On a side note, despite my brief stint as the sole writer of Local's Only, I did not contribute to this issue at all. While I admire writers and journalists who can act as critics, when it comes down to it, I support local music, as a whole, or dare I say it, a scene. If I don't like a band or a recording, I simply choose not to write about it or post about it here. There are enough haters around, and honestly, who am I to judge? I'm certainly no expert and I certainly have my share of embarassing CDs in my collection, so it's not my style to pitchfork anything. Still, I love reading what everyone else came up with. I'll be there celebrating the issue release tonight at Anthology, so drop by and let's talk smack about who the meanest writers are...
I had a whole list of things I'd been meaning to post about, and now that I finally have time to write, I can't think of most of them. Maybe they'll come back to me. I'm sick as a dog and I don't know where it came from, but it killed my weekend. I missed Silent Comedy last night, and today I didn't even get Easter brunch with my family and I'm missing both of Film School's performances today.
When The North Atlantic played their final shows last year, two of the three members picked up and moved to Chicago. Those two parts, Jason Hendrix and Jason Richards are now back in action with a new project called Big Science. Cullen covered it on his blog here and you can check out the new project on MySpace here.
Drew Andrews is featured in today's Union Tribune. You can read the full George Varga article here.
The annual CityBeat demo review issue will be distributed on Wednesday and celebrated with a party at Anthology. Transfer, Get Back Loretta, and Sea of Cortez will be performing. The party is $10, but if you sign up for CityBeat's RedList (or reenter if you're already subscribed), you'll be on the guest list. Click here for entry.
I'll write more when it comes back to me and attempt to get at least some of this week's listings up, but just in case- Don't froget Jose Gonzalez is doing a special show at the San Diego Women's Club in Hillcrest with Mia Doi Todd. It's early (listing says 6:30 pm) so don't miss it. Info available on the Casbah site here.
Some Newsy Bits: CityBeat, The Reader, Former 91X DJs
A few things have come up that I thought I should get to posting:
First, the big CityBeat local demo review will be coming out soon. Bands interested in submitting their demos must have them postmarked by Monday, February 25th. Send your demos to CityBeat/ 3550 Camino del Rio North Ste. 207/ San Diego, CA 92108. Some personal recommendations- send at least a couple CDs and read my post about the music 101 seminar that has some recommendations about packaging, CD labeling, etc. Also, grow some thick skin.
I got a little bit more information about the supposed lawsuit against the Reader. While I don't know what instances specifically people are suing for, I was told they're going for a libel suit in small claims claims court, which has a max of $7,500 and doesn't allow lawyers. A person suing for libel has to prove two things. 1. That the libelous article printed was false and caused you embarrassment in the eyes of your peers. 2. That the libelous article written caused you to lose business in some manner. (At least per the e-mail I received. I'm certainly no lawyer and my one time in small claims was a horrible, miserable experience, despite winning my claim.) I think it's gonna be a tough case to win, because journalists have a lot of protections. Ken can write what he wants and protect sources (or make them up, or pretend he tried to get sources but they were unavailable or refused comment, or just twist the shit out of their words which is his usual M.O.). I would just suggest if you're contacted by the Reader because they wanna cover your band, first, ask for Jay Allen or Bart or someone else to do the interview, second, record your own conversation so you can see if, in fact, you were misquoted, and if that doesn't work, just flat out refuse the coverage; sometimes its just not worth it.
A follow up with the 91X DJ sitch. While Ruggy has taken over as BMOC at Yelp or something like that, I'm told he's still with 91X and helping with production and promotion and other duties. Chris Cantore has been keeping up his blog quite frequently and he's begun some pod-casts for people who miss hearing his voice in the morning (and I know there are thousands of you wondering where he is, judging by how frequently you all are Googling him and finding my site). You can find his podcasts here. He plans on doing 2-3 per week. If you wanna catch him in person, it is highly likely that he'll be at Marco Collins' going away party on Sunday. Also, Marco's working on a podcast of his own with 120 Minutes veteran Matt Pinfield and Rich McLaughlin of Left of Center that will be available soon on iTunes. Last with the 91X crew, Jennifer White has been at Radio Sophie for some time now, but if you wanna meet her, or at least see her in person, head over to the Karma Lounge at the W Hotel this Thursday, when Jen becomes a celebrity bartender.
Last thing, perhaps you noticed a post I made about a certain summer tour that would be back in San Diego. The information is still accurate but I pulled it down because, let's just say I blew my wad prematurely and the info wasn't ready for release. Anyway, if you're savvy, you can still find the post- because nothing ever leaves the Internet once it's posted, but I'll repost it later when the organizers are ready to spill the beans.
People have been asking me what's going on with the Local's Only/Notes From The Smoking Patio column of late. I'll do my best to explain what I know of the situation, since I have been writing the column since September 2007.
Troy Johnson, who was music editor for CityBeat (and SLAMM before that) for approximately five years, left CityBeat for Riviera magazine in the late summer/early fall. From what he told me, he'd grown tired of the scene, and when the plug was pulled on both of his TV shows (Fox Rox and Outta Left Field) in a span of less than a month, well, Troy needed to be able to pay rent in this town just like the rest of us. He asked me- as a friend and as the outgoing music editor- to take the helm of the Notes From The Smoking Patio. I was both flattered and overwhelmed. Blogging is one thing. Writing for a publication is something different entirely, and I hadn't, at that point, ever considered myself a writer, let alone a journalist. I mean, I really created this site both as a personal outlet and as a way to disseminate information that I thought other local music junkies like myself would want to know but maybe didn't have 4 hours a night to read in MySpace bulletins, Google Alerts, and other blogs.
And so it went; I took over the column, Troy quietly slipped out the back door, and I was left with a lot of freedom. Write 600-1000 words per week, get it in by Monday at noon. It took a few weeks for the paper to hire the new music editor, Nathan Dinsdale, and a few more for him to fully adjust to the paper. In that time, my unemployment came to an end and I was back working a full time day job, sometimes putting in up to 11 hours a day, all the while still trying to maintain my blog, go to shows, and somehow fit in some sleep here and there.
Writing the Locals Only column was really exciting. With bands it gave me a little more credibility than "I'm a blogger" ever did, but it also limited my ability to write about news as I heard it. During November, December and January, band news dries up a bit, and sometimes I'd spend all day Sunday calling and e-mailing bands, scouring MySpace and Google, all to barely hit my 600 word target, emailing it sometime around 4 am and hoping I'd still get enough sleep to be at work by 9 a.m. on Monday. It should be no surprise that I was worn out and beat down, and that my body had a total shutdown last week when I got sick.
Fortunately and unfortunately, the column had been cut a couple times in the last few weeks. While it gave me a break, the absence of the column has stirred rumors, and in some cases downright resentment from people who read the piece regularly. You can see examples by reading A Coat of Red Paint In Hell, Dirtbag's Delight, and now, Catdirtsez. These don't even touch on the number of people who vented to me with a giant "WTF?" when they'd see me out on the smoking patio. My only response and recommendation was that people should express their concern with letters to the editor.
Last week, when I couldn't even pull myself out of bed, I asked if there would be a column this week (1/23/08) since I'd been sick, and was told that there was material to fill the space and I could have a break. I was also told that there were discussions of "the new direction of the column." Until today, I didn't know what that direction was.
As we all know, this is a small town. A couple clicks, a couple e-mails, a couple conversations and news is out there. I received a forwarded e-mail from Scott (CatDirt). Somebody had written a letter to the editor to complain about the lack of the Locals Only (I don't know the person, as they only used their initials) and they received a response from Dave Rolland, the head editor at CityBeat:
We're actually working on a replacement feature that would incorporate some of what Locals Only offers. Beauty, as always, is in the eye of the beholder. Some people like to read about the same local bands every week; others like to read about touring bands coming through town. We've begun to tire of the Locals format. Over the last couple of years, it's come to feel a little too much like public relations for local bands, and we'd like to make better use of the space. Sometimes you have to kill your babies and try something new to keep things fresh. Hopefully, you'll like the new feature.
38 minutes after receiving the forwarded e-mail, I received an e-mail from Nathan Dinsdale, the music editor, who informed me that the editorial staff had come to a consensus about the direction of the column. The column will take a new shape, into something more inclusive, and will be the work of several contributors, to make better use of the space.
So what does that mean for me? Well, I'm not sure exactly. If asked, I would still be honored with contributing to whatever the new column becomes- I cannot speak to how that situation will be handled by CityBeat, the editors, or Kinsee Morlan, who will probably take the reins on the new section.
What I can speak to is this site. I can get back to covering music- the local stuff, the local shows, music news, touring bands coming through town, San Diego related information, random political information, my "things to do" listings, and the occasional post of how cute my niece is, and best of all, I can do it when I hear it and not have to sit on information that I have to 'save' for the column.
Eventually, I'd like to grow this baby (as opposed to killing it). I'm open to contributors (editorials, reviews, photography, and news.) I'm open to a site redesign if somebody has the Internet prowess to make it better. I'm still looking for a logo and have a couple entries but would like to see a few more designs before I make a final decision. But mostly, I'm just gonna keep on doing what I've been doing. If you enjoy this site, spread the word- not just about this site, but all of the blogs that are doing similar things in this town, all linkable on the right side of this page. I guarantee you have friends who want to know what's going on around town and judging by the number of e-mails I get from people who continue to discover my site, I guarantee some of them don't even know what a blog is.
So we're alright. CityBeat is gonna be just fine. I'm gonna be just fine. This site will continue to grow in content and in readership as time goes on. I'm still open to news, press releases, CDs, and if you wanna continue to throw me on your guestlists, that would be cool, too. SD:Dialed In isn't going anywhere. I still chug along with faith in this city that I love.
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.
I love time off from work- the time off between Christmas and New Years was great- but sometimes the hardest part is that first full week back- when you've been jamming at work and realize- its only Tuesday?
So the week has gone. I went to the benefit for Riki Watkins at Kadan on Monday and watched Thee Corsairs, though I didn't win one of the tattoo certificates. I did, however, finally get my Thee Corsairs LP which is absolutely beautiful. If you want one, I hear there are still a couple bottles out there from their treasure hunt. Read their blog for clues. I'll post a couple pics of the show and the vinyl later. If you're in North County, there's one final benefit on Friday at Hensley's Flying Elephant.
Today, I met my sister and my niece for dinner at Ponce's and on my walk home, Emily from Bunky drove by and asked if I'd be at the Casbah. "What time are you on?," I asked. "10." "I'll be there," I told her. Then I came home and was instantly taken over by food coma and passed out and just couldn't get up to get down there. My bad. Sometimes this girl just needs to sleep. I have a lot of shows on my radar for the rest of the week, so I'll have more pics later on in the week, I hope.
My "Notes From The Smoking Patio" is back after a one week hiatus in CityBeat. Just one correction- we all know the Ken Club doesn't have wood floors. Still, the red concrete beats that old carpet. If you've got information for my column for next week, be sure to send it my way for consideration.
On to the rest of the week- refreshed and ready to get out and get down.
One last thing- the FM 94/9 About the Music series continues this month at the Belly Up with Rogue Wave. Tickets are sold out, and I've been told all comps are gone, too. If anyone bought tickets they can't use, please let me know. I'm looking to buy a pair (at face) if anyone's got 'em.
It appears that a lot of people are not happy with some of the recent American Apparel ads. Nothing new, actually. People have been complaining about the ads for a long time. There have been several letters to the editor at CityBeat and other mags and rags that have featured the ads. Like this one where the writer argues, "The ads put prepubescent models in compromising poses, wearing inadequate clothing... Progressive politics is one thing; exploitation is another."
I'm not trying to mock the issue, because even though I don't find the ads inappropriate, I do find them sleazy. But the controversy about the ads reminded me that when I was in LA a couple months ago, I picked up The Onion and couldn't stop laughing at this article. Hope you enjoy.
LOS ANGELES—"There were girls everywhere," FBI agent Curtis Froman said. "Draped over furniture, sprawled spread-eagled in the corner, and huddled close like animals."
Just an FYI that my new column is up. Yes, for you, dear readers, I actually watched an entire hour of The Next Great American Band. I kinda dig the Clark Brothers and Light of Doom has a real shot, but really? Denver and the Mile High Orchestra? So Christian that they had to change Rod Stewart's lyrics? Gimme a freakin break. And Dot Dot Dot? They should be poster boys (and girls) for Wet N Wild cosmetics and be the resurrection of Aqua Net hairspray. Lame.
Just a correction on my column...the site to donate to The Locust is actually misspelled in the domain. It should be www.ThreeOneG.com/releif (not relief)
I cannot stress enough that I'm always looking for news and new bands to cover in the column. Please send me anything and everything at the address to the right or to localsonly@sdcitybeat.com With the upcoming holidays, all my deadlines are pushed forward, so advanced notification of CD releases, shows, etc. are all appreciated.
Since Troy Johnson's departure from CityBeat, the "If I Were You" column has been passed around to several freelancers and staff writers. Many people have commented to me about the state of the column of late. A few people have asked me why I don't do it. The truth is, it's a very hard column to write and I just don't have the time, and I think there are people who can do a better job than I ever could. I'm not suggesting I have any say or even that it's been offered to me, but with a new editor at the weekly, my recommendation is that if you have an opinion about the direction of the music section of the paper, then you should write an email or letter to the editor and give your opinion and help shape the direction the paper takes. You have a voice and CityBeat prides itself on listening.
In the meantime, I've added an opinion poll on the right hand side of this site just for the fun of it. Let me know who you think should be doing the column.
My latest column is out in this week's CityBeat. Just a note, tonight's Spell Toronto show will not be a CD release; instead, it will be a fundraiser for the Red Cross. Hosted bar from 8-9pm.
Also, check out the debut of Adam Gimbel on the "This is Where I'd Be" column. Note, some of those shows may be canceled due to the fires. Check venues, or check back here as I will be posting updates on my Things To Do List. (Like the Sunday Klezmatics show is already canceled.)
Sunday Recap: The Henry Clay People, Swim Party, Writer @ Zombie Lounge
After uploading my pictures from Saturday, I suspended myself from taking pictures (and from drinking) when I headed to the Zombie Lounge on Sunday night. This is a move I regret now, but I just couldn't bring myself to take pictures and ruin a whole other crowd's night with my flash. Still, I can't not write about the amazing bill that played at the Zombie.
Unfortunately I missed Mia Valentine. I still have this stupid obsession with the show "Cold Case" and once I started watching, I had to be there to find out that it was the cousin who shot the Elvis wannabe. So I watched and then headed to the bar and for a minute wished I had arrived either 5 minutes earlier or 5 minutes later because I was almost caught in the middle of a hooker fight.
I parked on the northwest corner of 35th and El Cajon, got out of my car and walked to the crosswalk. Me and two hookers on the corner, just as the "walk" sign turned green. We began to cross as three other ladies of the night came our way and suddenly some shit talking went down. "You the bitch fucking my baby's daddy? You fucking my man? You fucking whore!" Then the response, "Nah, Bitch, you got the wrong Ho, I don't know your shit. I ain't fuckin yo man!" There's stupid me just walking across the street as they're about to fight in the middle of the street, just minding my own business but kinda laughing inside about the almost fight happening as I cross 35th relatively early on a Sunday night. It will never cease to amaze me that this kind of shit is happening less than a mile from my neighborhood; less than a mile from the home of Mayor Jerry Sanders and Mr. 91X, Chris Cantore.
I quickly found sanctuary in the Zombie Lounge, as The Henry Clay People were mid set. People had told me about the band but holy shit, they are so good. I was thinking of Dusty Rhodes and the Little River Band in their presentation (though the music is very different)- the way you feel like the band is preaching to you, enlightening you of some secret they've learned with the hand gestures and emphatic expressions but in the meantime you're listening to the music and wondering how these young guys have it all figured out...and why they're playing the Zombie Lounge on a Sunday night?? They closed their set with a song dedicated to everyone who is "broke and poor but continue the rock 'n' roll". Then there was the acknowledgement that being broke and poor is redundant, but rock and roll anyway! And as Joey jumped in the crowd and knocked my shoulder and the crowd rocked along with them, you knew that everyone was right there with them. (This is a pic from their MySpace since I didn't take any.)
After The Henry Clay People, Swim Party took the stage and what else can I say about these guys. If I had a label, Swim Party would be the first band I'd sign. I took some heat because Petro shaved his beard after I posted a pic of him with his gigantic beard here but it was all in good fun. Anyway, the boys did their thing and seriously, if Swim Party hasn't been on your radar then you are sleeping.
The last band of the evening was Writer. They're a San Diego band I'd never heard of but who came highly recommended, and the second the singer, Andy, opened his mouth, I got a little pissed that this band isn't playing every other week in San Diego. In their live performance, there's this natural thing to connect them with The Smiths crossed with Wilco, and I would never take either comparison lightly. Is it too late to book them to open for Rocky Votolato at the Casbah next week? Can we make this happen? They were amazing onstage, and later, offstage, they were so nice, even after two of the three were bitten by a couple dogs running loose on El Cajon Blvd (unless it's edited, see my CityBeat column on Wednesday for more info on that). Anyway, Writer is playing some benefit show at a gallery or boutique or something in November, but I'm working on getting them seen around town sooner than that only because I don't think I can wait that long.
I couldn't be happier that the Zombie Lounge is diversifying and allowing more bands to take their stage. There was a time when you could only see rockabilly or punk bands but the shift definitely works for me.
Thursday Recap: Mike Sager, Greg Gerding, The Stereotypes, Polysics and more
I do not consider myself a writer and my background is certainly not in journalism, but some how, some way, I've been writing as long as I can remember. Journals, diaries, 3 blogs, a relationship advice website, this site, and now I'm contributing to CityBeat. Still, there is so much for me to learn as I transition from writing what I think as I think it on this site versus writing for print for the masses.
For this reason, I was ecstatic to be invited to the Whistle Stop on Thursday to get some practical writing advice from Mike Sager, author of three books including his latest, Revenge of the Donut Boys, before he was to read some of his short stories for the Whistle Stop crowd. A small group of CityBeat writers and editors gathered as Mike talked to us about his credentials, his writing, notable interviews, and tips for writers (which you can find on his site, and which I seem to break in every single post on this site). He's such an amazing guy, with intense eyes and a knack for telling stories that had me paralyzed in awe. Here's this guy, a writer for Esquire and published author, taking the time to talk to our small group while sipping his Jack and Cokes, telling us about visiting Aryan nation headquarters or hanging out in barracks with guys going through boot camp.
The jukebox was playing loud in the background as we heard the clack-clack-clacking of the cue ball breaking up a tight rack on the nearby pool table, testing our ability to drown out background noise while we focused on this one voice sharing his experience and knowledge with us. It was inspiring in more ways than I can describe.
Before we knew it, the bar was filling up, rows of chairs were set up, and we all made our way to the bar to refresh our bevvies. Two parts of The Stereotypes, Mike Kamoo and Johk Finkbiner, took the stage to play an acoustic set of music. I loved the couple of times I saw the full band play, but I especially liked the intimacy of this acoustic set.
This is their song "Lines" off their yet to be released new album. (Recorded in low light so you can't really see Mike, but I like the sound quality.)
After the music portion of the evening, the authors read from their collections of short stories. Local Greg Gerding was first to read from his book, Venue Voyeurisms. It was a little funny to me because I'd never met Greg before this night, but somehow I was subscribed to his MySpace blog and had been reading his posts for a while. His book would be loved by any San Diego bargoer, with stories about all the haunts we love and the ones we love to hate. Livewire, Pacer's, The Morena Club and more are the backdrop for his musings about love, life, drunks, and karaoke.
The bar filled up with people who were interested in cocktails but not so much into hearing authors read from their respective books. Mike was reading from a couple of his books when some hecklers in the other room got rowdy, to which Mike had no problem telling them to shut the fuck up and show some respect. There was one guy in the room in particular who wouldn't stop. Clapping to certain lines the way Alf did on that lame show in the 80's, we just waited for the "Ha! You slay me!" comments. At one point Andrea turned to me and asked if I thought he was maybe "special" because he was so obnoxious. I think "overserved" was more accurate. Still, those of us in the room were attentive and engaged by Mike's reading.
After Mike read, we were treated to poetry by Ed Decker, whose experience as a bartender and as a regular bar patron give him a lot of material for his writing. He read from his latest, Barzilla.
The night could've ended there and I was ready to head back to the 'hood, but with some arm twisting by Abraham, we went to the Casbah to catch Polysics.
We arrived in time to catch about 4 or 5 songs, but it was clear that the night had been high energy. Not only were the band members soaked in their orange jumpsuits, but the crowd had that sweat that isn't regularly a part of the head nodding crowd of the Casbah. I took the opportunity to join the fun and suddenly found that I was now "overserved." Still, I took a couple pics.
After the show I bumped into a chick from the band, who asked me if I came to the Casbah often. When I laughed and told her yes, she proceeded to give me all of her drink tickets. So nice. I hung out in the patio for a while with Abraham who was a super bad influence on me and with even more arm twisting, we went to the Turf Club for last call. (This is the part of the night where we left my car parked on Kettner, where it stayed for two days.)
So why didn't I post sooner? Well, my feeling, since both Troy and Natalie are close friends of mine, and since both have blogs of their own, that it was their information to post. But, now it's out there for both, and both deserve as much credit and publicity as they can get in their endeavors.
The funny thing I probably haven't mentioned on this blog before is that Troy and I actually met because of my old blog (taken offline in 2006). I had written about meeting him at an event and referred to him as "a tool" and apparently he found my old blog and e-mailed me and was everything but a tool. The next time I saw him at the Casbah, we were introduced and have been friends ever since. I admire Troy for the impact he's had on music in San Diego. Between Troy Johnson, Tim Mays, and Tim Pyles, you'd be hard pressed to find guys doing more to promote this town. Troy is moving on, getting his hands outta the local music scene, but I guarantee you'll still see him out on the town still supporting the music. As music editor of CityBeat, I've loved reading the weekly over the years with his input on what's going on, and it's because of him that I'm now contributing to CityBeat. I couldn't be more proud of my friend.
That sentiment goes for Nat as well. We met from going to shows and mutual friends and her photography, well, it speaks for itself. It's no surprise then, that bands have taken notice as she's shooting more and more bands, and it's also no surprise that Pitchfork would take notice as well. The thing is, Natalie is a scientist by day, and photography has been more of a hobby for her, but I think she's finding her place in both worlds and balances them both well. Natalie will be moving to San Francisco next year, but I know that she'll stay connected to San Diego and covering the music she loves even when she's up in the Bay Area.
I just feel lucky to know both of them and even more so to call them friends. Congrats to both of them.
This week is my first "Notes From the Smoking Patio" in CityBeat. I'd appreciate comments and suggestions, and if you've got local music news and want some ink, send your info my way.
Also, here's some crosslink love from Troy. Just a note, though...I've only been on this earth for 30 years and 363 days. Troy's making me more aged than I am.
Also, check out Cullen's "If I Were U" premiere this week.
It's official- I'm taking over the Locals Only: Notes From The Smoking Patio column in CityBeat. Next week will be my first column. That means less newsy bits here, but hopefully more depth and breadth in the Locals column. If you've got any "scene gossip", band news, recording information, new releases or anything of the sort, send your info my way and I'll do my best to pick up the reins and follow the precedent set by Bart and Troy. All my contact info is to the right. I look forward to serving the local music community in this new way and appreciate any and all feedback you've got.
SoCo Music Experience San Diego: DJ Z-Trip Confirmed
The Southern Comfort Music Experience will be back in San Diego this summer and the best thing about it: the show is free (though restricted to 21+).
Taking place on the open parking lot at Market (between 6th & 7th, I believe), last year's event had national touring bands like The Roots, Flogging Molly, Spank Rock and Mudhoney, along with locals like Rookie Card, Grand Ole Party, and Fifty on Their Heels, among others.
The event is free and restricted to 21+. Since CityBeat is the main sponsor, they're gonna have the lineup first, but in the meantime, I have news that DJ Z-Trip is confirmed for August 25th (and yay that my friend Pete will be playing on the tour.) Save the dates!
This is just a little link for my sister. If you remember, I contributed my choices for my top 6 summer concert choices for CityBeat a couple weeks ago but after reading the intro that Troy wrote, my sister was like, "Oh great, now people are gonna think I like the Pussycat Dolls." So I wrote a clarification and it's published in today's CityBeat. Sorry, sister.
Not the Dolls! The Girls! My sister is (jokingly) pissed. I recommended the "Six summer concerts not to be missed" for CityBeat's Summer Guide ["Cover Story," May 23]. Troy Johnson says of me, "She'll also openly pine for tickets to… the Pussycat Dolls (for her little sister, or so she writes)." Even I have limits. My 29-year-old little sister would like to keep her reputation intact and clarify the it was the Cheetah Girls I was pining for, and they were for my 8-year-old god-sister Claudia, not the Dolls and not for Christy.Thank you for allowing me to clarify, and see you at the shows.
Friday afternoon kicked off with CityBeat's SummerBeat Party at the Lafayette Hotel. The hotel is on El Cajon Blvd; you might know it as the hotel behind the Red Fox Room. It was such a cool venue for a party. The hotel lobby has a fabric sun shade covering it instead of a traditional roof, so there's this airy feel about the place. Unfortunately the city wouldn't grant a performance permit, so the bands were canceled, but the fashion show took place as planned.
But we all know I was not there for a fashion show. I was there for my two favorite words in the English language: "free" and "booze". Wristbands were given to "VIPs", though it seemed about 80% of the attendees had them and resulted in the bar being quite chaotic most of the time.
I was happy to see so many friends out so early on a Friday...
Troy Johnson trying to get a last minute drink from the chick in the banana suit
The bar turned to a cash bar at 8, so Andrea and I hung out in the patio and caught about 15 minutes of the fashion show and said our goodbyes before taking off and heading to destination #2 for the evening, the Swedish Models at the Beauty Bar.
promoters Gabe Vega and Saul (Feel The Noise, Vega Presents, etc.)
The guys behind CityBeat: publisher Kevin Hellman and editor Dave Rolland.
On our way to the Beauty Bar we were slightly delayed by a stop for dinner, a stop home to feed my dog, and a pass through the liquor store where my car was blocked by hundreds of cyclists doing a Critical Mass ride through Kensington, but soon enough, we were at the Beauty Bar.
