Overdue Recap: Magnetic Morning, Drew Andrews, John Meeks @ Casbah, 11.4.08

After a historic election day (but not quite tinged by the news that Prop 8 would eventually pass after all the votes were counted, Jake and I decided to hit the Casbah. It was an incredible show with Magnetic Morning, Drew Andrews (whose CD & Vinyl was released nationwide on election day), and John Meeks, but with the lights ultra dimmed so much so that I didn't even attempt pictures. Still, you can read about the bands if you 'keep on reading'.

Also, courtesy of Minty Fresh, you can download a free track off of Drew's album HERE.


Unfortunately I missed Musee Mecanique because we lagged a bit, but we arrived in time to catch John Meeks in the Atari Lounge. It was pretty crazy because I was still in my Obama shirt and I was getting high fives from strangers and everyone was just buzzing about how incredible the night was, how history was made, and how everyone’s outlook was just so positive and full of hope. Believe me, the magnitude of the election was not lost on the crowd. Jimmy Lavalle stepped in on bass with John and the beauty of the set was amplified with the energy of the crowd.
After John Meeks finished, the crowd meandered into the venue for Drew Andrews. It was his CD release and it was great to see such a huge show of response from so many other local musicians and fans alike. Drew and his band had just come off a mini-tour and the band really gelled for their hometown crowd. The lights were completely dimmed which not only meant I wasn’t even going to attempt photos, but it meant I was standing there wishing I could curl up into a little ball on the floor with a warm blanket and let Drew’s sweet voice completely envelop me.

Between mainstage acts, John Meeks played a second set, this time with Martin of Republic of Letters on bass (since Jimmy was setting up with Magnetic Morning). Again, a lovely set, and the violin, along with John’s voice, could make a grown man cry.

Magnetic Morning finished up the night. With Jimmy Lavalle on keys and synth and vocals performed by Swervedriver’s Adam Franklin, it was nothing less than perfect. Everything Jimmy touches is gold and this project is no exception. Check it out if you're lucky to get the chance.

Overdue Recap: Drew Andrews & Manuok @ Beauty Bar, 7.24.08

After seeing Drew Andrews with Rocky on Wednesday, I was looking forward to catching him again on Thursday with a full band and a more local crowd. I didn't think the show would start quite so early, however, so I missed the two openers, but arrived in time to catch Manuok.

Last time I saw them, I was selling merch at the Belly Up, so I didn't really get to take in the show so this time I was happy to be able to enjoy the whole set. I've been really enjoying shows there with the new lights and Sarah always takes care of me. Manuok are an incredible band. Check my YouTube videos for video of the night, but if you get the chance to see Scott and crew live, make sure to do so. There's just incredible depth of talent with every person in the band and the vocals will break your heart.


Drew Andrews is one of the nicest guys in San Diego music, so its no surprise that a lot of his friends came out to see the show. He was in a good mood, I think having the full band, while they're all tight musicians, meant a looser feeling show, perhaps less pressure and no bar chatter to compete with. Whatever it was, Drew played a long set and didn't shy from talking about his record being put out by Minty Fresh this fall, which I'm certainly looking forward to hearing. I posted video of a couple songs before, so check them out if you haven't already.



Being that Beauty Bar shows end early, we hung out for a little bit once the set finished, but then I headed to U-31 with Jake to catch a little bit of Shark Attack, but mostly we just hung out with Erika until closing time and put the seal on another fun night in San Diego.

Overdue Recap: Rocky Votolato, Owen, Drew Andrews @ Casbah 7.23.08

It's not a secret that Rocky Votolato is my favorite musician, so it shouldn't be surprising that I'd been anticipating this local show for a while. When Drew Andrews was added to the bill, it only made me that much more excited for the night to arrive. I tried to make sure I was there early, but Drew had already started when I arrived. There was a decent sized crowd at the Casbah and it filled up as the night progressed; not quite a sell out by the end of the night, but close. I anticipated the show would be crowded with the Comic-con people decending on the city, but I forgot how disrespectful crowds can be for solo artists. When Drew was singing, it was ok, and his voice filled the room, even over the chatter, but during his instrumental moments is when you could really hear the crowd. He took it in stride and still delivered a great set.



Owen was up next and again had the chatter to deal with. As he was talking at the beginning of the show, there was that annoying sound a cell phone makes when interfering with speakers. He joked about it. Then it happened again and I realized it was my phone. Fucking embarassing. Damn you, Twitter! So anyway, I turned off the phone and all was good, and I was glad it happened before he actually played a song. His performance was great, and he was engaging with his chatter on stage, talking about his wife, his day at the Wild Animal Park, and trying to get feedback from the crowd.



Finally Rocky was up for the night and the chatter of the crowd finally subsided and the room was quiet, riding on his every word. His old label, Second Nature Recordings, has recently reissued some of his older albums and released Suicide Medicine on vinyl for the first time ever, so he while he played stuff from Brag and Cuss and Makers (White Daisy Passing, Makers, Tinfoil Hats, Portland is Leaving), he also went into the archives, playing several songs from Suicide Medicine (Suicide Medicine, Mixtapes/Cellmates among others) and from Burning My Travels Clean. He also played a new song ("Sparkles", see video below) and an old Waxwing song.

A poignant moment in the night was when he explained the story behind "Automatic Rifle", about a young Palestinian suicide bomber who in an effort to avenge the murder of a relative, strapped a bomb to her chest and ended up with one casualty, am Israeli girl who had been raised most of her life in San Francisco, and described how the two girls looked like they could've been sisters. It was pretty heavy listening to the song, as I always thought it was hypothetical and didn't realize it was based on a specific reality.

There were a couple girls up front who were talking, singing, and telling him how much they loved him, and at one point he discreetly leaned into them, presumably to ask them to chill out, but it resulted in them being louder. Kind of a bummer, but he was classy and just played on, even obliging them with their requests. I could listen to Rocky perform all night, and my iTunes playlist definitely sees a lot of usage.




Rocky Votolato, "Sparklers"


As always, it was great to see Rocky and April, his wife, again, and I'll just be counting down until the next time they make it down.