Things To Do In San Diego: November 30, 2011

What a week! I can't believe it's only Wednesday. Yesterday was awesome thanks to West Coast Tavern and  Radio Sophie for the Snow Patrol show, and Slacker for the free Fitz and The Tantrums show. Apparently we scared off some people by telling how many RSVPs there were, but a free party with free food and free booze and the awesomeness of Fitz & The Tantrums. Are you kidding me? Afterward Jake and I hung out with some of the band at their hotel and had a good time watching drunk people. Thanks to Michael, I'll be seeing them all again tonight at the Soiree. The Casbah show sold out earlier this afternoon, so if you want to get out tonight, I'd suggest Commune over the Whistle Stop or Wreck Shop over at the Office. Wednesday listing archives are after the jump.

Sophie's Lounge with Snow Patrol, 11.29. 2011

I pressed the snooze button (or so I thought) and woke up two hours later to realize I almost missed Snow Patrol. Radio Sophie was hosting Sophie's Lounge with lunch at West Coast Tavern and an acoustic performance by half of Snow Patrol in the Birch North Park Theatre. Don't you love the era we live in? I mean, I got home about an hour and a half ago and already have the videos for you to watch. One day, that's going to seem like forever, like early fax machines, but for now, I'll take it.

The band is doing a small radio-station only promotional tour for Fallen Empires, their newest record that will be released stateside on January 10, 2012. The record is fantastic (available in the UK and thus all over the interwebs), and you can pre-order it now. The band will start touring mostly the UK and Germany in January and February and should be in the U.S. sometime in March/April.

As a promotional event, the band was only going to play three songs from the new record, but instead played a couple older songs, too. I really wanted to hear "Chocolate" but I think that predates most radio airplay. All of the videos are below in a playlist and will play in order of the performance.

1. Called Out In The Dark
2. This Isn't Everything You Are
3. Lifening
4. Just Say Yes
5. Chasing Cars



Thanks again to everyone for this, especially David at West Coast Tavern and Mookie at Radio Sophie. This one was beyond words for me.

Things To Do In San Diego: November 29, 2011

I am in such a better mood than I was when I wrote yesterday. First of all, I had a super fun date/is this a date/hangout last night. We had great food at Lucha Libre, saw The Muppets (my first movie in a theatre in over two years!), and went to Dave & Buster's where I learned that I really suck at driving and shooting games but can still kick ass in air hockey. It was fun and I felt like I was 15, only at 15 I was probably getting into way more trouble than that. Then today I woke up and got to go to Sophie's Lounge with Snow Patrol at West Coast Tavern/Birch North Park Theatre. Snow Patrol is one of my all time favorites so I have to admit, I'm still quivering a bit. I'd love to go to KPRI's afternoon session but apparently I don't have the right strings to pull for that one. But this evening I'm really looking forward to the Slacker Radio VIP party with Fitz & The Tantrums. It's gonna be pretty insane with over 5000 RSVPs for a 900 capacity venue, but I'm ready to get down. The only thing that could make this day better is if I had some way of getting Jason Mraz to pop into the Irenic on Friday for a few songs with Colin Clyne, Josh Damigo and Saba. Can anyone make that happen? Also, I'm adding a ton of new shows to the Casbah's calendar today, so check back this evening for a bunch of new show announcements. Tuesday archives are after the jump.

Rosey's Diary: November 22-27, 2011

It's been a weird week for me for reasons I don't really want to go into, but today it was punctuated by an internet troll talking shit on Twitter and to you, little troll, I hope you get a life. I love social media and know that my life and my work are very public and thus subject to criticism, but when stalkers and trolls hang around, sometimes it makes me rethink living out loud. However, instead of pulling back, I'll once again give you another installment of my diary. All after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: November 28, 2011

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I know I was all kinds of lazy, had some great family time, and saw some great music including Joel P West, Grand Tarantula, A Scribe Amidst The Lions, Crooked Fingers, Strand of Oaks, and Rachael Yamagata among others. I've also had issues with my TV, where sometimes I get a picture for a few days and then it craps out and won't turn on for a week. It's very annoying, but it means I watched a lot of streaming programs on the web. I probably should've been more productive but I figured nobody was really checking the site over the weekend anyway.
I will also be reminding you daily of the acoustic show at the Irenic on Friday night with Colin Clyne, Josh Damigo, and Saba. My site supports San Diego music, return the favor and come to the show.

Monday listing archive after the jump.

Black Friday: Get The Goods and Shop Local

My friend Mikey (from Ponce's and Tivoli) is helping to put on this event today at 3rdSpace in University Heights (by Small Bar). They're raising money for Corazon de Vida, a foundation that helps orphanages in Baja California while offering unique gift, live entertainment and more. The show has a $5 cover. The shopping is happening from noon to 8pm, with the artist reception from 8-11pm. 3rdSpace is located at 4610 Park Blvd. Palindrome and Grand Tarantula will be performing later tonight.

THE GOODS SHOW * BLACK FRIDAY is a collective production that showcases local artists and designers in a creative and lively market scenario. The goal is to provide a progressive and intriguing arena in which local artists can exhibit their creations directly to a community that fosters creativity, good intention and conscientious purchasing power. This will be done by providing a service to our local and regional community. THE GOODS SHOW * BLACK FRIDAY is a show dedicated to generating dialogue between the local community, artists, businesses, and humanitarian causes through art, music, design, fashion, and food. It is through these filters that we are able to raise funds and awareness for Corazon de Vida.

Things To Do In San Diego: November 25-27, 2011

I hope everyone got their fill of whatever you feast on at Thanksgiving. I've got at least a day or two of roast beef sandwiches ahead of me but somehow my spoiled brat complaining means that I'll be making the turkey for Christmas. (I just REALLY wanted stuffing).  I also deep down kinda hope that my friends all ditched the Black Friday action. Isn't it funny that people can't camp for Occupy Wall Street, but there's no issue when they want to camp at Wal*Mart for Black Friday specials? If you're gonna shop, I know those deals are so tempting, but consider shopping local and supporting your local businesses. It's those local businesses that fund the local business associations who in turn, fund all of the free events throughout the year, like street fairs and holiday parades. Think about it.

I'm not quite sure where I'll end up tonight, but maybe I'll see ya out on the town. Listings archive after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: November 22-23, 2011

It's only Tuesday but I'm feeling the pressure of a Thursday because I have to get my weekend listings done today and I have two open dates at the Casbah that I need to book ASAP. I know, first world problems, right? But it still keeps me up tossing and turning at night. I have a gajillion emails to go through, too, but I guess I can read through those on the way to Anaheim for Noah and The Whale. There are some cool shows in town tonight, too, so enjoy them for me and for my local bands, hit me up if you're in town this December. Listings archive after the jump.

Rosey's Diary: November 16-21

I realize that for the number of shows I attend, I sometimes really suck about posting about the things I go to after the fact.  This was just going to be a rant about Monday, but I realized there was a lot of cool stuff in the last week, so I'll save the bitching till the end and try to get back in the routine of writing my diary posts. This is gonna be a long post, so check it after the jump.

Tomorrow: Noah and the Whale at House of Blues Anaheim

This is a song for anyone with a broken heart. This is a song for anyone who can't get out of bed. I'll do anything to be happy. Oh, 'cos blue skies are coming. But I know that it's hard.

The last time Noah and the Whale toured through San Diego, I was working the door, so while I had an amazing time listening to the band soundcheck to an empty room, I didn't get to catch much of the actual show. Fortunately I got wind that the band is playing at the House of Blues in Anaheim tomorrow, so while many of you might be at the Morrissey show in Escondido, I will be smack in the middle of Downtown Disney. Tickets are available for the show, so if you're looking for a Tuesday getaway, I'd say it is worth the drive.

This is the last San Diego show, filmed by this amazing guy named Blake who I like to think of as a kindred spirit.

Things To Do In San Diego: November 21, 2011

I didn't know what my family was doing for Thanksgiving until my parents called over the weekend to tell me they bought a roast and would see me on Thursday. Often they head off to Vegas or Harrah's Rincon for holidays, so I'm glad we'll all be cozying up in Chula Vista for the holiday, though I'm a little bummed they're not doing a turkey because my mom makes a mean stuffing. Maybe I can convince her to make it anyway. This week still has plenty of music going into the holiday and everyone knows that Wednesday night is one of the biggest bar nights of the year, so even if you skip the music, on Wednesday, get out to your favorite local watering hole and enjoy the company of friends and neighbors.  There won't be any listings for Thursday but if I get around to it, I'll post all the spots that will be open after you've had your fill of family and gluttonous food. Monday archive after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: November 20-21, 2011

I wasn't going to repost these listings but there were a couple updates and I just heard that Diplo is going to be taking the stage at the America's Cup and the attendance is pretty dismal, so if you want to see Diplo up close and personal, head down to Broadway and Harbor Drive like now. Otherwise, I'll see you all tonight at the Ken Club. If you don't already have tickets to the Casbah, the show is sold out, just so ya know. Weekend archive after the jump.

Dylan Leblanc at the Casbah (11.18.2011)

Dylan Leblanc opened for Rich Robinson at the Casbah last night and I can't really begin to tell you how amazing it was. I was there early and had a chance to talk to Dylan before his set, telling him how much I appreciate his record and whatnot. He told me that I'll like his new record even more (to be released around March), that some people find Pauper's Field boring, and then he asked if there were any particular songs I wanted to hear. Besides all of them? I said I'd think about it and before he played I decided that "Low" and "5th Avenue Bar" were my picks. Dylan had a short set, so after playing a new song (didn't catch the title), he played Low, Changing of the Seasons, 5th Avenue Bar, I Still Miss You (Johnny Cash cover), If Time Was For Wasting, Jack, If The Creek Don't Rise, and Harvest Moon (Neil Young cover). Unfortunately after that he realized he'd already played too long and abruptly ended the set. I would've loved to hear Emma Hartley, too, but I guess I'll have to wait till the next time around.

After the set, I sat in the back bar to enjoy some cocktails and hang out. Rich Robinson sounded great but it was incredibly loud and I was in my warm fuzzy mode after Dylan's set. Dylan came to the back and laid down in the back booth and got a little nap in. He told me he has an inner-ear/sinus infection that has been really draining. When he awoke, he came and sat with me at the bar and we ended up chatting about all kinds of shit. He's shy and says he suffers from paralyzing anxiety and it was cool to see him loosen up the more we talked (and the more we drank). Eventually the show ended and the bar was cleared out but we kept shooting the shit. He told me he wanted to meet Bob Mould and since I'd worked for him the night prior, I was happy to introduce them. Turns out they have the same agent and didn't even know it. Their bus was heading to Phoenix straight from the Casbah, so we said our goodbyes and he was on his way. Dylan Leblanc is an amazing talent and has a lot of the right people in his corner. His songwriting suggests a full life lived beyond his 21 years, and his guitar skills are astounding. At one point earlier in the night, Dylan said something like, "Man, I don't think I'll ever be famous." I beg to differ.

This is the full set (minus the first song).

TRANSFER TOUR BLOG /// TITTY TIME

TITTY TIME /// NEW SHIT HAS COME TO LIGHT

Our drive from Milan to Munich, through the mountains of Austria was incredibly scenic. Saw the most amazing view from the lobby of a McDonalds while eating a Big Mac. Fat ass.

Looked like a Bob Ross original

.

MUNICH - This had to be the most bizarre performance experience to date. First off, the room was completely full when we took the stage which was a pleasant surprise. Germany has been good to us.

We spent time backstage playing acoustic songs with Tribes and getting lightly buzzed before we went on. These lads write good songs and it was pretty cool to hear the foundation of their influences through their selection of Stones songs they were playing. OK, on to the weird - As we were playing I noticed a man, probably in his 60's, that looked exactly like Dr. Kevorkian with his lady friend that looked like an aged Sinead O'conner right at the front of the barrier wearing a see through blouse. Ok, cool, but the guy had his hand on her tit the entire show. Casually nodding along to the music, occasionally switching to the reach-around maneuver and groping the other tit DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US. So incredibly weird and creepy.

After we played Tribes went on and played a great set as usual. When they came off the stage, same story! "Hey, did you guys by chance see the tantric grope-fest happening at the front of the stage?" Yes, in fact...we did.

I came out to the second song of the Kaiser Chiefs and noticed they were still there, only now, it had graduated to both hands. Oh man...we made eye contact with the fellas as they performed and they were so distracted by titty time at the barrier, it was all they could do to keep it together. THREE HOURS of this? Really?

Nobody could figure this one out and we all left this show totally perplexed. No answers...no logical explanation could be deduced. It was a confusing enough scenario that one could only walk away with the response, "Well...THAT just happened."

BERLIN - We wound up back at one of our new favorite spots, The Michelberger Hotel to play an acoustic set in the lobby. If you are ever in Berlin, do yourself a favor and stay here. It is very artsy and celebrates one of the greatest films of all time, The Big Lebowski. The marquee out front reads, "NEW SHIT HAS COME TO LIGHT", the movie is constantly streamed on flat screens mounted in the hallways and there was an amazing 8' chalk drawing of The Dude. So cool.

Feeling a little road weary and slightly unprepared, we came up with a set of ten songs we deemed suitable for our performance. Shaun played piano the whole time with myself on the acoustic, Card on his electric, and Andy on brushes with a kick, snare and one cymbal.

ACOUSTIC SET

Take Your Medicine

Waltz

Deerskin

Dark Behavior

Like a Funeral

Get Some Rest

Blaine Osborn

Bed of Nails

Sinking Sailing

Losing Composure

We wound up having a terrific time playing our tunes in this format. Being a sometimes obnoxiously loud band, it was difficult to imagine the translation but it all worked and tempted us to do more shows like this.

The atmosphere was very relaxed and everyone seemed to have a great time. One of the hotel employees wound up giving us shot after shot of homemade schnapps so that pretty much put a nail in it.

On the ferry now to arrive in Copenhagen to stay for a night on our way to Oslo AND Card owes me a euro for fucking up my motorcycle racing game. Looking forward to Christiania. ;)

Things To Do In San Diego: November 18, 2011

I am having such a great week. I have to say, the America's Cup has been SO AWESOME and so sadly underattended. People complain that Street Scene is gone and then some massive organization with tons of money to blow on a FREE concert series comes to town...well, San Diego, sometimes I just don't think you appreciate how good we have it. You take too much for granted. Hopefully you don't blow it this weekend because the series continues through Sunday and even if you're not into sailing, I'm telling you, it's hard not to get caught up in the moment as they call the races like the track and then give you free music to boot. Personally I'll be running all over town this weekend to get posters posted, to see the AMAZING Dylan Leblanc, head to the Tin Can, hit up the Ken Club for a killer Saturday lineup and then have to make the decision on Sunday between El Dorado and the Casbah. Life sucks, it's hard, but music is the great escape and I plan on taking full advantage. You should, too. Friday archive after the jump.

TRANSFER TOUR BLOG

Day 27
Kaiser Chiefs had sold out two nights at Ancienne Belgique, which is touted as one of the best venues in Europe. After a triple shot of the place in one week, and in our most recent experience touring over here I would have to agree. Our show with Mona was in the club part of the venue so we had some new Belgian fans that came to the show early to support, which was cool.
Here's where the second half of this tour has has taken us so far:

BRUSSELS - We somehow scored a sweet dressing room and after-partied with Tribes, Kaiser Chiefs and crew at a pub across the street from the venue. All great people. After many spirits I looked over as we were about to leave and Shaun was playing keys in the Acid Jazz band in the corner! Nice one, Corn!

AMSTERDAM (again) - We stayed at a rad hotel for the second time on this trip called Backstage. Big ups to Marcel and the crew for making our stay there so comfortable. The rooms had flight case bed frames, snare drum light fixtures and killer views of one of the canals that ran through the city. The street below was bustling with trains, cars and bicyclists, all hauling ass and seemingly coming within an inch of their lives. Jesus Christ. I was rehearsing my summer camp C.P.R. exam in my mind. This was of course, before the "Cafe" erased any chance of proficiency I may have had in resuscitating anyone. Card drew a wicked ram skull on the wall before we left.

The following day we played the Heineken Music Hall. It was our second time there so we knew what to expect. The largest venue of this tour, the room holds around 6K and was pretty full when we went on. We were blessed with someone that was interested in doing our lights for us when we played so we walked away from that one feeling pretty good.

We watched Kaiser Chiefs perform from the side of the stage. If you haven't seen a show, you are missing out. Incredible energy with one of the best front men I have seen. At one point in the show, Ricky, (singer) says, "Hey, that guy in the crowd looks like Seinfeld!" then he proceeded to part the 5,000 person crowd and runs about 50 yards out in the middle of everyone to check it out. I lost sight and could only hear him over the microphone amongst the screaming audience...then he emerged through the crowd riding on someone's shoulders all the way back to the stage...all while singing the song. So rad.

ZURICH - This show was a long drive from Amsterdam so we wound up showing up just before our soundcheck a little wiped out. The Kaiser's had a bus breakdown so we made a stop to grab some of their things for them out of the bus, on our way to the venue. The show went pretty well and we all kicked it on the balcony above the floor, which made a great vantage point to watch both Kaiser Chiefs and Tribes performances. We are stoked to be on such a good bill.

LAUSANNE - What a beautiful place. A predominantly French speaking town in Switzerland on the edge of Lake Geneva. We played a one-off club show at a place called the Bleu Lezard with Tribes. This was the pre party for the Metropop festival the following night. The room was a small basement bar and had all the makings to be a struggle with sound as the monitors were duct taped to the backs of chairs that were sitting in front of the tiny stage. When we took the stage and played our set we were pleasantly surprised that the stage sound was fantastic and the club was packed with a very responsive crowd. I guess you can never tell...

*Highlight of this one for me was the dreadlocked DJ spinning records in the back of the room. He was wearing shades inside AND at night AND having an air-guitar meltdown, leaping up into the air, getting juiced up beyond belief. Fucking incredible.

MILAN - Our first time. The venue was pretty cool and we had some food and wine at the restaurant connected to the venue before the set so we were feeling good and loose. A great thing about this show was the no decibel limit on the sound. Most venues in Europe have a limit to the volume of the show, so you wind up being at a lower volume than you might expect. We are a loud ass band and when we have to turn way down it feels weird. Not the case at this one...

The stage sound was killer and the crowd seemed quite receptive. Save for the Jack-off at the barrier Facebooking on his cell phone. I understand that our music isn't for everyone and it's not our crowd we're playing to, but i will say that if you make your way to the front at a show and spend your time "social networking", you're a douche.

Traveling from Milan, Italy to Munich, Germany through Austria, our van started to have some problems up the steep, mountain climbs. It seems like pulling over to let it rest for a few minutes helped it regain some gusto in acceleration but it's freaking everyone out. I got out to shake out the air filter in an uneducated attempt to help. Seems to be running a little better but I suppose we won't know until we hit some more mountains...most likely at 3AM in an unfamiliar country. Pray for us sinners...

America's Cup Racing Series Kicks Off In San Diego

Penalty!

I'm at the America's Cup Village at the moment. I scored press credentials which means that I might hang out here during the week for a change of scenery while I take advantage of their wi-fi and learn a thing or two about racing. sailing. catamaraning. I dunno...maybe I'll pick up the lingo while I'm here. I'm also going to strategically sat by some Spanish media guys. I love hearing castellano.

I ran into Halloran and met the stage managers and they told me the listings had been updated but it appears that the site still has the vague spaceholders for the Battle of the Bands slots. They told me that Abandon The Raft, Illuminauts, Black Hondo, and one more qualified- the name escapes me now-but they didn't tell me what order they qualified. I heard Jamuel Saxon is playing on Friday, too, but I don't know what time. So yeah, I'm not very useful right now but thought I'd update what I know since I'm here now. I changed the link to the banner ad at the top of my site, so you should be able to get those updates when the ladies post from the office.

Wednesday, November 16 - Agua Dulce (4:15)
Thursday, November 17 - The Silent Comedy (8:15) , Little Hurricane (7pm), The Donkeys (5:15)
Friday, November 18 - Chromeo DJ Set (8:30), K.Flay (7:45), The Soft Pack (6:30), Earth Amplified (4:15)
Saturday, November 19 - Diplo (8:15), Hyena (7pm), The Chain Gang of 1974 (5:45)
Sunday, November 20- The Cataracs (5pm)







Obviously there is going to be massive press coverage (this media room is MASSIVE), but here are some quick photos I shot. More photos after the jump.

Agua Dulce soundcheck

Friday Night: Dylan Leblanc at the Casbah

I know the headliner for the Casbah's early show on Friday is Rich Robinson, brother of Chris and a founding member of The Black Crowes. That's great. Black Crowes were a radio staple growing up and it's great that he's coming. I think his music is more my speed than his brother and I'm looking forward to seeing him. You can grab a download here (or just click the arrow to hear the song).


That said, I have to say since I first heard about this show, I've been so excited to see opener Dylan Leblanc. For a brief period of my site, I started getting boxes of promo CDs from Atlantic. Like ever month or two, I'd get a box with 10, 15, 20 new titles. I made a personal vow that since I don't review albums, that I would at least listen to every single one and judge on it's own musical merits, that way when the bands would tour or come to town, I'd know what people could expect. Mostly though, the music was top 40, metal, or country, and there were very few albums- maybe 10%- that I got that I kept listening to after the first listen. Dylan Leblanc's record came to me last year, maybe August, and was just the case and the CD without any album art. I put the CD into my stereo and was immediately taken back. The Lousiana native was born in 1990. Um, yeah, do the math. The kid has a style and sound beyond his years, a ghostly quality to his voice that most people have to smoke and drink for years to achieve. Of course I found his site and looked up tourdates and if I remember correctly, his U.S. tour only went as far west as Colorado then he hit Europe pretty extensively (he is, after all, on Rough Trade). Anyway, this is an EARLY SHOW at the Casbah on Friday. Doors are at 6:30, Dylan could be on as early as 7 or 7:30. Check out the playlist I assembled from videos on the web, then get your ass to the show.

Tonight at Anthology: Good Old War

Good Old War are back in town tonight! I love this band. They're such sweet guys, great songwriters, and excellent performers. This ain't no hipster shit, just good solid music that makes you feel good to see and makes you want to sing along. If you don't have other plans, I suggest you call Anthology and make a reservation now. This is a playlist of a show they played at Porter's Pub last year. There are 10 videos in this playlist. Make sure to check out the last song, "Loud Love", which I believe is still unreleased but is pretty much a perfect song to me. Enjoy.

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

Happy Wednesday! I feel really ready to attack today, don't you? I mean, sometimes I do this thing when I've revealed too much in a blog post where I try to bury it with as many other blog posts as possible. Just a habit. I'm looking forward to taking life by the horns today, and  I'm excited about Good Old War tonight. We'll see if I make it to my other planned destinations or just go with the flow of where life takes me, but either way, I'm ready. Archive are after the jump.