Del Mar Race Track Summer Concerts Announced

I was checking out the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club's site today and noticed they already announced the summer concert schedule. The Friday shows are all part of 91X's 4 o'clock Fridays. The Saturday shows happen after the final race (around 4ish usually).

Fri, Jul 18 Gavin Rossdale (Bush)
Fri, Jul 25 Super Diamond
Sat, Jul 26 Gnarls Barkley
Fri, Aug 1 Pinback
Fri, Aug 8 The Bravery
Sat, Aug 9 Reggae Fest ft. Ziggy Marley
Fri, Aug 15 Special Guest
Fri, Aug 22 Black Francis (The Pixies)
Fri, Aug 29 Steel Pulse
Sat, Aug 30 Devo
Wed, Sep 3 The English Beat

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X-Fest 2008, Qualcomm Concerts on The Green, 5.16.08

Before my weekend trip, I decided to take Friday off from work to take care of some things. Daniel was going to be staying at my house to watch my animal farm, so I thought I ought to straighten up my house and to be honest, just have a lazy day before going to X-Fest and then heading out of town for the wedding. Unfortunately, evidence of a weekend heatwave made me seriously question whether I really even wanted to bother with going to X-Fest at all. But since I had the set times and knew that I was only concerned with MgmT and Jimmy Eat World, and Daye was down to pick me up and accompany me we made plans to attend.

We arrived right around 4:45. Parking was $15 which was really annoying, considering there was a giant RV sale in the lot that was free to check out. If we were better liars we would've maintained we were just looking for a new rig.

The will call and ticket office was a hike from the concert venue, but fortunately we already had our tickets. Noted for the future (should I go there again) to make sure I always have physical tickets. We parked and were steps away from the gates which was really convenient.

Upon entering, we were searched and there was the typical concert signage of no coolers, pets, cameras, etc., but really, it's time for venues to surrender that camera policy. First of all, cameras are the size of a wallet, not to mention every phone pretty much has one, and it seems to me that this policy comes from back in the day when people would sell concert photos. Nowadays, you can get anything on the internet, so this policy is really just silly. Not to mention if people took the trolley, what were they to do if they did bring cameras? People want to remember their experiences and will find a way, so it'd be wise to just drop this archaic policy.

Anyway, we walked in and the Revolt stage was a tiny little stage right by the entrance. Then the remainder of the parking lot was lined with vendors- beer ranged from $7-$10 depending on the size, there were lemonade stands and food, some sponsor tents and a few informational booths like Southwestern College, Surfrider, and GoNavy.com

After passing, you hit the grass field. Ludo was wrapping up their set. The crowd was sparse to say the least.



Technically I'm a client of 91X, and all local media, for that matter, because of my day job, so I suggested we just check the VIP tent to see what was up. I was told that the laminates had only been made the day before and hadn't been distributed, so my friends, who work at Finest City, took care of us and we entered the VIP area.

In the area there was a ton of food from Roberto's and these really delicious Philly Cheese Steaks from Philly Frank's in San Marcos. Believe me, they deserve the mention and if I ever find myself in North County, I'll be looking for them.

We walked over to procure drinks and were a little surprised because of every event I've ever been to that has a VIP area, beverages are usually hosted. It wasn't surprising to see cocktails priced at $7, but I have to say $4 water and soda seemed weird, especially considering beer was free. It would seem a station would have no problem getting a beverage sponsor like Rockstar or Vitamin Water or something non-alcoholic but no biggie, I was content with little plastic cups of Budweiser.

After a quick beer, Daye and I made our way up to catch MgmT. They had a relatively short set, especially because live many of their songs go past 5 minutes each. Having seen them before, I was pleased with their set and I really look forward to seeing them again at 94/9's Independence Jam.

MgmT Setlist:
1. Electric Feel
2. Weekend Wars
3. Of Moons, Birds, and Monsters
4. Time To Pretend
5. The Handshake






After they finished, we went back to the tent. Had I not had the passes, I would've checked out the local stage but the free beer was more incentive than hiking across the venue in the heat which wasn't easing up. I know I'm a wuss, but anything over 80 is out of my comfort zone. This is why I don't plan on ever doing Coachella. At least the show was on grass, because a parking lot show on asphalt would've been miserable. I also didn't realize I could have taken the beer out of the tent. Usually VIP areas restrict that so people aren't taking booze out for friends.

After a while, Jimmy Eat World took the mainstage. I don't consider myself a fan of the band in the sense that I don't own any of their music, but of course I'm familiar with their radio hits, and I've really been digging their latest single. It seemed more people had arrived but the venue was still maybe only a third of its capacity.



Jimmy Eat World sounded great, but I only stayed up close briefly to snap a couple pictures then headed back to the tent, where I could still hear the show and sing along to the hits that I was familiar with.


I had a great time at the tent because I ran into some old friends from the biz that I hadn't seen in a very long time. Of course I'm appreciative that I got to see the show and explore the venue, and especially for VIP passes, but once Pennywise started, we were ready to take off. We heard a few of the songs and since I'd recently seen them at the Casbah, that was all I needed. I still think X-Fest can be a viable event that more people get excited about, but here's my prescription for making it better.

1. Drop ticket prices in half. If that's not possible, as a friend of mine mentioned, do a pre-sale the week before bands are announced with tickets priced at $9.91 to generate buzz and momentum for the event.

2. I realize it's a facility issue, but slapping people with $15 parking really, really sucks.

3. Lose the camera policy. While there were a lot of older bros in the crowd, there were also a lot of tweens and families there. It would be nice if they could memorialize their experience with some pictures.

I won't comment on the lineup because I'm not their target demographic, but my feelings about that should be pretty obvious since we only stayed for two bands. Still, I'm grateful to the station for hooking me up and I'll likely check it out again next year if it all works out again.

keep on reading...

91X Presents X-Fest At Qualcomm "Concerts On The Green"- Set-times

If you're going to X-Fest, see the set times below. I have an extra ticket for the first person who emails me (or calls me if you have my number)


TIME MAIN SIDE (LOCAL BANDS)
8:55 - 10:10 Offspring (75 min)
8:25 - 8:55 Set change Shark Attack (30 min)
7:25 - 8:25 Pennywise (60 min)
7:00 - 7:25 Set change The Sess (25 min)
6:10 - 7:00 Jimmy Eat World (50 min)
5:50 - 6:10 Set change The Burning of Rome (20 min)
5:20 - 5:50 MGMT (30 min)
5:05 - 5:20 Set change Revolt Fashion Show (15 min)
4:40 - 5:05 Ludo (25 min)
4:20 - 4:40 Set change Weatherbox (20 min)
4:00 - 4:20 My American Heart (20 min)
3:40 – 4:00 The Material (20 min)

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Chris Cantore Show @ X1FMradio.com

For a long time I've been listening to Indie 103.1 online in the mornings. I'm a huge fan of Joe Escalante, but I also really like radio. Unlike my iPod, a good radio show can give you bits of news and information, make you laugh, and make you feel like a part of a larger community. I've enjoyed Mat Diablo's new morning show at 91X though I only hear about 10 minutes of it because it's over by the time I'm done with my daily conference calls. I like listening to Garrett at 94/9 because he usually tosses in a few songs that aren't standard for your morning commute and he's got immense knowledge of the bands that he plays. But there's a gap in my radio day before I go back to Indie for Jonesy's Jukebox at noon and then Stacy Taylor at 3, and now that gap has closed.

Chris Cantore, who was at 91X for what? 12 years? Something like that anyway. Now he's back on the air and he's free to play a whole bunch of music not normally heard in a radio show, and he even has the freedom to say Fuck. It's like when Bill Maher was fired from CBS and made the jump to HBO and could finally say what he really wanted to say.

This Monday, appropriately on Cinco de Mayo, Chris' broadcast launched officially and there was a little Cinco de Mayo brunch and carne asada to go with it. The studio is in National City, once the offices of The Flash. The station is online only, but the owner also took the time to explain that they were able to break code of the iPhone and iTouch and it can be streamed on both devices when wireless is available. They gave a tour of the studios and explained some of the other launches they have planned in the coming months, but there was so much stuff, I could barely wrap my head around Chris being not only streaming online but with cameras on so you can watch everyone as they do the show, and on top of that, chat with them on a message board. And the bonus for me is that the show runs until noon. I particularly like the cross border influence of the station, with a daily rock en espanol segment, Jen Correia (blogger at SanDiego-ish) doing news, and the chemistry the whole team has on air.

It was a nice way to start of a Monday, but even more, it's another innovation from our little town. Some people would prefer me to pick favorites when it comes to radio, and in this case online radio, but to me, we're pretty damn lucky to have some quality choices, because if you think about it, the more airplay certain artists get between those choices, the more inclined they are to stop here on tour, like how Death Cab did private performances for FM 94/9, 91X, and KPRi all to eventually announce that they'll be here this summer. I love this city, and it's nice to listen to people on-air who feel the same.

This is through the glass from the conference room into the studio:


That's Kallao, who briefly joined Chris in the broadcast (and whose photography you can link to in my list of photo sites)


And for all my radio peeps, here's links to all of stations I've mentioned in this post, and they can all be streamed:

X1FMradio.com
FM 94/9
91X
KPRi
Indie 103.1

keep on reading...

91X X-Session With Death Cab For Cutie

I didn't want to write about Death Cab For Cutie until it happened because I didn't want to jinx myself. I've been to private shows like that where the bands didn't show up, or showed up hours late, or I got there late or whatever, so I just wanted to get there and witness.

I posted last week that I was looking to get in to one of the radio shows, and I want to give a super huge shout to Mat Diablo, the new morning DJ for hearing my call and allowing me to check it out. I see a lot of bands, and I meet a lot of bands, but I didn't expect to get so nervous before seeing DCFC again, but I did. I parked in the wrong parking lot, but that meant that I walked up from the front of the building and the band was all sitting outside hanging out, so big geek me, I walked up and introduced myself until someone from the station took me to where I was supposed to be. Then he laughed at how I just introduced myself. Yeah, big dork right here, but if you could shake Ben's hand, wouldn't you?

As these things go, there's more waiting around than actual performance time, but it was cool because everyone was chatty and swapping Coachella stories in the lobby.

Finally we went into the studio and we were allowed flashless photography. My shutter button on my camera broke off, so I have to MacGyver my camera with a toothpick which is really lame, but here are some pics.







They played five songs:
Photobooth
Brothers on A Hotel Bed
Grapevine
Talking Bird
I Will Possess Your Heart

I believe Mat did an interview after the show, and you can hear the live songs and interview in the morning. It was short, but sweet, and the band sounded beautiful and crisp in the studio surroundings. After the mini-set, their label rep gave everyone a signed poster and we were on our way. He did announce that Death Cab For Cutie will be touring and they'll be in San Diego on June 20 at the Open Air Theatre at SDSU, so save the date. I can't hardly wait.





Death Cab For Cutie Setlist, 4.28.08

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91X Adds MGMT to X-Fest Lineup

Now that Coachella is all wrapped up, 91X was able to announce this morning that MGMT will be playing X-Fest. Things just got a whole lot tastier for the Qualcomm practice field. Count me in.

The Offspring
Pennywise
Jimmy Eat World
MGMT
Ludo
My American Heart

sidestage:
The Material
Weatherbox
The Burning of Rome
The Sess
Shark Attack DJs

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Looking for a DCFC hookup

The guys in DCFC will be in town this weekend for some private radio sponsored events and I'm looking for an in. Let me know if you've got the connects. I got to go to their 91X garage show, but it happened the day after Bush was re-elected and Chris Walla lost it while performing "New Year" and he and Ben left the stage, not to return. It was a powerful showing of someone who really felt the ramifications of the election deeply, but the show was never made up to us. I would love the opportunity to see them again.

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91X X-Fest 2008

Man, was I asleep at the wheel for this one. 91X seems to be quite aggressive these days and want you to know that they are back. They've announced their X-Fest show for this year and I totally spaced on it, so here it is:

X-Fest! With The Offspring, Pennywise, Jimmy Eat World, Ludo, My American Heart and more rocking the Scion main stage and the best in San Diego local bands hitting the Revolt side stage, this is THE premiere concert to be at in 2008!

The show is on May 16 at "Concerts on the Green at Qualcomm Stadium" which I suppose means the practice field in the Q's parking lot. I'll dig for more info as it is available.

keep on reading...

A rundown of my last few days

I guess I haven't really posted since the Beto Cuevas show so here's a quick rundown on how the last few nights have been for me.

Thursday, my friend Kristian and I went to the Pearl Hotel in Point Loma for a "Yelp Elite" party. Thanks to Ruggy for the invite. I love the hotel though it's been a while since I stopped by(you can read about the last time I was there here. Booze was provided by Effen Vodka (yay!) and there were some delicious tray passed appetizers. When we got there, we went straight for a cabana- I think a lot of people didn't know they were out by the pool and confined themselves to the bar- and it was great to hang out with other friends...Daye, Aaron, etc.

From there, we went to TNT where Absolut Grapefruit was the sponsor. Excellent. I liked F.U.Z.Z. though I didn't expect to because any band described as "funk" usually makes me turn and run. Then Ex-Friends played and the patio was more crowded. I love TNT and really look forward to some of the summer shows, when it's warm out, the days longer, and more people show up.

I said my goodbyes to Kristian and his friends and made my way to Chaser's, though by the time I arrived, I missed Di Nigunim, and ended up just sitting at the bar with Gene. It was a full on Punkboard night there. Sandra showed up and we ended up at my house after while she waited for Taxi Rob to come get her.

Friday night was a one stop night for me. I met James at the bar so we were on the bar side while Witt played but we got a booth when the Henry Clay People and Swim Party played. There weren't a lot of people at the bar, maybe everyone was at "The Fest" at the Casbah, but those of us who were there got a great show. The Henry Clay people are from LA and their original stuff is great, but I was especially taken by their cover of The Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait" and they did a fun version of Operation Ivy's "Don't Know Nothin'" and I was finally able to pick up their CDs. Then of course Swim Party rocked our socks off, and I was glad there was an intimate crowd of good friends there for what was their last show in a while since Eric is getting married soon, and Petro's got to take some time to get ready for his late summer wedding.

Saturday was a lazy day punctuated by dinner at Lefty's. I decided to take a nap before heading to the Casbah, but when the time came, I never made it to the Casbah. I was tired and needed the rest, but ended up waking up in the middle of the night and rediscovered my new best friend, Hulu.

Hulu is a site that hosts tons of tv shows and movies. Watching is free if you don't mind a few commercials. I watched half of the third season of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, then shut down and went back to dreamland. Now I'm home and scratched my plans for that Vegan BBQ to hang at home. I think James and I are going to Habitat House in a little while but until then, I'm signing off. If I don't sign back on, don't forget to check out 91X in the morning. Mat Diablo makes his morning show debut. He's a great guy and has shared some of his plans for the show and I think people who enjoy some talk and music will be pleased. I hope.

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What Happened To Chris Cantore?: The Movie

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Random Notes

Ah, yes. My third day of sick. Lovely. Thought I'd post a couple things while I'm back at home. (I went to work today but was sent home because I "look like shit")

A few weeks back I wrote about the passing of Ike Turner in my Notes From The Smoking Patio column. I tried to keep the column as straightforward as possible with regards to Ike's musical legacy, and to focus on the time that he was a resident of San Diego. Tonight, his band will be performing a tribute show in La Jolla. How sad, then, that the toxicology reports came back from his autopsy and attributed his death to a cocaine overdose. To me it's sad, it's pathetic, and the more I think about it, sounds like it might've been deliberate.

In other stuff, I appreciate all the feedback I get from this site as well as the column. I alone control the content, layout, photos, and opinions on this site, and if anyone ever has issues with me, there are certainly plenty of ways to contact me on this site, including my direct e-mail. At the paper, however, I'm but a tiny piece of a big puzzle. Issues there should be directed appropriately. A fellow blogger has weighed in here.

In case you missed it, Kallao was back on KROQ on Wednesday night for round 2. I guess he's being tried out, so if you get a chance to call in when he's on air, I know he'd love the feedback.

And, it's been all over the other blogs and I'll try covering it in the Locals column, but 91X has a new incarnation of Loudspeaker. It will be on late Sundays, and available for streaming 24/7 on 91X.com.

that's all for now...back to my misery.

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Kallao Is On KROQ

If you're up in the wee hours, Kallao, who was one of 91X's "Merry Christmas, You're fired!" casualties, is on KROQ at the moment- it's graveyard but for a radio DJ, it's HUGE.

Congrats to Kallao- just make sure you come back to us in SD because we heart you.

He'll be on-air until 5 a.m. and you can stream it live here.

As one door closes, a better one ALWAYS opens.

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Chris Cantore Leaves 91X

There are things that I sometimes don't blog. As much as I love news and can succumb to gossip, I feel a responsibility to keep certain things to myself when I hear them, because I value the relationships that I've made because of this blog and it's not my goal to screw with anyone's life. That said, I would be remiss if I didn't comment on the drama happening over at 91X.

First there was this piece in Blurt, back in November.

According to one insider, the next local morning DJ to be replaced by a
syndicated show is Chris Cantore, who has anchored the 91X morning show for 11
years. On November 14, his on-air partner Jennifer White announced that she was
leaving 91X after 2 years. She is set to get her own morning show on Sophie
103.7.

It is rumored that Cantore in the Morning will be replaced by the
L.A.-based Adam Carolla Show in January. Carolla's all-talk show replaced the
syndicated Howard Stern Show in many cities when Stern switched to Sirius almost
two years ago. Locally, the Carolla show was carried on Free FM, the now-defunct
all-talk station at 103.7 FM. Weak ratings prompted 103.7 to switch to the
female-friendly "Sophie" music format.

Then Ken, the most charming man in local journalism, did this piece about Al Guerra leaving 91X's Loudspeaker.

Chris Cantore, host of the 91X morning show for 11 years, signed off on
December 14, saying he was not sure if he would be coming back after a two-week
vacation.

When asked, Manning did not deny looking into replacing Cantore with a
nationally syndicated morning show; however, he says the next 91X morning show
will be live and local. But, Manning says he is looking "outside San Diego" for
morning-show talent.

I had the chance to talk to Chris and Ruggy at the FM 94/9 Holiday Hootenanny and it's no secret that things have been a-changing at 91X for some time now. To me, it's sad to see Kallao and Cantore go, and now Al Guerra, but I know they'll all be well. Sadly for radio listeners, things will probably get a whole lot worse before they get better.

And from Cantore's MySpace:

Aloha.
Yes, it's true.
I will not be returning to 91X in 2008.
I am sorry if you had to find out this way.
Currently, spending time with my family, friends, and surfboard.
I promise, I will tell you EVERYTHING very, very soon. Thank you for 11 years of support and all your well-wishes...melts my soul.

Good luck, Cantore. You will be missed.

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Jennifer White Hired to DJ on Radio Sophie

According to the OC register, Jennifer White starts on air at Radio Sophie in December. I think she'll do well there. And before you all whine about the station, it has a very specific demographic and if you're reading this blog, chances are you're not in it.

(I was corrected about being the first, that's how it was reported in the paper. My bad. Thanks for the correction. I'll commit to listening to Sophie more just as soon as "Hey There Delilah" gets dropped from rotation.)

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91X Morning Show Shakeup?

I don't listen to 91X in the mornings usually, but I saw this on Cantore's MySpace:

"Jennifer White bailed today. I understand and wish her the best."

Muy interesante.

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FM 94/9 Insider DJ Promotion Ends

Chickrawker is a better source of radio info, but I thought this worthy enough to post. The latest ratings book came out and 91X pulled ahead of FM 94/9. Maybe people want more Sublime and RHCP and less Decemberists and Bright Eyes? I say that in jest, because with Callao and Marco over there, I have found my dial flipping back and forth more than it used to. But a new book always means a little bit of a shakeup (or is it a shakedown?) and FM 94/9 has called it quits on the Insider DJ promotion.

Insider DJ has been a blast, but like all good things, it’s sometimes best
to enjoy them in moderation. With that said, Insider DJ will be going on
hiatus as of Friday at 4pm. As you already know, there are benefits to
being an FM 94/9 Insider, the Insider DJ program is just one of many things
available exclusively to you. Keep checking your inbox, we’ll continue to
make sure that as an Insider you’ll always have access to things that others
won’t.

I was skeptical about the program at first, and criticized some of the choices of people picking the music only because they picked stuff that was already playing on the radio, but people seemed to get riskier as time went on and when I did listen in the daytime, I thought it was a good thing. I hope it's not ended forever.

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Vegoose Presale (and Password)

Regular Vegoose tickets go on Saturday at 10 am, but you can buy pre-sale tickets starting Thursday at 10 am by clicking here. (Register your email address ahead of time) Password is "vegoose91x" or "vegoosekbzt”, depending on which station you wanna support.

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Wednesday Newsy Bits: Skull Kontrol, May*Star, 91X, Cops out of Control

I'm a little behind the curve today, but some stuff I thought I'd still mention, even at the risk of duplicating other blogs:
*****
Check out your favorite Skull Kontrol/Art Fag boys in Street this Thursday, or check the Street blog here. Don't forget about the Skull Kontrol/Cat Dirt Sez event on July 7. CatSkull DirtKontrol. I like it.





*****
According to the Reader's Blurt section this week, 91X is slowly moving to a hard rock format. If that is true, I hope the on-air staff has got their resumés together. I'm not wishing ill on any of them, but format changes and new pd's usually eventually like to rebuild a station with a tabula rasa. Try Radio Sophie... the format is a little soft, but in my opinion more progressive than just shadowing KROQ.

Also, check out May in this week's Reader music feature.

*****

A very good friend of mine just had an incident with police harassment and I wasn't going to write about it because it's not my business to evaluate a situation based on one side of the story. But over and over again this blatant abuse of power and authority is broadcast in the YouTube world we live in. Is this cop out of control? He was antagonized and I'm not in his position, but I perceive this as excessive. I guess mostly I just feel people need to lead by example, starting with our Commander In Chief all the way down to Public Servants, clergy, and all the way down to moms and dads. A culture of violence promotes more violence, not less, and "absolute power corrupts absolutely." That said, I got this on MySpace today:

If you'd like to comment on this video, here is the contact information:

Hot Springs Arkansas Police Department
Phone: (501) 321-6789
Fax: (501) 321-6708
Chief of Police, Bobby Southard
Email: bsouthard@cityhs.net
641 Malvern Avenue Hot Springs, Arkansas 71901

(Arresting officer is Officer Joey Williams)

*****

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91X 4 O Clock Fridays Announced

Here's the schedule for this summer's 4 o'clock Fridays:

July 20: Satellite Party, Featuring Perry Farrell

July 27: Pinback

Aug. 3: Violent Femmes

Aug. 4: The Cult

Aug. 10: Unwritten Law

Aug. 17: Cake

Aug. 24: Pete Yorn

Aug. 25: Ziggy Marley

Aug. 31: Angels & Airwaves

Sept. 5: Super Diamond

Also, Saturday events this year include the annual Microbrew festival and concert on July 28, an infield concert on August 4th, the Reggae Festival on August 25, and the close of the racing season at the annual Party At The Paddock on Wednesday, September 5.

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91X X-Fest 2007 More photos

Kallao from 91X has posted some pics on Flickr.

Check them out here.

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