Things To Do In San Diego: July 23-24, 2011

Did you know that the LA Times made the Casbah their number one place to go for people visiting San Diego during Comic-Con? Well it should be no surprise because we already knew it's the best place to be. Tonight is no exception, with The Burning of Rome set to cause some chaos after you've had enough of the lines at Con parties.

Saturday, July 23, 2011:

• Slacker Presents AmpAttack! Food & Rock Festival feat. Mariachi El Bronx, DJ Axel @ Culy Warehouse (338 7th Ave., 10pm, Free)
• Nerdist Podcast Live with Chris Hardwick @ 4th & B (Early show-7:30 Sold Out, Late show- 10:30pm)
• The Aquabats, Koo Koo Kanga Roo @ House of Blues (6 pm)
• The Macananys, Skunk Drunk, Deep In The Shed, 30 Second President, Julie Mack @ Eleven (7pm)
• Tim Robbins and The Rogues Gallery Band, Jamie Drake @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm)
• The Burning of Rome, The Dabbers, Schitzophonics, Shadow Shadow Shade @ Casbah
• Beta Lion, Forth Worth, Garboski, DJ Sickness @ Eleven (5pm)
• Atomic Punks (tribute to early Van Halen), Motley Inc., Geezer @ Belly Up
• Snoop Dogg @ Fluxx
• Sugarland, Sara Bareilles, Casey James @ Rimac Field, UCSD
• La Santa Cecillia, Cumbia Machin @ Ken Club
• Jesse LaMonaca @ Urban Bar
• A Life of Science, Super Stereo @ Bar Pink
• SugarRushRailroad Inc, VonVeederVeld, The Loons, Spirit Vine @ Tin Can
• Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers @ Anthology (Late Show 9:30 pm)
• The Getdown, Fools Rush, Save Amos, The Regressions, Ross Hughes @ Til Two Club
• Wounded Warriors Benefit w/ Screamin Yeehaws, the Wrecking Dead, San Deviants, Boisterous Uprise @ The Shakedown
• Booty Bassment feat. Dmitri & Rob @ Whistle Stop
• Cash’d Out, The Two of Us Plus One (Willie Nelson Tribute) @ 710 Beach Club
• NoSucker DJs & Armory Massive @ Lafayette Pool (1-6pm)
• Demitri Martin @ Balboa Theatre
• Abney Road, Unextraordinary Gentleman @ Queen Bees
• DJ Claire’s Yacht Rock Party with Hollywood Steve @ Whistle Stop (5 pm)
• Delta Bombers, Roy Rapid & The Rhythm Rock Trio @ Tio Leo’s (Morena)
• High Places, Sun Araw, Young Prisms, Melted Toys, United States ’11, DJs Mario Orduno & Chris Rosi @ Soda Bar
• Sleazy Listening with DJ Stack-Aly & Mikey Ratt, Sam Vicari, Ugly Kids @ Tower Bar
• Cyndi Harvell, Janet Robin, The Slater Sisters @ Lestat's
• Comic Con After Party with Dazed & Confused, HellBent, Blackout @ Brick By Brick
• Ablaze, Jet West, Project Out of Bounds @ Winston's
• Breathe Carolina, Chiodos, I See Stars, The Color Morale, Mod Sun, The Air I Breathe @ Soma
• Venice @ AMSD (Acoustic Music San Diego)
• Bill Magee Blues Band @ Marble Room
• The Blue Note Project @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (5-7 pm)
• Alan Iglesias, Crossfire (Stevie Ray Vaughn Tribute) @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Patric Petrie and David Lally @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• The Night Doctors, DJ Chelu @ Gallagher's
• Comic-Con Party feat DJ Slow Hand, Cheyenne Giles, Best Comic-Con Shirt Contest @ Analog
• SUBversive Presents LOW LIMIT (Lazer Sword) + Salva (Frite Nite) + More @ Onyx Room
• Videodrome feat. Gabe Vega, Groundfloor, Blancnoire @ El Dorado
• Hernan Cattaneo @ Voyeur
• Old English Crew feat Saul Q & DJ Kid Wonder @ U-31
• X-Sanguin Party @ Spin
• John Payne of Asia, The Mundaze @ Ramona Mainstage
• Explosion De Corridos '11 featuring Voz De Mando y Los Buitres @ Valley View Casino Center (Sports Arena)

Sunday, July 24, 2011:

• Earth, Angelo Spencer et Les Hauts Sommets, Kata @ Casbah
• Primitive Noyes, Binary Marketing Show, Spiked Punch, Neat Beats/Phenswan @ Tin Can
• Metal Mother, Rachel Fannan (Sleepy Sun), Lunar Maps @ Soda Bar
• Dogbreath, Falling Trees, Hello the Mind Control, Northern Tigers @ Che Cafe
• Abbey Road (Beatles Tribute) @ Belly Up
• Unnatural Helpers, Unruly Bangs, Uzi Rash @ Eleven
• A-Trak, Treasure Fingers, Washington Park, Brady Spear, Gabe Vega, Bones @ Soundwave (11am-10pm)
• A-Trak, Treasure Fingers @ Voyeur
• NoSucker DJs & Armory Massive @ Lafayette Pool (1-6pm)
• Night of the Cookers @ Whistle Stop
• David Mayfield Parade @ Winston’s (7:30 pm)
• New Years Day, The Material, It Boys, Goodnight Sunrise, Stereo Summer @ Epicentre
• San Diego Harley Davidson presents Rockabilly & Rods @ House of Blues (2 pm)
• Chris Carpenter, Connie Oliver, Paulina @ Lestat's
• Saddle Up Sundays @ 710 Beach Club
• Jose Sinatra's OB-O-ke @ Winston's
• Tribe of Kings/Reggae Vibes @ U-31
• Stelita @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge Brunch (10a-2p)
• Reggie Smith @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• The Uprising pro-am/MMA fighting feat. Shannon Gugerty vs Cruz Gomez @ 4th & B (Doors- 3pm, Fight 4pm)
• Griffin House, Peter Bradley Adams @ Anthology (Early Show 7 pm)
• Guy Davis @ AMSD (Acoustic Music San Diego)
• Reggae Sunday @ Spin

Comic-Con 2011: Friday

Though I was running on less than 4 hours of sleep, Friday was another great day at Comic-Con. Pyles and I were hopping from lounge to lounge. We once again visited the Nintendo Arts & Cinema Lounge/Limitless Cafe to grab a bite to kick off the afternoon. We popped into the Captain America party and watched a band from Australia, Juke Kartel, fronted by Toby from Rockstar: Supernova.




From there, we went to Lou & Mickey's for the CNET Lounge that was open to the public and ran into our friend Sal.


We had a quick beer there, then wandered the streets, scoring the coveted PanAm messenger bags and some other goodies along the way.

Around 5:30 we decided to try the Wired Cafe, and let's just say we penetrated the perimeter and got access. DJ Artistic was spinning and though the party was winding down, the entire cast of The Walking Dead arrived and were all very friendly about taking photos. Whereas I can say I legitimately hung out with Colin Hanks the night before, this was really just "Do you mind if we take a photo?" fanboy/fangirl photo ops.












After the party shut down a little after 6, we hit the Sprint gaming area near the Hilton and meandered over to the Hard Rock Hotel for the El Shaddai game launch party at 207. The party was hosted bar and had some delicious tray passed appetizers, so we stayed there for a few hours and met some guys who were super sweet and shared their love of video games, Adult Swim, and more video games.



We left the party to see what else we could find, but that was a bust. I wish we'd planned better and made arrangements to get into the Playboy Club party or the Adult Swim party at Quality Social, but we hadn't, so we lingered a bit hoping for some magic. We ran into Andrew WK outside but had no luck, so eventually we left downtown and I got home around 11:30. Super long day but I slept quite well. so even though we're getting a late jump on the day, I'm looking forward to some fun today and tonight. I don't think I'll get into the Girl Talk set at the Adult Swim party tonight, but fortunately Mariachi El Bronx is playing a Slacker party at the Culy Warehouse which should be a blast.

See you on the streets! As always, tweet me if you wanna find me @sddialedin.

America's Finest Beer Festival Canceled

America's Finest Beer Festival, which was supposed to kick off today at Qualcomm Stadium and run for through Sunday, has been canceled. I'm currently sitting at the CNET base station at Lou & Mickey's and can't really post, so just check out Jeff's blog for the full press release. Be sure to read all the comments, too. Pretty interesting perspectives over there.

Friday Night In San Diego: Ari Shine at Lestat's

A couple weeks ago, Ari Shine opened for White Buffalo at the Casbah. I met Ari a few years ago and though he probably doesn't remember that, I do love his music. Sometimes, however, I get tied up (figuratively), and after a long day at a baby shower, I arrived at the Casbah right as he was getting offstage. Still, I wanted to give Ari the opportunity to invite you to his next show which is happening tonight at Lestat's. He's awesome and if you find yourself in the Heights tonight, you should drop by and check him out.

Comic-Con 2011: Thursday Night

Since I already posted about most of my day's adventures, I'm just going to post the photo gallery from Thursday. Honestly, since Pyles and I spent most of the day at parties and lounges, I didn't really shoot anything spectacular; my photos were mostly for their at the moment twitter/facebook/foursquare value. I mean, how interesting is a laptop lounge to the casual reader?

I will say that after Pyles left and I went back to the Dexter party, it ended up being pretty awesome. I was alone, so I found myself a spot at the specialty drink bar in the corner and kinda just observed people as the party got more and more crowded throughout the night. The actors from the show were there, and I think a bunch of execs and producers and such were there, too, but since nobody wears nametags or badges, I was pretty clueless. I suppose that's best because you either talk to people or you don't, "celebrity" never comes into the equation. I did recognize William H Macy and Michael C Hall, and I was lucky enough to hang out with Colin Hanks for awhile, but mostly because telling him I was a music blogger lead into a lengthy conversation about music and social media and things like Pandora, Kickstarter, and Turntable.FM. By the time he left, I felt like we'd known each other forever. He's that kinda easy breezy dude.

Around 9:30 I realized I had to kick back into my real life again, so I took off (thanks to Jeff for picking me up) and went to West Coast Tavern to see Erik & Al from The Heavy Guilt who absolutely killed their set. It is so fun seeing their set stripped down. When they finished, me and Jeff popped over to Eleven and realized we'd missed the band he wanted to see so we went to Soda Bar to close the night. Even though I had to work when I got home (and am still up at 8 am), days like this make me realize that I am pretty damn lucky.

Things To Do In San Diego: July 22, 2011

It has been such a killer week, and specifically Thursday was such an amazing day for me. I covered most of that stuff yesterday, but I also have some other stuff and I just have to figure out how I want to write about all of it. In the meantime, I think I have your weekend listings covered. I didn't include much of the Comic-Con stuff, but that's mostly because I either don't know where to find the information or they're closed to the public. Either way, you're gonna do what you're gonna do and I'll add stuff if I find anything out. Please note- The America's Finest Beer Festival has been canceled. Refunds will be made automatically via TicketWeb.

Friday, July 22, 2011:

• Iceage, Cult of Youth, Ale Mania, Spirit Photography, Tropicle Popsicle @ Casbah
• 80’s night with Dust n Bones, Poisonous, Livin On A Prayer @ Belly Up
• Train, Maroon 5, Gavin DeGraw @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
• Tearist, Nite Jewel + Samps, LA Vampires, Magic Touch, DJs Britt & Amanda Brown (Not Not Fun)@ Soda Bar
• Bonkers! Dance party feat. Yourself & The Air, The Show Is The Rainbow @ Bar Pink
• River City, The Western Set , DJ Gonzo @ Whistle Stop
• Old Man Andy's B-Day w/ DMF, Coda Reactor, Death Punch, The Sparring @ The Shakedown
• Fabrica, Extra Life, Sam Mickens, Alpha Channel @ Tin Can
• Miss Erika Davies, Roy Rapid & The Rhythm Rock Trio @ Lafayette Hotel, Mississippi Ballroom
• 2nd Annual #SDCC Geek Out hosted by Geek Girls Network @ Vin de Syrah
• Comic Con Party! DJ Swamp, Mc Frontalot, Gamer Girls, Dr.Awkward, ZeaLous1, MegaRan @ Ruby Room
• Dan Padilla, Turkish Techno, Rational Anthem @ Ken Club
• Echo Revolution, Pretty Too Bad, Small City Calling, The New Assembly, Bad Lucy, The Art of Silent War @ Queen Bee’s
• Ablaze @ Wavehouse
• Joe Guevera Trio, DJs Adam Salter & Profile @ Lincoln Room
• MIXTAPE, Big Mike vs The Con Comedy Night feat. Mark Christopher Lawrence (Big Mike on NBC's Chuck) takes on ComicCon, with fellow comics Vicki Barbolak, Lester Barrie, Jimmy Burns, Chris Clobber, Scott Krinsky and Scott Wood @ Horton Grand Theatre
• Fucklordz, Revenge Club @ Eleven
• Feel The Noise Electro Dance w/DJs Gabe Vega, Mike Delgado, Qenoe, Saul Q @ U-31
• Childish Gambino, DJ SOSUPERSAM @ House of Blues (Sold Out)
• SMODCAST: Hollywood Babble On with Ralph Garman & Kevin Smith @ House of Blues (5th Avenue Stage, 8 pm)
• SMODCAST: Jay & Silent Bob Get Old with Jason Mewes & Kevin Smith @ House of Blues (5th Avenue Stage, 10 pm)
• Ari Shine, Scarce, Trent Hancock @ Lestat's
• Munson Keef, Beyond the Fade, League of Liars @ Brick By Brick
• Agua Dulce, Forrest Day @ Winston's
• The B Foundation, Kat (CD Release), High Tide, Josh Fischel @ 710 Beach Club
• Joel Piper, Oversoul, Little Lamb, Anchors (formerly Eulogies), Andrew Justin, Allua Ryanne @ Epicentre
• Lucky & Wild, Small City Calling, RogueRadio, Make It Last Kid, Stray Children, Pigs Can Fly @ Soma
• Over My Dead Body, Harvest, Fed to the Wolves @ Che Café
• Atomic Groove @ Belly Up (Happy Hour 5:30 pm)
• Rockola @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• The Fab Four @ Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay
• Darkness Dear Boy and the Product @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Johnny Vatos: Boingo Dance Party, Dirty Birdz and the Horn Starz, FOA @ 4th & B
• Pretzel Logic (Steely Dan Tribute) @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm)
• Haute Chile @ Anthology (Late Show 9:30 pm)
• The Optimatos, DJ Arox@ Gallagher's
• Adrianna Marie & The Deep Blue Three @ Marble Room
• Cedric Gervais, Audrey Napoleon @ Voyeur
• Zenbu Fridays with DJ Leif @ Zenbu Cardiff
• Soul Flexin 1 year Anniversary feat. DJ Skeme Richards, Grandmasta Rats, Charlie Rock @ El Dorado
• MAINLINE Presents Ajapai, The Juggernaut, Mr. Biggs, Headshake + More @ SPIN Nightclub
• DJ Karma @ Fluxx
• Gone Baby Gone, Blue Still, Just Josh, Singularity @ Ramona Mainstage

Comic-Con: Thursday

I'm sitting in the Park at the Park waiting for Stage 2 of this day and I don't know how much juice my phone has at the moment, but it'll have to do since my backpack (aka my mobile office) is in a secure location a few blocks away.

I'll start by saying I never made it to Comic-Con today. I'll check it out again this weekend, but today was (and Thursday usually is) the most awesome day of Con.

It kicked off at the press preview of the South Park experience, where we took photos, got free t-shirts, and hit up a local food truck called Asian Persuasion that had amazing spare ribs. As we were leaving, we saw the Adult Swim ice cream truck. I got a free poster for checking in on Facebook, and a button for admittance to their party tonight at Quality Social. You had to know the password- NTSF:SD:SUV- and we got by even if I jumbled the letters.

We reparked the car in a free zone and wandered back. We found the Nintendo Art & Cinema Theatre where we got free drinks, a "Limitless" DVD, and Pyles scored some Kenneth Cole cologne.

From there we hit the Wired party at the Omni. I got "glamoured" with a makeover by Tarte, we took Ka photos (a Cirque du Soleil thing), drank 901 tequila, had some TruBlood drinks from Fangtasia, and ran into our friend Tim, who kindly stowed my backpack. We also ran into DJ Artistic, who has now added me to his list for the Dexter party. There were some Acer laptops, so me and Pyles jumped on for some Casbah updates before the party ended.
We decided to circle the Gaslamp and popped in to see some monster trucks and then hit the Sega Arcade and played The House of Dead OVERKILL (in 3D). I haven't played a shoot'em up game in years, but shooting zombies was quite awesome.

After that, we stopped to use the restrooms at Hotel Solemar, ran into an old friend, and discovered a daily hosted wine hour from 5-6pm and had some sandia sangria. Sadly, Pyles has work obligations and has to judge a Battle of the Bands in Chula Vista, but I'm on to round two to see what kinda trouble I can get into. I'll upload more photos when I can and will get to my listings, even if that means an all-nighter.

Hit me up @sddialedin if you're around. Between the Dexter party, the Adult Swim party at Quality Social, The Heavy Guilt duo at West Coast Tavern, and Low Volts at the Lincoln Room, I am in for a long night. Wheeee!
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Comic-Con 2011: South Park Invades Downtown San Diego

The Ultimate South Park Fan Experience kicks off today in downtown San Diego. The "Year of the Fan" celebration includes 3 days of events and best of all, the events are free and open to the public (no badge required).

Some of the events include: life-size replica of "South Park" Avenue, interactive stations, photo booth, museum, memorabilia, stage with karaoke, costume and trivia contests, movie screenings,Big Wheel Fan Prix race track, school cafeteria, confessional booth, ticket giveaways to "The Book of Mormon" and more!

To kick off the experience, there will be a grand opening parade that starts at 12:30 pm at 5th & K leading up to the opening at 1pm. The area will then be open until 7pm, and will again be open on Friday and Saturday from 10am-7pm.

On Friday night at 8pm, there will be outdoor screenings of South Park The Movie and the unaired pilot of the show. There's also a costume contest on Saturday (signup from 2:30-3pm, contest at 4pm) as well as a free shuttle service on the South Park school bus.

The entire experience takes place at 450 2nd Avenue (at 1st Avenue & J Street). The area is the parking lot across the street from The Harbor Club (aka the "lipstick towers".)

Things To Do In San Diego: July 21, 2011

When Comic-Con rolls around, everyday of the event feels like the first day of school...there's an excitement about what the day will bring, which means a solid night of sleep is hard to come by even if your whole body is exhausted from head to toe. I tried to sleep, but I hardly feel rested which means I'll probably destroy my body with heavy doses of caffeine to get through the day. I will also need to carve out some time to get you the weekend listings, but that's a whole other problem. Today is gonna be a good day regardless, so get out and enjoy and maybe I'll see you around the Con or come hang with me later tonight at West Coast Tavern.

Thursday July 21 (Comic-Con):

• Erik Canzona & Alfred Howard (of The Heavy Guilt) @ West Coast Tavern
• Ty Segall, Audacity, The Kabbs, Spider Fever @ Casbah
• Kut U Up, Kata, Phasers On Stun @ Belly Up
• The Mega*Nut Trio (Lonnie Marshall of Weapon of Choice, Dan Dasher, Damon de la Paz), Live Art, Body Art @ Bareback Grill (6:30 pm)
• Royal Campaign @ Bar Pink
• Low Volts @ Lincoln Room
• Art Fag & Impose present Heavy Hawaii, Dunes, Bleached, Cold Showers, Plateaus, DJs Mario Orduno & Jeff Graves @ Soda Bar
• Tapioca and The Flea, The Yawmen, Triptides, Primitive Guitar Duo (Daniel Bachman and Ryley Walker), Michael Collins, Veedon Fleece @ Tin Can
• Schitzophonics, Flexx Bronco, The Batbombs @ Eleven
• Old Tiger @ Riviera Supper Club
• Low Volts @ Lincoln Room
• The Lovecapades @ Hard Rock Hotel
• Nothington, Semi Evolved Simians, The Getdown, Bankers Hill @ Ruby Room
• All Things Rad Presents: Smiths/Morrisey Tribute, Profile, Saul Q @ El Dorado
• Skinnie Magazine & NSD Present: Battle of the Bands w/ Mosiac 4, Bucket of Fish, Tribal Theory, The Swift Deceit, Days of Change @ Brick By Brick
• Revision 3 Presents: Diggnation Live @ House of Blues
• Missy Andersen @ Marble Room
• Samarais and Schoolgirls 2.0 feat. DJ Robin Roth, Live Art, Hell on Heels Burlesque, DJ Johnny Tran @ 10th Avenue Theatre (Sold Out)
• Raw Nerves, Age Of Collapse, OTRO @ Che Cafe
• Eliza Rickman, Mojave Wild @ Lestat's
• K'Jon @ Anthology
• SD Irie Revolution 4 feat. B-Real of Cypress Hill, E-Man, Mean Dinosaur, Subliminal Trip, Meen Green, Reason To Rebel @ 4th & B
• 145th Street @ Patrick's II
• Kendra Shank @ Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
• Gilbert Castellanos and The New Latin Jazz Quintet @ Croce's
• Moonlight Serenade Orchestra @ The Lucky Star Restaurant (54th & University)
• Scott Carter & New Breed @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
• Flashmob @ Tiki House
• Liquid Geometry Presents: @ Kava Lounge
• L.E.D. Presents: Zedd @ Voyeur
• OFFICEhours feat DJ Skinnie with live percussion by Chuck Prada @ The Office
• The Flock of 80's @ Henry's Pub
• Club 80's @ Club Kadan
• Makeout Weird w/ THErapist, DJ sets by Michael Toillion & Mnstrpsy @ Whistle Stop
• Jukebox Romantics @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Go-Girls Music Fest w/ Tori Roze & The Hot Mess @ Queen Bee's
• Bozzani Brothers, DJ Paul D @ Coyote Bar & Grill
• Shoreline Rootz @ Gallagher's
• Mickie Arnett Band @ Skybox Bar & Grille
• Embalmers, Socially Distorted, The Revhawks @ Boar Cross'n
• En Fuego @ Davina's Cabo Grill
• Euphoria Brass Band @ Winston's
• Live Band Karaoke @ 710 Beach Club
• Safety Orange @ Hennessey's Gaslamp
• Stone Senses @ Hennessey's Carlsbad
• Bottomline @ Second Wind Santee
• Harmony Road @ McP's Irish Pub & Crill

Comic-Con 2011: Preview Night

While the rest of the country is being scorched with a massive heatwave, San Diego proved to be the best place to be. The weather today was absolutely gorgeous...sunny and warm with just enough onshore breeze that the wafts of the occasional hygienically challenged Comic-Con attendee was never unbearable.

My day started with my usual Wednesday meeting at the Casbah with the Tims. After, Pyles and I ran a few errands and made our way downtown, where we quickly found unmetered and time-limit free parking. (It's good to be a local) We popped into Mission Brewery for a couple beers and after Pyles consumed that 9.25% Shipwrecked Double IPA, he was like a kid at Disneyland. His excitement was contagious and we quickly walked over the footbridge by the ballpark and made our way to the convention center.

I stopped to take the photo above, and when I was done, Tim had already wandered off. I saw his bald head in the crowd, but as we hit the swarms of people in line, I lost him. After a couple calls and texts, I realized he'd blazed off and had already acquired his badge. I thought I could be sneaky like last year and skip the lengthy "Professional and Press" line and just go to the sail plaza, but they scanned my registration and after telling me it had already been scanned (panic!), realized it was press and sent me back downstairs. The line was huge, but all in all it only took 15 minutes, so I rejoined Pyles and somehow we maneuvered through some back doors on the deck and quickly got into Con.





Preview night was much less insane than last year, but it was still swarms of people, long lines, and general insanity as collector's waited to get all of their Con exclusive collectables. I'm not much for toys (I still have that Tron lightcycle from last year at the bottom of a drawer) but Tim had big eyes and if he could, I think he would've bought one of everything. I let him lead the way as we wandered the crowded floor.


Today wasn't a big celebrity day, though we did see Andrew WK and while we were visiting Randall at his Kleeman & Mike booth, I saw Brian Posehn (again...I ran into him at 4th & B a couple years ago for the Gwar show).






I was excited to once again see The Walking Dead booth...this year you can take a photo with a prosthetic/wax doll of "Merle Dixon" (played by Michael Rooker) with a set from the scene when he was handcuffed to the roof. It looked very creepily real.





As preview night wound down, we were starving...other than our liquid lunch, neither of us had eaten anything all day (breaking all of my survival tips)... so it was nice that Lolita's was on the way to the car, and that we somehow arrived before a massive rush of people came in. We swung by the Casbah to say hi to friends and caught part of Junior's DJ set and watched some of The Hood Internet before it was time to head home. I suppose I should be asleep since I'm not exactly sure what time we're heading down in the morning, but tomorrow should be fun with a lot more off-site activities including the Wired Insider party, a media preview of the South Park "Year of the Fan" compound, and hordes more people and photo-ops. Night night, y'all.

Mission Brewery: Pre-Con Beers

Mission Brewery has been open for a few months now, but for Comic-con the brewery is offering $1 off beers for badgeholders and costumed fans. They're located at 1441 L (at 14th) and are open M-Sat from noon-8pm and Sunday from noon-5pm. Do yourself a favor and kick off your Comic-Con experience with some great local brews.

Follow Mission Brewery on Twitter @MissionBrewery

Say hi to Mike and tell him Rosey and Timmy sent ya.
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Welcome To San Diego: Comic Con 2011

I'm going into my sixth year at Comic-Con (my third year with press credentials) and I'm completely excited to once again hit the streets with my fellow press-badge carrying friend, Mr. Tim Pyles as we test the limits of access and where what we can get into. I've also kinda befriended a paparazzo who has promised to keep me posted on celeb sightings and such. I've never been to a panel and this year I don't expect that to change, but you never know...my plan is to not have a plan. This year I'm once again looking forward to the Wired Insider party at the Omni and this year I know to get there early for the free food and drinks. As always, I'll be hoping to see some True Blood action and this year I'll be hunting down The Walking Dead, too, and hoping to see this hot piece of ass, Liam McIntyre from "Spartacus: Vengeance" a series that will run on Starz in 2012. (The cast will be introduced in room 6BCF on Friday at 5:45 pm)

In the past, I've made some survival guides. Instead of rewriting all of those things, I'll just give you some links.

Survival Guide (what to bring)

Speed-Force Comic-Con Tips

Comic-Con Help & Guidance

As always, I'll have all the music listings and I'll pepper in some Comic-Con events as I find them, but feel free to message me if I've missed anything or if you find some comprehensive list. The official hashtag for the Con is #SDCC which should help you find people, events, parties, and "OMG, I just saw the cast of Twilight!" tweets.

Be sure to check out my friends at The Mixster for other party guides. You can also find some goods at The Examiner. My godfather also sent me this link on free stuff, and Paul Scheer wrote this funny one for CNN.

While you're downtown, be sure to check out the new Hodad's (945 Broadway) for one of San Diego's best burgers, grab some pizza at Basic (410 10th Ave), or get some delicious Mexican food at Lolita's (202 Park by Petco Park). Mission Brewery (1441 L Street at 14th) is now open, too, and they're offering $1 off beers with your badge or costume.

Things To Do In San Diego: July 20, 2011

It has been such a great week so far...my friends in Rademacher stayed with me on Sunday night, Portugal.The Man Hornblower Cruise followed by Jeremy Messersmith's show on Monday night, and Tuesday night at the Hotel Cafe with The Heavy Guilt. It's only gonna get crazier with Comic-con kicking off tonight, so I'll try and keep you updated as best as I can. In the meantime, here are today's activities.

Wednesday, July 20 (Comic-Con Preview Night/Del Mar Races Opening Day):

• Wallpaper, Hood Internet, Junior the Discopunk @ Casbah
• 91x Presents: Alkaline Trio, Smoking Popes, Dead Country @ House of Blues
• Green Flash Concert Series & KPRI Present: Fitz & The Tantrums @ Birch Aquarium (sold out)
• The Ferocious Few @ Bar Pink
• Lady Day, Laura Warschauer, Ruby Summer @ Lestat's
• The Coathangers, The Dabbers, The Lumps @ Soda Bar
• Hargo, Cabinet of Natural Curiosities, Fort King, Vinnie & Skinny @ Tin Can
• El Monte Slim @ Riviera Supper Club
• On Point Promotions Presents: Better Chemistry, Hi Roots, Sandollar, Rasta Nation Posse @ Belly Up
• Tori Roze & The Hot Mess @ Lux Art Institute
• Comedy @ Eleven
• Hammer Improv @ 4th & B
• PechaKucha Night @ Counterpoint
• Cuckoo Chaos CD Listening Party @ El Take It Easy (7pm)
• Zach Kingsley Band, The Joint Effort, Sub Surfer @ Ruby Room
• Nate Hancock @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• Bike & Rod Night w/ Skynyrd's Innyrds @ The Shakedown Bar
• Christian Hastings Band @ Humphreys Backstage Live
• No Face, Piff Harrera, Orko, Deff @ Kava Lounge
• L.E.D. Presents: Zedd @ Voyeur
• Full Blown Chaos @ Brick By Brick
• Missy Andersen @ Patrick's II
• Rock Out Karaoke @ House of Blues
• Wreck Shop Wednesday Presents: As I Am, PWP, Raymond Raye & The New SlideSAhow, Sticky Buds @ The Office
• Sue Palmer @ Croce's
• Frankie Dee & The Funk Natra Band @ The Kraken
• Jazz Jam Session @ Super El Camino
• Jimmy Lewis @ Tiki House
• Gilbert Castellanos w/ The New Latin Jazz Quintet @ El Camino
• Wednesday Night Shakedown @ Henry's Pub
• Club Kingston w/ Sound System DJs @ Winston's
• "Sweet Indulgence" feat. Live Art and Displays, DJ Blur @ The Dragon's Den
• John Foltz @ Marble Room
• Now.Hear.This! @ Whistle Stop
• TBA @ Coyote Bar & Grill
• Evolution @ Club Kadan
• Lady Dottie and The Diamonds @ Gallagher's
• Manwhore Night @ Ken Club
• Firehouse Swing Night @ Queen Bee's
• Karaoke @ Chico Club
• Way Back Wednesdays feat. DJ Artistic and DJ Seize @ Cafe Sevilla
• Jeff Bristol @ Davina's Cabo Grill
• Ron's Trio @ McP's Irish Pub & Grill
• Justin James @ Handlery Hotel
• Celia St. Croix @ Stage Saloon
• Stone Senses @ Typhoon Saloon
• Sensation @ The V Lounge Viejas Casino

Jeremy Messersmith at the Soda Bar, July 18, 2011

(I tried to post this earlier before the KPRI Hornblower Cruise with Portugal.The Man, but my internet failed. Better late than never. Michael McGraw is about 10 minutes away from starting.)

Minnesota-based songwriter Jeremy Messersmith & his band are hitting the Soda Bar tonight and I'm not the only one who thinks it's the place to be tonight. (Citybeat, Sounddiego, The Examiner, The Reader). I've seen Jeremy twice at Lestat's, where he performed solo, but I also got to catch the full band at the beginning of this tour while I was in NYC and they were as amazing as I expected. Don't miss this show tonight. With Paper Bird and Michael McGraw opening, you're certainly in for a solid night of music.

Messersmith's newest album and final installment of a trilogy, The Reluctant Graveyard, was featured as one of NPR's Best Albums of 2010. Known for his innovative approach to art and his cross platform creativity, his papercraft animation Tatooine video (where he sums up the Star Wars Trilogy in two minutes), received outstanding praise and was one of PBS' top picks for "The Music Video Makes a Comeback" feature. Messersmith offers fans the ability to pay what they wish on his Bandcamp site and regularly updates his own website with new content every Wednesday. Stay updated on Messersmith's interesting musings, news, and videos here and be sure to check him out with a full band on the road.

The Heavy Guilt CD Release Party, 7/16/2011

The Heavy Guilt celebrated the release of their 2nd record, In The Blood, on Saturday night at Glashaus, a coop artist workspace in Barrio Logan just a block away from Chicano Park. The night was fantastic, with music by Black Sands, Low Volts, Gun Runner, and of course, The Heavy Guilt. The Latent Print curated an art show along with the event that drew out more than 400 people. The Heavy Guilt kicked off the night with "Clove" from their first record and followed by playing "In The Blood" in it's entirety. Below is the playlist from the night (though I skipped the final songs after the record was done...battery issues).




See The Heavy Guilt on NBC SoundDiego.

The Heavy Guilt will have an LA release party for the record on Tuesday, July 19 at Hotel Cafe at 11pm. Tell your LA friends to come on out!

NBC 7 San Diego Looking for San Diego's Favorite Voice

(Photo credit: Mario Lopez, NBC San Diego)
NBC 7 San Diego is having a competition to find San Diego's favorite local voice. Nominations were made by the SoundDiego blog team (myself included) and were pre-recorded last Friday. Each day, there will be a head to head competition, with the singers' performances broadcast in the 5am and 6am news. Voting is open to the public via Facebook for 24 hours and announced in the following day's morning newscast (Friday's will be announced Monday). Each of the five winners will be given a guaranteed audition for the next season of "The Voice" and with so much local talent, it is possible that your local favorites can be cast on the show. Best of luck to everyone!

Watch the segments and vote daily here.

Monday 7/18
Battle #1: Matt Commerce “Come With Me Tonight” vs. The Ambassador “Love Don’t Waste Time”
Airs: in the 5am hour and 6am hour of NBC 7 San Diego News in the Morning
Voting Live on facebook: 5am 7/18
Voting Expires: 4:30am 7/19
Winner announced: NBC’s NBC’s Morning Show on 7/19

Tuesday 7/19
Battle #2: Jesse LaMonaca “Other Side of the World” vs. Ashley Matte “Hooked”
Airs: in the 5am hour and 6am hour of NBC 7 San Diego News in the Morning
Voting Live on facebook: 5am 7/19
Voting Expires: 4:30am 7/20
Winner announced: NBC’s the Morning Show on 7/20

Wednesday, 7/20
Battle #3: Marie Haddad “How Could you Not Know” vs. Greg Gibson “Next to Me”
Airs: in the 5am hour and 6am hour of NBC 7 San Diego News in the Morning
Voting Live on facebook: 5am 7/20
Voting Expires: 4:30am 7/21
Winner announced: NBC’s Morning Show on 7/21

Thursday, 7/21
Battle #4: Erika Davies “Two Inches High” vs. Alyssa Jacey “Here’s to Change”
Airs: in the 5am hour and 6am hour of NBC 7 San Diego News in the Morning
Voting Live on facebook: 5am 7/21
Voting Expires: 4:30am 7/22
Winner announced: NBC’s Morning Show on 7/22

Friday, 7/22
Battle #5: Stevie Harris “Dead” vs. Tori Roze “Love Heroin”
Airs: in the 5am hour and 6am hour of NBC 7 San Diego News in the Morning
Voting Live on facebook: 5am 7/22
Voting Expires: 4:30am 7/25
Winner announced: NBC’s Morning Show on 7/25

Things To Do In San Diego: July 18-19, 2011

It's 4 am and I cannot believe how much I have to do before the sun rises. I'm hanging in my kitchen with my friends in Rademacher who played last night at Bar Pink's 4th Anniversary and they're sharing funny tales from the road, so I can't complain, but I have so much to tell you about this week, so many events to cover for Comic-Con, plus I'm heading to LA on Tuesday night for The Heavy Guilt's CD release party up there. Yikes. I will try to add more Con related events as I hear about them, but in the meantime, Tuesday through Thursday listings are after the jump.

Monday July 18:

• Jeremy Messersmith (with band), Paper Bird, Michael McGraw @ Soda Bar
• Ximena Sirenana @ Cafe Sevilla
• Anti-Monday League Presents: Coda Reactor, The Screamin' Yeehaws, D.P.I. @ Casbah
• Chris Isaak, The Riders @ Humphrey's Concerts by The Bay
• The Never Never, Hand In The Hive, C Is For Carlo, Granville @ Tin Can
• Dirty Mondays w/ DJ Gabe Vega @ The Saloon (Encinitas)
• Clepto, Age of Collapse, Napalm Raid @ Ruby Room
• April Ventura @ Riviera Supper Club
• Acoustic Showcase w/ Bosen and Suede @ Eleven
• The Hips @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
• Trivia Night w/ Pouder @ Whistle Stop
• Hello Trouble @ Bar LeucadianTaking Back Monday w/ Rotating DJs @ U-31
• Open Mic @ Lestat's
• The Accidentals @ Tiki House
• Club MAW @ Henry's Pub
• Doug Allen, Susie Bongo @ The Kraken
• Chet & The Committee @ Patrick's II
• Electric Waste Band @ Winston's
• Monday Night Mic @ Club Kadan
• Mellow Monday w/ DJ Mello D feat. Tannyr Denby @ House of Blues
• Dave Scott @ Croce's
• Ken Kern Hypnosis Comedy Show @ Queen Bee's
• Karaoke @ Coyote Bar & Grill
• Electro Mondays @ 710 Beach Club
• Rick Remender @ McP's Irish Pub & Grill

Tuesday July 19:

• Khaira Arby and Her Band, Danyavaad and The Shimmy Sisters, The Orphics @ Casbah
• Red Fox Tails @ The Office
• Ky-Mani Marley w/ Gramps Morgan, J.A.M. Kwest @ Belly Up
• Religious Girls, Kera and The Lesbians, Strangers Family Band, The Notels @ Tin Can
• Tiki Two's Day w/ Adrian Demain & Susannah Kurner @ Bar Pink
• Continental @ The Shakedown Bar
• ADD/C, The Band That's All Over The Place @ Eleven
• La Invasora 99.7 Presents: Calibre 50, Baile Privado, Alex Rivera, Ely Quintero, Banda TesoroDel Pacifico @ 4th & B
• Tribute to Lucky Dube & Nelson Mandela feat. Nkulee Dube, Inzinde @ World Beat Center
• Local Brews Local Grooves w/ Todd A, Ernesto Garcia, Landis, Code, Idlehands @ House of Blues
• Darkwave Garden @ Club Kadan
• Tori Roze Presents Ruby Tuesday w/ Red Abbey, Enreverie, Wendy Bailey @ Ruby Room
• So Say We All & Sideshow Comedy Presents: Pre-SDCC Comedy Show feat. San Diego's Nerdiest Humorists @ Soda Bar
• Burnsville Band @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
• Trent Hancock @ Tiki House
• Tripp Sprague Quartet @ Croce's
• Train of Thought @ Queen Bee's
• Comedy Night @ Lestat's
• Len Rainey's Midnight Players @ Patrick's ll
• Tomcat Courtney @ La Gran Tapa
• Tommy Price & The Stilettos @ Henry's Pub
• Doug Allen, Suzy Bongo @ The Kraken
• The Dead Kenny G's @ Winston's
• HeartLikeFire @ Stage Saloon
• Friends Chill @ Whistle Stop
• Laguna @ McP's Irish Pub & Grill
• Karaoke @ Kensington Club
• Stress Free Standup Comedy @ U-31
• Steve Payne @ Davina's Cabo Grill

Things To Do In San Diego: July 16-17, 2011

In just a few short hours The Heavy Guilt's CD release party kicks off and I couldn't be more excited. I hope everyone can make it down for a great night of music and art. Sunday listings are after the jump.

Saturday, July 16, 2011:

• The Heavy Guilt Record Release Party feat. Gun Runner, The Heavy Guilt, Low Volts, Black Sands @ Glashaus (1815 Main Street, San Diego. All Ages. 6-11 pm. $5.)
• X-Fest feat. Incubus, bush, Face To Face, Iration, Middle Class Rut, Viva Brother, Little Hurricane, Graffiti6 @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
• SD Pride feat. Kristine W, Margaret Cho, Selene Luna, Danielle LoPresti and the Masses, Ross Matthews, Lady Xplicit, The Baja Bugs, Tori Roze and the Hot Mess and more @ Marston Point, Balboa Park
• Ghetto Blaster, Hepa/Titus (ex- Melvins & Cows), Kill The Capulets (members of Retox), Otro @ Eleven
• Bill Maher @ Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay
• King Khan & the Gris Gris, Shake Before Us, The Finkbombs @ Casbah
• The Mutaytor, Diego’s Umbrella @ Belly Up
• Neon Beat feat Junior The Discopunk & Vaughn Avakian @ Bar Pink
• Blackfeet Braves, Allah-Las, Los Coyotes, The Cosmic Telegraph Co. @ Tin Can
• Klub Therapy feat. Starcrossed, DJs Bryan Pollard & Severin @ Til Two Club
• Ernie Velas & Mikey Adron's B-day Bash feat. Los Seafinks Se Vende, Jonny Castle @ The Shakedown
• 80s vs. 90s feat Beto (from 92.5), Gabe Vega vs. Saul Q, Kid Wonder @ Whistle Stop
• Benz Brothers, Skyhigh Karma, Echo Revolution @ Soda Bar
• BCMG & Wonderwall Magazine Presents: Sounds of Summer feat. FOA, Dante’s Boneyard, Dying To Wake, Dez Cled, Leyva, Dead 67’s, Social Club, Almost New, Isaiah Blas, The Pennant @ House of Blues
• Alison Lonsdale @ Lestat's (6-8pm)
• Chad Cavanaugh, Joel Eckels, The Romp @ Lestat’s
• Kaos Nation Music Presents The Iron Maidens , Bad Karma,G.F.I., A Dying Ember @ Brick By Brick
• Bass Quake @ Winston's
• Red Not Chili Peppers, Dust n Bones @ 710 Beach Club
• In Fear and Faith, Adestria, Vanna, A Loss For Words, Close To Home, Chunk! No Captain Chunk , Ten After Two @ Soma
• A Lot Like Birds, I The Mighty, Lexington Field, Idlehands, The Calefaction, Silent Vice, The Maul Shoppe @ Epicentre
• Fire Eaters @ Marble Room
• Atomic Groove @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (9pm)
• Nathan James @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• The San Diego Pride Pariies- Circuit Daze, DJs Manny Lehman, Rosabel, Able, and Ralph Rosario @ 4th & B
• Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30pm, Late Show 9:30 pm)
• Keyser Soze, DJ Chelu @ Gallagher's
• Hoff & Waldo, Huge Euge, Damn Juelz, Adam Salter @ El Dorado
• Lazy Rich @ Voyeur
• Mark Farina & Doc Martin @ Spin
• Aquatic with Sid Vicious & Rico DeLargo @ Fluxx
• The Motels, Crush The Rose, Scott West @ Ramona Mainstage

Sunday, July 17, 2011:

• The Elected, Whispertown, Jake Bellows @ Casbah
• Oslo, Violet Isle, Of Sons and Ghosts @Soda Bar
• SD Pride feat. Salt n Pepa, Frenchie Davis, God-Des & She, Corday, Julie & Brady and more @ Marston Point, Balboa Park
• Letting Up Despite Great Faults, The Forms, Pacific Pride, Thee Goochi Boiz @ Tin Can
• Mat McHugh - solo acoustic (The Beautiful Girls), Mishka, Anuhea and Ethan Tucker@ Belly Up
• Trivia with Pouder, Pants Karaoke @ Eleven
• Greely Estates, The Plot In You, Life On Repeat, Miracle At St. Anna, Everyone Dies In Utah @ Soma
• Exhumed, Cephalic Carnage, To Violently Vomit, Downspell @ Ruby Room
• 4 Year Anniversary feat The Creepy Creeps & Rademacher @ Bar Pink
• Boys II Men @ House of Blues
• Amy Stroup, Dustin Roth @ Lestat's
• Afton Presents T.A.P., Creede Johnson, Justin Henderson, Dustin Rhodes, METATONIC, Slow Graffiti, Andy Mauser, Future Falls, Ed Balduzzi @ Brick By Brick
• Jose Sinatra's OB-O-ke @ Winston's
• Tribe of Kings/Reggae Vibes @ U-31
• Jesse Davis @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge Brunch (10a-2p)
• Patrick Yandall @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge (8 pm)
• Tedeschi Trucks Band, Eve Selis Band @ Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay
• Elton - The Early Years @ Anthology (7 pm)
• The Hips @ Gallagher’s (2-5pm)
• Mega Banton, Mr Easy @ Spin

TRANSFER TOUR BLOG - ABBEY ROAD

We got up at 6AM on minimal sleep from the night before to make our 8AM load in time at Abbey Road Studios in London. We were to tape a live performance for the music documentary series Live From Abbey Road and set to record in Studio 2... The same room where The Beatles recorded pretty much everything. What an honor. Just being in the same space where the greatest songwriters created their most influential work was enough to put a surreal spin on the morning. Things seemed to be happening at light speed already...

We found our dressing room, set up shop and took the tour.

Tape machine The Beatles recorded with...the console Pink Floyd used. At this point of the tour I was pretty certain that everyone was on the same program as we were all smiling like we had new veneers and a nitrous buzz.

We met the film team and set up for soundcheck. After everyone got their positions and levels we went for it. Wound up recording 5 songs. What an experience...

We'll keep you posted as to the airdate. Here are a few shots from the day:

After the session was over we went across the hall to Studio 1 (room where Dark Side of the Moon was made...WTF!?) for the interview portion of the program.

I thought it too cliche to consider the hypothetical scenario..."what if Paul McCartney was hanging around?" When Andy told me he had just seen him in the cafeteria I didn't really consider it. Just as soon as we had taken our seats for the interview, the man himself, walked in the room and straight up to us. All quite stunned at his unexpected presence he met us and made the room easy by cracking some funnies about us looking shady, like we were in a police line up or something. Friendly guy...

Anna managed to snap this photo. A little blurry and my head looks like a sparkler, which is funny because it was exactly how I felt.

Rounding off this tour's brushes with royalty to TWO. Twice in two weeks...what the hell happened?! Sir Paul McCartney at Abbey Road and Prince Harry at an outhouse in Hyde Park. All I can say is thank God we didn't have to choose between them...

I would tell you about how the Water Rats show was an epic time or KoKo or T in the Park for that matter, but I just can't seem to make sense of it. Nothing really matters anymore...

the ultimate has transpired...

over and out

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