San Diego Music News: Pour House Renovates | Soda Bar & Casbah Offer New Merch | Bar Pink Livestreams | Switchfoot Bro-Am Goes Virtual | #StopHateforProfit

Me, Jake Najor and Tim Fears at the Office (Taken 1.28.2020)

A new phase of reopenings happened over the past few weeks, and with them new records being set on new Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths for the state. I'm seeing places I love reopen, like the Ken Club and The Office and Space and it's so hard not to just find myself wandering out any random night to catch up with my friends.
But I can't do it. I've barely seen my parents for 3 months. I've seen my sister and nieces a few times, but mostly in drivebys, and our one camping trip where we did our best to mask up and socially distance. I'm not throwing that time home away so I can go be careless to have some drinks at a bar or dinner at a restaurant. I miss my friends, I really do. I even got a new interim camera which I can't wait to adjust to and practice with, but I'll save it for the outdoor things. I'm just not ready to sit in any room breathing in the same recirculated air for any prolonged amount of time just because I want this to be over. 
I was feeling pretty nostalgic, however, so I thought I'd so another local venue roundup. After the jump.

SoundDiego: #BandTogether | Bro-Am Canceled | Club Relief Funds | Local Pandemic Playlist

On Friday, the Casbah launched a YouTube channel called Casbah Live, which will post a new playlist every Friday at 1pm. It kicked off with a playlist curated by Tim Mays, but will also feature local musicians, journalists, fans, and more. I included this in my Sunday story for San Diego, but you can check out my most recent pieces below.

4.3: Artists, Venues #BandTogether for Local-Music Livestream Series

4.4: 2020 Switchfoot Bro-Am Canceled, Kick off Fundraiser

4.5: Kick Something in to Help Out the Clubs

4.6: Help Local Musicians Featured on the San Diego Pandemic Playlist

Sold Out Switchfoot Show Postponed To February 3

Jon Foreman suffered an injury while surfing and Switchfoot is going to have to postpone their show til Monday Feb 3. All tickets purchased for the Jan 15 date will be honored for the new date. If a person is unable to attend for some reason, they may ask for a refund.

The band, minus Jon, are still planning on coming down to the Casbah tomorrow night to hang out with their fans and hand out copies of the new #1 record Fading West along with downloads of the new DVD.

Very sorry for any inconvenience - please share this information.









Here's the full press release:

SWITCHFOOT LEAD SINGER JON FOREMAN INJURED IN SURFING ACCIDENT

BAND TO POSTPONE HOMETOWN RECORD RELEASE SHOW

AT CASBAH UNTIL FEBRUARY 3RD

SWITCHFOOT INVITES TICKETHOLDERS TO AN EVENING “HANGOUT”

AT THE VENUE

(San Diego, CA – January 14, 2014) Grammy-award winning rock band Switchfoot will postpone their hometown record release show originally scheduled for Wednesday night at the Casbah due to an injury within the band. Singer Jon Foreman was treated for a wound sustained to his face during a morning surf session in Encinitas on Monday, and though he will fully recover, he will be unable to sing for a few days. The concert has been rescheduled for Monday,February 3rd, and tickets will be honored for all current ticket holders.

“You travel all around the world making a movie and record built around surfing, and really push yourself to ride some really challenging waves. So it’s more than a bit ironic to get injured
in your own backyard! Thankful that I’m okay – it could have been much worse,” says Jon Foreman.

Fans with tickets to Wednesday’s sold-out show are still invited to come to the Casbah at 8:00pm for a record signing (a copy of Switchfoot’s new album, Fading West, which was released today, was included in the ticket price) and meet and greet with Tim Foreman, Chad Butler, Drew Shirley and Jerome Fontamillas. Wednesday’s “hangout” at the Casbah will offer fans a chance to casually hang out with the band and get their copies of the new album. Fans should bring their tickets for entry.

"We never want to miss a party, especially not our own. Although Jon is still unable to sing due to his surfing injury, the rest of us will be hanging out, handing out copies of the new CD and celebrating the release of Fading West at the Casbah," said Tim Foreman. In fact, Switchfoot has a lot to celebrate with Fading West holding the #1 spot on iTunes this week.

www.switchfoot.com

You Can Wreck My Home Anytime... You Dirty Little Homewreckers...

Give Em Hell

little hurricane | Myspace Music Videos

Okay, so this post isn't going to win me any awards or probably teach you anything new, but If you're new to San Diego, and didn't know, The San Diego Music Award winning duo, Little Hurricane's new record, "Homewrecker" just dropped on itunes and if it doesn't win something at the SDMA's this year, then I'm going to hand them one of mine. (I'm just a pussy-lipped singer/songwriter with open mic generics anyways...) I've already listened to the album thrice, and my ears won't quit making out with my headphones. @LILHURRY's frontman, Tone, has a voice that is about ready to explode, and if you haven't met CC, then you've possibly missed the hottest drummer San Diego's ever known. (I'm totally gonna research chick drummers in SD and do a post on it... so feel free to nominate the hottest chick drummers in the "comments" section.

The best way to describe their sound is to say that they're a mix of dirty blues and california surf. They're similar to the Black Keys, White Stripes, or Cage the Elephant, but with Jon Foreman's (Switchfoot) voice. The album is wicked consistent with great songs like "Sweet Pea", "Homewrecker" and "Give Em Hell". They are a "MUST SEE" whenever they're in town and they'll be playing at SXSW 3 or 4 times this week. (You can see where on their myspace.) They are having their album release at the Casbah on April 2nd with Get Back Loretta, River City, and Low Volts. (Why it's not a "Featured" concert is beyond me... get with it, Casbah...) (9:00 start time, buy your tickets before it sells out.) (Also... if you guys want me to play a tambourine or sell merch... I will... seriously...)

I only have a small critique on the album. I've seen them play live 3 or 4 times, and I know Tone can go off even bigger on his vocals than he showed on these tracks. I would have loved to sit in the studio with them and have him scream into the mic so that it ruined his voice for a month and a half. I feel like he held a little bit of the dirtiness back, but on the other hand, CC did do a great job on her vocals. (I know that's kind of a critique, but I'm a pitch guy, ask Holslin... and even perfect 10's can miss a note or two...)

If they don't follow this album with a live record, I will go on a hunger strike and camp outside of the San Diego Zoo flinging poo at people. (That one was for you, Rosey... You go to the San Diego Zoo too much... Me and Tim Pyles both agree. I'm also not mad that you didn't invite me to SXSW, but still asked me to write in the blog. Whatever.) I'm gonna go ahead and call it now- when their live record comes out, it better win a SDMA or I'll give them my other one.

This album and band are so good, Seth Combs would probably clap once or twice.

Buy it on itunes now.

*no homes were wrecked during the writing of this blog

Switchfoot Bro-Am at Moonlight Beach, Encinitas 06/27/2009

Last Saturday, Switchfoot put on their 5th annual Bro-Am surf-contest and music festival benefiting the San Diego charity Stand Up for Kids (http://www.standupforkids.org/) which is a non-profit organization for homeless at risk youth. The weather was perfect for a day at the beach and plenty of people showed up. Jon Foreman (lead singer of switchfoot) even participated in a surf-joust-competition with Mat Diablo and Carlos from the 91X Morning Show. All proceeds from the event including auctions, raffle tickets, and merch, all went 100% to stand up for kids. The coolest non-music item was local balance masters San Diego Slacklining and their slack-lines that they set up to allow people try their balance and skill on the lines.

The musical stage was powered fully by solar power and had locals Tristan Prettyman and Timmy Curran as well as The New Archaic, The Howls, Jane Carrey Band, and Indivision. As in years past, Switchfoot headlined the afternoon with a fun set. It is fun beach music days like this that remind us that we live in a pretty awesome city. Summer is definitely here. Get out there and enjoy it!

SDMAs Mentioned On MTV.com

Not really news, but it's nice when local bands are mentioned on the same pages talking about Notorious B.I.G. and Britney-

As I Lay Dying clearly have more than a few gasps left — the metal band edged
out Switchfoot, Jason Mraz and others to win the San Diego Music Award for
Artist of the Year. AILD nabbed the same honor in 2005. from mtv.com

Overdue Newsy Bits: Switchfoot Goes Independent, SDMA, Viejas

I know I haven't posted any Newsy Bits in a while, but all you music types keep telling me shit that is NFB (not for blogging) and I'm over here trying to do my thing, all the while keeping all your little dirty secrets. no fun. boo.

Anyway, there are a couple noteworthy things happening around town that I thought I'd mention.

First, Jon Foreman announced on Thursday that Switchfoot and Sony have parted ways and will now be releasing their music, as well as his solo stuff independently.

greetings everybody!

I've got some exciting news: after several years of trying to make
things work over at Columbia we have officially severed our ties with
sony to pursue making music independently. We are thankful for the
incredible success that our partnership has produced over the years,
yet within this ever changing business there can arise differences in
vision and goals. These differences have now come to a point where we
feel like parting ways would be best for us, and best for sony.

As a hands-on band, we feel so grateful for our newfound freedom. We
are continually dreaming up ways to bridge the gap between the
audience and the stage; this feels like an incredible step in that
direction. A huge thank you to bob, amy, nicole and tim over at
columbia who were there from the beginning. We would also like to
thank our musical family here in the states and abroad for sticking
with us through these columbia years. We couldn't have done it
without you!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

We'll have more information for you as things shape up. In the
meantime, here are several projects already in the works for the next
year:

-four jon foreman solo ep's
(tentatively titled fall, winter, spring, and summer)
-the real sean jon
(a collaboration between jon foreman and sean watkins of nickel creek fame)
-a new switchfoot record in '08
(the first tracks 13 tracks were cut this week!)

For tour dates and more information, check out Switchfoot's blog here.
*****
I didn't previously mention that the nominees for this year's San Diego Music Awards have been released this week and are now open for public voting. I bullied my way into getting a ballot and I'm pleased to see several of my nominees made the cut (even if for different categories than I chose) and I only didn't mention it earlier because certain people get so batty apeshit pissy about the nominees year after year. Here's the thing...it's not always fair, a lot of people get left out, and bands fall into categories you may not like. Get over it. 90% of those CDs you send in sit unopened in Kevin Hellman's home office. Such is life. Bitch bitch, whine whine. People who say they care about local music would do a better service to the community by actually going out to see local bands every once in a while, contributing something instead of always taking. Anyway, end of rant...go vote for the SDMA's here.
*****
If you've got an open Sunday evening, consider heading out to Viejas Casino to show some love as local favorites Cash's Out and Lady Dottie and the Diamonds compete for $20,000 in the best cover band competition being held. Tomorrow night are the finals and both are deserving bands, but I'd have to show my love to Lady Dottie for all those Monday nights they've gotten me through at the Tower Bar. The contest finals are at 8 in the Dreamcatcher Showroom.
*****
that's all the news I can post here, the rest I'll have to keep mum on till I'm given the ok to blab about it all. ciao for now.