Photos: X- Fest 2015- Modest Mouse, Public Enemy, The Cult, Cold War Kids, Atlas Genius

A week ago today, Darren and I were running errands trying to get our butts in gear to get to X-Fest at a reasonable time. Unfortunately some things just can't be avoided and we got there as Atlas Genius was finishing. I didn't have a photo pass- which was actually a good thing because they have a weird policy of sequestering photographers after the first three songs of each set so they don't take photos- meaning they're sitting alone in a box for the majority of the day. I did manage a few photos throughout the day and figured it was about time my posts were more than just listings and Observatory and Casbah shows. I have to say this was maybe my favorite X-Fest of all time and Public Enemy was the best I'd ever seen them. All the pics are after the jump.

Weekend Music Recap: Desert Diamonds, Low Red Land, The Long And Short Of It, The Heartaches, Modest Mouse

I just really don't think I'm gonna get to posting about this weekend unless I do it now. 'Tis a busy week ahead indeed, but I wanted to mention a couple things.

Friday night, I missed the opening bands, but I finally got the chance to see Desert Diamonds at the Ken Club. I was camera free, but I really enjoyed their set. The singer is commanding onstage and actually kinda reminded me of JD Fortune, the new singer of INXS. He probably won't like the comparison, but after having seen INXS live this summer, I mean it in the most complimentary way and I look forward to seeing the band play again soon.

Saturday night I missed Death On Mars, but got to see Low Red Land from SF. They played loud and fast, but their vocals were really clear (at least with my plugs in) and their music was passionate. I liked the duel vocals and reminded me of the hardcore 'emo' stuff I was into in high school before 'emo' was hijacked by a bunch of pussy MTV boy bands with guitars. For $10, they sold me all of their CDs, including a live CD, a full length, a couple eps, and a sneak peek of tracks from their next full length. I also watched the first few songs of The Long and Short of It, but I had to leave in the middle because I was meeting friends back in the hood.

Low Red Land

The Long And Short Of It

At the Ken Club I saw the Heartaches who always just bring it. The night drew a large crowd and made for a fun night at the bar, and afterward when a couple friends came over to help me decorate my tree. (Which, by the way- we had to cut some branches off the bottom so the tree would stand straight in the stand since they didn't trim it at the Q, and we were able to do it with the infamous Ginzu knife. They always said it could slice tomatoes and cut through cans, but they should add sawing a Christmas tree to their advertising.)

The Heartaches

Anyway, Sunday I really wanted to head to the Zombie, but had some writing to catch up on, which also meant I didn't get to hang out with my family. My cousin was down from LA, but without internet at their house, I might've missed my deadline. I need to plan my time better sometimes.

Finally, tonight I went to Modest Mouse at SOMA. Unfortunately I missed Matt Costa but heard he was great. I got there about 20 minutes before MM hit the stage and just couldn't get anywhere near where I wanted to be. Finally I went in through the front side door and was able to hang in the corner, about a third back from the stage. They sounded great, mostly playing tracks from the last two albums. I was actually impressed because I forgot my earplugs and the sound was so clear and not at all overwhelming. The band didn't talk much, except when Brock ranted that their last three shows being radio shows. He talked shit about radio stations, saying they play in circles and are a bunch of bullshit. Yet he played those shows and also played the 94/9 Hootenanny last year. Maybe he was just being cool to rally the crowd behind him, but honestly, to me, it's called biting the hand. If they wanted to stay indie and obscure, they could easily refuse the big tours. I just think it's a little hypocritical.

Anyway, I watched for exactly 50 minutes then went to use the restroom and the guard wouldn't let me back in the front area, saying they were at capacity, so I had to enter through the back. Being 5'3" and knowing I had a bunch to do around the homefront, I just decided to leave, that was enough of their show for me. I wish I'd had more energy, and I wish I maybe had a little buzz, because I would've liked to see the whole thing, but I'm trying hard to find a better healthier balance with my demanding day job, my CityBeat side job, and this little hobby of a blog that I maintain. Also, sitting next to my dog and my tree in my pj's while I blog and watch the finale of The Hills...sometimes that is really just what I need.

Win Modest Mouse Tickets!

I've been teasing since last weekend, so it's about time I finally post. I have a pair of tickets to give away for Monday's Modest Mouse show at Soma. You true fans should've bought your tickets a while ago, but if maybe it slipped your mind, here's your chance to snag a pair for free.



I was trying to come up with some trivia or otherwise creative way to give these away, but I came up empty. Instead, I thought it would just be nice to hear your whiny reasons why you didn't just buy the tickets. From the entries, I'll choose the top five, then one lucky winner will be selected by none other than my cat, Mr Boo Radley, in his standard fashion of smacking a piece of paper off the TV. Very scientific, I know.

I am gonna be a little strict about the following, however.

1. Send me an email. Do not send a message to my MySpace accounts. Do not leave a comment on this blog. Send an email. Click "about me" to the find the correct address.
2. The subject line must read "Modest Mouse Tickets" or it will be deleted.
3. Write a short sob story about why you want/need/will die without the free tickets. Broken hearts, tragic illnesses, unemployment stories work well. Pictures of you in your most depressed mood work even better. I will not publish the responses or pictures.
4. Include your first and last name, your neighborhood, and your phone number. This info is for me only, I ain't gonna sell your shit or anything like that.
5. To my friends, family, neighbors, groupies, friends with benefits- You know I love you, but your friendship gives you no advantage in this contest. All entries will be considered fairly.
6. Entries must be received by 5 pm on Friday.

I'll notify the winner on Saturday. Bring on the waterworks!

And, for those of you who don't win, CLICK HERE to buy tickets.

Tickets through the Casbah site are sold out, but tickets can still be purchased through Soma's Lunatiks site. Don't pay sleazebag scalpers online! Tickets are still available at face value.

Tuesday Newsy Bits: Indie Jam Schedule, other stuff

Some really random things today. Since this is still my personal blog (whether you like to hear my garbage or not), I thought I would mention that on Friday, my last surviving frog took his last breath. He was upside down when I got home and struggling to flip over, which he finally did, but hours later his fate was sealed. African Dwarf frogs are really cool little pets if you have the patience to frequently clean their water and always have distilled water on hand. 5 years was a good life for them.
*****
The set times for Indie Jam have been posted on the website for FM 94/9 and also on Chickrawker. Check it out here.
*****
While hanging with my dad this weekend he commented on my article in the Reader. "If I had $10,000 for each band I could identify in your list," he said, "I still couldn't even buy a cup of coffee." Dashboard by Modest Mouse was playing in the background and trying to seem with it, he asked if I was a fan of "Modest", because that was all that was displayed on the stereo display. Sometimes families seem like they don't really get you and then you get older and realize that at least they always tried. It was a good weekend.
*****
For my new, slightly more diverse readers, I give you Blues Cruise Information:

Taj Mahal (music) & The International Rhythm Band, Elvin Bishop (music), Bobby Rush, Lowrider Band (Howard Scott, Lee Oskar, BB Dickerson & Harold Brown), Tommy Castro, Marcia Ball, Rod Piazza, Bernard Allison, Curtis Salgado, Janiva Magness, Eric Sardinas, John Lee Hooker, Jr., Sista Monica Parker, Doug MacLeod, Chico Banks, Eric Bibb, Earl Thomas, Eric Lindell and Nathan James & Ben Hernandez are all slated to appear on this year's Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, according to a press release.

The excursion sets sail Oct. 13 from San Diego, travels to the Mexican Riviera, and returns to port Oct. 20. Many of the cabins are already sold out, so if this is something you're interested in, you should get on it. If you're more of a Parrothead, you should join KPRi on their "Music and Margaritas" 4-day Cruise to Cabo. Info here.
*****
House of Blues Two For TU tickets offerings today include tickets for Tesla on June 11. Are they surprised that tickets didn't sell...for Tesla...at $45 a pop? Other tickets available are Derek Trucks with Susan Tedeschi (originally $35, June 13, 4th & B) and Umphrey's McGee (originally $20, 6/14, HoB)

In other ticket news, tickets for Jackfest (Jack FM concert featuring ZZ Top, REO Speedwagon, The Pretenders, and the Stray Cats) went on sale last weekend. This is what the site says:

All tickets will have a $6 parking fee (per ticket) added on top of the prices below.

Reserved 1 - $75.00; Reserved 2 - $65.00; Reserved 3 - $55.00; Reserved 4 - $35.00; Lawn - $30.00; 4 pack lawn - $19.99 per ticket. ($80.00 Total)

Now, let's see how much they really cost:

Reserved 2 -
$65.00
Facility Charge $6.00
Convenience Charge $11.15
Order Processing Charge $3.40.
Total $85.55 (one ticket)

4 pack lawn
$19.99 per ticket
Facility Charge $4.50
Convenience Charge $7.60
Order Processing Charge $3.40
Total for 4: $131.80

Tickets for Crowded House at Humphrey's also went on sale last Saturday, and as much as I would love to go, I just cannot bring myself to spend $129 on a dinner package seat or $70 on a regular seat (plus ticketmaster fee of $7.75). boo.
*****
more news later...

Modest Mouse

The Casbah has the following specifics posted regarding the Modest Mouse show at Cox Arena:
Monday May 14: Modest Mouse, Love as Laughter, and guests @ Cox Arena 7pm
All Ages $30 + $3.75 facility fee
General Admission Tickets on sale Sat Mar 24 @ noon at ticketmaster.com, Cox Arena box office, and all ticketmaster outlets

Modest Mouse is playing the night before at the Greek Theater. Tickets for that show are also onsale Saturday, but available tomorrow in pre-sale. The password for pre-sale tickets is "Issaquah". I presume the password would be the same if there's a SD pre-sale, but as far as I've seen, there isn't one.

If you haven't read about Isaac Brock losing it, read this story about how he sliced himself onstage while having a fit.

Friday Newsy Bits

Like I said, it was a slow news day and after a Ponce's induced coma, I'm staring at a computer monitor. When the most exciting news I've got is that history was made tonight on Jeopardy! when the show ended in a three way tie, you know there's nada. Some new shows have been announced by House of Blues entertainment, so keep these dates in mind:

AQUALUNG- Monday, May 7@ House of Blues San Diego
Tickets On Sale: Friday, March 23

SUSAN TEDESCHI & DEREK TRUCKS- Wednesday, June 13@ 4th & B
Tickets On Sale: Friday, March 23

STEVIE NICKS & CHRIS ISSAK- Wednesday, May 23@ Coors Amphitheatre
Tickets On Sale: Friday, March 23

TOOL- Thursday, May 3@ Cox Arena
Tickets On Sale: Friday, March 23

JOHN MAYER, BEN FOLDS- Tuesday, June 12@ Coors Amphitheatre
Tickets On Sale: Saturday, March 24

MODEST MOUSE- Monday, May 14@ Cox Arena
Tickets On Sale: Saturday, March 24

Why Going Out is Superior To Staying In: American Idols Do Modest Mouse

After work last night I had to swing by Target for my pet essentials...kitty litter and pet food. I also bought CDs by Arcade Fire and The Shins. I know that is bad because I'm not supporting independent record stores, but at $9.99, at least some of the guilt is erased from having pre-release burned copies of both. I decided that I would stay home and catch up on horrible TV like the Hills and Real World, but also caught a glimpse of American Idol. All I can say is, Why, Isaac Brock? Why???

Click here for the video of Float On.

Recap 3: 94/9 Holiday Hootenanny

I don't even know where to start with this show. I was asked by Owen what I was gonna say and I told him it was the single best radio station hosted show I've ever been to. When asked to elaborate I did, and so I will here for you now, too.

I picked Andrea up by 5 and we were on our way to the show. I grabbed a great spot but as we walked to the venue saw a huge line as the doors weren't opened just yet. We instead grabbed our 21+ wristbands and called Mike, the Facilities Manager who we'd met on Sunday. We met him by the box office and he let us enter the venue through the VIP badge entrance. Mike, you're the best!

We went through the venue into the beer garden area. UCSD is normally a dry campus for events so whatever strings were pulled to let this happen need to be pulled for future events. We quickly ran into Owen and Tim Pyles. Pyles had an extra VIP pass which he allowed us to use for some complimentary adult beverages. We chatted with Lyn Chickrawker for a while and then watched The Delta Spirit.

I have seen them before but let's just say I've always been a little less than sober, so this was my first time really taking them in. They have a great southern rock with a touch of gospel feel and it was clear why they are so tight with Cold War Kids. I really enjoyed their set, but some of their songs are a bit too Christian for me. I don't have a problem with a band being Christian, but I enjoy a bit more subtlety in lyrics. Like if you read the CWK lyrics, you have to understand the biblical undertones to even notice them. The Delta Spirit on the other hand are very much about "I can't wait, the Lord is coming" and that's just really not my thing. Still, the music is solid and a lot of people in the crowd were dancing and grooving to the tunes. I grabbed their set list so here's that(as it's written):

Tom G, People Come On,Street Walker, Around,I Am Waiting, French Q, Children Stay Away, Motivation, Time All You People

We stayed in the garden for some time. Pete Yorn was hanging out in the VIP area, so Pyles snapped a picture of us together. When I asked if I could snap a picture with him, he kinda looked at me like I was speaking Chinese and then he checked the pass around my neck. We snapped the shot and then he pointed to the "no smoking" sign behind us...I guess I annoyed him. Then he told me he wasn't really checking my pass but my Liar's Club sweatshirt...he has a friend in Chicago(or somewhere) who owns a bar by the same name. Getting the feeling he didn't wanna chat, I thanked him and bailed the tent. We talked a while with Beth from the Belly Up and her roommate John. Tim also introduced me to a couple other radio people including Garrett, the morning show host on 94/9. Tim is always really good about introducing people while it never occurs to other people to do so, so it is definitely appreciated. Andrea was getting well lubricated on the red wine, so I said my "see ya laters" and went in to catch Silversun Pickups. The show ran a little late...they were supposed to start at 6:30 but still hadn't hit the stage by 7. I maneuvered up toward the front side of the stage but decided to take a seat in the unmonitored VIP seating area. I sat in the second row until I smelled something. Turns out the guy two seats down barfed and bailed. Ew. I went back down to the floor to watch the show.

This is now my third time seeing SSPU. I never thought I would like a band better in an arena than in a small venue but that's exactly how I felt about their set. They only played for a half hour but it was great and while the floor wasn't exactly packed yet, a lot of people were into them. What is kinda funny to me is that "Little Lover's So Polite" is the single in LA, while 94/9 has been spinning "Lazy Eye", so obviosuly this crowd went crazy for Lazy Eye. (See Chickrawker's blog for set list)

As soon as they finished I made a bee line to the beer garden and managed to not be without beverage the entire time. A light drizzle started to come down and after 15 or 20 minutes in the garden, a heavy rain poured down. People get all crazy when it rains, why I will never understand. I mean, I guess I'm not exactly the sandals and dress wearing type, so my clothes can pretty much withstand the elements. I was trying to find where our pass had gone, but to no avail, so I headed into the venue to catch Pete Yorn back up in the front, this time with Andrea, Dustin, Andrew and Matt. Pete Yorn's cousin Westerns tours with him, sells merch, shoots videos and pictures, and always posts the set list on MySpace.

Here is his set list: life on a chain, for us, when you see the light, undercover, black, how do you go on, closet, georgie boy, for nancy

Again when the band finished, we headed to the Garden. Is it clear that I loved the Garden?On our way there, Dustin and I bumped into Nikki from SSPU and talked to her a couple minutes and complimented their set. In the garden, the station had equipment set up to play music and broadcast the concert on multiple televisions, but apparently the rain created technical issues. They had turned on the field lights, probably so people could see the wet grass beneath their feet and avoid mud. A lot of people seemed to be really enjoying the beergarden. We witnessed a guy pee out in the open trying to act like nothing was happening. I bumped into Nick Montes and Hellman and Troy Johnson so it made me wonder if every other spot in San Diego was completely abandoned.

Eventually it was time for the Shins. We sat up in the seating area for their set and were kinda surprised that people were crowd surfing. Really? For the Shins? Weird. Anyway, it was a good set though the band commented that it was clear a lot of people already had their new album, not to be released until Jan 20. I am guilty myself but I feel like if I'm gonna buy the actual album anyway, what's the diff if I have a bootleg now and talk about how much I love it? They played a good mix from all their albums and if my neck wasn't killing me from bad sleep, I would've been even more into their set.

We went back outside but the garden was closing. We still hung around a while as people filtered into the venue for Modest Marr. We went back to our spot near the front but this over eager idiot seemed to not notice anyone around him and was bumping me. It was either move or punch the guy in the face, so Dustin, Andrea and I sat in the front row behind the soundboard. I have never seen Modest Mouse live but I was really impressed. They had two full drumsets on stage which made for a really rich heavy sound. Still, it was late, and while I'm not the kind of person who leaves a ballgame in the 7th inning to avoid traffic, it had begun to pour outside and my old beater doesn't have a defroster.

Dustin laid on top of my bike in the back of my car while Andrea slept in the front seat as I drove while wiping my windshield with a towel most of the ride. We went to the Beauty Bar, but only in time for a couple Vinyl Radio songs. Bobby, the drummer, was soaked from the rain leaking in on the edge of the tent. Puddles were forming in the back patio. I had no cash on me and decided I'd rather spend my dinero at the Ken Club than open a tab and have to spend $20 at the really crowded Beauty Bar, so I made sure everyone had a ride home, and I headed to my house, put on some dry socks and shoes, and headed to the bar, hitting the ATM across the street.

I hung out on the bar side for a bit but one of the tv's had this horrible Rodeo World Championship on that I just couldn't stomach, so I went to see who was playing and it was Dan Padilla (the band not the man). Gene was on drums on the stage (topless, I might add) and the guitarist and bassist were playing on the floor in front of the stage. I've seen them a few times and never get over how much they remind me of old Fluf crossed with some of the old faster punk like early Pennywise (though that probably is completely unflattering to the band). Definitely check them out when you get the chance. Oh, except keep and eye out, because even though there weren't a whole lot of people watching the band, several beer bottles were shattered, there was pushing and shoving that looked like a fight but was really among friends, and some extremely trashed patrons talking shit.

I hope it is clear why today I really, really, slept in. Time to go watch the Chargers clinch #1...

94/9 Holiday Hootenanny announced

And better than I thought! I was really excited on Monday and enjoyed scouring the net for tours to see who would be making their way to San Diego but by Tuesday had lost interest only because I knew people knew but were afraid of being outted here. But the waiting is over:

Modest Mouse with Johnny Marr. I saw Neil Finn a few years ago with Johnny Marr playing in the band and he was amazing. I think he can only help MM with what they do.

The Shins. I've heard people say the Shins are boring onstage, but I saw them at Cane's what? 3 Years ago? And again at Street Scene and for me when I hear songs they trigger little sweet memories of random moments in my life. And the new album (at least what has been leaked on the net) is good. Consistent, but good. Indie 103 has already added Phantom Limb to their regular rotation. I personally love "Turn On Me" and "A Comet Appears".

Pete Yorn. I can't believe I didn't see this one! Pete is playing the KPRI private listener show and we were skipped on his regular tour dates but I should've known! Sweety Petey never skips San Diego because we were so good to him early in his career. (Were you at his 4 o clock Friday?) Plus his last show here was at the Casbah when we all know he could've easily played a larger venue.

Silversun Pickups. I felt this one coming but thought it wouldn't happen once I saw the Snow Patrol tour announced, but I'm happy to see them again. Last night the Stereotypes said "they're kinda local" being from Silverlake, and I guess I hope they accept that mentality because San Diego loves SSPU.

So there ya go, I'm happy. And now that Garrett and Owen have been directed to my page, you guys wanna hook me up? ;) Going to as many shows as I do is gonna make me broke.