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Do you realize

That happiness makes you cry?

Do you realize

That everyone you know someday will die?

If there is a way to prepare for grief, I would like to know it. We live our whole lives knowing that everyone around us will die. Perhaps this is why we love forests, because the trees existed long before us, and hopefully will be here long after we are dust. 

The knowing doesn't make it an easier. My dad is hanging on at the VA hospital and when I spoke to him today, he was hopeful that they would be discharging him to home this week, which is his wish, but I think we are waiting to find out if he gets an in-home caretaker provided that isn't my mom. And any care at this point is just palliative care as he has been weened off all of his meds. That is just a daunting thing to think about and so I really don't think about it as much as I can avoid it. 

But this week we're making the decision to euthanize Kiwi. She is my 22 year old cat. She was my second cat, who I adopted to keep my first cat Syndey company when I was at work. Tragically, Sydney was hit by a car, and after that, Kiwi has outlived my dog Pascha, and my other cats Monkey and Boo Radley. Kiwi was born from a cat whose owner thought she was a boy until she had kittens. That cat was owned by my friend's aunt and has had a picture featured in a Dia De Los Muertos alter since she died at 21 years old. Longevity, it would seem, was in her genes. But it's time. Every time we've thought it was time before, she would surprise us and go outside, gingerly making it up and down the stairs on her own, just to sniff around the yard and walk with the grass underneath her paws. Today she spent a lot of time outside, we think to find a place to die, but Darren brought her back in and she ate dinner as usual before disappearing back under the bed. But it's clear she suffering and like they always say at the Zoo, we don't want her last day to be her worst day. So she has another night or two with us, and then we say goodbye. There is only grief in preparing for grief. 

And instead of saying all of your goodbyes

Let them know you realize that life goes fast

It's hard to make the good things last

You realize the sun doesn't go down

It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round

                                                        Flaming Lips

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Help For Musicians and Venues

Everyone is struggling right now, no doubt, but I've heard of some great resources that you might want to check out if you're a musician or worker who has been furloughed, lost work, or otherwise are losing income during this time.

NPR: Resources For Music Businesses And Industry Workers In Need Amidst The Pandemic

MusicCares: Recording Academy and MusiCares Launch Coronavirus Relief Fund

COVID-19 Freelance Artist Resources

New Music Solidarity Fund (offering $500 grants for musicians)

San Diego COVID-19 Community Response Fund

California EDD 

Conversely, if you're looking for ways to help out, we set up a PayPal for the Casbah to support the staff currently out of work.

Here's an article I wrote for SoundDiego with a list of venues and ways to help.

If you'd like to help keep things going here at sddialedin and have found this site to be a useful resource, we're certainly struggling here without Darren working and no telling how long this will carry on. You can Venmo me direct at @sddialedin or PayPal, too.  As everyone would like to keep reminding you, every little bit helps. Truly.

Photos: Aurora, Talos, and Kingsbury at The Observatory, 2.23.2019

With San Diego's music scene constantly thriving, there are hundreds of shows I have to miss every year, but I also get the privilege to go to so many--and as it has it, sometimes more than one on any given night--and sometimes I get to go to shows that weren't necessarily on my radar, but I get nudged or turned on to it by a friend and after the show realizing how bummed I would have been to have missed it. Such was the case on Friday night when I went to the Observatory to see Aurora, Talos, and Kingsbury. It was such a mesmerizing show from start to finish, so much so I couldn't be pulled away when it went past 11pm and I knew I'd be missing King Tuff at the Casbah (though we made it in time for 1-1/2 songs and plenty of after show bevvies.

Friday started with Kingsbury, a "synth-pop princess" from LA, whose powerful voice had me thinking about powerful '80s women like Terri Nunn of Berlin or more currently, the sisters of Haim. She's super rad and made a pretty strong impression for the crowd of people filtering in during her set.

I had listened to Talos' latest record one time through before this show, and I was excited they turned out to be a 5-piece because one could imagine the sound being more synthesized or made with fewer players and more pre-tracked sounds. Instead, we got the fury of a full band, though heavily cloaked in hazers and complete backlight.

Headlining the night was Norway's Aurora. She came out in a layered chiffon dress that bounced around and itself was part of the show as she athletically jumped and twirled and made use of the entire stage given to her, after awhile kicking off her shoes and even later, pulling off her socks so she could be completely free. Her voice is stunning when she sings and super sweet when she's graciously thanking the crowd or explaining the context of a song. You should definitely watch her KEXP session and if she ever comes back this way, make it a priority to catch her live.  I'm a bit out of practice with the Canon, but check out some more pics after the jump.

Photos: SDDialedIn 6th Anniversary!

Once again, Happy 6th Anniversary to SDDialedIn and we all owe a debt of gratitude to Rosey and her tireless efforts that benefit our local San Diego music scene. It is a rare occasion that I'm at a show where I've never seen or shot any of the bands on the bill, but I'm certainly glad I had the fortune to see these bands that turned out to be a super talented lineup. After the jump are some essential shots of all four bands, or click here for a full gallery.

The Howls

San Diego: Dialed In Six Year Anniversary!!

It was on this day in 2006 that I was sitting in my cubicle at an architecture firm and a lightbulb went off...maybe I should stop writing my diary online and I should focus on life in San Diego minus the details of who I was dating and how hungover I was from the night before. I launched San Diego: Dialed In on a fluke, no real goal in mind, just that I wanted to be personal without divulging every private detail. Of course, nowadays I live out loud anyway, so you still get my diary posts, my constant barrage of tweets and foursquare check-ins and facebook details, but hopefully this site has evolved enough to be informative and helpful for locals and tourists alike to get a feel for the amazing city we live in. I certainly never thought this would become a job or launch my other duties, among them publicity for the Casbah, writing for SoundDiego, booking, managing, band PR, being a member of the nominating committee for the San Diego Music Academy, and many other moving parts that keep me plenty busy. There are now over a dozen volunteer contributors to this site and to all of them, I am eternally grateful for all of their tireless efforts.

Naturally, the best way to celebrate is with a show at the Casbah, my home away from home.

Here's the info:

Thursday, November 15, 2012 at The Casbah

featuring

The Howls

Trouble In The Wind

Michael McGraw and the Butchers

Burning Jet Black (formerly The Whiskey Saints)

$6 advance/$10 day of show

Doors 8:30pm/Show 9pm

I hope to see all of your beautiful faces. Note that advance tickets have a small service charge, but are still cheaper than waiting until the night of the show. 

Tuesday Night at The Casbah- SD:Dialed In Presents...

It has been a really long time since I've booked a show at the Casbah and after last night, I'm sure a lot of you are opting to stay home and chill because you can't handle a double dose of goodness even if I smack you in the face with it. (Yes, I'm jokingly calling out my friends who say they never see me anymore even though I'm out all the time...) Anyway, I've booked some awesome bands at the Casbah for Tuesday night and it's only six bucks and I didn't quite get my fill last night. So do me a favor and show up tonight. We're gonna make it an early-ish night, meaning you'll get home before the end of the Late Late Show and you can come hang with me and some of my favorites on a Tuesday night at the Casbah. Get there early enough, and perhaps use the Twitter Tuesday password (which will be announced later) and get in free with a guest. Even so, SIX BUCKS. That is really cheap to see Old Tiger, Lowly Spects (from Orange County), Western Scene (featuring Tom of Dynamite Walls), and Michael McGraw and his awesome backing band performing some of my favorite tunes. Show up. It's gonna be a good one. Promise.

Embracing the Holidays with Colin Clyne, Josh Damigo, and Saba

I've been alluding to a December event, and I'm sure you noticed the flyer on my site this week, but I want to officially announce the next sd:dialed in event. It will be on Friday, December 2, 2011, featuring Colin Clyne, Josh Damigo, and Saba. It's been in the works for a while now but I wanted to get through the anniversary show before I really pushed it too hard. What is really exciting about it is that we're using a BRAND SPANKIN' NEW venue and breaking it in with this show. It's called The Irenic and is located at 3090 Polk in North Park.

The Irenic is housed in an historic North Park church, which was built & established in 1945. The space was completely renovated in 2011 for San Diego's thriving music & entertainment scene.

The space has incredible lighting, a killer soundboard and soundsystem, and flexible seating that will make the space feel warm and inviting for music lovers of all ages. I decided to call the event Embracing The Holidays because I know how December gets all crazy and chaotic and people let parties and events that are supposed to be enjoyable feel like obligations. I think it's an opportunity to ease into the holidays with a family-friendly event with San Diego's best singer-songwriters. See all the details below, save the date, and get your tickets now.





Embracing The Holidays 
featuring 
Colin Clyne, Josh Damigo, and Saba
December 2nd, 2011
7-10pm
All Ages, Families Welcome
No Host Beer/Wine Bar
$10 advance/$15 day of show
BUY TICKETS

SD:Dialed In Five Year Anniversary

I truly want to thank everyone who came out to the five year anniversary party on Friday night at the Griffin. Pyles spun great local vinyl throughout the night, and the performances from Fierce Creatures, Old Tiger, and Josh Damigo were all fantastic. I had no idea what to expect...it was pouring outside, it was the kickoff of beer week, and The Griffin is still a relatively new spot, but so many of you showed up and for that I'm grateful. I had a lot of fun, perhaps a little too much, so thanks to everyone who kept the drinks flowing and put up with me and my chatty sauciness. I especially want to thank Vito DiStefano for shooting photos. You can see them here (if you're friends with Vito on Facebook). Here are some of my favorites.












More after the jump.

San Diego: Dialed In Five Year Anniversary: Friday, Nov 4 at The Griffin

Today I sent out my very first email newsletter...I know, took me long enough, right? But I guess I just really thought everyone already hears enough from me on my site or from Twitter and Facebook, but it's just another way to reach you, so if you want to sign up for my newsletter (which eventually will have exclusive contests and such), feel free to sign up over in the sidebar of my site.

Just in case you haven't been hit by me from every angle, this Friday is the Five Year Anniversary Party of this site. It's gonna be at The Griffin (can I stop saying "formerly O'Connell's" yet?) at 9pm and some of my dear friends are playing. The night will kick off with Tim Pyles DJing (and between bands throughout the night). Josh Damigo will kick off the live music with an acoustic set, then Old Tiger will take the stage with their sexy, soulful grooves, and we'll close out with the frenetic energy of my Fresno friends, Fierce Creatures. I'm counting on it being a super fun night and I hope to see you all out there to make it so.

San Diego Music Thing- SD:Dialed In Presents at Soda Bar - 9.10.11

The San Diego Music Thing is back! Not sounding familiar? Well it was "North Park Music Thing" last year and "North By North Park" the year before that, but hopefully this is the final name change of the event that has grown to be one of my favorite music weekends of the year. Taking place on September 9-10, 2011, the two day event continues to grow and I'm personally excited for this year's panels and showcases. You can see all the details on the events and panels here.



Once again, I'm happy that san diego: dialed in is participating in the event with a showcase on Saturday, September 10, at Soda Bar. After a couple lineup shuffles, I'm so happy to share some of my favorite bands and performers with you.

In order of appearance:

Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels

Brett Detar (The Juliana Theory)

The Heavy Guilt

Strange Vine

Inspired Flight

FRIDAY!! sddialedin.com presents Fierce Creatures, Michael McGraw, Golden Days @ Eleven

I was really hoping to send out an email blast, but I'm gonna have to have hope and faith that you're reading this right now and are saving your Friday night for me because I'm so happy to kick off my First Friday showcase this week at Eleven with three fantastic bands: Fierce Creatures (Fresno), Michael McGraw (San Diego), Golden Days (Orange County)

The show is only $6 and I know there's a lot of stuff always going on in San Diego, but I'd like to open your eyeballs and earholes to new bands that might not be on your radar just yet. If you haven't yet been to Eleven (formerly Radio Room/Zombie Lounge), I don't know what you're waiting for! They have great beers, bar peanuts, and an amazing food truck that serves food from the old Liar's Club menu. It's a short walk over to Soda Bar and parking is generally plentiful along El Cajon Boulevard.

Eleven is located at 3519 El Cajon Boulevard.
Fierce Creatures (Fresno)
Michael McGraw (San Diego)
Golden Days (Orange County)
$6. Doors at 9pm.

Where To Be: Upcoming Events in San Diego

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. Now it's back to work and I wanted to share some upcoming events, some that I've booked, some I'm involved with as a sponsor or partner, and some that I'm just endorsing.

Perhaps you heard about a little bar bet that went down last month? If not, the short version is that my (sddialedin contributor) Bonnie dared Seth Combs to get a Justin Bieber haircut. The result was a bet that would raise money for the San Diego Humane Society and get the boy to lose the hair if we reached a donation goal of $300. If we reached $700, he'll also lose the beard and facial hair, and let's face it, there's probably plenty of spare change hiding in there already. To celebrate the occasion, we're having a party during Hipster Happy Hour (how fitting!) at U-31 on Wednesday, September 8. The event is FREE, but donations to the San Diego Humane Society will be accepted. The Belly Up has donated tons of tickets to upcoming shows (first come, first serve) and there will be drink/food specials ($3 u-call-its, $1.50 fish tacos). The event starts at 5pm, with performances by Long Live Logos, Gregory Page, and Rob Deez & Josh Damigo. Most important, Seth will get his haircut onstage around 7pm, so bring your cameras. Check out the Facebook Event Pagefor complete details and thanks to everyone who has already donated to reach our goal.

I've got some great bands lined up for the rest of September at West Coast Tavern and I'd love for you all to come check out the free music and have some of their fantastic signature cocktails and delicious food. This Thursday, September 9, we have Melly Frances & The Distilled Spirits. On September 16, Emersen will be sharing their jazz infused indie rock, and on September 23, up and comers Meg & Bryan will take the stage. Again, these shows are free and bands usually kick off around 10pm.

We're also working on September 30 at West Coast Tavern which will be a joint event with SoundDiego.com as well as my official birthday celebration with d/Wolves. This one will also tie in to 30th on 30th, so we might kick it off a bit earlier. I'll update with full details as we confirm, but plan on dropping by before Fluxx Live, Pete Yorn at The Belly Up, or Fountains of Wayne at the Casbah.

This Saturday night, "The Rumble" is back at Bar Pink. This month features Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr and Jamuel Saxon. As always, the show is free and will feature $3 Trumer Pils. DEJJ is getting a ton of buzz and you won't want to miss them. Unless, of course, you're at the Casbah for the Henry Clay People. Super tough call and I can't blame you if you're feeling as torn as I am.

Finally, this Sunday is the San Diego Music Awards. Tickets are nearly sold out, so get them now. The official after party will be at Riley's and have live karaoke with Geezer.
The after party is free to all and is 21+.

Upcoming Events:

9/8 Seth Combs gets The Bieb with Long Live Logos, Gregory Page, Rob Deez & Josh Damigo @ U-31. Free, 21+, 5pm
9/9 Melly Frances and The Distilled Spirits @ West Coast Tavern, Free, All ages, 10pm
9/11 "The Rumble" feat. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Jamuel Saxon @ Bar Pink
9/12 San Diego Music Awards @ Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay, After party @ Riley's
9/16 Emersen @ West Coast Tavern, Free, All ages, 10pm
9/16-9/17 San Diego Music & Technology Conference
9/23 Meg & Bryan @ West Coast Tavern, Free, All ages, 10pm
9/30 SoundDiego Live + Rosey's Birthday Party @ West Coast Tavern, details to come
9/30 Fluxx Live feat. Transfer, The Silent Comedy, Jared Mees & The Grown Children, Little Hurricane, DJ Claire, Host Tim Pyles @ Fluxx

Save the date:
11/5 San Diego: Dialed In 4 Year Anniversary (bands TBA) @ Casbah

As always, thanks for your support and for reading San Diego: Dialed In.

Chat Time: Tim Pyles interviews Shepard Fairey

After visiting with Shepard Fairey yesterday, Tim Pyles and I decided to head back over today to see the progress of the wall and see if we could get an interview with Shepard. He was more than kind to say yes. As the word about Shepard spreads around San Diego, more and more onlookers have been making a point to see the work. Shepard has fans constantly vying for his attention and his kindness and graciousness to talk to everyone, take pictures, and sign posters makes it surprising that he ever gets anything done. Today was especially great because his wife, Amanda, was there with the girls, along with Samantha and Jen, who I hadn't seen all together since perhaps junior high school. Huge thanks to Tim and Shepard for agreeing to do this interview on the fly.



Here are a few shots I took today of the progress, but be sure to check out my friend Dave's shots from yesterday here.