Photos: Metric at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, March 5, 2019

I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but since I had to recreate passwords for basically every account I have on the internet, I was looking at sddialedin.com and realized I have 189 blog post drafts. That means over 189 posts that I started and never shared. Ugh. So you might notice a lot of posts being published of really old stuff from the archives that I never got around to sharing. After losing an entire drive at some point last year and losing my phone last week, I guess I'm just feeling more inclined to archive some things in a place where they won't be lost...at least for now.

So a few weeks I got to shoot Metric at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre. It was kind of an ordeal because if you remember, it was raining that night. I had interviewed the band before when they opened for Imagine Dragons at Viejas, and I'd seen them at House of Blues and a couple other times in the past, and I love them so much. Lots of photos after the jump.

Photos: Chvrches & Lo Moon at CCCU OAT, SDSU. 9.20.2018

Of course, I was head over heels when I'd originally heard that Chvrches was returning to San Diego, but the excitement was bubbling over on Thursday, the day of show, when I found out that not only was my photo pass secured, but we'd also be able to attend the 91X X-Session at Phaser Control Studios. We felt that seeing an international artist in such an intimate setting warranted pulling Nova out of school in the afternoon and headed to the studio. I was specifically called out by name not to take photos, so I obeyed, but I'm kinda bummed after the fact because one, everyone else was doing it, and two, our picture with the band has the lighting of a 1970's shrink's office because there were these stage LED lights on in the background.

Still, it was an amazing privilege, so thanks to 91X for letting us in on the fun.

Afterward, we came home and got all of our work and homework done and then Nova and I went to the show at the OAT. Fortunately, another photog had an extra ticket, so after Darren's soccer game, he was able to join us and only missed the first couple Chvrches songs, though he did miss the moment a massive giant cockroach climbed up the seat next to mine and over the armrest to take a swim in my nacho cheese. The venue kindly replaced them for me, but there's nothing on this earth Nova hates more than roaches so we had quite the freakout.  The show itself was amazing and we had amazing seats and it was nothing but joy. If you've seen Chvrches live, you know that they put on an incredible show, and if you haven't had the chance, don't miss them next time they come around. I tried to trim down the number of photos, but they're such a joy to shoot, I couldn't resist. Check them out after the jump.

Photos: The National at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, 10.12.2017

The past few weeks I've had a ton of photo passes which means I'm backlogged with gigs and gigs of photos. In three songs at The National, I shot 405 photos. And I've been a little shy about posting because I'm slightly intimidated by the far more talented photographers in this town and their amazing gear that isn't filled with scratched mirrors and spotty sensors and image dust bunnies, but Darren gave me a pep talk, and I get some incredible access to shows that not a lot of people get, so I promise as things start to slow down as we get deeper into fall, I'll get around to posting more photos. I'm on such a high from Thursday night that I wanted to get these pics of The National up right away.

Thursday nights are tough because we have soccer practice in PB until 6, which means by the time we pack up and leave the area, it's 6:30 and the 5 south is in rush hour. Jeff and I made arrangements to meet at Tribute before the show. I should've studied the menu and pre-planned my order, because that place is busy. It was delicious, but not somewhere to go if you're in a rush. As it was, we had to take my pizza to go when it was finally ready, dropped it at my house, then made our way to SDSU. I had a photo pass, but arrived during the fourth song from Daughter, so this was the best I could get from my point and shoot from my seat. They sounded fantastic and were a solid choice as an opener.

Oh. This is a funny little side note about the photo pit. I haven't shot at OAT in several years but I have a pretty great relationship with Casey from LiveNation. I'd texted her that I wouldn't make it for the opener because at the venue, everyone has to meet at the top and get escorted into the pit. Except when we got to the pit, the band had dead cases piled and taped to the part where we get in. So imagine a dozen photographers, climbing up the cases and jumping the four feet down into the pit. One girl was seven months pregnant and wearing a dress! It was pretty funny and I was super glad that I always opt for comfy and sensible clothing choices. Getting out was even more hilarious because there was no step up, so you had to be an acrobat climbing out, unless you're flexible yoga girl Kaitlyn from 91X who basically vaulted over in one beautiful, graceful motion, making all the rest of us look like assholes.

I don't know what to say about The National. All told, I've seen them live about half a dozen times, they're always amazing, and I have nothing but love for Matt Berninger. We've been dealing with Nova being sick, girls from our soccer team being sick, and hearing that hacking cough everywhere you go, so when I saw him coughing during the first song, even at times into the mic, I couldn't help but feel sad for him, but also what a superhero to power through when you feel like shit. The setlist was a beautiful mix of new stuff and favorites. Matt had his bottle of wine to help him get through it, but his throat and voice were definitely strained where you'd expect them to be. You can see eight videos here. 

Still, raspy voice and all, it was a beautiful night in San Diego. Matt was charming and funny at moments, and had a few "Fuck Trump" moments, as well as attributing "Walk It Back" to Karl Rove, "but he keeps refusing the royalties." On my way out of the pit, while waiting for everyone to climb out, I got a lingering high five/handshake from Matt and I felt like a girl whose junior high crush finally said hi to her. Toward the end of the night, Matt joked about playing Eminem, so the band finished the show and walked off stage, the stadium lights came up, and the snarky soundguys played "Lose Yourself" which brought Matt back out onto the stage as stagehands all around him worked, and he pantomimed Em while shaking hands of fans and giving out setlists. Matt Berninger. He's just like us. A man of the people. Swoon. Tons more photos after the jump.

ATTN: Kaleo Venue Change (From HOB to OAT)

I'm posting this because it's pretty unusual for a such a big venue change for any show, but to go from House of blues to Open Air Theatre is a huge leap... if you have tickets to the original show, you should exchange them sooner rather than later to get the best seats being traded.

KALEO
WITH THE SHELTERS, WILDER
AUGUST 29TH, 2017
CAL COAST CREDIT UNION OPEN AIR THEATRE
Tickets on sale Thursday, May 25th at 10AM PST
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0A0052B688E110F1


Due to popular demand, this show is now scheduled to play a larger venue. The show will now take place at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at San Diego State University on August 29th, 2017.

IF YOU PURCHASED A TICKET TO THE HOUSE OF BLUES SHOW:
Because this venue is seated, you will need to exchange the ticket you purchased for the House of Blues show with a new one at the Viejas Arena venue box office by TUESDAY, JULY 25TH.  The ticket exchange will be on a first-come, first-served basis and will be located in the sections closest to the stage.  House of Blues ticket holders may also request a refund at the point-of-purchase and purchase a new ticket for the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre show, but the location may not be in the same premium locations that are being held until July 25th for those who opt to exchange their ticket.   The Viejas Arena box office is located next to Gate 2 on 55th Street, and can be accessed from Aztec Walk, across from Peterson Gym and Parking 7 (previously PS5).

5500 Canyon Crest Drive, San Diego, CA 92182
PHONE: (619) 594-0429
INFORMATION LINE: (619) 594-6947

Box Office Hours:
Monday – Friday, 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Recommended Shows in San Diego September 30-October 6, 2013

The first full month of autumn is officially here, even though one would be hard pressed to tell here in San Diego. Music remains a vital part of the urban night life, so when looking at the upcoming week, these are some events worth checking out.

On Monday Man Man return to the Casbah having recently released On Oni Pond....Vampire Weekend play their biggest San Diego headline show to date at the Open Air Theatre...AM & Shawn Lee return to play a gig at The Griffin...

Allah-Las roll into the Casbah for the show of the night on Tuesday...Jacco Gardner and Barbarian set the stage...

On Wednesday Icelandic pop artist Olafur Arnaulds plays his first San Diego show at The Loft at UCSD...Alynda Lee Segarra, aka Hurray for the Riff Raff, brings her folk band to Soda Bar...

Ha Ha Tonka are playing the Casbah on Thursday with new album Lessons having just been released...Samantha Crain opens making this a great night of music...

Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels will be playing their Americana at The Griffin on Saturday...

On Sunday Scottish rockers Travis play their first show in San Diego in over five years...Calexico will be playing their Tex-Mex at the Belly Up...

All in all, a great week of live music awaits those fans who want to enrich their lives by watching live music.

Watch a video of Moving from Travis below.



Watch a video of Clear the Air from Jacco Gardner below.

Recommended Shows in San Diego July 16-21, 2013

As San Diego hosts its biggest annual convention called Comic-Con this week, there are plenty of options to keep one's musical tastes satiated at night. A look at the week ahead reveals some shows worth attending.

On Tuesday London's folk pop band The Melodic headline Soda Bar...they were recently signed by Anti-...Song Preservation Society open the night...

The Happy Hollows return to San Diego this Wednesday at The Griffin with a new album in the works...local band Bulletins and LA's Nightmare Air round out the bill...

Grand Tarantula hit Soda Bar on Thursday...Irish duo The Guggeheim Grotto play the intimate stage at Lestat's...

Casbah hosts a triple bill on Friday featuring Sonic Boom, Black Marble and Soft Metals...

Athens, GA indie rockers with a psychedelic flavor Futurebirds swoop into Soda Bar on Saturday (Casbah Presents)...the interestingly named Diarrhea Planet set the stage...

Reunited supergroup The Postal Service play the big gig of the week on Sunday at the Open Air Theatre...Rogue Wave and Hey Marseilles make a tour stop at the Belly Up...California Wives headline Soda Bar...a great night of choices indeed...

All in all, a terrific week of music lies waiting for those wanting to enrich themselves...get off the couch and attend a show (or two)...

Watch a video of Virginia Slims from Futurebirds below.

Vampire Weekend comes to San Diego in their 1st live tour in over 2 years!
Tickets go on sale Friday at 10am but use KPRI as your password for presale tickets on Thursday from 10am-10pm. Tickets are $47.35 ($35 + $12.35 service fees).
Tickets can be purchased here.

(text from press release)
Touring in support of their critically acclaimed third album Modern Vampires Of The City, Vampire Weekend have added several more dates to their fall run. Along with previously announced headlining stops at Brooklyn's Barclay's Center and Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl, the band have now announced stops at Philadelphia's Mann Center and Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium, among others. The band will be supported by Sky Ferreira, Solange and Beirut on select dates.

San Diego show added on September 30th at SDSU’s Open Air Theater – tickets on sale Friday, June 28 at 10am

Vampire Weekend's Modern Vampires Of The City's critical acclaim has been matched by its reception with the public: it entered the U.S. album chart at #1, and has gone on to sell nearly 250,000 copies in the month since its May 14 release on XL Recordings.

This is the second time Vampire Weekend has achieved such a landmark: Its sophomore album Contra also debuted at #1 in 2010, making Modern Vampires... the first time an independent rock band has entered at #1 with two consecutive releases.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND

On Tour
06/26-30/13 - Pilton, UK - Glastonbury Festival
06/27/13 - Bournemouth, UK - O2 Academy Bournemouth
06/28/13 - Portsmouth, UK - Portsmouth Guildhall
07/02/13 - Cologne, Germany - E-Werk
07/03/13 - Munich, Germany - Tonhalle
07/04-07/13 - Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter
07/06/13 - London, UK - Olympic Park
07/07/13 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands - De Wereld Draait Buiten
07/09/13 - Cholet, France - Poupet Festival
07/12/13 - Lisbon, Portugal - Optimus Alive
07/13/13 - Bilbao, Spain - BBK Live
07/14/13 - Aix-Les-Bains, France - Musilac Festival
07/16/13 - Berlin, Germany - Tempodrom
07/17/13 - Hamburg, Germany - Grosse Freiheit
07/19/13 - Lewes, UK - Gentlemen of the Road Lewes Stopover
07/20/13 - Dublin, Ireland - Longitude Festival
08/04/13 - Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza
08/05/13 - Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theatre
08/07/13 - Calgary, AB - Southern Alberta Jubilee
08/09/13 - Squamish, BC - Squamish Music Festival
08/11/13 - San Francisco, CA - Outside Lands Festival
09/5/13 - Ottawa, ON - Ottawa Folk Festival
09/7/13 - Boston, MA - Boston Calling
09/19/13 - Philadelphia, PA - Skyline Stage at The Mann Center #
09/20/13 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclay's Center # +
09/23/13 - Columbus, OH - The LC Pavillion #
09/24/13 - St. Louis, MO -The Pageant #
09/25/13 - Fayetteville, AR - Arkansas Music Pavillion #
09/27/13 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre #
09/28/13 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl &
09/30/13 - San Diego, CA - SDSU Open Air Theatre #
10/1/13 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre #
10/2/13 - Albuquerque, NM - Kiva Auditorium #
10/5/13 - Tulsa, OK - The Brady Theater #
10/7/13 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium #
10/8/13 - Kansas City, MO - Midland Theater #
10/10/13 - Grand Prairie, TX - Verizon Theater #
10/13/13 - Mexico, City, MX - Corona Capital Festival

# Sky Ferreira

+ Solange

& Beirut

Recommended Shows in San Diego June 17-23, 2013

June gloom has been replaced by mostly abundant sunshine. With the official start of summer this week, a closer look reveals many quality shows of the musical variety here in San Diego.

Patrick Sweany brings his heartfelt music to Soda Bar on Monday...or catch The Steelwells as they continue their Casbah residency...

Old 97's front man Rhett Miller brings his own project to the Casbah this Tuesday...LA duo Cobalt Cranes play Tin Can...

Beach Party will be rocking The Griffin on Wednesday with great local support...Family Wagon headlines the Casbah...

LA folk rockers Sea Wolf bring their tour to the Belly Up on Thursday with Brooklyn band Savoir Adore opening...highly recommended...

The Summer Solstice finds She & Him making their San Diego debut (finally) at the spacious Open Air Theatre with Tilly and the Wall offering support...

This Saturday New Mexico will playing songs from their new album at Soda Bar...Wildcat! Wildcat! headline the Casbah...

Cap the weekend with Toronto's Hooded Fang at Soda Bar...they just released Gravez...spooky...

All in all a great week of music lies ahead...the shows mentioned above are only some of the full slate...be sure to check the listings for all the live music...

Watch Bye Bye Land from Hooded Fang below...

The Postal Service adds West Coast dates in July

The reunited duo of Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello, aka The Postal Service, fresh from playing Coachella, have just announced some new West Coast dates including a stop in San Diego at the Open Air Theatre  on the campus of SDSU on Sunday July 21. Accompanied throughout the tour by Rilo Kiley singer Jenny Lewis, and the opening band will be the recently formed supergroup Divine Fits. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday April 26 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster. Presale tickets will be available tomorrow Wednesday April 24 at 10 a.m. via the band's website,
http://postalservicemusic.net/tour/

The Shins @ Open Air Theatre, 9.30.2012

Last night I was treated to a great show featuring The Shins at the Open Air Theatre. It had been a long time since I even stepped foot on the SDSU campus, so it was interesting to see all of the construction and new structures around the OAT and Aztec Center. Unfortunately, if you bought your ticket through Gilt City or were on Will Call through LiveNation, Ticketmaster, or band guest list, the TWO windows they had open were nightmarishly slow and you had to guess which line was the correct one for your tickets. We guessed wrong and wasted 10 minutes in the wrong line before waiting another 25 minutes in the other, even though we pulled the punishable-by-public-scorn move of the chat & cut with Dave, who was closer to the front of the line. All this to say that (1), we'll avoid Gilt City at all costs in the future and (2), we completely missed Washed Out open the show.

That's enough whining though, so I'll skip my general annoyance at big shows and the kids in front of us because then I'm just a get-off-my-lawn crankasaurus and overall the show was pretty awesome and our seats were ideal-- center stage and 6 rows back in the terrace, which put us just about eye level with the stage.

I shot some photos and video from our seats, so though they're pretty unstabilized, they came out okay, so in the playlist below you can see Phantom Limb, Girl Sailor, Sleeping Lessons, Marisa, Fall of '82, and One By One All Day. I made the playlist slightly out of order because New Slang was easily my favorite of the night, so that one will play first. My photos aren't too great, either, so here are a couple, but you can see the rest on my Facebook page.

Videos: My Morning Jacket, OAT

Last night I attempted to organize some of my photos from the last few months, and I came across some video I shot at the My Morning Jacket show a few months ago. I decided to upload it though the camera wasn't very stabilized, and I had to keep moving it around to get the autofocus to work, but the sound is pretty fantastic, so there's that. I guess I've been in an MMJ mood since stumbling across Dylan Leblanc, who to me sounds like a cross between MMJ and Ryan Adams. I'll post a video of his below and you can decide for yourself.

Avi Buffalo & My Morning Jacket at Open Air Theatre

I know I'm months behind when it comes to photos, but sometimes, like tonight, there's this crazy thing...I'm such an amateur photographer and I'm constantly chided for not having a "real" camera, yet I was the only one in the photo pit for Avi Buffalo, and then during My Morning Jacket there was only one other photographer...so besides all the people shooting photos from the crowd, I was quite privileged to have an up close view of the show. Sometimes I will stand right in front of a speaker just to hear the music closer than anyone else, and take pictures just so I don't look like such a fangirl.

I have to say I have a certain affection for Avi. I know he's been a big deal in LA for a while, but it still makes me especially happy to know that he's signed to SubPop. I recommended him for last year's North Park Music Thing. His career was already on a trajectory for success, but just how well the band is doing is really impressive. Immediately after the show, Sezio announced that the next time we'll get to enjoy Avi Buffalo will be Sunday, November 7 at Sushi Art. Save the date.
Here are some of my shots of Avi Buffalo:



There's no way that my photos can represent the awesome of My Morning Jacket at the Open Air Theatre, but like I said, I felt pretty privileged to have a photo pass and do the best I can with the tools I have. I did catch a shot of the set list which had 26 songs...the last two weren't played because MMJ played right up until curfew for OAT but the set had moments of beauty, moments of bliss, and full on rock out moments. Dondante, for example, clocked in at nearly 14 minutes and the total set was just shy of 2 and a half hours. I'm sort of a late-on-the-MMJ-boat fan, so the songs I really appreciated were the more mainstream ones, but I know that most of my "I've-seen-MMJ-since-they-played-dive-bars" kinda friends also appreciated them pulling some older material out of the vault. I have to say personally that while Jim is a genius on guitar, it's a lot more fun to watch him wander around the stage without and instrument, strutting with his cape or a towel over his head. Either way, everyone present at the show last night felt the joy that Jim expressed about being on the road and about kicking off the show in San Diego, which garnered comments about our beautiful weather more than once. Kentucky, apparently, really sucks right now with a sweltering summer. To that, I say, Jim, you're welcome back to San Diego any time and we'll always have a place for you here.



I didn't realize when I was uploading the photos that they would be so small...I seriously sometimes suck when it comes to the shortcut. These are just a handful of the 319 that I shot. I might try to add some more later.

Jeff's Weekly Pick: My Morning Jacket @ Open Air Theatre Wednesday August 11, 2010

One of the more difficult rock bands to pigeonhole is My Morning Jacket. Having produced five studio albums, as well as a live cd, the band from Louisville, KY continues to experiment and display a varied musical palette. This translates into longer than normal live performances, having witnessed an epic two and a half hour concert the last time the band played in San Diego. There is no doubt who brings it all together, that being lead singer and guitarist Jim James. This man is one of the busier guys in the music business today, with side projects, solo efforts, guest appearances on other bands albums and who knows what else. The band members have remained in tact for the last six years. Though they may live in different parts of the country, they are one truly cohesive unit in the studio and on tour. Each one of the five studio albums is unique in its musical themes, but their most recent LP, Evil Urges, found the band going in many different directions. The result was a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Rock album.

Having attended concerts for longer than most of the attendees have been alive, I was thoroughly blown away during their 2008 performance. It ranked as one of my all time favorites. Here's hoping for more of the same this time around.

Avi Buffalo sets the stage.

Watch a video of Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, Pt. 2 below

MGMT, Francis & The Lights, Helios Creed @ Open Air Theatre, July 15, 2010

Did I ever blog about the time I tucked Andrew VanWyngarden into bed? I wanna say it was after MGMT had played at X-Fest. Or Street Scene? I'm not really sure. But the first time they played in San Diego, opening for Yeasayer, I met them at the Casbah and had invited them to an after party. They never came, but they called to thank me for the offer, so now I had this phone number on my cell, and after some texting, Abraham and I were picking up whiskey and beer and heading to the Town & Country. The phone number didn't even belong to anyone in the band, it was their friend who toured with them in the early days, I think. We hung out at the room, chatted for a little while, then they were tired so I tucked Andrew into his hotel bed and we left. This is why when we saw Andrew at the Fairey wall, I gave him a huge hug, though I'm still convinced he had no memory of having ever met me and must've thought I was a crazy person.

I tell you all of this because it is always awesome as a fan to have a story with the artists. Whether you've attached meaning to a record or had some experience meeting a band, when you've really connected, even in your own head, the concert experience is that musch more amazing. Jeff bought tickets in pre-sale, so we were sitting in the 5th row in the pit area, and while I wasn't impressed at all by the openers, it didn't matter because MGMT were everything I wanted them to be. I had declined a photo pass because of some rule that after 3 songs you have to take your equipment back to your car only to realize my camera would have been excepted from this rule, so bummer there, but I still had a great time. See photos and read more after the jump.


It was kind of a crazy night. while MGMT was playing at the Open Air Theatre, Tool had a sold out show at Viejas Arena so traffic and parking could have been a nightmare. Fortunately we got in and out without any serious traffic, though I live really close to State, so it couldn't really be that bad anyway. The first band was Helios Creed. Not sure if it was the empty facility at 7:30 when they started or what, but they seemed to be the loudest act of the night, and I didn't find them particularly interesting nor annoying. They're just a band that for me didn't have any memorable moments.

Francis & The Lights, on the other hand, were FULL of memorable moments. Perhaps channelling Prince and John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, it was hard to take this band serious, and it's hard to know if that is the intention or not. Here's the texting that went on between me and Zack from Sezio:
Z: "I could take you home, but you're already there..."
R: Are you sexting me?
Z: Haha, maybe. Did you just see those dance moves..!!!!?? This is ridiculous. Must be a joke, huh?
R: That was awesome. Too slow with the video. They should play with Fitz.
Z: They should never play again...Wow.
R: I bet he drives a Trans Am.
Z: Totally. And is wearing a pink ladies thong.
R: No way. I bet he has a zebra stripe man sling.
Then he tweeted about me learning some new dance moves and I responded with something about Francis probably having a mirrored headboard.

After they finished, I went up to the concession area to find a friend and it seemed everyone was there. I'd already seen Halloran and Rich & Kristen Cook, but I bumped into Transfer, some Nervous Wreckords, Ray Suen, Owen Salerno, Ron Fountenberry (Softlightes), Pyles and his wife, Sharon, and a handful of others. It was a nice break before heading back down to my seat. I loved the show and dug the visuals projected behind the band, it would've been nice to see a little more light on the actual band members...for photo sake, too, but also just visually I like to see performers and on a huge stage. When the band played KIDS, they were all instrument free, which was a little odd but gave the band the opportunity to let loose on stage a little before going into their encore, which we moved right front and center for. It's funny how a loose camera policy lets the Elite staff be so much more relaxed about everything, really only having to get people from standing on their seats.

All in all, it was a fantastic show and though not sold out, the full theatre on a hot summer night really made this feel like a kick off to summer.

Jeff's Weekly Pick: MGMT @ Open Air Theatre July 15, 2010

Concerts during the summertime have essentially become the time for festivals and larger outdoor events. While my preference is for the smaller club shows, I look forward to the bigger shows since they are limited in number. MGMT, the Brooklyn-based band of Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, will be kicking off their next run of concerts in America's Finest City at SDSU's beautiful Open Air Theatre this Thursday. One of the hardest things for a relatively new band to do is produce a sophomore effort equal to or better than their first. While this all becomes subjective, it was not going to be easy for MGMT, since several tracks from Oracular Spectactular seemed to playing anywhere and everywhere. It would have been safe for the band to make a second album with more of the same, but that is not the case this time. Congratulations, released in April, shows the band going in a different direction. While the songs might not be so instantly likeable, the album shows a band that is willing to try different things while trying to evolve musically. After repeated listens, I find myself liking Congratulations as much as their initial offering if not more. Suffice it to say, the concert this Thursday should be outstanding.

Francis and The Lights and Helios Creed set the stage.

Watch a video of It's Working below.

Free Tickets To Snow Patrol!!

Snow Patrol is playing Open Air Theatre this Saturday night and I've got one pair of free tickets. Email with subject "Snow Patrol" and include your name, phone number and mailing address (tickets will be sent via overnight) and tell me your favorite SP song. Your information will not be used for anything other than this contest. Frankly I'm not that organized.

I have to have a winner TONIGHT, so contest will close at 9pm. I will choose one winner at random.

Concert Review: Slightly Stoopid @ Open Air Theater, SDSU, 9.6.08

While Slightly Stoopid is not a band most readers care about, hopefully this post helps widen the scope of band genres that get exposure on this site. Remember, the band's from Ocean Beach, so supporting local music reaches all levels of successful bands.

Slightly Stoopid played at the SDSU Open Air Theater last saturday night. Pepper opened with a fun set that had a good level of energy for 8pm. The headliner of the night, Slightly Stoopid took the stage around 9pm and the nearly sold out OAT turned into a great sounding funky party. Sure, there were plenty of bleached blonde SDSU girls, weed smoke as thick as a fog, and a bass-line that vibrated your insides. But people were just having a great time. The horns sounded perfect and they really bring a sound to SS music that other bands are lacking. The setlist had all the old hits as well as some songs off of their new album. Plus they win the award for the most innovative photoshopping of the Chargers' logo.

(My apologies if these photos are huge. I tried to re-size them down)



More pictures if you 'keep on reading'

91X X-Session With Death Cab For Cutie

I didn't want to write about Death Cab For Cutie until it happened because I didn't want to jinx myself. I've been to private shows like that where the bands didn't show up, or showed up hours late, or I got there late or whatever, so I just wanted to get there and witness.

I posted last week that I was looking to get in to one of the radio shows, and I want to give a super huge shout to Mat Diablo, the new morning DJ for hearing my call and allowing me to check it out. I see a lot of bands, and I meet a lot of bands, but I didn't expect to get so nervous before seeing DCFC again, but I did. I parked in the wrong parking lot, but that meant that I walked up from the front of the building and the band was all sitting outside hanging out, so big geek me, I walked up and introduced myself until someone from the station took me to where I was supposed to be. Then he laughed at how I just introduced myself. Yeah, big dork right here, but if you could shake Ben's hand, wouldn't you?

As these things go, there's more waiting around than actual performance time, but it was cool because everyone was chatty and swapping Coachella stories in the lobby.

Finally we went into the studio and we were allowed flashless photography. My shutter button on my camera broke off, so I have to MacGyver my camera with a toothpick which is really lame, but here are some pics.







They played five songs:
Photobooth
Brothers on A Hotel Bed
Grapevine
Talking Bird
I Will Possess Your Heart

I believe Mat did an interview after the show, and you can hear the live songs and interview in the morning. It was short, but sweet, and the band sounded beautiful and crisp in the studio surroundings. After the mini-set, their label rep gave everyone a signed poster and we were on our way. He did announce that Death Cab For Cutie will be touring and they'll be in San Diego on June 20 at the Open Air Theatre at SDSU, so save the date. I can't hardly wait.





Death Cab For Cutie Setlist, 4.28.08

Monday Recap: Wilco (kinda)

Actually, this isn't really a post about Wilco. It's more of a defense as to why I was sooo outta my mind b.o.r.e.d. at the Wilco show. If you were at the show and had an "amazing" night, I'd love to know what I was missing, but I was bored and didn't stay for the whole show. I know a lot of it was my fault, so here's how my night went.

I hadn't had any food all day, so I decided to walk over to Ponce's before the show for some dinner. Paloma was working the bar and I made the mistake of letting her make the call on what I was gonna drink. She made me her unnamed specialty. It was almost a marg, but had more oj and I think maybe some malibu or something in it. A girlie drink that after I finished my second, I started calling "the sneaker" because even with a full Ponce's meal, I was feelin it. I met some guys who were also going to the show while sitting at the bar and even saw Owen and his friend there. I was feeling good and excited, and I was already planning on taking the bus to the show, so what the hell...I finished with a Dos Equis and a shot of Cazadores.

While walking to the bus, I saw Todd at the Ken Club. Uh, yeah, I hung out there for a while (*ahem*) then finally caught the MTS to SDSU. When I got to the venue, I ran into Rodger and Sarah and others in the front of the beer line and they kindly got me one then I headed to my seat.

I had sold my second seat, so I was surrounded by strangers which wasn't really a fun way to experience a big show. Plus, after being backstage at Warped and in the VIP and photopit for SCMX, plus my general preference for the Casbah, Beauty Bar and other small stage shows, I felt sooo far away from the action. Tweedy was great, the band sounded great, but it felt too perfect in a way. Like what I heard onstage was exactly what I was listening to on my iPod on my busride over.

I was unsuccessful at finding someone willing to drive me home, so I started getting panicky that I was gonna miss the last bus through Kensington, so I left sometime before 10. In my head I intended to get to the Kava Lounge for the Gogol Bordello after party, but instead stayed on the bus until Normal Heights and headed to the Ould Sod (fate or accidently missed my stop?). My friend/neighbor came and met me at the bar for a drink and drove me home. We hung out for a while and after he left, I grabbed a blanket and laid on my lawn until 4 in the morning checking out the amazing lunar eclipse.

So yeah, I was bored, but I won't hold it against Tweedy. In this case, it wasn't him, it was me.

Who said Mondays have to suck? Gogol Bordello, Wilco, Anti-Monday League

There's plenty of good stuff to make your Monday matter. There's the sold-out Gogol Bordello show at House of Blues, the Wilco show at the OAT, Anti-Monday League at the Casbah featuring Chow Nasty, Bad Credit, MC Flow and David Vaughn, and I have it on good authority that Gogol Bordello will be at the Kava Lounge after their show doing a DJ set, but even if they don't, check out San Diego's answer to Gogol in Di Nigunim. C'mon, what kinda boss would question you calling in sick on a Tuesday?

Check back later for my full listings for the week.