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San Diego Shows–Saturday, July 4

July 4, 2009 - 10:31 am — Seth Combs

l_171dfb4c5b3b405da659e4c321b3db77 PLAN A: Amenity @ Black Box Studios (2 p.m.)–Chula Vista’s greatest contribution to hardcore is back together after nearly two decades apart and judging by their warehouse performance at The Guild last December they haven’t lost a step. This is a free show that will be recorded and broadcast on FM94/9 tomorrow night and also includes a barbeque out in the parking lot. Which brings me too… PLAN B: Knock Em Stiff, Northern Towns @ Radio Room–Speaking of hardcore, Northern Towns aren’t exactly as, well, hardcore about it as Amenity even though Towns’ singer is straight edge. But their music is just as ferocious and aggressive as any band of the same ilk (check out Jim Ruland’s great piece on the band here). Not to mention they’ve recently worked in a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “The Partisan” that take’s the folk tune and injects it with a newfound spirit of aggressiveness and immediacy. PLAN C: Lady Dottie and the Diamonds, The Grass Heat, and guests @ The Casbah–Sometimes you gotta see them again to remind yourself just how entertaining and talented they are. Such was the case last Monday night where, after a rather disappointing Ida Maria show at The Casbah, I headed over to U-31 and danced despite the fact that the eternally sober Adam Gimbel made fun of me. What can I say, 98 percent of the time I ‘m like Crash Davis. I don’t dance. But the Lady brings it out in me. BACKUP PLAN: “Ikah Love Presents” @ The Office–Love has way more records than you. Trust me. If you still don’t believe me, check out Carissa Casares’ profile on him in this week’s issue.

QUICK PICKS:

Cash’d Out @ 710 Beach Club

May*Star’s Fashion Whore @ Ruby Room

Transport (dance party) @ Whistle Stop

DJ Adam Salter @ El Dorado

Dead Man’s Party, Still Ill @ Belly Up

“Vanity” with Eclipse 79, Dead Feather Moon, The Beautiful View, Urban Renewal Projekt DJs@ Beauty Bar

Jesse Nova, Anna Troy, Holding Air Hostage @ Riley’s

Stone Temple Pilots @ Harrah’s Rincon Open Sky Theatre

Jacqueline Grace, The Flowerthief @ Canes

Goth/Industrial Night @ Kava Lounge

DJ Beatnick @ Bar Dynamite

Posted in Music, Music videos, Nightlife, concerts, shows. Tags: "Ikah Love", amenity, july 4, Lady dottie and the diamonds, northern towns, San Diego, Saturday, shows. Leave a Comment »

Eddie Izzard – Death Star Canteen

July 3, 2009 - 12:21 pm — edwin decker

This is hilarious.

Posted in Arts & Culture, Silliness. Leave a Comment »

San Diego Shows–Friday, July 3

July 3, 2009 - 11:39 am — Seth Combs

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PLAN A: Ded Pigeons, The Dabbers, Eliza Rickman, The Kris Special @ Soda Bar–Psychedelic garage-rockers Ded Pigeons and poppy alt-country duo The Kris Special are all well and good, but it’s the other two acts that make Soda Bar the place to be tonight. The Dabbers have gone from merely a side project for Kill Me Tomorrow’s Zack Wentz and girlfriend Shelby Gubba (formerly of BRAAIINS), to one of the hardest-working, most enjoyable bands in town. And he L.A.-based Eliza Rickman is going places. The daughter of a Baptist preacher, she performs haunting, melancholy tunes on a toy piano and has a voice like PJ Harvey at her loveliest. Not sure how well you’ll be able to hear Rickman over the noise at Soda Bar, but get up close to hear the magic happen. PLAN B: “Jivewire/One Nation Under a Groove” with DJs Bart Blackstone, ATARI, T-Money and live set by Triple Cobra @ The Casbah–Sorry to steal your thunder Airport Lounge, but the fact that Jivewire only happens every month or so and that it remains one of the crunkest nights in San Diego, always makes it a must-go. No bottle service. No Downtown attitude. Just some of the best tunes by the biggest and best vets on the scene (Blackstone and ATARI). PLAN C: The Paddle Boat, Kitchen, Cool Boobs @ Tin Can Ale House–I have no idea who Kitchen and Cool Boobs are (I have a feeling that there might be some surprises in store) but if you haven’t been to this Bankers Hill bar yet, this is the night to break your cherry. The Paddle Boat’s harmonious blend of indie-folk and vintage jazz is perfect for the quaint, little spot and should make for an intimate alternative to the rest of the craziness this weekend. BACKUP PLAN: Death Cab For Cutie, Matt Costa @ Belly Up–Didn’t get tickets in time? Stand outside and pray.

Quick Picks:

“Feel The Noise” with DJs Gabe Vega & Saul Q, Adamanevil @ U-31

DJs Disc-O & Jorge Luna, The Tooth, Office Twins, Trolly Station, Urban Defalla @ Beauty Bar Read the rest of this entry »

Who will California pay in cash, and who will be getting IOUs?

July 2, 2009 - 5:17 pm — Eric Wolff

Reuters blogger Felix Salmon pieced together a terrific table on who will be getting IOUs from the state starting today, and who will be getting cash. The links at the top of the table point to supporting information from the state controller’s website.

People who get California IOUs	People California pays in cash
Grants to aged, blind or disabled persons	University of California
People needing temporary assistance for basic family needs	Public Employees’ Retirement System
People in drug prevention, treatment, and recovery services	Legislators, legislative employees, and appointees
Persons with developmental disablities	Judges
People in mental health treatment	Department of Corrections
Small Business Vendors	Health Care Services payments to Institutional Providers

Note that the legislature is still getting paid during all this, and so is the governor’s staff, which might seem odd since the budget impasses is their fault. However, they are state employees, and all state employees must get paid in cash, as mandated by the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act. In the 1992 budget crisis, the state tried to pay state workers in IOUs. The workers sued, and won two landmark cases, Parr v. State of California and Biggs v. Wilson (1991).

Posted in Local News. Tags: Budget, IOUs, John Chiang, Parr, Reuters, State of California, Wilson. 1 Comment »

Because it’s 4:20 on Thursday before a long weekend: Fake band T-shirts

July 2, 2009 - 4:20 pm — Eric Wolff

We all like to imagine fake band names. But what’s their T-shirt look like? Thanks to Shirt.Woot, now we know:

And this isn’t a fake band. Just a little cute to launch you into July 4th weekend:

Posted in Silliness. Leave a Comment »

Andrew Bird to play show on Adventure Hornblower boat on July 9

July 2, 2009 - 3:40 pm — Seth Combs

Grab your swim trunks and your flippy-floppys, cause I just got this in the mail (thanks to AnnaMaria Stephens). I’d get going to one of those locations ASAP:

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Posted in Music, concerts. Tags: San Diego, concert, "july 9", "andrew bird", 102.1, KPRI, adventure hornblower, boat. Leave a Comment »

More from the local beer world

July 2, 2009 - 12:40 pm — Kelly Davis

Sam Chammas, owner of Whistle Stop Bar in South Park and co-owner of Live Wire, Starlite and Riviera Supper Club, got back to me after my deadline for this week’s story about the merger of two of San Diego County’s largest beer distributors, Mesa and Crest, into a new company called Crest LLC.

(Quick recap: smaller and mid-sized bars are complaining that there’s been a drop-off in customer service and, as a result, they’ve been turning to local/smaller breweries and distributors for their beer needs. This is significant because San Diego’s become a craft-beer mecca. If bars are switching out big-name beer taps for lesser-known beers, it gives the little guys a chance to get their product out there.)

“The consensus is a dramatic decrease in customer service,” Chammas wrote. “Doug from Riviera says they’ve missed delivery days. However Thad at Live Wire says things have been all good, but he credits retaining the same salesperson who is on it.”

(A lot of bar owners I talked to said some long-time sales reps, with whom they’d formed relationships, were laid off in the merger.)

Chammas included comments from Tim Mays, owner of The Casbah and co-owner of Starlite and Riviera, who said the plan is for Starlite to cut ties with Crest “in the next week or so.”

“Customer service is very very poor,” Mays wrote. “Reps seem to have given up in some instances on making an effort. Wrong deliveries – improperly filled out invoices, etc. etc.”

Meanwhile, I got an e-mail from David “Duke” Reyes, one of the brothers from Reyes Holdings, the international mega-distributor behind the Mesa/Crest merger.

“New Crest has been in business for 2 weeks,” Reyes wrote. “Give us a chance…. Please don’t crucify Crest just yet.”

Posted in Local News. Tags: beer, Crest LLC, Reyes Holdings, Starlite. 2 Comments »

San Diego Shows–Thursday, July 2

July 2, 2009 - 11:49 am — Seth Combs

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The Long And Short Of It, Mount Vicious, Archons @ Radio Room–I don’t think that it’s any secret that I’m in love with The Long and Short of It. Not only are they one of the best live bands in town, but their new album, CAW!: An Unkindness of Ravens is one of the best and most thoroughly satisfying local releases of the year. And tonight, the old Zombie Lounge crowd might make an appearance for the rockabilly-punk of Mount Vicious so show up early if you like tattoos and greasy hair. PLAN B: The Death Eaters, Werewolves, Soft Black, The Old In Out @ The Casbah–If you hear the name “Death Eaters” and the first thing you think of is Harry Potter, then do yourself a favor: Stop reading this blog and go read a fucking book for adults. Now that I got that out of the way, this is one of the weirdest lineups at The Casbah I’ve seen in awhile. Despite all the bands having a name that conjures up images of Norwegian guys dressed in black, none of these bands play metal. Like fellow local ’70s rock disciples The Bloodflowers and Dirty Sweet, The Death Eaters make songs that makes guys wanna pump their fists and girls wanna drop their drawers. It’s not original. Hell, it’s not even that good, but it serves its purpose. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn-based Werewolves play a moody variety of noir-rock that reminds me of White Light-era Velvet Underground or a groovier Spaceman 3. Round it out with fellow New Yorkers Soft Black (folky, psychedelic rock) and the Rocket From The Crypt-inspired rock of locals The Old In Out and you got one eclectic night of talent. BACKUP PLAN: Junior Reid with High Tide, Without Papers @ Brick By Brick–The reggae legend is pushing 50 and can still put on a hell of a show.

Quick Picks:

Egadz!, Ninthcloud @ Ruby Room

Revenge Club, Heavy Cessna, Snake Babies @ The Ken Club

“Expressway to Yr Skull” feat. Mario Orduno @ Soda Bar

Shawn Rohlf & The 7th Day Buskers, The Keys @ Bar Pink

“’80s Heat” with Knights of Monte Carlo @ Belly Up

The Epilogues, The Fascination, Gas Station Robber @ U-31

DJs Mark & Quark @ Tin Can Ale House

Publicists, The Heavy Love, The Steelwells @ Beauty Bar

Posted in Music, Music videos, Nightlife, concerts, shows. Tags: "Long and short of it", "mount vicious", concerts, july 2, junior reid, San Diego, shows, soft black, the death eaters, the old in out, Thursday, werewolves. Leave a Comment »

San Diego Shows–Wednesday, July 1

July 1, 2009 - 11:20 am — Seth Combs

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PLAN A: Volts, The Zion Laser Strike, Census @ Radio Room–The scene seems saturated with lo-fi noise these days, but it certainly doesn’t begin or end with Wavves. Volts and The Zion Lazer Strike (both tied for best band name in San Diego) are a couple of newcomers making some serious racket. And I have Todd Kroviak to thank for hipping me to Census, a one-man, mainly instrumental project that jumps from shoegaze drones (”Vindica Arieless”) to ambient walls of sound (”Always Something to Learn”). Good stuff. PLAN B: Knives!, Gran Sasso, The Displaced @ Ruby Room–Knives ! seem to be getting better and better, and while there’s nothing wholly original about their clever mix of old-school punk and garage rock, their live show is kick-ass. And I’m happy to see The Displaced on the bill. In and out of the scene for almost a decade, they’re poppy indie-rock always made me wish that they could find a steady drummer. BACKUP PLAN: Amazing Baby, Long Live Logos, The Color Of Glass and guests @ The Casbah–Joining the likes of Glasvegas and The Airborne Toxic Event, Amazing Baby have a big buzz and a grandiose sound to match. And these Brooklyn cats aren’t exactly hiding their Brit influences. Their debut, Rewild, is packed full of Pink Floydish diatribes (”Invisible Palace”) and tracks that would fit nicely on some future Nuggets comp (”Headdress”). I swear I here some latter-day Pulp in there as well (”Bayonets”). While there’s a little too much posturing for my tastes (seriously, they look like they’re about to have some peyote-induced hippie orgy with MGMT in the video for “Headdress.” See below), they’ve got major-label distribution in Europe and I reckon they’ll have it in the Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Music, Music videos, Nightlife, concerts, shows. Tags: "amazing baby", "census", "July 1", "knives!", "volts", "zion lazer project", DJ Quik, San Diego, shows, the displaced, wednesday. Leave a Comment »

Is Harley-Davidson a green business? Not so much

June 30, 2009 - 6:02 pm — David Rolland

I get a lot of crap from out-of-town PR companies. And by “crap” I mean the crap that’s sitting on the top shelf of my office bookcase. I call it My Big Shelf o’ PR Crap. On it, for example, is a stuffed “Poppy” doll, which is some sort of mascot of the popcorn industry that, I guess, is supposed to be, like, a boxer or a superhero. All I know is that his head is shaped like popped corn, and he’s wearing blue shorts and red sneakers. Whatever. And then there’s the Bernie Mac bobble-head figurine that was, presumably, intended to compel me to publish a story about the movie Mr. 3000. I didn’t publish such a story. Anyway, you get the idea.

All this stuff comes in relatively large packages, which are sent to thousands of newspaper editors like me across the country, wasting untold amounts of energy and trees and spewing all manner of gasses into the atmosphere and blah blah blah. But at least it contributes to My Big Shelf o’ PR Crap.

When a box came from Harley-Davidson this week, I thought for sure there would be a new addition to My Big Shelf o’ PR Crap—maybe a miniature Hog. That would’ve been sweet—something to play with while procrastinating on some important deadline.

But, no.

Inside this plastic-wrapped box that was an inch and a half deep were three sheets of paper singing the praises of the new Harley-Davidson Iron 883 motorcycle. Three sheets of paper!

Makes me think New York Myke is running the whole company these days.

Posted in Silliness. Tags: crap, Harley-Davidson, New York Myke. 6 Comments »

Union-Tribune cuts toughest criticisms from mayor’s letter to the editor

June 30, 2009 - 3:15 pm — Eric Wolff

Mayor Jerry Sanders has come out of his corner with fists flying in his brawl with the San Diego Union-Tribune. The paper concluded a three-part series today in which they argue that the city has been growing its payroll during a period of fiscal belt-tightening. In his response, Sanders sent a memo to the City Council going through the story line by line to correct the record, and he sent a letter to the Union-Tribune, which the paper published in today’s edition.

But the paper didn’t publish the letter in full. According to an e-mail sent to CityBeat by Sanders’ spokesperson Rachel Laing, the paper cut off the first and last paragraphs of the letter. While it’s common for newspapers, including CityBeat, to edit letters down for space, letters from high-profile individuals arguing controversial stories are often left untouched. In this case, the paragraphs the paper opted to cut happened to contain the harshest criticisms of the story. Laing also provided CityBeat with the complete letter.

“Over several months,” the first paragraph read, “the Union-Tribune was provided thousands of pages of data by my office, and yet still managed to produce an article that was highly distorted, and in some cases, downright false.”

The letter went on to detail flaws in the story’s logic about the purported rise in payroll.

The final paragraph, which was also cut, read: “This information is part of the public record and was explained in detail to the Union-Tribune.

Unfortunately, the newspaper’s Watchdog Team needed a sensational claim to justify its months-long ‘analysis,’ so it distorted some facts and excluded others with the clear intent of misleading the public.”

I left a message this afternoon for Union-Tribune’s opinion editor Bernie Jones to get comment.

The complete text of the letter, with the missing paragraphs restored, is after the jump:

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Mayor Sanders, Media. Tags: Mayor Jerry Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune. 5 Comments »

Del Mar Fair blows off reggae

June 30, 2009 - 1:00 pm — edwin decker

Well, it looks like that harpie, Lisa Silverman, won the battle to ixnay reggae music at the Fair.

Reggae fans, musicians feel slighted by the fair.

Read my original article about her campaign to stop reggae, cuz of, you know, marijuana

Posted in Arts & Culture, Music. 6 Comments »

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