Wednesday Night: ...students, Ultra Violent Lights, Blessed Deep Band @ Ruby Room

I asked my friend Aaron to do a quick write-up about the show tonight at the Ruby Room. I've already expressed that I'll be at The Soundtrack of Our Lives at the Casbah, and there are other great shows tonight, too, but I thought he could introduce you to the bands himself. (disclosure- Aaron manages ...students and Ultra Violent Lights)

Wednesday night will be a great night for music in San Diego. The Transit War's Mike Frey will be celebrating the release of his new solo project ...students' new album "New Habits" at Ruby Room. Frey started recording this album 2 years ago with friend Ilan Rubin of Nine Inch Nails/The New Regime fame after The Transit War went their separate ways. Frey has assembled an all star line up as a backing band with members of Spell Toronto, Denver Harbor, and Ilan Rubin will be making his first appearance on drums since last performing with NIN at the Wiltern Theatre in September. If you are a fan of Beck, Blur, Death Cab For Cutie, Julian Casablancas you will dig this. ...students new album is out today and available digitally only.

Also on the bill are brooklyn band Ultra Violent Lights which feature ex members of Fenix TX and Jubillee. The band released their debut album "Here in Filth" in November and have been crossing the US since. If you like Nirvana, Echo and the Bunnymen, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club you will love this band.

(Opening the show is Blessed Deep Band, and they're friends of one of my favorites, Low Red Land from SF, so get there early and show some love. -r)

MP3s (right click to download)

...students - New Habits

Ultra Violent Lights - Spiders Eat The Flies

Show Info:
Feb 24th 2010

...students, Ultra Violent Lights, Blessed Deep Band

Ruby Room
1271 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92103
FREE SHOW
$1 Beers from 8-9pm

Sat Recap: Spell Toronto, Crash Encore, The Silent Comedy, Calico Horse at Casbah

Saturday was a pretty busy day for me so when it was finally time to go out, I was ready to let go. The show at the Casbah was the perfect place to do just that.

I arrived while Calico Horse was already playing, but caught most of their set. They sounded great with Emily behind the keys at times and at other times playing guitar. A couple months ago I got an email from someone in New York who is a publicist and she asked if I'd heard of Calico Horse and said of them "next big thing out of San Diego in my opinion." While I know San Diego is teeming with talent, it's cool that someone across the country is taking note of our music scene and Calico Horse definitely deserves to be noticed.


I was excited to see Crash Encore for the first time as well as Spell Toronto because I love the new album, but the greatest draw for me was seeing The Silent Comedy again. Their apparel makes them look like they should be on HBO's Deadwood while their sound goes perfect with Carnivale, the show that was cancelled a couple seasons back. From the second the band is onstage to the moment they walk off, they are high energy, foot stompin, and crowd pleasing. They switch up instruments frequently, adding keys, mandolin, banjo, trombones, and more.









I had to capture the band live because pics just don't capture enough.

The Silent Comedy "Moonshine"

This song will appear on the band's next EP that they started recording today.


The Silent Comedy "Gasoline"

After their madness, I was there to just hang out. I watched Crash Encore and Spell Toronto for a bit but also spent plenty of time on the patio hanging out with friends. After all, it was a Saturday night and the venue was packed with people.



Spell Toronto sounded great, too. It is definitely noticeable when Jake is doing sound. I only stayed for about half the set as it was getting late.



I decided to head back to Kensington, where I hung out long enough for a couple drinks and a red headed slut, then walked home with Kittyhead, the neigborhood cat following close behind.

Free Shit, Sake Tasting, Project (Red)

You know, if every Wednesday was like yesterday, I would be a pretty happy camper. The night started after work, when Andrea and I met up and headed down to 4th and B for the "Mercury Oasis" or whatever they called it. I've never seen 4th and B look so good (without beer spilled all over the vinyl tiled floors, that is). There were several little curtained cabana-like areas. We registered (yes, you have to give your personal info for swag sometimes), and went straight to the complimentary chair massage area. Andrea kinda got screwed, but my masseuse gave me an extended massage since there was nobody waiting behind me. From there, we grabbed our free Vitamin Water and watched a cooking demonstration by Chef Billy who claims to be famous, but I ain't never heard of him. Still, his food was awesome. Check my food blog later for some yummy recipes. After that we wandered over to the Oxygen Bar. I was trying anything to shake my cold so the idea of 95% pure Oxygen was appealing, though it takes a while to get used to the plastic up your nose. Here are some really attractive pictures of us.





We went back to Chef Billy for a little bit and some more samples and decided to bail after about an hour of having been at 4th and B. We were handed our swag bags with some bath products, water, lip stuff and lavendar scented oils. Junior, a 4th and B/House of Blues security guard that I know from way back was at the door and told us to grab a second bag. Double Free Shit!

Massaged and fed and clean lungs and light heads, we went to the Wine Vault. The event was sold out, so we were about to leave and I told CatDirt and CDW that it was too full, but Asako caught us and was able to squeeze the two of us in at a table with an older couple. Saké hits different people different ways and they were a few tastes ahead of us and the wife was pretty buzzed. Hilarious. Anyway, here's us around our 3rd tasting.



Berkeley (a guy I met through Daye a while back at the Casbah) works there, so here's my shameless plug for his new band Nautical Disaster. They played at Scolari's last week and are playing again January 19th, so keep an eye out.

From the Wine Vault we stopped at my house to let my dog out and have some of the saké we had leftover from the free tasting last week. We went to the Beauty Bar, which was having a benefit for Project (Red). For future reference, if a club is claiming to be accepting donations on behalf of a charity, they are supposed to have tax-deductible receipts for verification. The Beauty Bar did not, but I guess we were really only asking to be facetious.

Spell Toronto was playing when we arrived. We ordered drinks. Another Beauty Bar complaint- don't call it "$3 u-call-its" if that really just translates to "Half pours for Half price". Man, I wished Bryant was working.

I really liked Spell Toronto, although this performance was 2 guys on guitar (and at one point one on keys), so we know I'm a sucker for the stripped down music. I like the raspy vox and the tempo of the songs. I know this is not Andrea's kind of music, she doesn't like vulnerable music (because I refuse to say emo), but I liked them. And I wasn't the only one, judging by the number of girls up front swooning. I would definitely check them out again and am curious to see them with a full band. My digital camera really sucks, but here's a pic:



We hung out in the bar with Jamal with our weak drinks shooting the shit and laughing while 4 frat boys disguised as scenesters gawked at two girls in the corner practicing their best stripper moves on one another. It is pretty clear the Beauty Bar is trying to capitalize on the proximity to San Diego State, but I think that's a huge mistake. If I wanted to hang out with 22 year olds (or are they getting in there with fake IDs??) that think making out with their best friend is the best way to score a guy, then I would hang out in PB.

I went back to the patio when a guy asked me for a cig and told me he's sooo nervous. It was the craziest thing...the dancefloor was filling up and about 30 minutes had passed since Spell Toronto quit and they're gonna try and throw a guy onstage with just his acoustic guitar??



That guy is named Ben Brewer. He's a New York transplant who moved here for a girl and left his band, The Exit, back in New York. A strong soulful voice accompanied by his heavy guitar strumming and his occasional harmonica and he won me over right away. Even better was when his songs got political and evoked a couple "fuck yeahs" from Andrea and I. If he was nervous you'd never have known as he commanded the stage and the attention of the people who at first seemed disappointed that the DJ stopped spinning during the performance. Of course, kids these days with their ADD and all, the crowd dwindled a little because that pair of chicks went back to their stripper practice, but those of us that stayed got to see what is hopefully, a new remarkable addition to the San Diego music scene. And hopefully, for Ben and for San Diego, things work out with the girl...