Present:

HALLOWEEN 2016
Monday, October 31
Rocket From The Crypt
The Creepy Creeps
Beehive and the Barracudas
Mrs Magician
DJ Vaughn Avakian & DJ Claire 
Tickets are $25
Purchase Here
On Sale Now!

Monday, September 12, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, September 12-Sunday, September 18, 2016

I cannot tell a lie. I actually did all of these listings when I did last week's listings knowing I'd have limited wi-fi while on vacation. People always ask why I don't do my calendar further out and the reason is I don't have the time to add shows as venues get around to posting them. It's the very reason why to me, posting these listings here and daily on SoundDiego don't contradict my work with DoSD, because if you want to see what's booked further out than a week, you can search there by any date to see what's on the books. To me, they all just work to make this town a little more vivid and bright. It's been an amazing weekend in Seattle and I can't wait to tell you all about it. In the meantime, Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.


Friday, September 09, 2016

Photos: Culture Club @ Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay, 8/24/2016

I'm up in Seattle at the moment, so I thought since I have a little hotel wi-fi I'd share some of my photos from Culture Club. They played at Humphrey's on August 24 and I never thought I'd get to see them in my lifetime, for one because in my adulthood I don't think they toured a whole lot, and when they did, it was always cost prohibitive. So when I was given tickets, I worked it to my advantage and shot away. It was as amazing as I'd hoped. I was maybe 7 when my sister and I walked into the new Target that had just opened in Chula Vista and saw Boy George's glamorous face on the vinyl and we split the $5.99 sale price. I still have the record, though it's definitely been tattered over the years. Flash forward to concert night, and it was amazing. More photos after the jump.



Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, September 9-Sunday, September 11, 2016

So here we are in Seattle, looking forward to a big wedding weekend. I'm both excited and terrified that the wedding party advised us that we will have no AT&T service on the island and no guarantees as to the quality of the wi-fi on premises. Excited because in all of my work responsibilities over the past decade, I've never been able to completely go off the grid, and terrified, well, for pretty much the same reason. And I don't exactly have the kind of jobs where I can just turn on an out of office message and tell people I'll get back to them on Tuesday. But we'll give it a shot. We're staying at the beautiful Grand Hyatt in downtown, and the room and amenities are exceptional, so a huge shout out to Idey for hooking up the friends rate. We're still looking around for a place to stay on Sunday, but I'm thinking we might want to be in more of a neighborhood than the area we're in for the last day. We're open to suggestions. Friday through Sunday archives are below this shot that Nova took from the plane. Have fun at Blondie, Indie Jam, or wherever else the weekend might find you.  



Tuesday, September 06, 2016

Things To Do In San Diego: Tuesday, September 6-Thursday September 8, 2016

I'm gonna keep it short this week. Labor Day weekend was awesome and I appreciated not having to check email for a couple days. I went to Soda Bar for Awesome Fest on Friday, and The Kills show on Sunday was excellent as was The Creepy Creeps show at the Casbah. This week we're heading out of town for It's Too Sunny Out Here" Natalie's wedding and I can't wait to see some new scenery for a few days. Tuesday through Thursday listings are after the jump.


Thursday, September 01, 2016

Upcoming Casbah & Casbah Presents Shows (Updated 9.1.2016)

It has been a few weeks since I updated the Casbah upcoming shows, so this time I tried to fix the formatting a bit so it looks better and is a little easier to keep updated. This month has so many amazing shows, it's hard to feel bad about turning 40 at the end of the month. Everything on the books is after the jump.

Thu 9/01 - Taken by Canadians The Paragraphs, Hiroshima Mockingbirds, Mrs. Henry @ Casbah

Fri 9/02 - Flamin' Groovies, The Pandoras, The Loons, DJs Pat & Lety Beers @ The Casbah

Sat 9/03 - Punk Rock Karaoke, Cruz Radical, Johnny Madcap and The Distractions @ The Casbah

Sun 9/04 - The Creepy Creeps, Schizophonics, Mission Creeps, THE FINK BOMBS @ The Casbah

Sun 9/04 - The Kills, AUTOLUX @ Observatory North Park

Mon 9/05 - Floating Points, Olga Bell @ Belly Up Tavern



Wed 9/07 - The Bones of JR Jones, Creature and the Woods, The Whiskey Circle @ The Casbah

Thu 9/08 - Juliette Lewis, Andy Clockwise @ The Casbah (SOLD OUT)

Thu 9/08 - !!! @ Soda Bar



Thu 9/08 - Bayside, The Menzingers, Sorority Noise @ Observatory North Park

Fri 9/09 - Assemblage 23, DJ Robin Roth, Lance Liquidgrey @ The Casbah

Sat 9/10 - Trouble in the Wind, Red Fox Tails, Sick Balloons, Born Gypsy @ The Casbah

Sat 9/10 - Blondie, Prima Donna @ Observatory North Park (SOLD OUT)

Sun 9/11 - Spotlights, Death Eyes, Deep Sea Thunderbeast @ The Casbah

Mon 9/12 - Sam Outlaw, Cale Tyson, Reverend Baron @ Casbah

Tue 9/13 - Buddha Trixie, Cerulean Veins, The Wild Fires @ The Casbah

Tue 9/13 - Clams Casino, Lil B @ Observatory North Park

Tue 9/13 - Joseph Arthur, Reuben Hollebon @ Music Box



Wed 9/14 - Chuck Ragan & the Camaraderie, Nathan Maxwell (of Flogging Molly), WT Nelson @ Casbah

Thu 9/15 - Wove, No Sympathy, The Anomaly @ The Casbah

Thu 9/15 - Local Natives, Charlotte Day Wilson @ Observatory North Park


Upcoming Observatory Shows (Updated 9.1.2016)

It's been a few weeks since I've updated the Observatory shows, but with September comes a ton of great shows. Everything on the books after the jump.

Thursday, September 1 - The Game, 7pm, 18+


Saturday, September 3 - Ja Rule & Ashanti, 8pm, 18+ (SOLD OUT)



Sunday, September 4- The Kills, Autolux, 8pm, All Ages



Thursday, September 8- Bayside, The Menzingers, Sorority Noise, 8pm, All Ages



Saturday, September 10 - Blondie, Prima Donna, 8pm, 18+ (SOLD OUT)