The Debut of Tourism, San Diego's Newest Band

My friends Dustin and Frank asked me to write about the debut of their band Tourism on Friday night at the Soda Bar. I thought it would be better if they wrote about it themselves. Here's the goods:

When you say Tourism aloud, what does it bring to mind? Color, novelty, movement, mystery. I feel like our name is fitting both for our vision of the kind of strange, intricate pop we are trying to make as well as the way in which we are sampling the many tastes and textures of our favorite music, past and present: The Zombies, The New Pornographers, Elvis Costello, The Kinks, Girls, Magnetic Fields, the Beach Boys. As a songwriter, I’m trying to tap into a certain feeling that these artists have given me, while adding to it my own experience and sensibility. It is a rewarding process to see the skeletons I bring in get fleshed out by the band, finding new corners and hidden spaces, as we shape the songs into something we think you’ll find exciting.

Our debut show is this coming Friday, December 16th, at Soda Bar. We are incredibly pleased to be opening for two of our favorite acts in San Diego: Cuckoo Chaos and Jamuel Saxon. It is an auspicious beginning for our band and we hope you’ll be there to experience it with us.

<3,

Dustin / TOURISM

Thursday Night: Jamuel Saxon CD Release Party at the Soda Bar

My dear friend Keith Milgaten is doing a whole lot better than a couple weeks ago and he's celebrating life and music and the release of Jamuel Saxon's latest EP with a show at the Soda Bar this Thursday night. Additionally, Jamuel Saxon has picked ME to have the exclusive download link to preview the  EP, so grab Jamuel Saxon "No Rulez, Just Noice (xclusive preview)" here or click on the album artwork below.

Gayngs & Jamuel Saxon: San Diego After Party

Last week I did merch for Gayngs, which meant I spent the whole time on the patio and didn't really get to see the show (though Nate was inside shooting) but they sounded fantastic and the crowd ate up the performance. After all was said and done, and all the merch counted and the gear loaded, I joined Gayngs and Jamuel Saxon at a nearby hotel where we had some drinks and hung out until the wee hours of the morning. It was actually kinda sentimental as it was the last day of their tour. Nothing crazy, just fun times hanging out.



For the photo gallery, click 'keep on reading'.

Tonight: Daydream Nation presents Mixmaster Mike at FLUXX Live

I know we were all just going "Crazy" for Cee-lo Green, but Daydream Nation is already back with another great FLUXX live event for you tonight. On the bill, the legendary Mixmaster Mike who'll be supported by San Diego favorites Hyena and Jamuel Saxon (so prepare to wear your neon body paint). The event is once again hosted by Mr. Tim Pyles and should be a fun way to kick into the weekend. Tickets are only $10 in advance and you can buy them by clicking on the flyer. I hear there's an unlimited guestlist before 10:30 if you hit up Jamuel Saxon on Facebook, but you'll have to investigate that one on your own.

Remember, the Daydream Nation events are made for those of us who might not hang out in downtown's bourgie clubs, so there's a relaxed dress code. Yes, they even let me in with my hoodies. Don't be afraid to ask the bartenders if there are drink specials...usually there's a $5 beer and $6 well on the menu...if you don't want the sticker shock of paying double that for other bevvies.

Saturday Night- The Rumble feat. Jamuel Saxon & Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

It's that time of the month...The Rumble returns to Bar Pink this Saturday night. This month brings Detroit's Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and local music master Jamuel Saxon. DJ Albatross (Zack from Sezio) will be your music selector for the evening. As always, the night is FREE and features $3 Trumer Pils. For all the info, band bios, etc., check the full press release if you 'keep on reading' below.


THE RUMBLE: SAN DIEGO @ BAR PINK - SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 11TH
Jamuel Saxon, Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr & DJ Albatross - FREE!
$3 Trumer Pils specials all night

Saturday night we have a special edition of THE RUMBLE: SAN DIEGO as we're teaming up with a crew we consider family - SEZIO - and we've created a Rumble that will be unforgettable.

THE RUMBLE is ushering in fall with a bit of NASCAR minus the rednecks, but fear not there will be plenty of beer. We're stoked to have the much buzzed about DALE EARNHARDT JR. JR. traveling through THE RUMBLE SEPTEMBER as their aptly titled, Horse Power EP is a layered, textual full of shimmering beat laden gems like "Nothing But Our Love." The Detroit based duo of Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott, have long been on the scene, with a Moby remix under their belt, DALE EARNHARDT JR. JR. are poised for the release of their full length later this year.

These guys keep racking up the love with a recent Daytrotter Session and shout outs from everyone including, CMJ, Pitchfork, Magnet Magazine and Altered Zones declaring their love for "Simple Girl," writing, "I wonder how I've made it through thousands of mornings without this song." Plus their dreamy cover of The Beach Boy's "God Only Knows " is bound to end up on episode of Big Love sometime soon; we just know it. This mash-up of electro beats, drum machines and elements of psych-folk, make DEJJ the preeminent soundtrack to the hazy end of summer. The band just was named as Stereogum's ' '40 Best New Bands of 2010'.

JAMUEL SAXON should be no stranger to anyone with a pulse in San Diego. Keith and company not only know how to get the party started, they are the party. They recently dropped a Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr remix of "Nothing But Our Love" that's more sexy than Samuel L's daughter's film career. If for some reason you were asleep or just stupid and missed their recent show with WAMPIRE and REPORTER, here is your chance for a make good - Saturday night!

"Eighties-inspired electro R&B for the hipster set. If "Dick in a Box" and Empire of the Sun are your idea of romance, then this side-project from Keith Milgaten of The Vision of a Dying World is your new bump-and-grind soundtrack." - Seth Combs (San Diego City Beat)

SEZIO, the art collective that seems to always have their fingers in all the tasty SD cakes, returns for a special celebration of two acts we've all bonded around, and our special guest DJ for the party will be none other than DJ ALBATROSS, aka Zack Nielsen of Sezio.

Listen and download music from these Rumble artists here
http://www.futuresounds.com/rumble

$3 Trumer Pils specials all night. FREE.

The Rumble San Diego is brought to you by the indie-minded collective of Future Sounds, Indigenous, Sezio, SDdialed In, Owl & Bear, SD City Beat, M Theory Records, Trumer Pils and Bar Pink.

Tonight: Benefit for Local Musician/Artist Jona Tellez-Giron at Soda Bar

Local musician and artist Jona Tellez- Giron, formerly of The Vision of a Dying World and the Paddle Boat, recently had a major back surgery which has put him out of commission for 1-2 years. This means he will not be able to resume his job, or perform any sort of labor. We are pooling together to improve his situation with a series of benefit shows around San Diego, CA.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

The first benefit will take place Wed. MAY 19TH @ SODA BAR (36th and El Cajon Blvd.) 9pm, 21+
DONATION: $5
BANDS: Jamuel Saxon, Illuminauts, Primitive Noyes + DJ Jane W
ART: by JONArt (jona's paintings)

100% of the proceeds will go towards Jona's surgery fees and supplemental living expenses.

You can read more about Jona Tellez - Giron and his studio visit on SEZIO.org

Additionally, check out music from Primitive Noyes for free.

Sezio receives 501(c)(3) Status, Plans Celebration / Fundraiser at The Casbah 01.21.2010

After a year's worth of paper work, and contemplation of whether we really have the energy to do this for the next decade... Sezio applied for and was granted 501(c)(3) status by the IRS. We'll soon be announcing our four programs designed to fulfill our mission statement of providing resources, exposure and community support to emerging artists and musicians, but for now it's time to celebrate.

We've booked The Casbah for Thursday, January 21st to host a special night of live music and to fund raise a bit for our fledgling non-profit. Tim Mays has generously offered to donate the night's cover plus a percentage of the bar. Jamuel Saxon will headline the evening, joined by special guests Writer, Tape Deck Mountain and Black Mamba. Martian Horses and Joel P West will open up the evening.

Details:

When: Thursday, January 21st
Where: The Casbah
What: Concert / Fundraiser
Who: Jamuel Saxon, Joel P West & Martian Horses
Time: 9pm
Cost: $10



Congratulations, Zack and friends! San Diego is a better place to live because of people like you and organizations like Sezio.

KMRC/SDRL Releases Local Compilation

Keith Milgaten, of The Vision of A Dying World, Jamuel Saxon, Black Mamba and a million other projects, has been working with local musicians for a number of years now, and he's released a FREE compilation.

I just finished the final touches to the first ever Keith Milgaten Recording Collective Compilation: "Recording is Rewarding"!

The purpose of this compilation is to display a portion my body of work over the past several years, and further inform people of the accomplishments and progress I have achieved over that time. That means 17 new tracks from various San Diego bands/ artists! I would like to encourage every listener to think about this comp in terms of what working with KMRC could do for the sound of your band/ musical project.

Here's the full track listing:

Recording is Rewarding: KMRC Compilation ‘09

1. The Paddle Boat - Air Conditioned Nightmare
2. Black Mamba - Lacewings
3. This Is Manic - Keep My Heart Beating
4. Tape Deck Mountain - On My Honor
5. The Vision of a Dying World - Mantra
6. Silverleaf - In Good Time
7. The Feelings Mutual - The Glitz
8. Gray Ghosts - Skeleton Summer
9. WITT - Happy Birthday
10. Red Feathers - The House
11. Wild Weekend - Knowing Wondering Why
12. Family Wagon - Hi & Goodbye
13. Calico Horse - HiFi Plane Ride
14. Sex Mannequin - Non Responsive
15. Jamuel Saxon - Unlockable (By the Key to You Heart)
16. Brovabey - Ghetto is Life
17. Magical Pocket Drop - Flatseed

all songs recorded, mixed and mastered by Keith Milgaten

I tried to post this last week, but so many people downloaded, we had to wait for it to be permanently hosted. Now it's up and you can download it FREE here. You can click the banner at the top of this page to contact Keith about your recording needs.

Rosey's Diary: April 14-16, 2009

Remember the good old days when I used to write everyday? The mountains of photos I have are just getting ridiculous at this point, but it's time for another diary entry. I left off my last post on April 11, then spent a couple days chilling out (and probably catching up with February & March), but Transfer was returning from tour and it was time to get out again. That ended up being a huge week with 9 shows in 6 days. In this diary: Transfer, Apes of Wrath, Roxy Jones, Local Natives, Hockey, Lanterns, Jamuel Saxon, Swim Party, The Notice, The Midwinters. I'll save Coachella for the next post. Click keep on reading for my diary.


April 14, 2009

As I said, Transfer was returning from some gigs that they did with Holy Rolling Empire (that had kicked off at the Casbah). While that show was huge, this show felt far more intimate, as Matt kept noting throughout the show, acknowledging this show felt like family. And it did. Which is really why I didn't take any pics. It was crowded up front from the get go. Apes of Wrath kicked off the show and I can really never get enough of those guys. If you haven't been to the Soda Bar yet, get there soon. The shows are great and it is really one of the only places where I don't feel bad sitting the whole time, whether along the bar or in a booth. On this night, we got the booth nearest the door and had a rotating cast of characters coming and going throughout the night.





Roxy Jones played the middle slot and from where we sat, we could see Peter and the band playing on the TV monitor and through the wall. Once the sound was properly equalized, I enjoyed listening as it had been a while.

I always love seeing bands right after a tour and Transfer is no exception. They're happy to be home among friends and family and playing to a crowd where everyone knows every song. I live for shows like this with good friends, good music, and have I mentioned the amazing beer selection at Soda Bar?

I had to take it easy, however, because I worked at my family's daycare all day Wednesday. Me and six kids. All day. Luckily when they nap, I can close my eyes for about 10 minutes but when the day was over, I was outta there.

April 15, 2009
The reason I was covering the daycare was so my mom, sister, and niece could go to Disneyland for the day for my sister's birthday. I hear they had a great time. My niece is at the age where she can appreciate stuff, and with my sister expecting another girl in the fall, it might be some time before they can head back.

After daycare, I stopped home to let my dog out and zipped up to The Loft at UCSD. I know the campus is tricky and a bit out of the way, but I really enjoy shows there. I hear they've sold out a few shows, but the ones I've attended had plenty of space. UCSD students need to wake up and realize they can catch bands on the rise.

A friend of mine told me about Local Natives, and I'd read several blogs that deem them the next breakout band from Silverlake and it was definitely clear why. You can check out their Daytrotter session here. They're layered harmonies are exceptional and I'm always a big fan of lead vocalists playing random percussion...tamborine, a drum, and I never realized I was such a fan of drums being played on the rim instead of the skin.





I cannot wait for them to come back to town and play a grown-up venue because they bring a party. (They're pretty funny on twitter, too @localnatives)

Hockey played the same night and was a totally different style...more of the dance pop that all the kids are into these days. They definitely bring it live and all the college girls were dancing (and cooing, I believe). If I have any complaints about The Loft, I'd say (1) they should promote and encourage more people from off campus to come to shows because it feels a little cold to non-students and (2) to make sure the students running the booth are making use of the killer lights they have. Nothing bums me out more than state of the art lighting that just stays the same for an entire show. The band doesn't stay still for very long either, but I can't really complain about that aspect.



After the show at The Loft, I headed over to Ruby Room to catch Lanterns and Jamuel Saxon. It has been a while since I've seen Lanterns and it's too bad because they're a super fun band. Jamuel Saxon is equal parts awesome, rad, and hilarious. For their set they had an old TV/VCR combo set-up onstage that was playing a really bad 70's workout video that I believe was a workout for older chairbound people. The music and video actually synched at times and the crowd was loving it. Ruby Room = pure blackness, so didn't bother with pics.

April 16, 2009:

Thursday night rolled around and Swim Party was performing at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art. I believe the event was to court donors, but it made me kinda sad to see the expense of this show, with two complimentary drinks per person as well as amazing food stations, while knowing that TNT is gone for a while. You have to spend money to make money they say, but it kinda bummed me out. I can't remember the last time I'd ever been to the museum and was blown away by the size. It would seem like the space could be used for more events, even non-art events, to compensate for overhead costs. But what do I know, really? I'm not gonna lie, I love me some free food and beverages, in this case beer from Stone and an amazing spread including a mac n cheese bar. This was a first for me, but it's a lot like a mashed potato bar, with a scoop put in a martini glass and an assortment of cheeses, bacon bits, croutons, mushrooms, artichokes and other rad stuff to add. I was glad to have not eaten before the event and dug in. There were also some pulled pork sliders, a food station I skipped entirely, and a churro bar for dessert. In a word, it was awesome.
Oh, and Swim Party was good, too. The event was not very crowded (intentionally, I think) and a lot of our friends were there, which made me wonder who the big donors were, cuz lord knows I know no rich folks (unless you're secretly rich, in which case there's a donate button on this site).



Everyone split after the museum, I think they headed to Bar Pink, but I chose the Ken Club because I wanted to see The Midwinters. Fortunately I arrived in time to also catch The Notice who vocally reminded me a lot of Edwin McCain. This is a band for people like me who love KPRI and still declare that Counting Crows are my all time favorite band, and fuck indie cred. Probably not the best band for the Ken Club and not helped by the fact that Ken Club doesn't usually have Thursday shows but I was happy to be there.

They were well matched with The Midwinters who remind me of Toad The Wet Sprocket, specifically Dulcinea, which I probably listened to about 1000 times in the summer of 1994. It was roadtrip music for my friends and I on our epic trip to Berkeley via Highway 1 and when I hear The Midwinters I get taken back to a time in my life when everything feels ahead of you. Yes, all that from a band that plays once every couple months, has no delusions of grandeur, but who describe their project as their poker night. "Some husbands get together for poker night. We get together and play in a band." "Do your wives ever come?" (laughter) "No way. They're over us." I'm not and look forward to seeing them again.

The next day I was off to Coachella which deserves it's own post. Next diary.

Rosey's Diary: March 18-25, 2009

My last diary post left off at St. Patrick's Day and all I can say is that waking up the next day wasn't nearly as awful as I expected. So let me catch you up with the week after St. Patty's Day. Click 'keep on reading' for all the Pho King goods.



3.18.09: Gavin Newsom Townhall; Jamuel Saxon, The One AM Radio, Tapedeck Mountain @ Soda Bar

After St. Patrick's day, I had another experience that made me glad to be a Twitter user. The Burger Lounge (@Burger_Lounge), which happens to be across the street, had another special for their Twitter followers, this time free frings. Nothing better than a grass-fed burger with fries and onion rings to soak up the rest of the booze from the night before. Later that afternoon, I made my way to a school in City Heights were Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco wooed a crowd of mostly progressive supporters. I was going to do a full write up about the talk, but I realize I was so receptive to everything that he said that I didn't consider that perhaps he's just talking like a politician. I was definitely in my "hope and change" ra-ra-ra mode. Instead, here's a link of Dave Rolland's response to the evening. I will mention that there were representatives from The Nation of Islam who have some big issues with Newsom in San Francisco and made for a few tense moments. Mostly though, I liked what Gavin had to say and I'll be watching as he likely will run for Governor in 2010.





After the townhall, I made my way to Soda Bar excited to see Dangerbird Records artist The One AM Radio along with locals Tape Deck Mountain and Jamuel Saxon. I thought it was a strange lineup because the album I have from The One AM Radio is slow and quiet and always reminded me a bit of Elliott Smith, which was confirmed last time I saw him perform at Che Cafe. So Tape Deck Mountain played and sounded great as usual then The One AM Radio came on and were so different than I expected. They were upbeat, happy, and more than anything, no longer a one piece, now a full band. I liked the change and thought the band was great, it just took me a little by surprise. I only snapped a couple photos of the night because of prohibitive lighting, but here's The One AM Radio in their latest incarnation.

Jamuel Saxon finished off the night including a pretty sweet Michael Jackson cover. I also have to say I'm really a fan of the vibe at Soda Bar. I love getting a booth and being able to hang out and watch good bands, drink any of the great beers on draft, and just chill out. It helps it's so close to home for me.

3.19.09: 91X @ The Field, I Love You, Man @ Reading Gaslamp 15, Dinner at The Field, Tiltwheel @ Beauty Bar

I had planned on going to a couple events that were media type schmoozefests but fortunately I was saved when I saw Mat Diablo from 91X tweet that they were at The Field in Downtown giving away movie passes to "I Love You, Man". I don't see movies often, but I heart Paul Rudd in a big way and the movie came highly recommended by Daye, who had been to an early screening of the film a month before it's release. It lived up to my comedic expectations. Before the movie I got the chance to talk to Josh and Mat from 91X who hooked us up with scrip for The Field, so after the movie we returned to get some bar food before moving on to the next destination.

We got to Tiltwheel at the Beauty Bar as they'd just started but everyone there was well, um, lubricated?, and it made for a fun show, including Josh Mosh taking the stage for a song so Davey could smoke and drink his beer. It made me realize it had been a long time since I'd been to show with the fast crowd and it was a really good time. And I certainly never thought it would be at the Beauty Bar. I was especially happy that night because a friend of mine gave me a Blind Lady Alehouse hoodie. Score!

After Tiltwheel, the bulk of the crowd moved on to the Ken Club and it turned out that Miggs was DJ-ing and my old upstairs neighbor was in town. Needless to say they came over for an after party that got pretty ridiculous because Miggs' volume is always at 11. My current upstairs neighbor didn't get much sleep that night and I feel shitty for it, but there's no turning Miggs volume down.

3.20.09: Grand Ole Party, Ale Mania, Dirty Legs @ Soda Bar

Come Friday I was pretty excited to finally see Grand Ole Party as it had been some time since I last saw them play. Peter had asked me to help get the word out about ticketing because it was the biggest show Soda Bar had planned and they didn't want to overwhelm the space. The show sold out within about an hour of going on sale at 6 pm. In retrospect, they probably could've allowed another 50 people in the bar for the show, but we got there early, got a booth, enjoyed the Mission IPA on draft and just enjoyed the show and the fact that people weren't shoved into the bar like sardines. The Dirty Legs was an all chick band that played bratty punk, wearing their influences on their sleeves. Ale Mania appeared to be a new project of some of the guys from The Sess, but to be honest, I stayed in our booth and couldn't really see over the crowd. And even with earplugs, I couldn't really make out the band all that well. Grand Ole Party played late in the night and played entirely new material for the whole set. At this point in the night we sat up on the back of the booth to be able to see Kristin but I knew photos would be a disaster, so I just kicked back. The band left a couple days later to go record in Atlanta, so expect their new album later this year.

3.21.09: Album Release Party for The Long and Short of It, Kill Me Tomorrow, Fing @ Casbah

Saturday was one of those San Diego days with absolutely perfect weather. I had lunch with a my sister, b-i-l and niece at Lefty's and then met up with Todd and some friends for some beers at Blind Lady. Inevitably, a couple beers and a walk home and I took a brief nap before heading down to the Casbah to see Fing, Kill Me Tomorrow, and The Long And Short of It. You can see photos from Natalie or Michael. My camera just couldn't take that lighting. Also, I was kicking it over near the bar because Joe from The Roman Spring came out for the first time since his accident and it was just really good to see my friend getting better. All three bands delivered aggressive and powerful sets. The Long And The Short of It played their entire album from front to back- "if you wanna know the setlist, you can go buy the record." The band is always loud, but it was mixed so well, Ben's vocals were clear and his lyrics particularly powerful. It was a great night to be certain. I love nights when nearly the entire Casbah staff comes out to support one of their own.

3.22-25.09: The next couple days for me were catch-up days. I caught up on e-mail, posting, listings, watching shows I'd missed, seeing movies I'd not seen. I planned on seeing These Arms Are Snakes at Casbah on Tuesday, but I had a birthday dinner at Ponce's with my friends, some cake and ice cream at my house afterward, then made my way to the Ken Club where I got sucked in to karaoke night and never left. No complaints though, my neighborhood friends were there and even though I don't participate in karaoke, I still like being a witness. Abraham and I tried to connect but since it didn't happen Tuesday night, he showed up at my place on Wednesday afternoon with a 6 pack and we caught up before he, Todd and I decided to grab lunch. We tried to hit Minh Ky in City Heights (Menlo & El Cajon, just east of Hoover High), but were surprised to see it was closed on Wednesdays. So we crossed the street and went to Pho King. Let's just say we couldn't stop laughing. "Give me a Pho King menu." "Where is the Pho King waitress." Can I have some Pho King water?" Sometimes it's okay to act like an adolescent. I would love Pho King to sponsor this website. The food kicked ass, too. And that leaves me with Wednesday night, the first night of the Luce Loft. That will be another diary post.

Rosey's Diary: 2.25.09 - 3.03.09

I caught up with a few way overdue posts yesterday, but I quickly realized that part of the reason I haven't been writing is because I have been so incredibly busy, and when I have room to breathe, I have actually been giving myself time away from the computer. That said, I'll pick up where I left off at the end of February. If you care to read my diary, click 'keep on reading'.



2.25.09: AC Newman, Dent May @ Casbah, Karaoke @ Soda Bar

I sold merch for AC Newman and Dent May, so I didn't really get to see the show, but Dent May is this amazing band with a eukele as the centerpiece. I was a little surprised the show wasn't sold out, especially since there was such demand for Neko Case tickets just a week later, but there were plenty of people who told me that A.C. Newman's first album, A Slow Wonder changed their lives. Carl was kind enough to sign a tour poster for me at the end of the night.

The show ended quite early because the band was playing on KEXP the next morning and had to be up by 4 a.m., so this gave me time to hit the Soda Bar where I ran into friends on Kipper's Karaoke Night. They tried to get me to sing, but as I've said before, it is NEVER going to happen, so instead I played pool with a guy who lives around the corner from the bar and asked if I was a student at SDSU. Considering I graduated college in 1998, I have to say I was more than flattered. The bar was a bit slow so they closed down a little early and I was on my way to prepare for another day.

2.26.09: Kinky @ House of Blues, N.A.S.A.@ Casbah

The next night I made my way downtown with a Jonathan and Xavie to see Kinky. I had won 10 tickets from Kinky and thought I'd take my best friends who both had upcoming birthdays, but they couldn't make it after all, so I hooked up some friends with tickets. When we arrived, the line was crazy and the first band hadn't started, so we decided to hit up The Local. On Thursday nights they have $3 pints and other great drink specials, so we stayed there for quite some time, bumping into a few of my friends who were on a pub crawl. When we finally left to the show, Kinky was about to take the stage. I smuggled my camera in, as did half the audience, but could never really get close enough to the stage for any real results, so this is the best I got, and actually the photo on the left was taken from the balcony when we were getting drinks. It's funny that I get press releases so frequently from the band's publicity agency but they couldn't hook up a photo pass or tickets for the actual show. I don't hold it against the band at all and they gave a stellar performance and it seems to me that of all the shows I go to, the rock en espanol crowds are by far the most frenzied and enthusiastic at shows, perhaps because they don't happen very often.



After the show, we made our way to see N.A.S.A., a DJ duo, at the Casbah. It was fun and the crowd was in full dance party mode, but personally I just don't get the whole DJ thing. I felt like I was at Mr. Crown's or Safari in Tijuana back in 1993, which is all good and fun, but I guess I'm just always gonna be someone who prefers to see live bands. Maybe I should look into ecstasy?





2.27.09: Swim Party + Writer (Split 7" Release Party), Joel P West @ Whistle Stop

Because I was going to be on a music panel on Saturday, I opted to steer clear of any drinks on this night, which was a damn shame because all my favorite people were there and everyone was having a blast. Joel P West started off the night and where my photos as Whistle Stop generally suck, now that my camera is failing and making everyone purple, you can really see why I didn't really bother with photos that night:



Still, Joel told me he's taking some time to work on new songs and hopefully start recording a new album so I'm looking forward to that. He's a high school teacher so I guess spring break gave him some time to play shows including this one, one at Soda Bar, and another at TNT, all in the span of a week. His songs simultaneously make me happy and sad inside and his vocals backed by beautiful string arrangements make him an artist to watch.

To make it an extra special night, Writer and Swim Party were releasing their split 7" record and played together. Eli, Jaime, Andy, Petro, Alex, and Erik all played along, and even had Natalie on keys for a couple songs. For the most part they alternated between Swim Party and Writer songs that just made for this amazing superband that couldn't be drowned out by the beyond packed Whistle Stop.The $5 records can be purchased at either bands' shows.



2.28.09: Associated College Press Panel, Sight & Sound feat. Jamuel Saxon, Swim Party, Joanie Mendenhall, art, performers, and more. Hosted by ME! @ Planet Rooth Seth Combs B-day Party featuring Transfer @ Ruby Room

I had been invited by San Diego Union-Tribune music critic George Varga to be on a panel for the National Association of College Newspapers convention that was held in San Diego. Once I got over the feeling of "what the hell am I even doing here", we actually had a great discussion about music journalism and it was cool to be on a panel with Bart Mendoza, Marc Balanky, Keli Dailey, and my blog partner-in-crime, Natalie Kardos. Natalie and I stayed after for a while and chatted with some students until we finally had to bail so she could dye her hair blue. I didn't have much time to do anything after because I had to be at Planet Rooth by 6 to get squared away for my night of being MC for Sight & Sound. I know it's a bit of an oddity for someone like me who hates being photographed or onstage to be at two events in the same day where I was on a mic, but it ended up being a really good time...at least once I was able to introduce the bands. There was a long wait between my arrival and the festivities beginning, so Natalie and I walked to Sicilian Thing and had some pizza before returning. I took to my hosting duties, but the actors and carnival people just kinda did their own thing, starting before I got through my intros, so who am I to argue with thespians or a carnival woman with a painted clown face?

There was a contortionist, a young acrobat on a Chinese pole, a duo who did a scene from a play, and then Joanie Mendenhall playing solo. And, as self depracating as she can be, she sounded great. She wanted me to introduce her as a "five time San Diego Award loser."



After Joanie the crowd moved outside, where I introduced a comedy/acrobatic group called the Platt Brothers who had this choreographed dance routine that was pretty funny. I was really happy to be able to introduce Swim Party, and later beatboxer Generic, who ended up joining forced with Jamuel Saxon. It was also cool because some of the students that were at the conference earlier in the day came to the event. (Although their advisors left after an awkward jaunt into The Rubber Rose. They explained that they were from a conservative Jewish school on the east coast and I felt bad for not even thinking about warning them.)





I hung out for a few minutes after the show but I wanted to catch Transfer at Ruby Room, too, so I said my goodbyes and headed over. I missed the show, walking in during the band's last song, but I at least got to wish Seth a happy birthday and chat with Matt and Sean for a bit. I think I might try and do an sddialedin.com show soon, and it will likely be at The Ruby Room, so I'll keep y'all posted.


After all that goodness, I took a couple days off from going out and actually wrote a bunch, catching up from the previous month. Yikes. I think I need a better time management system. I'll pick up this diary post in the next post...

Overdue Recap: November Shows

Catching up. Yes, with November. Looking back, not only have I not been writing a whole lot, but I also gave up on taking pictures. Regardless, I'll go back in time for a quickie recap. I'll save the space and put it all after the jump if you're interested enough to click 'keep on reading'.


Rewinding back to Thanksgiving week, I started the week selling merch for O'Death. Old Devil and Tobyn Clark and the Tender Faeries opened but honestly I was out on the patio and didn't get to escape inside to catch the show, and even Natalie didn't feel she got any good pics. The bands were awesome though the crowd was really disappointing. There just weren't enough people there for how great O'Death is, though I came to a conclusion that their name certainly doesn't invite a crowd for how they actually sound. They're actually more Americana and folk than the name suggests and expected a lot more people to be there. The description on their MySpace page of Gothic/Country/Punk feels inaccurate. They'd work well with Murder By Death, and I think they actually are working on a split vinyl with that band. Neither here nor there, I guess. The band was gracious and at least I sold a handful of records. There was also some weird band business after, perhaps what happens when 5 smelly dudes spend far too much time together. I hope they sorted all that out since they're continuing with some major European touring.

The next night I decided at the last minute to check out Anti-Monday League. I caught a bit of the Subadons from Tijuana but the night was a little dead, so I decided I would check out El Dorado (it was their opening night). It wouldn't be right if I didn't stop at Chee-Chee first, so I hung out with Fred. We could see a line at El Dorado and I was a little shy, but Fred made me do recon, so I checked it out. Relative to downtown prices, I guess the drinks are cheap, but relative to Chee-Chee, not so much. It seems like a great option for a date and all the staff and bartenders are super friendly.


I stopped back at Chee-Chee before returning to Casbah for The Gift/Curse. Lighting sucked so I just hung out rocking out to the band and enjoying the tunes and didn't bother with pictures. There were quite a few more people out by the time I got back and for good reason...The Gift/Curse rock.

The next night I stayed home, regrettably missing Yeasayer which I've come to understand was a mistake, but driving to La Jolla just seemed like a drag and I have to watch the budget these days more than ever.

Thanksgiving Eve has long been one of my favorite nights to go out. It seems like people return home and are ready to party with eating a feast the only major goal the next day. I went out to dinner at Ken Grill with my cousin, who was visiting from LA, and Sara, and that ended up being a great time in and of itself, then we hit the Ken Club. When they called it a night around 11, they dropped me off at The Ruby Room which was a little disappointing only because I got there during Writer's last song. I expected them to play last. My friends that were supposed to be there weren't, but fortunately Petro, Alex, and Kris were, so we hung around for part of Jamuel Saxon's set before they had to go and they agreed to give me a ride back to the hood. They decided to grab some food and we met up at Petro & Kris' and watched DVDs of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia until Alex eventually dropped me off.

Thanksgiving with the family was chill. My sister and her husband took my niece to Arizona, so it was just my cousin, my parents and myself for Thanksgiving. After a whole day with the family, I visited my second family at the Ken Club.

Friday was another family day until nightfall, when my cousin and I went to El Dorado. I could've pretty much ended up anywhere, but I knew Connie would love the feel of the bar, so I guess we have a place to go when she comes to town that is divey enough for me and upscale enough for her. It meets right in the middle for us.

From El Dorado, she dropped me off at the Casbah. I missed the opening bands but was there in time for the headliner, Deerhunter.


The show was sold out and packed. Deerhunter gave a fierce performance though not really evident in my sloppy photos. The crowd was clearly pleased with the performance that was delivered as I heard some people talking about it like their minds were just blown. I hadn't planned very well and assumed I would know someone at the show, so unfortunately I spent half the show trying to find anyone who'd be willing to drive me to Kensington, and I'm ever so grateful that Peter ended up taking me. I owe him big for that.

My November closed out with another family day and a couple more shows. On Saturday I chilled out a bit until the evening when my mom, cousin and I did some shopping downtown, then decided to walk around in Coronado. We discovered a new spot that had opened the night before at the Ferry Landing. It's called Lil' Piggy's BBQ and it was awesome. We didn't eat a full meal, but after meeting the cook and talking to the people working there, my cousin ordered a kids meal ("The best hot dog I've ever had," she said) and it came with our choice of side so we went with the mac n'cheese, which on its own sells for $2 and was delicious. The chef also brought us some pulled pork and BBQ chicken to sample. So convinced, we ended up buying a plate to take home to my dad. My mom thinks the plate should come with Texas toast instead of just regular sliced white bread, but overall the food we sampled was delicious and my dad was happy with the feast we brought him. They have outdoor picnic table seating that has plastic wind guards and I think it will do well in Coronado. Theydo catering and sell full racks of ribs (which I'll try next time around), and they have a fridge with 100 different bottled beers.


After dropping my mom off in Chula Vista, Connie dropped me at home and I made my way to Casbah to see Team Abraham, The Parson Red Heads, and Blitzen Trapper.

I got there just as Team Abraham took the stage and they sounded great. The added female vocals work well for them. But I'm biased, right? (BTW, if you're on Twitter, follow them @TeamAbraham)


I've also written about The Parson Red Heads and Blitzen Trapper in the past. Both bands are excellent and I love seeing them live, so this bill, on a Saturday night, was a real treat. The Red Heads are happy and sweet and conjure up days laying around on a grass field and girls with daisy crowns in their hair. And I still maintain that the one guitarist looks like Buddy Jesus.




Closing out the night was Blitzen Trapper. I just love these guys and every time I see them it reminds me of just how warm they are, both in sound and stage presence. They are a band happy to be who they are and where they are and it shines in their performances. With the crowd singalongs, it's obvious they've gotten some devoted fans over time, too.



The next day they played an in-store at M-Theory and I figured I had time to get there since they don't usually start on time, but this one did, and it was short and I arrived in time for one song. I could kick myself. I was sure someone would post the video on YouTube, but can't seem to find any. I guess I've learned my lesson about taking my sweet time getting somewhere.


So that rounds out my November. I guess I will now attempt to catch up with December so I don't have anything hanging over my head as we roll into Christmas and 2009 and who knows what access I'll have to the web when I'm gone. Last time I got wi-fi but it wasn't cheap...