Get To Know The Irenic

I recently posted a little FAQ-ish list about The Irenic to my Facebook page, but since I'll be there tonight for Maggie Rogers--a totally sold out show where invariably I'll be asked the same questions over and over again--I thought I would repost it here with some minor tweaks.

The Irenic is a music venue located at 3090 Polk, on the corner of Illinois St. By day, it is the Mission Gathering Church and home to Street Angels, an outreach program and shelter for homeless teens. Mission Gathering Church was the group behind a very memorable billboard in North Park after Prop 8 was overturned.


1. All shows are all ages.
2. Shows start early and end early. Venue curfew is 10pm.
3. It is in a residential neighborhood with no parking lot. You're lucky to find parking within a few block radius. Plan accordingly in both time and apparel.
4. There is no alcohol. Beer and wine sales have been suspended for the time being. Hoping this changes soon, but could be weeks to months.
5. Cash only at the door (when the show isn't sold out).
6. There is no ATM on premises. Nearest one is at Vons.
7. A venue can never sell the tickets of people who don't show up. It's super annoying when you ask.
8. There's no re-entry. It's a liability to the venue and promoter.
9. If it's a Casbah show, the Casbah website is the most reliable source of information. "We were told the headliner didn't go on until 9!" You were told wrong. Headliners can start as early as they want, but very generally speaking are on no later than 8:30.
10. There's no outside food or beverages (even water) allowed.
11. Security may ask to search bags.
12. Cameras are ok. No flash, no tripods. Be respectful of audience. Some artists (very few) ask for no photography/video, in which case we have to honor that request.
13. Most shows are standing room only. Very rarely are shows seated and when they are, it's listed as such.
14. There is a smoking patio, but security might check ID for cigarettes and vapes. If you're not of age, they can be confiscated. (I've only see them do this at one show)
15. Soda Bar also uses the venue quite a bit. Their practices and procedures may be different.
16. You can only purchase presale tickets online. There is no box office to make such purchases.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, March 20-Sunday, March 26, 2017

It was a pretty amazing week, even though I kinda wanna throw a tantrum that we haven't been able to get out to Anza-Borrego since the flowers have finally bloomed. I was able to catch Meat Puppets on Tuesday, Teenage Fanclub on Thursday, and Jungle Fire on Saturday. I'm loving Nova's new soccer team and am happy she has a couple friends and I know a couple of the parents, too, including Jen, the awesome vet who helped me so much when Pascha died. I also like that we play parents vs kids at the end of practice, so it's fun to have a ball on my foot after years without. Nova is also doing roller derby and she killed it at her first scrimmage since moving from the Baby Dolls to the Juvenile Dollinquents. She is smaller than the rest of the girls, so blocking isn't her forte just yet, but in her first jam she scored 25 points which means she lapped their pack 5 times in two minutes. This week there are are some great shows like Maggie Rogers and Modern English, CYHSY, and more. I'll also be presenting two awards at the San Diego Music Awards with Daye Salani, representing SoundDiego. Nova has a soccer scrimmage this week, a derby match in LA on Saturday, and a piano recital on Sunday, so we'll be busy, leaving no time to see the superbloom this week, but hopefully everyone keeps posting photos!! There's a lot to talk about so I'll try to do a little "Newsy Bits" update later this week. Monday through Sunday archive are after the jump.

Teenage Fanclub at Belly Up March 16, 2017

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, March 13-Sunday, March 19, 2017

So it turned out to be a pretty great weekend after all. I was definitely feeling sick on Friday, but a day of rest, generic claritin, and some kids nighttime Delsym and I woke up feeling mostly fine on Saturday. Besides forgetting her skates so we had to circle back home in our Uber, the parade was pretty fun and Nova had a great time skating in it. In the afternoon, we met up with my sister and Nova was off for a slumber party so Darren and I could go to the Japandroids show. It was awesome, albeit super callendingto my camera skills (or lack thereof). On Sunday, I laid low until working at the Menzingers sold out show at the Irenic and catching up with work and my shows until the wee hours. This week Nova starts soccer with her new team, meaning we've turned her into the kid that has a scheduled activity every day of the week--piano, soccer, derby, soccer, figure skating, derby, soccer. Eek. There are a ton of great shows this week, so you'll definitely see me out and about. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.   

Things To Do In San Diego: Saturday, March 11-Sunday, March 12, 2017

You can only fight off a cold so long. Judging by my Facebook feed, I'm on the easy side of things at the moment. I felt the tickle coming last week, but you try to fight. I popped Zinc and B-12 and Vitamin C and drank lots of fluids, but then there were two amazing nights of The Shins at the Observatory, and Wednesday I went to The Tragedy of Carmen followed by a night at The Office for Grand Ole Country, and then Thursday I couldn't miss Lady Lamb, and then Friday rolls around and I did nothing more than lounge in pajamas, making sad faces at Darren to bring me caldo de res and tortillas from Pancho Villa, and had a date with Redbox and a couple Kleenex boxes watching Ms. Peregrine while Nova was still awake and Bad Moms after she was asleep. Today Nova is skating in the St. Patrick's Day Parade with the Derby Dolls and I'm hoping I can keep my head clear enough to make it and sustain until the Japandroids show tonight. We shall see. Saturday and Sunday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, March 6-Friday, March 10, 2017

Another great week behind us. The week started on Darren's birthday, so we had a nice dinner at Thai Time as it appeared North Park was going to wash away from the rain. I'm making more of an effort to see more shows, so on Wednesday I walked to Soda Bar for the DoSD one year anniversary, and on Thursday I caught perhaps my favorite show of the year thus far, Mondo Cozmo at the Casbah. (I posted some videos if you wanna check it out.) Nova once again stayed with my nieces for the weekend, and though I wasn't feeling super great on Friday, we went to see Laura Stevenson on Saturday which was pretty fun. In other stuff, Nova tested up into the Juvenile Dollinquents, making her one of the youngest skaters on the squad. We also spent some time with my parents after the dum-dums they hired to remove a 40+ year old palm tree from their front yard proceeded to drop it on their garage. Then we went to the zoo on Sunday which made me realize it had been too long since my last visit. Lots of great stuff coming this week...Monday through Friday archives are after the jump.    

Josh of Mondo Cozmo

Hot Snakes Recording at Singing Serpent

After an extensive break from recording, local heroes Hot Snakes are back in the studio- recording their 4th proper album. Check out pictures from their time at Singing Serpent Studios and read an interview about what they've been up to here.

91X Announces 2017 X-Fest Lineup

In case you missed it, 91X announced their X-Fest Lineup for Sunday, June 11. If you're paying attention, this is the same day as FM 94/9's SPF at Oceanside Pier.

Phoenix will return to San Diego for the first time in four years to headline, along with Empire of the Sun, Bob Moses, Skip Marley, Missio, Sir Sly, The Lemon Twigs, Lo Moon, Creature Canyon, and Lightning Cola.

The concert will be held “on the green” at Qualcomm Stadium Practice Field in Mission Valley. All ages are welcome, general admission and VIP tickets are available. Tickets go on sale Monday, March 6 at 10am.

General admission tickets are on presale right now with password QUALCOMM. Tickets are $55 plus service fees.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, February 27-Sunday, March 5, 2017

There were definitely not enough hours this past week, but I'm wiped so hopefully I can find the time to catch up. I was busy last week...worked at the Tennis show on Wednesday then went to the Office for Iron Maiden Under Cover. Thursday I worked at the Irenic again for Radical Face and Jenny O, and Friday I caught the sold out show with The Staves at the Casbah before closing the night at the Ken. On Saturday, my cousin was in town and scored a room on Hotel Tonight so the kids swam until I worked at the Pinback show at Irenic, and on Sunday, Nova had a derby bout at SkateWorld before we spent the afternoon at my parents' house. I really wanted to catch Hideout but just didn't get my work done in time. This week should be mellow and allow me to get caught up. Today is Darren's birthday, and while he's not really the kind to celebrate, I will hopefully convey to him how glad I am to have him in my life. He's the best friend, partner, and love, beyond anything I could've hoped for, and hope we've got decades more to come. It's the end of the month, so I'll update with Bar Pink, Black Cat, El Dorado, Whistle Stop and others when they come through. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

NBC SoundDiego Interview with Chris Carrabba/Dashboard Confessional

Obviously from my volume of posts on the matter, I was pretty excited about the way my interview with Chris Carrabba went. He was just too nice and it really felt easier than any interview I've ever done because of his openness and willingness to talk. As you've maybe noticed, most SoundDiego segments aren't available online, and that's because the parent company, NBC Universal, could get in trouble with labels and artist right's groups and such. But every once in awhile, the artist or their label will sign off on the footage and then we get to share it far and wide. So here's the final edit of my interview that aired last weekend. To read the whole interview, find it here.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, February 20-Sunday, February 26, 2017

The really great thing is that if you bury your head (from politics) for a little while, you realize we have a pretty good thing going here in San Diego, for now, at least. I was brief on my Friday post, so I'll mention that I had a very full week of activity. We went back to Anza-Borrego on Monday, hiking and seeing stars and enjoying being offline. I have to admit the windy roads got to me a little, so I'll have to rethink my diet next time we go (which will be soon for the Big Bloom). On Wednesday night I went to see Esme Patterson (pictured here), and Lucero at the Belly Up, and couldn't help myself from closing down Emo night at the Office. I was also able to hit up the Crocodiles show on Friday at Hideout (finishing at the Ken, and running into a raccoon on my walk home). Nova was dying to hang with my nieces, and fortunately that happened Saturday, so Darren and I met up with Eric for Surfer Blood at Soda Bar then The Coathangers at Casbah. Sunday is my smut-TV-while-I-work day, and luckily my brother's kids turned up at my Mom's and all the kids wanted another night together. We dropped in, brought more food and clothes, and ended up at Pants Karaoke at Til-Two, and had a romantic (and also desperate to pee) walk home from Euclid to 33rd on El Cajon. If you can bury your head enough from politics for a minute, you should be sure to enjoy the lives we still have. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, February 17-Sunday, February 19, 2017

It's crazy outside tonight, but I thought I'd update the listings anyway since there's all kind of fun stuff happening if you're willing to brave the wind and the rain. Friday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, February 13-Thursday, February 16, 2017

It's been a pretty good weekend, but since Nova has two three-day weekends in a row, I'm gonna enjoy the day off. Tuesday through Sunday listings are afte the jump.

It's Pupping Season at Casa Beach!

It's pupping season at Casa Beach, aka Children's Pool! I got an email from Seal Conservancy over the weekend that said the first pups had been born at the La Jolla seal rookery. The first, born on Saturday (2/4), was feared abandoned but was later seen with her mom. Two more were born on Sunday (2/5). Naturally, we're always drawn to this time of year, and since the beach closure during pupping season has been upheld (for now), and it's been a little on the colder side, it's been pretty nice to spend some time on the sea wall and the new lifeguard tower watching them. Being on a tighter budget, this is one of the most amazing free things to do in San Diego, I guess all you really need is a tank of gas and the time to go by.

We stopped by Tuesday night before the Dashboard Confessional show at Che Cafe, and then made a point to go on Thursday after Nova was out of school. The fog was thick and heavy where it felt like a drizzle, so taking photos was reminiscent of shooting the XX through their fog machines, but I think you can get the idea even with my subpar skill.

I want to be very, very clear here. I respect these animals. I deeply love them and think they're an important part of what makes San Diego so amazing. So as much as I enjoy watching them, I also usually spend half the time cringing at how close people get to them, how they don't read the literal signs or the very obvious body language of the animals. I was on the open side of the beach as they swam in shallow pools created by low tide, but as the tide rose, it was clear Mama was ready to beach herself and her pup, and a clueless woman, with her toddlers, just wouldn't step away. I always wrestle with whether or not to *scream* at people, but eventually she'd taken her fill of selfies and moved along. Don't be one of those people. I know my zoom can be a little deceptive, but at no time was I imposing on their turf.

A final thought...the fight over the seals and sea lions isn't over. While the seals are protected for now, the La Jolla Town Council is fighting fiercely to force the sea lions (who generally hang out at La Jolla Cove) to move the colony. They're calling it "Crisis at the Cove" and are stopping at nothing to fight the City of San Diego. On top of that, the current federal administration is demonstrating a complete and utter lack of concern for animal welfare, habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and science in general, so it's up to us to protect and preserve this treasure, whether that's financially, offereing time, or just spreading the word and showing up when this inevitably goes back to the California Coastal Commission over and over and over again. Join the Seal Conservancy here.

More photos after the jump.

Interview & Photos: Dashboard Confessional at House of Blues (2.3.2017)

Let's start off with the big announcement...Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional will be playing a solo set tonight at the Che Cafe. This is a Casbah presented show and tickets are on sale as of now until sell out. ($15 + service charge, will call only. No ticket transfers allowed.)

I keep mentioning my interview with Chris. The interview and performance will be edited down to about two minutes when it officially airs on NBC SoundDiego in the upcoming weeks, but I loved everything about this interview. I loved that Chris was totally open and we did it in the band's dressing room before the show. I loved that he expressed that he was nervous but then became more forgiving when I said I was nervous, too, that I hadn't done an interview in months. He said we could do a whole run-through and if we didn't like it we could do it all over again in a second take.
(Continued after the jump)

Things To Do In San Diego: Tuesday, February 7-Sunday, February 12, 2017

It's time. Get your tickets now!!! Buy here. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, February 6, 2017

It was certainly a splendid weekend in my world. As I mentioned, I spent Friday afternoon interviewing Chris Carrabba at House of Blues and it was easily my favorite SoundDiego interview ever. I'll let you know when it airs. After that, I had a nice dinner with my family then went back to House of Blues for the show, which was pretty awesome, too. Then I caught some of Metalachi and then closed down the night at Ken Club. On Saturday I had full intentions of going to the political event at Casbah but family comes first, so instead we ended up going to the Tet Lunar New Year Festival at the stadium (which hilariously still has a Chargers billboard saying, "Keeping The Tradition In San Diego") and ended up staying until almost 10. I had promised we'd do a big family outing on Sunday (usually an all day workday), so I stayed up late working. By the time we were up and motivated and packed on Sunday, it was a bit later than planned, but we drove out to Anza-Borrego where we climbed rocks, hiked a little, explored the visitors center, and did a little bit of exploring of the Palm Canyon hike before it got too dark. We're hoping to head back in the next few weeks for sure, better prepared and earlier in the day. This week there are a ton of good shows but my formatting got a little screwed up again, so if you notice any glaring omissions, please let me know. Monday archives are after the jump.    

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, February 3-Sunday, February 5, 2017

I was looking through my listings earlier today and realized they were formatted super weird (long boring blog story that I'll spare you) so I wanted to repost the weekend. I just got ou of an interview with Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional for SoundDiego and he was the nicest ever so I went from no plans tonight to going back to House of Blues for the show, where hopefully I get better photos than this older one from my point and shoot at Soda Bar a couple years back. I'm definitely looking forward to the weekend and taking advantage of the big dumb game to get out of town for a little daytrip. Friday through Sunday archives are after the jump. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, January 30-Thursday, February 3, 2017

I have to say, it has been a very challenging week. It's emotionally confusing, too, because the executive branch is systematically destroying everything with the full complicity of the legislative branch and it's just horrifying, but then we have to live our lives and it was actually a pretty great week. Darren and I did a nice rainy day hike at Mission Trails, I went to the Minor Threat night at the Office, on Thursday we drove out to Laguna and the snow was amazing and probably unlike I'll ever see again in this county for years, and Saturday Nova had her first derby exhibition and she killed it, scoring 29 points in her two turns as jammer and getting her team's MVP award, and then Darren and I got to see Hamilton Leithauser on Saturday night. So it was a lovely week on the homefront, horrifying on the national one. It's a new month this week, so Black Cat, El Dorado, Sycamore Den, and Tio Leo's haven't yet updated. Monday through Thursday archives are after the jump.

Oppose the Demolition of the California Theatre!

It's no secret that I have a strong distaste for many in our local government of late. The same guys who think a tax-funded parking garage belongs in Balboa Park, the same people who basically offered Spanos a $1 lease for life on land most recently valuated at $180 million, and the same people who continually hire Ortiz to fix our roads and sewers (only for their streets to crack, sink, leak or otherwise fail, like clockwork, 2-3 years post construction). Needless to say, I don't have much faith in them doing right by the people and resources of this City. Maybe the Historic Resources Board will be our last hope, against City staff recommendations. This could be the last chance to stop the demolition of the California Theatre and the Caliente mural in one fell swoop.

More eloquent words from my friend, Jaye McCaskill, President of SOHO:

Please do whatever you can to support the preservation of San Diego's California Theater -- the city's only remaining grand theatre of the 1920s that has yet to be restored and brought back to life. Out-of-town millionaire developers are claiming "financial hardship" as their reason to demolish the theater, and are instead proposing to build a phony-baloney quasi-reconstruction of only some of the historic architectural elements (which we know from multiple past experiences is all talk and never comes close to looking like the original). To add insult to insult, once again the fix seems to be in at the City, with Historic Resources Staff supporting this horribly flawed development project. If you can make it to the Historic Resources Board hearing on Thursday morning, please let the members of the HRB board know that you expect them to adhere to higher ethical standards than City staff and to do whatever they can to protect this severely endangered historic resource. If you can't attend the meeting, there are other things you can still do. Please read below and SHARE, SHARE, SHARE! (And also please note that the venue for the HRB meeting is not the usual place or at the usual time.)

You can read the full text of SOHO's e-mail here.

Most importantly, plan to attend the HRB meeting at 9:30am on Thursday, January 26, in the North Terrace Rooms, City Councourse, 202 C Street.

Please act now by contacting the HRB and other officials to oppose this unlawful demolition of a grand San Diego landmark. We also need you to attend this crucial HRB meeting. Your emails and your presence at the meeting matter! At the meeting, you also can either speak or cede time to SOHO.

Take Action Now. Write:

Historical Resources Board (historicalresources@sandiego.gov)

HRB Secretary Shannon Anthony (SAnthony@sandiego.gov)

Mayor Faulconer (kevinfaulconer@sandiego.gov)

and your City Council member HERE.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, January 23-Sunday, January 29, 2016

I confess that I didn't drag my camera out much at all this past week, so this one is from the week before when we went in search of the Rancho Penasquitos waterfall. This was a very low key (somber) week, so besides working the Daniela Andrade show on Thursday (and an encounter with an asshole Vice cop) and the SoundDiego live show on Friday, I was very much a homebody this week. I didn't watch a single second of the inauguration, and while I was proud to see so many amazing people marching on Saturday, my late Friday left me zonked out for Saturday. It's a very southern California thing to freak out and stay in because of the weather, but seeing the streets of Talmadge and City Heights flood out the way they were on Friday, if I don't have to leave the house, sometimes I just won't. Maybe I'll pick up this week. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.