SoundDiego: Local Nightclubs Get Creative to Help Struggling Staffers

I miss my friends. 

I wrote a little article for something that is especially close to my heart... Casbah's current effort to sell merch, with proceeds going to a staff relief fund. Other venues have stepped up, too. If you wanna buy merch, the links are below and in the article.

Casbah
Soda Bar
Bar Pink - will be open Fri/Sat from 7-9pm selling merch, to-go alcohol
Brick By Brick
Music Box
Belly Up
Blonde Bar
Whistle Stop (Virtual Tip Jar)

Upcoming Casbah & Casbah Presents Shows

Dengue Fever perform at the Casbah this Saturday, Mar 14

The Casbah keeps adding shows and it's nuts. It's pretty impossible to keep track of, and I'm sure as soon as I post this, there will be more shows added, but since there's a newsletter going out tomorrow, I had to update this list. Note the recently added shows like The Slashes, The Knocks, Ivan & Alyosha, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, HoneyHoney, Gad Elmaleh (Two Shows!), The Rentals, and a free show at Whistle Stop by Jesse Marchant (aka JBM). And of course, I keep mentioning that we added a second night of Spoon at The Observatory. All upcoming Casbah shows and their ticket links are after the jump. Anything without a link is either sold out as indicated or is just a walk-up, pay at the door show with no advance tickets.

Upcoming Casbah Shows (With Ticket Links)

Since I have to keep a running list of all of these shows anyway, I might as well keep sharing this quick link cheat sheet with you. Casbah had a lot of shows added this week, both at the venue itself and around town. Spoon, Lord Huron and Little Dragon are all coming to the Observatory. LD doesn't go on sale till next week but I hear the password for presale is NABUMA. Doldrums and Moon King are returning with a show at Soda Bar, Jeremy Enigk is playing The Irenic, and my girl crush Courtney Barnett is coming back to the Casbah, and even Eleanor Friedberger is doing a show at Whistle Stop. My advice to you- buy tickets ahead of time. I don't "have the hook up" and certainly can't help your third cousin twice removed who only heard about the show after it was sold out. After the jump.

Snakesuit Premiere "The Hangover"

Snakesuit filmed a video for their song, "The Hangover", and will be performing their second show this Wednesday at Commune, a free show at the Whistle Stop. Here's the bio the band asked me to post:

Snakesuit is Howard Goldstein’s baby, birthed from the recesses of his cerebrum. For months he kept his creation under lock and key in a fortress made of cast iron, deep in the forest, only feeding it a steady diet of his wife’s casseroles. Snakesuit became strong and virile.
On a Tuesday in December 2011, on his way out to the deep forest, Howard Goldstein met the acquaintance of one Brett the Salesman who had been taking shelter from the elements under an Elderberry Bush. Brett the Salesman was in a bad way. He hadn’t made quota for the second quarter in a row and his future was full of anxiety.

Howard Goldstein shared some of the casserole intended for the Snakesuit with Brett the Salesman. Brett the Salesman was humbled by Howard Goldstein’s generosity and promised to one day repay that kindness with a kindness of his own.
On the second Wednesday after their initial meeting on a Tuesday in December 2011, Howard Goldstein was in his own bad way. He had broken a tooth biting into a handful of mixed nuts. It also so happened that Howard’s car was in the shop on this very same day. He needed a ride to the dentist. Howard Goldstein called upon Brett the Salesman.

Brett the Salesman rushed Howard Goldstein to the dentist who did a bang up tooth repair job. The three of them retired deep into the forest to celebrate the successful dental procedure. There Howard Goldstein shared the Snakesuit with his two friends. They convinced him to go public with his creation.

Music Video: Snakesuit from campbellicious on Vimeo.

Hotel St. George CD Release & Free Album Download

Hotel St. George has a new record and they're giving it away for free this week only on bandcamp. You can download it here, then be sure to check them out tomorrow night at the Whistle Stop for the official release party. They'll be joined by Grand Tarantula. Plus it's Robin Roth's Pussy Galore so you know it's gonna be a blowout. It's a free show so you have no excuses!

Tonight: Celebrate Sara's Birthday with Swim Party & d/wolves at the Whistle Stop

Tonight is gonna be a good night at the Whistle Stop, and I'm not just saying that because I booked the bands ;) Come on out and celebrate Sara's birthday, hang with Robin Roth and friends, and have some stiff cocktails. d/wolves will kick off the night at 10:15 followed by Swim Party at 11:15. As always, Pussy Galore is free.

Saturday: Hollywood Steve presents Yacht Rock 12

I've long been a fan of Hollywood Steve and the Yacht Rock series. Pointing out the inane smooth tunes of yesteryear, the internet parody can probably be blamed for the resurrection of boat shoes and hideous horizontal striped shirts among hipsters. This weekend, Hollywood Steve makes his way to San Diego to present the twelfth and final installment of Yacht Rock at the Whistle Stop, as DJ Claire and Ascot spin the hate-them-so-much-you-love-them songs of the Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald, Loggins and Messina and more. You can see episode 12 on the web, but wouldn't you rather see it on a large screen among costumed friends at the Whistle Stop? I think you would. I think you should. The event takes place on Saturday starting at 5 pm.



For all the episodes, check out the YouTube page.

John Meeks, Tobyn Clark and The Tender Faeries@ Whistle Stop 12.14.08

Boy, the Whistle Stop is looking really good these days. I love the tinsel and lights hanging over the bar, the snowflake lights on the back wall, and the tree was littered with presents that night. It has always been a great neighborhood bar, but these little touches make it even more comforting. Well, last Sunday there was a special show that felt like family coming to together to support and send off local musician Tobyn Clark.

The show started off with John Meeks comforting our hearts with his blend of acoustic/country/rock. I have seen him a number of times and have to say the whole band seemed really in-sync with each other, and groove was superb. Brian H. from Blackout Party was playing guitar and back-up vox with Meeks, it was a suprise to me, but he did a great job, and the Civil War General on his guitar is awesome. I had been secretly hoping it was Charles Darwin, but that's my science dork side speaking. It's cool to see heartfelt, honest country music in San Diego. I especially love the song "On The Road Not Again" with lines like "you're never as good as you wanted to be," your soul gets that reflective sorrow that only draws you closer to people you cherish. Before the show, Meeks and I talked about his band hitting the road more, and I hope they do, it's really good stuff.


After Meeks, the bar was really starting to get hopping as Tobyn Clark and the Tender Faeries were setting up. It was their CD release show, as well as farewell show for Tobyn, moving to NorCal. The place was packed and the vibe was great, but made for tough for pics (sorry). It is great to see that kind of enthusiasm on a Sunday night, and I am sure Tobyn was grateful. I am definitely not the very well versed in country, but he had the story telling songs stylings of what to me felt a little like Johnny Cash, but once again I don't really know country. The stories are stark and compliments his vocal style, conjuring up images of Death Valley in black and white, with a dust storm clearing a to reveal a slew lifeless bodies, and a single modern-day desperado smoking a cigarette squinting into the blazing sun. Of course, i have to give some love to the beautiful Tender Faeries, a sweet layer of backing vocals to lay your ears upon. Last but not least, the bass and drummer locked it in for that cool country swing. It was a great CD release and send-off show, San Diego really is a great community of artists and friends, and that show make it very real.
(If you have a better pic of Tobyn Clark from that night, please email it to dagartga@gmail.com so I can put a better one. thanks.)

Overdue Recap: Tape Deck Mountain & Hotel St. George @ Whistle Stop, 11.14.08

Eager to be a bit more loose and comfortable with friends after an evening at the Marriott, I picked up Dagart and we went to the Whistle Stop to check out Tape Deck Mountain (finally!) and to see Hotel St. George for their CD release party.



full post if you 'keep on reading'



The bar was crowded as it always is on a Friday night. Lots of people were out to hang out and check out the bands. Tape Deck Mountain started out the night, and Travis sounded great. They're a two-piece, with distortion pedals a plenty and the drummer also playing keys and synth. I dug it, and the crowd clearly did, too.



I had the pleasure of meeting Matt Binder's parents, who were in town from Colorado for the weekend, and they seemed to be happy with the show. I don't really know how Hotel St. George keeps pumping out CDs, but they do, and they were not only playing new material from their CD Hundreds and Thousands, but even newer stuff that they have written since recording the album. They had a wall to wall crowd (as they should) and it was a loose and fun set.



We stayed for a little bit after the set ended, but eventually I dropped Dag at his place then closed out the night at the Ken to hang with my peeps. It was definitely a full night and though I was exhausted by the time I got home, I ended up staying up late and making a blogger blunder by posting news that was "NFB" (not for blogging). That resulted in waking up to some panicked phone calls, a friend showing up at my house, and me spending Saturday posting a bunch of videos and random blog things to fix my error and to fuck with the blog aggregators that repost my blog. (My posts automatically show up on a few sites that I have no control over.) I guarantee that will not happen again. Sorry to my friends for causing that freak out. Regardless, Saturday was a good day. I will get to that in another post.

Another Thing To Do Tonight: Cause For Drinks

Apologies for not posting this earlier.

Overdue Recap: Hercules and Love Affair, Casbah, 7.25.08

I'm not even gonna lie- Friday was a day of really poor planning. About a month ago, Kristian asked me to go to Hercules and Love Affair with him. I've always trusted his music recommendations and a night at the Casbah is usually a no-brainer, but when I agreed, and subsequently worked out tickets for the show, I realized that I would be missing the Swim Party CD release party with Writer at the Whistle Stop.

After the day at work and taking a nap, I made my way to the Whistle Stop, knowing I would miss the show, but at least I could say hi and make appropriate apologies. It was so cool there- so many bands were present making for that family feeling that I love, which of course only made me sad that I was going to have to leave. When Kristian told me they were heading down around 10, I was pretty annoyed, because I knew the band wouldn't be starting until close to midnight and I could've at least caught some of the show at the Whistle. Not to mention he had agreed to drive and suddenly that plan changed and I had to drive myself. Yes, Kristian, I'm calling you out.

Anyway, I got to see three songs from Writer and missed the rest. I was sure someone would record the show, especially with Natalie playing with the band, Alex dedicating a song to me, and the big Writer/Modlins/Swim Party finale, but alas, not one camera, and no, Pete's :30 seconds of filming does not count.

To make matters worse, we got to the Casbah far too early. There was line at the door, and the band wasn't close to setting up. I tried to get over it and turned my mood around. Nobody likes a whiner. Anyway, after hanging out with friends, I was feeling better. Then shit kinda hit the fan.

Apparently Hercules and Love Affair had soundchecked earlier in the day. Sometime between the soundcheck and time to set up, one of their keyboards was damaged. There was an early show at the Casbah and nobody knows what happened, but it almost caused the band to cancel. It is some special vintage keyboard and the band was flipping out. The clock ticked as Tim tried to find anyone in SD with the same keyboard to no avail; in the meantime they called in Derek, some guy who works on vintage musical instruments. I will find out his full name and contact info because apparently the dude is a genius. A cancellation would've meant refunding a sold out show to everyone there, still paying the band, and paying for the keyboard. Not good.

Miraculously, nearing 12:30, word spread that the keyboard was fixed and the crisis was averted. I made my way into the venue to set up for some photos, and this sweetheart guy posed as my boyfriend, letting me worm in front of him. Hercules and Love Affair is a big gay dance party band, reminding me of my mom's brief but memorable disco period when I was a kid. The crowd loved it and danced their asses off. Me? Well, not so much. It was fun, no doubt, and the band certainly was unlike anything I've ever seen, but Swim Party and Writer will always be more my speed than a dance band and I really regret missing that show. I love my Kristian, but this one was a miss for me personally, though I definitely get why other people dig them.





Hercules and Love Affair Set List




My night wasn't bad, I did have fun with my friends at the Casbah for sure, and as I posted earlier in the week, I ended up at a couple friends houses and pulled an all nighter, so it wasn't bad by any means. And I know I'll get plenty of Writer and Swim Party shows to make up for the one missed show. But damn, people, doesn't anyone else take video of shows?

Friday Recap: Team Abraham, Swim Party, Jamuel Saxon 2.22.08

Friday was a good night, wasn't it? I worked a little late but it was just fine because when I did finally leave the office, I was ready for my weekend to get going. I mentioned I sat at home reading a movie script, the I got ready and headed out, arriving at the Whistle Stop right around 9 because I'm never quite sure when everything's gonna get started there.

Team Abraham took the stage at 10, which gave plenty of time to catch up with friends and ease into the night. I think the band sounded great, no mic problems like they thought they had at the Casbah a couple weeks back, so from start to finish, they sounded clean, and the harmonica sounded beautiful accompanying the music.

Team Abraham




Then, of course, after Swim Party got all their equiment and lights set up, they got
to playing to a pretty crowded Whistle Stop. We know I love them, end of story there.

Swim Party




After they finished, I quickly left and made my way to Chaser's to catch Jamuel Saxon. It wasn't until Randall pointed out that its a mock of Samuel Jackson that the lightbulb clicked. I'm so dumb sometimes. But anyway, there was a good little crowd at Chaser's dancing and getting down, and Jamuel Saxon was awesome. There's some prerecorded beats, a dj, and Isaac from Get Back Loretta and another guy banging their hearts outta a couple drums and bongos, all the while Keith singing and sounding killer. Those brothers Milgraten never cease to amaze me with not only their talent, but their diversity of talent.

Jamuel Saxon




of course I chatted with T-Bone a bit and took a pic of the best hoodie I've ever seen...


After Chaser's, I hit the Ken for last call and it was packed for Roses on Her Grave and Desert Diamonds, even though they'd already finished. I ran into Aaron and we played half a game of pool, I did a couple shots, and for once actually went home after closing time and went to sleep.

Friday Recap: CityBeat Best of Party & Pussy Galore At Whistle Stop

I'm getting back into the routine of work, disco nap, and heading out for the night. The hardest part has to be trying to make myself go to sleep after a night out because of the adrenaline that shows give me. So I was pretty pooped last night but quickly got over it.

If you know me, you know I tend to roll solo. I like going where I want, when I want, without any obligations to anybody (thus being single for a very, very long time), but I asked my friend Max if he wanted to be my "plus one" to a CityBeat party and he kindly agreed to join me.

The party was at the House of Blues (in the Delta Room) which was a little awkward inside my own head because of how I kinda trashed it in a blog post earlier this week, but what can I say? I just think they have all the resources they need and they're not really taking advantage of what they've got. No hard feelings, right?

We got there around 7:30 and found ourselves some appetizers and drinks and a couple chairs to kick back in while we ate. Max was worried he wouldn't know anybody, but this party was for all the winners of the "Best Of San Diego" issue that came out this week, so there were plenty of people we both knew with whom to chat, mingle and get in on the schmoozefest.

The party ended at 10 and we were on our way. Max lives near the Whistle Stop, so that's where we ended up. We talked to with Drew for a bit then headed in and caught Emery Byrd's set. Though normally a 5 piece, they had Mary join in with violin and another player who added some instrumentation as well. It had been too long since I'd seen the band and they sounded great as ever, and I'm not just saying that because I want a CD :)

After their set it was a full on dance party but we ended up on the patio hanging out with friends and chilling out. It was a really fun night and made me reconsider the whole "rolling solo" thing. Max made me realize it was pretty darn fun to have a partner in crime, so thanks, Max.

Friday Recap: Red Feathers, Old Man Hands, Ghost Buffalo, The North Atlantic, Swedish Models, The Muslims

I wish I had more time to write earlier, but it has been a busy, busy weekend. I'll recap as much as I can before I have to get some sleep.

My Friday night started at the Whistle Stop. I was really excited to see two bands that I haven't seen in some time. Red Feathers started the night and killed it. They sound so vocally strong and the bar was packed with people for the show, though the usual chatter on the bar side of the wall was a factor in the general buzz and energy of the night.











Lately I've been finding myself loving bands that switch it up between vocalists and instruments and Ref Feathers is no exception. I finally met Marco (thanks for the CD!) and it was nice to finally talk to him since we've been at the same place at the same time so many times before.

Old Man Hands was up second and I can't ever say enough about them and the talent of Gabriel. His voice can melt anyone and the accompaniment of keys, guitars, violin, mandolin, drums, bass just gave such a full sound. This was the most people I'd ever seen play under the Old Man Hands moniker, since when I have seen them in the past it's been at tiny spaces where they play more stripped down. There were moments that I felt amazement in the way I did the first time I ever saw "The Last Waltz."





Toward the end of the set, LaTaunya Lockett sang a song with the band and jaws were dropped. Get that girl a record deal, my god. Her soulful voice was a beautiful compliment to the band.



They finished a little after 11 and though I would've loved to see the Modlins, I had to mosey on my way. I hadn't been to Black Box Studios before but had no problem finding it and getting in via the alley. There were a lot of people there and I was impressed how overall, the crowd hanging outside was quiet and respectful to the neighborhood. It's obviously ideal, too, because of the studios sound proofing, that you couldn't hear the music at all from the outside.

The only bummer for me was that the show ran really late. I caught a little bit of the touring band, Ghost Buffalo, and they musically had a rockin vibe and lead by a female vocalist whose vox was somewhere between Jewel and Anya Marina, but the backing band kept her from sounding too folky.



After they finished, I hung outside with Kasey for a while then with Dave who had me cracking up. I was actually surprised to run into anyone I knew there, to be honest. By the time The North Atlantic started, it was nearly midnight. I had never seen them play before but it was a great performance that had the room packed (and really freakin hot). The crowd clearly loves the band and were singing along to most of the songs.









Unfortunately, I was at my tipping point and the crowd and heat became a little overwhelming added to the fact that I had to get myself home, so I left about midway through the set. I made my way back to Kensington and walked to the bar to find that show was also running very, very late. I was able to catch the final couple songs of Swedish Models.











It was 1:30 bar time when the Muslims finally took the stage and they played right up to the lights on kicking everyone out of the bar moment and a good amount of people stayed to watch them finish.









I was after anti-party since I had a big Saturday planned, yet somehow I ended up staying up pretty late loading all the pics up till I finally shut down and shut out calling it a great Friday night.