Vacation Recap

I'm on vacation from work this week and I'm still a little sick, so I have been equally indulgent in going out and consuming ridiculous amounts of vodka and sleeping a lot. I don't know, I don't seem to be tired at 2, so it's been a lot of going to sleep at 4 or 5 am. I'll have to get back in the swing of things next week. Since I haven't posted as much as usual, I will go over things that have been keeping me entertained.

Movies:
Blood Diamond- This movie gave me the biggest headache because of the constant barrage of bullets and being on the verge of crying throughout the entire film. Still, I very highly recommend seeing it. Most people still don't understand the severity of slavery and crime that is the result of mostly America's desire for bling...ice...diamonds. Every rapper with a grill should be forced to watch this movie. DeBeers is thinly veiled as "Van Kaap" in the film and their witholding of diamonds to raise the cost is absolutely true. "The Vault" is a well known fact. I'll stick with my diamonoids, thank you very much.

Little Miss Sunshine- Out on DVD. If you haven't seen it, go out and buy the DVD. It's the kind of movie that can be watched over and over and you'll notice something new about it every time. Basically, a little girl gets the opportunity to compete in a beauty pageant. Her oddball family takes a roadtrip from Albuquerque to Long Beach and has a whole bunch of personally life changing events occur to all of them.

Everything Is Illuminated- On HBO On Demand- Elijah Wood is a collector of things and is given a picture of his grandfather circa WWII. He decides to find the woman in the picture, travelling to the Ukraine and hiring a driver and a translator. The translator guy is in Gogol Bordello. That alone makes the film worthwhile.

Restaurants:
La Scala- Italian cuisine in the Gaslamp. I would stick to Little Italy. My food was good but everyone else got something different than what they thought they were ordering.
Nami Sushi- Good times with friends but again, I've had better sushi. Use a coupon and go during happy hour to make this worth your while. Is it a rule that every restaurant in Hillcrest has to have club music on?

Bars:
Convenience trumps all else for me, so I've spent a ridiculous amount of time this week at the Ken Club. But I also checked out Livewire for the first time in ages, Whistle Stop for happy hour, and Triple Crown for playing games.

Last night was The Sess, The Vision of A Dying World, and Life on Mars @ The Ken Club. I missed Life on Mars. I really enjoyed The Vision of A Dying World, though they played as a three piece because one of the members was in Vegas or something. I liked the combination of an acoustic guitar with an electric one, though the electric one was a tad too loud and drowned out the vocals at times. Both guitarists alternated with the vocals and I liked their country tinged indie rock style. They are playing on January 26th at the Ché Café with Old Man Hands and Kite Flying Society. That is going to a great show and definitely worth the drive.

The Sess came on later and I don't know how many times I have to tell them to turn their shit down. People blame the Ken Club for sound, but their sound guys know what they're doing. If they turn your shit down and you go and turn up your amps onstage to counter, you're doing yourself a huge disservice. I couldn't be in the room for more than half a song, the vocals were completely undistinguishable, and the room was just full of loud noise.

Instead of sticking around, Meeks, Venti, and I went to a free screening of 2 student films at the Ken Cinema that also included and art show and 3 band performances. Everyone who played or displayed (except one band) is an employee at the theatre, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary next week. It was kinda cool just hanging out in the theatre (which at it's peak was about half full) after hours. Sorry I didn't know about this or it would've been listed in my "free shit" category.

So there it is...my week in review. Tonight I plan on seeing Mr Tube and Rafter at the Tower Bar, but plans can change, so we'll see what the evening brings.

My Shameless Plea for Free

There are some amazing shows happening at the Casbah next week and I'm poor, so if you read this, if you're in a band, and if you have a guest list, hook a sista up. Seriously. The shows may seem cheap but it all adds up, especially after Christmas.

January 4th: The Trukee Brothers, Loam, Dead Rock West, $7
January 5th: UV Tigers, Grand Ole Party, The Roman Spring, The Prayers, $8
January 6th: Transfer, Swim Party, Modern Rifles, Paperplanes, $10
January 7th: Steven Malkmus & The Jicks, $16
January 8th: Anti-Monday League by Tim Pyles, featuring Fifty On Their Heels, The Strikers, Vinyl Radio, Peter and The Wolf, $5

Things to Do: updated

Friday:
The Sess, Life on Mars @ The Ken Club (¡Society! has cancelled, either Zerox or Vision Of A Dying World will fill in. Still no word from Bodie.)
Sweet and Tender Hooligans @ The Casbah (sans Joe Escalante) $18
Rafter Band, Doomsday Device, John Thill, Bill Wesley w/Leather Nun @ Scolari's

Saturday:

Dynamite Walls, Yovee, Swandive @ Casbah
Mr. Tube and The Flying Objects & Rafter Band @ Tower Bar
The Stereotypes, AM Vibe, Royal Campaign @ The Ken Club
A Beautiful Noise, Lhabia, Lonely Mattress Salesman @ San Diego Sports Club
Whole Hog, Dukes of Haggard, Ghengis Con-Job, Love Motor @ The Alibi
Soul Asylum @ House of Blues

Sunday:
please refer to my New Year's Eve post here.

Monday:
get some rest and let your liver recover

Tuesday:
My Morning Jacket & Elvis Perkins in Dearland @ House of Blues (anyone have a free ticket??)
Corey Cava's Birthday with Batwings and In The Red @ The Tower (also, competitive food eating)

Republic Of Letters

Because I won't drive on rookie nights, I will not be at the Beauty Bar on New Year's Eve, however, if you're looking for a good crowd, good bands, and good DJs, I highly recommend seeing Grand Ole Party and Republic of Letters on New Year's Eve at the Beauty Bar.

And this, from Republic of Letters

****EP to be released March 2007****
Category: Music

Just a quick blurt about the upcoming record. Republic of Letters will be releasing it debut EP in March 2007. "It been a lot of hard work, but we're super happy with the direction that our sound has taken." says drummer Nick Venti. After months of careful crafting the EP's songs showcase the unique energy that the bands demos displayed, but with a potent relevance and presence. Republic of Letters has taken strides to "give back to music what it has given to us." More to come...

Republic of Letters

Suh-weet.

Ken Club Friday

There seems to be some confusion about the show at the Ken Club on Friday. The original lineup had ¡Society!, The Sess, and Life on Mars. Last night, I heard Pyles announce the show on his show on 94/9, called him, and as a result got a shout out for the blog on-air, so if that netted any new readers, welcome!

Anyway, ¡Society! has cancelled the show (via a MySpace bulletin). They have reposted the show with this lineup:

Vision of a Dying World
The Sess
Life on Mars
Gayle Skidmore and the Eskimo Friends

The Sess have also posted a bulletin with this revised lineup:

The Sess
Zerox
Life On Mars

I'll try to get hold of Bodie, but both shows would be good. I'll post if I can get some clarification. Check out CatDirt for his previous review of Zerox, or see their myspace page here.

Insound Coupon

I totally flaked and forgot to post this last week. If you didn't get the music you were hoping for this Christmas, check out Insound. For 10% off any order, enter coupon code insoundrocks10 (good until 1/14/07). They have great deals right now on a lot of new stuff, plus they have pre-orders for stuff coming out, like the Shins. They also recently added an electronic feature. Oh, and if you pre-order the new Clap Your Hands Say Yeah disc, you get the electronic version 2 weeks before the release!

Things To Do: Final Week of 2006

Sorry this is so late and my 'bloggings' have been so limited, but come on, I'm allowed a vacation, too...

Wednesday:
The Knitters and The Farmers @ The Belly Up
Kzo Rock & Sir Splendid @ The Casbah
Pussy Galore @ San Diego Sports Club
The Spazmatics @ 4th & B (free with Student ID)
Free: Kwanzaa Celebration at the World Beat Center, free vegetarian buffet, starts at 7:30

Thursday:
The Downs Family, Golden Hill Ramblers, The Palominos @ The Casbah ($8)
Juan Peso, The McCoys, + Art Show @ 101 Artists Colony (90 Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, $5) Me, My Brother, and a Guy Named Ray & O'ernight @ San Diego Sports Club

Repost: Casbah Benefit for Fourth Project

On Wednesday January 10th The Heartaches, Beehive and the Barracudas, The Sultans and Mr. Tube and the Flying Objects come together at the Casbah in an effort to raise money for longtime friend and artistic collaborator Marc Gariss (owner of Fourth Project Entertainment). Marc Garris has been a constant fixture in San Diego's underground culture for almost 20 years. From his Bandwagon clothing line and his band Radio Wendy in the early 90's to his current efforts with Fourth Project in filmmaking and graphic design, Marc has helped countless bands make great art for little or no money.

On December 17th the offices of Fourth Project were left in ruins by fire due to circumstances stemming from an adjoining tenant. Everything was lost. Fourth Project did not have insurance.

Those that have benefited from Fourth Project's help and support are now trying to raise money so that Fourth Project can get back on it's feet and continue. Fourth Project's involvement with the local scene serves a vital function that San Diego bands and labels rely on. Therefore, this benefit is not only about helping a dear friend and a fellow member of this cities underground artistic community in need, but it's also about the importance of this cities underground culture coming together and supporting ourselves.

Unfortunately time is of the essence and financial help is needed as soon as possible. Without much time to plan or promote this event we are asking for your understanding and help in spreading the information regarding this benefit show. 100 percent of the proceeds go to Fourth Project.

Bands such as Rocket From The Crypt, No Knife, Hot Snakes, Beehive and the Barracudas, Dan Sartain, The Red Onions, Sin Sin 77, 21st Century Lepers as well as Foundation Skateboards, Atticus Clothing have all benefited from Fourth Projects design and or film work. In addition to these endeavors, Fourth Project also produces underground short films of their own with such titles as Under The Over Pass, Button and work featuring Gariss alter ego Richard Goesinya.

The Fourth Project benefit show takes place at the Casbah Wednesday, January 10th.
The show starts at 9:00pm. 21 and up. The Casbah is located at 2501 Kettner Blvd. 619-232-HELL. Tickets available at the door for $10. People are welcome to donate more at the show.

Appearing: The Heartaches (new record just out on Swami Records), Beehive and the Barracudas (first show in almost a year), The Sultans (last show ever! Featuring members of RFTC) and Mr. Tube and the Flying Objects (10 piece low rider rock featuring Pall of Blackheart Procession and 3 Mile Pilot).
There will be a raffle with prizes being given all night from sponsors such as Fallen Footwear, Zero Skateboards, Swami Records, Flapping Jet Records, Merch Lackey, Innes Clothing, Dekline Shoes, Foundation Skateboards and others TBA.

Thanks for your help! Please Help And Repost.

Review: Casbah After Christmas Party

If you were not at the Casbah last night, you have some ‘xplaining to do. Mr. Pyles put together quite a night, once again. The night started with MC Flow. If you know me, you know hip hop isn’t my thing, but MC Flow seriously earns her name. Not only do her rhymes flow, but her lyrics are smart and in your face, though her delivery softens the fact that she is blasting you. I saw Lady Sovereign on Jimmy Kimmel the other night (barf) and let me be the first to say that Flow kills that poseur. Plus, her backup dancer did not stop moving in her jazzercise outfit, which was quite impressive even if taken completely out of the hip hop context. Bad Credit came out next and chased CatDirt and CDW away, but I liked them. They kinda remind me of the skaters I hung out with in high school who would throw together some hip hop even though they were the whitest kids in the hood. The funk basslines keep the music moving and the Casbah was packed during their performance. Mr. Tube was much more mellow than I expected but I wasn’t giving all of my attention to the stage by that point of the evening. Bring Society! down a notch and you’d have Mr. Tube. Last up was Addiquit who I watched for about 4 minutes because I was told that she was hammered. And hammered she was. I didn’t even pay attention to what she was saying so much as watched her stagger around the stage and in front of it.


Mostly, though, it was a night about friends hanging out and reconvening after probably too much time with their families. It was also local who’s who roll call- Tim Pyles, Troy Johnson, Scott & Patrick of Fox Rox, Bart Mendoza, Morgan Young, Mitch of No Knife/The Focus Group (who don’t expect to play until Spring!), Jordan of the Bloody Hollies, Porter of AM Vibe (playing this weekend at the Ken Club), Matt of Vinyl Radio, John Paul of GOP (who played sax for Mr. Tube), Kevin of Ex-Friends, Mike of Jezebel, Joe of Bull and Train, and on and on. It was a fun time and great to see everyone out. Local music continues to support local music and that’s a beautiful thing.

Weekend Recap

S0 I know I haven't really been posting, but you were warned...I'm on vacation ffs. I've been living it up so far.

Thursday I spent some much needed quality time with Nick of Republic of Letters and Matt of Vinyl Radio at Livewire. 2007 is already looking good as both bands have been recording and will have releases out soon. At least that's what I think we were talking about, considering the music in that place is such that you have to scream at the person next to you. It got really damn crowded so we all bailed and I polished off my evening at the Ken Club.

Friday I put in my two hours of work, 2 hours of errands and last minute gift buying and rejoiced in the fact that I won't be working until January 2nd. Kelly was bartending at the HH bar so I headed over there and hung out with CatDirt and CDW and then the place filled up. It was a good time. Frank (Down With Leo) kept landing his quarters in the tip jar from afar, netting him several complimentary Buds. Thats some skills right there. I left the bar shortly after midnight and then suffered through really bad karaoke at the Ken Club until closing.

Saturday was a good night for seeing music. Unfortunately I missed Mr. Tube's Ken Club performance, but I was there in time to see UV Tigers. I don't even know what it is about the UV Tigers that make them so good. I'm not usually one for big guitar solos and riffing but when Gary is onstage, it's like he's channelling band greats of the past. The Ken Club was packed for their performance and you know a band is great and respected when Tim Pyles, Eric of M-Theory, and people from other bands come out to see you play, like John Paul of GOP. I watched Earthless for a tad, too, and really they are great at what they do, but I'm pretty narrow minded and need to hear some vocals. Guys love the axe however, and the room stayed full throughout their performance.

It was a good night to hang out and the bar stayed busy up until they had to kick everyone out. I came home and watched Brokeback Mountain and once again revelled in the fact that I'm on vacation. Suh-weet.

Today I'll be spending Christmas Eve with my Jewish best friend and her family at a movie and dinner, then probably heading to Exile on Kettner Blvd for some Stones tunes. If I don't post again today, Merry Christmas everyone.

bill/The Modlins

So what do I know?? This from the manager of bill (who I will be seeing in January at the Belly Up)

I just found out that bill has been voted one of the
top 25 bands on Myspace by Rolling Stone. Their song Watercolors was nominated
and ended up winning a place on their list out of over 1,700 bands. All the info
about the contest can be found at rollingstone.com/bestofmyspace. Just wanted to pass along the good news!

Also, The Modlins have a new album coming out in January, but you can listen to 4 tracks on their myspace page.

Rafter Seeks Saxist

Is Saxist a word? Saxophonist? One who plays Saxophone?

Anyway, Rafter (Pitchfork 7.3!) is releasing Music For Total Chickens on January 23rd and you can bet the band will have some heavy touring to support the release. If you play sax and wanna join up with an amazing band (I mean, Asthmatic Kitty! Helloooo!) and you can hit the road, you can contact Rafter through his MySpace page. If you haven't had the chance to see the band live, check them out on December 29th at Scolari's or December 30th at the Tower Bar with Mr. Tube.

Anti Monday League/Vinyl Radio

As has been mentioned for a while, Tim Pyles is moving from Monday nights at the Beauty Bar (poprocks!) to his new Mondays at the Casbah called the Anti-Monday League. This, from CityBeat:

Now that 94/9 DJ Tim Pyles has pulled out as the host of “Pop Rocks” to start
the “Anti-Monday League” at The Casbah on Jan. 8. “It’s nothing personal,”
said Pyles, noting that “Anti-Monday” will focus on local bands. “It’s more
to do with [Casbah owner] Tim Mays reaching out and wanting to do shows that
spotlight new artists like this. I think of [these nights] as a kind of
local farm team for the club.”

I bring this up because the first night features Fifty On Their Heels, The Strikers, Vinyl Radio and Peter and the Wolf on January 8, 2006. Since I've been posting about Vinyl Radio's search for a drummer, Andrew has this to say:

Our constant search for a new drummer is still in the works, and it's looking
like Morgan (Young) might fill in at our next Casbah show on jan. 8th which will be
Tim Pyles' opening night in January. He'll be booking the monday shows
there, calling it the Anti-Monday League, similar to what he did at
the beauty bar when he put together the Local Poprocks shows............

So fear not, the show is still intact, even if the band is not. The loss of Bobby as the drummer has also not prevented the guys from having 2 lengthy recording sessions of late, so expect new material in early '07.

Things To Do This Week, Reposted with minor updates

Since I will technically be on vacation from 10am on Friday through 7:30 am on January 2nd, I don't know how much time I'll have for blogging, etc. Unless some kind soul has some laptop that you never use and wanna let me borrow for a week or forever...

I know I will post throughout the week, but I would still like to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 2006 was an amazing year for me and I look forward to whatever 2007 might bring. (and I spared you my top 10 list!!)

Thursday, December 21, 2006

• Yovee, The Jade Shader, Matt Curreri & The Ex Friends @ Belly Up $8
• Jeremy Enigk, Manuok, The Bend @ The Casbah
• Hostile Combover, Batwings, and Cabrón @ San Diego Sports Club, $5
• Brass Rail Sumo Santa featuring Mono Mono, Mermaid's Journey, Mario Racadio, Sweet Joyce Ann, Los Crudos Navidad @ The Brass Rail, $5
• Lindsey Troy CD Release @ Lestat's
• FREE! If you're a fan of comedy, e-mail me for a pass for 2 to The Comedy Store. My pal Mark Schreiber is performing among other comics.

Friday, December 22, 2006

• Buck-O-Nine & Skanic @ Belly Up
• The Deere Johns, Mario Escovedo, Diablo Dimes @ The Tower Bar
• Ken Club Potluck 3-6pm. $3.50 Captain & Egg Nog, $3.50 Captain & Cider, $3 Montezuma shots. Christmas Party 10pm- Close- KARAOKE!
• Jivewire/One Nation Under a Groove @ Casbah (Free!)
• Steve Poltz and Julie Mack @ Lestat's
• Christmas Party at "The Happiest Place On Earth"- and I ain't talking about Disneyland. See you there...if you can find it.

Saturday, December 23, 2006

• New York Station, Fifty on Their Heels, Russell Hayden @ Brick By Brick $5 (NY Station is a tribute to Lou Reed's Rock n Roll Animal)
• Kings Only, Nancy @ The Alibi
• UV TIgers, Mr Tube and The Flying Objects, Earthless @ The Ken Club $3
• El Vez Christmas Show, Human Hands, Blasphemous Guitars @ Casbah
• Rhythm Stompers @ The Tower Bar
• Fashion Whore @ San Diego Sports Club (1 year anniversary)
• Way Back From The Get Slow @ Scolari's. (Improv duo with members of Sleeping People/Goblin Cock and Cattle Decapitation
• Daredevil Jane, Diego Root, Stranger 6 @ Soma
• Gregory Page & Samantha Murphy @ Lestat's

Sunday, December 24, 2006- Christmas Eve

• Exile on Kettner Blvd- Stones Covers by your favorite San Diego rockeros @ Casbah- FREE!

Monday, December 25, 2006- Christmas

• The Ken Club- $2 PBR, $3 Jim Beam shots. Come hang out with Pete. There is a 2% chance I will be dj'ing. Come hang out in the 'hood. Traditionally there is a big crowd on Christmas.

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

• Tim Pyles Christmas Show, featuring Mr. Tube and the Flying Objects, MC Flow, Bad Credit, Addiquit, Unite, Mr. Henshaw @ The Casbah. FREE!!!
• Hill Street Stranglers, Screaming Yeehaws @ Winston's (there's another band but I refuse to type their name here.)

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

• The Knitters @ The Belly Up (the Country/Rockabilly/Folk incarnation of X)
• The Spazmatics @ 4th and B (free with student ID)
• Ricksha, Fuusha, Sir Splendid, KZO Rock Garden & The Boogiemen @ Casbah

Don't worry, I'll update the calendar for sure next week.

Doing San Diego Proud

Congratulations to Matt Curreri for scoring the opening slot for Rhett Miller at the Belly Up on January 14th. That's even better than Rookie Card opening for Soul Asylum, isn't it. I mean Soul Asylum may have sold more albums but Rhett's gotta be worth more for street cred. Care to weigh in, Mr. Gimbel?

Also, congrats to Augustana who will be performing "Boston" on The Late Show with David Letterman on January 3 before they embark on another headlining tour and then join up with the Goo Goo Dolls. Congrats, guys. Keep us up with any good stories from the road!

Musicians Wanted

If you're a musician seeking a band, here are a couple openings I'm aware of:

Kite Flying Society- seeks bassist
Vinyl Radio- drummer
Rookie Card-bassist

Both bands are sorta in the same boat...they want to tour, the current members in the available spots would be unable to do so. No drama, just time restraints.

And if anyone in Seattle reads my blog, Say Hi To Your Mom is seeking musicians, too:

In light of our recent move to Seattle, Washington and our inability to find the right candidates during our last round of employment opportunity proposals, we are happy to announce that we have begun a second wave search for one or all of the following:

(1) A drummer
(2) A girl who can sing as well as play the guitar, the bass, or the synthesizer
(3) Someone of either gender who can play the guitar, the bass, or the synthesizer

There are, of course, rules, because Say Hi does not equal chaos (for better or for worse). Most importantly, the ideal candidate(s) will live in Seattle, Washington and be willing to leave a job to go on tour for weeks at a time, beginning with seven weeks in March and April, including a stop at SXSW. You will be modestly compensated for your time on tour. It would help if you have done this sort of thing before. It would help if you like the same sorts of bands we do. It would help if you don’t get too drunk to play. It would help if you’re good at telling jokes. It would help if you don’t play notes when they aren’t necessary.

Should you be interested, please send us a little bit about yourself, links to music you’ve played on as well as some pictures of yourself, preferably clutching a variety of stuffed animals:

secondwave@sayhitoyourmom.com

You can find out more about what we do and see the sorts of venues we play here:
http://www.sayhitoyourmom.com

Regards,
Eric / Say Hi To Your Mom

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...

Sake Saves The Day

I will write a full post shortly, but I just wanted to say that the saké event at Wine Vault last night sold out...they had over 120 reservations. Due to popular demand, they have extended the tasting to tonight. When we left last night there were already 70 reservations, but I highly recommend checking it out if you're a fan of sake, wine tasting, or know nothing about saké altogether. For $12 you get 5 tastes of premium saké, and for an additional $4, you can try a sake that normally retails for $57. Call (619) 295-3939 to RSVP ~ And I know none of this is music related but the saké chased my damn cold away so that's gotta count for something...

Dialed In, Weighing In On New Year's Eve

CatDirt has a great post about New Year's Eve in San Diego. SignOnSanDiego has listed out a bunch of stuff to do. Today's CityBeat has a comprehensive guide, too, but it looks like they failed to post their guide online so you'll have to pick up a hardcopy.

In the meantime, I weigh in on my New Year's Eve picks:

The Beauty Bar- Republic of Letters and Grand Ole Party, $20, open bar 9-11 pm-
This would be a good pick because I love both bands, but considering I had a panic attack on a regular weekend night at this bar, NYE sounds like a nightmare. Sorry, I won't be there.

The Ken Club- The Creepy Creeps, Thee Corsairs, Monsters From Mars. The Ken Club gets packed every year. You'll probably see me helping out the bar by collecting your dirty glasses and bottles. It's what I do. If you say hi, don't expect me to remember.

The Ould Sod- doing it right, the Ould Sod celebrates the Irish New Year at 4 pm west coast time, so you won't be so drunk that Auld Lang Syne makes you cry.

Dino's- A surprise choice, but the Farmers are playing (as in the Beat Farmers, yo!) $20 advance, $30 at the door, includes 3 drinks plus champagne toast. Counting on Dino's generally poor promotion, there will probably be plenty of room to move. Plus there's that huge lot across the street so you're guaranteed to find parking and can cab home if you need to, leaving your car in a relatively secure place overnight.

Voz Alta/Landord Jim's- An intimate performance by Agua Dulce, DJ Buddha spins. $15 presale, $20 at the door. Admission to both locales. tickets@resistmuch.com Voz Alta is tiny, so this is kinda like seeing Agua Dulce in a living room. Really.

The Whistle Stop- Komplete Kontrol- dance party, $5.

The Tower Bar- Tiltwheel performing. Who doesn't have fun at The Tower Bar? Big P has a heavy pour. Take a cab. No cost yet, probably count on $5 or $10.

Mostly, I'll be at the Ken Club because it's walking distance from my house, and I never drive anywhere on rookie nights...I'll probably head over just before midnight, after a cozy dinner party at Sara's (upstairs from my apartment). Such has been my tradition as long as I've lived in the neighborhood, and so shall it continue until I move.

Things To Do: Wednesday

I'm still sick so I missed all the Casbah fun last night, but since this cold won't go away with rest, tonight I'll be drowning this bitch of a cold with saké at the Wine Vault. If you would like to join me and Andrea, e-mail me. We'll probably go around 7:00 and drink our five tasters ($12), while we snack on our sushi plates ($10). I apologize that I forgot to list last night's Tower Bar Eating Contest which was Gyoza and Saké. Damn, I know I could've won that one.

On with the week: (Note:moved other listings to new posting)

Wednesday, December 20, 2006:

• Ozomatli with Quetzal @ House Of Blues
• Ben Brewer (of The Exit, acoustic set) & Spell Toronto @ Beauty Bar $5. Proceeds go to (Red), you know, that thing Oprah and Bono are promoting that gives money to Aids Relief for Africa. Hosted bar from 8-9pm, $3 u-call-its from 9-11pm.
• Free Shit: Mercury (the automaker) is hosting "Discover the '08 Mariner" at 4th and B from 6-10 pm. Free Oxygen Bar, chair massages, spa cooking demos, etc.
• Drop Joy, Morning Riot, and Zombie Surf Camp @ O'Connell's

I also just want to comment that as shows wind down 2006 and bands take breaks, there are still plenty of things going on at your neighborhood bars. Big P still has half priced drinks on Wednesdays from 8-11 at the Tower, $1 draft PBRs tonight at the Zombie, Jeff $2 PBR and $3 Jim Beam shots at the Ken Club, and plenty of other deals around town. Go show your bartenders some love around the holidays. They take care of you year round and many of them will be there faithfully open on Christmas Eve and Christmas. Let them know they are appreciated.