San Diego Radio & TV News

Lots of shake-ups in local TV and Radio this week.

First, Madison is no longer going to host morning drive, and instead will shift to middays (10a-3p). Maybe he can actually check out some shows now instead of waking up at 4 am everyday. Ex- 91Xer Oz Medina will be taking over in the mornings.

Second, the UT reported that Stan Miller is on leave from Channel 8 (KFMB/CBS) and may not come back. Stan happens to be my favorite news man so I hope if he leaves KFMB he stays in the market. I particularly enjoyed his coverage during the wildfires last fall. I couldn't have had such accurate and up to the minute information had it not been for News Eight's coverage.

Last, congratulations to FM 94/9 which has been nominated for the National Association of Broadcasters' Marconi Radio Awards for best rock station! It's great they're being recognized for kicking ass.

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FM 94/9 About the Music feat. Republic of Letters & The Duke Spirit 7.15.08

Tuesday night was a great night. Petro & Andy picked me, we picked up Eric from his place and headed up to the Belly Up. I was looking forward to seeing The Duke Spirit, but mostly because I love the way Republic of Letters sounds on the stage. With a designated driver, I was stoked to see the Belly Up reinstated their 'beer of the month', so we couldn't pass on Dos Equis for $3. We hung outside for a while until Republic of Letters took the stage. The set was great and because it was an "About the Music" show the venue was packed. It made for a great showing for Republic of Letters and I was proud of their set. They played some new songs and it looks like they'll be recording soon. For some reason there were no front stage lights for their entire set, so you'll have to checkout pics on their MySpace page, but I did post video of them here.

After their set, we hung back outside, and by the time we re-entered the venue, it was insanely packed. I liked The Duke Spirit, but I didn't love them. They're good at what they do, there are just a lot of bands doing what they do...The Ting-Tings, The Noisettes, and Killola come to mind. As it was, their CD was a grower for me- it took several listens to get into it. This is as close as I got to the stage.


With that many people crowding the venue, and Petro having to work early the next morning, we stayed for about half the set. On our way out, I ran into Daye, and he suggested I stay and catch a ride home from him, so I did, but we ended up standing in front of the Belly Up catching up with friends for the remainder of the night.

After he dropped me at home, Dag texted me, so we met for a nightcap at the Ken where all my neighborhood buddies were hanging out. Needless to say, I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

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FM 94/9 Independence Jam pt 3

So by this point in the day, MgmT was hitting the mainstage. I was feeling the burn from all those stairs and a happy buzz as I descended the stairs. MgmT just makes me happy. My feeling is that some of their songs could be sped up slightly for live performances, but they just chill out all happy and it lends itself to people being able to hear every lyric of "Time To Pretend", "Youth", and all the other songs my friends and I have gotten down to since the album came out.

At this point of the day I was regretting that I didn't have a backup memory card for my camera, so I conserved and didn't even spend the full allotted time in the pit. I think this was also the point in the day that I teased one of the guards about not smiling. Blow-up beach balls were flying into the pit, so I picked one up and tossed it back to the crowd. The security are supposed to look mean and intimidating, and sometimes they are, but most of them are young, many of them servicemen or former servicemen, and after being treated like shit by everyone all day, you might seem grumpy, too. I talked to a couple of them, and I could tell they were good on the inside, particularly when one of them gave me a "psst" to let me know I needed to tend to more beach balls, something they are not allowed to do. I mean really, they're not even supposed to smile. That made me happy as I skipped out of the photo pit.

The VIP area was open by that point, so I watched the end of MgmT while eating a burger, watching the crowd slowly bump like a wave to the end of their set. We stayed up there for a while, regrettably missing The Muslims.

After discovering some barely used port-o-potties I had another quick cerveza then caught The Cold War Kids. They announced they'll have a new release later this summer and played some new songs, but kept everyone happy with "Hang Me Out To Dry" and "Hospital Beds" among others from their earlier releases (the eps and full length). I seriously love these guys and hope they end up on the Street Scene lineup, or better yet, play a little small show at the Casbah. Fingers crossed. I haven't heard anything, by the way, I'm just hoping.





At this point in the day it was about 6pm. I caught the full set, then Natalie and I were smart enough to go around from the VIP to the local stage where The Silent Comedy was just about to bring it down.

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FM 94/9 Independence Jam pt 2

By this point at Indie Jam, it was around 2:30. The Ting-Tings were finishing up their set, I ran into Tim and asked if he could get me an extra credential, so I followed him up the steps and he got me a Casbah stage pass from Porter. It wasn't really necessary, but it gave me leverage to befriend the security up top and I eventually talked to his supervisor who gave us clearance to use the photo barrier for the local stage. Most large shows that I've been to usually have an entrance for photos and one for backstage areas. For some reason, the entrance to get to the photo section of both stages was the same as the backstage area and this caused some confusion, but at least we worked it out up top.

The Blackout Party sounded great and looked perfect, too. Tim was a total rockstar in his wifebeater and aviators as he played his instruments, and Brian was rocking an Obama shirt and the sky made his blue eyes piercing (when he finally took off his shades). Everyone else rocked out, too, though Jake didn't bust another hole in his snare like last time I saw him, fortunately.



After three songs I chilled in the tent for the local stage as more of the bands unloaded, then made my way back to the mainstage for The Whigs. Of all the bands I saw, I was probably least familiar with their music. This was when the mainstage security snafu happened, but Tim worked it out, then later Owen, so I took some quick pics and got out.



There were signs for beer sampling from 3-4p, so Natalie and I walked across the football field to the main beer garden and enjoyed $1 samples of beer and sparks and Velvet and Kristian came to find us. We found a spot on the grass and drank samples until The Whigs finished. From the lawn, we just took everything in, looking at everyone laying on blankets, listening to The Whigs power through their set until the end.

This is where I should say that it's clear people enjoy these events in a million different ways. Some people listened to the music intently, maintaining their spots at the mainstage barrier all day long. Others hang back, minimally clothed, sunbathing while the music played in the background. Some danced, some played hacky sack or frisbee, some hang out to just see one band, and some just drink all day long. Personally, running around, taking pictures, saying hi to friends, being backstage or in a VIP tent, having cold beer...these all make up the ways I enjoyed this event. Just like some people's ideal vacation is a deserted beach in Hawaii, mine is a busy week in a big city where you need 2 days after the vacation just to get back to your real life. Neither is better or worse, just different. With that, The Whigs finished, and it was back up the stairs for Kill Me Tomorrow.

Watching them, I wondered how with all the local shows I go to, I've never seen them. Maybe the band's name sounded too emo for me to even try but they were anything but emo and they played a great set. I promise I will definitely see them again when I can.






I had a beer with Blackout Party and the rest of the bands milling around until I heard the first notes of MgmT and I was off super quick to get to see my band of the day.

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FM 94/9 Independence Jam, pt. 1

I really wanted to get to Indy Jam in time to catch Nortec Collective and Santogold, but Kristian drove down from LA and there was still some discussion as to wheter we were gonna take the magic bus or drive, but taking one car made the most sense for us. Velvet has been living in Montana, so she had a sweet convertible and the ride to Chula Vista was sweet, just chilling into the back with my hair whipping my face. We arrived and had no problem getting right into the venue.

Santogold was finishing up on the mainstage, so we made our way to the upstairs beer garden while The Wrong Trousers hit the local stage. I think they really impressed the crowd that was trickling in, and how could they not with their innocent stage banter, particularly with the story about "Calvin"?



We listened from the beer garden for the remainder of the set, then made our way downstairs for The Ting-Tings. They mentioned again being jetlagged, but it wasn't evident in their performance at all. They were high energy all over again and I was glad we didn't miss their set. They played most of the jams from the album and I ran into some friends as they finished up, so Daye and I busted out some 80s dance moves before heading back upstairs.









The bands alternated all day between the upstairs and mainstage, so as soon as one band finished, it was up the stairs to catch all my local band peeps. The only one I missed was The Muslims but when they played I really needed to get some grub in me. To whomever commented that I didn't look like I had fun, you're sadly mistaken. The bands were great, I was with some of my favorite friend, and I had a nice buzz all day long. It was an amazing kickoff to summer in San Diego, and I'll post more of the pictures in the next couple days.

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FM 94/9 Independence Jam

I uploaded all the pictures I want to post from Independence Jam that took place on Sunday and I'll roll them out later, but for now, I wanted to thank everyone who made it such a rad day, particularly Owen, Tim Pyles and Tim Mays. Those guys were everywhere throughout the day and made sure people like me were taken care of when, say, security didn't believe a "photo" pass meant access to the "photo" pit. Really, though, the whole day was smooth sailing, so here are just some friends who helped make the day special and I'll get to all the music later.

First, huge thanks to Kristian and Velvet who were kind enough to pick me up and drive to the show (left). They didn't stay as late as I did, but thanks to Jake for getting me from Southwestern to the Casbah, and Abraham for getting me home and for the little diversion at MgmT's hotel.

That's Trav and Justin who were fun to chat with up in the VIP tent.






Left, the boys of Transfer, and the man, the myth, the machine, Mr. Tim Pyles:

It was seriously a perfect day and I can't wait to have some time to write about it all, but my lunch is over and I have to head back to work, so check back tonight or tomorrow for all the band photos.

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Independence Jam Set Times: aka DON'T BE LATE.

I just called Owen to see if 94/9 wanted to give set times and he said they've been on the site for over a week. If the link from FM949sd.com to www.independencejam.com wasn't working for you (like it wasn't for me), here are the set times for Sunday. All I know is that bus better get me to Southwestern College in time for Nortec Collective...



You rss readers are gonna have to actually click to the site. Set times are in a jpeg.

I cannot wait. I've been excited about a different band every day this week, and today it's Cold War Kids because I realized that its been some time since I've seen them (and sold merch for them). Yay. All Sundays should be this awesome.

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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

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FM 94/9 Independence Jam

FM 94/9 announced their Independence Jam lineup. Interesting. Independence Jam has MGMT, too. Maybe they can go for the hat trick and play SoCo Music Festival as well.

Main Stage:
Flogging Molly
The Hold Steady
Cold War Kids
MGMT
The Whigs
The Ting Tings
Santogold
Nortec Collective

Local Stage:
Transfer
Silent Comedy
Kill Me Tomorrow
The Muslims
Blackout Party

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FM 94/9 Independence Jam 2008

Tomorrow morning, April 28, FM 94/9 is going to announce the lineup for this year's Independence Jam. For those of you reading the web on a Sunday, here's a sneak peek at the local stage (in no particular order):

The Silent Comedy
Kill Me Tomorrow
Blackout Party
The Wrong Trousers
maybe The Muslims

Grand Ole Party, The Night Marchers, and Black Heart Procession can NOT play due to conflicting tour dates.

Also, don't forget the Whigs are already confirmed as a mainstage act. I'm hoping that means their tourmates, What Made Milwaukee Famous, will be on that bill, too, but they're not getting airplay so I dunno. I gave up on my other guessing, you'll just have to wait until tomorrow.

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A Dedication to Garrett at FM 94/9

see more crazy cat pics

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Indy Jam Predictions

I love playing this game where I guess who will be playing the local radio stations' summer festivals. Now that we know the date of the Independence Jam, it's time for some guessing:

First, the bands who no way, no how are playing because of conflicting dates, but who have new releases or just mega-buzz at the moment:

R.E.M.
Death Cab For Cutie
The Raconteurs
Vampire Weekend
Gnarls Barkley (they aren't playing on 6.8, but will be on the east coast, so not likely they'd fly over for a day)

Could play Independence Jam:

Flogging Molly
MGMT
What Made Milwaukee Famous
My Morning Jacket
Flobots

I haven't really delved into overall predictions, only because I have too much going on at the moment, but I based these guesses on other festivals occurring right about the same time (like Live 105's BFD in San Francisco on 6.7.08), then subtracting the non-94/9 bands and the ones playing X-Fest (i.e. Pennywise). I also looked over FM 94/9's list of recommended artists that they've had over the last few months. I'm usually totally wrong about these things, but it's a fun exercise anyway. If you would like to venture guesses, feel free to do so in the comments.

One other thing to note- Live 105's show has Cypress Hill, Pennywise, Flogging Molly, Alkaline Trio, The Kooks, MGMT, Anti-Flag, The Whigs, Airborne Toxic Event, Atreyu, Everlast and a bunch of other local acts and DJs and tickets are $10.53. I know 94/9 likes to bring in less artists so they can all play full sets, but the price disparity in our market is a little disheartening. Worth it, I think, because last year kicked ass, but why do we pay so much more in San Diego for this type of stuff?

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FM 94/9 Independence Jam

It's coming back. June 8, 2008 at DeVore Stadium at Southwestern College.
Tickets are $40 flat, no service charges, and includes parking.

No band announcements, but I'm here to crack the code, so I'll do my best.

First band (according to Pollstar): The Whigs

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Sunday Recap: Frantic Romantic, Inigo, The Clap, et al.

Sunday night rolled around and I wouldn't have missed the Casbah for the world...great bands, free food, a bunch of my friends were going to be there, and of course I had to be there to say goodbye to Marco, since he's leaving this Friday. I got there right at 7, but found out the food wasn't there yet. I called Jason and he explained there was some issue or something, so he'd only be bringing a few pizzas. No matter, we were all hanging out, I caught up with Marco and Natalie, and even my friend Tarol was there. It was one of those nights that I had the most random conversations with random people, and it was just the way I liked it. Eventually 5 pizzas showed up, so those of us hovering in the back got fed, then headed in for the show.

I was a little bummed that Frantic Romantic had such an early slot because I think they were probably the biggest draw of the night, but they set the bar high for the night. They sounded excellent and at least half a dozen people asked me who they were...so I guess that's how bands build their following...being on a good bill and rockin people's socks off. My camera was malfunctioning all night- I think the room was fogging it up so I couldn't focus, so my pics are even worse than usual, but some of the bands from the night asked me to post, so this is for them.

Frantic Romantic




Inigo was up next and it was my first time seeing them though a few of them are friends of mine. I really enjoyed them, but I felt the mic was muffling for some reason, so lyrics weren't really distinguishable. Still, the music sounded great. Hopefully they get a couple more shows in before Pete has to relocate up north. (I'm working on it, Michael.) Sorry that these pics are even more fuzzy.

Inigo




After Inigo, I was hanging out with Natalie near the front door and let me just discreetly say someone I never thought I'd see again, ever, showed up and it was like seeing a ghost, and it certainly changed my mood for the night. I can't really go into it but I was not a happy camper. We moved away from the door and ducked away in the bar.

We went into the club for The Clap, and Aaron insisted the band is just a joke, but honestly, I love watching him on stage. Even when they're singing songs about STDs or singing "Too Drunk To Fuck", he still owns the stage and I was entertained. I hope, even if it is a joke, that they play some more shows.

The Clap




After The Clap, I was talking to a friend and the ghost from my past tapped me on the shoulder and asked if we could talk. It was weird and awkward and I've never been more uncomfortable in the Casbah, a place that normally feels like home. But I got over it and ended up hanging with my friends the rest of the night, catching bits and pieces of War Stories and Get Your Death On, but not enough to review and I didn't take any more pics. Still, weirdness and all, it was a great night. It was great to see so many people I hadn't seen in a while all in the same place at the same time and since it was an early show, despite there being five bands, it was still a relatively early night (though Abe and I made a late night stop afterward).

I knew I was behind in my posts and my animals were slightly neglected over the weekend (as evidenced by my dog not letting me go to work on time), so I opted to stay home on Monday and again tonight (sorry, Beezeley!) I do have plans for this week, so hopefully I can get my timing mastered, because there are a couple nights where I hope to catch multiple shows. We shall see how that works out, but fingers crossed, I hope to catch some great music this week.

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Big Sunday! Marco's Birthday & Going Away Party

I don't like to look too far beyond Fridays when it's only midweek, but I wanna make sure everyone saves Sunday night. DJ, music guru, all around good guy and my good friend Marco Collins is moving back to Seattle. This month's FM 94/9 show will be his goodbye party as well as a celebration of his birthday. On top of all that, Jason's bringing Fiori's pizza, the bands are awesome (The Clap, Get Your Death On!, War Stories, Inigo, Frantic Romantic) and it's all free. So you have no excuse to not be there.

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FM 94/9 2007 Holiday Hootenanny

You might recall that I was looking for a "plus one" to go with me to the Hootenanny. I had VIP passes and was looking for someone who'd be willing to drive to UCSD. I was glad that my friend Adam responded, had I known he wanted to go I would've just asked him. We made sure to arrive early because we didn't want to miss out on the grub like I always seem to do for events. We got there as the gates opened walked right in. We made our way to the outdoor tent area and grabbed a couple beers while we chatted with the bartender and some random people who were confused about some things. FM 94/9 had a promotion during the last week before the show that anyone who bought a ticket at designated spots got a free lift ticket but a few people seemed to think they got one just for going to the show. Once we straightened that out, it was time to chill out, have a burger, and enjoy the show.

Adam used to work for 94/9, so he was chatting with friends when I went to watch Reeve Oliver, and O asked over the mic if I'd found a date. Thank god I don't embarass easily.






The field was set up like last year, with a full beer garden and plasma screens all over, so we ended up watching Rogue Wave from outside, though I'm hoping to catch the show at the Belly Up in January. We went into the venue for Mute Math and they were so entertaining, jumping all over the stage. Like an idiot, my battery for my camera was running low, so I was pretty conservative taking pictures, but I was able to snap a few throughout the night.





At one point the drummer dove into the crowd, then had his drum passed into the crowd, which somehow he managed to play as he and his drum were passed over the crowd. Pretty great showmanship, if you ask me, and it made their performance stand out above the others of the night.



Between bands we went outside once again, hanging with friends for a short while until it was time to catch The Kooks. I thought they sounded great, though they seemed to be pretty pissed, talking shit to the sound guys, but clarifying that they loved the crowd despite the technical difficulties.





After having seen Louis XIV and Pinback more than a few times this year, we opted to hang out in the VIP area which was packed with people for the remainder of the night. We went in for a little at the end of Pinback's set and somehow I managed to get a band pass, so I was in the dressing room area for a little while and then helped Rob Crow carry some gear to their van. Would you believe the guys are still unloading their own gear?



I'd never seen Queens of The Stone Age, and never really considered myself a fan, but I was really blown away by their energy onstage, and I guess I didn't realize that I am familiar with most of their material, so that was kinda cool. I managed to grab a couple setlists, too.


Queens of the Stone Age setlist, 12/15/07

After they finished we said our quick goodbyes and found our way to the parking garage and managed to get out with relative ease, though we did have to bust a u-turn to get out via Gennessee. The Hootenanny was a great night, and not just because of the bands playing, but to see so many old friends and to meet new ones, made for a nice holiday party. FM 94/9 took plenty of pictures of the night, too, which you can see here. For us, it was off to the Tower Bar.

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Sights + Sounds feat Film School at SDMA

After a late night at the Melvins on Wednesday, then a long day at work on Thursday, I had to get in a power nap before heading out. The nap resulted in my missing the CityBeat Red Party at SideBar downtown. Instead, I went to Balboa Park and am glad that Aguirre stood up for the public when he took a stand against the valet from The Prado using public spots because for the first time in a long time, I had no problem finding parking. This was actually surprising because the event was sold out. Apparently Brooke and Owen and the other organizers from FM 94/9 expected about 500 people; instead, they had to cut off sales at 700. I was pleased that the event was successful because it only encourages similar events in the future. Unfortunately, when I arrived, security was clearing out the museum and filtering everyone into the outdoor sculpture garden area, but I wasn't really there for the art anyway.

After a few minutes of waiting, I was handed my will call tickets and we were in the event. There was food from Modus, but we were only able to snag a couple of the crab lettuce wraps, and we didn't bother with the bar because we heard they were on the verge of running out of booze. We made our way into the auditorium where the crowd left a nice 7 foot "too cool gap", so we found a spot against the stage.

Film School comes from the whole Silverlake scene, so it's no stretch to see how they fit in with bands like Silversun Pickups. In fact, Dave, the guitarist from Film School, toured with SSPU early on, and I recognized him from the first time I saw them out the HoB sidestage.















The auditorium was a really great space. The stage was huge and I guess it's used mostly for classical performances, but it would serve all of us well if they hosted more rock shows, because the sound was great, the lighting was spot on, and the crowd had room to move. It is my understanding that FM 94/9 is hoping to make this a monthly event and I really hope that is true. TNT has lost some momentum of late, it seems, and I actually think that Sights + Sounds might revive interest in the whole art + music concept.

From the Museum of Art, Andrea and I headed to The Melvins show, which I already wrote about, then afterward we went to Modus, where Film School was hanging and spinning records. That point of the night was just silliness and we had a good time, pretty much having the run of the bar.

My guess is that in a few months Film School will be where SSPU are now, so I'm glad I got to see them in a semi-intimate venue since I'd missed their Beauty Bar show a month before. I'm also glad that there seems to be a new LA scene going on, getting away from the dirty Sunset Blvd scene and moving into a broader indie scene that I can really get behind. It's about time.

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Plug Awards Nominees: The Locust & Mike Halloran

The PLUG Awards are to indie bands what the Grammy's are for sellout cheeseballs who sell a bazillion records to the masses. Wait, does that really work as an analogy? Not really. But anyway, they're annual awards that are kind of a big deal in the indie music world. So yeah, Band of Horses are in pretty much every category ("and the Plug Award for biggest asshole goes to...") but there are some other worthy mentionables, like the National and Arcade Fire who appear to be fighting for the top spot on most lists this year.

San Diego is getting some shout outs, too, so ye shall get yer indie butt over and vote here.

In the "Punk Album of the Year" category, The Locust are nominated for New Erections.

In the "Best Specialty Show" category, Mike Halloran from FM 94/9 (KBZT) is nominated for FTP (or as we all know it, Fuck Tim Pyles), which, ironically, is sometimes hosted by Tim Pyles.

Anyway, show some local love for the Plugs.

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FM 94/9 Announces Holiday Hootenanny

This year's Holiday Hootenanny will once again be held at Rimac Arena at UCSD.

The event takes place on December 15.

The lineup includes Louis XIV, Pinback, The Kooks, Queens of the Stone Age, Mutemath and Rogue Wave.

Last year was a great time, so I plan on hitting the show again this year. Good times, indeed.

Update: Sorry for listing the bands as I heard them, I don't think Louis is the headliner. Here's the poster:

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Sunday Recap: The Visual Underground at the Casbah

Sunday was a lazy relaxing day at home. I cooked some, cleaned some, and caught up on some of my shows that I missed over the 24 hour news cycles of fire coverage. In case you weren't aware, ABC, CBS, and MTV all have full episodes of many of their shows online. NBC and Fox probably do, too, though there's not really anything I watch on those networks.

Later in the eve, I made my way to the Casbah. Somehow, even though I was there by 7:30, all the free food was gone. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that in the 5 years of that Visual Underground has been around, I had never been to one in the past. There always seems to have been something else going on.

I was really impressed with the set up. The patio was already pretty full, the pool tables were turned into a full on gallery with beautiful art. Pyles was in the back area and after chatting, that's when he put me on air to plug my blog, my CityBeat column, and my one year "blogiversary". Jake, Malinda and I were hungry, so we left to get some Bronx pizza. When we I watched a couple of the short films, but the sound was so piercing, I couldn't last long in the main room. There also seemed to be some tension in the bar between the Visual guys and the bar staff which made for awkwardness I've never really experienced there. Still, I stuck around. I wanted to see the costume contest because there were some great costumes. It was disappointing then to discover that only three contestants were chosen for the contest. Everyone I knew was rooting for Nate's He-Man costume, but the winner was a pregnant Wonder Woman (with a store bought costume). Boo. From that point I was a little bored...it was already 11 before Operator X was even close to hitting the stage. As much as I wanted to see them, I decided to head home and get some shuteye. Visual Underground has been an institution in the local music community, and I wish I could say I was sad to see it go, but after this night, maybe it is better that the event comes to a close. We'll just have to see other events and promoters rise to the top.

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