Things To Do In San Diego: March 9-11, 2012

It was almost exactly 53 weeks ago that I was riding to Texas with my dear sweet friend, Nima, a person I'd met through my blog and found some friendship magic when we decided to drive to SXSW for my first time ever. A whole bunch of crazy things happened along our way including multiple drug searches on the car, some horrific internal feelings induced by his chick offering me kale chips and hummus when all I wanted was a giant cheeseburger, and really bad music from Yoga Girl's iPod, but mostly I remember the bands we ran into en route, including this little band from Vancouver called Said The Whale. Their publicist had reached out to me, but it wasn't until we met in the middle of nowhere when they gave us a CD that we listened to most of the remainder of the ride to Austin that I fell in love with their music. Somewhere along the way, the CD got run over by the car that I realized I needed to once again get my hands on their music. Fortunately, I arrived home and had a new CD in my mailbox and I have to say not only was I a fan, but now we were road friends. The band is back with new music and I am really hoping to catch them in Texas, but on top of that, the band is performing tonight at Tin Can. Don't miss them. Listing archives are after the jump.





I know I'm beating a dead horse, but if you'd like to help me get to SXSW, please donate below. Every dollar helps.

Things To Do In San Diego: March 8, 2012

Wow! You guys have been so amazing in your response to help get me to SXSW. The other day a friend asked, "Is it really a good time for you to go to Texas?" knowing that I have all this other stuff I'm going to have to face with my landlord and such, but you know what? She is going to still be there to deal with whether I am here or in Texas, so no, it isn't a good time but I'm going anyway. Tonight there are some shows that make me so proud to live in this city with so much talent. Get out and explore it for yourself. If you would like to chip in, the PayPal link is over there to the left. Archive after the jump.

FM 94/9: More About Mikey

Yesterday I posted the news about the departure of Mikey Esparza of The Mikey Show from FM 94/9, and as you can imagine, the story is still unfolding and generating some local internet heat. To be fair, I didn't break the news, I was only commenting on the departure as posted by Chris Carmichael at SDRADIO.net, so credit where credit is due.  Today, Chris posted again after listening to the morning show (while THIS blogger was still sleeping). It is interesting to me that Rick Jackson, the general manager of the Lincoln-Financial radio cluster actually took to the airwaves instead of Garett Michaels, the station's Program Director, who is usually the guy that would share this kind of news with the station's listeners. Of course, there's a lot to be said after the news is out, so I just wanted to take a little bit more time with the story. Anyway, here are some things, thoughts, etc., after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: March 7, 2012

What an interesting afternoon it turned out to be! Thanks for the additional donations that have come in, if you'd like to help get me to SXSW, there's a donation button over there <<<
I hear that the Rachael Yamagata show is sold out tonight, but the Casbah and Soda Bar both have good alternatives. Wednesday archives are after the jump.

Video: The Silent Comedy at NAMM

I went to the NAMM convention back in January and captured The Silent Comedy performing in the Taylor Guitars demo room. Being the slacker that I am, I uploaded these videos but never got around to adding titles and such so I never posted them. Since The Silent Comedy are playing at the Belly Up tomorrow night with Dead Feather Moon and The Howls, I thought it was about time that I shared them, even if I still haven't added titles. The tickets are selling quickly and the show is expected to sell out soon, so if you want to catch it, I suggest you BUY TICKETS NOW. In case you haven't seen the three bands joining forces for "The Homestead Sessions", check out the three videos below.

FM 94/9: About The Music (Again)

One of the most divisive moves in recent radio history was FM 94/9's acquisition of The Mikey Show. Instead of rehashing the controversial move by the station, I'll just report that The Mikey Show is no more. Mike Esparza's contract was through January 2013, so it will be interesting to find out why his contract was cut short. Personally, I would love to believe that with all the craziness around Rush Limbaugh in the past few weeks (um, decades) the station is somehow taking a stand against politically divisive rhetoric in what is going to be an extremely volatile presidential election year. I'm probably way over-thinking, however, and it probably just has a lot more to do with the show not meeting ratings expectations as radio ratings shifted so dramatically when PPM was introduced. It also just might be part of the station's recent buttoning-up that included the end of some of the specialty shows and features. Eyes and ears will definitely be glued to see the station's next move, especially as 91X is still looking to fill the recently vacated PD position that also has the potential to alter the market. I don't usually solicit comments, but I would LOVE to know what you all think about this. If you wanna be a troll, the commenting has already begun on Facebook.

Swami Soundsystem: Now on Slacker

For all of you who poured a forty out when John Reis' Swami Soundsystem left the FM 94/9 airwaves, you can rejoice! You didn't really think Swami was silenced, right? Today, Slacker announced the launch of the Swami Soundsystem station. That means you can listen to John Reis' personal record collection anytime you want. I heard it took months to take his record collection and digitize it because his collection is so vast and full of rarities that you can't find anywhere else.

Here is the direct link to Slacker: http://www.Slacker.com/station/Swami-Sound-System (but you can find it under the Specialty stations) Anyway, I'll let the Slacker people do the talking (after the jump).

Jeff's Upcoming Show Recommendation

While it is so easy to become jaded with all the shows, hype, buzz, overkill or whatever one prefers to call it, there are always bands and shows which I believe are of the can't miss variety. One such show features only two bands; one from North Carolina and the other from London. The connection is a simple one: heartfelt indie folk music. The former is Bowerbirds, basically a duo featuring Beth Tacular and Phil Moore. The latter is the British quintet fronted by Peter Liddle, Dry The River. The date to remember is also quite easy, being this upcoming Easter, April 8. The Casbah is the place to be when the two bands gather to present songs from their recently released albums. Without going into detail I thought it would be easier to preview the show with a video from each band's album. This is Bowerbirds third release while Dry The River, though formed in 2009, just released their initial full length today. The Clearing (Bowerbirds)is being released on Dead Oceans tomorrow.

This is a show I believe should fill The Casbah, holiday notwithstanding.

Enjoy the videos, mark the date, and purchase tickets here.

Watch a video about The Clearing.



Watch a video of The Chambers & The Valves below.

Things To Do In San Diego: March 6, 2012

When it really comes to it, I sometimes get so caught up in my own stuff, social only through a computer screen at times, that I forget that I am part of such an amazing community, that this site is about so much more than just me (even though I'm still going to bore you with a doozy of a diary every once in a while). Yesterday, I didn't realistically think that I would be able to go to South By Southwest this year, with it just being a week away and all, but after an outpouring of support and generosity, I'm closer to making it happen. Had I started a Kickstarter campaign with a set goal, I'd say I'm at around 25%, which by Kickstarter standards is really, really good, so thanks to everyone who has contributed. It is really very humbling that so many of you believe in this crazy path of life that I've fallen into. Tuesday archives are after the jump.

OTR: Shows and Aliens

I haven't posted an OTR post in the past couple weeks, but this week I'm going to keep it brief.

Tuesday night: Ivan and Alyosha, Josh Ottum, Michael McGraw @ Soda Bar

Thursday night: two awesome local shows go head to head- The Citybeat Local Music Issue Party features Maren Parusel, Italian Japanese, Low Volts, The Darrows, Parker and the Numberman, and DJ Robin Roth playing tunes between bands at the Casbah, while The Silent Comedy, Dead Feather Moon, and The Howls takeover the Belly Up. If you wanna go really crazy, William Fitzsimmons and Denison Witmer perform at Anthology at 7pm. Gonna be a busy night for sure.

Saturday night: The Heavy Guilt, The Beautiful View, Black Hondo, and I Wish I @ Casbah

 Lastly, I got this press release from Discovery Networks are devoting the whole month to the question, Are We Alone? with special programming about extraterrestrials. You can read all about their programming on Science after the jump.

Tuesday Night: Ivan and Alyosha at Soda Bar

Tonight (Tuesday), Ivan and Alyosha will be performing at the Soda Bar with Josh Ottum and Michael McGraw. If you haven't had the chance to see the band yet, you might want to check them out tonight. Below are a couple videos I shot last year when they opened for The Low Anthem at a museum in LA. Please excuse the chopped off head in the beginning of the video- it started to rain and I was trying to adjust the camera and stay dry.

Margot and the Nuclear So and So's: New Video, New Album, New Tour

One of the most entertaining bands that continues to return to the Casbah year after year is Margot and the Nuclear So and So's. The band's latest, Rot Gut, Domestic, will be released next week and the band will tour in support of the record, including a date in San Diego on May 25, 2012. Tickets went on sale today at 10 am. Go get 'em.

CLICK TO BUY TICKETS

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Margot-Prozac Rock from Margot Cloud on Vimeo.

SXSW: Will You Help Me Go?

The music portion of South By Southwest is a little over a week away which means I don't have a lot of time to decide if this is really going to happen for me this year. My iffy living situation and finances because of said living situation are looking bleak, but at the same time, I kinda feel like this might be my last big hurrah for SXSW. Last year I was given a press badge; this year I was granted a wristband, but that is still a lot better than just going with nothing. I considered putting together a big SXSW/Eviction fundraiser, but I'm not the only one trying to get to Texas, so I couldn't very well ask bands to play for me when they're trying to get there themselves, but I will be absolutely shameless here for one last time.

If you find this site useful throughout the year, whether you check the listings regularly, you check out the music videos, or perhaps I've helped get people out to your band's shows by including you in my listings, please consider a donation. Every dollar helps; in fact if everyone who typically checks my Monday listings donated just $5 (less than a drink in most bars), I would clear my trip and my impending relocation. Even if I don't get to Texas, the cost of keeping this site going is making it harder to justify. I know from the past that the reality is that a handful of people might feel compelled to help and everyone else just clicks away, but I'll put it out there one last time before I have to decide my next move. Please donate.

Things To Do In San Diego: March, 2012

If you come to my site often, it should be no surprise that I have really messed up sleeping patterns and often pull all-nighters as I sort through email or get caught in the Web where you look up on thing and one thing leads to another and before you know it you've wasted four hours clicking through a bunch of nonesense, but what I really hate is when I actually go to sleep at a "normal" hour and am exhausted, but can't fall asleep because my brain is on overdrive. This is not how I was hoping to start out this Monday morning. All I want is a good 4 or 5 hours of deep, solid, uninterrupted sleep. I guess it is just not in the cards today. Monday archives are after the jump.

Friday: Third Story at 98 Bottles

Tonight is a really special night for San Diego jazz. Third Story is a band started by three San Diego natives, two of which now live in Brooklyn. They have racked up numerous prestigious awards as individuals, and tonight's CD release show has been getting a lot of attention in jazz circles. It's pretty rare for a band to do 2 sets around here, which speaks to how big a show this is going to be.

Even if you're concept of jazz starts and ends with Miles and Coltrane, I think you might like this show. Guitarists especially should see how Jeff Miles puts effects to use. This guy won the 2008 Montreaux jazz guitar competition and it's thrilling to watch him play.

The shows are at 8 and 10pm tonight at 98 Bottles, a block away from the Casbah. You could catch the first set and still make it to the other shows on Rosey's list.

Things To Do In San Diego: March 2-4, 2012

I don't know about you, but I have had a very good week couching and enjoying being completely lazy as I try to ramp up for the weekend. I'm also very excited that SoundDiego TV launches this weekend! On Saturday night after SNL, host and my very good friend Daye Salani premieres our very first episode of a project that has been a goal since we started SoundDiego two years ago. I'm proud to be on the team and hope to get some facetime in future episodes. If you're out, set your DVRs for what is the next chapter of local music television in San Diego. Weekend archives are after the jump. Special thanks to Chase Goodman for helping me get these listings done.

Things To Do In San Diego: February 29-March 1, 2012

It's Leap Day and though I'm running on just a few hours sleep, I've been back into an all-nighter groove because I'm trying to stay on top of all of the things that I can control and trying to worry less about the things that I can't change. Sounds like AA. But seriously, I got a glimmer of good news today in that after I was rejected for a SXSW press badge, I appealed and at least got a wristband which means I'm going to have to bust some serious ass to try to make Texas really happen for me. I suppose I also decided that I'm gonna fight my housing situation as long as I can. I hope everyone has a great time wherever you might go tonight, though I think I'm gonna stay bunked up. It seems to be the best thing for me at the moment, though I suppose I still have a couple hours to think about it and possibly change my mind. Wednesday and Thursday archives are after the jump. Apologies to The Griffin for missing tonight's free show on the listings, it has been added now.

Photos: Mat Keaney & Robert Francis @ House Of Blues, 2.25.2012

On Saturday night, Elliott and I went to the House of Blues for the sold out Mat Kearney & Robert Francis show. I hadn't seen Robert Francis since he opened for Noah and the Whale at the Casbah in 2009 and though Mat comes to town relatively frequently, I think the last time I caught him was on a KPRI summer cruise, also in '09. Mat released his third major label full length, Young Love, in August of 2011 and while his singles "Hey Mama" and "Ships In The Night"have gotten steady radio love, it is critical TV and ad placements that make his music so familiar and it is his consistent touring that makes him so loved by his always growing fanbase. I have to admit that over the years, I've only been a partial fan...I dig his voice and many of his songs, but I've never ever been into the white-guy-raps-with-a-guitar-thing. Fortunately at this show, it was kept to a minimum and I was bopping my head along to the sugary music along with the rest of the crowd.

As for Robert, I hear he's releasing a new record soon, so hopefully we'll get him back at the Casbah where he can be a tad rougher around the edges than he is for this polished crowd. There's not a lot of edge here, but this is definitely music I could play on a roadtrip with my parents and my 13 year old godsister and everyone would be okay with it. These aren't just sexy guys with guitars wooing the ladies with their songs (though it doesn't hurt that they're so good looking), but they woo the dudes in the crowd into thinking they're just bros singing between surf sessions and they're gonna grab a brewski with them after the show. Mat remains likable even during awkward moments, like when he engaged with the crowd. I didn't hear the first part of the exchange, but it evolved into him chatting with an audience member. "What do you play?" "Drums." "What kind of kit do you play?" "Pearl." Mat went on to insult that the guy played Pearl. Then to backpedal, said something like, 'No, I didn't mean it that way, you probably can't afford something better'.  To apologize for that, he pulled the guy onstage to beat on a suitcase during an acoustic performance of "All I Have".  The setlist is pictured above, though I will add that since it was the final night of the tour, Robert Francis and his band were invited out for the encore when they performed Adele's "Fire To The Rain" and added Tom Petty's "Learning To Fly" before closing with "Hey Mama". Click the jump for more photos.

Things To Do In San Diego: February 28, 2012

Last night I attempted to catch up on email. An all-nighter and over 800 emails later (most read, many deleted, many archived, some requiring action or a response that I still need to get to), and I'm still bummed I haven't found a better way to do this. Publicists are so pushy, working their cush jobs from offices in NYC, LA, Chicago, Portland...while the bloggers on the receiving end of their blasts have to sort through a whole lot of bullshit to find some gems worth posting, and in my case, things that are relevant to San Diego, i.e. don't send me shit unless the band is from here or playing here. Oh, and we do our part for free. It would actually be awesome to read email for 12 hours straight knowing there was actual compensation for such tedium, but alas, that ain't the way it works. To be honest, though, I'd probably feel out of the loop if suddenly all of the email throttled in some way, and I wouldn't have had an excuse to watch all four of the blind audition episodes of "The Voice" had I not been working through the night, so perhaps there are better ways to spend my time, I just haven't quite figured them out. Tuesday archives are after the jump.

Tuesday: Reptar at Soda Bar

Reptar is performing tonight at the Soda Bar, and if you had the chance to see them open for Foster the People at Soma last fall, you know they're worth catching live. Use the widget to get a free download. Click after the jump to see the band's press release and info.