Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: San Diego Deluge and Aftermath, Resources, Where To Donate | COVID Up; Nobody Cares | GDP Growth | Humane Society Virtual Baby Shower |

Alba the Andean Bear Mama (Taken 12.5.24)

Last diary, I posted Loretta the bonobo, who was turning 50. This week I heard it was Alba's birthday, so I thought I'd share a pic even though I usually capture them with my phone, watching her 1-year-old cubs and their silly antics. So yeah. Not the best shot ever, but it's what I could find. 

This has been a really good week. I'm on my fourth night at the Casbah for Three Mile Pilot, and got to work both Pinback shows and Rocket From The Crypt, too. I'll be slinging for Lucy's Fur Coat and both nights of the Bronx, and then we'll see how much inventory I have and if it is worth it for me to sell Casbah stuff at both Earthless nights. 

My Darren is out of town at the moment; he went to visit his family up north and as much as I wanted to go, I couldn't pull away from work or leave the kid home alone for that long of a stretch. I'll be so glad when he's home again. 

Besides that, things are pretty good, I've gotten my mornings in with my apes and monkeys and have timed it, so I get a brief disco nap each night before work. It's been really great to see so many familiar faces and the different crowds that each headliner brings. Tonight is much louder than it has been, a bit of that Friday night relief that comes after a week of work. 

Obviously, the week started of with the storm deluge. I was a little oblivious, to be honest. I had to wear my knee-high rainboots to cross my own street, but besides that, I still went to the zoo when the rain slowed down a bit, so it wasn't until I was home that night watching the news that I saw all the destruction around San Diego. I've included a bunch of articles and resources, and San Diego Magazine compiled a list of places to donate, which is also linked below. Help out if you can. I think I'll finally clean out my shoes and get those down to Ringer's Roller Rink for people who might need something as simple and obvious as shoes. 

Stay safe out there. I love you all. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, January 25, 2024-Wednesday, January 31, 2024: RFTC | Poolside | 3MP | La Santa Cecilia | Twin Tribes | Explosions In The Sky | The Bronx | Earthless | Tanlines |

Here's a pro-tip: If you're going to work 9 nights straight at sold out shows, maybe don't blow your wad the first night and consume exorbitant amounts of whiskey after your shift. Just sayin. I'm on my second night of Pinback and they're amazing, but I didn't take a single photo because I had to get these listings done or I would never get sleep and said whiskey made me miss a whole day of the zoo. So yeah, I'm gonna maybe join the masses and declare the rest of my month "dry January" so I can get back to the zoo for the BGE (Big Gorilla Energy) that replenishes my soul.

Obviously the Casbah 35 Year Anniversary month is wrapping up and it has been a really good run with sold out shows every remaining night except that 2nd Earthless show, which I'm sure will sell out by the time Wednesday rolls around. If you're at the Casbah this week, pop by and say hi. Stay safe out there. 

Things To Do in San Diego: Thursday, January 18-Wednesday, January 24, 2024: Cayucas | Mayer Hawthorne | No Knife | aMiniature | Tomcat Courtney Memorial | Ozomatli | Y La Bamba | Pinback |

I didn't go to the zoo on Wednesday and instead spent the entire day slowly doing listings because I finally caught the funk. It's not COVID, it just feels like a cold, nothing Alka Seltzer Plus and Nyquil can't quash, but I figured if I'm bitching about parents bringing their sick kids to the zoo, and they in turn get me sick, I have to at least try not to go and get everyone else around me sick, too. So a day of rest, and green juice and effervescent tabs and nearly four hours of the Murdaugh hearing and I'm wrapping up my night and ready to go to bed. I just got word that JJUUJJUU has to cancel their Thursday night appearance at the Casbah so it sounds like we're canceling entirely and will be closed for the night. I expect this was a quick 24-hour knockout and I am willing myself to be better and able to rejoin the world on Thursday, and ready for my merch gigs on Saturday and Sunday.

Stay safe and healthy out there. 

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: Tripledemic Peaked But Still Kicking Ass | TFG on School Shootings: "Get Over It" | Ape Recognition | Diving In To 2024 |

2024 is off and running and I'm exhausted already. I did three nights of merch in a row for The Dragons and then The Beat Farmers, and then Monday was Otto's memorial and I am pooped. The kid has been sick, my sister had COVID last week, and everyone seems to think taking their kids to the zoo is okay when they're staying home from school and daycare because they're sick. So I'm not gonna lie, I'm pooped. I usually start my listings on Tuesday so they're ready to go on Thursday, but I'm gonna call it an early night and hopefully the kid is back at school on Wednesday and I can watch the Murdaugh hearing that I started watching today and get my work done in the peace and quiet of an empty house. 

Today you get a picture of sweet Loretta. She is the matriarch of the bonobos and turns 50 years old on January 22nd. There are only 8 zoos in the US that house bonobos and they are critically endangered within the politically volatile Democratic Republic of Congo where they are endemic. Bonobos are amazing great apes and to get to watch and know their personalities is an incredible privilege. Go visit her.  

Stay safe and healthy out there. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, January 11-Wednesday, January 17, 2024: Casbah Day 2024! | Neil Hamburger | The Dragons | Sum 41 | Tommy Castro | Talib Kweli | The Beat Farmers | Memorial For Otto | Dessa | Buck Meek |

This week has been a little busy so I'm feeling pretty behind in work at the moment, but I had to get listings done. The Music Box had a holiday/staff party this week and it was pretty great. It was a casino night at the Carte Hotel rooftop, so I had great fun playing blackjack most of the night. Also this week, San Diego City Council proclaimed January 12th, 2024 as Casbah Day in San Diego in honor of the 35 year anniversary, so although there wasn't much fanfare in council, it is still pretty cool to be a part of that.

 

I will say that I'm a little irritated with San Diego at the moment for having two horrible events this weekend. I can't believe a place called PETCO PARK would play host to a goddamn rodeo, an event completely devoted to animal cruelty. This is why stadiums shouldn't get one fucking dollar from the cities in which they build. Meanwhile, Snapdragon is getting demolished by Monster Jam, a stupid event borne of destruction and the weird worship of truck culture. It's gross and I don't understand how hauling 26 Million pounds of dirt is even allowed in light of the Climate Action Plan and the fucking waste of it all just makes me insane. 

I'll be at the Casbah all weekend selling 35 year anniversary merch, so if you have tickets to the Dragons or The Beat Farmers, pop over to my table and say hello. 

Stay safe out there. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, January 4-Wednesday, January 10, 2024: El Ten Eleven | TSOL | Princess Goes | Starcrawler | Charlatans UK | Bowie Birthday | Sutton James |

Happy New Year!! I know we're already a few days in, but to me, it didn't count until the Casbah's Anniversary month began. And it does, tonight! El Ten Eleven kicks off with a sold out show, and for those in attendance, you'll have first crack at the new Casbah 35 Year Anniversary merch (without shipping fees!). I'll be there to sell it to you. We'll have it available at several other sold out nights this month, so if you don't want to order it, you can grab it in person if you have tickets to those particular shows: Dragons, Beat Farmers, 3MP, No Knife/aMiniature, Bronx, Earthless, and maybe a couple more, depending on demand. I heard we already sold out of 2x-4x hoodies, but hang tight and we'll work on another run of printing those sizes. 

Meanwhile, it's gonna be a killer week for music, even if our hearts are heavy with the loss of soundman extraordinaire, Otto Valentine. 

All the listings are after the jump. 

Stay safe. 

I love you. 

Rosey's Diary And Newsy Things: 2024 Is Here | Respiratory Viruses On The Rise | Election Year Nightmare |

I always imagine that I'll write some big end of the year recap and beginning of the year 'fresh start' post, but to be honest, after finding out today that our friend and sound guy extraordinaire, Otto, has passed away, it just brings back all the real shit parts of 2023 all over again. Losing my dad, losing my sister-in-law, losing O, losing so many others, human and animals alike. It was a steady parade of grief and loss. 

And not to say it wasn't also a good year, because that is life, right? Shitty things and good things and all the things in between, until it's our turn to fade out and everyone is remembering us. But let's hope that is many, many years away and we continue to grow as people with each moment we have. My "zoo year" has been incredible, I've been getting in better habits - getting up earlier, staying on top of my work, setting and hitting daily step targets, making lots of new friends from all walks of life, getting daily sunshine, getting my ass off the couch. Admittedly, that means I write and post less and I haven't been going to shows as much as I once did, which I expect to find better balance for both in 2024. 

Of course there are always goals to set...like cleaning out our studio and apartment and 'cleaning out the old', or taking better advantage when Darren actually has time off, but let's just marvel that we made it out of 2023. And while we have the shit elections to deal with this year, let's do our best to make 2024 a good one. 

I love you all. Stay safe out there. 

 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, December 28-Wednesday, January 3, 2024: NYE + Black Lips | Wild Horses | Transfer | Schizophonics | The Creepy Creeps |

I always think I'm gonna have time. I wanted to dig through my archives and find a more NYE festive photo, but now I realize the photos I'm thinking of are actually probably from like five years ago so I'm just not organized enough to track them down because I need to sleep. I didn't realize the kid was flying out on Thursday and I get to be the one for airport dropoff at 8am. Sooo. I hope everyone had a really great Christmas and is ready to ring in 2024. I did my best with listings this week, but didn't go above and beyond for NYE for venues that I don't normally list here...frankly the high ticket parties and prix fixe dinners aren't what I'm after, so I'm sure you can find those sponsored listings elsewhere. I may add anything relevant to this site, but in case I get caught up and never get to my final diary of the year, have a great week and I'll catch ya in the new year. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, December 21-Wednesday, December 27, 2023: Well Well Well | Moans | Los Lobos | El Vez | Crasher | Exile on Kettner Blvd | The Silent Comedy |

Toby & I at Wild Holidays at Safari Park 

I was feeling like I was closing the year on a high note just after giving in and getting this new laptop, a new camera, traveling to the Great Lakes region and then ready to hit the holidays. In fact, we never ended up getting a Christmas tree, I'm spending more than I'm making at the moment, and one of the car registration lapsed which went completely under our radar, so not only are there late fees, but it's going to have to go into the shop (impossible during the holidays) to get the engine light off to then pass SMOG to then late-register. And of course, any time it's parked or driven could add another ticket. What a clusterf**k. 

Still, even with all that, on Wednesday night we had a big family dinner with my siblings and nieces and nephews and my cousin and uncle and it was the first time we'd all been back to Volare as a group since before my dad stopped walking, which was several years ago. So it will be a present-poor Christmas without a lot of gifts but filled with a whole lot of love, which is really the whole point of it all anyway. 

There's great stuff happening this week leading up to Christmas, I'm gonna do my best to go to Exile, and then more of the usual with the San Diego Zoo and Sea World with my family while they're all in town, and you know I'll be there even without them. 

Merry Christmas, y'all. I love you. Stay safe out there. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, December 14-Wednesday, December 20, 2023: QOTSA | Grateful Shred | Emo Nite | TV Girl | Ziggy Shuffledust | Swive | More Fatter | Holiday Ramble |

I am sooo looking forward to the weekend to try and recover from my trip, spend some chill time with my visiting relatives, and enjoy the Casbah's holiday brunch on Sunday. I was able to hit the San Diego Zoo on Thursday to see all my babies that I missed so much. I got a little love from the gorillas before they went in, Karen the orangutan sat with my while I worked on my laptop, even little Kaja popped over to say hi. It was nice and empty, so I had the run of the place and also visited the gray parrots, Andean bears, my favorite langur, the red panda, the snow leopards, the red-tailed and swamp monkeys and more. There's a new binturong at Explorer's basecamp, but the tamandua is gone. If you are a take-pictures-with-Santa kinda person, there has been a line on weekends but on most days you can literally walk right in with no wait. It's kinda shocking actually. I've shaved a lot of time off how long the listings take with this new laptop, but I still had to do a newsletter and go through a zillion emails so I am fried. Have a great weekend, stay healthy, and when you hear all the people hacking around you, get as far away as you can-- they probably have COVID but many people don't even bother testing for it anymore, so steer clear. 

I love you.  

Rosey's Diary & Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, December 14, 2023: Sego | Coastal Wolves | Zoltan Kaszas | La Diabla | Meg McRee | Strung Out |

Sister Claudia, My Mama, Nadia, Jojo, Uncle Willy, & Me. Christy took this one. 

So, I really was not realistic at all when I went on this little trip for the past few days. I haven't flown anywhere since 2016, and I forget how much time I really end up sitting around talking with family, riding in cars, or driving and seeing scenery and how much time I am NOT online, or at least, not able to use my laptop. (Email is still amazing anywhere, anytime, except when I'm driving, of course.)

We left San Diego on Saturday at 6:30am, which made me wake up at 3:45am to be ready to go. Of course I don't really sleep on planes, so by the time we landed in Chicago and walked all up the Miracle Mile or the Magnificent Mile or the Millionaire Mile or whatever it is really called along Lake Shore Drive and then back to our hotel, I was zonked. But this was a girls trip for that part of the weekend, so I was with my mom, my sisters and my nieces, at the W, known for having Djs in the lobby and being a destination on weekends and, let's just say the no sleep week continued. Beyond going to Millennial Park to see The Bean (which is now behind security fences because, as the street vendors told us, "los jovenes") and Christmas stuff, I have to say it was all kind of a bust. I was in Chicago but by no means did Chicago. That was the theme for this whole trip, actually. Not that I didn't enjoy family time and seeing new things, but I didn't pack in what I would do if I had my say in all of it. Or any of it, really.

On Sunday, we left Chicago to drive to South Bend and that was the day of my uncle's Surprise Birthday Party for his 80th birthday. He got all weepy and it was beautiful and beers at the Country Club were $2.50 so I enjoyed myself and also learned a bunch of stuff about my family that I didn't know before and saw pictures, like of my real grandma who died when my mom was only 2 years old, that I was seeing for the first time. That was magic. 

By Sunday night, I was in party mode, drank beers and rye at our hotel while everyone slept, knowing I would be the one to stay while my sisters and nieces returned home on Monday. When it was just me and my mom and my uncle, we spent the greater part of a day at a local casino and then the next day driving around different nearby areas to eat, shop, and see Christmas lights. 

I'm now on the flight home and there's no way the wi-fi can handle me doing the listings for the whole week, so I'm just doing Thursday's and I'll do the rest on Thursday. I underestimated how much time we'd spend in cars, how much time we'd be hanging out telling stories, how much time I'd spend in the kennels and among the cats of the house. I especially underestimated how much time I would be the one driving, though I guess I should be used to it with my 80 year old uncle and 70+ year old mom. I also didn't know I'd be sleeping on a waterbed for 2 nights which makes laptopping in bed pretty much impossible. So I'm sorry the listings are abbreviated but when I get home, I need space, I need drinks, I need some loving from my babies, and I don't want to be up all night working on listings because I really need to see my favorite primates at the zoo in the morning. Also, thanks to this stupid bitch that won't stop coughing with her mouth open, even though I got my booster last week and even though I wore a mask during the stagnant air parts of the flight, I'm eating and drinking and trying to get cool air, so I'll be monitoring my health and thank goodness I am a bit overstocked with COVID tests at the moment. I actually think she's coughing out loud AT me, but I'm not about to start a fight on Southwest.  

Besides surprising my Uncle on his turf, we bought him a one-way ticket to San Diego to hang out as long as he wants. The last couple times were sad and for my dad's death, so hopefully this one will be more joyful. But also it means I'll probably be chauffer for at least some parts over the next couple weeks. Forgive me if you don't hear from me or if things are late or my Insta is all out of order or whatever. I gotta spend the time with these Olds while I can. xoxo

Here are Thursdays listings. I'm sorry if I missed stuff.

Rosey's Diary | Christmas In San Diego | COVID-19 & Flu & RSV | Biden's Economy | Housing | Citrus Quarantine |

DeBrazza Monkeys Lillie and Baby born 10.28.23

I am trying to wrap up loose ends before I get outta town this weekend, so it seemed like a good time for a post. I'm excited about my trip, but I can't really talk about it until after it happens, so just know that I'm going to be cold and I haven't been on a plane since 2016. I'm kinda freaking out a little, but I'll have to sort it all out tomorrow and I'm sure everything will be fine, but my biggest problem will be packing. I'm terrible at it. Have you seen how much stuff I take with me just to go to the zoo everyday? So yeah. At least I learned today that my leggings were ineffective at keeping me warm today in San Diego, so they're definitely not going to cut it where I'm going. 

So beyond that, things have been good. Work is crazy busy, this week we announced another 16 shows, when a typical week is about 5. In starting this post, I learned that my new laptop doesn't have an SD card slot, so that kinda blows, but I guess the HDMI will be adequate. The zoo has been especially fun this week because I found a better loop and get to spend more time with my favorite primates. Last weekend was the final open house of the year at the Alpaca Ranch, so I went to the zoo in the morning, then my mom and I went out to the ranch, and then I finished the evening at the zoo, which was deserted and perfect. When it's late like that, generally all the primates are all asleep, but it's a good chance to go to Basecamp to see the caracal, tamandua, coati, and sometimes local opossums or skunks moving around under the platformed walkway. I also like to visit these adorable little crocodiles that will sometimes swim right up to glass to make deep eye contact. It's kind of an amazing thing and they look really cute when they swim. At night, it's also fun to do the big lap around the elephants and into Kopje because sometimes you can hear the hyrax screaming, which is a pretty crazy sound if you're not expecting it. The zoo will get a lot crazier when Jungle Bells kicks off this weekend, but walk around the dark if you get the chance. Do it without a flashlight, and especially DON'T use the one on your phone.

I'll catch you all after my trip.

I love you. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, December 7-Wednesday, December 13, 2023: Depeche Mode | The Woggles | Dresden Dolls | The Tighten Ups | Rosa Rossa | North Park Winter Wonderland |

I feel like I have a little bit better control of everything now that I've got a new laptop and camera situation. Listings were a little slower because all the sites I use aren't cached in my history, but overall I'm happy with my purchase. I still have files to move and I'd like to eventually get the old one looked at because I think it's fixable, but I'm going out of town for five days and won't really have a chance to settle down for some time. It feels like with the holidays coming up and then Casbah anniversary month, I'm going to be busy af. All that is fine, as long as I get my zoo therapy in between it all, I'll be good. I'm going to do my best to get next week's listings done on time and ready to post by Thursday, but just in case, be forewarned that I'm traveling on Wednesday, my usual time to get them done. Maybe I can do them on the plane. 

Anyway, I love you all. I'll miss San Diego while I'm gone. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, November 30-Wednesday, December 6, 2023: Oh He Dead | Luna | Flor de Toloache | Mondo Cozmo | December Nights & Holiday Parades | Aterciopelados | Enanitos Verdes | Depeche Mode |

I love a good Santa. Free sitting with Santa at San Diego Zoo (Taken 11.25.23)

I didn't get a chance to do all of the holiday events on a separate page as I've done in the past, but there's a ton of holiday stuff, tree lightings, parades and more, in addition to the Christmas Celebration at Sea World, Wild Holidays at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Jungle Bells at the San Diego Zoo, A Very Furry Christmas at Sesame Place, Lightscape at San Diego Botanic Garden, and all the different ice rinks. There's a pretty good assortment of holiday stuff listed here. 

I'm super into the holidays, but I also kind of get anxiety spirals. Like, just starting my listings on Tuesday had me kinda freaking out about how I'm gonna get them done in a couple weeks while I'm traveling. I went ahead and got a new camera and a new laptop, so now I'll have to figure out how to get all my stuff from here onto there and get that all set up. Not looking forward to that at all. But, when I can rein it all in, take a minute to breathe, I get excited. I've stocked up on hot cocoa and apple cider packets, I've pulled out all my beanies and mittens, and all my Christmas gear is ready to be worn. I'll be working for Mondo Cozmo on Friday night, but I should still have plenty of time to check out December Nights, and I'll probably try and get to the Alpaca ranch on Sunday, and sometime between I'll probably get a Christmas tree, too. I also have to plan a day to get my COVID vaccine before my trip, but I don't really have a full day to be knocked out, so I'll have to keep that in consideration. 

In the meantime, have a great week and stay safe out there.  

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: San Diego America's Most Expensive City and other rankings | Order More Free COVID Tests | Thanksgiving Most Dangerous Holiday For US Roadways |

 

Schmidt's Red-Tailed Family. Mom BB, Daughter Jenga, and Baby
(Born 11.11.23; taken 11.22.23 in Ituri Forest, San Diego Zoo)

A friend of mine recently pointed out to me that I haven't done a diary post in awhile. There are a ton of reasons for that. As I've said, my laptop is maybe on it's last legs, so it gets really hot and the fan doesn't kick on, so I have to take frequent breaks and it really messes up my thoughtflow. I've also been posting more on socials, which is probably a bad idea in a long-term historical context of the snapshot of my life, but sometimes it's just easier when I'm sitting with monkeys or gorillas or orangutans, or sitting on my patio at night in the cold, to just bust out my phone than my laptop. (Follow me on Instagram & Youtube). I've still been collecting links, as you'll see below, these span over a month and a half, and really the impetus to post came more from cleaning out my email inbox over the holiday weekend. I'm also working a show at Music Box and it's been slightly awkward...I didn't even have their register logged in until I'd already been here two hours. They're now taking the stage and I've sold 4 things all night. I'm sure that will pick up when they're done. 

Things have been good, overall. I'm working a lot and that's gonna maybe slow down in December, but January will be insane for Casbah's 35 Year Anniversary. I try to go to the Zoo every day, though I mix it up on occasion with Sea World or Safari Park. In fact, I talked my family - the kid, my mom, sister, and nieces - to go to Safari Park for Thanksgiving, which turned out to be a great idea, even if we really didn't do much walking or animal watching. Mostly we just sat and had a big charcuterie lunch and talked and mocked and it was kinda perfect. Darren joined us for his lunch break, and after we all left the park, reconvened at my mom's for the actual Thanksgiving hodge-podge dinner. Toby had strep throat all week, but we got him antibiotics so he was fine enough to partake in the activities. While he was sick, I was spending full days at the Zoo just to give him the run of the house and then I'd come home and wipe everything down with disinfecting wipes for good measure. 

I've always been a little notorious among my friends and family for breaking things and not just that, but everything all at once. So besides spending hours moving photo files off this laptop in case it does finally go caput, in the past couple months I also cracked my phone, got in a small car collision, and then my camera broke beyond repair when my backpack got soaked in rain when I worked at Quartyard last weekend. I ordered a new camera, which arrived today, and I probably should've taken advantage of Black Friday for a new phone and laptop, but I'm still recovering from the huge amount we spent on a rebuilt transmission for the van, so I'll keep my eye out and hopefully can work enough to offset a new phone before January. In spite of all that. things are pretty great. It's all just stuff, right?

II hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I'm gonna enjoy this weekend, but I'm so ready for Christmas. Wild Holidays has already begun at Safari Park, Christmas Celebration at Sea World is super festive, and the San Diego Zoo has Jungle Bells starting on December 9th (but extended hours have already started on select dates.)  The alpaca ranch I've been visiting, HazPaca, is having a holiday market the same weekend as December Nights, so maybe I can find a way to do both. I'm also traveling in December with my mom and sister and nieces, so I'm looking forward to going to a new place and seeing new sights for a few days. You know I'm already digging out all my Christmas gear I've bought on clearance over the past few years and can't wait for cold and rain and maybe even snow this year. On the other hand, Strep, Pneumonia, COVID, RSV, Influenza are all circulating. Stay safe and healthy out there. 

Love you all. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, November 24-Wednesday, November 29: FEAR | Pleasure Pill | Capyac | We Are Scientists | Stevie Nics | John Waters | Spectre Jones |

Oh my goodness. I completely forgot that I was supposed to do listings on Thanksgiving but we all went to Safari Park and then did the family thing at my mom's and I never got around to it. So now it's almost 4 and I'm only get an hour in at the zoo. So I gotta scram. Listings after the jump. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, November 16-Thursday, November 23, 2024: The Ocean Blue | Durand Jones | Wild Nothing | The Japanese House | The Linda Lindas | Echo & The Bunnymen | Maná | black midi |

Me & The Ocean Blue at November 16, 2019

The Ocean Blue are playing the Casbah on Thursday night and to find a photo for my header, I looked back in my archives to see the last time they played. I also sold merch for them back then, and it was NOVEMBER 16, 2019!!! Exactly 4 years ago. So weird. Maybe that is planned, maybe they carbon copied their old tour and were just like, "Book it again! That went great for us!" but it's kind of a trip, no? It was an entire PANDEMIC ago. A whole different lifetime ago, it feels, in a way.

So it rained a lot of the day on Wednesday, I had a great zoo day, and though I was too late to see the gorilla boys, it was pretty empty and I sat with Aisha for nearly two hours undisturbed because she sat by me against the glass, pulling her burlap sack over her and just kinda hiding from passers by and the rain, like a little secret between us while I did my work. Darren came in the afternoon and it was nice to walk around in the rain, visiting some of our favorites. We then went to Toby's first pep band performance of the year during a girls varsity basketball game. I will admit I was digging through my photo archives a bit and it is so easy to get sidetracked, so now it's after midnight, I got a glimpse of my raccoon on the roof for a little bit, and now I'm ready to wrap it up, set these things to post in the morning and get some sleep. 

The weekend looks pretty chill for me, I have to work at the WIld Nothing show on Friday, but hopefully the rain takes a break or we could have to cancel the show...Quartyard isn't really safe to have an outdoor show in heavy rain. We'll see. If you have tickets, check Casbah's Instagram for updates. 

And we're also staring down Thanksgiving, just a week away. Darren will be working, so maybe I'll drag the kid up to the park for a few hours before we convene at my Mom's for a family gathering, our first without Dad. There are a million shows this weekend before the holiday, too, and I was really thinking this would all be in a diary post and not the listings, but at this moment in my life, time feels a little extra precious so laptopping just isn't top priority. Maybe I'll find that groove again. 

For now, listings are after the jump. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, November 9-Wednesday, November 15, 2023: Noah Gunderson | Joy Oladokun | Deap Vally | Small Black | Frenship | Soda Bar 15 Year Anniversary | Devo | Sun Kil Moon | The National |

I was tired of using the same stage photo week after week, since I haven't done any diary posts in a minute to separate posts, so this week you get this beautiful alpaca. I know the listings are mostly about music, but I'm being a little bitchy because I didn't get approved for a photo pass for The National, so instead of digging through my archives from one of the more than DOZEN times I've shot them to use for my for my header shot, I'm sharing this sweet alpaca from Hazard Alpacas, who are having their FREE monthly open ranch on Saturday. If everything goes according to plan, I'll hit the zoo in the morning and go to the alpaca ranch in the afternoon, then get back in time to see The National, without my camera. Or maybe I'll bring a point and shoot? I dunno. (By the way, if you haven't read this, do it NOW. Getting older, with — or without? — The National - NPR Music, 10.14.23)

Anyhow, I've been really focusing on having only good days, but I'm a little run down at the moment. I had Tim's 70th birthday on Sunday which was amazing, but let's face it, whenever Tim is involved, the tequila is flowing, so a hungover Monday wasn't the best way to start the week. I've been trying to do bursts of work in the mornings, maintenance while I'm at the zoo in the afternoons, and then family and work and everything else in the evenings. Darren and I went to see The New Pornographers at Music Box on Tuesday, for example, but after I ended up staying up till 5am on Wednesday morning doing these listings, knowing I wouldn't get them done on Wednesday night because I was working for Altın Gün and I still wanted actual sleep, had to do actual work, and still wanted to get some afternoon outdoor time in my day. Anyway, there's always *stuff* and I'm trying to manage but the longer I write this, the less sleep I'm getting. So I'll just say, there is a ton of stuff happening this weekend. Like, it's bonkers. And a ton of it is already sold out. Still, let me know if I missed anything. On top of everything, the Casbah had another week where we announced like a dozen new shows, so take a look and make sure to buy tickets early because all the January stuff is selling out within minutes or hours of going on sale. 35 years is a big deal. I'm looking forward to being a part of it. But I'm already exhausted thinking about it. And speaking of anniversaries, happy 15th to everyone at Soda Bar. What an amazing run it's been and it's getting better all the time. I may not go to shows like I used to, but I love knowing I live walking distance from such a kick ass spot and am proud to occasionally be one of the crew.  

Stay safe out there. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, November 2-Wednesday, November 8, 2023: Palehound | Monophonics | Delicate Steve | GIrl Ray | A Wilhelm Scream | Black Joe Lewis | MarchFourth | The New Pornographers | DURRY | Liz Phair | Helena Deland | Be Your Own Pet |

I had this crazy thought that if I did merch on Wednesday night, I'd sit there with my laptop and get listings done. Alas, besides actually selling merch, and going through a billion emails that are coming through (because I'm supposed to really ramp up my marketing for your show in February, even though we literally have at least 100 other shows between now and your date) I just couldn't. So that meant coming home and watching an Emily D Baker stream from last week while I got listings done. Which means it's now 4:30am and I'm exhausted and I'm gonna be pissed if I don't get up in time to see my primate pals, complicated by the fact that the van is back in the shop because that rebuilt transmission we got is giving us trouble (but thankfully all the work is under warranty and I can just catch the bus to the Zoo.) So, I don't expect I'll be updating these listings unless I find something super cool that I can't believe I missed. Otherwise, have a great weekend and if you're not subscribed to the Casbah newsletter, please go do that here (on the desktop site, it's in the top right of the page. On mobile, it's at the bottom after all the events) because we're making some massive announcements for our 35 year anniversary in the coming weeks and you don't want to miss presales and your chances to get your tickets to the ones that are definitely going to sell out fast. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, October 26-Wednesday, November 1, 2023: Halloween | Dia De Los Muertos | Interpol | Good Morning | OFF! | Geese | Men I Trust | Say She She |

I am aware that I am no fun. The only thing I like about Halloween is that it means we're getting closer to Christmas. Darren is pretty excited about the costume he's been planning all year, but I think with a Santa Ana expected on the day itself, he might have to retool his costume which involves a very heavy knit sweater. 

I do enjoy participating in Dia de los Muertos events, and with so much loss this year, it will definitely be more resonant, but we've never been traditional and had an ofrenda, so I'll just have to keep it in my head and my heart or visit others. I know people love this time of year, however, so I tried to gather as many events as I could for everyone to pick from. 

There are a ton of great shows -- with or without the Halloween element -- so it should be easy to find some fun this weekend. This is the first Interpol tour I've missed in a long time, but I know they're always incredible live. I'll be working tonight and tomorrow for comedian Leanne Morgan and I really enjoyed her Netflix special -- I'm right in her demo--, so those shows should be pretty fun (though they're already both sold out). Beyond that, it's the final weekend of HalGLOWeen at the San Diego Zoo and the Autumn Festival at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, so I will do my best to take advantage before hours cut drastically in November.  The usual suspects will have their big things to do this weekend -- kpbs, San Diego Magazine, and Pacific (subscription required) -- in case I missed anything. 

Stay safe out there.