Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, February 27-Wednesday, March 5, 2025: Whores | Bob Log III | The Spits | Witchface | Evan Honer | Michigan Rattlers | G. Love | Mercury Rev | Euphoria Brass Band | Sydney Sprague |

I don't have much to say this week. We're making the decision to "humanely euthanize" our Ficus and I'm pretty much a broken human about it at the moment. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, February 20-Wednesday, February 26, 2025: Jon Spencer | Ty Segall & King Tuff | Sam Outlaw | Emo Nite | Chat Pile | Grieves | Kool Keith | Orions Belte | Abi Carter |

David Gray at The Events Center, Harrah's Resort SoCal (Taken 2.15.25)

I'm not sure if I mentioned that I did a mostly dry January. After a NYE camping binge on prosecco and Jager (I do not recommend this combo), and ending it a night early with some drinks at Seven Grand and Black Cat. But all in all, I haven't been drinking much at all and I expected to feel invigorated and thought my sleep would get normal, that whatever this lingering wheezing and chestiness (people online are calling it THE COUGH, but I have all the symptoms except an actual cough). Anyway, all that to say that I had to do listings on Wednesday and now for me it's almost 4am and I'm exhausted and I know the second I lay down, I'm not actually gonna fall asleep. It's unfun. I would love to get back to normal normal, but for whatever this is, I'm still trying to find my daily joy, trying to catch shows here and there, and not let whatever TFG is doing get to me because that just launches my stress beyond, as it does for most of us.  

All that said, it was a pretty good week, overall. On Thursday, Darren and I went to watch Toby's last pep band performance of his senior year (which wasn't actually the last because the ladies basketball made it to playoffs), and then had an amazing dinner at 777 Noodle House, one of our favorite spots that we've been neglecting in our drastic cutback on eating out. On Friday I went to the zoo for most of the day and then met my mom and sister up at San Elijo for a night of camping. This time I just had some pinot noir and kept it chill, and didn't feel like total shit the next day. On Saturday, we went to Harrah's Resort to see David Gray at the Events Center. This was his "Then And Now" Tour, so he played a ton of stuff from White Ladder and A New Day At Midnight, which was pretty special, even if those casino show crowds are always a little weird. I got some time at the Alpaca Ranch in, as well as time at Sea World and the Zoo and then of course, Tuesday was a grind after a holiday weekend, but I had fun working at Quartyard for the sold out BALTHVS show. So yeah. Finding joy. Need sleep. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, February 13-Wednesday, February 19, 2025: Lomelda + Tomberlin | Video Age | David Gray | Adolescents | Steve Poltz | Cursive | Hippo Campus | BALTHVS | Jeremie Albino | Grizfolk |

I decided to dig up this old photo of me, Rhett Miller (of the Old 97's) and Steve Poltz for this week's photo. I think it's from 2003 or so...Rhett was performing solo at 4th&B and maybe Steve opened? It was a KPRI event...thus Rhett's shirt and lanyard, and it's also notable because I'm wearing my David Gray t-shirt...full circle, right? Because Steve's having his 16th Annual 50th Birthday Party this weekend. (Crazy to think we've known each other for 31 years!!) And also, David Gray is playing this weekend at Harrah's. And to keep on with it, The Old 97's are playing April 2 at the Belly Up. So yeah. A lot going on in this pic for me. It was like 3 or 4 years before I even started this site!

It's nice that San Diego finally got a big rain, though I'm not watching much news these days to know if it had any dangerous or negative repurcussions. Though I suppose a Navy jet nose-diving into The Big Bay is kind of a big deal, whether rain related or not. But rain or not, it feels like the Super Bowl is a marker for change in seasons in a way, and suddenly the music calendar is jam-packed all over again, which tends to continue in the run-up to SXSW and Coachella, then there's usually a little lull before summer. I've been looking at some shows, however, and something seems like it's all about to crumble. The amount of big shows with expensive tickets with half or more of their seating charts still available is kind of shocking, so there is going to need to be some major recalibration that maybe people's nostalgia isn't strong enough to make them fork over $60, $80, $100 for tickets, knowing that doesn't cover $15-$20 beers, $50 rideshare or parking, and $40 t-shirts. It's bananas and it isn't sustainable. Fortunately, we've got our small venues and small tours to keep us satiated and not tryna break the bank. And if you're into theatre, there's some great small theatres that offer affordable tickets for great performances. I've seen Other Desert Cities at the Cygnet and The Half-Life of Marie Curie and Love, Linda at New Village Arts, all in the past couple weeks, and all were deeply moving in their own way and I would recommend seeing any or all of them. 

Anyhoo...lots to do. Happy Valentine's Day and President's Day Weekend. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.  

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: $14 County Dog Adoptions | Zoo Baby Watch | US Wall Broke Treaties | Gaslamp's Car-Free Promenade Ends | WTF Is TFG Even Doing? |

Lupe & Amahle Having Fun On A Rainy Day (2.12.25)

I almost feel like I have to stop newsy things because how can we even keep up?? But there are enough things that don't have to do with TFG that it's still my little chance to vent and share some things. I'll probably repost these a lot, but since the general media is completely complicit in the immoral, wrong, and straight up illegal activities of TFG and F-Elon, ESPECIALLY the New York Times and Washington Post, it is critical to hear legitimate reporting and valuable commentary. In particular, I read Rebecca Solnit, Letters from an American by Heather Cox Richardson, Popular.info by Judd Legum, Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance, and Steady by Dan Rather. Wired is also very much worth the subscription price right now. There are probably 50 other subscriptions I have and read regularly, but it is all so overwhelming all the time that it's important to give everything a minute...not respond to every stupid and ignorant proclamation or EO, every press statement from the State Department, or every Facebook reaction to whatever stupid headline wins the day. I'm trying to watch the courts, the lawsuits, the injunctions, the stays, the tiny little belief that somehow checks and balances will work out and this jackhole and the worse-than-the-Taliban team behind Project 2025 will be stopped. In the meantime, just trying to keep our heads above water, one foot in front of the other, and find joy in the days we have. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Peaceful Protest February 9th at 9am

This is supposed to be a peaceful march and rally, but nobody faults you if you sit this one out because of the threat of violence by supporters of TFG and F-Elon (don't have to name the groups but you know who they are, and you know there is always the threat of violence, CCAs, etc.) or cops or ICE.

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, February 6-Wednesday, February 12, 2025: Maro + Nasaya | moe. | Eric Hutchison | The Meteors | Ozomatli | Inspector | Tommy Stinson | Tuxedo | Wild Pink |

The news this week just keeps getting crazier and crazier and I can't even believe this is real life and yet, we carry on hoping that there are checks and balances in place that prevent a full-on takeover by the American taliban that are occupying the government at the moment. So, I'm gonna bury my head in the sand, worry about why the hell I'm feeling sick --- now I'm convinced it is still and not again, and that maybe I did, in fact, have RSV, which is why I'm once again wheezing at night and don't feel like I can catch my breath but still feel fine enough...say 80%... to go do life while women are still allowed in public spaces without burkas or male escorts. Ugh. 

This week has a lot of amazing shows, so you, too, should bury your head in the sand and go experience live music or a farmer's market or a play or musical or engage in protests or do anything to feel a part of this great American experiment. I'm looking forward to seeing Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter at New Village Theatre and Other Desert Cities at the new Cygnet. I'm also hoping to do some Lunar New Year fun things that I skipped last weekend. It all depends how I feel, though, because being able to breathe is kinda critical. I can tell you I won't be sitting on the couch for a four hour football game, but you do you. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.