San Diego CityBeat • Feb 13, 2013

2 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 3

The Maass Era ends Our music editor, Peter Holslin, finally snapped. Afon what goes on inside San Diego County jails and ter years of being on the receiving end of constant juvenile-detention facilities. That’s just a small samneedling and badgering and poking and prodding pling of his memorable work—the list goes on: mediand pestering by our investigative reporter, Dave cal marijuana, neo-Nazis, Carl DeMaio, Darrell Issa, Maass, Holslin—possessor of the mildest manner FBI Citizens Academy, WikiLeaks, CalPERS, not to around—reached his limit recently and told Dave to mention his cultural writing, such as his Comic-Con “Shut! Up!” It was a watershed moment in CityBeat coverage and stories like the one he wrote recently office-space lore. about a vintage-turntable repairman. It’s an impresLots of San Diegans have wanted Dave to Shut! sive body of work for three-plus years.

Up!—mostly those who find themselves in his arguOne of my favorite of Dave’s stories was a cover mentative crosshairs on Twitter. He certainly has a piece called “Tuan’s paradoxes.” It started with Dave way about him. wanting to know more about a man who was waging a It’s all part of the package, and on balance, Dave, quiet protest against the CIA out of a minivan parked despite his unique ability to burrow under the skin, Downtown, and it turned out to be a riveting profile is the most organized and focused investigator and of a brilliant but troubled Vietnamese immigrant. one of the most creative and talented writers I’ve We’ll also miss Dave in the office. Though his ever worked with. In my view, he’s the best reporter abundant gift of gab dramatically drove up CityBeat in San Diego, but he pairs that skill with a knack for staffers’ use of headphones—and his workspace generating the kinds of irreverent ideas that alternamight be a Superfund site—he’s also entertained tive weeklies need to stay fresh—they us and kept us loose with his sharp, just keep coming, as if on a conveyor belt quick wit. He’ll be hard to replace, but from a machine. The best example is our we’re working on it. We’re committed “Turds & Blossoms” election-time series, to continuing the momentum that Dave in which we (mostly Dave) called out the helped us generate. We have a handful best and worst candidate behavior. of strong candidates.

I sing his praises because the day All of us wish him the best of luck. this issue hits the streets is, sadly, Dave’s last day with CityBeat. He’s leaving San Diego for a job in San Francisco The loss of Dave Maass is but one of a with the Electronic Frontier Foundahandful of changes going on at CityBeat. tion (eff.org), where he’ll help journalIn the wake of art and culture editor Amy ists do their thing in the digital realm.

Dave Maass Granite’s departure (along with her food Happily, he’ll continue doing journalcolumn, “Grubby Bitch”), we’ve promoted events ism himself, including carrying on his technology editor Alex Zaragoza to the title of staff writer and column for CityBeat, “No Life Online,” as well as a replaced her with a new events editor, Shea Kopp. big investigative series he and associate editor Kelly Zaragoza has taken over our “Seen Local” visual-arts Davis are preparing to launch. page and will contribute more culture features, along Just as former arts editor Kinsee Morlan revowith her lively monthly column, “There She Goz.” lutionized the way CityBeat covered visual art, We’ve selected a new wine writer, Jen Van Dave set a high bar for investigative reporting. For Tieghem, whose column starts next week; I thank example: He wrote the first, definitive story about Anders Wright for carrying the vino torch as long problems at the San Diego Service Authority for as he did. We’ll also be adding a couple of new food Freeway Emergencies, leading to enactment of writers shortly, one of whom is Mina Riazi, who’ll reform legislation; he led the way in chronicling begin in March. Our new “Urban Scout” shopping how county Supervisor Bill Horn has tried to use columnist is Katrina Dodson; she’ll start in March. taxpayer money to further his religious agenda; he I’m excited about adding these fresh new voices to shined light on attorney Gary Kreep’s role in the our team. nationwide “Birther” movement before Kreep was elected to the San Diego Superior Court bench and —David Rolland continueed to watch him after he took his seat. Most What do you think? Write to editor@sdcitybeat.com. recently, he’s used public records to lift the curtain

•••

This issue of CityBeat is dedicated to Fatboy’s Deli—we hope it can withstand the loss of Dave Maass’ Cheezy Heaven purchases.

Volume 11 • Issue 28 Editor David Rolland Associate Editor Kelly Davis senior Staff Writer Dave Maass Music Editor Peter Holslin Staff Writer Alex Zaragoza Events Editor Shea Kopp Film Editor Anders Wright Web Editor Ryan Bradford Art director Adam Vieyra

Columnists Edwin Decker, John R. Lamb Contributors Ian Cheesman, Derrik Chinn, David L. Coddon, Jeff “Turbo” Corrigan, Scott McDonald, Jenny Montgomery, Kinsee Morlan, Sasha Orman, Jim Ruland, Marie Tran-McCaslin, Jeff Terich, Quan Vu Interns Crystal Tellez-Giron, Rees Withrow Production Manager Efraim Manuel Senior account executive Jason Noble Advertising Account Executives Sean Eshelman, Paulina Porter-Tapia

Cover illustration by Kristina Collantes director of marketing Chad Boyer Circulation / Office Assistant Shea Kopp Vice President of Finance Michael Nagami Business Manager Angela Wang Human Resources Andrea Baker Accounting Tracy Lowe Alysia Chavez Vice President of Operations David Comden Publisher Kevin Hellman

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San Diego CityBeat is published and distributed every Wednesday by Southland Publishing Inc., free of charge but limited to one per reader. Reproduction of any material in this or any other issue is prohibited without written permission from the publisher and the author. Contents copyright 2013.

4 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 5

Lazy leftists Before addressing your Newtown diatribe [“Editorial,” Jan. 23], let me say I support voter suppression—the fraudulent kind.

Many people who live in New York and have vacation properties in Florida have been caught voting in Florida and/or both states. There are many other examples.

Also the good leftists seem to miss the deadlines for sending ballots to overseas military. Somehow, I think if the military would toe the Marxist line, they would get their ballots! Voter suppression by the left against the military is the worst example I know of.

Newtown: I guess I should expect simply a regurgitation of the leftist talking points from CityBeat, and you never disappoint! Jumping on the bandwagon, you overlook the obvious, that Adam Lanza could have easily cornered and killed the same amount of people (small children) with the two handguns he had.

He had 20-some minutes, reloading once or twice; nothing would have changed.

Your leftist consensus laws would not have changed anything in Newtown. Typical of the left, the laws are to make you feel good not to solve anything. Do you think a man with a machete could have also done it? I do.

Why don’t we follow what Obama and the leftist elite like David Gregory do, instead of what they say. There are 11 armed guards at the private school their children attend. Of course, this is not in the leftist talking points. These guards are separate and unrelated to the Secret Service detail for the Obama girls. Recently in Ohio, a school district had janitors volunteer to carry weapons to protect their schools. If the public knows there are armed people at schools, they would no longer be seen as soft targets.

What’s at fault? I would contend it’s very dangerous that so many people are buying into your lazy leftism = the answer for everything is government and relieving everyone of personal responsibility.

Lanza’s mother and others close to him

should have prevented access to arms. It takes an individual. Unless we have government monitors conducting surprise inspections of every home? Maybe you would like that?

Maybe I am on to something: Fort Hood: Registered Democrat and radical Muslim who supported Al Qaeda and Hamas. Columbine: Too young to vote; both families were registered Democrats and progressive liberals.

Virginia Tech: Wrote hate mail to President Bush and to his staff; registered Democrat. Colorado theater: Registered Democrat; staff worker on the Obama campaign; Occupy Wall Street participant; progressive liberal. Connecticut school shooter: Registered Democrat; hated Christians.

Outlaw Democrats and/or progressives from having guns!

Craig Thompson, North Park

If it ain’t broke...

I agree with your Feb. 6 editorial about the Jacobs plan to change Balboa Park.

While he is upset about cars in the center of the park, there is no concern about the traffic and parking in the southern part of the park next to the Hall of Champions, the municipal gym, the Aerospace Museum and several other public buildings.

The Plaza de Panama situation is no more objectionable than the existing traffic and parking in other parts of the park and can be cured by “No Parking” signs.

While I agree with your editorial, I note that neither you nor the other media mentions that the Jacobs plan would destroy the existing free parking in back of the Organ Pavilion.

This whole episode can be summed up by the adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

sh enanigans

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6 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

Courtesy: Dell Cunamay

bonus

news Square deal

Ian Trowbridge, holding his grandson, Paxton

British bulldog

San Diego needs more civic activists like Ian Trowbridge

by every single person who cares about San Diego.

“You go, ‘What’s all the big shit that’s gone on in this town in the last 10 years?’ and a significant percentage has his fingerprints on it,” says attorney Cory Briggs, who represented various organizations Trowbridge co-led. “And he never got

by Dave Maass a fucking penny for it. Half the time, he didn’t even get a The phone should’ve rung by now.

‘Thank you.’ He got far more Fuck-you’s than Thank-you’s.”

If it had, I would’ve picked it up and on the other end a Born in Derbyshire, England, and educated in immunoldeep British voice would have said something like, “Hey, ogy at Oxford University, Trowbridge moved to San Diego Dave, I know you’re on deadline, but—.” in 1972, where he began an illustrious 30-year career at the The caller, citizen activist Ian Trowbridge, would’ve Salk Institute for Biological Studies. While he made a name gone on at length about breaking news in one of his many for himself in the arena of medical research, Trowbridge’s battles over the Convention Center expansion or over the rise as a community activist began in the late 1990s and Tijuana River Valley dredging. Or grew after his retirement in 2001. maybe Trowbridge would have “He wore his passion on his simply called to compliment one sleeve, not typical of English ‘stiff “I can tell you exactly that of CityBeat’s investigative reports, upper lip,’ more like my race, the when Ian Trowbridge would giving the heads-up that he was Irish,” friend and fellow civic about to tout it at a public meetwatchdog Pat Flannery writes in step forward to the podium, ing. Eventually, as the conversation an email to CityBeat. “We fought there would be a universal dragged on, I would have to cut him and made up, sometimes twice a off as gently as possible to get back day, just like the Irish—because we reaction of, ‘Oh shit.’” to filing my copy. shared one great passion: a love of —Patsy Fritz But the phone’s not going to America and our adopted home, ring, as much as I wish it would to San Diego. We both passionately help me procrastinate in writing wanted to make America’s Finest this story. The retired scientist died of apparent liver fail- City even finer. ure on Wednesday, Feb. 6, at age 65.

“The only bad thing I can think of him is he cost me a The easy part has been written for me by a friend of the fortune in cell phone minutes.” family: Trowbridge is survived by his partner, Dell Cunamay Enumerating Trowbridge’s activism in a news story of Mission Hills; his daughter Emma Tecca and son-in-law would be like attempting to edit Clint Eastwood’s film canBrad Tecca and their daughters Gina, Ellie and Gracie; his on into a 60-second highlight reel. His first forays involved son Christopher Trowbridge and daughter-in-law Daymi uncovering corruption and waste in the San Diego Data Dyan of Chico and their son Paxton Trowbridge. He was Processing Corp., where his wife had worked, and speakpreceded in death by his wife, Jennifer. Two chow chows ing out in favor of needle-exchange programs. He was inand a Lhasa-Pomeranian mutt are also missing him.

Trowbridge CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 Here’s what I can add: Trowbridge should be mourned

It’s been more than a year since residents of San Diego Square heard there was a buyer for their building, and it’ll be another year before the sale’s finalized.

Though it’s frustrating for tenants, the sale could be good news for affordable housing.

San Diego Square’s on a Downtown block of city-owned land; its 154 units are subsidized by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for low-income seniors 62 and older.

Since 1979, the city’s leased the land, for $1 a year, to Kind Corp., a nonprofit headed by Mauvorneen O’Connor, twin sister of former San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor.

As CityBeat’s reported, San Diego Square’s tenants have lodged complaints against Kind Corp. ranging from bug infestations that went untreated to threats of eviction. Residents can’t use the building’s recreational space or parking lot, forcing seniors to either give up their cars or park blocks away.

In October 2011, Housing Development Partners (HDP) announced plans to kelly davis buy San Diego Square; HDP Executive Director Marco Vakili expected the sale would take a year. But getting approval from HUD, negotiating with Kind Corp. and drawing up a new lease with the city took longer than expected. Only last Wednesday did the City Council’s Land Use & Housing committee SD Square parking lot approve a new lease, the first step to getting full council approval. Once that happens, it’ll take another year to secure low-interest loans to rehab the 30-year-old building, Vakili said.

Tenant Chuck Miller said he’s disappointed with the delay. “Right now, we are the only [senior] apartment complex in the San Diego area that does not have a social area to meet,” he told the committee.

“There was one, but they locked the doors on it eight years ago.”

The new lease, which takes effect in 2014, says HDP will pay the city $4 million up front and, annually, half the net rental income from the property’s commercial space and a small portion of rent from the residential part of the building. Tenants rents won’t be affected, Vakili said.

That might sound steep, but Vakili said the city could get a lot more money if there was a market-rate building on the property.

“They’re pledging their land for 65 years for below-market value,” Vakili told CityBeat.

At the committee meeting, City Council President Todd Gloria asked if the $4 million could be earmarked for future affordable-housing projects. When the state ended redevelopment last year, with it went a significant affordable-housing funding source.

Yes, said Jim Barwick, director of the city’s Real Estate Assets Department. “How it’s spent is up to the mayor and council.”

—Kelly Davis

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 7

david rolland

spin cycle

john r.

lamb An open letter to Irwin Jacobs “Never let defeat have the last word.”

—Tibetan Proverb Dear Dr. Irwin Jacobs, First off, thank you. As a billionaire, no doubt you’ve had to endure enough groveling, begging, cajoling, schmoozing and all-around backside-kissing to fill 20 lifetimes. In a world where the chasm between haves and havenots grows wider, what a mixed blessing it must be to be the Go-To Guy when some people’s dreams require big bucks.

That said, I had a hard time swallowing all the sky-is-falling media handwringing over your decision—“at this point,” as you couched it—to get the hell out of the public-park-makeover business before you really even got started.

(Now, don’t get Spin wrong— sinking 8 million simoleons into studies, pretty drawings and a crack crew of loyal soldiers is nothing to sneeze at. And as a door prize, you’ve apparently donated to the city all the paperwork and knowledge from two-plus years of public wrangling over your plan to redesign much of Balboa Park. So again, much obliged.)

But here’s the thing: You had to see this coming.

“I am saddened at the court’s decision that has effectively ended the Plaza de Panama project,” you opened in your statement after Superior Court Judge Timothy Taylor’s ruling last week that the city of San Diego had disobeyed its own laws in approving last July the massive solution you proposed to a simple problem.

8 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

Now, about that problem. When we first heard of the “Jacobs Plan” in the late summer of 2010, the U-T San Diego headline trumpeted, “Jacobs champions Balboa Park effort / Removing parking from the Plaza de Panama is first priority.”

Removal of parking. That was the overriding sales pitch. No one—save for maybe a few park employees and other early arrivers—could argue with that. Still can’t. As Eric Naslund, chairman of the city’s Planning Commission, once summarized with distain, “It’s a shopping-center parking lot. It’s a disaster! ... Unbelievable that it got that way.”

Indeed, everyone seemed on the same page in those early days of heady anticipation that something for the better was about to happen in the ugly center of San Diego’s most prized public space after decades of inaction and neglect.

But for some, Dr. Jacobs, giddiness turned to suspicion when it became clear that your plan, born from a sketch on a napkin as thenMayor Jerry Sanders liked to say, was the only plan that would pass your muster.

That intransigence has clearly served you well in your professional pursuits. “You don’t compromise on those things that you

now witness.

Indeed, a few of your biggest fans—for reasons that some believe stray from altruism into the realm of self-indulgence and political ambition—continue to rattle cages that all is not lost, that the city can simply travel back in time and erase the bruising your project took in court.

But consider this: When city pols start down the slippery slope of referring to a portion of its own Municipal Code as a “technicality,” where does it end? What lessons are we instilling in future generations?

Irwin Jacobs Because that’s what this really believe in,” your friend and is about. Not 2015 and what all Qualcomm cofounder Harvey hope will be a fitting 100th birthWhite said at your 70th-birthday day party, but well beyond. Becelebration nearly a decade ago. sides, little has been mentioned “You can compromise the periph- of the other legal challenges ery, as long as you don’t compro- lurking in the wings—most notably regarding the city’s bondmise the core values.”

In the business world, that’s financing scheme that would insage advice. But in the public are- troduce paid parking in Balboa na, particularly when it comes to Park—that would likely forestall a beloved resource whose altera- any shovel hitting park dirt for tions over time have generated so some time to come.

Certainly, the last thing you’d much emotion, Spin is reminded of the adage, “Stubbornness does hope to instill in your adopted have its helpful features—you al- city is animosity toward your beways know what you’re going to nevolence. We’ve never met, but Spin can’t imagine that you take be thinking tomorrow.”

So, Spin understands your kindly to being labeled a “plutosadness over the judge’s ruling. crat” by opponents of your parkBut when you continued on, in remodel plan. Sure, there are statements that are being echoed likely tax purposes for your genby other local philanthropists, erous giving, but Spin also bethat other cities may be more lieves in your desire to give back worthy now of your largesse in to a city that is lucky to have you the face of this recent setback— among its citizens. well, frankly, that didn’t sound But as you told a group of Cal sad. That bordered on, in all due State San Marcos students in 2010, respect, spitefulness.

“Leadership is always about peoAgain, your philanthropy over ple. It’s important that, although many years rivals that of San you may do your best work indiDiego’s forefathers. But in con- vidually, and that’s fine, that you tributing $20 million toward the not go off and bang people’s heads completion of the new Downtown and go around screaming.” library, for example, Spin doesn’t While those with an eye torecall you influencing its design ward your wallet may behave or what books would be housed that way in your defense, Spin bethere. When you’ve donated lieves your corporate experience generously to countless cultural has thickened your hide against endeavors, you’ve presumably tougher battles than this. allowed the shows to go on unimCan Balboa Park’s problems peded. When you give charitably be resolved more easily in a way to medical institutions, it’s doubt- embraced by everyone? Of course. ful any patients expect to see Maybe the idea proffered by local you pop up in an operating room planners Howard Blackson and wielding a scalpel.

Mike Stepner is a start. As you And yet, when it comes to told those students, “No matter the heart of our city—an incred- what you go into, there are always ible park hurtling towards its ways of doing things better.” centennial—your line in the sand Don’t give up on San Diego, Dr. has resulted in harsh feelings Jacobs. There will always be room and, through sheer incompe- for heroes among us. tence displayed by city leaders seemingly transfixed by your Got a tip? Send it to wealth, the current stalemate we johnl@sdcitybeat.com.

Trowbridge CONTINUED from PAGE 7 volved in efforts to block a corrupt redevelopment official from receiving a golden parachute, to force the city of San Diego to obey environmental laws in dredging the Tijuana River Valley and lawsuits opposing the county’s regional transportation plan. Nowhere was his presence more impactful than in issues related to the San Diego waterfront— battles that put him head-to-head with powerful government and private interests, including the U.S. Navy and developer-tycoon Doug Manchester.

“The waterfront—and the public’s right to it—was always one of his great concerns,” says Diane Coombs, co-chair, with Trowbridge, of the Navy Broadway Complex Coalition, which for years has advocated for better public amenities along San Diego’s bayfront. Trowbridge set his sights on the San Diego Unified Port District, she says, because “he felt it was a government agency that was not really operating in a democratic fashion.”

While Trowbridge was never successful as a political candidate (he came in seventh out of 17 candidates in the 2005 race for San Diego City Council District 2), he developed a large bag of tricks for creating political pressure and demanding accountability, from filing public-records requests to leveraging the media.

“He understood the different ways to fight these fights,” Briggs says. “He understood that sometimes you go down to City Council and pound your fist, and sometimes you work behind the scenes, and sometimes you go to court.”

Trowbridge relished “public comment” portions of government meetings, famously baiting county Supervisor Bill Horn over indiscretions such as sharing a house with his chief of staff and funneling county money to pro-

A rendering of the Lane Field site shows a portion of the green space that Ian Trowbridge helped secure.

the Lane Field development. Planned for the spot at the foot of Broadway where the Padres once ran the bases and where there’s currently a parking lot, a proposed hotel complex was modified to include a 150-foot park. That may be Trowbridge’s greatest legacy.

“Ian was instrumental in getting the developers and the port and the community to realize there is a way—there is a win-win here,” Briggs says. “It might not be everybody’s ‘perfect,’ but it’s everybody’s ‘pretty damn good.’”

Coombs says she’s in talks with the hotel developer about a possible memorial to Trowbridge at the future park.

“But how do you memorialize Ian?” Coombs asks. “The best all of us can do is continue the battle to ensure that the waterfront is used wisely and with the maximum public access in mind, both for the city and the region.”

Through organizations such as the Navy Broadway Complex Coalition and San Diegans for Open Government, Trowbridge was the driving force behind several legal actions, and it’s unclear who, if anyone, will step up to replace him.

“I don’t know how many people have the brains, fire in their belly and time to dedicate to hounding public officials on these high-profile issues, you know?” Briggs says. “If you put down on paper all of his accomplishments and all of the things he was involved in, and you look to the future, and you say, ‘OK, who fills the void?’ There are no names that come to mind. There might be groups of folks who you’ll divvy it up among, but I can’t think of a single person to fill that place in the frontline.”

If such a person does arise, they shouldn’t hesitate to give us a call.

life religious groups.

“I’d hate for you to have a sweet, old farmer lady be vulgar on the telephone,” long-time North County activist Patsy Fritz says, “but I can tell you exactly that when Ian Trowbridge would step forward to the podium, there would be a universal reaction of, ‘Oh shit.’”

Briggs notes the things that made Trowbridge unique as a friend and a client: his cantankerousness, his commitment to facts, his eccentric attire (“a cross between a proper Brit and the disheveled, absent-minded professor”).

Like Flannery—and others contacted for this story—Briggs says you could measure the man’s impact by the growth in Kelly Davis and John R. Lamb contributed your phone bill.

Trowbridge’s friends note the irony in his passing on to this report. Write to davem@sdcitybeat.com the same day the California Coastal Commission approved and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 9

by marie tran-McCaslin marie tran-mccaslin

the wandering

appetite Wonka realized

Valentine’s Day is upon us. Whatever your feelings are about Feb. 14, it’s usually a good time to chat about chocolate. Sure, chocolate makes for a good gift in February, but what about a visit to a real chocolate factory? Craft beer and chocolate-infused savory dishes at a South Park location make it a little more earthly than Willy Wonka’s factory.

Eclipse Chocolat moved from its original location on El Cajon Boulevard to South Park (2145 Fern St., eclipsechocolat.com) with plenty of fanfare and a lifetime supply of chocolate to a lucky contest winner. No, the winner won’t get the chocolate factory itself—it’s been too much a labor of love for owner Will Gustwiller, who greeted chocolate enthusiasts during the new location’s opening in a Wonka-esque oversized top hat. He looked much happier (and saner) than Gene Wilder’s vague and loopy Wonka or Johnny Depp’s slightly sinister version of Roald Dahl’s reclusive chocolatier.

There’s plenty to be happy about, with a café four times larger than the former location. The

10 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

centerpiece of the room is an expansive, glossy wooden bar where customers can enjoy coffee, beer or Eclipse’s lovely drinking chocolate. It’s certainly nothing like an average cup of hot chocolate with a watery base and plenty of grit; rather, it’s a thick, silky brew that reminds me of a trip to Paris and the hearty French chocolat chaud.

The new space is warmly lit and comfortable for drinks, confections and pastries. Like the previous location, the usual cupcakes, brownies, bread pudding and spicy cinnamon rolls are available every day. I will happily sit all day with drinking chocolate and one of the cinnamon rolls, which sport an elusive heat from cayenne pepper.

The walls are lined with windows offering a view into the kitchen, which goes along with Gustwiller’s desire to make transparency a priority. Everyone sees how the chocolates are made and where the ingredients come from. Education is another priority; a giant display of the process from cacao bean to confection is plastered on a wall near the bar. Perhaps he’ll eventually show us how to put chocolate in almost everything, as evidenced by the sweet and savory brunch menu.

Starting March 4, the brunch will be offered daily, but until then, it’s weekends only. The menu is full of dishes with chocolate and caramel integrated in inventive ways. Garlic and white chocolate show up a few times, along with a cocoa nib vinaigrette, while more classic uses include cocoa mole served on pulled pork. On the sweeter side, the panini with sea-salted peanut butter and roasted banana with dark chocolate ganache is not to be ignored.

Eclipse still hosts special dining events, and there’s one slated for Valentine’s Day. If you’re determined to do something for the 14th, call and inquire about possible last-minute seatings. Otherwise, tell your date that dining out that night is overrated and a relaxed weekend brunch is a perfect way to celebrate romance.

Or buy a big box of chocolates and caramels.

Can’t really go wrong with those.

Write to marietm@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

by ian cheesman

beer &

chees A little taste of Italy (without Little Italy)

By all accounts, Cucina Urbana (505 Laurel St. in Bankers Hill) is not a place I’d ordinarily select when time comes to enjoy a beer. Everything from the warm hearth lighting to the incessant clinking of wine glasses telegraphs that the place isn’t trying to cultivate business in the beer-swilling-misanthrope sector. It’s just a little too inviting, frankly.

The good news is that none of this is a head-fake. Cucina Urbana (CU) is most definitely not a traditional pillar of the San Diego beer experience. Odds are pretty good that you won’t be able to get a pint of your favorite West Coast tonguebuckler here. There’s no need for a chalkboard legend for the taps because there are only three of them. There isn’t even a solitary beer-battered item on the menu.

However, if you’re one of those people willing to concede that there’s a world of beer outside our fair hamlet, this place has something interesting to offer.

(One preliminary gripe: While I appreciate the depth of attention that went into cultivating CU’s rustic-cottage aesthetic, all of the unfinished wood paneling strikes me as nothing more than a splinterdeployment system. I came here to savor some short-rib pappardelle, not be flanked at every turn by epidermal skewers.)

Ordinarily, my disdain for CU’s pathetic tap count (or my crippling fear of splinters) would be reason enough to be wary of this place, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. For all its apparent focus on wine and cocktails, it’s also a unique portal into the Italian craft-brew scene.

The restaurant features a suite of brewers—that are no less free-wheeling and inventive than our local counterparts—whom you’re not likely to encounter elsewhere.

Take the Bruton brewery for example. It specializes in unfiltered, unpasteurized beers that embrace fruit and malt notes, making them

very accessible. None really electrify your palate, but each delivered a nuanced experience that would beautifully accompany any of CU’s antipasti. By contrast, Birra Amita’s Contessa is an Italian pale ale capable of impressing local craft-brew enthusiasts on its own merits, but still approaches the sublime when paired with some delectable fried squash blossoms.

Now, don’t go mistaking me for a relativist in these matters. I believe San Diego beers in totality to be objectively better than most of what I experienced here. However, what CU offers is a marriage of beers and cuisine that are uniquely and beautifully tuned to one another. Like all good pairings, they achieve something greater than the sum of their parts. ian cheesman

CU has one more unmistakable advantage to consider. It’s a perfect beer night in date-night’s clothing. If, like me, you’re plagued with a spouse or significant other who’s not a fan of the brew, your companion is probably wary of the innumerable gastropubs and tap warehouses you typically drag them to. This place, however, will easily masquerade as a destination chosen to embrace their needs, thereby earning you more credits to visit more brewpubs.

Cucina Urbana is the perfect destination for those who wish to expand their beer horizons or simply enjoy crafting white lies for their loved ones.

Write to ianc@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 11

urban

scout

by kelly davis

Where can I find…

Subtly sexy stuff When you’ve been married for double-digit years, Valentine’s Day is merely Feb. 14.

Wait—scratch that.

When you’ve been married for double-digit years, every day is Valentine’s Day. And, if every day is Valentine’s Day, how do you keep the romance going? Or at least be able to tolerate each other.

1. Candles. When I lived in Boston, the lower level of my building was rent-controlled and occupied by some interesting folks, like a guy who went by the name Little Sam. “The only true light is candlelight,” he’d say.

Rarely were better words spoken.

I’m currently burning through Vanilla + Oak candles from Paddy Wax’s “Relish” series, which come in reusable mason jars (see paddywax. com for a list of local retailers). A close second is Voluspa’s French Bourbon Vanille candle. But forever close to my heart is anything on the shelves at Clarity Soaps & Candles (3022 Juniper St. in South Park), where I went last weekend to load up on votives and stocky pillar candles. Clarity’s candles have a rustic look and while they’re scented, the scent’s not overwhelming. My go-to is the deep-red Cabernet candle. I also picked up a few mango-papaya candles, sage-and-pepper-leaf and red velvet. There was an incredible orange-chocolate-hazelnut, but it’s seasonal and I pretty much cleared out that shelf. Sorry. Cool bit o’ info: Bring in your used-up candles; all of Clarity’s candles are at least 50-percent recycled wax.

2. Music. Nothing goes better with candles than the pop and hiss of vinyl. Sure, having to flip a record halfway through might kill the mood but, whatever. If you’re currently turntable-less, hit up Warehouse Sound & Lights (8430 Production Ave. in Mira Mesa, warehousesound andlights.com); check out the selection of Audio Technica turntables. Or, if you’re willing to put in a little effort, on a weekend when the weather’s good, drive to South Park, to the intersection of Fern and Ash streets and look for the sign advertising vintage electronics. Then go east on Ash and look to your left for an open garage. Inside, a guy named Ray peddles a small selection of turntables, receivers and related gear from the 1960s to present. A couple Saturdays ago, he had a vintage Onkyo turntable for $65. He says he won’t sell anything that’s not in working condition. If you have a turntable that needs fixing, take it to Fred Longworth at Classic Audio Repair (3401 Adams Ave. in Normal Heights)— though, it’s strongly recommended that you first

12 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

Sandra Russell’s oxidized-silver ring read Dave Maass’ Jan. 16 profile of Longworth.

You’ll understand why once you read it.

For something to play on that turntable, go to one of our fine local record-selling establishments (Record City in Hillcrest, Off the Record in North Park, M-Theory in Mission Hills, Thirsty Moon in Hillcrest, Cow Records in Ocean Beach, Lou’s in Encinitas) and browse for something old-school and subtly sexy, like Alice Coltrane’s Journey in Satchindananda or Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto’s Getz Au Go Go. 3. Rings: There’s something about getting a ring from your husband—who’s already given you that ring—that’ll always be romantic. Currently at Taboo Studio (1615 1/2 W. Lewis St. in Mission Hills, taboostudio.com) is Put a Ring on It, an exhibition of rings by 22 jewelry designers (there’s a reception from 6 to 8 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 15). All the rings are for sale, with prices ranging from $170 to $3,000. Even if you don’t have that kind of dough, these rings are worth checking out—like Donna Veverka’s statement-making architectural rings, or Kristin Lora’s whimsical (yet slightly creepy) use of tiny figurines.

For something a little more traditional, there are April Higashi’s simple, elegant “diamond slice” rings.

Not part of the exhibition, but available at Taboo, are Sandra Russell’s pretty-yet-sleek, stackable heart rings ($125 to $150) that she’s waxcasted in silver. For some, she oxidizes the finish, or scuffs it up a bit to push the rings beyond what you’d expect from a ring with a heart. Or, as Taboo owner Joanna Rhoades put it after telling me about Russell’s work, “Nothing in our gallery is typical jewelry.” You can see more of Russell’s designs at sandraleerussell.com.

Write to kellyd@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 13

the

shortlist

1

COORDINATED BY ALEX ZARAGOZA

The art of chorro!

La dama, el catrín and el borracho are characters well known among Latinos who’ve spent nights and holidays sitting around the dinner table with family and friends, putting raw beans on bingo-style cards emblazoned with the characters’ faces and yelling out “Chorro!” when they get four of them in a row.

These characters, beloved in Latino culture, and the memories they produce, serve as the inspiration for The HeART of Loteria, a group exhibition themed on Loteria, a Bingo-like board game played in Latin-American countries.

“I think it’s our pastime,” organizer Ruben Torres says. “It’s what we did as family time. It’s part of the glue that brought people together.

We didn’t have laptops and smart phones or Netflix. Family night consisted of Loteria.”

Roughly 100 artists will show one to two pieces of Loteria art. Among them is 5-yearold painter Osmar Hernandez and famed Chicano Park muralist Mario Chacon, whose piece is pictured here. There’ll also be live painting and work on view from a wide array of artists, including Vallo Riberto, Surge and Shocker, who’s currently serving a life term in prison.

“We’re not discriminating in terms of the art,” Torres says. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a kid or a prison inmate. It’s about the art. I want to “El Musico” by Mario Chacon expose it.”

The atmosphere will be turned up a notch thanks Feb. 16, at Centro Cultural de la Raza (2004 Park to live sets from Cumbia Machin and Gavachillo, a Blvd. in Balboa Park). Search for “Heart of Loteria” side project of members of Ozomatli. There’ll also on Facebook. be people dressed as Loteria characters wandering around the space and a Mexican mercado selling handmade crafts, fresh fruits, aguas frescas and other food and drink.

OK, Balboa Park’s Mingei International The HeART of Loteria opens at 5 p.m. Saturday, Museum has been featured in this space two weeks in a row. So what? It’s not our fault that they hold rad events. Last week, it was the opening of an exhibition of folk art by Bill Traylor. This week, The State Theatre was one of San Diego’s it’s the launch of Mingle @ Mingei, a series of confinest movie houses. It entertained many certs by the chamber ensemble Camarada, which, on a moviegoer from the 1940s through the 1970s and Sunday, Feb. 17, will perform the music of Argenlater served the neighborhood’s Vietnamese commu- tinean composer Astor Piazzolla, known for creating nity after being reopened as the Trieu Thanh The- nuevo tango—sort of a jazzier version of tango. Show ater in 1980. The City Heights venue was demolished up at 5 p.m. to see the museum’s current exhibitions, in 1987, but its legacy including Make Your Own Kind of Music, where Scott will live on through Paulson (Teeny-Tiny Pit Orchestra), will demonDrive-By Cinema, a strate the theremin. Camarada’s performance begins project, headed by Pa- at 6 p.m. Admission is $30. mingei.org cific Arts Movement, that will be launched on Friday, Feb. 15.

The organization has outfitted an old truck with equipment to show movies in public places, and from 5 to 7 p.m., it’ll stop at the site of the State (4712 El Cajon Blvd.) and play a film from the theater’s Asian period. There’ll also be free snacks and an after-party at Til-Two Club (4746 El Cajon Blvd.). drivebycinema.com Camarada

3 Cha-cha-cha

2

14 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

Movies on wheels

Art Alt Social at Quality Social, 789 Sixth Ave., Downtown. Handmade jewelry and art for purchase by Jack Stricker, Andrea Welton, Yarns & Noble, Gaia Goddessa and others.

Music by Boys Don’t Disco and Will Hernandez. At 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, facebook.com/events/545960588757136 Happy Little Trees: Silent Art Auction at El Dorado Bar, 1030 Broadway, Downtown. A Lonely HeARTs Club presents this Valentine’s Day art auction with a sex-toy display by The Rubber Rose. Music by The Office Twins and Boys Don’t Disco. At 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14. 619-512-3865, facebook.com/events/595274563822965 Into the Light at California Center for the Arts, 340 North Escondido Blvd., Escondido. Duane R. Light’s watercolors depict Escondido architecture and scenes of San Diego Bay. On display through March 24. Opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 14. 760-839-4190, artcenter.org/museum Shattered at Bluefoot Bar & Lounge, 3404 30th St., North Park. Arte Fresca displays art created around the theme of love and heartbreak that’s been shattered and needs to be pieced back together on the bar’s walls. At 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15. 619-756-7891, facebook.com/ events/492445840807018 For the Love o’ Lincoln at Kensington Gallery, 4186 Adams Ave., Kensington.

Features rare photos along with trivia about Lincoln and his true love, Mary Todd. From 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15 and noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. 619-534-8120, kensingtongallery.org HAnimal in Me at Subtext, 2479 Kettner Blvd., Little Italy. Subtext hosts PRISMA, the international artist collective founded

by Kaspian Shore. On view through March 17. From 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15.

619-876-0664, subtextgallery.com HRaul Guerrero: Beatniks at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. Guerrero exhibits paintings and drawings inspired by the Beat movement of the 1950s. On view through March 23.

Opens Saturday, Feb. 16. 858-454-5872, ljathenaeum.org/exhibitions.html HEd Ruscha: On the Road at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. Ruscha displays his books, paintings and photographs inspired by passages in Jack Kerouac’s travel novel. On view through March 23. Opens Saturday, Feb. 16. 858-454-5872, ljathenaeum.org/ exhibitions.html HParachute Factory at 627 Eighth Ave., Downtown. Housed in old, two-level warehouse, this exhibition features work from over 40 local artists. Beer and bites from Karl Strauss and MIHO Gastrotruck. From

6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. $5. wemakeparachutes.com

Feb. 19. 858-454-0347, warwicks.indiebound.com

HHeART of Loteria at Centro Cultural de la Raza, 2125 Park Blvd., Balboa Park.

Inspired by Latino family tradition, artists create an interactive “living” Loteria game through paintings, digital art, mosaics and sculpture. At 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. $5. 619-235-6135, facebook. com/events/535321359825302

HAmy Finley at Carmel Valley Library, 3919 Townsgate Drive, Carmel Valley.

Food Network winner Amy Finley discusses her book How to Eat a Small Country and an upcoming tour to Paris she’ll be leading. At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, cvsd.com/library Peter Brett at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont. Author of the Demon Cycle series discusses his third fantasy novel, The Daylight War. At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20.

858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com

Close to the Soil at Mission Trails Regional Park, One Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Carlos. James G. Prepess displays his illusory landscape photos. From 1 to 4 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 17, mtrp.org/exhibits.asp Flavored Layers at Basic, 410 Tenth Ave., Downtown. Thumbprint Gallery presents this one-night exhibition featuring stencil work, collages, coats of resin and other conceptual art inspired by the use of layers. Also, live painting by True Delorenzo, David Goff, Sharif I. Carter and Rob Piper. From 7 p.m. to midnight.

Tuesday, Feb. 19, facebook.com/ events/116002808573040

Comedy Once Upon a Wedding at Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. The dinner theater show tells the comedic story of a wedding gone awry. A meal, wedding cake and a champagne service is included. At 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Feb. 14-15. $49.95-$94.95. 760-591-3113, onceuponaweddingthemusical.com

HLux@Night at Lux Art Institute, 1550 South El Camino Real, Encinitas. Check out works by Lux’s current artist-in-residence, Carla Vega, who creates largescale, multi-layered metal sculptures.

21+. From 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20. $5. luxartinstitute.org

Sordid Tales Podcast Launch Party at Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach.

The kick-off party for CityBeat columnist Edwin Decker’s new podcast. Featuring Mojo Nixon, Joey Harris, Jeff Berkley, David Patrone and others. At 4:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 17. $6. 619-222-6822, facebook.com/events/548981911779784

Books

3rd Annual San Diego’s Funniest Person Contest at Mad House Comedy Club, 502 Horton Plaza, Downtown. Eight comedians have made it to the finals, vying to be crowned funniest in San Diego.

Come vote for your favorite. At 8 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 18. $10. 619-702-6666, madhousecomedyclub.com

Jon P. Rebman at Point Loma Branch Library, 3701 Voltaire St., Point Loma. Rebman will discuss his book, Baja California Plant Field Guide. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 13. 619-531-1539, sandiego.gov/public-library Terry Ambrose at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont. The author discusses and signs his latest crime novel, License to Lie. At 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com Patricia Bracewell at Shakespeare’s Corner Shoppe, 3719 India St., Mission Hills. Join the historical-fiction author for an authentic British tea as she discusses her latest novel, Shadow on the Crown. At noon. Friday, Feb. 15. $36.95. 619-6832748, ukcornershoppe.com Carlos D’Anda and Gabe Eltaeb at Comickaze, 5517 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont. Members from the art team for the Star Wars comic series will sign and discuss the series. A limited number of first prints will be available. From 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. 858-336-1671, comickaze.com Robert Levinson at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont. Levinson signs and reads from his mystery novels, which were in-

Dance “Symbols of Life: Language” by Mr. Benja will be on view in Shattered, a love-themed art show, presented by Arte Fresca, happening at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, at Bluefoot Bar and Lounge (3404 University Ave. in North Park). formed by his long career in public relations and the Golden Age of Hollywood. At 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com Weekend with Locals: Rina Torri at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. As part of their continuing series, Warwick’s hosts the author of No Rocking Chairs Yet: The Default Setting for Life After Fifty Just Got Kicked Down the Beach! At noon. Sunday, Feb. 17. 858-454-0347, warwicks.indiebound.com Weekend with Locals: Sharon Babineau at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Warwick’s hosts the author

of The Girl Who Gave Her Wish Away. At 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17. 858-4540347, warwicks.indiebound.com Janice Steinberg at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont. The creator of the Margo Simon series discusses her new novel, The Tin Horse, which focuses on the Jewish immigrant experience. At 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com Chrisanna Northrup at Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Northrup, CEO of You Got Challenged! Inc. discusses and signs her book about relationships, The Normal Bar. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday,

HRussian National Ballet at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. The ballet company performs Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, which opens with a performance of Mikhail Fokine’s Chopinana. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13. $20-$85.

619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org HDon Juan at Lyceum Theatre, 79 Horton Plaza, Downtown. Resident choreographer Javier Velasco brings Lord Byron’s epic poem of love and intrigue to the stage. A special Valentine’s Day performance is at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14. Also at 8 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 16, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17. $50. 619-544-1000, sandiegoballet.org Prokofiev’s Cinderella at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. The Russian National Ballet Theater treats all

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 15

theater A serious look at the meaning of beauty Perceptions of beauty and brutal realities collide in The Bluest Eye, a co-production of Moxie Theatre and Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company adapted by Lydia Diamond from Toni Morrison’s debut novel. In the careful hands of director Delicia Turner Sonnenberg (Moxie’s artistic director) and with the sensitivity of a fine cast, The Bluest Eye is the first wholly memorable production of the 2013 San Diego theater season.

The year that passes (Ohio, 1940s) in the life of young African-American girl Pecola Breedlove (Cashae Monya, at once childlike and haunted beyond her years) is a harrowing one with all too few answers to her heart-rending questions of self and her hunger to be loved and accepted. Her mother (Melissa Coleman-Reed) has been beaten into near-submission by poverty, racism and domestic abuse, and Pecola’s father, Cholly (Warner Miller), commits the unspeakable at her expense.

While 11-year-old Pecola finds friendship and welcome hours of playfulness in the company of a temporary foster family—Marshel Adams and, especially, Lorene Chesley are first-rate as sisters Frieda and Claudia—she can’t escape the ugliness of racism, and worse. She asks the wish-granting charlatan Soaphead Church (Abner Genece) for the blue eyes that will make her beautiful and perhaps free. The price of her wish is inestimable.

The lyricism of Morrison’s 1970 novel is everpresent in this thoughtful adaptation, commissioned by Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company and first produced in 2005. The Moxie-Mo’olelo collaboration succeeds not only on the strength of the ensemble and Turner Sonnenberg’s direction, but in its attention to little details that illuminate and trouble the heart as they should, like the Dickand-Jane book Pecola clings to, a child’s fantasy of the perfect family life, and the blue-eyed-blonde, white baby doll that Frieda mothers and Claudia wants to destroy. In addition, the play’s two most horrifying scenes—both involving Cholly—are managed with laudable restraint, sacrificing none of their shock or significance.

The Bluest Eye suggests that Moxie and Mo’olelo’s first joint production should be the beages to the classic fairytale, Cinderella. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14. $20-$85.

619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org

Cashae Monya (left) and Warner Miller ginning of a beautiful friendship. It runs through March 3 at Moxie Theatre in Rolando. $12-$40. moxietheatre.com

—David L. Coddon Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

Opening: Chicago: Staged locally almost as often as Rent, this musical’s about women in the 1920s who sing songs and also murder people. Presented by San Diego Musical Theatre, it opens Feb. 15 at the Birch North Park Theatre. sdmt.org People Say You Can’t Live Without Love I Think Oxygen is More Important: A musical revue about love. Opens Feb. 15 at the Broadway Theatre in Vista. broadwayvista.com Sailor’s Song: In John Patrick Shanley’s play, a seaman who’s trying to find his way in life meets two beguiling sisters and tries to find his way with them. Opens Feb. 15 at Patio Playhouse in Escondido. patioplayhouse.com

For full listings, please visit “T heater ” at sdcit yb eat.com

eral admission from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. $45. 619-232-6203, sandiegohistory.org/tasteofsandiego

Fashion

Music

The Cycling Owl: EA Vintage Pop-Up Boutique at Bailiwick, 756 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Shop vintage treasures while sipping craft cocktails. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13. 619-795-3036, facebook. com/events/634177306608550

HJoshua White & SPiRAL at The Loft @ UCSD, Price Center East, Fourth Floor, UCSD campus. In honor of Black History Month, the jazz group will perform a tribute to John Coltrane. At 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13. $10-$15. theloft.ucsd.edu

Diamond Dust at The Flame, 3780 Park Blvd., Hillcrest. Fashion show and dance party with a runway display by Gioia’s Room Boutique, MakeShift Apparel, Peach O and the return of Thrashed. At 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 16. $7. 619-795-8578, facebook.com/events/392347464194123

Mats Eilertson Trio at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. The jazz trio will demonstrate their abstract, improvisational style. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13. $21-26. 858-454-5872, ljathenaeum.org/jazz.html

Food & Drink Taste of San Diego Craft Brews at San Diego History Center, Balboa Park. Sample award-winning and specialty beers from regional breweries, served with food pairings. VIP from 5 to 6 p.m. ($75). Gen-

16 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

Courtesy: Moxie Theatre

HFresh Sound: Larry Ochs and Don Robinson at Space 4 Art, 325 15th St., East Village. After years of rehearsal and jam sessions, the two musicians will finally perform a classic horn-drum repertoire together. At 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13. $10-$15. henceforthrecords.com Gilbert Castellanos Presents at Westgate Hotel, 1055 Second Ave., Downtown.

The jazz trumpeter presents “Some of my Friends are Guitar Players” featuring Bob Boss on guitar and Marshall Hawkins on bass. From 8 to 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15.

619-238-1818, westgatehotel.com Hopkinson Smith at Scripps Research Institute,10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive, La Jolla. The world-renowned lutenist will perform three cello suites by Bach, transcribed for German theorbo. Presented by the San Diego Early Music Society. At 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15. $10-$25. sdems.org HPeter Sprague’s Bop Moderno at Museum of Making Music, 5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad. The quintet plays Sprague’s modern bop arrangements. Features Gilbert Castellanos on trumpet. At 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. $20-$25. 760-438-5996, museumofmakingmusic.org Chamber Music Festival at Shiley Theatre, 5998 Alcala Park, USD campus. The program for this winter concert includes Borodin’s String Quartet; Schumann’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor; Mozart’s “kegelstatt” trio for clarinet, viola, and piano; Doppler’s Souvenir du Rigi for flute, horn, and piano; and Debussy’s Afternoon of a Faun arranged for flute, clarinet, and pia-

“Ford Street, Chicago” by Ursula Sokolowska is on view through Feb. 23 in Silent Night, a photography exhibition at jdc Fine Art (2400 Kettner Blvd. in Little Italy). no. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. $10-$12. sandiego.edu/cas Free Classical Recital at San Diego Public Library, 820 E St., Downtown. Mei-Ching Huang, Chi-Yuan Chen and Chia-Ling Chien of the San Diego Symphony perform a free recital as a part of the Symphony’s Education and Outreach Program. From 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17. 619-236-5800, sandiego.gov/ public-library Pleasure of Your Company Music Series at Scripps Miramar Ranch Library, 10301 Scripps Lake Drive, Scripps Ranch. Mary Barranger and Diane Snodgrass perform masterworks from the piano fourhand repertoire. At 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17. $5 donation. srfol.org HMingle @ Mingei with Camarada at Mingei International Museum, Balboa Park. To kick off the series, the chamber ensemble, newly named as the museum’s artists-in-residence, will perform a concert, Tango Nuevo at 6 p.m. Show up at 5 p.m. to check out exhibits and hear Scott Paulson’s demo of the theremin. Sunday, Feb. 17. $25-$30. 619-239-0003, mingei.org

FireBird, Avarra LaRoux, Eleana FireSwan and others.

At 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14. $10. 619-299-7372, facebook.com/events/138206856342197 Sweethearts & Swing at Queen Bee’s, 3925 Ohio St., North Park. Swing dancing followed by a classic burlesque show presented by Drop Dead Dames Burlesque Revue. 18+. At 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14. $15-35. 255-5147, dropdeaddamesburlesque.com Samson and Delilah at Civic Center Plaza, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown. San Diego Opera presents the biblical tale of Samson’s betrayal by the seductive Delilah. Sung in French with English subtitles. At 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16 and Tuesday, Feb. 19. $45-$275. sdopera.com HSan Diego, I Love You at Jake’s on Sixth, 3755 Sixth Ave., Hillcrest, Hillcrest. Circle Dot Dot presents this modern-day romance and “traveling journey” that takes the audience through Hillcrest. Performances are every half hour from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 16-17. $15-$20. 619-356-3682, circle2dot2.com

Mary Barranger & Zina Schiff at Lyceum Theatre, 79 Horton Plaza, Downtown. The duo performs on piano and violin for this free concert. At noon Monday, Feb. 18. ljathenaeum.org/miniconcerts.html

Opera Tuesday at Operacaffe, 835 Fourth Ave., Gaslamp. Rosario Monetti sings selections from Italian operas and actors from Write Out Loud perform lines from famous love poems. At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19. 619-234-6538, operacaffe.com

Barbara Cook at Museum of Contemporary Art-La Jolla, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla. The Tony and Grammy award-winning soprano performs her program, “Let’s Fall in Love.” From 8 to 11 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20. $50-$75. 858-454-3541, ljms.org

Poetry & Spoken Word

Performance Post Apocalyptic Romance: A Neo-Burlesque Show at Ruby Room, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest.

A night of neo-burlesque complete with fire, swords and snakes. Performers for the night include Anna

New Writing Series: Bob Perelman at Visual Arts Facility Performing Space, UCSD campus, La Jolla.

The author will read selected poetic works at this free event. From 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13.

858-534-3210, literature.ucsd.edu

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February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 17

18 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

Love Notes at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. Write Out Loud presents an evening of classic and contemporary stories about love and romance, plus complimentary champagne, chocolates and fresh fruit at intermission.

At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14. $25-$30. ljathenaeum.org/lectures.html Elizabeth McKim at Expressive Arts Institute, 2820 Roosevelt Road, Ste. 204, Point Loma. McKim performs love poems with local artists and students from her Saturday workshop. From 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, expressiveartsinstitute.org Jewish Poets-Jewish Voices at Astor Judaica Library, 4126 Executive Drive La Jolla, CA, La Jolla. The free event features Suzi Finklestein, Karen Deicas DePodesta and Audrey Jacobs, who’ll read the poetry of her late grandmother, Margie Lipman. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19. 858-457-3030, sdcjc.org/ajl/lectureseries.aspx

Talks & Discussions Journeys through the City: Building for Participation at San Diego Museum of Art, Balboa Park. This colloquium focuses on current issues in urban planning. Presented in conjunction with the museum’s installation Beneath the Moon II, Journey through the City. At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13. $7-$10. 619-232-7931, sdarchitecture.org Life Lessons from the Centennial Olympic Games at NewSchool of Architecture & Design, 1249 F St., Downtown.

Friends of San Diego Architecture presents this talk by the designer of the 1995 Olympic Village. At 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, friendsofsdarch.com SEA Days: Plankton Party at Birch

Aquarium, 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla.

Learn about the amazing “drifters” and meet Scripps Institution of Oceanography researchers at this family-friendly event.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. 858-534-FISH, aquarium.ucsd.edu Past Meets Present: Lunch Lecture at San Diego Museum of Man, Balboa Park.

Dr. Dave Roberts, talks about the history of Balboa Park within the last hundred years.

Noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, and 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 16. $12.50.

619-239-2001, museumofman.org Balboa Park: Past to Present History Series at San Diego History Center, Balboa Park. Gabe Selak leads a three-part survey course exploring the park’s history and future, and explore archival documents.

From 10 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19.

$8-$10. 619-232-6203, sandiegohistory.org Impressionism Plus Two at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla.

Art history lecturer Linda Blair will explore the historic context, personalities, theories and techniques of Impressionism art. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19. $12-$17. 858454-5872, ljathenaeum.org/lectures PechaKucha Night V.17 at Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. The San Diego Architectural Foundation hosts a night designed for artists to share their ideas and network with other creatives. At 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20. 619-296-2101, sdarchitecture.org/pecha-kucha-night

Workshops

at Expressive Arts Institute, 2820 Roosevelt Road, Ste. 204, Point Loma. Jazz poet and author of seven books, Elizabeth McKim, will tease your best work out of you. RSVP required: 619-239-1713. From 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. $65-$75. expressiveartsinstitute.org GreenRoom Writing Workshop: Life Unplugged at Space 4 Art, 325 15th St., East Village. Marion Wilson leads this workshop to reconnect writers to a time before technology. From 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 18, sosayweallonline.com

For more listings, visit “E ve nt s” a t sd c it yb e a t.c o m

Languages of Love: Poetry Workshop

New Writing Series: Eleni Sikelianos & Laird Hunt at Visual Arts Facility Performing Space, UCSD campus, La Jolla.

The poets will read from their published poems, short stories and parables. From 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20. 858534-3210, literature.ucsd.edu

Politics & Community From the Hill to the Street: An Insider’s Perspective at La Jolla Community Center, 6811 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla.

Guest speaker Mike Shea offers insight on the deficit, tax policy, entitlements, federal initiatives and the implications for smart investment solutions. At 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 13. 858-459-0831, ljcommunitycenter.org Every 3 Minutes at Queen Bee’s, 3925 Ohio St., North Park. Aliza Amar talks about her experience with sexual assault. Native American drummer and singer, Wind Spirit Drum, performs. From 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, queenbeessd.com Civilized Conversation Club at Coco’s Restaurant, 13040 Friars Road, Mission Valley. This week’s discussion topic: Megachurches: What Are They and How Do They Affect U.S. Politics? From 7 to 9 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 18. 858-231-6209, civilizedconversation.wordpress.com Restoring Civility to Civic Dialogue at Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace, 5998 Alcala Park, USD, Linda Vista. The event inlcudes a panel discussion with where U-T editor Jeff Light, state Sen. Marty Block, former Assemblymember Nathan Fletcher and others who’ll discuss the problem of lack of civility in civic discource and how to fix it. Washington Post columnist Eugene Washington will give the keynote address From 8 a.m. to noon. Wednesday, Feb. 20. 619-260-7509, sandiego.edu/ restoringrespect/2013_conference

Special Events Andaz Goes Red: Bachelor Auction at Andaz Hotel, 600 F St., Downtown. Bid on a date with San Diego’s most eligible bachelors. All proceeds benefit the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign. From 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14. Free with RSVP, $10 at the door.

619-849-1234, andazsandiego.com 32nd Annual Tribute to the Reggae Legends at Port Pavilion on the Broadway Pier, 1000 North Harbor Drive, Downtown.

Come celebrate reggae music with the legends of today. The two-day line-up features stars from Jamaica, Europe, and Africa. At 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 1617. $60-$110. tributetothelegends.com

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 19

seen local The labyrinth on Eighth Avenue Walking past 627 Eighth Ave., Downtown, you probably wouldn’t even notice the building, let alone imagine the magical realm of art being constructed inside for Parachute Factory, an art event that will be presented by Sezio and Yeller Studio on Friday, Feb. 16.

The show came about after the folks at Mindgruve, a digital-marketing company that operates in Los Angeles and San Diego, bought the building, which once housed Pacific Parachute Co., a factory that supplied parachutes An untitled piece by Exist 1981 covers for American paratroopers during World War a wall at Parachute Factory.

II. Mindgruve plans to tear down walls and remodel the two-story space for their operation. gEars, Tenshun and CutMod, who’ll also provide Before they do, they’re letting Yeller and Sezio interesting visuals along with Mystery Cave and have their way with the space for a one-off show Matt Coors. Karl Strauss beer will be poured, and that’ll transform it into a winding maze of multime- MIHO Gastrotruck will be parked outside. dia conceptual art and large-scale installations by a diverse group of 25 artists, including Exist 1981, Dave Persue, Joshua Krause, Tocayo, Surge and Penises everywhere The female form is no stranger to the art world.

Michael Tussey.

In a sneak preview and tour of Parachute Factory, However, the way women have been portrayed in loI was amazed by the immense space and intricate cal art didn’t sit well with Anna Stump, Prudence pieces that fill the 30-by-12-foot walls and entire Horne and Daphne Hill.

After viewing Ryan McGuiness’ female nudes rooms. The scale will be a challenge that pushes the artists out of their comfort zone, says co-organizer exhibited in his show Women: New (Re) PresentaZack Nielsen of Sezio, but it’s been embraced by ev- tions at Quint Contemporary Art, the group, along with fellow female artist Heidi Galeria, decided to eryone involved.

“We’ve done events like Collide, where we get a turn the tables on the men.

The result is Members Only, an exhibition that building and rooms to take over and most of the art is made at home and brought in and hung, which has makes the penis the muse, opening from 6 to 9 p.m. made for some really cool events,” Nielsen says. “But Saturday, Feb. 23, at Kettner Arts (2400 Kettner this is a unique opportunity where everything could Blvd. in Little Italy).

“In San Diego there’s been a show or two that was be created on the spot, in the building, on the walls, and then never seen again after this night, except for really objectifying women, which we have no problem with except that we want artists to talk about it,” in photos and whatnot.”

The event’s been shrouded in mystery. Most of Stump says. “We didn’t feel that it was addressed at the works can’t be photographed yet, though you can all, and so it was sort of an organic thing where we see the progress each artist is making by searching said, ‘Hey, let’s do some objectification of men, but #parachutefactory on Instagram. Teasers can also be let’s do it very consciously.’”

For this exhibition, Stump will present life-size found on Facebook and at wemakeparachutes.com.

“Our community is small, but people start seeing illustrations of flaccid and partially erect penises in something posted from this artist with that name at- negative space. The pieces won’t be titled. They’ll tached, and pretty soon, they’re, like, ‘What the heck simply be accompanied by each model’s height.

Hill will show collage pieces is going on? What is this building, incorporating vintage Dick-andand why are all these guys painting Jane illustrations, images of peit?’” Nielsen says. “And two weeks nises from medical books and later, an event gets announced, drawings of syphilis bacteria as and it starts to make a little more it would appear under a microsense. I like that build-up a lot.” scope, while Galeria will present Once people walk up the dark fine-art photographs of penises. stairs that lead to the show, they’ll For her piece, Horne will be encouraged to navigate and see cover a wall with more than 100 what they find. candy-colored pop drawings of “You build up all this excitemale members. ment, and the whole show people “It’s sort of a taboo subject,” are just running around, like, ‘Oh, Stump says. “But it doesn’t have did you see that room behind the to be.” wall over there?’” Nielsen says.

Even still, the artists are ask“People will be pretty excited to ing for children to be left with a get in the space and see all the babysitter for this one. stuff in person after being teased online for a few weeks.”

—Alex Zaragoza Parachute Factory runs from 6 Write to alexz@sdcitybeat.com to 11 p.m. Entry costs $5. There’ll An untitled piece

by Prudence Horne and editor@sdcitybeat.com. be music by DJs Ill Spectre,

20 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

W

here’s the love? That’s the question I found myself asking my editorial staff once we’d come up with our final list of story ideas for this year’s Sex Issue. I looked at the list and realized that, for this issue that marks the coming of Valentine’s Day, there wasn’t much about wholesome love. Hey, what did I expect? CityBeat’s an alternative weekly, and alt-weekly writers just don’t think that way. You want soul-nourishing tales of romance, you’ve come to the wrong place. Take your business elsewhere.

If, on the other hand, you want a quirky look at sex and sexiness, read on. In the next few pages, we’ll introduce you to some strange and scary objects for the bedroom (Page 24), survey some friends who took sex-enhancement pills (Page 28), talk to the local author of an intergalactic-sex-romp book (Page 29), show you how to find tantalizing fun in the kitchen cupboard (Page 30), tour strip clubs for the best eats (Page 32) and meet up with two local bands with sex-y names (Page 33).

Happy bizarro Valentine’s Day! —David Rolland

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 21

Couples

Makeover C O M P E T I T I O N

Four Couples.

Four Design Teams.

One Winner.

Margrette & Scott

Melissa & Michael

MARGRETTE’S Hair

MELISSA’S Hair

SCOTT’S Hair

MICHAEL’S Hair

Detour Salon

Details Salon

MARGRETTE’S Dress

MELISSA’S make-up

The Girl Can’t Help It

Details Salon

SCOTT’S suit

MELISSA’S DRESS

The Girl Can’t Help It

Temptress Fashion

posture & health

MELISSA & MICHAEL’S nails

Detour Salon

Details Salon

Chiropractique

Va-Va Varnish

shoOt location

Temptress Fashion

MICHAEL’S CLOTHES

Temptress Fashion

MELISSA’S Shoes & Accessories

Seven Grand

Shoot location

Deer Park Winery & Auto Museum

A f t e r s h o t s b y Ve s t i g e P h o t o g r a p h y

22 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

assited by Kahley Keefer

From Dozens of Aspiring Couples, Four Were Chosen: Margarette & Scott, Melissa & Michael, Vika & Alex,Tracy & Jean

Design teams covering multiple fashion disciplines were built and over the last month,these teams worked to create the most impressive transformation possible.

Skins by

Skin’s In

VOTING STARTS NOW!

You Decide!

Cast Your Vote at www.SDCityBeat.com

Vika & Alex

Tracy & Gene

VIKA’S Hair

Tracy’s Hair

Salon Cabana

Paris Salon

ALEX’S Hair

Gene’s Hair

Salon Cabana

Mayday Salon

VIKA’S clothes

Tracy’s Dress

Pink Soul Boutique

VIKA’S ACCESSORIES

Pink Soul Boutique

Bettie Page

Tracy’s Necklace

Ocean Beach Antique Mall

ALEX’S CLOTHES

Gene’s Shirt

Mens Fashion Depot

Rockabilly Americana

ALEX’S SHOES

Gene’s Shoes

Mens Fashion Depot shoOt location

Martini’s Above Fourth

Elos Shoes

shoOt location

The Tower Bar Ocean Beach

Antique Mall A f t e r s h o t s b y Ve s t i g e P h o t o g r a p h y

assited by Kahley Keefer

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 23

ryan bradford

The missionary position A latent Mormon’s foray into the world of strange and inexplicable sex toys

by Rya n B rad fo r d A Mormon walks into a sex shop.

It sounds like the set-up to a bawdy comedy, or a joke where the punch line is inevitably “The Missionary Position!”

Ha. Ha. The joke repeats itself in my head. It serves as a soothing thought to address the awkwardness of the situation at hand: I’ve been assigned to seek out strange, obscure or inexplicable sex toys and report my findings back to CityBeat headquarters. Standing outside Mankind—Hillcrest’s esteemed sex shop (3425 Fifth Ave., mankindsd.com)—I realize this task is a ruse. Anyone with a search engine and the filters turned off could write this from the safety of their bedroom. I’m sure my editor just wants to make

me squirm.

Technically, I am a Mormon— non-practicing, but I was still baptized into it. I wouldn’t consider myself a prude—being married to a Planned Parenthood employee ensures a healthy amount of sex talk in our household—but there are times when my inner Latter-Day Sainthood rears its righteous head. Especially when I think about the fuck saw.

“I hear there’s this thing called the ‘fuck saw,’” said music editor Peter Holslin at last week’s editorial meeting. “Be sure to ask about it.” He described a jackhammer with a dildo at the end. He emphasized the motion by jabbing his arm back and forth: uhuhuhuh.

I push the thought away.

Please let there be no saw. No ryan bradford

The Rubber Rose’s ticklers, including the SETI in the center

way. Nu-uhuhuhuh.

Steve Bernier, Mankind’s manager, greets me with a friendly smile and a handshake. He takes me upstairs. Eyes forward, deep breaths. Ignore the poster for anal bleaching. I can do this.

He leads me to a glass case and removes a black metal bar that looks like it was used to recently clobber a cartoon character—the soft rise in the middle is rounded like the crown of your head.

“This,” he says, “is The Humbler.”

He shows me the picture of what it does. There is nothing cartoonish about it. To explain the specifics of how it works would pretty much be like spoiling the endings to all the Hellraiser movies.

Before today, if you’d asked me how many things you could do to your balls, I’d say, “Two, maybe,” but during the next 15 minutes, Bernier runs through a Bubba Gump-like list of all the toys used to crush, stretch, clamp and sauté your fellas.

Then we look at the cum-stoppers, with their pins that go inside your urethra. Future review of the audio recording will reveal an audible squeak when I gasp: “Oh!” Bernier, insistent of his preference for pleasure over pain, moves on to the prostate stimulators, which look like cursive Ts turned upside-down and claim to give users a hands-free orgasm.

“Their main thing is that these were developed by doctors for prostate health,” Bernier says.

“Sometimes straight males get hung up on the whole anal-thing.”

But, he adds, regular stimulation to the prostate increases blood flow, which keeps the prostate from becoming “old and gross.”

Mormon practices may seem Puritanical—no drinking, no smoking, no caffeine—but I was

Steve Bernier and his ball-crusher taught that they were originally established to promote good physical health above anything else. And discovering the health benefits of these prostate massagers feels like the epiphany needed to satisfy my inner piety. Suddenly, I’m comfortable, beaming like a 19-year-old missionary, talking about hands-free orgasm.

If an emphasis on physical health is my ticket to a freakier-deakier sex world, then Downtown’s The Rubber Rose (917 E St., therubberrose.com) has me covered.

“The adult industry is a pretty toxic industry,” says owner Lea Caughlan. “Both visually, from beauty ideals and stuff like that, but it’s also literally toxic. Ninetyeight percent of the toys are made with jelly-rubber, which is porous, so as you use it, it can hold

bacteria in it.”

With its brightly colored table models, design-minded layout and smooth R&B music, The Rubber Rose is uniquely inviting.

Compared with the ball-crushers, Caughlan’s light-hearted demeanor and health-minded inventory instantly puts me at ease. A chandelier made of gold- and blackpainted dildos hangs from the ceiling. The homemade ingenuity of it reminds me of the crafts I used to make in Sunday-school primary.

“The other issue,” Caughlan continues, “is that [ jelly-rubber] off-gasses chemical softeners that are toxic. All that stuff is slowly being eliminated from plastics that are used by humans, but the adult industry is a ‘novelty’ industry, which means that they escape all those regulations.” Every item sold at The Rubber Rose is made of silicone, a “cutting edge” quality among sex shops, she says.

She lets me feel the silicone on the SETI, a soft blue, satelliteshaped anal tickler that I find downright adorable.

“Searching for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence,” Caughlan says, explaining the acronym. “It’s so nerdy that it makes it so awesome.”

She laughs. I laugh. No way I’m going to ask about the fuck saw here. Technically, I don’t think I’m even allowed to say that word.

Write to ryanb@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

24 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 25

26 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 27

Vitamin S-E-X Adam Vieyra

An experiment with over-the-counter sexual enhancers

by A lex Zaragoza When it came time to getting busy, Cleopatra and her lover Casanova famously slid raw oysters down their throat, earning the seafood the reputation of being a natural love drug. Nowadays, horny folks can walk into most convenience stores and pick up dubious-looking sexual-enhancement pills sold right at the counter when they need some stimulation.

I’ve often wondered if anyone actually takes these pills, and if they work.

So, I purchased four enhancers—Xzen 1200, Hotrod 5000, Libigrow and Libigirl—and had four willing participants take one each. They were each assigned to have sex using no stimulants, and then do it again after taking the pill.

The subjects shared their results with me via a survey that I’d prepared.

The first pill, Hot Rod 5000, was given to “Olivia.”

She’s a married arts educator in her early 30s who has a child. Olivia admits that her busy schedule affects her sex life.

Hot Rod 5000 is labeled as a performance enhancer for men but can be used by women. It boasts the ability to stimulate sexual desire and sensitivity.

After putting her son to bed, Olivia knocked back her capsule with lots of water and got down with her hubby.

“The sex was exciting,” she says. “Was my climax longer, multiplied, explosive? No. I kept thinking I was going to take the pill and suddenly become Sharon Stone having multiple orgasms from crossing my legs, but there wasn’t that much of a physical reaction to stimulation or touch.”

Olivia thinks that her anticipation for what she thought the pill would do helped her loosen up and be more in the moment, which inevitably improved her sexual experience. She also had a much higher energy level.

Despite drinking large amounts of water as recommended on the package, the following day Olivia felt as though she had been “partying with Rick James all night.” She experienced a severe headache, dryness in her throat and sinuses and extreme pressure on her eyes.

“Joe” had a similar reaction when taking Xzen 1200, a popular enhancer that claims to produce prolonged erections, rolling orgasms and increased sensitivity and pleasure.

The 26-year-old GIS analyst experienced difficulty breathing and discomfort in his chest after taking the pill. As a result, his sexual experience was unpleasant overall. He suffered painful side effects, including a pounding headache, sensitivity to light, dehydration and other nasty business.

“That pill sucked the life out of me,” he says. “I felt like I had an epic hangover, but I hadn’t touched alcohol for a couple of days. People I saw asked if I had a crazy night.”

Still, Joe wasn’t so drained that he couldn’t masturbate the following day.

“Despite it not being a crazy, heart-attack explo-

28 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

sion, the erection didn’t go away after I came,” he says. “The only positive thing from this pill is longersustained erections. Not bigger erections or harder.

I probably could have physically masturbated again right after, but I didn’t feel like it.”

A similar erectile second wind was also experienced by Joseph, a 25-year-old pizza maker who took Libigrow. This all-natural enhancer was recently recalled due to “counterfeit problems,” according to its website. It’s still readily available at most liquor stores, however.

Joseph says the pill increased his sensitivity, which helped him go “two rounds” in one night. His partner, Shawna, says that sensitivity was apparent even during foreplay.

“Before intercourse, I was rubbing him out a little and he said he probably could have came,” she details via email. “It’s not typically that quick for a hand job. After we had sex the first time, he was ready for round two pretty quick.”

It should be noted that Shawna followed up that statement with a smiley-face emoticon.

Unlike Olivia and Joe, Joseph didn’t experience a headache, dehydration or any of the other negative symptoms. Neither did Monica, a 29-year-old artist and musician. She took the female version of Libigrow—Libigirl. That product is still available and advertises itself as a multi-vitamin that has extra ingredients that promote good mood, energy and arousal.

Monica felt none of those things.

“It just felt more adventurous, if anything,” she says. “It was still really good because we had a good time. We were more aggressive than usual, which made it fun. Honestly, I just passed out afterward. I didn’t have the energy to go again. I wasn’t in the mood.”

At the end of the sexperiment, most concluded that they wouldn’t take a sexual enhancer again. With the exception of Joe, however, the subjects did say the pills gave their sex a greater sense of excitement because they were trying something different, which, when it comes to sex, is never a bad thing.

Write to alexz@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

Galactic jerk-off dave maass

How seriously can you take a novel about extraterrestrial poontang?

by Dav e M aass Andrew Armacost makes one request before the interview begins: He doesn’t mind if this piece makes him seem evil; he just doesn’t want to look stupid.

Although he’s pushing 40, the Naval officerturned-writer could just as well be a bro in his late 20s—with a shaved head and bulging muscles, he looks more like pro-wrestling’s John Cena than E.M. Forrester, an English novelist he likes to quote.

Armacost describes his latest novel as science fiction in the vein of Kurt Vonnegut and Philip José Farmer, combined with the erotic literature of Anaïs Nin and Henry Miller, with a voice redolent of Irvine Welsh.

The book is titled Space Bush: A Sex Addict’s Guide to the Galaxy, and it’s 214 pages of nut-busting adventure across a universe of poonani. That’s his narrator’s terminology, not ours.

The story is told in the slacker voice of Paul Miller, a non-custodial father in a dead-end job, who’s kidnapped by aliens and sold into slavery along with his sex-addict-support-group buddy Fred Reap, a Samuel L. Jackson-esque prison guard. After they escape from their captors—named “Dickheads” because they have penises in place of noses and balls where their ears should be—the pair sign up for a reality-TV show where they fly around the galaxy on a space train, earning points for boning alien women. If they win, Miller and Reap can use the prize money to return to Earth.

As a biology major in college, Armacost was especially interested in imagining how human anatomy dictates sexual relations. For example, what if males and females didn’t tend to differ in size?

What if you could tell ovulation by sight? There’s an element of Gulliver’s Travels to the book, with the characters moving from planet to planet, where sexual politics, proclivities and physiologies are taken to satirical extremes.

“I try to take a very lighthearted look at very serious questions,” he says. “A lot of what we take to be norms are just a product of our accidental biology to a large extent.”

The characters get it on with large women, miniature women, women with bird heads, women with erogenous blowholes, women with cloacae (a single orifice for excretion and reproduction), women with translucent skin who can only climax if they watch the semen moving through their lower organs.

“It was like going down on a sunflower,” the narrator says of oral sex with a botanic humanoid from the planet Parna. “The overall layout of the vagina, I mean. Nevertheless, I quickly found my rhythm. She started gushing with appreciation. Literally. It tasted like an artichoke heart.”

Regarding a sex robot that looks exactly like Rihanna: “And then her magnificent pussy, now semi-detached, began to spin in circles as she moved expertly up and down, introducing my cock to a whole new dimension concerning the sport of fucking as she locked her bottomless eyes on mine.”

As juvenile as Armacost’s language is, as lazily as the plot rambles, Space Bush was written with measured deliberation. The characters struggle with internal conflicts, particularly Miller, who develops erectile dysfunction and an obsession with a televi-

Andrew Armacost and his muscles sion channel devoted to broadcasting live suicides.

Armacost says he drew inspiration from living for 10 years in Singapore and Afghanistan and the sense of alienation and otherness that comes with being a white male overseas.

“I think that any writer who sits down and wants to steal or borrow time from a reader in 2013 and beyond has to acknowledge that we’re all busy and there’s a lot of [other] media out there,” says Armacost, who moved to San Diego three months ago. “If literature and writing is going to continue to be relevant and continue to justify its existence, it has to be something other than film can do, and I think something written as rawly as this could not be easily or readily brought to the screen.”

Indeed, a Space Bush movie would be difficult to mount, both in terms of the Avatar-level special effects it would require and the poor return on investment usually associated with X-rated films. The book would, however, lend itself well to Heavy Metal-style animation or, perhaps, one of the epic, dramatized audio serials marketed to truckers in highway gas stations.

Armacost is working on another novel, Iceberg Slim Goes to Oz, in which the notorious real-life Chicago pimp travels to Oz and turns out Dorothy. He’s trying simultaneously to find a publisher for a more serious work, A Poor Man Guide’s to Suicide, which follows a non-custodial father who’s also a prison guard (a composite of the two friends who served as the models for Space Bush’s protagonists), who hires an inmate to kill him.

Even as a work of low-brow fantasy, Space Bush was an effort eight years in the making, swinging between over-indulgence and self-censorship.

“The final version I was pretty happy with was a lot less literary,” he says. “I guess I wanted anybody to be able to pick it up, make it less challenging, less literary, something that didn’t take itself as seriously, wasn’t as concerned with providing answers but asking questions.”

Like, how do you screw an extraterrestrial who has a vagina in her throat?

Write to davem@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 29

adam vieyra

Pantry raid!

Household items that can double as pleasure toys

by A l e x Za rag oza When opening a utensil drawer, one doesn’t usually think, That fork looks sexy. I should bring it into the bedroom and have some fun with it.

Well, Bill Freyer, co-owner of the North Park sex shop Pleasures & Treasures, says that kind of limited thinking can keep someone from exploring interesting new realms of sexual foreplay.

In fact, any household is full of items that can crank a regular knockin’-boots session up to a level usually reserved for steamy R&B music videos.

“I’m big on using things that people already have in their own home,” says Freyer, who runs a regular workshop called “Sex on the Cheap.” In it, he gives tips on stuff that can be found around the home or at the dollar store that can double as pleasure tools.

“Anything that you can think

of pretty much can be used in the bedroom,” he says. “It’s a matter of going into your closet and thinking, ‘How can I use that in the bedroom?’”

That fork, for instance, is perfect for sensation play.

“If you take a fork, and if you take the tines on the back, and just rake it across the thigh or breast, it creates a sensation,” he explains.

“Take that same fork and reverse it so the tines face down; it’s going to be a little sharper, a little more intense. You don’t have to put pressure on it, but it scratches a bit more. That is sensation play.”

The forking-foreplay dynamic can be manipulated even further by placing it in a cup of ice or hot water. Switching the temperatures will add a different set of sensations that Freyer insists can be mind-blowing. The same activity can be done with a spoon or any other metal utensil.

Surprisingly, a cheese grater is another kitchen staple that can make its way into the bone zone.

“This is a little but rougher, but it works as well,” Freyer assures. “You don’t want to drag that

30 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

against the skin because that can really hurt you, but if you drag it on the back side away from the sharp points, you can scratch up a little bit, but it’s not going to tear up the skin. So you’re going to get that Oh, wow feeling.”

When filing down fingernails, it might be a good idea to move that emery board up to the chest.

of intensity overkill, Freyer suggests testing an individual’s pain threshold by pinching the skin in varying degrees of intensity.

Speaking of pain, since 50 Shades of Grey hit bookshelves around the world, horny housewives have become increasingly curious about BDSM. However, spanking during sex ain’t anything new. While some folks invest in designer paddles, Freyer suggests using a wooden spoon, spatula or rubber flip-flop for bottom smacking.

Scarves can also serve as handcuffs and blindfolds and are much less threatening than rope. Freyer also suggests saran wrap for easy and inexpensive DIY bondage experimentation.

“You can actually roll out a 2-foot section and fold it into three pieces and just wrap it around somebody’s wrist. You can put it around the ankles also,” he says. “They’re not going to get out of it because saran wrap is pretty damn strong.”

To paraphrase R. Kelly, there’s nothing wrong with a little bump and grind. If taking an old flip-flop to the butt makes it even better, then smack away.

Freyer says the gritty sensation of the board is great on nipples.

“Every woman has an emery board. If you take that and just gently rub it across the nipple, you’re not going to totally sand it down, but that abrasiveness just on the tip of the nipple totally brings the blood flow up,” he says. Write to alexz@sdcitybeat.com To avoid any awkward moments and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 31

Meals ’n’ heels adam vieyra

The search for the best strip-club eats

by Jeff Terich Nobody reads Playboy for the articles. Nobody goes to Vegas for the local color. And nobody visits strip clubs for the food—not until now, anyway.

Consider me the first.

I’ll confess I’m not one for nude cabaret. I’m married, I had my bachelor party at a bowling alley and I’ve never been entirely comfortable in the company of men ogling nude women at least 20 years their junior. But when the challenge presented itself to find the best skin-club grub in town, curiosity got the better of me. The hunt was on.

The first stop, Exposé (5520 Kearny Villa Road in Kearny Mesa, exposesd. com), bills itself as a “True Gentleman’s Club”—the kind of highfalutin’ branding that lends itself to imagery of leatherbound books, smoking jackets and snifters of brandy. Nothing doing. It’s your basic all-nude establishment, its lineup of talent covered in little more than tattoos or the occasional leg warmers. As such, no alcohol is served.

The crowd was sparse on a Thursday, but on the upside, wait service was fairly quick, with a menu full of pub snacks, juices and flavored tobaccos in our hands as soon as my guests and I took our booth.

And after deciding on BBQ pork sliders and a cheese quesadilla, we were treated to a series of expectedly bawdy performances that ranged from acrobatic to lackluster, and eventually creepy.

For the pre-dinner show, a dancer of a certain age gave an increasingly uncomfortable tease to Lily Allen’s “Smile,” with a locked gaze like a tractor beam in my direction. There’s nothing sexy about a woman her age doing peek-a-boo choreography—that’s exactly the way to let a customer think he’s seeing something he shouldn’t.

As luck would have it, the snacks arrived right as my appetite was beginning to wane. The cheese in the quesadilla, unfortunately, might as well have been Kraft singles—the “plastic” joke in this setting writes itself. However, the sliders offered something far more pleasing, the gooey, tangy pulled pork nicely nestled on a soft white bun. Simple, but good, a refreshing, almost wholesome counterpart to the lasciviousness on stage.

Cheetah’s (8105 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. in Kearny Mesa, cheetahssd.com), meanwhile, swarmed with activity on a Saturday night. Single men, couples, even same-sex couples cozied up inside the club to catch an eyeful of bare skin. And it greets the customer at every turn. The cabaret is best likened to a car dealership, the stage show something like a test drive before the upsell on undercoating, rust-proofing or customized floor mats, which in each case is a lap dance. While one dancer was in mid-spiel, one of my dining companions broached the question of whether anyone comes just for the food. She seemed offended by the suggestion that anyone would come just to stuff food in his face, rather than dollar bills in G-strings.

Nonetheless, for food, Cheetah’s is a big step up

32 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

from Exposé. With a kitchen next door at the sportsthemed Bullpen Bar & Grill, there’s a bevy of options that range from fried appetizers to pasta, poultry, steak and ribs. The burger, in particular, offered a suitably meaty option for peeping Toms with appetites, covered in thick slices of tomato and packed with crispy steak fries. The quesadilla, likewise, had fresh, gooey cheese and slices of briny jalapeño, a far cry from the sad American-cheese pocket just a few nights prior. And if the dancers come off as a little pushy, at least the show has some energy. A wiry blonde in hipster-librarian glasses attempted feats of gymnastics that looked risky to begin with, but even more so in four-inch heels, and without clothes.

The last stop, and most famous for its menu, Pacers (3334 Midway Drive, Midway, pacersshowgirls. com), beckoned with its $2-steak and $2-you-call-it night. And let me be the first to say that rumors of a $2 steak’s toughness have been greatly exaggerated.

The sizzling slab of beef is perhaps not on par with Cowboy Star’s 21-day aged New York Strip, but it’s not too shabby for a cheap slice of meat, even if the $20 cover charge is a bit on the hefty side.

What’s lost in door price is made up for in a steady stream of $2 drinks, and the free flow of booze means the thongs stay on at Pacers. This is clearly the better arrangement; no matter how naked the entertainment gets, it still doesn’t put a drink in your hand, and the difference between Cheetah’s and Pacers is essentially a tiny sliver of nylon—there’s no wanting for bare breasts here. The added bonus to a full bar is Pacers’ ample menu of drunk food, which includes a wonderfully gooey stack of overloaded tater tots, dripping with sour cream and cheese and topped with bacon.

Still, on quality of meal alone, Cheetah’s takes this competition, hands (and panties) down. Not that I wouldn’t trade the extra peek of flesh for a decent brew.

Write to editor@sdcitybeat.com.

A dinner date with Penis Hickey Getting hot ’n’ heavy with the avant-garde

Phil Skaller

by P et e r Hol s l i n As music editor at CityBeat, I sometimes feel like the belle of the ball in the San Diego music scene. Every band wants my number, it seems. Every band wants me to go to their show. I know some of them are being nice just so I’ll give them a good review, but I can’t help but feel flattered.

Honestly, though, it’s so hard to find a band that stands out—one that I really want to go “steady” with, if you know what I mean. So many indie bands sound the same. Blues-rock bands almost always put me to sleep. Punk bands are fun, but they’re so immature.

Wanna know a secret? I’m pretty kinky when it comes to music. The way I see it, the more avant-garde, the better.

If you build your own instruments, or rile up audiences with provocative performance art, or own every album by The Residents, you’re the band for me.

Recently, eager to get my freaky sounds on, I hung out with Vaginals, a local duo Penis Hickey’s Leah Bowden and Clint McCallum love ice cream. composed of multi-instrumentalists Cochina Cochinita and Dylan Li Brown. I love these promptu relationship-therapy sessions for couples two. They have their own way of looking at music— at their shows. for example, they lump almost every rock band that “We’ll take them and we’ll put them into a room, existed from 1975 to 1995 into a category they call just with us,” McCallum said. “We sort of ask them “new-classic rock”—and they’re always coming up questions, try to figure out what are the roots of the with strange, enthralling new sounds. problems in their relationship.”

Sitting at a long table at the Central Public Li“What are their sources of tension? What are brary, we talked about amazingly weird bands like their personal narratives?” Bowden added.

Ruins and Renaldo and the Loaf. Needless to say, They pick couples at random, McCallum noted. things got pretty hot and heavy, at least in terms of “If they’re really agreeable, then it’s pretty easy,” geeking out about nerdy music stuff. he said. “And if they’re not, then we kind of have to Asked about their goals for the band, they said be more forceful.” they constantly want to evolve. “We’re kind of buildBy this point, the lines of reality and fiction ing our own musical language,” Brown said. Well, seemed to be blurring. As the discussion grew inthen! I could’ve kissed him right then and there. creasingly weirder, I joined in on the fun. Invariably, But I don’t hook up on the first date—I have a I had to ask: Does Penis Hickey actually give out pereputation to uphold. Not long after the three of nis hickeys? us got shushed by the library security guard for “We don’t really discuss that,” McCallum said, talking too loud, the friendly duo gave me a ride to keeping a straight face. “That is a band policy.”

Golden Hill.

“It’s just totally inappropriate for our fans under A couple days later, I stopped by a big house in 12,” Bowden explained.

City Heights to meet up with another local experiAt one point, Bowden’s boyfriend, Phil Skaller, mental outfit, a drums-and-bass duo called Penis brought out a rabbit ready to put in the oven—an Hickey. I was lured in by their hilarious name, but animal he’d slaughtered himself after raising it in the what really got me was their amazing, kinky sound: sprawling garden out back. Penis Hickey invited me grinding bursts of punked-out free-jazz paired with to stay for dinner. And, I mean, seriously, how could heavy gongs and hysterical, operatic screams.

I refuse?

The date got off to a slow start. I’d had a long We spent the next couple hours chatting, and day, and I had trouble paying attention when drum- ended up feasting on some incredibly tender meat. mer Leah Bowden and bassist Clint McCallum told After a long, wonderful night, I bid Penis Hickey me about their 2012 debut album, My Typical Self, farewell—but not before asking when their next a moody spazz-fest that centers on the awkward, show is happening. diary-style confessions of a fictional teenage girl (“I We all agreed: We’re gonna have to do this again sometime. need a man! No I don’t!” goes one recurring lyric).

I perked up, though, when the conversation suddenly took a bizarre, whimsical turn, as the duo Write to peterh@sdcitybeat.com started describing how they’ve been holding im- and editor@sdcitybeat.com.

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 33

Horror show Giamatti and Coscarelli talk about making their little movie

by Anders Wright Most filmmakers, after reading David Wong’s Internet-serialized novel John Dies at the End, would likely think it impossible to make into a movie. It’s a strange book, told from the point of view of a snarky protagonist. But Don Coscarelli, the director behind the Phantasm franchise and the cult hits Beastmaster and Bubba Ho-Tep, isn’t most filmmakers.

Paul Giamatti brings the star power.

“Look, I’m an optimist,” he tells CityBeat. “I saw a path when I read the book.” but, Giamatti says, plenty of people want to work That path led to the big-screen horror-comedy ad- with Coscarelli. aptation, which opens at Hillcrest Cinemas on Friday, “He can call in favors, and there are people who Feb. 15. The movie is about two slackers, Dave (Chase just really love him and really love what he does,” he Williamson) and John (Rob Mayes), who have a busi- says. “He’s got some of the top guys, some of the best ness saving clients from the supernatural. When the prosthetic guys in Hollywood, and they did it for free movie opens, Dave is sitting at a diner with reporter because they love his stuff, they love what he’s doing Arnie Blondestone (Paul Giamatti), telling him about and they love the fact that he’s an old-school, handsthe duo’s experience with Soy Sauce, a new street on eccentric maverick out there doing his own thing.” drug that kills almost everyone who comes in contact One of the biggest changes for Coscarelli is with it and seems to be opening a portal to another the way John Dies at the End will get to audiences. dimension, whose inhabitants are determined to take Though it’s having a small theatrical release, it’s over this one. been available since late 2012 That’s a lot to take on within other ways, like video on out much of a budget, so you demand, iTunes, Xbox and John Dies might find it odd that a HollyAmazon Instant Video. That’s at the End wood star like Giamatti is apkind of ironic, because CosWritten and directed by Don Coscarelli pearing in the independently carelli’s movies have usually Starring Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, financed effort, especially in a gained notoriety after they’ve Paul Giamatti and Clancy Brown supporting role. But Giamatti’s left theaters and been discovRated R more than just an actor here— ered on DVD or at midnight he also produced the film, screenings. The distribution along with Coscarelli, and was switcheroo is new to him. one of the driving forces in making it happen.

“Some of my later Phantasm films, like Phantasm 3 “We met through Eli Roth,” Giamatti says, refer- and Phantasm 4, received the curse of going direct to ring to the horror director behind the Hostel movies. video,” he says. When a title went straight to video back “I’m not a huge fan of those super-violent torture in the day, it was perceived as being junk. We worked films, but I actually like Eli’s torture movies. He got very hard on those movies, and I’m still very proud of the two of us together, and we tried to make a sequel them, but the nature of the distribution informed how to Bubba Ho-Tep. It nearly happened, and then didn’t, people perceived them. Now folks are accepting this but Don said, ‘Let’s just make this one. I think I can completely. It’s weird, but it’s an entirely new generaactually do this one without a studio helping us out.’ tion that’s used to getting their media where they want That seemed insane to me, that he was going to do and when they want it. Having it available on iPad or this with me without any support, but that’s how he iPhone or on their TV right away is preferable to them, does things.” so we’ll see how it works out. It’s still in theaters, which The movie is at times clever and funny, and seri- is good, but it’s definitely a new world out there.” ously bloody, even if the ending doesn’t quite live up to the promise of the beginning. Putting it together Write to anders@sdcitybeat.com was a challenge, since there was no studio funding, and editor@sdcitybeat.com

Heart art

Inocente

34 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

Each year, Oscar-nominated short animated and live-action narrative films come through San Diego. Those two shows have been playing the last two weeks, but they’re moving from the Ken Cinema to Hillcrest Cinemas to make room for a new program of five Oscarnominated short documentaries, which opens Friday, Feb. 15. To my knowledge, this marks the first time San Diego filmgo-

ers have had the opportunity to watch the short docs before the Oscar ceremony—or in a theater at all, for that matter.

None of these documentaries are actually all that short—each clocks in at around 40 minutes, which means the entire show runs longer than three hours (there is an intermission). By press time, sadly, I’d had the chance to see only one of them, but, man, was it a doozy.

Inocente, by directors Sean Fine and Andrea Nix, profiles a

homeless, undocumented Latina teenager struggling to keep it together along with her mom and brothers. The circumstances sound devastatingly sad, but this young woman is smart, funny and terrifically inspiring, a teenager who makes art that’s just like her: smart, funny and terrifically inspiring.

In many ways, Inocente puts a face on the immigration crisis and the homeless crisis, but you’ll find yourself pulling for her just because you’re human. Oh, and did I mention that Inocente and her family live in San Diego? Yeah, that really brings it home.

—Anders Wright

Opening Beautiful Creatures: After the success of Twilight, you know there are plenty of young-adult supernatural franchises to come. This one is about witches!

Escape From Planet Earth: Brendan Fraser voices Scorch, an astronaut who needs the help of his little brother (Rob Cordrry) when he lands on an inhospitable planet full of unspeakable dangers. Hint: It’s Earth.

A Good Day to Die Hard: Bruce Willis goes to Moscow, meets up with his son (Jai Courtney) and shoots a bunch of guys.

John Dies at the End: This horror comedy from Phantasm director Don Coscarelli, about two slackers trying to save the world from forces unknown, is pretty funny. Paul Giamatti shows up in a supporting role.

See our feature on Page 34.

Safe Haven: The latest Nicholas Sparks romance stars Julianne Hough as a mysterious woman who takes up with a hunky widower (Josh Duhamel).

One Time Only Die Hard Marathon: All five films. Yes, that’s right, five, because it culminates at 10 p.m. with the new one, A Good Day to Die Hard. Starts at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 13, at AMC Mission Valley and ArcLight La Jolla.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Quite possibly the most quoted movie of all time, by geeks. It’s only a flesh wound, after all. Screens at around 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 13, at Sea Rocket Bistro in North Park.

Say Anything: What guy hasn’t wanted to be Lloyd Dobler, holding up the boombox playing Peter Gabriel? And what girl hasn’t wanted her man to be Lloyd Dobler, holding up the boombox playing Peter Gabriel?

It’s screening twice on Wednesday, Feb. 13—at 7:30 p.m. at ArcLight La Jolla and 8 p.m. at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s: In Truman Capote’s short novel, the narrator was gay.

In Blake Edwards’ movie, he’s hetero George Peppard, who somehow ends up with Audrey Hepburn’s lovely Holly Golightly. Screens at noon and 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, at Reading Cinemas Town Square in Clairemont.

Moulin Rouge!: Baz Luhrmann’s romantic musical is perfect for Valentine’s Day. Ewan McGregor is a struggling poet who falls for courtesan Nicole Kidman, who is, naturally, adored by a nasty duke (Richard Roxburgh). Presented by FilmOut, it screens at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, at the

Birch North Park Theatre.

Now, Voyager: She’s got Bette Davis eyes—Bette Davis, that is, playing a spinster who finds true love after getting out from under the thumb of her domineering mother and seeing a shrink. Screens at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, at the Central Library, Downtown.

Drive-By Cinema: Pacific Arts Movement, which produces the San Diego Asian Film Festival, debuts its new project at the location of the old State Theater in City Heights. It starts at 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15. Find details on Page 14.

The Heart and the Sea: Nathan Oldfield’s latest surf film was three years in the making. Screens at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, at La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas.

A Good Day to Die Hard

Corpo Celeste: The Public Library teams up with Film Movement, the monthly film club, to present this feature about a 13-year-old girl who returns to Italy after living in Switzerland for a decade and runs smack dab into the intractable Catholic Church. Screens at noon on Saturday, Feb. 16, at the Central Library, Downtown.

Side Effects: This thriller is rumored to be Steven Soderbergh’s final theatrical release. If so, he’s going out on top with this one, about a woman (Rooney Mara) whose shrink (Jude Law) prescribes her anti-depressants that end up plunging both of them down a rabbit hole. See our review on Page 22.

The Deer Hunter: Michael Cimino’s Vietnam horror drama earned scads of Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor for Christopher Walken. Masterful. Screens at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, and Tuesday, Feb. 19, at Reading Cinemas Gaslamp.

Special 26: Bollywood heist movie based on a real robbery that went down in Mumbai in 1987.

The Son of the Sheik: Organist Russ Peck accompanies the 1926 Rudolph Valentino silent film at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, at Copley Symphony Hall, Downtown.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Susan Sarandon! Tim Curry! Meat Loaf! And, yeah, Barry Bostwick. Screens at midnight on Saturday, Feb. 16, at the Ken Cinema.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: The second film in the original trilogy is vastly underrated. Screens at 7 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 18, at ArcLight La Jolla.

The Greatest Show on Earth: Circus manager Charlton Heston hires trapeze hot shot Cornel Wilde, who saves his show but might end up stealing Heston’s girlfriend, Betty Hutton, while he’s at it. Screens at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 18, at Reading Cinemas Town Square in Clairemont.

The Big Chill: Great ensemble. A group of college friends, like William Hurt, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, Kevin Kline and Tom Berenger, get together for a weekend after the death of a friend. That friend, by the way, was played by Kevin Costner, whose scenes ended up on the cutting-room floor.

Screens at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, at the Central Library, Downtown.

Dirty Dancing: Go ahead, have the time of your life at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, at the Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.

Now Playing Spike & Mike’s Festival of Animation: Sure, they’re better known for their sickand-twisted stuff, but this 30th-anniversary family-friendly greatest-hits set of films from the past four decades has some great stuff.

Screens through March at the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla.

San Diego Jewish Film Festival: This is one of SDJFF’s best lineups ever, and it runs through Sunday, Feb. 17, at various theaters around town. Swing by sdjff.org for a list of films, showtimes and locations.

Identity Thief: Jason Bateman hits the road to find out who stole his identity. Not a spoiler: It’s Melissa McCarthy.

Top Gun 3D: The fighter-jet stuff is just fine. It’s that Tom Cruise singing “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” bit that gets creepy in 3D. The New Juarez: Documentarian Charlie Minn’s latest film about the cartel wars in Mexico explores the recent changes in the border town often considered the murder capitol of the world.

Bullet to the Head: Sly Stallone is a hit man who teams up with a cop to find the guy who killed their partners—and shoot a bunch of guys along the way. It’s Walter Hill’s first film in a decade.

Oscar Nominated Short Films: All 10 Oscar-nominated short and live-action films move from the Ken Cinema to Hillcrest Cinemas on Friday, Feb. 15, and there are some real winners in this batch.

Sisterakas: Filipino comedy about a guy who hires his half-sister on the Internet to be a personal assistant, with the intention of making her life hell.

Stand Up Guys: Al Pacino gets out of the joint after almost 20 years and immediately hooks up with his old associates, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin.

Warm Bodies: In a world populated by both zombies and humans, one member of the walking dead (Nicholas Hoult) starts to have feelings for a real girl (Teresa Palmer).

Quartet: It’s surprising that it took Dustin Hoffman this long to direct a movie. Quartet, about what happens when a faded opera singer (Maggie Smith) is forced to move into a home for retired musicians, including the rest of the quartet she left behind, is slight, but enjoyable.

56 Up: Every seven years since 1964, filmmakers have captured the lives of a group of British children who were just 7 when the process started. Director Michael Apted has spent a lot of time with these people, and it shows. Ends Feb. 14 at Hillcrest Cinemas.

For a complete listing

of movies pla ying locally, please see “F ilm S creenings” at sdcit yb eat.com under the “E vents” tab.

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 35

Rus Anson

Nile state of mind Singer Meklit Hadero takes inspiration from an epic African river · by Peter Holslin

A

ny Ethiopian person worth his weight in honey wine would know the song “Abbay Mado.” A simple Ethiopian folk tune, it’s about a farmer who calls to his ox from across the Blue Nile, the majestic tributary that flows into Sudan from Ethiopia’s northwestern highlands.

For Ethiopians and foreigners alike, the most well-known version of “Abbay Mado” is probably the one recorded by the legendary singer Mahmoud Ahmed, appearing on his 1975 album Erè

Mèla Mèla (later reissued for the epic Éthiopiques series). In his version, Ahmed belts out the song’s festive melody as his band lays down a horn-led funk groove that’s all but guaranteed to put the listener in a trance.

In more recent years, though, another version of “Abbay Mado” has gained popularity. It’s sung by the Ethiopian-American singer Meklit Hadero, and a light, jazzy arrangement appears on her 2010 debut album, On a Day Like This...

Over brisk drums and stand-up

36 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

bass, Hadero trades off with a trumpeter, whose low-key flourishes are fit for a quiet, rainy day.

Hadero, who lives in San Francisco, always brightens up the crowd when she plays the song live. She’ll dance with people in the audience, and Ethiopians will clap out the polyrhythms of its traditional 6/8 beat, called a “tchik-tchik-ka.” Asked why she decided to sing the song, Hadero has a simple answer.

“Obsession,” she says. “It was in my head for two years. What

else could I do?”

Hadero offers an eclectic, freespirited take on music: Her songs incorporate jazz and poetry, and her voice sounds light and versatile, fit for almost any genre. She can be whimsical, too: Last year, she formed the group Copperwire with two other Ethiopian-American artists to make Earthbound, a “hip-hop space opera” set in the future.

Hadero has a strong sense of history, and she finds connections where other artists might not. For her 2012 album Meklit & Quinn, Hadero paired with Oakland R&B singer Quinn DeVeaux to record rich, intimate covers of songs by artists like Stevie Wonder, Talking Heads and Arcade Fire—names you wouldn’t normally expect to see on the same track-listing, but Hadero sees them as intrinsically linked.

“For me, that record was really about exploring American music, and the soul roots of the rock music that I love,” she says.

Throughout, the duo offer their own take on some classic songs: They slow down Wonder’s anthemic “I Was Made to Love Her” to give it a deep, sexy pull.

They infuse Patti Smith’s ghostly “Elegie” with a cracking, beatbox rhythm and elongated string phrases, making dark, murky triphop. And they turn Arcade Fire’s epic “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)” into a lovely ballad, offering up angelic, two-part harmonies over quiet piano and guitar.

Born in Ethiopia and raised in Brooklyn, Hadero studied political science as an undergraduate at Yale before taking up music. She still has an interest in social and cultural issues, but she takes an emotional, open-ended approach to songwriting.

“I like metaphors. I don’t like to tell people how the world is.

I don’t like to be didactic or try teaching anybody anything,” she says. “The music itself does not have to tell you about an issue in

order to have a social impact. It can, but it doesn’t have to.”

That doesn’t mean she doesn’t get involved in advocacy. Lately, Hadero has been working on the Nile Project, an organization she founded in 2011 with the Egyptian ethnomusicologist Mina Girgis. To tackle cultural and environmental issues facing the Nile basin, they’re planning projects like the Nile Tour, in which musicians and environmental educators will sail down-river through Egypt in a boat made of recycled water-bottles.

On a recent trip to Egypt, Hadero spent time in educational workshops with musicians from Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda, all countries touched by the Nile. A presentation by two Ugandan musicians proved to be an enthralling and exhaustive process, as they explained their instruments and broke down the way they use polyrhythm to write songs.

“When it comes to a lot of cultural exchange, I think the really easy route is to just be, like, ‘OK, you do your thing, and I’ll solo over it.

And then I’ll do my thing, and you solo over it.’ And that’s not what we were going for,” she says. “We were going for something that has a more integrated way. But in order to do that, you have to get what the other person is actually doing.”

The Nile Project isn’t designed to be specific to any one country, but to the Nile region as a whole, Hadero says. In a way, though, its origins date back to “Abbay Mado,” the Ethiopian folk song that’s become part of Hadero’s repertoire.

“The song was really part of the genesis of the Nile Project for me,” Hadero says. “It kind of let me into a Nile consciousness—the way it exists in Ethiopia.”

Meklit Hadero plays at The Loft at UCSD on Wednesday, Feb. 20, and with Quinn DeVeaux at The Loft on Thursday, Feb. 21. meklithadero.com

notes from the SMOKING PATIO Locals Only San Diego’s sassiest pop-rock band are getting back together—sort of. After a four-year break and a few scattered reunion shows, Louis XIV recently played a couple of dates with The Killers, and now the two bands are gearing up for two tours. They’ll hit Europe in February and March, and guitarist Brian Karscig says Louis XIV will join The Killers on some U.S. dates in May. Karscig says the quartet’s also been talking about recording a new album, though he and frontman Jason Hill haven’t decided whether they’ll actually do it.

“Jason and I have come up with some really great new ideas, but I think we have to get in a bus and do 15 shows overseas to see if we can still find the chemistry,” Karscig says in an email. “Judging by the first few shows, I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.”

Lately, Karscig’s been focusing on his band The Nervous Wreckords (who got a song placed on Weeds last year; see article below), while Hill’s written songs for a super-group called Vicky Cryer, which features Killers bassist Mark Stoermer and Muse drummer Dominic Howard. Vicky Cryer’s debut album, The Synthetic Love of Emotional Engineering, is set to come out on Fancy Animal Records in April.

Karscig feels good to be back with Louis XIV. “When I took a hiatus to start [The Nervous Wreckords], it didn’t go over so well with the guys, our fans and pretty much everyone, and honestly, it just feels good to all be friends again and playing music together,” he says.

Louis XIV

local music-placement company Six Palms Entertainment. Working as a “song plugger,” Richards has sent Weeds’ producers and music supervisor countless songs for consideration. He sent them nearly 400 songs for the eighth season alone, including cuts by locals like The Heavy Guilt and Kevin Martin.

Richards says there was no way of predicting what would work for the show. Occasionally, a song would end up on the cutting-room floor even after the editors found a use for it. So, it’s best to just give producers everything you’ve got.

“You just never know what will stick,” Richards says. “It’s always nice to be able to call the artist and tell them they made it into the production.”

Richards started sending songs to Weeds because he’s close friends with the show’s executive producThe rainmaker er, Mark Burley. They met in 1984, when Richards Weeds has been good to San Diego. In the past cou- was a film student at SDSU and Burley worked on ple of years, more than half a dozen local acts have the San Diego set of the detective series Simon & had songs appear on the popular Showtime series. Simon. After reconnecting during the Weeds years, The list of tunes is diverse, ranging from Low Volts’ they struck up an informal working relationship at thumping blues-rock jam “Blame It on the Break the start of the show’s third season.

Up” to the upbeat, stripped-down indie-rock of Sub“It was based on friendship and trust,” Burley tells surfer’s “Girl on Girl.”

CityBeat. “The more he did it, the more we liked it.”

Most of the songs appeared in Weeds may be over, but Richepisodes during the show’s eighth ards recently submitted songs to and final season, which aired last the people behind an upcoming year. The seventh episode, “UnNetflix series, Orange is the New freeze,” had an especially strong Black, for which Burley serves as local turnout: Songs by The Stylea consulting producer. Richards’ tones and Midnight Rivals were selections included tunes by The used in scenes, while The NerStyletones’ Stevie Harris and vous Wreckords’ “Classy Girls” songwriter Tori Roze—though, of played during the end credits. And course, he can’t say what the edithe fun doesn’t stop there: “Classy tors and producers will eventually Girls” has been included in a new pick to be on the show. compilation, Weeds: An Eighth “It’s always a matter of whatof the Best: Music from Season 8, ever works,” he says. “They’ve got which is available for download plenty of time to work on this.” on Amazon.com.

—Peter Holslin So, who’s been making it rain for the San Diego scene? The honChris Richards with Weeds’ Write to peterh@sdcitybeat.com Mary-Louise Parker and editor@sdcitybeat.com. ors go to Chris Richards of the

February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 37

if i were u

BY peter holslin

Wednesday, Feb. 13 PLAN A: DJ Vadim, DJ Bency, DJ Mawkus, DJ Collagey @ Kava Lounge.

Seemingly nowhere and everywhere at the same time, Russian-born DJ Vadim has played with a dizzying range of artists and explored all sorts of sounds since the early 1990s. But, as he shows with loose, infectious tunes like “The Terrorist,” he’s less a globetrotting sonic philanderer and more a wax-spinning, beat-making badass.

PLAN B: Larry Ochs and Don Robinson @ Space 4 Art. Veterans of avant-garde jazz, saxophonist Larry Ochs and drummer Don Robinson have dished out enthralling, atonal sounds in a number of ensembles.

They’ll pair up as a duo tonight, and I’ll bet they’ll hit the crowd with a feral, skronky jam. BACKUP PLAN: In Flames, Demon Hunter, All Shall Perish, Battlecross @ House of Blues.

Thursday, Feb. 14 PLAN A: St. Valentine’s Metal Massacre w/ Desecrate @ The Shakedown Bar. If you and your mate are the kind of couple that likes to ride Harleys, drink whiskey and head-bang the night away, you’ll want to see Hollywood’s Desecrate, whose technical, borderline-kitschy heavy metal owes a lot to the likes of Metallica and Dream Theater. PLAN B: Toubab Krewe @ The Loft at UCSD. On the other hand, if the two of you would prefer to get all hippiedippie with some quasi-African instrumental rock, check out Toubab Krewe, a band of North Carolina white boys who channel the spirit of Mali with electric guitars, African percussion and a harp-lute called the kora.

BACKUP PLAN: Lil’ Kim @ Fluxx.

Friday, Feb. 15 PLAN A: Transfer, The Nervous Wreckords, The Palace Ballroom, Boy King @ The Casbah. The mighty Transfer will hit Europe with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in March, but they’re playing one more show before they shove off. The local pop-rockers have an album in the oven, so expect to hear new tunes like “Reflections of Home”; its sweet, unhurried melody makes way for an explosive chorus. PLAN B: Mouse on Mars, Xover, 9 Theory, Illuminauts DJs @ Soda Bar. German duo Mouse on Mars have done all sorts of interesting, delightful things with electronic music during the past 20 years, and they really let loose on 2012 albums Parastrophics and WOW. Like a couple of cosmic roller-coaster rides, both efforts are crammed with dazzling melodies and playful sounds. BACKUP PLAN:

38 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

Amigo the Devil, Flip Cassidy, Natasha Duchene @ The Shakedown Bar.

Saturday, Feb. 16 PLAN A: OM, Sir Richard Bishop, ANA/ @ The Casbah. In an eternal quest toward stoner-rock transcendence, San Francisco duo OM (which features a former member of stoner gods Sleep) went into full meditation mode on last year’s Advaitic Songs, adding strings, chants and Eastern percussion to their doomy lurch. Meanwhile, guitar genius Sir Richard Bishop touches on everything from Indian classical music to Western swing on his 2012 album Intermezzo. PLAN B: The Colin L. Orchestra, Residual Echoes, Penis Hickey, Mudhead @ The Kava Lounge Gallery. The Colin L. Orchestra should be a treat for any weirdo who loved iconic noiserock freakazoids The USA is a Monster—this orchestra is fronted by USA’s Colin Langenus.

RSI But I’m just as excited to see Penis Hickey, an amazing, hilarious and profoundly bizarre “freejazzcore” duo I write about on Page 33. BACKUP PLAN: Steve Poltz, The Rugburns, Glen Phillips, Tristan Prettyman, The Lovebirds, Jack Tempchin @ Belly Up Tavern.

Sunday, Feb. 17 PLAN A: Old English, VAMPIRE, Skrapez @ Soda Bar. National City’s Old English have been holding it down in the underground hip-hop scene for a while now, and their solid, recently released album Band in Amerikkka is well worth a listen. Don’t miss Skrapez, who’ll happily blow out your eardrums with their confrontational beats.

BACKUP PLAN: Blackalicious, Chali 2na, DJ GarGar @ Belly Up Tavern.

Old English

Monday, Feb. 18 PLAN A: Retox, Wha?, Secret Fun Club, Ghetto Blaster @ The Griffin. Throwing down quick bursts of ferocious hardcore punk, Retox are almost therapeutic in their madness. Wha?, a spooky post-punk band featuring local musician Ben Johnson, is a bit more dance-y. BACKUP PLAN: Space Town Savior, Mike Bleeds, Hyperwave, Wizwars, Dasid, Jiffypop23 @ Soda Bar.

Tuesday, Feb. 19 PLAN A: Night Beds, John Meeks @ The Casbah. Local dude John Meeks isn’t like most country singers—he doesn’t wear a cowboy hat, for one—but his soft voice and stunning ballads would wrench a tear from even the hardest cattle-hand.

HOT! NEW! FRESH! Redd Kross (Casbah, 3/1), Earthless (Casbah, 3/7), Guantanamo Baywatch, Midnight Eagle, Lenz (Soda Bar, 3/10), Carl Stone (Space 4 Art, 3/14), Color, Har Mar Superstar, The Virgins (Casbah, 3/17), Grass Widow (Casbah, 3/18), Ducktails (The Void, 3/20), Wavves, FIDLAR, Cheatahs (Casbah, 3/21), Sex Panther (Voyeur, 3/22), Toots & The Maytals (HOB, 3/27), Acid Baby Jesus, Hellshovel (Tower Bar, 3/31), Rez Abbazi Trio (Space 4 Art, 3/31), Phosphorescent (Casbah, 4/3), Pep Love, Opio, Equipto (Porter’s Pub, 4/13), Alt-J, Hundred Waters (BUT, 4/16), Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Balboa Theatre, 4/16), Aesop Rock, Busdriver (BUT, 4/17), Boris, Marriages (Casbah, 4/23), The Cave Singers (Casbah, 4/24), Chappo (Soda Bar, 4/24), Blood Red Shoes (Soda Bar, 4/28), METZ (Casbah, 4/28), Hot Club of Cowtown (AMSDconcerts, 5/5), Built to Spill (Casbah, 5/5-6), El Ten Eleven, Bonobo (BUT, 5/6), The Milk Carton Kids (BUT, 5/12), Twin Shadow, Elliphant (BUT, 5/22), Mikal Cronin (Casbah, 5/23),

February Wednesday, Feb. 13 In Flames at House of Blues. St. Lucia at The Griffin.

Larry Ochs and Don Robinson at Space 4 Art.

Thursday, Feb. 14 Wallpaper at The Casbah. Toubab Krewe at The Loft @ UCSD. Japanther at Soda Bar.

Friday, Feb. 15 Mouse on Mars at Soda Bar. Ra Ra Riot at Belly Up Tavern.

Saturday, Feb. 16 OM at The Casbah. The Salvator Santana Band at The Griffin. Tribute to the Reggae Legends at Broadway Pier, Port Pavilion.

Sunday, Feb. 17 Tribute to the Reggae Legends at Broadway Pier, Port Pavilion.

Tuesday, Feb. 19 Night Beds at The Casbah.

Wednesday, Feb. 20 B.B. King at Belly Up Tavern. Meklit Hadero at The Loft @ UCSD. RYAT, Rainbow Arabia at Soda Bar. Buke & Gase at The Casbah.

Thursday, Feb. 21 Meklit Hadero at The Loft @ UCSD. Warm Soda at Soda Bar. The Orwells at The Casbah.

Friday, Feb. 22 Ramon Ayala at House of Blues. Del tha Funky Homosapien at Porter’s Pub.

Saturday, Feb. 23 Allah-Las at The Casbah.

Sunday, Feb. 24 Psychic Ills, Follakzoid at Soda Bar. The Night Marchers, The Intelligence at The Casbah.

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave, Pacific Beach.

710bc.com. Wed: Open mic, open jam. Thu: Live band karaoke. Fri: Tribal Theory, Aloha Radio. Tue: Battle of the Bands w/ Krimson Blues, Crucial Blend.

98 Bottles, 2400 Kettner Blvd. Ste. 110, Little Italy.

98bottlessd.com. Thu: Leonard Patton w/ Teagan Taylor, Ed Kornhauser, Justin Grinnell, Duncan Moore.

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February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 39

AMSDconcerts, 4650 Mansfield St, Normal Heights. amsdconcerts.com. Fri: Ellis Paul. Sat: John Gorka. Sun: Guy Davis.

the hit list Love in the club If you’re anything like me, Valentine’s Day won’t be spent on a bearskin rug in front of a crackling fireplace. It won’t even involve drinking a combination of red wine and salted lonely tears.

It’s going to be spent on a dance floor, giving zero shits about the possibility of dying alone.

Here are a few places where you can do that this week: Quality Social (789 Sixth Ave., Downtown) will celebrate the love people have for their passion projects at Alt Social: A Showcase of Alternative Style on Wednesday, Feb. 13. Boys Don’t Disco and Will Hernandez will spin sexy disco grooves as you check out art by Jack Stricker, Andrea Welton and Yarns & Noble. Enjoy complimentary sips and appetizers from 8 to 9 p.m. and treat yourself to handmade jewelry from local designers. You deserve it.

Fri: Krass Bros., Julia May, Del Sol Project, The Peripherals. Sun: Brandon Primus.

Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St, Normal Heights. airconditionedbar.com.

40 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

If sex, not romance, is what you’re looking for this V-Day, head to Whistle Stop Bar (2236 Fern St. alex zaragoza in South Park) for F*ckin in the Bushes on Friday, Feb. 15.

While actual f*ckin in bushes is not encouraged, feel free to dance up on girls who are boys who like boys to be girls as the best of Britpop hits the speakers. Nine times out of 10, you can find someone you really love, or at least tolerate, for a one-night stand.

The San Diego Mixtape Society is challenging everyone to create a mix filled with songs named after a woman.

Make your mix and share it with fellow music nerds at Local Habit (3827 Fifth Ave. in Hillcrest) from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17. Finally!

Another chance to hear Toto’s “Rosanna.”

Wed: DJ Squarewave. Thu: DJ Yaser Aly. Fri: DJ Junior the DiscoPunk. Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech. Sun: DJs Watch .44, Sunday Sauce.

—Alex Zaragoza American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave, Downtown. americancomedyco.com.

Wed: Michael Yo. Thu-Sat: Harland Williams. Sun: Adam Ray.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St, North Park. barpink.com. Wed: DJ Ratstar. Thu: ‘Fitted’ w/ J. Blow, Daeta, The Fresh Yard, Premiere Fits. Fri: The Nathan James Trio.

Sat: ‘Neon Beat.’ Sun: DJs Joemama, Tramlife. Mon: The Husky Boy All-Stars.

Tue: Adrian Demain.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave, Solana Beach. bellyup.com. Wed: J Boog, Hot Rain, Siaosi. Thu: The Hives, Shake Before Us (sold out). Fri: Ra Ra Riot, Pacific Air, Cayucas. Sat: Steve Poltz’s 4th annual 50th Birthday Party w/ The Rugburns, Glen Phillips, Tristan Prettyman, The Lovebirds, Jack Tempchin. Sun: Blackalicious, Chali 2na, DJ GarGar. Tue: Beer Fest w/ Reeform, HeadNorth.

Blarney Stone Pub, 5617 Balboa Ave, Clairemont. 858-279-2033. Wed & Sat: The Barmen. Thu: Men of Leisure. Fri: The Ryan Hiller Band. Sun: Open mic w/ Men of Leisure. Mon: Trivia. Tue: Irish jam (8 p.m.); Bob Teedde (10 p.m.).

Bluefoot Bar & Lounge, 3404 30th St, North Park. bluefootsd.com. Wed: DJ C. Wizard. Thu: DJ Iggy. Fri: Shattered (art).

Fri: DJ Joemama. Sat: DJs Habitat, L. Sun: DJs Grassy Noll, Iggy. Tue: DJ Zach.

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave, Bay Park. brickbybrick.com. Wed: SD Music TV Open Mic. Thu: Soulfly, Incite, Lody Kong, On Decent. Fri: ‘The Love Hangover’ w/ T. Irie Dread, The Amalgamated, Soul Ablaze, Klownfish, DJ Carlos Culture. Sat: Blackout, Madman, Rattz, Teaser. Sun: Cockney Rejects, Youth Brigade, Widows, Rat City Riot. Tue: Velvet Acid Christ, The

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February 13, 2013 · San Diego CityBeat · 41

Twilight Garden/ Squirrelly Arts, DJ Bryan Pollard, DJ Complex, DJ PNM. Cafe Sevilla, 353 Fifth Ave, Downtown. cafesevilla.com. Wed: Gipsymenco. Fri: Gipsy Fusion. Sat: Malamana. Sun: Aragon y Royal.

Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. casbahmusic.com. Wed: The Peripherals, Burning Jet Black, Kelsea Rae Little. Thu: Wallpaper, Con Bro Chill, Lion Cut. Fri: Transfer, The Nervous Wreckords, The Palace Ballroom, Boy King. Sat: OM, Sir Richard Bishop, ANA/. Sun: Old Tiger, Sundrop Electric, Bart Mendoza and True Stories, Listening to Rocks. Mon: Graveyard, The Shrine. Tue: Night Beds, John Meeks.

Che Cafe, UCSD campus, La Jolla. thechecafe.blogspot.com. Fri: ED Ghost Tucker, Real Things are Good, Rana and Friends. Sun: Reivers, Dog Teeth, Fed to the Wolves, Pig Life.

Croce’s, 802 Fifth Ave, Downtown. croces.com. Wed: Sue Palmer. Thu: Gilbert Castellanos and The New Latin Jazz Quintet, Richard James. Fri: Yavaz. Sat: Daniel Jackson (11:30 a.m.); Agua Dulce (8:30 p.m.). Sun: Irving Flores (11:30 a.m.); Mark Fisher Trio (7:30 p.m.). Mon: Dave Scott and Monsoon Jazz. Tue: Mike Wofford/Holly Hofmann Quartet.

Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Dr, Downtown. dizzyssandiego.com. Fri: Danny Green and his Quartet. Sat: Bertram Turetzky w/ Robert Zelickman, Lorie Kirkell, Nancy Turetzky, Chuck Perrin. Sun: Brasil Jazz Festa w/ Allison Adams Tucker, Rebecca Kleinmann, Danny Green, Dani Lasalvia, Steve Haney, Julien Cantelm, Justin Gr. El Dorado Bar, 1030 Broadway, Downtown. eldoradobar.com. Wed: ‘Funk and Oldies’. Thu: Office Twins, Boys Don’t Disco, Spice BoysFri: ‘Totally ‘90s Party’ w/ Don’t Go Jason Waterfalls, Saul Q. Sat: Adam Salter, Third Twin, Contemporary Menswear. Sun: Dag Savage, Exile and Johaz, Adad, Real J. Wallace, Blame One, Mr. Brady, King Choosey aka Makeshift, Odessa Kane, DJs Houseshoe.

Epicentre, 8450 Mira Mesa Blvd, Mira Mesa. epicentreconcerts.org. Wed: H2O, Terror, Backtrack, Code Orange Kids, Capsize, Drop the Gloves. Fri: He is the Painter, Wakeup Call, Rising Edge, Neck and Neck, Occupancy64. Sat: Undead Garden, The Infamous THEY, Aim the Kill, The Romeo Complex.

Gallagher’s, 5040 Newport Ave, Ocean Beach. 619-222-5303. Wed: Lady Dottie and The Diamonds. Thu: Irusalem, DJ Reefah. Fri: Todo Mundo, DJ Lya. Sat: Ocean Boogie DJ Party. Sun: DJ Chelu.

Griffin, 1310 Moreno Blvd, Bay Park. thegriffinsd.com. Wed: St. Lucia, Wildcat!

Wildcat!, DJ Adam Salter. Thu: The Red Paintings, Stone Horse, The Falling Doves, Heavy Empire, Jonny Tarr. Fri: ‘Broadcasting Underground’ w/ Jammin Z90’s Tristan D Orin Jacobs Nomad. Sat: Salvador Santana, Reed Street Sessions, Soul Water, Todo Mundo. Sun: Days to Change, Gabriel Valentin, Sensory Stations, Her Bed of Thorns, Fox Colton. Mon: Retox, Secret Fun Club, Wha?, Ghetto Blaster. Tue: Oliver Trolley, The Short Eyes, Mothlight, Small City Calling.

House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave, Downtown. houseofblues.com/sandiego. Wed: In Flames, Demon Hunter, All Shall Perish, Battlecross. Thu: Tritonal: A Valentines Day Affair. Fri: The Roman Watchdogs; Anti-Valentines Day Weekend Bash. Sat: Anderson Hall Band; 6ONE9, Dirty Birdz and The Horn Starz, Hitman Honey. Sun: Clyde Carson, Honey Cocaine.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd, Midtown. kavalounge.com. Wed: DJ Vadim, DJs Bency, Mawkus, Collagey. Thu: Blackass, Bassmechanic, Lisa Ubiquitous. Fri:

42 · San Diego CityBeat · February 13, 2013

Hobotech, Omega Squad, Austin Speed, Dr. 42, Duckberry Crunch, Karate Explosion, Sarah Cranberry. Sat: ‘Detour.’ Sun: ‘Gangnam Away Party’ w/ Browse, Mateo Bambaataa, Austin Speed, Mystery Cave, Sleeve. Tue: L’Roneous, Spank Pops, 2Bers, Def Rare, Day Go Produce.

Lestat’s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave, Normal Heights. lestats.com. Wed: Christine Parker. Thu: Eleonor England.

Fri: Cyndi Harvell, Collie Moore, Jesse Brewster, Robert Gillies. Sat: Allison Lonsdale, Buddy Zapadas, Junkyard Republic, Cindy Berryhill. Sun: Tim Williams.

Loft @ UCSD, Price Center East, La Jolla. http://theloft.ucsd.edu. Wed: Joshua White and SPiRAL. Thu: Toubab Krewe.

Fri: The DJs and Vinylphiles Club Dance.

Office, 3936 30th St, North Park. officebarinc.com. Wed: Uptown Boogie Part 2: Lover’s Rock Edition w/ DJs Unite, Peril.

Thu: DJs Ikah Love, Adam Salter, Old Money. Fri: DJ Beatnick. Sat: DJs EdRoc, Kanye Asada. Sun: Tribe of Kings. Mon: ‘Dub Dynamite’ w/ DJs Rashi, Eddie Turbo. Tue: DJ Colour Vision.

Onyx Room / Thin, 852 Fifth Ave, Downtown. onyxroom.com. Fri: Seize, Yogui, Muzik Junkies, Martin Kache, Tony V, La Mafia. Sat: DJ Rags, Mike Zee, Nicky Z, DJ Ramiro V. Patricks II, 428 F St, Downtown. patricksii.com. Wed: The Kyniptionz. Thu: Bill Magee Blues Band. Sun: The Bayou Brothers. Mon: Deejha and Walter. Tue: Walter’s Chicken Jam. Porter’s Pub, UCSD campus, La Jolla. porterspub.net. Fri: Something Nasty.

Propagandist, 835 Fifth Ave, Downtown.

ThePropagandistSD.com. Fri: Bixel Boys, Tropicool, Colour Vision, Mont Blanc.

Quality Social , 789 6th Ave, Downtown. qualitysocial.com. Thu: ‘Casual Encounters’ w/ Keyhole Cabaret. Fri: DJs Shaun Slaughter, Third Twin. Sat: DJ Groundfloor.

Sun: ‘The Deep End’ w/ Justin Jay. Queen Bee’s, 3925 Ohio St, North Park. queenbeessd.com. Wed: Firehouse Swing Night. Thu: Drop Dead Dames Burlesque Revue. Sun: Salsa. Tue: ‘Lyrical Exchange’.

Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave, La Mesa. rivierasupperclub.com. Wed: Kice Simko and Friends. Fri: Roy Rapid.

Sat: Bedbreakers. Tue: Meagan Flint.

Ruby Room, 1271 University Ave, Hillcrest. rubyroomsd.com. Wed: Ryan Marks, Dink, Squama, Legit. Thu: Post Apocalyptic Romance: A Neo-Burlesque Show. Thu: Post Apocalyptic Romance: A Neo-Burlesque Show. Fri: OOAH, PRSN, Mk Ultra. Sat: Black Sun Empire, DJ Yutaka, Gum-B, Goldenchild, Ghost MD, Ridda, Subliminal. Sun: The Reed Street Sessions, The Lemon Lips, The Hula Guns, The Craiglist Killers. Tue: The Hero Inside, Haulover Drive, Full Revolution.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave, North Park. sevengrandbars.com/sd. Wed: Gilbert Castellanos Jazz Jam. Thu: Cherries Jubilee Chorus Dancers. Fri: Sure Fire Soul Ensemble. Sat: Burnett’s Bliss.

Shakedown Bar, 3048 Midway Drive, Point Loma. theshakedownsd.com. Wed: The Living Deadbeats. Thu: St. Valentine’s Metal Massacre w/ Desecrate. Fri: Amigo the Devil, Flip Cassidy, Natasha Duchene.

Sat: The Lonesome Ones (CD release), Hard Fall Hearts, Reckless Ones, Pass the Axe. Sun: D.P.I., The Wastrels, The Dirty Panties, Civil Satans.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. sodabarmusic.com. Wed: The Lonely Wild, Ed Ghost Tucker, The Yes Team. Thu: Japanther, The Marsupials, Kodiak. Fri: Mouse on Mars, Xover, 9 Theory, Illuminauts DJs. Sat: The Heavy Guilt,

Michael McGraw and The Butchers, Young Empress, DJ Claire. Sun: Old English, VAMPIRE, Skrapez. Mon: Space Town Savior, Mike Bleeds, Hyperwave, Wizwars, Dasid, Jiffypop23. Tue: Broadway Calls, My Iron Lung, Beside Myself.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd, Midway. somasandiego.com. Thu: Memphis May Fire, Killing the Messenger, Oh, Guardian, Nights. Fri: To Each His Own, City in the Sea, Focus in Frame, Immoral, Quorra, Almost the Witness. Sat: Run the Course, Just In Case, Tangent Transmission, Jara, Crosswalk Heros, The Gravities, Civil People.

Spin, 2028 Hancock St, Midtown. spinnightclub.com. Fri: DJ Jam, D Rock, DJ Hektik. Sat: DJ Justin Ryan, Erin Hamilton. Sun: Shotta Crew, Wreckin Krew, Fayah Heart.

The Flame, 3780 Park Blvd, Hillcrest. flamesandiego.com. Fri: ‘Therapy’; ‘Darkwave Garden’. Sat: ‘Diamond Dust’ w/ May Star, DJs Tigh, Future Weapon, Volz, Joemama, Mustache, Nom Nom. Sat: Diamond Dust.

The Void, 3519 El Cajon Blvd, North Park. http://tinyurl.com/axnjs56. Mon: Blues Control, Infinity Dots, DJ Matt Bahamas.

Tiki House, 1152 Garnet Ave, Pacific Beach. tikipb.com. Thu: Kayla Hope. Fri: Kitten With A Whip. Sat: Joey Harris and the Mentals. Sun: Open mic w/ Tim. Tue: Sweet Dreams.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd, City Heights. tiltwoclub.com. Fri: Drive-By Cinema after-party w/ DJ Question. Fri: ‘Taboo’ w/ Miki Vale, niomiesoulfly. Sat: The Rhythm Shakers. Mon: Karaoke. Tue: Kim Gordon Comedy Night.

Tin Can Ale House, 1863 Fifth Ave, Bankers Hill. thetincan1.wordpress.com. Wed: Comet Calendar, Cobalt Cranes, Satellite Run. Thu: Schitzophonics, Aotearoa, Badabing. Fri: The Fisks, The Phantoms, Turtle Click. Sat: Melly Frances and The Distilled Spirits, Somebody’s Darling, Mrs. Henry.

Mon: Brooke Nicole Telarico. Tue: Dexter Riley Xperiment, Amigo, Kitty Plague.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave, City Heights. thetowerbar.com. Wed: ‘The Ratt’s Revenge’ w/ DJ Mikey Ratt. Fri: Dan Padilla (CD release), Rumspringer, Low Culture, Turkish Techno. Sat: Dirty Panties, Poontang Clam, Wastage. Tue: The Beerbellys, Poppin’ Firecrackers!, DJ Stack-Aly. U-31, 3112 University Ave, North Park. u31bar.com. Wed: Slynkee. Fri: DJ Ayla Simone. Sat: ‘Ladies Night’. Sun: Rasta Nation Reggae Night. Mon: ‘Taking Back Monday’. Tue: Karaoke.

Voyeur, 755 Fifth Ave, Downtown. voyeursd.com. Thu: Cookie Monsta, FuntCase. Fri: Brazzabelle. Sat: Zen Freeman.

Voz Alta, 1754 National Ave, Barrio Logan. vozaltaprojectgallery.com. Thu: Bill Caballero.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St, South Park. whistlestopbar.com. Wed: ‘Now Hear This’. Thu: ‘Brixton Beat’ w/ Kyle-M, Jeff Graves. Fri: ‘Fckin’ in the Bushes’ w/ DJ Rob. Sat: ‘80s vs. 90s’ w/ DJs Gabe Vega, Saul Q. Tue: ‘Friends Chill’.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St, Ocean Beach. winstonsob.com. Wed: Open mic w/ Jefferson Jay (6 p.m.); Natural Heights (9:30 p.m.). Thu: Comedy (6 p.m.); The B.Side Players (9:30 p.m.). Fri: Comedy (6 p.m.); The Devastators (9:30 p.m.). Sat: The Travel Agents (5 p.m.); Nick Bone and the Big Scene, Behind the Wagon, The Tards (9:30 p.m.). Sun: ‘O.B.-o-ke’ w/ Jose Sinatra. Sun: Sordid Tales Podcast Launch Party. Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: Battle of the Bands Round 2.

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