Things To Do In San Diego: November 10-12, 2012

Bring on the cold! Shawn Styles is telling me that it isn't going to rain tonight, but I'll still be bundled up as I sell merch on the Casbah's patio for ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead. It was a pretty glorious day, Darren and I had a very late breakfast and then rode bikes through Normal Heights, Kensington, Talmadge, and City Heights enjoying the brisk 64 degree weather. I think I'm gonna buy my new bike next week and I can't wait to ride it everywhere. Mostly though, I just wanted to update the listings to remind you that I make my SoundDiego TV debut tonight! My interview with the Bowerbirds from a few weeks ago is finally going to air. SoundDiego TV airs on NBC 7/39 at 1 am, after Saturday Night Live, which should be great in the wake of the election. Saturday through Monday archives are after the jump.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Casbah Presents Those Darlins at Soda Bar

I keep telling you how busy the Casbah has been keeping me over the past couple months. I think October was a new record for the number of outside shows we put on, and this month hasn't slowed down at all. There are three Casbah Presents shows tonight (Japandroids at Porter's Pub, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead at the Casbah, and Titus Andronicus at the Irenic- technically a Soda Bar show but we're helping to get the word out) and we have three more tomorrow- Minus The Bear at House of Blues, The Sea and Cake at the Casbah, and Those Darlins' at Soda Bar. There are still tickets for all six shows. Save service charges and just pay at the door, at this point it doesn't appear that any of them will sell out in presale, but definitely make plans to check out some great live music. It seems that perhaps San Diego hasn't gotten hip to the magic of Those Darlins' so I thought I'd share some quotes and music for you to check them out. Full lineups below.

“Those Darlins come off like the toughest, most dangerous group around. They deliver thrilling song after thrilling song that’ll have you hyping them to all your rock & roll friends as soon the album stops spinning.” - ALL MUSIC GUIDE

“Hooky, saucy, punky songwriting in a mood somewhere between Be Your Own Pet and the Donnas, only savvier. Those Darlins have mouths on them, yes they do. But their mouths are connected to their hearts and minds, and amped by loud guitars” - ROBERT CHRISTGAU A-, NPR’s ALL THING CONSIDERED

“an instant garage/power-pop classic that would make everyone from Iggy Pop to King Tuff proud.” - PASTE: 8.5 out of 10




SATURDAY:
JAPANDROIDS, BLEACHED at Porter's Pub $16

... AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD, TECHNICOLORS, GHETTO BLASTER at Casbah $20

TITUS ANDRONICUS, CEREMONY, WEATHERBOX at the Irenic $15

SUNDAY:
THOSE DARLINS, HEAVY CREAM at Soda Bar $12

MINUS THE BEAR, CURSIVE, GIRL IN A COMA at House of Blues San Diego (All Ages) $22

THE SEA AND CAKE, MATTHEW FRIEDBERGER (of Fiery Furnaces) at Casbah San Diego $15

Things To Do In San Diego: November 8-9, 2012

When I moved into my new space back in May, I never expected to still be living out of boxes in November, but I guess there are a lot of things about November that I didn't expect. I certainly didn't expect to see a heatwave like we did last week, but maybe that's why I'm so excited to pull out my box marked "scarves/gloves/jackets". Last night it started raining and I went out on the bike and it was glorious. Today was the perfect day to be bundled up in pajamas as I caught up on some work. I've been sitting on these listings a couple days, but I just have a funny schedule and have to take advantage of the time I do have whether for shows, working, catching up on my shows, or my bi-weekly 24 hour date when Darren's schedule and mine completely align. We saw Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots last night and I've been specifically asked not to review the show or give any spoilers, but it is really, really great and not at all what I expected. At all. It runs through December 16 and I've mentioned discount tickets, but I also learned that you can buy tickets in the first two rows for only $15 because they're partially obstructed, though it seemed that the people in those seats only had to crane their necks a couple times throughout the show. You don't have to know the Flaming Lips catalog to enjoy the show, but you do have to appreciate musical theatre. I hope you take the time to look through these listings because there are so many great shows this weekend. I haven't gone through my off-venue sites for other events, but hopefully I can update those tonight after Jon Spencer. Friday and Saturday archives are after the jump. 

New Local Music: sm57

sm57 is a collaborative effort between (UK signed/California super-producer) Room E and San Diego rap-pair Parker and the Numberman.  This is the first endeavor for Parker and the Numberman after their SDMA award win (for Clockwork Slang). sm57 upcoming album promises to be ..."the return of the avant-garde."  Check out the new track Horseback as a sample of the new album coming out November 26th 2012.  Enjoy.

Jeff's Weekly Pick pt. 2: Jens Lekman @ Belly Up Thursday November 8, 2012

Whenever I listen to Jens Lekman I am taken back to the night many years ago when the Swedish pop troubadour performed solo in front of a smallish crowd here in San Diego. Fast forward to the present where  Mr. Lekman will be appearing alongside a full four piece band Thursday at the Belly Up. On the last leg of a North American tour promoting his third full length, I Know What Love Isn't, Jens is basically the same off kilter singer we have all come to appreciate for his unusual and honest look at love and many other topics. Lyrically he has few equals with the ability to state the obvious in ways Jens has mastered. It becomes so easy to just feel like you have known him for years, even if you are seeing him perform live for the first time. There are many singers that visit our city, but none like Jens Lekman. Those willing to make the trek to North County should be well rewarded with a memorable night of music. Worth noting is this show is presented by the Casbah.

Taken By Trees set s the stage.

Watch a video of I Know What Love Isn't below.

Things To Do In San Diego: November 7, 2012

 What a glorious day, no? I don't think I've slept quite so soundly as I did last night, when all my election enthusiasm finally let my head hit the pillow around 4a.m. At the same time, today has been a little chaotic because it is very rare for an artist to cancel a show with such little notice, but when you're sick, you're sick, and unfortunately the Nick Waterhouse show for tonight has been canceled, with hopes of rescheduling in January. The Casbah will be closed tonight, but there are plenty of other great shows to catch...I'll probably check out Benny Marchant or New Cassettes, depending on what time Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots gets out. Happy, happy birthday to intern Jordan and thank to he and Josh for handling weekend listings, which I hoped to post today but realistically won't go up until tomorrow. In the meantime, I have a 24 hour date ahead of me so peace out my lovelies. Wednesday archives are after the jump.   

SD @ 140 BPM Recommends.............

Now that the election is over it is time to celebrate (or cure your sadness) with some great dance music.  Tonight Wednesday, November 7 at The Kava Lounge The Good Vibe Production presents Acoustic Minds, J*Labs, urBn:LgNd and Phunky Brewster with Live Painting by Ashley Bowers.  This is a night for the ladies as all artists performing include female members.  Acoustic Minds is a Portland based project composed of identical twins Jenni and Amanda Price who have been working on music together since the age of 3.  Their new project is a 5 piece band who take a live instrument approach to electronic, drum n bass, down tempo and dub step.  J*Labs will bring an original set with hopefully the same amount of energy that she brought to Electric Daisy Carnival, and local favorite urBn:LgNd will be closing the night out with a heavily UK influenced set.  Doors are at 9:00 pm and the event goes until 2:00 am.

Four More Years! Election Results Are (Mostly) In

(via Facebook)

I spent the majority of Monday and Tuesday dodging election information. While at home, for example, I caught up on some shows OnDemand so I didn't have to see the cluster of political ads on the networks and then went out to hang out with Darren and caught the Diamond Rings show at Soda Bar. Tuesday was an all-errand/no-TV day until I finally let myself pay close attention to social media as polls closed on the east coast (which is still better than watching cable news). It was a great moment, as Emily Wells performed at Luce Loft. She was dedicating a song to Obama and said she hoped for good news when I told her that the election had been called in favor of Obama mid-set. Barack Obama tweeted the photo seen here with "Four More Years" which quickly became the most retweeted tweet in history. She rejoiced, the crowd clapped, and the show's mood definitely lightened up.

Once the presidential election was called, I was happy to follow along with our local races and state propositions. I'm not going to go through everything, but am happy to say that it looks like some important things happened here. Bob Filner appears to be beating Carl DeMaio for mayor, Prop 30 passed which is a win for education, and it appears that Scott Peters defeated Brian Billbray, which is awesome even though I'm not in their district. Unfortunately, some things will never change, as evidenced by Districts 49 & 50 (where Darrell Issa and Duncan Hunter held their Congressional seats, respectively). Still, we can be happy that nationally there were big wins for gay marriage, marijuana, and women.

Obviously there are better places than this site to see results and what they mean to all of us, so check out KPBS Election Results to check on all the races and in case you missed Obama's victory speech, you can see/read it all here.

I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We're not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and forever will be, the United States of America.

Things To Do In San Diego: November 5-6, 2012

Election Day is nearly upon us, so perhaps you're like me and have already cast your ballot via mail or early voting at the Office of the County Registrar. That means that on Tuesday you can either make yourself absolutely insane as you follow along with early returns or follow social media all day, or you can get out tonight for a show or #SDBW and make sure you're just hungover enough to warrant a day  under your covers without media, or keep really busy with a day at the Zoo or free museum day at Balboa Park, or at work if you're tied to a 9 to 5. I mean, once your own vote is cast, there's nothing you can do until the official results are in so all I'm really saying is that unless you're volunteering at a polling place or canvassing or driving people to polls or doing something productive, don't let this thing make you too crazy. I hope to see plenty of you out tonight because there are great shows all the way from the Casbah to the Belly Up, Soda Bar, Eleven, and Bar Pink and down on through the line. Monday and Tuesday archives are after the jump.

Let's Get Political: Election Day 2012

I have never been crazy about the idea of getting too political on this site and I do so with great caution and respect, but I have a voice (as do we all) and an audience and I just can't with good conscience go into tomorrow's election without speaking up.

It seems that every election is "the most important election in our lifetime", but you better believe that in 2012, this is no joke. I have never been quiet about my support and participation with organizations like MoveOn.Org, Courage Campaign, Planned Parenthood, and the Human Rights Campaign. It is also no secret that I lean far on the lefty progressive side of the spectrum and support Democratic candidates, even if they weren't necessarily the best of the best, they seemed better than the alternatives (Al and John, I'm looking at you). This presidential election, to me, is the strongest tug-of-war between the haves and the have-nots, the wealthiest of Americans not even trying to hide their cronyism, and the Republican goal of completely decimating women's rights. I believe that with the tremendous wealth of our nation, the lack of health care and a good education for everyone is shameful; Mitt Romney believes these are better handled in the private sector. With the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision in 2010, there has NEVER been so much money in an election, and just completely misleading and horrific political advertising (sadly from both parties).

If you haven't been keeping up, 90 Days, 90 Reasons has some great essays in support of Obama or check out this quickie site, What The Fuck Has Obama Done So Far?



I feel like I am a pretty informed voter, I've been watching endless state and city hearings about all of the propositions, but I still consult voter guides and my great friend and personal political advisor Lucas O'Connor and my brainy superhero boyfriend and other friends and relatives to make all of it make sense. I always believed that voting is a very private matter, but we're in a whole new oversharing social media world and for the first time, I'm going to post my ballot positions. I'm in 92104, so I know your local races may differ, but here goes.

from top to bottom:
President: Barack Obama,
US Senator: Dianne Feinstein
US Rep District 53: Susan Davis
State Senator 39th District: Marty Block
State Assembly 78th: Toni Atkins
Superior Court No. 25: Robert Amador
SDCCD Board District B: Bernie Rhinerson
SDUSD Board District A: John Lee Evans
SDUSD Board District D: Richard Barrera
SDUSD Board District E: Marne Foster

San Diego Mayor: Bob Filner
Prop 30 (1/4 Cent Sales Tax for Education)-YES!!!
Prop 31 (State Budget)-No
Prop 32 (Political Contributions)-No
Prop 33 (Auto Insurance)- No
Prop 34 (Death Penalty Repeal)-Yes
Prop 35 (Human Trafficking Penalties)-Yes!
Prop 36 (Three Strikes)- Yes!
Prop 37 (GMO Food Labeling)-Yes!!
Prop 38 (Income Tax increase for education)-No!!
Prop 39 (Multistate Corporate Taxation/Clean Energy)-Yes
Prop 40 (Senate redistricting)-Yes
Prop Z (School Bonds)-Yes!!

Vote as you will, but I truly believe that it is your responsibility to vote. Feel free to comment, though all comments are moderated and I will not post any hate, vitriol, or crazy rants. Save that for your own blog/Twitter/Facebook/Tumblr.

Here's a little song a friend recorded for the election:


My friend Grampa Drew wrote a great (and really long) post on Facebook about Prop 30. Read it after the jump.

San Diego: Dialed In Six Year Anniversary!!

It was on this day in 2006 that I was sitting in my cubicle at an architecture firm and a lightbulb went off...maybe I should stop writing my diary online and I should focus on life in San Diego minus the details of who I was dating and how hungover I was from the night before. I launched San Diego: Dialed In on a fluke, no real goal in mind, just that I wanted to be personal without divulging every private detail. Of course, nowadays I live out loud anyway, so you still get my diary posts, my constant barrage of tweets and foursquare check-ins and facebook details, but hopefully this site has evolved enough to be informative and helpful for locals and tourists alike to get a feel for the amazing city we live in. I certainly never thought this would become a job or launch my other duties, among them publicity for the Casbah, writing for SoundDiego, booking, managing, band PR, being a member of the nominating committee for the San Diego Music Academy, and many other moving parts that keep me plenty busy. There are now over a dozen volunteer contributors to this site and to all of them, I am eternally grateful for all of their tireless efforts.

Naturally, the best way to celebrate is with a show at the Casbah, my home away from home.

Here's the info:

Thursday, November 15, 2012 at The Casbah

featuring

The Howls

Trouble In The Wind

Michael McGraw and the Butchers

Burning Jet Black (formerly The Whiskey Saints)

$6 advance/$10 day of show

Doors 8:30pm/Show 9pm

I hope to see all of your beautiful faces. Note that advance tickets have a small service charge, but are still cheaper than waiting until the night of the show. 

Things to do in San Diego: Beer Week Edition (Part II)

Ok, so the opening weekend of San Diego Beer Week 2012 is in the books, and while I didn’t get a chance to do everything I had hoped, I did have an absolute blast. With lots of quality time with good friends and (of course) some great beer to pair with the company, it was easily one of the better weekends I’ve ever spent in this fine city.

We started things off at Monkey Paw to try the Karl Strauss peanut butter cup beer, which tasted exactly as the name would suggest. From there we were on the move to the kick-off party and Brew Food book signing at Mission Brewery, which appeared to be a smashing success with a great time had by all in attendance. (Even if they did cover up the shuffleboard table for the event. Oh well, nothing’s perfect.) On Saturday I tried to work my way through 50 different IPAs over at Toronado, but was pulled away early as friends wanted to make a move to Monkey Paw to try the aforementioned Karl Strauss specialty, but sadly it was gone. (Luckily I was able to sample an 8 oz. pour of the Citra IPA from Kern River before we left Toro, which may have been the best beer I had on draft all weekend.) We were back at it again early on Sunday getting to Local Habit in Hillcrest bright and early to sample a cask of The Bruery’s “5 Golden Rings” a very interesting Golden Ale that is part of their “12 Days of Christmas” series which releases once a year. I haven’t had all the other releases, but this was my favorite that I have managed to try so far. After that we traveled over to Blind Lady Ale House who teamed up with the folks at Bine & Vine on Adams Ave. to throw what might have been the coolest bottleshare event ever convened. I had WAY too many special tastes to try mentioning them here (and boring you to tears, probably), but it was definitely the highlight of the weekend.

The best news? There are still SIX more full days of SDBW before it officially wraps up on the 11th. Like Part I, what follows is a brief listing of events that caught my eye. I’d recommend getting there early and often. If I missed anything too great to pass up be sure to let me know on the twitters (@mikebeebe). And if you see me out and about, please say hello!


11/5/2012
Hess Happy Hour 
Toronado (again!) will “welcome” their (soon to be) new neighbor to the ‘hood with this event featuring several Hess beers and (from what I’ve been told) a really fantastic keeper glass.

Beer, Art and the Artists!
The cool cats at Bottlecraft are hosting an art show, featuring art from (what else?) a beer label artist! Specifically the Ballast Point artist Paul Elder. Also, BP’s Colby Chandler will be on hand discussing beer. And drinking beer. And it’s free. Get some culture whilst you drink!

BEER WEEK BINGO
Bingo at Eleven is nothing new, but it is always fun. Plus all drafts are just $3. Bingo starts at 7pm.

11/6/2012
Kern River Brewing Co 
Surprise! Another Toronado event. (I may just move in for the week.) This one features the crew and (more importantly) the beer from the fabulous Kern River Brewing.

Night of a Million Zillion Speedways
If there is one event that is on everyone’s radar, then it is absolutely this one at O’Brien’s. With that in mind, expect lots of great beer but also lots of people. Is it worth it? That depends on your tolerance for crowds, but frankly...yes, it is worth it. The OB’s newsletter probably says it best: “FIFTEEN versions of AleSmith Speedway Stout on tap! It is pure insanity.“

(Also, it’s Election Day, so depending on the exit polls and your politics you may need several of these very strong beers.)

Beer Week!! Green Flash Night
A Green Flash event at my home base, bar Eleven. Delicious casks and walking distance home is a great combination. Incidentally, Eleven is also “home base” for a lot of GF employees...so this may end up being just like any other night. Which is fine with me.

Loci Habitus Returns! 
If you missed out on this Rye IPA from Hess to celebrate Local Habit’s 1st anniversary, then here’s a second chance to give this a shot. And if you were lucky enough to try it earlier this year AND scored the keeper glass, then bring that back in for $4 pours! (Note: an “I voted” sticker will get you this great price as well.)

11/7/2012
Monkey Paw Welcomes Sierra Nevada! 
I love the Paw, I love Sierra Nevada. The lineup hasn’t been posted yet, but you really can’t go wrong here.

Movie Night: Strange Brew 
One of my most favoritest movies ever (“Steamroller!”) screened for free at Sea Rocket in North Park, with drink and food specials as well. Go to there, ya hosers.

11/8/2012
Ommegang vs Lost Abbey - Battle of the Best Belgian Style Brewers in the Country 
Sublime Alehouse in San Marcos (SMBW?) hosts this “throwdown” between our very own Lost Abbey and Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY) - two of the finest (THE finest, probably) brewers of traditional Belgian style beers anywhere in America. Just like the title would suggest. Seriously though, this will be a delicious evening. Ommegang was my introduction to “craft beer” back in New York, and it still one of my favorites breweries to this day.

Brewmasters Dinner with Hess Brewing at Local Habit
This two session event sold out so fast they had to add a third session...which also promptly sold out. So unless you have your ticket, you’re not going. Which is really too bad because Chef Nick Brune is hands down the best chef in Hillcrest and Hess is one of the finest (and busiest) breweries in San Diego. If I could only attend ONE dinner during all of Beer Week, this would be the one.

She Likes Beer Pairing Dinner at The Range
While not strictly a “ladies only” event (as far as I know) this She Likes Beer will put the focus on all the women craft beer fans in San Diego and features “a four-course meal that will show off some of San Diego's greatest beer with a paired dish that compliments their flavors.”

11/9/2012
Hess Brewing Featured Flights 
Another Hess event at Local Habit (one of my favorite spots in town) will feature no fewer than SIX beers from Hess, including the delicious Loci Habitus Rye IPA, brewed up special just for Local Habit’s first birfday. PLUS as an added bonus they’ll be opening up at noon to serve lunch!! See you there! (UPDATE: I have since heard that LH will not be opening for lunch this day. Still worth seeking out Friday night though!)

Enjoy a tour and tasting of Home Brew Mart and Ballast Point Brewing (Linda Vista Road location) 
This “event” is actually happening several times a day EVERY day during Beer Week. Get a free tour of the BP brewing facilities in Linda Vista, and get a couple of samplers to boot.

And that’s it for me. I know I left off a couple of days at the end, but I just won’t be able to attend any events next weekend, so I am wrapping things up on Friday at Local Habit for lunch. There will be tons going on next weekend I am sure, so check out sdbw.org or sdbwplanner.org to see what’s happening.

Jeff's Weekly Pick pt. 1: Dark Dark Dark @ Luce Loft Tuesday November 6, 2012

If the upcoming election goes as the experts predict, we might not know the results for some time. What better distraction than live music this Tuesday night. Once again, the nice folks at Sezio are presenting quite a lineup downtown at the intimate Luce Loft. Headlining will be Minneapolis five piece indie rockers Dark Dark Dark. Touring in support of the bands third full length, Who Needs Who, founding members Nona Marie Invie (vocals, piano) and Marshall LaCount (banjo, vocals) have primarily rendered what is a recurring theme, that of the breakup album. It is interesting to note the group has moved forward so I suppose love does not always conquer all. The power of this album is clearly evident from the outset, with Nina's smooth vocals overpowering (but not in a bad way) the music itself. The result is a well balanced effort which flows evenly from beginning to end. I profess to never having seen Dark Dark Dark perform live, so feel free to journey downtown for a pleasurable night of music. This is an early show (7:30) so plan accordingly. Tickets can be purchased here.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention the opener, the eccentrically wonderful Emily Wells, who is also touring to promote her most recent album.

Watch a video of Tell Me below.

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

It is funny to be writing right now because I was going to ask if you're ready for the weekend and then I realized I'm in my pajamas getting ready for a disco nap. So my own answer is no, I'm not ready, but in a couple hours I will be and I just hope to wreak some serious havoc on the town tonight. I plan on hitting up Ruby Room and Soda Bar, and perhaps a drop in at the Casbah for good measure. Let me tell you that if you're planning on going there this weekend, there will be plenty of tickets for Kid Koala at the door, so save yourself on service charges, but be warned because at this moment (5:55 pm on Friday), there are only 29 tickets left to Com Truise on Saturday and only 9 left for Other Lives on Sunday, so buy now!! I also want to let you know that yesterday Alt-J won the Mercury Prize and they'll be at the Casbah on December 13. That one will definitely sell out (only 68 tickets left right now), so grab tickets for that one, too. I'm kinda glowing after an awesome night last night and a great morning and afternoon, so I hope to keep this happy momentum throughout the weekend. Ain't nobody gonna break my stride. Friday through Sunday archives are after the jump. 

Brace Yourselves...#SDBW Is Here!

In a way, I am glad October is over. Don’t get me wrong, it is probably my favorite month of the year. I mean, who doesn’t like having an excuse to dress slutty, drink pumpkin beers, go to the Great American Beer Festival, go to the Santa Barbara Beer Festival or see Red Fang at the Casbah? Don’t worry, I didn’t dress slutty at Red Fang.

It really was one hell of a month, but I’m glad it’s over so I can finally relax-- and by relax I mean drink more beer within a ten day period then I probably drink in one year. That’s right, I’m talking about San Diego Beer Week which starts today and continues until November 11th. Sure, it’s technically a little longer than a week, but you know that 7 days isn’t enough to celebrate America’s Finest Craft Beer City! You can head on over to the SDBW events page by clicking here and this year they even included a nice “Add to Calendar” feature for each event so you can sync it your iCal, Google Calendar, Yahoo etc. Here’s some of the events I’ll be checking out this weekend if you’re interested in meeting up and talking beer:

Friday Nov. 2nd

Karl Strauss’s Brew Your Own Brunch - http://sdbw.org/events/3275/
Pizza Port OB’s San Diego IPA Extravaganza - http://sdbw.org/events/3506/
O’ Brien’s Pub 10 Tasty Treats from Alpine Brewing - http://sdbw.org/events/3241/

Saturday Nov. 3rd

Toronado’s 3rd Annual IPA Blowout (50 IPA’s on tap!!) - http://sdbw.org/events/3634/
Public House’s Russian River/Bear Republic Tap Takeover - http://sdbw.org/events/3534/

Sunday Nov. 4th

Hamilton’s Man the Victory at Sea Fleet - http://sdbw.org/events/3337/
Amplified Ale Works’ Farm to Table Beer and Bacon Brunch - http://sdbw.org/events/3612/
Sessions Public’s Duvel Art Glass Brunch - http://sdbw.org/events/3648/’


That’s all I got for now but I may try and sneak out to a few more since the events list seems to update each day with more and more SDBW goodness! Are you planning on going to any events? If so, comment below and let us know which events suit your palate!

Cheers,
Charles Eck

Things to do in San Diego: Beer Week Edition (Part I)

If you like (love?) beer then you already know about the wide variety and selection of amazing breweries and craft beer bars around our lovely hometown. You also, no doubt, know that from November 2nd through November 11th we will be celebrating another San Diego Beer Week, or simply SDBW. Yes, that’s more than a week...in this town it needs to be. It’s no secret that as craft beer lovers we have an embarrassment of riches here in San Diego with the seemingly endless supply of great brews from amazing local breweries and some of the top craft beer bars in the Country. This “week” is enough to get even the most dedicated SD beer fan more excited than they have been since the Craft Brewers Conference was here in May. But while CBC was ostensibly for the “pros” this week is just for us, my fellow imbibers. 

Most (all?!?) of the craft beer bars, many many restaurants and, of course, every brewery around town have a full slate of dinners, special events, kegs and casks available to ALL of us. SDBW is so packed that I’ve given up trying to schedule anything definitively. I learned last year that the best laid plans are easily changed once you get out and about and end up moving to someplace completely unexpected or simply camping out where you started the night. That said I have been using the very good web app put out by sdbwplanner.org  to find events that sound interesting. Head on over yourself and give it a shot, or check the events calendar at the official sdbw.org site. (Note, these are far from exhaustive lists of all the events, tap takeovers and beer pairing dinners around town over the next 10 days or so, so be sure to check the website/facebook/twitter of your personal favorites as well.)

After the jump you’ll find a sampling of events that caught my eye at some of my favorite spots and/or what will be the most popular and widely anticipated events around town. I’d recommend getting there early and often. If I missed anything too great to pass up be sure to let me know on the twitters (@mikebeebe). I can’t honestly hope to make it to all of them, but I’m for damned sure gonna try! 

Contest: Win Tickets To See Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

Back in the spring, I had the pleasure of meeting Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips. He was in town for Sunset Sessions and after delivering a really interesting keynote, he hung around and chatted with anyone who wanted to talk to him. I didn't really have anything profound to ask him or to say to him, but I asked about Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots and he lit up. Even though there was a whole lot that still needed to be worked out, you could tell he was really excited by the endeavor.

Fast forward to November, and Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots is finally ready for the public.

Yoshimi must choose between two boyfriends, but first she’s got to take down an army of pink robots. This magical tale of love and the struggle for survival is a poignant and humanistic story set to the music of The Flaming Lips.

Featuring a 14-foot robot puppet, dancers in “glowing” LED costumes and stunning projections — - this is another world premiere musical from Playhouse Director Emeritus and Tony Award winner Des McAnuff (The Who's Tommy, Jersey Boys, Jesus Christ Superstar) that you just cannot miss!

The musical is the collaboration of Wayne Coyne and Des McAnuff and is a must-see for any fans of the Lips, fans of musicals, and anyone interested in the arts but might be put off by the snooty perception of the theatre world.

La Jolla Playhouse has generously given FOUR pairs of tickets to opening week shows. To enter, leave a comment on this post with a Flaming Lips memory and the day you would like to attend (Tuesday 11/6, Wednesday 11/7, or Thursday 11/8). Make sure your comment links to a valid email. I will select four winners over the weekend and you will be notified no later than Monday morning.

If you would like to purchase tickets, you can do so here. The La Jolla Playhouse has a 20 under 30 program, offering $20 tickets for people under 30 years old (ID required), and they also ran a text promo for $30 discount tickets, just text "YOSHIMI" to 56654.

(update: I have to moderate all comments, so you only have to submit once. I know the captcha can be annoying, but I promise I see them all, and post them sporadically over the weekend, so your comment won't necessarily appear right away.)

Things To Do In San Diego: November 1, 2012

I'm not really sure how this week has gone by so quickly. Maybe the fact that I consider Thursday the start of the weekend and take Mondays off, I've tricked my brain into three day workweeks that blow right by. Whatever the case may be, I hope everyone had a fun Halloween and is ready to move on and greet the more important things in life, like San Diego Beer Week. Yes, the week that lasts 10 days because 7 is just not enough. There are sooo many events connected to SDBW that I'm not going to list them (since many of them are just keg tappings, brewery takeovers, pairings, and keep-the-glass events), but you can see the comprehensive list on the official site, or check out the San Diego Beer Blog or West Coaster for additional insight. I'm hoping Charles or Jonathan or Mike will enlighten all of us with their beer picks for SDBW, but I'm going to guess that they've probably already started participating. Don't forget to enter my contest for Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, tune in to KPBS midday today as I join Seth Combs for the Weekend Preview with Maureen Cavanaugh, and check out SoundDiego TV on Saturday night because I think my Bowerbirds interview is finally going to air. Thursday archives are after the jump.

SDMTS Change Fees Starting November 1

I've been meaning to talk about the changes to SDMTS that go into effect today, but to be completely honest, I didn't really understand the changes. Here's what I do know: SDMTS will no longer issue $5 paper day passes on the bus for riders. You will be required to have a Compass Card to get the $5 fare, or without one, you will now be charged $7 for a day pass.

From the SDMTS website:

Once you have a Compass Card, it's easy to load a 1-Day Pass on the bus:
• Look for Compass Card symbol on or near farebox and tap your Compass Card flat on the symbol
• Wait for the message – Fare Due $5
• Insert exact fare ($1 and $5 dollar bills accepted; no change given if $10 or $20 bill used)
• Wait for the message – PLEASE TAP CARD TO ADD PASS
• Tap card again and wait for the message – 1 DAY Pass added
• Keep Compass Card on the target until you see the expiration date for your Day Pass

Beginning November 1, riders without a Compass Card may purchase a 1-Day Pass on paper, but a $2 fee will be added ($7 total).

Look, I enjoy taking the bus and trolley, I was even a featured rider by SDMTS a couple years ago, but I also don't have to use public transportation every day. In fact, with a bike in my new neighborhood and my amazing superhero taxi-cab driving boyfriend, I hardly have to use the bus at all. I acquired a Compass card when I was using the trolley a couple months back, but just a few days later found myself downtown with a different, lighter wallet, and couldn't buy a day pass without buying an additional Compass card. There's also a caveat on the back of the card that any unused balance will be fined after two years of non-use, which might not seem like a big deal, but suppose you end up with a small stockpile of the cards with balances on them, eventually you either use it or lose it.

Taking the bus used to be easy. You paid a fare, asked for a transfer if you needed it. The $5 day pass is great if you're traveling between neighborhoods, but you're not exactly going to hop on a bus just to go one or two stops, and an adult monthly pass at $72 means you have to do at least 4 roundtrips per week to justify the purchase. Our public transportation in the city needs to be a priority. It is great that the city is now seeing a budget surplus and it would be amazing to see MTS improvements like added routes (after many were cut or merged during the budget crisis) and increased frequency for busy routes (ever taken the 15 outbound on a weekday between 4 and 7?). Pretty sure neither DeMaio nor Filner give much thought to public transportation, but it sure would be nice if they did. Consider yourself warned.

[Update: Check out this article on KPBS about SDMTS teaming with local bands for a new ad campaign]

San Diego Newsy Bits: New Owners for Eleven

Back in early August, I was at the Soda Bar and overheard a friend say that Eleven had been sold. I tweeted something like "Just overheard Eleven got sold?" My friend requested that I delete the tweet though just hours later said it really didn't matter, he was friends with Alex Kacha and she said it was cool to openly talk about. Unfortunately a friend at Eleven disagreed and I got my ass chewed out for being a rumor mongering jerk. In fact, for about 12 minutes as he yelled at me, I was technically 86ed from the bar for life. Fortunately the whole thing settled down, traces of my Tweet were long gone, andfor the past 3 months have kept my mouth shut, despite many of my industry colleagues telling me that the bar had been up for sale for over a year and it was suggested that Scot Blair is just more interested in focusing on his beer bars and not running a music venue.

On October 20 the "public notice for ownership change" went up and yes, it has taken me this long to write about, though there's nothing really to talk about. The buyers, KADU, Inc, is a hybrid of the last names  Alex Kacha & Neil Dutta. I don't know Neil or Alex, but you've definitely seen Alex out at the cooler shows in town with her camera in hand. Peter Holslin covered the sale in last week's CityBeat and points out that Alex plans to keep things "pretty much...the same". Kelsey Breunig has been booking there the past few month in addition to booking by Zeke, and rumor is that Mario Orduno will also be booking nights under the new owners.

Being that Eleven is the closest cool bar to my house, I hope things truly stay "pretty much the same" and my part of El Cajon Boulevard doesn't get neglected from future Drinkabouts or Craft Beer events.