Friday, March 31, 2017

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, March 31-Sunday, April 2, 2017


I didn't really have a music photo to add today so you get another one of my two favorite people. Since the last update, I caught Methyl Ethel at Soda Bar (after returning from Anza-Borrego), worked at Open Mike Eagle and Why? at the Irenic, saw Big Bloom and Trouble in the Wind at Music Box for SoundDiego live, and Marujah at the Ken Club (all on Thursday), but I don't take my fancy cameras when I think I could potentially be walking home alone. I did, however, have fun playing around with my new 360 camera (free with new phone purchase) last night at Music Box, but I don't think I can share those photos on Blogger. You'll have to check my Facebook page. I'm really excited about this weekend, though I'm bummed to miss Old 97's because I'll be working at the Orwells show, though that should be pretty awesome, too. Not sure what other shows I'll check out this weekend, maybe the ACLU fundraiser at Allegory Tattoo and Black Joe Lewis at Casbah. Nova has a roller derby Skate-A-Thon and plays her first soccer game on Sunday, so that will be a big part of our weekend.  Have a great weekend! Friday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Anza-Borrego Superbloom

I know, I know. EVERYONE has been talking about the Desert Superbloom as a result of the heavier than usual rainfall that hit Southern California this year. I mean everyone. Here are a few: National GeographicLA Times, LAist, Curbed LA, Wired, KPBS, Times of San Diego, San Diego Union-Tribune, Huffington Post, and even the Weather Network. Not to mention every. single. person. you know on Facebook posting photos. So here's one more post to add to the bunch.



There were a few things that compelled us to make Anza-Borrego a destination this year. For one, Nova has repeatedly lamented that she's never been camping. Growing up, my family went to a lot of campgrounds, but with an old camper to sleep in, we never really pitched a tent and roughed it. But in my late teens and twenties, I had a small group of friends who made a tradition of camping in Anza-Borrego, at the Borrego Palm Canyon campsite. Though we slept in tents, it was still not roughing it because I always appreciated the bathrooms and showers, and the honorary group leader, whom we called Toro, who always brought pounds of shrimp and carne asada and eggs and fruit and cases of beer and booze and made some amazing meals over an open flame, but eventually we all sort of fell out of touch and I've not ever been camping since.


The other massive influence, as I'm sure is the case with everyone else, was social media. I saw an "Anza-Borrego 101" seminar/talk at Adventure 16. I can't exactly recall the lady's name, but she sold the park quite well. "The largest state park in California" and "the 2nd largest contiguous park in the continental US" were the kind of factoids we wanted to hear, selling us on a low-cost, close to home adventure. Enough that we made two trips pre-Superbloom, parking at the visitor's center and walking into the Palm Canyon campground along the paved walkway.



I'll say this, too. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the outdoor type. Or even the daylight type. And we still haven't gone camping. Luckily Darren and I have this sort of overlapping life experience of long car rides with our families, enjoying scenic drives, family road trips and the like. He's an adventurer, and Nova has certainly picked that up from him, whether that's nature or nurture, I don't know. But we have commitments and obligations and I don't do too well being 'off the grid' or away from wi-fi for any stretch of time. But Anza is close enough. This is something we can all do and meet somewhere in the middle...Nova bouldering and climbing, Darren trying to hike as much as possible before losing daylight, and me quietly enjoying the birds, the frogs, the crickets, the beauty of vistas and sounds of nature, while packing a cooler of cheeses and salami and seltzers and crackers and peanut butter and jelly to make sandwiches.


I'm not saying we're experts. We still couldn't find that goddamn serpent. But I think we pulled off a pretty great day trip. With Nova having an activity each day and my work and show schedule, plus having to consider leaving our cat and dog alone all day, I don't think we're overstretched, but we certainly have to plan for anything more than a day trip. But we finally pulled it off before all the blooms dried up. And maybe we've set ourselves up for a future camping trip. And if not, at least we got a glimpse of the Desert Superbloom of 2017.

Recommendations: Check the Anza-Borrego Foundation site. Know a destination. The first couple times, we Google mapped to the Visitor's Center, which had us take the 8 to the 67, through Ramona, to the 78. This time we decided to go the 8 to 78, around Lake Cuyamaca, toward Julian, through Banner. The colors as we descended into the valley were stunning, nothing we could capture with pictures but something we won't soon forget. Most of all, learn about the park. As long as you're not on private property, Anza is one of the few parks where you can literally pull off just about anywhere, so long as you're not on the roadway. There are tons of resources and informative sites to find your own adventure. Also, as painful as it was, leave your dog at home. There are a lot of restrictions about dogs on the trails, and while we got away with it in the colder winter months, she was better off skipping this trip.
Lastly, I know there are some brilliant photographers, and I do not consider myself one of them, but all of these are shot with my Samsung S7 phone. I took all of my cameras in the car, but you have to consider if it's really worth lugging all your gear, plus water, plus other essentials or just trying to soak it all in. I opted for just the phone.

This thing is almost over. The flowers are drying by the day, the colors fading fast, and many say this is probably the last week to really take it all in. If you do, skip the sculptures for another time (unlike us, wasting precious sunlight hours), and find your own flower adventure.

More pictures after the jump.


Outside Lands Eager Beaver Tickets Go On Sale-- March 30 at 10am PST


If you know me at all--live in person or through this site and social media--you know I'm not a festival person. I just don't have it in me to race from stage to stage, getting lost in a herd of thousands, when I'm used to the intimate experience offered at the Casbah, Soda Bar, or our midsize venues like Belly Up and Observatory. I've only been to Coachella twice and that's probably enough for me. However, a few years ago my friend/boss took me to Outside Lands and it was amazing. I mean, first of all, you have Bay Area weather which is way more my speed than the desert. But Outside Lands is just a special festival. Golden Gate Park is beautiful any time of year, but proves a great location for a festival. The way the schedule worked, we were able to see the City before and after festival hours, and it was more or less an overlap of Coachella bands minus the massive headliners (who I generally never care about anyway) and more of the up-and-coming indie bands. 

All of this is to say that you can buy tickets--lineup yet to be announced--starting on Thursday at 10am PST. If you've thought about a festival weekend vacation, this one is totally worth it. You can read the press release spiel after the jump, or just be ready to BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Fiesta Del Sol Returns to Solana Beach May 20-21

For 38 years, Solana Beach has been presenting Fiesta Del Sol. Someday I'll get around to digitizing my video of the Rugburns from circa 1994, but in the meantime, some of the headliners have been announced. Of course, May 20th is also the day of the Festival of Arts in North Park but I'm sure you can make the rounds. As always, this is a free, all ages event, and I think they might even run some special Coasters to get there (but don't quote me on that). 




Belly Up’s 2017 Fiesta Del Sol Line Up:

Saturday, May  20th:
Dead Man’s Party
Through The Roots
Betamaxx
Thicker Than Thieves
The Paragraphs
Power Brokers Band
Zen Thomas

Sunday, May 21st:
Pato Banton
Nancarrow
Roger Clyne and the Peacemaker
Pine Mountain Logs
Euphoria Brass Band

*subject to change

Press release after the jump

Gator By The Bay Returns to Spanish Landing- May 11-14, 2017

Okay, I'm not coming out with any breaking news, but the fast few weeks have had some big announcements and I've been kinda slacking. So today you're going to get an abundance of posts from me, one an hour, until I get all of this stuff posted. This is the first of many.

One of my favorite events of the year happens annually on Mothers' Day weekend. We've been taking my mom (and smuggling in our own snacks & drinks) for several years. It feels like over the years there are fewer cajun and zydeco bands and more swing, honky tonk, and jazz, but the diversity is great, the people watching is awesome, the dancing is fun, and a day in the San Diego sun with mom is priceless. For full info, check their website here.


Here's the publicist spiel:

San Diego’s annual Gator By The Bay is the largest, most-authentic Louisiana-themed music and food festival this side of the bayou. Taking place May 11-14, 2017, it features more than 100 musical acts and special performances on seven stages, southern cuisine including 10,000 pounds of crawfish trucked from Louisiana, non-stop live music, dancing and family fun on the beautiful San Diego Bay.

Gator By The Bay brings Louisiana’s rich and diverse culture right to San Diego by showcasing Louisiana’s eclectic melting pot of history, food, music, dance and more. Since its inception in 2001, the festival has grown to showcase an array of music choices from blues, salsa, zydeco, Cajun and a taste of country, including Grammy winning artists directly from Louisiana.

Dates: May 11-14, 2017

Times:

  • Thurs., May 11: 6 – 10:30 p.m.
  • Fri., May 12: 3:30 – 10:30 p.m.
  • Sat., May 13: 10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
  • Sun., May 14: 10:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Location: Spanish Landing Park, North Harbor Drive. Directly across from the San Diego International Airport

TICKETS and INFO:
Thursday night concert tickets range in price from $25 to $95. Daily festival tickets range from $30 to $40. 3-day and 4-day passes are available for the deepest discounts. Children 17 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. Patron passes include access to the Patron Reception Area including a complimentary meal, personal meet and greet with festival headliners, complimentary craft beer, select wines, soft drinks and water, private shaded seating and upgraded restrooms and additional reserved shaded seating near both main stages. This is available for $120 per day (Saturday or Sunday) or $200 for both days. Find all festival, ticket, lodging, parking and free shuttle info at www.gatorbythebay.com.

Full press release and blah blah info is after the jump.

Coachella Brings Localchella to SoCal

When I say I've been a total slacker, I didn't realize I never even posted the Coachella 2017 lineup which means I'll be ready to fire up the YouTube and enjoy the whole shebang with my air conditioning blasting and--since Nova will be in St. Louis-- maybe a case of whatever local IPAs CostCo is selling. So you already know that the whole thing, both weekends (April 14-16 & April 21-23) are all sold out, but maybe you can win some from FM 94/9 or 91X or something.

oooooorrrr...you could just go to a ton of shows hitting the area for Localchella. Here are some of the artists rolling through town:

4/9 The Head and The Heart @ Soma
4/12 Father John Misty @ Humphrey's
4/12 Broods @ Music Box
4/12 Grace Mitchell @ Casbah
4/13 Banks @ Humphrey's
4/14 Honne @ Belly Up
4/15 Pond @ Casbah
4/16 Little Dragon @ Observatory North Park
4/17 Local Natives @ Observatory North Park
4/18 Jack Garratt @ Belly Up
4/19 Kaleo @ Belly Up (SOLD OUT)
4/19 Mitski @ The Irenic
4/19 SOHN @ Observatory North Park
4/19 Blossoms @ Casbah
4/19 Dreamcar @ Music Box (SOLD OUT)
4/20 Mura Masa @ Observatory North Park
4/20 Twin Peaks, Hinds @ The Irenic
4/20 Lee Fields & The Expressions, Chicano Batman @ Music Box




When We Were Young Fest Hits the Observatory OC - April 8-9, 2017

I'm playing hooky and heading to the desert today, but thought while I was gone I would pretend like I was at home working. I'm trying to catch up on about a dozen posts, so it's possible you'll get all of them today. Maybe not. I'll do my best. 

So this one is right around the corner, and I know that there have been some glitches at Observatory festivals, but I have faith that this one is going to be pulled off without any snags (besides maybe Morrissey throwing some type of tantrum, which is worth the price of tickets alone.) For full information about the event and ticketing, go to the website here. I'm not sure if they can pull it off, but before buying tickets online, I'd check the Observatory North Park to see if they can sell the tickets with the lower service charges.

Update- Priscilla just posted this on Facebook:
Use code TWDEAL to get discounts on tix!
*Saturday GA Pass: $60 (reg. $100)
*Sunday GA Pass: $25 (reg. $60)
*2 Day GA Passes for $75 (reg. $175)

Update 2: Apparently weekend tickets are even cheaper on Groupon if you feel like finding them. 




Saturday: 
Morrissey|AFI| Cage The Elephant | Alkaline Trio | Streetlight Manifesto | Joyce Manor | Senses Fail | The Get Up Kids | Beach Fossils | Balance and Composure | Homeshake | David Bazan | Set Your Goals | Moving Units | Plague Vendor | The Regrettes 

Sunday:
Descendents | Taking Back Sunday | FIDLAR | Silversun Pickups | Dr. Dog | Saves The Day | Choking Victim | Foxygen | The Frights | Pinback | Turnstile | Mount Eerie | Together Pangea | Tijuana Panthers | Sunflower Bean | Sheer Mag | Sadgirl | The Buttertones | Cat Signs | No Parents | Culture Abuse

Things To Do In San Diego: Wednesday, March 29-Thursday, March 30, 2017


We're finally heading back to Anza-Borrego since the big bloom, and though I know we missed the peak of it, we love going out there anyway so we're going to make an afternoon of it and hopefully we'll make it home in time for Methyl Ethel at Soda Bar. I just want to give a warning that I've got 4 posts scheduled for today, and I've got some more planned for the rest of the week because I still haven't mentioned In-Ko-Pah, Tour De Fat, Ohana Fest, the KAABOO lineup, and eager beaver Outside Land tickets, and I haven't even touched the fact that The Hideout is changing to SPACE later next month. I think about writing a lot more than I actually write these days, but I'm trying to get my groove back. If I can thank this idiot in the White House for anything, it's that I'm getting outside more, reading more novels this year than I have in the last 10, watching more movies, going to more shows, spending more time with my family, and all around trying not to obsess over the news. I decided to use this photo of Gary McDowell I took last Wednesday at the Modern English show at the Casbah. We were told he was playing with four broken ribs and it was obvious throughout the performance he was totally struggling. The stupid woman who kept trying to shake his hand didn't help the situation. This week it was announced that on Friday, just two days after our show, he had emergency surgery and the remainder of their US and Canadian tour was canceled, so best wishes to him. Wednesday and Thursday archives are after the jump.

Monday, March 27, 2017

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, March 27-Tuesday, March 28, 2017

I had a crazy busy week last week and the lesson to that is when you're overstretched, you're gonna crash. On Monday night, I worked at the Maggie Rogers show, and since she play ed a really short set, I was able to catch Kate Tempest at the Casbah. On Tuesday, of course, there was the Music Awards, after which I went to Blonde for Allison Crutchfield. Wednesday night was Modern English at the Casbah, after which I went to 90s night at The Office. So my drama happened Thursday as I was leaving for work. I had my phone in my hand and the next it was gone-- somehow I maybe dropped it while I freed my hands to lock my gate and put my jacket on, and I think this guy who passed me on the street seized the moment to pick it up and pocket it. The kick in the teeth was that my insurance didn't cover loss or theft so several hundred dollars are flushed down the drain, and I'm realizing more photos and videos that are gone forever. Ugh. And I still had to walk to work for the sold out Rainbow Kitten Surprise show. By Friday I had accepted that the phone wasn't going to magically reappear and got a new one at CostCo, which is now doubly insured, and I scored a Samsung 360 camera for free with purchase, so at least there's that. On Saturday. we drove to LA where Nova had a Derby scrimmage, and were able to make it back home in time for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The whole week really caught up on me on Sunday and made it an all-day pajama & work day. I'm ready to take this week head on and get back into a regular life groove. Monday & Tuesday archives are after the jump.



Sunday, March 26, 2017

Humphrey's Concerts 2017 Lineup

Get your canoes and kayaks ready, because Humphrey's has released their summer lineup. I was already excited when Father John Misty was announced several weeks ago, but I'm also pretty excited that Blind Pilot will be coming back this summer. You can check full pricing and room package deals here.



Wed, Apr 12     Father John Misty, Tim Heidecker (GA/standing only)
Thu, Apr 13     BANKS, Raury. (GA/standing only)
Mon, Apr 17     Steely Dan
Tue, Apr 18      Steely Dan
Thu, Apr 20     Lila Downs
Sun, Apr 23     An Evening with David Crosby & Friends
Wed, Apr 26    Willie Nelson & Family, Steve Moakler
Tue, May 23     Rodriguez
Wed, May 24    Melissa Etheridge: M.E. Live, Celisse Henderson
Fri, Jun 02     Dana Carvey
Tue, Jun 06      Sheryl Crow - Be Myself Tour, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
Wed, Jun 07     Brian Setzer's Rockabilly Riot!
Sun, Jun 11     TajMo: The Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' Band
Mon, Jun 12     Ziggy Marley (GA, standing only)
Mon, Jun 19     An Evening with King Crimson
Fri, Jun 23     Gordon Lightfoot In Concert: The Legend Lives On
Sun, Jun 25     Blind Pilot (GA, standing only)
Thu, Jul 13     The Temptations / The Four Tops
Fri, Jul 14       50 Summers of Love starring Mickey Dolenz, Mark Lindsay and The Fab Four
Mon, Jul 17     Chris Isaak
Wed, Jul 19     Happy Together Tour 2017
Tue, Aug 01     Huey Lewis and The News
Tue, Aug 08     Diana Krall
Sat, Aug 12     America
Thu, Aug 17    Lost 80's Live
Fri, Aug 18     Lost 80's Live
Wed, Aug 23    Bryan Ferry
Thu, Aug 24     Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home "Love and Comedy" Show
Fri, Aug 25     Dave Koz & Larry Graham: Side By Side Summer 2017
Sat, Aug 26     Pink Martini
Sun, Aug 27     The Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes & Tonino Baliardo
Wed, Aug 30     The Doobie Brothers
Wed, Sep 06     Stephen Stills / Judy Collins, Numa Edema
Sat, Sep 09     Jake Shimabukuro
Sun, Sep 10     George Benson / Kenny G - The Breezin' & Breathless Tour
Wed, Sep 13     Indigo Girls
Thu, Sep 14     Steve Winwood
Fri, Sep 15     Il Divo
Wed, Sep 20     City and Colour - USA Tour 2017
Sat, Sep 23     An Evening with The Beach Boys
Sat, Sep 23     An Evening with The Beach Boys
Sun, Sep 24     Bill Maher
Thu, Oct 05     The Mavericks (GA standing only.)
Fri, Oct 20     Felipe Esparza
Sun, Oct 22     Carla Morrison
Sun, Oct 29     Keali'i Reichel

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

2016 San Diego Music Award Winners

So, that's a wrap. The San Diego Music Awards took place at the House of Blues San Diego on Tuesday, March 21st. I have to be honest, it was challenging at times...from the guy who got in Darren's face about being in his seat (which I did not take kindly to) at our SoundDiego table to the fact that it started 45 minutes late because of the Tonight In San Diego episode running late...but it was a good time. I was able to get tickets for Darren and Nova to come, but with the time setbacks, they had to leave before I presented the award for best live performance. It was probably better, seeing as the madness that ensued when Schizophonics finished their set and Brian Reilly decided to smash his bass, launching half of it into Birdy Bardot's face, sending her to the hospital to make sure she wasn't concussed. Crazy drama and probably the most memorable moment of any Music Awards in their 26 years, and not one I ever hope to see repeated. I also don't feel like creating my own drama, but to the person who dissed the winners of the category they presented-- that was probably the rudest display I've ever seen and heard and you should be embarrassed to be such an asshole in someone's exciting moment.
Here's the list of winners since--if you were there---you probably couldn't hear anyway. I had an undercharged phone and left my cameras in the car, so no photos to go with this, but official winners list is below.

2016 San Diego Music Awards • Official Winners List

The following are the winners of the 2017 San Diego Music Awards, presented on Tuesday, March 21 at House of Blues San Diego.

Best Singer/Songwriter - Tolan Shaw
Best Jazz - Gilbert Castellanos
Best Jazz Album - Nathan Hubbard "Furiously Dreaming"
Best Blues - Whitney Shay
Best Blues Album - John Meeks "On a Sea Darkly"
Best Country or American - The Moves Collective
Best Country or Americana Album - Trouble in the Wind "Lefty"
Best Hip Hop/Rap - The Lyrical Groove
Best Hip Hop or Rap Album - The Knee Highs "We Put the Fun in Dysfunction"
Best Indie/Alternative - The Bassics
Best Indie/Alternative Album - The Verigolds "For Margaret"
Best Pop - Sister Speak
Best Pop or Rock Album - The Donkeys "Midnight Palms"
Best Rock - Schizophonics
Best World Music - Tribal Theory
Best World Music Album - Hirie "Wandering Soul"
Best Local Recording - Sure Fire Soul Ensemble "Out on the Coast"
Best Live Performer - Rebecca Jade & the Cold Fact
Best New Artist - Skyterra
Artist of the Year - Tribal Seeds
Song of the Year - Switchfoot "Float"
Album of the Year - Andra Day "Cheers to the Fall"

Lifetime Achievement Award – Wayne Riker

Monday, March 20, 2017

Get To Know The Irenic

I recently posted a little FAQ-ish list about The Irenic to my Facebook page, but since I'll be there tonight for Maggie Rogers--a totally sold out show where invariably I'll be asked the same questions over and over again--I thought I would repost it here with some minor tweaks.



The Irenic is a music venue located at 3090 Polk, on the corner of Illinois St. By day, it is the Mission Gathering Church and home to Street Angels, an outreach program and shelter for homeless teens. Mission Gathering Church was the group behind a very memorable billboard in North Park after Prop 8 was overturned.


1. All shows are all ages.
2. Shows start early and end early. Venue curfew is 10pm.
3. It is in a residential neighborhood with no parking lot. You're lucky to find parking within a few block radius. Plan accordingly in both time and apparel.
4. There is no alcohol. Beer and wine sales have been suspended for the time being. Hoping this changes soon, but could be weeks to months.
5. Cash only at the door (when the show isn't sold out).
6. There is no ATM on premises. Nearest one is at Vons.
7. A venue can never sell the tickets of people who don't show up. It's super annoying when you ask.
8. There's no re-entry. It's a liability to the venue and promoter.
9. If it's a Casbah show, the Casbah website is the most reliable source of information. "We were told the headliner didn't go on until 9!" You were told wrong. Headliners can start as early as they want, but very generally speaking are on no later than 8:30.
10. There's no outside food or beverages (even water) allowed.
11. Security may ask to search bags.
12. Cameras are ok. No flash, no tripods. Be respectful of audience. Some artists (very few) ask for no photography/video, in which case we have to honor that request.
13. Most shows are standing room only. Very rarely are shows seated and when they are, it's listed as such.
14. There is a smoking patio, but security might check ID for cigarettes and vapes. If you're not of age, they can be confiscated. (I've only see them do this at one show)
15. Soda Bar also uses the venue quite a bit. Their practices and procedures may be different.
16. You can only purchase presale tickets online. There is no box office to make such purchases.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, March 20-Sunday, March 26, 2017

It was a pretty amazing week, even though I kinda wanna throw a tantrum that we haven't been able to get out to Anza-Borrego since the flowers have finally bloomed. I was able to catch Meat Puppets on Tuesday, Teenage Fanclub on Thursday, and Jungle Fire on Saturday. I'm loving Nova's new soccer team and am happy she has a couple friends and I know a couple of the parents, too, including Jen, the awesome vet who helped me so much when Pascha died. I also like that we play parents vs kids at the end of practice, so it's fun to have a ball on my foot after years without. Nova is also doing roller derby and she killed it at her first scrimmage since moving from the Baby Dolls to the Juvenile Dollinquents. She is smaller than the rest of the girls, so blocking isn't her forte just yet, but in her first jam she scored 25 points which means she lapped their pack 5 times in two minutes. This week there are are some great shows like Maggie Rogers and Modern English, CYHSY, and more. I'll also be presenting two awards at the San Diego Music Awards with Daye Salani, representing SoundDiego. Nova has a soccer scrimmage this week, a derby match in LA on Saturday, and a piano recital on Sunday, so we'll be busy, leaving no time to see the superbloom this week, but hopefully everyone keeps posting photos!! There's a lot to talk about so I'll try to do a little "Newsy Bits" update later this week. Monday through Sunday archive are after the jump.

Teenage Fanclub at Belly Up March 16, 2017

Monday, March 13, 2017

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, March 13-Sunday, March 19, 2017

So it turned out to be a pretty great weekend after all. I was definitely feeling sick on Friday, but a day of rest, generic claritin, and some kids nighttime Delsym and I woke up feeling mostly fine on Saturday. Besides forgetting her skates so we had to circle back home in our Uber, the parade was pretty fun and Nova had a great time skating in it. In the afternoon, we met up with my sister and Nova was off for a slumber party so Darren and I could go to the Japandroids show. It was awesome, albeit super callendingto my camera skills (or lack thereof). On Sunday, I laid low until working at the Menzingers sold out show at the Irenic and catching up with work and my shows until the wee hours. This week Nova starts soccer with her new team, meaning we've turned her into the kid that has a scheduled activity every day of the week--piano, soccer, derby, soccer, figure skating, derby, soccer. Eek. There are a ton of great shows this week, so you'll definitely see me out and about. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.   



Saturday, March 11, 2017

Things To Do In San Diego: Saturday, March 11-Sunday, March 12, 2017

You can only fight off a cold so long. Judging by my Facebook feed, I'm on the easy side of things at the moment. I felt the tickle coming last week, but you try to fight. I popped Zinc and B-12 and Vitamin C and drank lots of fluids, but then there were two amazing nights of The Shins at the Observatory, and Wednesday I went to The Tragedy of Carmen followed by a night at The Office for Grand Ole Country, and then Thursday I couldn't miss Lady Lamb, and then Friday rolls around and I did nothing more than lounge in pajamas, making sad faces at Darren to bring me caldo de res and tortillas from Pancho Villa, and had a date with Redbox and a couple Kleenex boxes watching Ms. Peregrine while Nova was still awake and Bad Moms after she was asleep. Today Nova is skating in the St. Patrick's Day Parade with the Derby Dolls and I'm hoping I can keep my head clear enough to make it and sustain until the Japandroids show tonight. We shall see. Saturday and Sunday archives are after the jump.



Monday, March 06, 2017

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, March 6-Friday, March 10, 2017

Another great week behind us. The week started on Darren's birthday, so we had a nice dinner at Thai Time as it appeared North Park was going to wash away from the rain. I'm making more of an effort to see more shows, so on Wednesday I walked to Soda Bar for the DoSD one year anniversary, and on Thursday I caught perhaps my favorite show of the year thus far, Mondo Cozmo at the Casbah. (I posted some videos if you wanna check it out.) Nova once again stayed with my nieces for the weekend, and though I wasn't feeling super great on Friday, we went to see Laura Stevenson on Saturday which was pretty fun. In other stuff, Nova tested up into the Juvenile Dollinquents, making her one of the youngest skaters on the squad. We also spent some time with my parents after the dum-dums they hired to remove a 40+ year old palm tree from their front yard proceeded to drop it on their garage. Then we went to the zoo on Sunday which made me realize it had been too long since my last visit. Lots of great stuff coming this week...Monday through Friday archives are after the jump.    

Josh of Mondo Cozmo

Saturday, March 04, 2017

Hot Snakes Recording at Singing Serpent

After an extensive break from recording, local heroes Hot Snakes are back in the studio- recording their 4th proper album. Check out pictures from their time at Singing Serpent Studios and read an interview about what they've been up to here.

91X Announces 2017 X-Fest Lineup

In case you missed it, 91X announced their X-Fest Lineup for Sunday, June 11. If you're paying attention, this is the same day as FM 94/9's SPF at Oceanside Pier.

Phoenix will return to San Diego for the first time in four years to headline, along with Empire of the Sun, Bob Moses, Skip Marley, Missio, Sir Sly, The Lemon Twigs, Lo Moon, Creature Canyon, and Lightning Cola.

The concert will be held “on the green” at Qualcomm Stadium Practice Field in Mission Valley. All ages are welcome, general admission and VIP tickets are available. Tickets go on sale Monday, March 6 at 10am.

General admission tickets are on presale right now with password QUALCOMM. Tickets are $55 plus service fees.