CoViD-19 Stats | What News Channels Keep Getting Wrong | Small Biz Defiance | Colds Are Back With A Vengeance

A Year Ago Today I Was Working at the Loft for a show with Phum Viphurit (9.21.2019)

I have a rant today, but I'll leave it after the jump because I'm actually in a pretty great mood tonight, despite over 400 new emails today. Seriously, it feels really tone-deaf for the moment, but maybe that's just because I'm the recipient of so much garbage. I slept so solidly (thanks, Bulleit) after a super fun night in the speakeasy. We kinda have fun rearranging things little by little and a good buzz certainly helps. 

What I'm really enjoying at the moment is watching all of Pea Hix's found footage videos on his YouTube channel, particularly this one with old footage of Balboa Park from the 70s. I'm also feeling a little mischievous because while Nova was at an open derby practice, Darren and I sneakily had Tacos el Panson. Seriously, they are the best. So things are bad in the world and also good. I hope everyone out there is coping as best they can with the world as it is. Though it may be time for a rewatch of Man In The High Castle. 

CoViD-19 Stats | RIP RBG | CDC Reverses Stance on Asymptomatic Testing

 

(Taken 1.16.2020)

Today is a very dark day for the United States of America. The next 45 days and 4 months are going to be scary and more stressful than anything we've already experienced this year. So many of us are feeling the immediate loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and know what the consequences can be moving into the next weeks and months. I don't really have much to say today, but today's stats and tributes are after the jump.

CoViD-19 San Diego Stats | This Administration Has Failed The American People | County Has No Decision Regarding Lawsuit Against California

A pic of the fam at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 8.2.2020)

I had the best. day. ever. 

Wanna know why?
Because I SLEPT.
No bad dreams. No interruptions. And I guess I put a lot of artificial and arbitrary obligations that I create for myself and I has none today.
But yeah, me and Darren stayed up all night long in the speakeasy listening to music and hanging out and it was great. And I slept ALL DAY and it was glorious.
When I did finally wake from my serene slumber in my air conditioned room, it was already near sunset and I showered and dressed and my sweet friend Jeff brought us a spicy chicken dinner from Bonchon and Nothing But Bundt cakes for a socially distanced pre-birthday party. It was so nice sitting in the yard and being outside and then it occurred to me that I didn't open any socials or email all day. I can't do that often, but I super appreciated the day. 
Now everyone in the house is fast asleep, I'm catching up on my Bravo shows, and I thought I should at least give you today's stats and a couple reads. After the jump. 

CoViD-19 Stats | Hiking Ramona Grasslands & Photos | Conspiracy Theories Run Rampant | Vaccine Equity Threatened | Wildfire Death Count Rising

A midday hike on the permit-only Ramona Grasslands trail (Taken 9.13.2020)

I don't keep it any secret that I have terrible sleep habits. If you've ever asked me (pre-pandemic) to get together, you'll generally get a hem-haw. Plans give me debilitating anxiety. I do well with spontaneity, where in that moment I can say yes or no and move on. 

When I actually got to bed before midnight on Saturday, I woke up rested at 4am. And I thought, no day like today to go for a hike. 

I thought I did my research. A couple weeks ago, we got permits to hike the Ramona Grasslands Old Survey Road 97 Trail, but obviously with the recent heat and fires, we hadn't really thought about it. I mean, just last week I was railing against people who were hiking in the dangerous conditions, being rescued, diverting frontline personnel. 

But I thought I did all the things. I got my map to Ramona Grasslands and screenshotted in case we lost service. I consulted the local hiking group on the essential things to carry on a hike. I filled water bottles and refrigerated them. I froze my cold pack cooler. I packed a basic first-aid kid and found my multi-tool. I packed snacks. I checked the air quality, local fire situation, and the projected weather forecast. When I finally woke Nova up to see if she was onboard (she's always game for something new,) I had her pack a bag for the hike and one for the car for after. Same for Darren. We had binocs and my camera and extra water and food in the car (probably enough for 3 days though we were only hiking 6 miles.) Once everyone was up, we all had healthy, energy packed breakfasts. 

We did all the things. 

(More after the jump.)

CoViD-19: Mass Testing Only Way To Resume Festivals, Schools, "Normal" Life | CA Prioritizes Small Biz Recovery | SDSU Case Counts Continue To Rise

Hummingbirds love the flowers at Africa Rocks at San Diego Zoo (Taken 8.2.2020)

Okay, okay. We got the clarification we needed. Kind of. On the one hand, there are San Diego County testing counts that are somehow getting boggled when reporting to the state. Dr. Wooten says those will take two weeks to work out. Additionally, Supervisor Fletcher maintains that you have to reach a new tier's base level for two weeks before moving, in both a positive or negative direction. Then there's an "adjustment rate" that San Diego received based on testing; we're being adjusted to lower numbers because our testing exceeds minimum required amounts set by the state based on tests/population.

It was my understanding that you had to meet the new metrics for two weeks to move in less-restrictive categories, but apparently the same is for more-restrictive. So supposing we hit the purple tier metric when it's reevaluated on Tuesday, we'd have to hit it a second week to actually move into purple. Or something like that. 

This new tier system was supposed to be more simple, not more complicated, to allow anyone to look at the data and be able to assess where concerns should be, i.e. a restaurant owner could follow the data and know they'd have to be ready to close down some capacity or back to fully outdoor, but that's just not where we are with data anomalies and testing adjustment rates. So I'll keep it zipped, follow their reports and skip the math because it's all just too much of a headache. 

In the meantime, we're still mostly chillin' around the house, though we did leave for a couple hours to hit some tennis balls on some public courts and picked up some steaks from Vons that were still on Labor Day specials. It was my first time shopping there since March.

The County is moving to just one press conference per week on Wednesdays moving forward. Governor Newsom seems to be a little more random depending on the wildfires and information he has to get out. I'll still keep up my dailies here because I'm looking over the data anyway and it's somewhat calming in that nothing really comes as a surprise anymore. Lots of news from today's briefings and stats, after the jump.  

CoViD-19 County WIll Likely Move To Purple Tier On Tuesday | Cases Among SDSU Students Triples | Labor Day Partying Will Lead To Mid-September Spikes | Governor Signs AB2257, Amending AB5 For Musicians

A couple local Mule Deer Chillin' at San Diego Zoo Safari Park
in honor of National Wildlife Day (Taken 6.28.2020)

We are continuing our bingeing, no lights, dark cave, air-conditioning weekend around here. Nova and I watched All Together Now on Netflix and while many of the Netflix original movies have reused tropes across the board, this movie about a musically talented and all-around good souled teenager and her mom who are experiencing homelessness pulls at all the heartstrings and I think even Nova cried a little, and I've maybe seen her cry 10 times in our whole lives together. (Unlike me, who will cry on the spot for anything, even just if I'm asked, "Are you crying?") We also watched Trolls World Tour which is finally on Hulu. I'm certain that I don't have to rate that one. It is exactly what you expect. 

Anyway, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the State reassesses our case count per 100k people on Tuesday based on the 7 days preceeding a 7 day lag. But the case rates are already available, so if they assess the numbers that are currently available from 8/25-8/31, our case rate will be almost 8.0, which puts us back into the PURPLE Tier, meaning even further capacity limitations and moving certain businesses back to outdoor only. 

And this is before Labor Day weekend, which will certainly cause a spike in mid-to-late September. The only possibility that this is inaccurate is if the daily counts as they're reported include inmates, (which the assessment will not) and could lower the county numbers. There's also a funny allowance if we exceed a certain amount of baseline daily tests, but that formula is foggier. 

Still, it isn't looking good. So I guess live it up this weekend, go tattoo up before they close again, be careless and wreckless, then prepare for the outrage again on Tuesday when even more restrictions come back, yet again. We only have ourselves to blame. Or do the right thing, don't mix households, wear your mask, wash your hands, and maintain space. At least you might save yourself and loved ones, even if as a county we're pretty much doomed yet again. Lots of reading for the weekend, 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.

Phoenix & Neon Indian @ OAT, SDSU, 9/21/2010

A couple weeks ago, I accompanied Jeff to the Open Air Theatre to see Phoenix and Neon Indian. I thought I'd posted this but just realized that I hadn't, so here it is now. We had great seats in the front row of the section just behind the pit and my only complaint was that the Elite security guard was right in front of us most of the night since they wristband the people in the pit section. Not a big deal though because once the show was in full swing, they for the most part moved out of the way. I also got a photo pass to the show. My friend Andrew who writes for various publications/sites was trying to convince me before the show that it's time to upgrade to a pro camera, and on the one hand, perhaps that might've helped my photos handle the backlight and the fog machine. On the other hand, the other photographers had to leave after the third song to take their gear back to their cars, whereas I was able to go to my seat and watch the rest of the show with my point and shoot in my purse.

I saw Neon Indian earlier this summer at the Casbah and though it wasn't necessarily my thing even then, on the huge stage with the huge sound the blips and bleeps just made me feel like an old lady. My entire insides were rattled from the bass and maybe I hear things on a higher frequency in a physical way, but I almost felt seasick after the set if that makes any sense. I know that people love what they do and for their style of music, they do it well, but I won't be racing out to see the band again anytime soon.


Phoenix on the other hand, I've seen before and know how they do a great job using a stage and making an appealing light show (though also challenging with the fog machine for the part of the set when I was in the photo pit). They started the show with Lisztomania and closed with 1901 and played a lot of material in between for their nearly 90 minute set, including a few songs played in the middle of the crowd as well as the end of 1901 where the singer started from the back row of section CC and hopped through the rows of seats until he returned to the stage. All in all a lovely evening. You can check out the rest of my photos if you click 'keep on reading' at the bottom of the page.

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.

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.

MGMT Set To Play Open Air Theatre July 15

MGMT's sophomore release, Congratulations, was recently released to both adoring and repulsed reviews. Personally, the record is exactly what I expected from the pair, kinda out there. It's been growing on me, but for a band that created their own niche in modern music, most critics had higher expectations of the band. Regardless, for those of us who are still fans, the band has added several dates to their tour, including a stop at the Open Air Theatre at SDSU. Tickets go onsale on Friday through Ticketmaster.
For full tour schedule, click 'keep on reading'.


05/02/10 EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -MEADOWLANDS SPORTS COMPLEX (BAMBOOZLE FESTIVAL)

05/28/10 SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA -AVILA BEACH CLUB

05/29/10 SANTA CRUZ, CA-SANTA CRUZ CIVIC AUDITORIUM SOLD OUT

05/31/10 GEORGE, WA -GORGE AMPHITHEATER (SASQUATCH! FESTIVAL) SOLD OUT

06/01/10 PORTLAND, OR-CRYSTAL BALLROOM

06/02/10 PORTLAND, OR-CRYSTAL BALLROOM

06/04/10 SALT LAKE CITY, UT -IN THE VENUE

06/06/10 AUSTIN, TX -STUBB'S BBQ SOLD OUT

06/07/10 HOUSTON, TX -HOUSE OF BLUES SOLD OUT

06/08/10 DALLAS, TX -HOUSE OF BLUES SOLD OUT

06/11/10 DENVER, CO – RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATER

06/13/10 KANSAS CITY, MO -UPTOWN THEATRE

06/14/10 INDIANAPOLIS, IN -THE VOGUE THEATRE SOLD OUT

06/15/10 COLUMBUS, OH-LC PAVILION

06/16/10 DETROIT, MI -THE FILLMORE

06/18/10 CHICAGO, IL -RIVIERA THEATER SOLD OUT

06/20/10 MILWAUKEE, WI -RIVERSIDE THEATER

*07/15/10 SAN DIEGO, CA - SDSU OPEN AIR THEATRE

*07/16/10 LOS ANGELES, CA -GREEK THEATRE-LA

*07/18/10 POMONA, CA -FOX THEATRE

*07/24/10 VANCOUVER -COMMODORE BALLROOM

*08/04/10 MONTREAL -METROPOLIS

*08/05/10 TORONTO -KOOL HAUS

08/08/10 CHICAGO, IL –LOLLAPALOOZA

*08/11/10 HOLYOKE, MA- MOUNTAIN PARK

Snow Patrol, SDSU Open Air Theatre, 10.17.09

To say Saturday was a very interesting day/night is an understatement. I didn't plan on staying up all night Friday, but by the time I got home from the Casbah and was settling in to some late night TV, I saw people tweeting about English Premier League Soccer on tv and decided to catch the fun while my videos from Friday were uploading. At that point I should've gone to sleep, but instead Devin came over and we kept watching soccer, listening to music, and catching up. Around 1 pm, when he realized my eyes wouldn't stay open, he sent me to my room and left. I was out for the next 6 hours. When I awoke, I discovered that I'd missed my ride and a pre-show dinner offer with Jeff, and that there was concern about my whereabouts. Anyway, I quickly got ready, called Taxi Rob, and arrived to Open Air Theatre with 10 minutes to spare before Snow Patrol started.

I kinda feel like Snow Patrol is one of those bands you have to apologize for liking. Somehow being on Gray's Anatomy does that to a band, they get relegated to the guilty pleasure corner and nobody wants to admit to liking them. But then I see them, know every song, have emotional epiphanies, and realize I've seen them every time they've played in San Diego and just have to come out of the proverbial closet. I love this band.



This is a fairly long post. Click 'keep on reading' for videos, setlist, and how I almost got in a fight.


Jeff bought great seats to the show, about 4 rows back from the orchestra area so that we were perfect eye level with the stage. OAT was about 2/3 capacity and the crowd was really mellow. Except for the assholes in front of and to the side of us. This was where the night got weird. I'm just trying to enjoy the show like everyone else, but when I get annoyed with something, I tend to fixate...like if I hear the bass of a car getting gas across the street from my house, it becomes THE ONLY THING I can hear. If I see someone being completely absurd, I will just stare as they become the only thing I see. So I'm watching the show, taking some photos and video for the bloggy blog, and notice the woman next to me making the craziest noises ever throughout every song. On video it sounds like she had a pekingnese dog in her purse, or a bird, but in person, it sounded like she was having an orgasm or had some sort of Tourette's. To accompany the "Oh...oh...oh....", she was thrusting her hips. Air-fucking, if you will. Whatever it was, it was driving me crazy. Add that to the two guys who within 5 minutes of the show, lit up a joint, and the cosmos aligned for them, giving them about 4 seats of space on either side, so they could flail their arms as if conducting a symphony. For the whole show. Not only that, but these assholes threw an inhaler onto the stage, which very easily could've hit Gary, or just pissed him off so much he could've called it quits on the show right then and there. Fortunately he joked that the idiot wouldn't get very far without his inhaler should Gary want to chase him down and kick his ass. I wish he had.





So anyway, at some point I just looked at the lady in totally disbelief, I believe my jaw was dropped to the floor. She got in my face and asked if I had a problem, which is when I realized the chardonnay she was drinking was probably her 6th. In a nutshell I replied that I did have a problem, that I was trying to enjoy the show, and that her orgasm was preventing me from doing so. Add about 20 expletives, asking her is she's retarded (so un-PC, I know), and telling her to STFU and you kinda catch the drift, to which she replied that she didn't care what I thought and very lightly pushed me on my sternum. Being that she was middle aged and had those crazy drunk googly eyes, I refrained from getting physical, but there was a definite "fucking touch me again and I will beat your fucking ass" threat somewhere in there. Don't make me get all Chula Vista on a bitch. Anyway, I was really trying hard to move past it, and she actually stopped at a point, but then I suppose just to antagonize me, did it even more than before. At that point I told Jeff what was going on, the people around me were getting angry at her, so there were some final words and we attempted to move away. Drunk bitch kept moving toward us so there was no escaping but I did my best to move on. So yes, I almost got in a brawl at Snow Patrol. Now we can move on to the show.

Setlist:
Signal Fire
Final Straw
Hands Open
Chocolate
The Golden Floor
The Finish Line
Make This Go On Forever
Run
Shut Your Eyes
Chasing Cars
Crack The Shutters
Just Say Yes
Take Back The City
Open Your Eyes

Encore:
The Lightning Strike (3 parts)
You're All I Have

There are a lot of reasons I love Snow Patrol. I kind of have attached meaning and sentimentality to just about every single song, whether it's a memory of a friend, a movie, an ex-boyfriend, or the crush that cannot evolve into anything more, the music speaks to me, and I know it is probably the same for a lot of people. The band plays with such precision that every song sounds perfect, especially on a chilly foggy night in the open air. Gary is such a great frontman, leading the band but never a showoff, telling stories and still being completely humble, like someone you wanna just have a beer with. A couple girls screamed "I love you" to which he replied "Thank you, I love you, too, but you wouldn't love me if you got to know me." Somehow I don't believe him. He talked about the soccer games that I'd stayed up all night watching, too, which was pretty hilarious and while I didn't get the whole story on video, you can see him explain why he carried a red balloon with 1-0 written on it across the stage and handing it off to his guitar techhere.

I was still trying to get over the people around me intent on ruining the concert for me, but Snow Patrol rose above and performed a phenomenal set.





For the encore, a scrolling text explained that the band, collaborating in Dublin on a stormy night, created three songs that became their own story, to which they called the end result "The Lightning Strike". This is part one of that story.



The show was amazing. The near fight and douchebags in front of us, not so much, but I'm glad I didn't miss this show and can be pretty sure that anytime the band return to San Diego, I will be there.

The band is releasing a 'best of' compilation, too. Here are the details of that:

Multi-platinum recording artists, Snow Patrol, will release the compilation album, Up To Now, on November 10th, 2009 via Fiction/A&M. This 30-track double album is a must-have for Snow Patrol fans everywhere as it features all their hit singles, cover versions, rarities and album tracks that span the part-Irish, part-Scottish quintet’s amazing 15-year career.

Up To Now includes three previously unreleased songs, “Just Say Yes” “Dark Roman Wine” and “Give Me Strength”, as well songs from the two albums Snow Patrol released on UK indie label Jeepster Records: 1998’s Songs For Polarbears and 2001’s When It’s All Over We Still Have To Clear Up. The album also includes two songs by The Reindeer Section — an indie supergroup featuring members of Belle and Sebastian, Idlewild, Mogwai and Teenage Fanclub, among many others — from their 2002 album for Bright Star Recordings, Son of Evil Reindeer.

Other highlights include a cover of Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love” that was recorded as a live track for BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe’s evening session at Maida Vale in London (with a rap performed by Lowe). Up To Now also features live versions of Snow Patrol’s hit singles “Run” (from their 2003 album Final Straw) and the double-platinum “Chasing Cars” (from 2006’s Eyes Open) that were recorded at London’s Union Chapel as part of an exclusive one-off show put on by Radio 1 presenter Jo Whiley to raise money for the charity MENCAP.

Snow Patrol is singer, songwriter Gary Lightbody, bassist Paul Wilson, guitarist Nathan Connolly, drummer Jonny Quinn and keyboardist Tom Simpson. Since the mostly-Irish band formed in Scotland in 1994, the band’s hard-earned rise has seen them become one of the world’s biggest bands, culminating in sales of more than 10 million copies of their last three albums, taking in Grammy, BRIT, BMI, Meteor, and Ivor Novello nominations and awards along the way.

This was just the start of my Saturday night. Jeff and I left and made our way to the Casbah to catch The Black Heart Procession to conclude an amazing Saturday night. Post on that to come.

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'

Syphilis On The Rise In San Diego: Blame SDSU?

According to Health & Human Services, syphilis is on the rise in San Diego, with cases increasing by 200% in the last five years. There were 109 reported cases in 2003, jumping to 312 in 2007.

You can read about it at NBC San Diego here.

I only raise the question of whether SDSU is the center of the breakout because last May, there was a campus "outbreak". Remember that? Well, if you don't, I wrote about it here. As PeeWee would say, "Connect the dots, la lala la la..."

Wilco Pre-Sale Is Closed For SDSU Open Air Theatre

So hopefully you logged on at 10 on the dot and got your tickets. I got a pair ($85.30 for two with service charge and shipping which I forgot to change) but am hoping one of my friends in the pit will sell me one of theirs and then I'll unload mine. (Nick Montes, I'm talking to you! Think Battles!) Personally, I like the OAT so I think this will be a great show. How did you all fare?

And for Daye, according to the 2004 "Buildings and Ground Use" manual from San Diego State University, the capacity for the Open Air Theatre is 4,635, though I think this might not include the bleacher/garden seating that is sometimes added at the top.

SDSU Syphilis Breakout

I caught about 5 minutes of the news last night, and the top story on whatever channel I was watching was a massive Syphilis breakout on the campus of SDSU. I have to admit, I found the situation slightly hilarious because basically that means in about 4 days, all of PB will have it and half the chicks at Beauty Bar, but I realize it really isn't funny. Still, hearing San Diego newscasters talk about condoms and sex in their top story was pretty awesome.

Story in the Daily Aztec