Things To Do In San Diego: Wednesday, January 25-Tuesday, January 31: Will Sheff/Okkervil River | Windser | Frankie and the Witch Fingers | Inspector | Junior Boys | The Kabbs & The Havnauts | Dark Star Orchestra | Film School | The Wood Brothers |

I ran into an old music scene pal over the weekend who had some stuff to say about this site and wondered why I still do listings if all I ever do is complain about doing the listings and that there are automated ways I could and should be doing them and then they'd be less of a headache. But the truth is, my site, my right to whine, right? I wouldn't do them if I myself wasn't curious and after working for a brief time for a site that uses event scrapers (and having programmed about 90% of the ones that site still uses) when I do look over there and see the site promoting shows that have been canceled or incomplete listings because nobody took the time to edit over them. So I still do these manually and I think one of these days I'll get around to adding a bunch of the venues I include here that aren't currently on my music venues page, but I'm in no rush to do any of that. I like doing what I do and living this chill life and watching my Bravo trash shows while I do them while everyone else in my household is asleep. I won't do them forever, but 16 years in, I'm not stopping anytime soon. 

I haven't included big show announcements in awhile, but damn, Livenation announced a show with Beck, Phoenix, Japanese Breakfast, and Sir Chloe and I'd definitely be stoked to catch that one. Casbah keeps announcing a ton of shows, like Beabadoobee at SOMA which went on sale Friday and sold out in a matter or hours. Maybe less. Hopefully our show with 100 gecs does the same when it goes on sale. And I've heard there are fewer than 200 tickets left for Sylvan Esso in September, so don't sleep on those tickets if you want to go.

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Your Rapid Tests Still Work (Mostly) | Egg Producers Accused of Gouging | Klantee Teen Outs Herself As Bigot & Shill For Anti-Trans Groups |

Sweet Denny (Taken 1.23.23)

It's not even 10pm and everyone in my household is asleep, so I figured I'd catch up on my weekly COVID post so I don't have to worry about it tomorrow when I do the listings. 

Things have been pretty chill and also kinda crazy, if that makes any sense. I spent the weekend hopping between the zoo and Sea World, spending the chilly nights at home. Darren worked at Emo Nite at the Casbah on Friday and though it's always kinda insane, this time he actually got bit by a patron that they were trying to kick out for being out of control. Blame the king tides, the new moon, the Lunar new year, whatever, but it feels like the world is collectively losing their minds. Back to that in a second. 

After a brief zoo trip on Saturday when Denny was being especially playful, I worked for comedian Matt Braunger at Soda Bar, which was a great time. On Sunday it was more of the same, after the Zoo closed I went to check out Mardi Gras at Sea World, which has their hours extended until 7 on weekends for the next 5 weeks. 

Fast forward to Monday and Darren officially started his two-day a week part-time job delivering flowers. I dropped him off and decided to do a full day at the Zoo, lunch and laptop in tow in case any necessary work or email popped up. I've mentioned the crazy photographer bully before, but today she was on a tear. She cornered a woman who was  with her toddler, shooting with her magnum lens over the mom's shoulder. The mom was having none of it. When told to mind her boundaries and respect the mom's personal space, a whole screamfest ensued and the bully was eventually escorted out of the zoo. I don't know what will come of it, but I for one will not be heartbroken if I never have to see her again. She can find a new hobby somewhere else. Or maybe we should hire her for security at Emo Nite so she can go aggro there. Blame that new moon, I guess. 

There were two mass shootings within days in California and it is heartbreaking and scary thinking small incidents and sudden rage can have such deadly consequences. Be vigilant, be alert, pay attention to your surroundings, and sad to say, always assess escape routes in public spaces. The whole world has gone mad. 

I love you. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoVid-19: Here Comes The Kraken | Are We Finally Taking Avian Flu Seriously? | What Exxon Knew About Climate Destruction | Silly New Yorker Visits San Diego | Gas Stove Gaslighting |

Downtown San Diego & Coronado Bridge As Seen From the Bayshore Bikeway
(Taken 1.18.2023)

It's been a minute since I've posted and there have been so many things I've meant to post about but life gets in the way sometimes. Like for one thing, all this storm coverage has been crazy. I know that there has been real destruction and loss, but when San Diego is featured on the YouTube channel "World Is Dangerous" and they show flooding in Mission Valley, I kinda have to laugh. My dad worked at the VA in the valley for over 30 years and there was a time he considered moving our family closer to his work, but he saw them building right in the flood plain and nixed that idea real quick. But it's also the media and the City and County's failure that warnings aren't more urgent: we build this whole section in a flood plain and sometimes it will rain. The Fashion Valley parking lots were built to flood in these circumstances. So, too, Mission Center Road and several of the other north/south crossings over the river. Avoid the area. If you live in the area, know that this is a known mitigation, seek higher ground, and FFS, don't try to drive through moving water. There needs to also be better outreach among the unhoused that this is not a safe place to be in such conditions. 

Another thing tripping me out is the egg 'crisis'. When the San Diego Zoo first took the flamingos off habitat, the news should've been warning about the issue much more fervently than they have, and now they're just talking about it like it's a gouging problem. It is not. As of today, 57,868,714 birds have been culled because of the avain flu, H5N1, or HPAI - highly pathogenic avian influenza. The penguins at the Zoo are in a covered area by the bears. My favorite parrots have been moved into a covered aviary. It is all connected. We can ignore it or realize we're creating these super-bugs and climate change is fucking with birds migratory patterns, spreading new diseases to new places. 

Last, of course, COVID is all but ignored these days. The County data is getting less and less specific, as is the State and the CDC. Numbers haven't been reliable for a while but every week they are less so. Still, you can get a general sense of the virus by the numbers still available so as long as they are, I'll keep posting what I can. We were happy that Nova was tested weekly at school, and now even that is being canceled. 

Finally, for a long time I was posting political stuff and White House briefings, but it's all such a shit show with this new Congress that I just can't even. It isn't worth my stress or space. 

I hope everyone is doing well. On the one hand I would like to be posting more than once a week, but on the other hand, I'm kinda living my best life these days and I just don't see a reason to stop. For fun, I posted this ridiculous article by a New Yorker who gives her experience of San Diego. It's so poorly written and absurd that I just laugh every time I think about it. 

Stay safe out there. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Wednesday, January 18-Tuesday, January 24, 2023: Spiral Stairs | Blind Boys of Alabama | Mapache | Unwritten Law | Emo Nite | The Trebels | Hibou | Macy Gray | Stones N Roses | Alexa Villa | Elise Trouw |

I was in the middle of a regular post when I realized it was time to do listings so I powered through and got them done even though I very easily could've been in bed by 9pm on Tuesday night. The regular post will have to wait a day. I had a really great week -- on Thursday we got to go to the media party for The Sound, which was super cool and spacious and looks like it's going to be a great place for concerts, though don't let the seating chart dissuade you, the balcony is much closer to the stage than indicated on the map. 

Having four sold out nights in a row at the Casbah on a three day weekend let me actually enjoy my weekend - I bounced around Sea World and the Zoo and went to La Jolla Cove and did some shopping and did my thing all weekend long; Darren's weekend shifts were cut due to the crazy ass weather, and after having to drive to Chula Vista in that weather to help out my parents, I was toast and didn't make it to Transfer on Saturday night. We'll just have to book them again soon, right? 

Darren did work at the park on Monday, so I spent the whole day at Sea World for their Inside Look weekend which was pretty cool, but naturally Tuesday was a beast for work coming off that long weekend. I still got my zoo walk in, and Darren started a new additional part time job that allowed him to come meet me after. I'm excited to talk about that but I'll wait until he's locked in before I spill the beans. I'll just say that I texted him in the middle of the day to ask how it was going and he responded, "I found my new calling." Love that. 

So listings are done and I want to go to a couple shows this week, but we'll see how the weather abides. Since I won't drink and drive, not even a sip, and have sworn off ever using Uber or Lyft ever again if I can avoid them, getting out and around is a little bit logistically challenging and takes a lot more motivation and planning. So no guarantees. But at least I have the Zoo.        

If this rain continues and you've discovered that all your umbrellas are missing or broken (as I did), the Big Lots in La Mesa has a ton, plus rain ponchos for only $1.19. I hit up about 15 stores all over San Diego, so trust me on this. That's the spot. 

Stay safe out there. 

Things To Do in San Diego: Wednesday, January 11-Tuesday, January 17, 2023: The Planet Smashers | Dale Watson | R.A.P. Ferreira | RFTC | Idlehands | Transfer | Richard Marx | Reverend Horton Heat | HR | Pato Banton |

I know you only see me posting about the zoo these days, but I do swear I get out every once in awhile. I'm looking forward to checking out a preview party at The Sound, and I'm hoping to make it to see Transfer on Saturday night, too. There are also lots of new shows being announced, including Sylvan Esso at The Sound, Avey Tare at Casbah and more to come this week. 2023 is going to be a great year for music and it's only just begun. 

Full listings after the jump.
Stay safe out there.  

2023: COVID-19: It's Still Here, I'm Still Masking | Kaja Turns One |

Kaja on his 1st Birthday (Taken 1.4.2023)

It's been a minute since I've posted COVID data and whatnot, but with good reason...it finally got Darren. I talked about it in a recent post, but because everyone was sick in my house, I was pretty much trying to give them space. I was making myself scarce around the house, spending full days at the San Diego Zoo, going to Sea World, shopping, just doing whatever to let them rest at home. Nova still has a cough, though her locally based doctor said she's okay to be at school with a mask, but I'm happy to report that the Paxlovid seemed to work for Darren and he didn't get the dreaded rebound. He's been working but it's now slow season at the park, so we hung out at the Casbah on Thursday for a private party with The Airborne Toxic Event and then I went to work with him on Friday and enjoyed a chilly day at the Safari Park. Sea World's Christmas Celebration went through the 8th, so I was double dipping, going to the Zoo, then Sea World after, hanging out with the walruses. 

I've been trying to get back into a groove, work is definitely getting busier as Casbah is celebrating 34 years, and I've made the zoo a habit...it forces me out of the house and off my laptop for a couple hours every day. My dad is officially off hospice care, but that means we have to help out a lot more. Today we helped move him, spent the rainy afternoon at the zoo, then went to North Park because I somehow messed up my neck and shoulder and got a massage at Green Bamboo Massage (which was amazing). 

This post is lacking all the usual links because while we followed the mess in Congress last week, I just can't. These morons are going to freeze our country to have no action ever besides bullshit investigations. If you're a government employee or military, you better save up because you know a government shutdown this year is imminent and guaranteed.  

I'm gonna call it a night. I have a million pictures to post but the truth is that I've taken so many photos in the past two years that I've filled my hard drive, so I'm gonna have to take the time to move stuff before I can even dig in and post new stuff. Not tonight, however, because I'm only jacking my shoulder more with the small motor movements of typing on this laptop. But I do wanna thank my friends at NBC for using one of my photos on their Kaja coverage (linked below). 

We've got some old family friends coming into town next week so I'll be doing the tour guide thing but I'll try to make sure listings are done and posted on time. 

Night night, y'all. 

Stay safe out there. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Wednesday, January 4-Tuesday, January 10, 2023: Social D | Cayucas | Vanguard | California Honeydrops | The Fall of Troy | Bowie Birthday Bash | Lady Dottie | The Sounds of Animals Fighting |

Bowie Celebration with Ziggy Shuffledust & The Spiders From Mars (Taken 1.8.2020)

Happy New Year! Or, Happy New Year. Or, Happy New Year? 

Not gonna lie, this isn't exactly how I wanted 2022 to end and 2023 to start. Darren had been working his ass off, pulling doubles between the park and the Casbah, we let loose at a staff party on Tuesday, and we thought we were just hungover on Wednesday. On Thursday he was getting ready for work and had a nasty cough so I suggested he test and he was very positive very quickly. I was negative. He was immediately isolating, but I had to work three nights at the Casbah so I was really dodging him. He took Paxlovid and tested negative on Tuesday. Ideally he's cleared for work on Wednesday, but in the meantime I picked up Nova from the airport on Friday, and while a doctor cleared her to fly and she didn't get caught in the SWA nonsense, she's been sick since she got back. She's negative for COVID and she was also tested for strep, but it would be nice to know what she's got and to get all the yuck out of her lungs. She'll likely miss this whole first week of school. 

So yeah, shows are kinda the last thing on my mind at the moment. But there are a lot of venues easing into the year so these were actually pretty easy to compile this week. While everyone has been sick and isolating, I've been keeping out of the house. On Monday and Tuesday I went to both the Zoo and Sea World and ran a ton of errands just to let them have the space in the house. I definitely can't keep that up as I have actual work to do and my feet are killing me. I'll be working at a super secret amazing private show at the Casbah on Thursday, and if Darren is actually cleared and can avoid Paxlovid rebound, we'll probably go to the Bowie Party at the Casbah on Sunday. 

Stay safe out there.